Mind Demon's Path of Domination

Seven hours after Yanchan left Mark’s control and left in search of his sister.

Mark looked at the evening sky, already darkening, from the top of a mountain. Yuri was beside him, looking up at the same sky while looking at a small tree with wide and curious eyes.

He was now clean.

With a deep gaze, Mark stared at his palm, thoughtful.

Now that the Savage Lord is dead, the demons could—in theory—conquer this world slowly. Since I also weakened the savages so profoundly, I guess new mega-dungeons would be appearing here in a month or two.

He had caused yet another world’s destruction. It might not have happened yet, but it wasn’t far from happening; he had already planted the seeds. Mark wondered what he felt about this, while at the same time, turning on his system to see his new Ultimate Demonic Arts.

As of now, he had three demonic tricks that were completely under his control. Heart Input, Parasite, and Dream Shock. He could combine these three demonic tricks to create new Ultimate Demonic Arts, and already he had created two new ones.

A violet screen shimmered before him.

Before anything, he looked at his new Ultimate Demonic Arts.

There were two—

Heart Parasite and Parasite of Heart and Dreams.

===

[Heart Parasite]

[A combination made using the demonic tricks, Heart Input and Parasite. This Ultimate Demonic Art allows its user to see into a target’s immediate mental state.]

===

Mark blinked. This Ultimate Demonic Art was somewhat unique, it worked differently when he used it in tandem with another Ultimate Demonic Art than it did while used alone. He looked at Yuri and she turned to stare back at him, wondering why he was looking at her.

Smiling, he used the Ultimate Demonic Art on her.

Heart Parasite!

Yuri frowned, feeling a profound sensation of nakedness. While Mark, on the other hand, felt as if he could feel her emotions, feel it as if he were a parasite inside her heart.

She feels very safe, comfortable, curious, calm, and... lustful at the moment. There is also some confusion lingering in the back of her mind. And now, she is angry.

"Hey, what are you doing?" she asked, looking up at him from her height. Mark laughed inwardly, Yuri was indeed a shorty. She continued: "This feels very itchy—not physically but something else feels irritated. As if you are reading me like a book."

"This is something that’s close to Mind reading?" he said, the Art turning off as time passed. "Hm, no, I am just reading your emotions, I can’t tell your mind."

"Why use it on me?" she asked, frowning.

"Just testing out my powers, Miss Scientist."

She rubbed her nose. "Don’t use it again, please. It’s too uncomfortable, but yeah, complete the experiment now that you are already started."

Mark blinked, then nodded. He looked at her even more intensely and she looked back, curious about his new powers now. He pinched her cheeks and used another Ultimate Demonic Art.

Ultimate Demonic Art—Parasitic Dream Shock.

This Art combined both Parasite and Dream Shock, and that allowed Mark to shock a target into a short dream. Not any dream, but something that a target deeply desired. Since it was something they wanted, it made the Dream Shock much more potent.

She closed her eyes, letting the power wash through her without the slightest resistance.

Mark looked at her pretty face and caressed her short red hair. Her nape was visible to him, her neckline seducing his gaze by just existing. She had already fallen into her dreams, and usually, he wouldn’t be able to see what the dream was. But now, he could.

When used alone, Heart Parasite could show him traces of others’ emotions. When used right after a Parasitic Dream Shock, he could see the dream of the Target. Yes, when used while someone is dreaming, he could see their dreams.

When he was fighting the Savage Lord, he had used Parasitic Dream Shock and then this Ultimate Demonic Art to enter the enemy’s dreams.

Ultimate Demonic Art—Heart Parasite.

Suddenly, Mark appeared in a vast hall full of lab equipment. He turned around, looking through the intricate workspace. Soon enough, he found a woman, looking right at him. Hakase Yuri.

In her hands, there was a baby with demonic features, resembling his own appearance to an uncanny degree. After a while, the baby began crying and the dream ended.

