Chapter 186: Open Your Eyes, Da Wa Li Shi!

To protect the researchers' creativity, Murphy plants Soul Seeds that are MagicContracts which do not affect free will; as long as the rules of the contract are obeyed, they can think completely freely.

Thus the researchers can retain their own unique beliefs, worldview, and personality.

This agent Wa Lieli can remain loyal to the nation while obeying the rules. However, he cannot be loyal to the nation within the scope of the contract's rules.

Murphy dragged a stool and sat across.

"Let's talk," Murphy said, waving his hand and removing the restraint from the other's mouth, "Wa Lieli, what exactly are you loyal to?"

"Kill me, I won't say anything," Wa Lieli said, lowering his head.

"Even if you know I've already read your memories, everything you know has entered my mind; you have in fact already betrayed your own motherland?"

Wa Lieli grimaced in pain, "I haven't, that's not something I can decide."

"Indeed, loyalty can be a very subjective concept. So what exactly is the object of your loyalty?"

Wa Lieli said nothing, but Murphy nodded, "I see, faith. I'm somewhat moved, brother."

"Stop reading minds, devil! Randomly reading others' souls, is that fun?! You voyeur! Disgusting!" Wa Lieli seemed enraged.

"You're not really angry," Murphy continued, maintaining real-time Legilimency on the other, "People find it hard to mask their emotions, even if you're a master at it. Yet under high-level Legilimency, all your thoughts are as obvious as fish swimming on the water's surface. Hiding and disguising mean nothing to me. Be more open; it will be easier for both of us."

However, as soon as he finished speaking, he read a thought from the other's mind, suddenly reached out and grasped Wa Lieli's jaw.

"Suicide is also impossible."

"Ha, hahaha…"

Wa Lieli was somewhat collapsing; he shed tears, his heart filled with despair, and at this moment he only wanted to die.

He is a true believer.

Murphy read that burning conviction from his heart, like steel forged by countless hammerings, a true enlightenment after endless trials, repeated doubts and verifications; though it seemed a bit dust‑covered, its radiant brilliance remained undimmed.

However, the opponent opposite him was too powerful.

Facing Magic, he could not even keep his own inner secret.

This uncontrollable humiliation and despair made him want to die instantly.

Even now, his loyalty at heart remains intact; he merely cannot control being exploited, yet he still controls his own soul.

"But that's just an illusion," Murphy said, "In the face of Magic, free will is merely a fantasy."

"You stole that Rat Bacillus; you must have heard of its world‑destroying power, but you probably still don't know why."

"Because it's a terrifying thing that can infect a person's thoughts and turn them into a puppet controlled by the pathogen."

Wa Lieli raised his head in terror.

As a warrior, he does not fear death, for bodily death is not true death; with the power of faith he still possesses a lofty, free soul.

However, what if Magic could even alter his faith?

"You work in the Magic Potion research group, so you must know that many Magic Potions like Love Potion can alter a person's Cognition Dimension; of course they are mostly temporary and the effects are largely false, but I can responsibly tell you that a Spell that truly can alter the soul does indeed exist."

"The Employment Confidentiality Agreement I signed?" Wa Lieli asked.

Murphy shrugged, "The secrets here cannot yet be disclosed to the outside world."

Wa Lieli fell silent. "Whatever, this is no longer something I can control."

He has already done his best; if the other side wants to turn him into a devil fighting against his own motherland, now he can only hope that former comrades, when they fire, will aim at his head.

"Don't be so desperate; we might not be enemies," Murphy said.

Wa Lieli clearly didn't believe him, treating Murphy merely as an opponent trying to flip him.

"You've been in the institute for quite a while, so you should know what I want. Do you think this research could belong exclusively to any one country?"

"We're studying Magic here, brother."

"This is a domain almost as vast as the old sciences; it's not an industry, not Chip, not rockets, not atomic bombs. It's fundamental science! It's theoretical physics, it's chemistry, it's astronomy, it's anthropology, biology... How could any one country monopolize it? It belongs to all humanity's wealth."

"But you are monopolizing it," Wa Lieli said, sharply pointing out the flaw in Murphy's words.

"I don't intend to monopolize it," Murphy said, "I founded this lab and made all research results public to every staff member precisely because I don't want to monopolize it."

"Then why don't you release me so I can take those results back?"

"Take them back, give them to whom?"

"Of course, the Su Nation."

"Su Nation, who are they? I think you don't bring those technologies back to promote a high‑ranking official's promotion or just secure a personal way out, do you?"

"What do you mean?!" Wa Lieli glared at him.

"Answer me first: who is the Su Nation?"

"Obviously the people of the Su Nation!"

"Then I ask you again: will the ones who finally obtain these technologies be the people of the Su Nation? Can the person who takes the technology from you, and the organization that person belongs to, still represent the Su Nation's people?"

"You!" Wa Lieli raged, "You are indeed a lapdog of Western will! You want to shake my faith!"

"No, Da Wa Li Shi, you know your faith hasn't wavered. What you're angry about is only my attempt to separate your pure faith from the government you regard as the embodiment of that faith."

"But I also don't have that intention; even though your motherland is now deeply corrupt, even though that government is already unbearable, even though that party is no longer what it once was, I still don't wish to completely separate them from you."

"Your country is a great nation, but it is vast; its government is vast, its party is vast, containing countless people. You know, not everyone is as loyal as you are."

"What I want you to distinguish is you versus those disguised enemies."

"You should see clearly that what you are loyal to is always your own faith, your people, your motherland, your government, your party, not some already corrupted maggots still sitting in the seat of power."

"They have long become your enemies, the party's enemies, the motherland's enemies, the people's enemies."

"You should more carefully discern who is a warrior with faith, and who merely wears a comrade's skin but is at heart a shameless thief!"

"Open your eyes, Da Wa Li Shi!"

"Everyone, don't press the button, 21 has been reviewed, changed twice... In short, it's just a brain‑twist, just look at it..."

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(End of chapter)