Chapter 98: Basic Principles of the Soul Seed

Leaving the Magic Spell Laboratory, Murphy came to the Mind Magic Research Group.

"Regarding the Soul Seed, I believe Selica should have already introduced some of it to you. You have all read Joachim's diary as well. What are your thoughts?"

Before Murphy were the two leaders of the Mind Magic Research Group, Funes Bachmann and Omid Abbott.

After the last Isaac incident, Murphy had approved the two to establish this research group. Currently, besides them, there was also a cognitive psychology expert and a neuro-medical expert.

Coming to find them was naturally for the sake of the Soul Seed.

Although he had obtained the Soul Seed in the village, Murphy didn't dare to use it at all.

This spell was too powerful, powerful to the point that even Murphy felt a bit afraid.

If he used a Soul Seed on someone and turned the other party into a zombie or a ghost lackey, that would be fine, but what if he turned the pinworms in his stomach and the bacteria in his intestines into his own followers, who wanted to burrow into his stomach every day to share his worries and solve his problems? What would he do then?

Magic wasn't enough just by being usable; Murphy had to at least confirm that this black box was basically safe and reliable.

He didn't want to be like Crabbe in the original work, dying from a spell he couldn't control; that would be too damn embarrassing.

"Based solely on your and Selica's descriptions, as well as the records in the diary, we cannot draw many conclusions," Omid Abbott said.

"However, your decision to destroy the village was correct. Before it is possible to determine the interaction mechanism between this spell and the plague, preventing its spread to avoid potential large-scale destruction is a cautious and rational move."

"Additionally, regarding this spell, I currently have a conjecture," Funes said. "I believe it might be able to influence a person's basic personality. The caster of the spell forcibly imposes their own cognition, expectations, concepts they want the other party to form, and motivations onto the subject."

"If we speak in terms of psychoanalysis, this is a magical form of projective identification toward an object. According to self psychology, this is the transference of self-objects."

"Simply understood, you can treat it as an enhanced version of emotional abuse, just like parents forcing a child to recognize that 'if you don't study well, you should be beaten.' Although the child does not truly agree with this logic in their true emotional experience, once this cognition is formed and internalized, it becomes an obstacle they cannot overcome."

"But regarding how this magic achieves this point, I haven't thought of a good explanation yet."

Murphy nodded. "Dr. Funes?"

Funes Bachmann was a serious man with a slightly balding head. He spoke at this moment: "I also agree with Omid's explanation in psychology."

"This spell implants a very strong motivation or emotion into the subject. This motivation or emotion will continuously self-reinforce, and its priority in their cognitive mode and behavioral logic will become higher and higher, until it can integrate all of the subject's thoughts and become the most important judgment standard in their behavioral logic."

"Therefore, this person will ignore all facts that contradict it and will even actively eliminate evidence that contradicts it."

"This situation also appears in severe symptoms of schizophrenia."

"And from the perspective of brain science, I believe this magic might have tampered with the human emotional brain or even the primitive brain," Funes said.

"Unlike the complex cerebrum, which is better at rational cognition and analysis, our emotions are actually born in a more primitive brain. Among them, the emotional brain, which is the part related to the limbic system, can produce advanced emotions and feelings, such as joy, anger, and sadness. And the primitive brain, which is the brainstem, medulla, and other parts, can give birth to the most primitive instinctive emotions related to survival, such as fear."

"The more primitive the brain, the stronger the feeling and emotional drive it produces. It is difficult for humans to control their own emotions by reason, and it is difficult to overcome fear by logic; this is the reason."

"Judging from the manifestations of this spell, at least part of its mechanism of action is achieved by tampering with lower brain regions."

Murphy agreed with this statement. Joachim's diary clearly wrote that for a person who had already been used with a Soul Seed, using a contradictory Soul Seed again could directly lead to the latter's brain being stirred into paste, becoming a madman.

This shows that a part of this spell is indeed achieved by controlling the subject's brain.

But it shouldn't just act on the brain. After all, Joachim had become a ghost, and the spell was still useful. Clearly, another part of the spell should involve more magical aspects such as the "soul."

Moreover, the effect of the spell could be transmitted through germs and could even be passed on through heredity, which was very magical.

"I need you to study the mechanism of this spell. You can combine with the Spellcasting Path group; they are more proficient in the theoretical research of spells. In addition, spells such as the Imperius Curse, Legilimency, and Obliviation can also be taken for analysis together. Let's start with animal experiments first; I will have Selica cooperate with you."

Having arranged the research on the Soul Seed, Murphy put aside one concern. The rest was the Transformation Path Research Group. He didn't know if there had been any new progress after Boris joined them.

Murphy came to the Magical Creature Laboratory.

Boris was undergoing a fluoroscopic examination. Murphy didn't disturb him and went to find Andrew Tooke.

This guy was very excited when he saw Murphy. "Boss, we've figured out what's going on with vampires!"

"Oh?" Murphy was a bit curious. "Tell me about it."

Andrew took out a picture and handed it to Murphy. "This is the G-banded karyotype analysis report of Boris's chromosomes. Take a look; is there anything different?"

Murphy glanced at the various twisted "X"-shaped chromosomes in the picture. After looking carefully for two seconds, he let out an "eh."

"Is this the Y chromosome?" Murphy asked, pointing to the last short, granular chromosome.

"No!" Andrew pointed to a small chromosome that looked like a small triangle in front. "This is the Y chromosome. The one you see is a chromosome that does not belong to humans, outside of the 22 pairs of autosomes and one pair of sex chromosomes."

"You mean vampires have one more chromosome than humans? One, not one pair?"

"Yes, it is unpaired. This unpaired chromosome explains why it is difficult for vampires to bear offspring," Andrew said. "It simply cannot undergo meiosis to form reproductive cells."

"This chromosome is not completely consistent with the various chromosomes of several types of bats, but we have indeed discovered the existence of some similar genes."

"And perhaps it is these genes that have brought Boris some characteristics similar to bats."

"For example, we discovered that Boris's cells are similar to bats, possessing extremely strong DNA repair capabilities, and the wear rate of his chromosomal telomeres is far lower than that of normal humans."

"We used Essence of Dittany to accelerate the division of Boris's cells and discovered that his maximum number of divisions is between about four hundred and five hundred times, nearly ten times the limit of human cell division of 50 times! Five hundred cell divisions, if calculated according to the average human cell cycle of 2.4 years, means a maximum lifespan of over twelve hundred years."

"... If calculated according to this algorithm, the oldest vampire still alive might have been born before 800 AD; he might even have seen Emperor Alfred the Great!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 99 =====