The moment the Empath Demon opened her eyes, Asher felt an invisible force brush against his consciousness.

It wasn’t mana.Nor was it killing intent.

It was something far more subtle.

For a brief moment, he felt as though something was slowly trying to slip into his mind.

Before it could go any further, the gloves on his hands suddenly lit up with faint silver runes.

The runes spread across the surface of the gloves before releasing an invisible barrier around Asher.

The strange sensation immediately disappeared.

Asher glanced at the gloves before looking back at the demon.

’So that’s what these artifacts were for.’

Even while being restrained inside countless sealing formations and submerged within the glass tube, the Empath Demon could still unconsciously influence the emotions and consciousness of those around her.

The influence was weak because of the seals, but it still existed.

Without the protective artifact, anyone who remained near her for long enough would slowly begin to fall under her influence without even realizing it.

The gloves, however, completely isolated that influence, preventing even the slightest trace of her mental power from reaching Asher’s consciousness.

Dr. Samuel looked at Asher before asking,

"You alright?"

Asher simply nodded.

"I’m alright."

Seeing that Asher was unaffected, Dr Samuel looked at Klein,then Klein reached into his spatial ring and took out a black crystal orb.

The moment it appeared, Asher could faintly sense an unsettling aura coming from it.

Dr. Samuel noticed Asher’s gaze and began explaining.

"This is a special artifact designed to destroy a person’s will."

He looked at the black orb with an indifferent expression.

"Once it is used, the target’s will is completely erased. Their body remains alive, their consciousness still exists, and their brain continues to function normally..."

He paused briefly before continuing,

"...but they become nothing more than an empty puppet."

"They can no longer make decisions, form convictions, or grow as an individual, because they have lost the very thing that makes a living being truly alive."

Dr. Samuel lightly tapped the orb with his finger.

"Their own will."

He looked at Asher before adding in a calm tone,

"A body isn’t what separates a living being from an object. Even constructs and robots possess bodies."

"What makes a person truly alive is their ability to think for themselves, make their own choices, and possess a will of their own."

"Once that is gone... all that’s left is an empty shell waiting for someone else to give it orders."

Dr. Samuel then continued,

"That is also the reason the thralls created by Parasite Demons are so weak."

He looked toward the Empath Demon before continuing his explanation.

"The moment a person is completely taken over, they stop being who they once were. Their own will disappears, leaving behind nothing but a body that follows orders."

He folded his arms.

"Once that happens, they also lose the ability to truly grow. Their cultivation stagnates, their potential comes to an end, and they can never surpass the limits they had before being controlled."

Dr. Samuel shook his head slightly.

"That’s why using parasites to completely control others has very little value in the long run."

"You gain an obedient puppet... but you lose a cultivator capable of becoming stronger."

Asher remained silent for a few moments, allowing everything Dr. Samuel had explained to settle in his mind.

Then he finally spoke in a calm tone.

"So that’s your real objective."

His eyes shifted toward the Empath Demon floating inside the glass tube.

"The parasite was never meant to control its host completely."

"Its purpose is to secretly observe the target while serving as a bridge for the Empath Demon’s ability."

He paused briefly before continuing.

"Instead of forcing someone to obey, you’ll only influence their emotions ever so slightly."

"None of those changes would be obvious on their own."

His gaze remained fixed on the demon.

"The victim would still think every emotion and every decision was their own. They would never realize that someone had gently pushed them toward making a particular choice."

Asher then looked back at Dr. Samuel.

"That way, they remain themselves, continue cultivating, and can still become stronger. Unlike ordinary parasite thralls, they won’t lose their potential because their will is never completely destroyed."

He narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Meanwhile, the person carrying the leading parasite will be able to observe them through the parasites and subtly manipulate their emotions whenever necessary."

Finally, his gaze returned to the Empath Demon.

"And if I’m not mistaken,that person is going to be this demon."

He looked at Dr. Samuel.

"After you erase her will, she’ll become an obedient puppet. Her abilities will remain intact, but she won’t have any thoughts or desires of her own. She’ll simply use her powers on whoever you command."

Dr. Samuel looked at Asher for a moment before a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

"Yeah. You understood it faster than I expected."

He nodded slightly before continuing.

"This isn’t about creating slaves.The influence won’t be powerful enough to completely overwrite a person’s will. They’ll still have full control over themselves, continue living their lives, and make their own decisions."

He raised a finger.

"We’ll merely nudge those decisions in the direction we want."

"A little more trust here. A little more doubt there. A slight increase in fear, confidence, or ambition."

"Each change by itself will be insignificant, but over time, those small influences will naturally guide a person toward the outcome we desire."

Dr. Samuel’s smile widened slightly.

"That’s why this ability isn’t particularly useful in direct combat."

"Against an opponent on the battlefield, such subtle influence won’t decide the fight."

He then looked at the Empath Demon.

"But politics..."

A hint of excitement appeared in his eyes.

"Politics is a completely different matter."

"Struggles between noble families, conflicts within organizations,None of those are decided by a single battle.They’re decided by countless choices made by countless people."

He folded his arms.

"And if we can subtly influence those choices without anyone realizing it..."

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"...then controlling the masses becomes far easier"

After saying that, Dr. Samuel turned toward Klein and gave a slight nod.

Without saying a word, Klein stepped forward.

The liquid inside the glass tube had already been completely drained, leaving the Empath Demon suspended only by the restraints attached to the tube.

With a low mechanical sound, the front of the glass tube slowly opened.

The moment the restraints were released, Klein reached forward and grabbed the female demon by the throat before she had a chance to move.

Despite being a Master-rank demon, she couldn’t resist in the slightest. Klein effortlessly lifted her into the air with one hand, as though she weighed nothing.

In his other hand, he held the black crystal orb.

He slowly brought it closer to the demon’s forehead.

The closer the orb came, the more violently the Empath Demon’s expression changed. For the first time since waking up, fear appeared in her eyes as she instinctively struggled, seemingly aware of exactly what that artifact was capable of doing.

Asher watched the entire scene in silence.

His vision had already shifted from the physical world to the world of wills.

What he saw was completely different from what everyone else could perceive.

The black orb wasn’t destroying the Empath Demon’s will directly.

Instead, it was slowly pulling her will out of her body, as though an invisible force was tearing away the very core of her existence.

The demon’s will desperately resisted, trying to remain connected to its vessel.

However, the orb continued drawing it out little by little.

The moment a fragment of her will completely separated from her body, it didn’t remain in this world.

It simply vanished.

Asher was certain where it had gone.

It had been sent to that place...

The same place where he had existed before being reborn into this world.

A place where even wills couldn’t continue to exist.

Once something entered it, there was only one outcome.

Complete annihilation.

Meanwhile, the Empath Demon desperately struggled to escape.

Her body flickered repeatedly as she tried to transform into her emotional form.

However, Klein’s grip never loosened.

His will completely suppressed hers, preventing her from changing forms.

At the same time, the countless sealing formations engraved throughout the room activated, placing one restriction after another on her body.

Even if she somehow managed to transform, it wouldn’t have made any difference.

Grandmaster attacks were no longer ordinary elemental attacks.

Every attack was infused with the user’s will.

Whether the target possessed a physical body, an elemental body, or any other form, an attack carrying will would still reach it and inflict damage.

The extraction continued for several more moments.

The Empath Demon’s struggles gradually became weaker.

The desperation in her eyes slowly faded as more and more of her will was pulled from her body.

Finally, the last fragment of her will was extracted.