Episode 142- Humanity

"…" I stared in silence.

"…" Albert stared back at me in equal silence.

"Get lost." Was the first thing I said to him.

"Don't wanna." Was his reply.

"Just pretend he doesn't exist." I told everyone who came in with me much to their confusion.

I saw from the corner of my eye the system user staring at Albert for a few seconds before he became confused. He quickly looked at me before looking at Albert in confusion again.

He must have used his 'Observe' skill on Albert and most likely have received a bunch of '???'. Unlike my mind which I have set an active defence against these kinds of simple mental intrusions, most people don't set any sort of defence against the parasites abilities. Due to this, most people's information is laid bare before the parasite which is given to its host.

However, when one is simply too strong or hold much more mental strength than the parasite or its host then it becomes harder for the parasite to infiltrate a person's mind and gather information. Due to this the parasite simply sends a bunch of '?' to the parasite in order to say the parasite has no clue to their strength or information as it and its host is weak.

As for the reason why I call a system, the parasite is for a simple reason, because it essentially functions as a parasite. Most systems need a living being or something with a conscience/ soul to function with like a parasite. Once a system attaches to this sort of being it starts guiding or growing that being from the background in return for specific demands from the host of the system, such as money, system points etc.

Often these demands from the system will be much subtle like money or something which can be traded. But what these hosts don't realise is that the system doesn't care about the demands like money, gold, system points but rather the essence behind how it is collected.

For example, if the system required money the user would start becoming greedier for money. When the host greedily starts collecting money no matter how good of a reason he is planning to use it for, it will create an imbalance in society or on a person for a few moments including the host.

When a person expresses their emotions, it is naturally felt from the soul, no matter how deep or shallow the emotion is. Due to this, emotions release a simple form of energy from the soul which is derived from the soul's infinite divine energy called emotional energy.

The system harvests these energy sources from the host and these people who were affected by the host's action no matter how far they are to empower the parasitic lifeform situated inside the hosts' soul shell.

It doesn't always have to be negative emotions but can be any sort of emotions ranging from happy, sad, angry, mistrust etc.

Once these parasites grow strong enough from these energy sources contained within emotions, they lay dormant awaiting a chance to take over the host permanently. In fact, the host won't even realise they have been taken over as the parasite will simply put the host in an illusion once the process of the takeover has started.

These takeovers usually happen in a life-threatening moment for the user, such as when the user is nearly on the verge of death and have no chance of coming back, but suddenly the system gives the user a massive boost in strength. This massive boost is nothing other than the illusion the parasite has placed on its host. From then on, the host will live a life of lie conquering worlds and beauties and die happily, or even be brainwashed by the system's illusion without knowing their true body and mind has been taken over by the very parasite they trusted.

At the same time as the host is placed in an illusion, the system will use part of its energy gained from accumulating emotional energy to teleport and heal the body of its host no matter how serious the wound was. From then on is the rise and comeback of the parasite instead of the host.

And the worst part is system parasites are not natural-born beings but rather created. This meant there was specifically someone out there wanting to put a parasite in Dean's body for some reason.

"So, kid I heard you were planning to bring about some changes here?" Albert asked me.

Instead of answering I just ignored him. "Mr Warden as I said before I am just here to inspect this prison for future development on prisons to improve security. So why don't you tell me the general description of this prison." I asked the warden.

"Oh me, me, me!" Albert excitedly raised his hand like a kid.

Before I could ignore him, he started "This prison is …" Then started a long boring session of the prison history, its features, securities etc.

"Is that enough info for you punk?" Albert asked.

I shrugged my shoulders at that. "Ha made you notice me." He replied excitedly.

"As a reward can I get a 50% discount coupon?" Albert asked with a puppy eye.

"1-that is so disgusting when it is done by an old man. 2- get lost." I berated him.

"1-this puppy eye technique is effective irrespective of age. 2-I don't wanna." He replied.

The warden rubbed his head in annoyance. "Please, you are both envoys from certain representatives of the imperial court take this inspection more seriously." The warden berated without knowing the true identity of Albert.

"Envoys? Who supposedly sent you?" I asked Albert in amusement.

"Well seeing as the 3rd prince send you, I was sent by the head of Thorn family." The old man replied.

I could see both Ellis and Luke look at Albert with a look of "Really? That the best you can think of?"

He just practically copied my same excuse. I came here saying I was sent by the 3rd prince when I am the 3rd prince. While he came here saying he was sent by the head of the Thorn family when he is the head of the Thorn commandment family.

"Well since you both came for inspection; I can guide you at the same time. Where would you like to go first?" The warden asked.

