Chapter 96: The Basic Principles of the Seed of Mind

After leaving the Curse Experiment Laboratory, Murphy went to the Mind Magic Research Group.

"Regarding the Seed of Mind, I believe Selica must have introduced some of it to you. You've also read Joachim's diary, what are your thoughts?"

Murphy was speaking to the two leaders of the Mind Magic Research Group, Furness Bachman and Omid Abbot.

After the incident with Isaac, Murphy had approved the formation of this research group, which, besides them, included a cognitive psychology expert and a neurology expert.

He was there to discuss the Seed of Mind.

Although he had obtained the Seed of Mind in the village, Murphy dared not use it.

This spell was too powerful, intimidatingly so.

If he used the Seed of Mind on someone and ended up turning them into a zombie or a spectral minion, it would be manageable. But if it also affected the worms in their stomach or bacteria in their intestines, turning them into followers eager to burrow into their body and solve their problems, what then?

Magic is not just about being usable. Murphy needed to be sure that this "black box" was fundamentally safe and reliable.

He didn't want to end up like Crabbe in the original story, dying from a spell he couldn't control. That would be embarrassingly tragic.

"We can only draw limited conclusions based on your and Selica's descriptions, as well as the diary's records," Omid Abbot said.

"However, your decision to destroy the village was correct. Preventing its spread to avoid potential large-scale destruction was a prudent and rational action, given our inability to ascertain the interaction mechanism between this spell and the plague."

"Regarding this spell, I have a hypothesis," Furness added. "I believe it might affect a person's fundamental personality. The spell caster imposes their perception, expectations, and concepts they want the subject to embody, onto the subject."

"In terms of psychoanalysis, this is a magical form of projective identification with the object. In terms of self-psychology, it's the transference of the self-object."

"To put it simply, it's like an intensified form of emotional abuse, similar to how parents force their children to accept 'poor grades deserve punishment.' Although the child's true emotional experience may not agree with this logic, once this belief is internalized, it becomes an insurmountable obstacle."

"But how this spell achieves this, I don't have a good explanation yet."

Murphy nodded, "Dr. Furness?"

Furness Bachman, a somewhat bald, serious man, spoke up, "I agree with Omid's psychological interpretation."

"This spell implants a very strong motive or emotion in the subject. This motive or emotion continuously strengthens itself, becoming increasingly dominant in their cognitive pattern and behavioral logic, until it integrates all their thoughts, becoming the most important criterion in their decision-making."

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

"This is also seen in severe cases of schizophrenia."

"From a neuroscience perspective, I think this spell might alter the emotional or primitive brain," Furness said.

"Unlike the neocortex, which excels in rational cognition and analysis, our emotions originate from more primitive parts of the brain. The emotional brain, or the limbic system, generates complex emotions like joy, anger, sadness, etc., while the primitive brain, including the brainstem and medulla, generates primal emotions like fear, related to survival instincts."

"The more primitive the brain, the stronger the sensory and emotional drive. It's hard for people to control their emotions with reason, just as it's difficult to overcome fear with logic."

"From the manifestation of this spell, at least part of its mechanism of action seems to be through altering lower brain regions."

Murphy agreed with this explanation. Joachim's diary clearly stated that using a conflicting Seed of Mind on someone already affected by one could turn their brain to mush, making them insane.

This shows that part of the spell indeed controls the subject's brain.

But it likely affects more than just the brain, as Joachim became a ghost, and the spell still worked. Evidently, another part of the spell involves more magical aspects like the "soul."

Moreover, the spell's effects can spread through bacteria and even be passed down genetically, which is quite magical.

"I need you to research the mechanism of this spell. You can collaborate with the Curse Pathway Group; they are more proficient in theoretical research on spells. In addition, spells like the Soul-Stealing Curse, Mind-Reading, and Forgetfulness Curse can also be analyzed together. Start with animal experiments; I'll have Selica cooperate with you."

Having arranged the research on the Seed of Mind, Murphy felt relieved. The next step was to check on the Transformation Pathway Research Group to see if there were any new developments since Boris joined them.

Murphy then headed to the Magical Creatures Laboratory.

Boris was undergoing a perspective examination, so Murphy didn't disturb him and instead found Andrew Tuck.

The latter was excited to see Murphy, "Boss, we've figured out what vampires are!"

"Oh?" Murphy was curious, "Tell me about it."

Andrew handed Murphy a report, "This is Boris's G-banding karyotype analysis. Do you see anything unusual?"

Murphy looked at the various "X"-shaped chromosomes on the report, scrutinizing them for a couple of seconds, then exclaimed, "Is this the Y chromosome?"

"No!" Andrew pointed to a small, triangular-looking chromosome, "This is the Y chromosome. What you're seeing is an extra chromosome not belonging to humans."

"You mean vampires have an extra chromosome, not a pair, just one?"

"Yes, its singularity explains why vampires struggle to reproduce. It can't undergo meiosis to form reproductive cells."

"This chromosome doesn't completely match any bat species, but we did find some similar genes."

"These genes might be what give Boris some bat-like traits."

"For instance, we found that Boris's cells, like those of bats, have a strong DNA repair capability. His telomere attrition rate is much lower than that of normal humans."

"Using telomerase to speed up Boris's cell division, we found his maximum cell division count to be around four to five hundred times, nearly ten times the human cell division limit of fifty. Five hundred divisions, if calculated using the average human cell cycle of 2.4 years, means a lifespan limit of over twelve hundred years."

"…If this calculation holds, the oldest living vampire might have been born before 800 AD, possibly even having seen Emperor Alfred!"

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