Seven Sins System Chapter 167. Manipulation (Patreon)

Seven Sins System Chapter 167. Manipulation

Without a second thought, I decided to follow him from a distance. I was sure the cult had manipulated him and now, they ordered him to do something.

Strangely though his gaze looked blank, he was able to respond well. He talked to two academy guards near the park entrance and to my surprise, he was able to answer the guards' questions with ease and even made a short conversation with them. His voice was steady and calm. Also, he even managed to turn his head when he heard the sound of a squirrel jumping from a tree by his side.

At first glance, his behavior seemed normal, yet something about it felt off. His movements were slightly stiff and unnatural, and his eyes had a blank, vacant look to them. It was as if he were in a trance, his mind under the control of some powerful force. And I knew that what I was witnessing was not some simple manipulation spell, but a mortal forbidden spell at the highest level - one that could bring someone under its control without their knowledge, allowing the caster to manipulate them at will, and release their control just as easily. 

'Where is he going?' I thought, following him cautiously.

I ventured deeper into the park, accompanied by the soft sounds of the crunching of fallen leaves beneath my feet and the occasional rustling sound of bushes. The trees seemed to loom above me, their branches reaching out like gnarled fingers trying to grasp at me as I passed. 

Passing through the empty park, I ended up on the other side of the academy, near the back of the hospital to be exact. 

And then, he stopped. His hand reached into the pocket of his jeans before he took out a piece of folded paper. I knew without a doubt, it was a summoning formation. I was sure it was used to summon demons since he also took out a small knife from his other pocket.

I realized that I had to act fast, so I decided to make my move.

After I looked around carefully, making sure that there was no one around to witness what I was about to do, I teleported behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. 

"Hey, you!" I called out, my voice firm and commanding.

My arrival startled him and he jumped in surprise.

At the same time, a tingling sensation lingered in my fingertips, as my tiny Envy tentacles emerged from them and stuck to the back of his neck. 

[What do you want to do with his memory?]

[Read/Erase/Alter]

‘Read, everything about the cult,' I ordered.

As my tentacle connected with his mind, I could feel the information rushing into my head like a deluge of water. It was a dizzying and overwhelming experience as if my mind was being flooded with an endless stream of data. The memories played out before me like a movie and showed what he experienced.

Just like what the trio said, I saw a silhouette of a person with tentacles, but with eight tentacles instead of six. This was significant, as I knew that there were very few rare mortals in the world who possessed tentacles.

Unfortunately, the information I received was not much, and it was disjointed since I could only read what he remembered. I didn't know who was the caster of this high manipulation skill, the building location, or even the member since most of them wore a mask. While judging from his friend's blank eyes, it seemed he also experienced the same thing as John. 

Still, I knew that it was a valuable piece of the puzzle that would help me to uncover the truth about what had happened and this help my mission a lot.

The information was fragmented and incomplete, leaving me with more questions than answers. I knew that if I wanted to uncover the truth, I would have to keep searching for more information, but that was all he got.

Finally, the memories came to a stop. At the same time, he turned to me, his hand quickly hiding the paper in his pocket while his knife was still in his other hand. 

Without a doubt, I rebuked him, "What are you doing?" I asked him with an unhappy face, my voice stern, and commanding.

But then, I noticed something else. The titanium pendant on his necklace was a bug transmitter. 

Based on his memory, he had gotten the necklace from his long-dead friend, but he couldn't remember who. So, it might be the cult's doing after manipulating his mind. This was why the caster knew what had happened, they were monitoring him.

"Nothing, sir. I'm just taking a walk to get some fresh air," he said with a stiff smile, trying to play it off like it was nothing. 

I wanted to let the cult know who had caught him and made them recruit me, so I decided to tell them who I am. "Sir? Is it because I don't wear my nametag and my white coat? Are you okay?” I gave a hint to the cult about who I am by mentioning my uniform. 

"Ah, I'm sorry doc," he answered apologetically.

I knew that this was a risky move, but to get to know about the cult, I had to do it. I was not sure I could get much information out of it.

Then I diverted my eyes to the folded knife in his hand. It was small and thin, the handle made of polished wood, and the blade glinting in the light. 

"Is that a knife?" I pretended to be surprised.

Urgently, I reached out and took the knife from his hand. My fingers closed around the handle and checked it.

Soon I noticed the blood on the tip of the blade. It was a clear indication that this knife had been used recently. Which meant he just summoned the demons somewhere else.