"And were you serious about the have them sort through the storage room for all the papers? Because I honestly feel like that's even worse than them standing in the dark for a few hours."

"That's perfect. After draining their mental state, we have them work on a task that requires them to use their brain in that empty state and draw upon power they didn't know they had."

"Or they completely screw everything up."

"Then we just have them fix it."

"How?"

"Don't ask me. Ask them if they mess up."

"You think they'll really sort through all the applicants?"

"The thought of their success didn't even cross my mind, because even if they do succeed, we can just tell them they messed up real bad, and then force them to fix it."

Syn stopped her fit of laughter as she actually wiped away an actual tear from under her eye this time. "Are you sure that they're even your disciples anymore? When you referred to a power tripping Weaver, did you actually mean yourself?"

"I'm not using any of my powers, so I'm not power tripping on a purely technical basis. However, in your case, an obviously untrained eye, you might think I was enjoying my power too much, but you would be mistaken. I'm simply forcing the feeling of defeat and failure upon them. It will completely burn them out, unable to do anything. But then I force more work upon them. A complete and utter destruction of their willpower. A living body with a soul—and nothing more. And then once they hit their lowest potential state of despair will the heavens themselves grant them a divine boon. With the light now visible, they have something to work towards, and they will continue to chase it. They will run until their legs give out and their muscles atrophy. They will crawl towards that light. Chasing it. Hope within sight as it grows ever nearer. Then, as the tips of the fingers graze upon that boon, I snatch it away. Right in front of them. Only then will they have reached their bottom. And only then can they truly look inside themselves and ascend into becoming a Weaver!"

"Uh..." Luo Yun half smiled as he looked at Aleister, cackling in utter disbelief.

"Oh, and where are going to get this divine gift from?" Syn asked.

"How would I know? The heavens themselves are supposed to send them down."

"Ok, then let's just say they send them. How do you know the heavens won't just instantly give it to them and not slowly drip feed them their gift?"

"I don't know why you're analyzing my joke of a plan. Everything was a vague metaphor because I have no idea what anything represents. However, the core is the same. The need to feel despair and failure."

"I agree."

"Because I had to go through those feelings than they need to. Well, not need, but its probably faster that way."

"You know—"

"Before you ask anything else, I'll just waive all of this way with a—didn't get any sleep last night and am delirious and starving."

"Why are you still talking? I said I agree with you."

"Ah...yeah."

Luo flexed his arms behind his back as he asked, "So I take it you will not go through with any of that crazy plan?"

"I'm going through with it, but I'll have to make some modifications to it so its actual workable. Besides, this is the best I got because like I said, I do not know what I'm doing."

"So you created something completely nonsensical because you couldn't come up with anything else?" Syn asked.

"Of course right now I can't." Aleister shrugged. "But in the following days or weeks, I can. I just need some time to think about things. Besides, plans change all the time. No point in keeping it the same when its not good in the first place. Anyway, I'm seriously starving. And then after that, I'll head back to the manor, take a nice nap, work on brewing some potions, go to sleep, and then open that door."

"So you are forcing them to stay in there a whole day without food and water? I didn't think you had it in you."

"Being stuck without food and water for a day, especially in such an open environment with others, is nothing," Luo Yun said. "I was only half on board with this torture plan, but the more I think about, the more merit it has. Based on my background checks, all of them have only gone through minimal amounts of tribulation. Even the middle-aged fisherman. His life has been cozy. Born in a successful family, married at a young age to the love of his life. The only real trouble he encountered was when his wife fell ill during childbirth."

"I didn't even get that far in the notes," Aleister said, scratching his neck. "Where did you even get these background checks from where they have so much detail?"

"Underground information brokers. Three of them were born and raised in Osetia, so their information was cheap and easy to get a hold of. Most of the half-elf's information is stuck in Mirror Mountain with only the last three years of her life in Osetia being in my hands."

"However, her plight of running away resonated with you or something."

"You could say that."

"Well, I did. So—are we going to go eat or what?"