The Restus’ jaws clamped shut. The imp did say that this species was inherently slow to trust, being a race that focused almost all of its attention on fighting and improving oneself. They had pitifully small amounts of things that a human would call leisure activities, let alone the concept of doing something just for fun and pleasure. Even worse, friendships were exceedingly rare in their society.

Once again, these are traits that I can use against them. Just because the Restus didn’t focus their attention and time on things like fun or pleasure didn’t mean it didn’t exist for them. It was just on the back burner, generally forgotten about. I’ll just have to introduce to them a little human sin. See, if they had no real idea of pleasure, then what would happen if I introduced that concept at an extreme level? How would their anatomy deal with that? That’s something I looked forward to experimenting with.

But not for this individual. This Restus I needed to spread my influence to the others, but in a subtle way that won’t catch the attention of the Admin staff stationed here. Good thing the Restus were inherently distrustful of others, I doubt they would willingly share much of anything with each other, much less something that benefits them directly. Between Noe and my stack of charms, I had little to worry about as long as I was cautious.

Still, the being before me looked like it was about to attack at a moment’s notice, despite its battered and abused body. Let’s fix that first.

Noe, ramp up the fear.

“Acknowledged.”

Luck Charges: 1501/1577

Bakren’s pupils dilated completely then and its gaze was unable to meet my body now. It all but collapsed upon itself when I was within touching distance; I noticed that its scales were quivering rapidly, making a pleasing chiming sound as they rattled on.

I used a feeler to force its head up, it twitched on contact, and forced him to look at me, “What happened to the brave warrior from before? Surely you’re not so feeble that you can’t even address me?”

That remark clearly angered the being, but Noe’s grip on his emotions was absolute. The fear in his body was so strong that all other emotions were quickly overridden.

“You’re weak,” I said with a sigh, “Let’s make it so that you can actually speak.”

Alright, Noe, ease up a bit, just enough so he can talk. Can't have him catatonic before I get anything useful out of him.

“Acknowledged, my Host. Switching fear to dread.”

The all-consuming panic started to fade from Bakren, but a new emotion quickly filled its place. His eyes darted back and forth and I could tell that he wished for nothing than to escape this situation. Yet he also knew that he couldn’t. Damn, I’ll have to hand it to my system, but her new skill was worth its weight in gold. Even with this extreme level of manipulation, I’ve only used up a few dozen Luck Points.

“W-” Bakren tried to say, but something caught in his throat, “What are you? What do you want?”

“You should know that without me saying anything, Bakren,” I answered, “Look at me again.”

Okay Noe, now it’s time for some awe and splendor. Make it so he’s feeling like he’s looking at a god, or whatever equivalent this species has to one.

“It shall be done.”

He gasped, his jaws opening in disbelief, “But…”

I shook my frills, “But what, Bakren? That it’s impossible?”

“Why me?” he asked, still fumbling on the ground.

Good, he’s already fully bought into the scenario that I planned. Now for a little experimentation. I could go about this in a few ways, but what I really wanted from this first Restus was to see just how far Noe’s skill could go. Emotions were a vague concept, almost impossible to fully quantify in the conventional sense at least. I wanted to see just how far I could go with it.

Noe, what would happen if I used my skill to make him feel like he was unstoppable?

“Then his confidence in himself will drastically improve,” she answered, “This will have some advantageous effects on his actual performance but to a limited extent.”

But it will help, right?

“Correct, my Host,” she answered, “Belief in oneself is a large part of unlocking a being’s true potential. I can make this individual preform at peak capacity at all times.”

So what would happen if I amplify that feeling to the absolute max?

“It will not be good for the creature if you do that, my Host.”

Explain.

“Most organisms have safeguards in place to prevent self-harm,” she explained, “Like a human’s brain preventing its muscles from breaking through extreme exertion. However, if you maximize the effects of the Emotional Redux skill in the way that the Host has stated, then the organism that you target will bypass those safeguards. Short term, it will cause damage to the body, long term, it will cause death.”

I smiled, And how long will it take for a Restus to die from overexertion?

“It will depend heavily on their activity,” Noe said, “But Unit Noe hypothesizes a timeframe of 3 to 5 weeks on average based on their observed behavior and physiology. This timeframe will be decreased with strenuous activity.”

So about a month, you say…? And I can assume that fighting in a war counts as a strenuous activity?

Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

“Correct on both fronts, my Host.”

My smile widened. I knew what I had to do, at least for some of the Restus, but I’ll need more information about this city first. There were still a lot of things to be done before I could make my move.

“Unit Noe would like to remind my Host that although what you are thinking will be effective, it is not feasible to infect a great number of Restus, as the Luck Charge expenditure will be heavy while maintaining that state of being would cost more charges than you can generate.”

Thanks for the reminder, Noe, but I know. I don’t plan to just rely on having them self-destruct. But if I could do so for the key members of their tribe or pick weakened important figures at an inopportune time…

“The results will be optimal for Site 1102,” Noe finished for me, “Unit Noe will do my best to assist you in this endeavor.”

I know I can count on you.

“Do you want to feel strong?” I asked the fallen Restus again, “Do you want to dominate Maar? Do you want to wash away the humiliation that you have suffered?”

I needed a guinea pig first to test out my plan. Just how much stronger would they be if they completely disregarded their body’s health? Given how much injury they could endure and heal, I was willing to bet a lot. I can’t imagine how much more power one of the Restus could acquire if they used all that energy needed to heal from their wounds and completely dedicate that to offense.

Bakren slowly nodded.

Noe, do what you need to!