Yuri and Mark stared at each other, awkwardness in the air before Yuri chuckled with a rather amused expression. Mark chuckled, too.

"You know what, Yuri, Parasitic Dream Shock shows what you want the most. And it seems, you want a child. It seems I didn’t know you well enough, I thought you didn’t want children."

Yuri shook her head, frowning. "I believe I don’t want any children, too. Honestly, I am in pursuit of other things like a higher level of scientific achievement, and I want to grow stronger still. And I don’t have any time to care for a baby, especially considering your Suffering on the way."

"But then, why did you dream of that?"

Yuri frowned again. "Dreams can be tricky," she said softly. "They can bring out feelings and desires we aren’t fully aware of, or that we try to suppress. Maybe a part of me... a part that I don’t fully understand or acknowledge... wants that kind of simple life instead of science and all that grand stuff. Or perhaps it’s some biological instinct surfacing. I don’t know."

Mark understood the confusion she felt. Dreams were often reflections of our deepest psyche, and they didn’t always align with our conscious desires. "It doesn’t necessarily mean you want a child now," he guessed for her. "It might symbolize something else—perhaps a desire to create, nurture, or leave a legacy."

Yuri sighed, her expression softening a bit. "You might be right. I need to reflect on this more." She looked up at him, her eyes clear despite the confusion. "Thank you for showing me this, Mark."

He smiled, shrugging. "Anytime. Just remember, our dreams can guide us, but they don’t have to define us. You are the master of your destiny, not a slave. Our emotions, desires, and all those things are just our ’things,’ not ’us’."

"Uh... I really am dumb when it comes to this stuff of the heart. I don’t even know what I truly want," Yuri sighed, just falling against Mark’s chest. "And babe, I’ve never thought about these things. My mind is mostly full of equations, theories, and such, and recently—you."

For now, she at least knew she wanted this. What they had now. The thought of losing this and going back to her lonely life frightened her. The Suffering Mark had to face at some point also worried her.

"Hm, don’t be rushed, do it at your pace. We can do everything and you can keep doing only what you want."

Suddenly, Yuri’s eyes widened and she stared up. "You fucking bastard, did you know this would happen before you used the dream ability on me?"

He blinked. "Whatever might you be talking about?"

She stared at him for a while and then bit his muscular arm with irritation. He was tough, but she still kept biting till he rubbed her head. So, he knew about her lacking mental growth and helped her walk on the right path using his abilities?

"You know what I definitely want?" she asked. "I want to just know what’s going on in your mind."

"And a baby from your man," he added.

"No—Yes—but no."

"Which is it?" he asked teasingly.

"One day when we are free," she said, face as red as a tomato. "But not now."

He shook his head with a wry smile and flew up to sit on a branch, scooping her up. Then, as she laid against his chest, he began inspecting his other, new Ultimate Demonic Art.

===

[Parasite of Heart and Dreams]

[A combination made using the demonic tricks, Heart Input, Parasite, and Dream Shock. This Ultimate Demonic Art allows its user to see and corrupt other people’s dreams with logical refutations.]

===

This Art allowed him to directly shock others into a dream and enter the said dream. He could then even corrode the dreamers with his own beliefs. When Mark had fought the Savage Lord, he used this Art to show the Lord how foolish he believed a heroic aspiration was.

He showed the Lord his own beliefs, and that would, for certain, shake the foundation of any shallow dream.

Do you want to save the world and become a hero?

What is the use of doing that if the world would end and be destroyed at some point?

Mark grinned.

Basically, I can use Heart Parasite to see an enemy’s mental state, and I can use Parasite of Heart and Dreams to destroy them mentally by ruining their beliefs.

And maybe, I could try creating more Ultimate Demonic Arts now that I have enough demonic tricks that are completely under my control.

Just then, he felt the sensation of something being completed. A sensation akin to winning a big prize in a gamble.

His eyes lit up.

"I think Yanchan just found his sister," he said.

And now, the Dream Gamble was over, too.