"How about we start with visiting the cell of a certain prisoner named 'Dominic'?" Albert said with a smirk.

Hearing the name froze the 2 people behind me. I sighed at this amateur trick Albert was pulling.

"Yeah let's go." I said and turned around to leave with Albert while leaving the flabbergasted warden behind.

"Wait." We both ignored the warden as Albert led the way, as he probably knew it like the back of his hand.

Ellis and Luke nudged the unsure siblings to follow as.

After going through lots of gates and guards, which were opened by the grumpy warden, we arrived in front of a cell.

"All clear from me." Albert said without even looking.

"Same, but my subordinates need to investigate in detail. Mr Warden, can you please open the cell for my subordinates?" I asked while looking at the tear-filled siblings as they saw who I assumed was their older brother, 'Dominic'.

Dominic's condition was pitiful. It was not because he was living in a harsh cell, but he had a lifeless and hopeless look in his eyes as if he had given up on the world. He sat in a corner looking at the air blankly, with his unshaven beard and uncut long hair.

"But…" The warden started off.

"Seriously we got 2 sword whisperers here, why are you so afraid of a Rank 2 magi user?" Albert interrupted him.

After a few moments of struggle, the warden relented. "Ok if anything goes wrong it is on both your heads." The warden tried to scare us into backing off as he opened the cell door.

"Please." I waved towards the siblings who rain in with happiness along with some sadness, shouting "Dominic!"

"Brother!"

"So, you know who they are?" I asked Albert.

"Did you bring them here without knowing about them?" Albert asked back, to which I nodded.

"What made you do that?" He asked me.

"I was bored and thought I could do some drama after I saw the look of hopelessness and desperation in that girls' eyes." I said.

"And it definitely was not because the boy suddenly advanced as an apprentice magi in front of your very eyes?" Albert asked.

I shook my head. "You forgot he ate my food. He was meant to advance anyway after eating it."

"I call bullshit on that. Especially when there was a 2nd surge of magi particles. Just say it, you are curious about what happened with that brat." Albert stated.

"Nope, I was curious when it happened, but I had figured out what happened after a few minutes." I said after which I yawned and stretched.

"You did? So, what was it?" Albert asked me.

"Go figure it out yourself. You are one of the strongest magi, consider this as a challenge." I said to him which annoyed him.

"So, about those siblings? Are they related to the rebellion in the north somehow?" I asked as I saw both siblings hugging the brother only for him to lifelessly stay there ignoring them.

"Yeah. Typical stupid lower nobles annoyed the villagers with their stupid rules and restrictions.

Then the idiot noble's son raped those kids' mother for 3 days straight after kidnapping her to their mansion.

The husband who went to ask for his poor wife got tortured and slaughtered by the tyrant noble. The wife unable to bear the suffering anymore hung herself on her clothes.

The villagers went mad hearing this and revolted against them. However, few among them were quite the zealots and greedy people as they tried to amass even more people to join them for their now renewed cause of overthrowing all nobles and even the empire, using their parents as martyrs.

The crown prince was sent for the mission to calm them down and to offer them a deal, but instead, he made it worse by killing one of the rebellion leaders. This made the situation even worse and he had to be escorted back to the capital quickly, while the rebellion grew in strength and numbers using the now-deceased leader as a martyr too.

The 2nd Prince then had to be sent down there to control the situation with military force and after much effort, he managed to finally destroy the rebellion a month ago. However, in the process, he had to kill all rebellion leaders, and when asked for a sacrifice by the other pissed of lower nobles he had to pick a worthy lamb for those starving wolves." Albert explained.

"So, was he one of the leaders in the rebellion as well?" I asked.

"Yeah, he was the general in the rebellion army. All the other greedy and selfish assholes in the rebellion quickly sacrificed him to save their own lives and wealth they acquired from pillaging few noble families.

He came with Jack without any complaints or resistance surprisingly. His only request was that his siblings should be left in peace to Jack."

"So, you are here to make sure I leave them alone, as per his request?" I inquired while looking at the wailing siblings who were trying to get some sort of response from Dominic.

"His trial is still going on, and it is, without doubt, he will be given public execution in order to appease the nobles and he knows that too.

You can see that he has already prepared to move on. Don't break that state of his by messing with his family. Don't give him the desire to live when he has accepted his fate.

Just leave them alone." Albert warned in an unusually serious voice.

"Did Jack send you here?" Albert nodded to my question.

"I hope you still have some decency left in you to grant him his last request." Albert said as he walked off disappearing into the darkness much to the warden's annoyance at having a potential loose cannon in his prison amidst his prisoners.