[At 26, Penacony's long-prepared "Grand Harmony Celebration" finally drew near.]
[Guests invited from across the universe arrived one after another.]
[On the surface, Penacony was immersed in a grand scene of singing and dancing.]
[But you, Sunday, the head of the Oak Family, had already set up an inescapable net behind the scenes, planning everything.]
That day, the highly anticipated Nameless—members of the Astral Express—arrived at Penacony.
You happened to be handling affairs in the lobby of the Dreamscape Hotel.
Your gaze swept over the several faces, each with a distinct aura.
Your intuition told you that these individuals were entangled with extremely complex karma.
They were massive variables, potential threats to your plan.
At the same time, out of the corner of your eye, you noticed a luxurious-looking blonde young man not far away.
He was observing everything with great interest, a faint smile on his lips.
You also sensed a strong incongruity from him.
It was a vast ambition and calculation, meticulously concealed, yet almost overflowing.
Guests entered the dreamscape one after another.
And your sister, Robin, was still in the Morning Dew Manor at this moment, completely unaware of the events about to unfold outside, as per your arrangements.
Soon, shocking news came from the beautiful dream—
Two young girls met with misfortune at the Dreamjolt Theater's performance venue, dying on the spot.
The identity of one of the deceased… was "Robin"?!
When you received the news, you almost immediately determined—this was fake!
That was not your sister.
Robin was currently under your strict protection, like a Golden Threads in a cage; it was absolutely impossible for her to appear in that chaotic theater!
Who exactly was playing tricks, trying to disrupt your game?
As expected, not long after, an imposter with your sister's appearance and voice actively sought you out.
It was a Masked Fool.
Her words were full of probing and provocation, trying to glean something from you.
Your heart was unperturbed, and you even found it somewhat amusing.
You calmly watched her performance, which she thought was clever, and when she tried to lure you into revealing more information, you spoke coldly:
"The imitation is very good."
"Unfortunately, you cannot deceive her family."
"Tell me, Masked Fool… why did you specifically come to me? What do you want to gain from me?"
The Masked Fool, who called herself Sparkle, instantly froze her smile.
She seemed to have completely underestimated your directness, your unconventional approach.
You didn't give her much time to react, indirectly inquiring about the mastermind.
After confirming that her knowledge was limited and she was mostly just there to stir up trouble and create chaos, you completely lost interest.
Such a clown was not worth your time.
"Boring."
You directly ordered this eyesore to be expelled.
[Subsequently, you immediately made a public announcement in the name of the Oak Family head.]
[You would mobilize all family resources to thoroughly investigate this shocking death incident, providing an explanation to all guests and the unfortunate victims.]
[At the same time, you formally entrusted the Astral Express with assisting in the investigation.]
[Logically, this pushed the biggest variables into the spotlight, letting them attract everyone's attention.]
[Everything was within your calculations.]
As you expected, soon, the self-proclaimed clever scholar from the Interastral Peace Corporation—Dr. Ratio—came knocking.
He exchanged some of his research knowledge on Stellarons for revealing the true plan of that blonde young man—Aventurine—to you.
Although everything he said was false, you still keenly deduced their plan.
The Corporation was indeed still coveting Penacony, attempting to assign Aventurine, this Gambler, to seize the opportunity to reclaim ownership of Penacony.
You recalled Aventurine's false smile and hidden ambition, a cold glint flashing in your eyes.
Subsequently, under the guise of discussing affairs, you invited Aventurine alone to the mansion.
In the private meeting room, the lighting was dim.
You did not rush to reveal your hand, but first subjected Aventurine to a routine "Harmony" inquiry.
Of course, this was merely a facade.
During your test, a subtle, almost imperceptible force had quietly woven into a net, entangling itself deep within Aventurine's consciousness.
The inquiry was complete.
Only then did you unhurriedly, word for word, clearly articulate the information Dr. Ratio had given you, as well as your own deductions about Aventurine's series of schemes, such as using fake cornerstones to mislead and hiding the true cornerstone's location.
Each word spoken made Aventurine's face grow paler.
You clearly saw the confident smile on Aventurine's face instantly freeze, replaced by astonishment and fear.
Watching his expression change instantly, you felt immense pleasure.
How does it feel to have your plan completely seen through?
For this Gambler who dared to make small moves on your territory and try to covet Penacony, you intend to—
Utilize him. Inform Aventurine that his life is in your hands, forcing him to find and expose the true culprit behind the deaths of the dream-goers.
