294. Detection of Mind Control

“I see...” Prince Landon mused, his brow furrowed as he analyzed the tactical nightmare. “So it isn't total control in the traditional sense. It’s more subtle. It makes the host believe the path they are taking is a choice of their own free will, even as they are being pushed by the flower’s influence?”Eugene gave a grim, slow nod. “Exactly. The flower pulses when the host is meant to act, flooding their mind with a singular, overwhelming impulse that feels like genuine conviction. They will betray their own family and truly believe they are doing it for the greater good.”

Aurora’s eyes widened in realization, her hand resting on the hilt of her chair. “The flowers we saw protruding from the bodies of those cult members before the dungeons spawned... those were the fully bloomed roses, weren't they?”

“That’s right,” Eugene replied. “By the time the petals break the skin, the host is already lost. Their original self has been entirely consumed by the amplified emotions of the rose but now we know it can also spawn large scale dungeons.”

The room fell into a heavy, contemplative silence. The realization that their enemies could be sitting right next to them was a weight that pressed down on everyone. If the Cult could turn a man against himself, then loyalty was no longer a shield.

“However,” Eugene said, a somber, knowing smile touching his lips as he looked around the room, “there is a way to tell if the rot has set in before it reaches that final, gruesome stage.”

Aurora’s eyes widened, her hand tightening on the edge of the chair. “How?”

“Alcohol,” Eugene replied simply. “The answer is high-proof alcohol.” He reached out and tapped the glass bottle sitting on the table nearby, the one Princess Serena had been drinking from throughout the meeting. “If an individual controlled by a Seed consumes alcohol that is forty percent or more in purity, a chemical reaction occurs within the parasitic seed. Their eye color will temporarily shift to a faint, hazy blue.”

“That… how could you possibly have figured that out?” Prince Landon asked, his voice laced with both hope and deep suspicion.

Eugene merely offered a cryptic smile, refusing to elaborate. Ravenna, however, just chuckled inwardly. “Of course he knows that. In the original timeline, during the literal end of the world, he oversaw the extensive research on mind-controlled subjects to find a way to purge the Cult’s influence. He’s using future knowledge as an upper hand chip here.”

“It’s a faction secret,” Eugene said, his smile widening just enough to be frustrating.

“With this, the first official meeting for the Humanity Defense Treaty concludes,” Ravenna announced, her voice regaining its sharp, authoritative edge. She stood up, signaling the end of the summit. “We will reconvene tomorrow morning to go into the specific troop allocations and logistics, other details”

The various royals and their retinues began to filter out, the air in the room finally beginning to circulate. Ravenna turned to her own team: Alice, Hughes, Marie, John, Kenric, and the others plus high-ranking administrators of the dukedom.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

“Kim Dukedom officials, return to the study in two hours,” she commanded, her gaze already shifting toward the piles of internal reports waiting for her. “The world might be ending, but the Dukedom still needs to run. We will go over our domestic matters then.”

Once the heavy oak doors clicked shut and the last of the footsteps faded down the hall, Ravenna let out a long, ragged sigh. The poise she had maintained throughout the summit wavered for just a second as she leaned back and closed her eyes. With a flick of her will, she summoned the shimmering blue interface that only she could see.

(New)

User: Ravenna Solarius / Joy Cha Kim

Reputation Level: 90 — (200,564 / 1,00,900 EXP)↑

Current Reputation Points: 1805 RP↑

Titles Unlocked: Raven of the Sun Palace, Unruly Princess, Beast Slayer

{ View Reputation Log } { Spend Reputation Points }

{ Exchange Items } { Enter Origin Domain } (New)

“First, let’s use a heal to get some of my strength back,” Ravenna decided. The stress of the dungeon escape and the political maneuvering had left her veins feeling like they were filled with crushed glass. She tapped the Spend Points tab.

Access to the Internet: 100 Points per Hour

Access to Magic Spell Library: 100 Points per Hour

Geographical Scans: 5 Points per 1 Kilometer

Nullify Minor Poison Damage (Self): 250 Points

Nullify Minor Poison Damage (Others): 350 Points per Entity

Major Heal: 1,500 Points per Entity

Lie Detector: 2,000 Points per Use

Copy Skill – Locked

Enter Celestial Realm – Locked

She winced at the cost, but her wellbeing was a non-negotiable expense. As she confirmed the Major Heal, a warm, golden light washed over her body, mending micro-fractures in her bones and soothing her frayed nerves. The exhaustion evaporated, replaced by the sharp, cold clarity she was known for.

“Since the system has upgraded again... let’s see what’s actually new,” she muttered, her curiosity piqued. She navigated to the Origin Domain panel, which now pulsed with a soft, inviting glow.

{ Enter Origin Domain }

Assign Role: 3 Available

Invite Entity: 400 Points per Entity

“Is that it?” she muttered, scrolling through the other panels, searching for hidden menus or massive changes. She let out a dry, short laugh. “I see... it’s like an app developer's patches. The more fine-tuned the version becomes, the fewer the visible upgrades with each update. Quality over quantity.”

She tapped on the descriptions for the new features, her eyes widening as she read the fine print.

Assign Role: You can assign a role to an entity to manage and customize the origin domain/domains. Designate what the role holder can manage at your own discretion. Note: Roles cannot be revoked upon assigning.

Invite Entity:Invite an Entity into the Origin Domain for the duration of the time you are present. Note: Invited Entities will be forced to leave upon the absence of the host.

“So... I can not only bring items into ‘The Office’ now, but also people!?” Ravenna was momentarily taken aback. The tactical implications flooded her mind, she could bring her top researchers into a space where time moved differently, or protect key allies in a realm the Cult couldn't touch. “The new features are few, but they are insanely useful.”

Suddenly, something else caught her eye. She leaned forward, staring at the floating panel to make sure she wasn’t hallucinating.

“Wait... it says ‘domain/domains’ in the description.” Her heart skipped a beat. “Does that mean in the future, I might be able to create more than one Origin Domain?!”