“Acknowledged, my Host,” she answered, and I saw the look of pure euphoria sublimate onto the Restus’ face, “But I must warn you, dear Walter, this particular specimen will not be strong enough to face his desired foe even with your tinkering.”

I frowned. Damn, there goes my first plan then. Gotta think of something else to salvage this situation.

“But,” Noe continued, “Unit Noe may have a solution to this predicament, my Host.”

You do?

I honestly couldn’t think of anything that I had at my disposal that could help make some random alien species stronger immediately, but who was I to argue with an all-powerful system?

“Yes, my Host,” she explained, “If you feed the being known as Bakren a piece of the cookie that the Director baked for you, it will help elevate him to tremendous levels of power.”

A… cookie? How’s that going to do anything?

“Not the entire thing,” she added, “But just a piece.”

And that will somehow make him super strong?

“Correct.”

But I ate quite a few of them before, it didn’t do anything for me then. Is Abigail’s cookies some kind of Restus performance-enhancing drug? What’s even in those things?

“I do not know the exact makeup of the cookie, my Host, but I do know that it has beneficial effects on biological organisms,” she said with a gloomy cadence, “but I have analyzed that it will have an exaggerated positive, short term effect on the Restus species if you allow it to consume a small portion of the snack.”

I guess I’ll give it a try. Pity it didn’t do anything major for me.

That playful tone was back as Noe answered, “Yes my Host, it is a pity. But it means that it is safe to consume more cookies in the future. Unit Noe recommends that you do so.”

Alright…

I looked back at the Restus and saw that it was staring off into space, it’s mouth open and it was drooling. It was chuckling at seemingly nothing every now and then, and he had the look of pure ecstasy.

Noe, what the hell did you do to him?

“I have stimulated every positive neuron and reward center in his brain at maximum efficiency,” she explained, “He is currently experiencing euphoria that is impossible to achieve without my assistance. I would suggest the Host limit the time this individual stays in this state to avoid permanent neurological damage.”

Alright… that sounds kind of messed up honestly. I don’t know how much damage screwing around with all his brain chemistry will do, but it couldn’t be good. I used this opportunity to take out a cookie from my inventory and break off a small chunk of it. Just to be sure, I poked it with a feeler but still couldn’t see how it was different than the regular stuff I used to eat back on Earth.

I shrugged. Noe’s never done me wrong so far.

I chucked the piece into the drooling idiot’s mouth and he swallowed it on instinct. Then I waited… and waited…was something supposed to happen?

Is it… is it working?

“Affirmative, my Host,” Noe assured, “You shall see the results when he confronts the other Restus again.”

Well, it wasn’t like I really cared if Bakren got beaten up again if Noe was wrong. Worse case I just wasted a few hours of my time and I’ll have to find another pawn to use.

Okay Noe, ease up on the acid trip and let me talk to him again.

“Acknowledged.”

The spaced-out look in the Restus’ eyes faded slowly as he came back down to earth. He looked around as if he didn’t know where he was before his eyes fell on me again. There was a look of desperate need in that gaze. Holy shit, he was already hooked.

“Power is never free,” I said when his attention was focused, “And I can take it away just as easily, little Restus.”

Noe, amplify melancholy and lethargy to the extreme.

Panic filled Bakren’s eyes as he felt his body shrivel up from intense exhaustion. His body slackened and he fell onto the floor, too tired to even move. After experiencing the most extremes of positive emotions possible, it must be a real shocker to go to the exact opposite. I think I made my point.

Alright, ease up on that now.

“Do you understand?” I asked, gesturing for him to get on his feet again.

“Yes!” he said immediately, “Please, don’t do that again! I never wish to feel like that again! Please give t- the power! Just for a while! I can do anything that you ask for.”

Woah, how’d he turn into a junkie this quickly? Either the Restus were really weak to addiction or Noe’s skill was too effective. Then again, I’ve never experienced having my brain overloaded like that, so I was inclined to say that it was more Noe’s doing.

“There are other members of your…” I paused, looking for the right word to use, “caste, correct?”

He nodded quickly, “There are 15 others who share my status, yes!”

Hm, 15 other Restus, that’s a number I can work with. Any more and I risk running out of Luck Charges before they could regenerate.

I continued, “Good, and does your group have a private home or area to rest?”

“It is small and near the outskirts, but yes, we have a training hall,” he said again, all but slurring his words now, “Y- you can have it! And with this power, I can get you better territory! Yes, with this power, I can get anything!”

“Take me to your training hall,” I answered, “And let me meet with your peers. You alone cannot hope to accomplish all that I require. And for your services, I shall allow you to lead them into glory.”

“Yes!” he said again, “Anything you want! Please, let me feel that power again!”

Alright Noe, give the junkie his fix.

Bakren’s whole demeanor changed once Noe’s skill took effect. His back straightened instantly and he let out an all-consuming roar but quickly stopped himself from doing anything else when he saw my displeasure. My ability to “take away” his power was still fresh on his mind, and he was wise enough to not push his luck. He lowered his gaze before apologizing quietly.

“Will you… will you go there now?” he asked me, “Your presence will be seen by others, and they will also want to covet the strength you provide.”

I shook my frills, “I will follow from below. Go to your training hall and inform your peers that I will be arriving soon. Show them the might you have inherited and let them know how blessed they are that I have descended.”

At the prospect of showing off his might, Bakren’s grin grew wide with pleasure. He agreed immediately and ran off. I guess showing proper etiquette was a foreign concept for this race, even toward someone they deem vastly superior to themselves. In fact, Bakren didn’t even bother asking me for my name. It’ll take a while for me to get used to how these species interact socially.

For now, I burrowed my body and followed silently behind my first pawn. There was still a lot of work ahead of me.