Eliminate the hidden danger. Aventurine… this guy is too slippery, like a poisonous snake. Utilizing him? The risk is too high. Perhaps in the next second, he might bite back, turning the tables on you. Only a dead enemy is the safest.
Only option 2 can be chosen.
[You chose to eliminate the hidden danger. Villainy Value +150.]
Just as Aventurine's mind raced, trying to defend himself or find a way to escape after his plan was exposed—
You unhesitatingly detonated the mental trap you had quietly set!
The power of "Harmony" mixed with "Order" instantly exploded in his mind!
Aventurine didn't even have time to let out a scream, his expression of astonishment frozen forever on his face.
He collapsed limply, his eyes unfocused, his life force completely extinguished.
[Target Aventurine is dead… Analyzing… Analysis complete!]
[Permanently acquired the trait [Gambler's Luck (Purple)] in the simulation!]
[Effect: When you make high-risk decisions or actions, you can forcibly increase the success rate of that action by 50%, but the consequences of failure may be doubled.]
[Note: The original success rate of this event must not be lower than 10% (Cooldown: 240 hours).]
Gambler's Luck?
Orion's heart trembled.
This Aventurine guy's trait feels a bit overpowered, doesn't it?
Forcibly increasing the success rate by 50%…
Doesn't that mean that something with only a 50% chance of success can become 100% by using this trait?
Although the consequences of failure might be doubled, this is definitely a divine skill to gamble for a comeback at a critical moment.
Not bad! Not bad!
Killing Aventurine was indeed not a loss!
As for whether the Interastral Peace Corporation will find out that you killed Aventurine… Hmph, dead men tell no tales.
By the time they react, by the time they figure out the truth, it will be too late.
Load the trait first.
[You chose to load this permanent trait in this simulation. Current loaded trait slots: 2/3.]
[You successfully eliminated a huge potential threat. Villainy Value +200.]
You quickly and calmly handled the scene, leaving no trace.
Subsequently, you used your authority as the family head to categorize Aventurine's disappearance as the same as the previously deceased dream-goers—
Killed by the murderer hidden in the dreamscape.
This further muddied the waters, focusing everyone's attention on that "murderer."
Aventurine's disappearance caused some ripples in Penacony.
But amidst the clamor of the approaching Grand Harmony Celebration, this ripple was quickly covered up.
You successfully and cleverly diverted the Corporation's attention to the investigation of the "murder case culprit."
The Astral Express, as you wished, was still rushing around in the dreamscape, attracting most of the attention and trouble for you.
But at the same time, you felt that the murderer was also one of the variables, and you had to secretly find that guy to eliminate future troubles.
Soon, through the family's vast intelligence network, you obtained a lot of information about the murder case. After analysis, you locked onto one person—
Gallagher.
This person frequently appeared near various crime scenes as a security officer, his whereabouts mysterious.
However, in the official rosters of the Bloodhound Family, and even all of Penacony, there was no record of such a person!
His identity was forged, and his purpose was definitely not simple.
You decided to take the initiative, setting a trap and, in the name of the family head, sent an invitation to Gallagher.
The location was still the mansion where Aventurine was killed.
Gallagher arrived as scheduled.
He appeared nonchalant, as if he didn't care about anything, with a lazy demeanor.
"Yo, Sunday, head of the Oak Family…"
Gallagher, with his hands in his pockets, said somewhat mockingly, "Are you in such a hurry to find me because you've finally realized that your order alone can't catch the ghost in the dream?"
You ignored his cheap provocation, your eyes cold, staring directly at him:
"Several murders in the dreamscape highly coincide with your appearance time and location."
"You are not in the family roster, and your identity is forged."
"Gallagher… or rather, what else should I call you?"
"Tell me, who is the killer? Why are you disrupting Penacony? What is your purpose?"
Gallagher grinned, revealing his white teeth: "Want to know the answer? Sure, it's simple, as long as you…"
Before he finished speaking—
The shadow behind you suddenly twisted and elongated, squirming like a living thing!
The next moment, that shadow transformed into an indescribable, terrifying shape—a pitch-black, twisted monster emanating a strong aura of death!
It was the true culprit of those several murders—the physical manifestation of "What Ails Towards Death"!
A black claw, silently and suddenly, pierced directly towards your vital spot at the back of your heart!
Sneak Attack!
A triumphant smile instantly appeared on Gallagher's face.
However—
That smile lasted for only 0.1 seconds before freezing on his face!