And your younger sister Robin was still inside Dewlight Pavilion, completely unaware of what was about to happen outside under your arrangements.
Before long, shocking news spread through the Dreamscape—
Two young women had met with misfortune at the Dreamjolt Troupe's performance venue and died on the spot.
One of the victims was... Robin?!
The moment you received the news, you almost immediately concluded—it was fake!
That was not your sister.
Robin was currently under your tight protection, like a canary in a cage. There was no way she could have appeared in that chaotic theater!
Who was playing tricks and trying to disrupt your game?
Sure enough, not long afterward, an impostor wearing your sister's face and voice came looking for you.
She was a Masked Fool.
Her words were full of probing and provocation, as she tried to pry something out of you.
Your heart remained perfectly still. You even found it a little amusing.
You calmly watched her self-assured performance. When she tried to entice you into revealing more information, you spoke coldly:
"You imitate her quite well."
"Unfortunately, you can't fool her family."
"Speak, Masked Fool... What did you come all this way to get from me?"
The smile on the Masked Fool who called herself Sparkle instantly froze.
She seemed not to have expected you to be so blunt, so unwilling to play by convention.
You gave her no time to react, casually probing her for information about the mastermind behind everything.
Once you confirmed that she knew little and had merely come to muddy the waters and create chaos, you completely lost interest.
A clown like this was not worth your time.
"Boring."
You directly ordered that eyesore to be thrown out.
Afterward, in the name of the Oak Family Head, you publicly announced—
That you would mobilize every resource of the Family to thoroughly investigate this horrifying death incident and give all guests and the unfortunate victims an explanation.
At the same time, you formally entrusted the Astral Express with assisting in the investigation.
Naturally, you pushed this group of greatest variables into the spotlight and had them draw everyone's attention.
Everything was within your calculations.
Just as you expected, the supposedly clever scholar from the Interstellar Peace Corporation—Dr. Ratio—soon came to see you of his own accord.
In exchange for some of his research knowledge regarding the Stellaron, he revealed the true plan of that blond young man—Aventurine.
Although everything he said was a lie, you still keenly inferred their plan.
The Corporation truly had not given up. They intended to send that gambler Aventurine to seize back ownership of Penacony when the opportunity arose.
You recalled Aventurine's hypocritical smile and hidden ambitions, a cold glint flashing through your eyes.
Then, under the pretense of discussing business, you invited Aventurine alone to the pavilion.
The lighting in the private meeting room was dim.
You did not rush to lay your cards on the table. Instead, you first subjected Aventurine to a routine "Harmony" inquiry.
Of course, that was only the surface.
During your test, an imperceptible force had already silently woven itself into a net around the depths of Aventurine's consciousness.
The questioning was complete.
Only then did you unhurriedly recount, word for word, the information Dr. Ratio had told you and your own deductions regarding Aventurine's schemes—using a fake cornerstone to confuse the public while concealing the real one, among other plots.
With every word you spoke, Aventurine's face grew a shade paler.
You clearly saw the confident smile on Aventurine's face freeze instantly, replaced by shock and fear.
Watching his expression change in an instant pleased you immensely.
How did it feel to have your plan seen through completely?
As for this gambler who dared to make moves on your turf and attempt to lay hands on Penacony, you intended to—
1. Use him
Tell Aventurine that his life was already under your control and force him to find and lure out the true culprit behind the deaths of the Dreamscape visitors.
2. Eliminate the threat
Aventurine... This guy was far too slippery, like a venomous snake.
Use him? The risk was too great.
For all you knew, he might bite back the next second and turn the tables on you.
Only a dead enemy was truly safe.
You could only choose 2.
You chose to eliminate the threat. Villain Points +150.
Just as Aventurine's plan was exposed and his mind raced to find an excuse or a way out—
You detonated the mental trap you had secretly laid without hesitation!
The power of "Harmony," mixed with "Order," instantly erupted inside his mind!
Aventurine did not even have time to let out a scream before the shocked expression on his face froze forever.
He collapsed limply, his eyes unfocused as all life completely left him.
Target Aventurine has died... Analyzing... Analysis complete!
Permanent trait Gamble Luck (Purple) acquired in the simulation!
Effect: When making a high-risk decision or taking a high-risk action, you may forcibly increase that action's success rate 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).
Gamble Luck?
Jiang Mo's heart jolted.
That trait of Aventurine's felt a little absurdly powerful, didn't it?
Forcibly increasing the success rate by 50%...
Didn't that mean something with only a fifty percent chance of success could become one hundred percent with this trait?
Although the consequences of failure might be doubled, this was absolutely a god-tier ability for risking everything and turning the tables at a critical moment.
Not bad! Not bad!
Killing Aventurine had indeed been worth it!
As for whether the Interstellar Peace Corporation would discover that you were the one who killed Aventurine... Hmph, there was no evidence left behind.
By the time they reacted and uncovered the truth, it would be far too late.
Load the trait first.
You chose to load this permanent trait into the current simulation. Current trait slots loaded: 2/3
You successfully removed a massive potential threat. Villain Points +200.
You swiftly and calmly dealt with the scene, leaving not a trace behind.
Then, using the authority of the Family Head, you classified Aventurine's disappearance as the same as the previous Dreamscape visitor deaths—
He had been killed by the murderer hiding within the Dreamscape.
This further muddied the waters, drawing everyone's attention toward that "murderer."
Aventurine's disappearance caused some ripples in Penacony.
But amid the bustle of the approaching Symphony Gala, those ripples were quickly covered up.
You successfully and skillfully redirected the Corporation's attention toward tracking down the "true culprit behind the murders."
The Astral Express also continued, just as you wished, to run around the Dreamscape, drawing most of the attention and trouble for you.
But at the same time, you felt that murderer was also a variable. You needed to secretly find that person and eliminate any future trouble.
Soon, through the Family's vast intelligence network, you obtained plenty of information about the murder cases. After analyzing it, you locked your suspicions onto one person—
Gallagher.
This man often appeared near various crime scenes in the capacity of a security officer, and his movements were mysterious.
However, he could not be found in the official records of the Hound Family—or even anywhere in all of Penacony!
His identity was fabricated, and his purpose was certainly not simple.
You decided to take the initiative and set a trap, sending Gallagher an invitation in the name of the Family Head.
The location was the same pavilion where Aventurine had been killed.
Gallagher arrived as promised.
He looked casual and cynical, as though he did not care about anything at all.
"Well, well, the Oak Family Head, Sunday..."
With both hands in his pockets, Gallagher said mockingly, "You called for me so urgently. Have you finally realized that your precious Order can't catch ghosts in dreams?"
You ignored his cheap provocation, your icy gaze fixed directly on him.
"Several murders in the Dreamscape closely coincide with the times and locations of your appearances."
"You cannot be found in the Family's records. Your identity is fabricated."
"Gallagher... Or should I call you something else?"
"Tell me, who is the killer? Why are you throwing Penacony into chaos? What exactly is your goal?"
Gallagher grinned, baring his white teeth. "Want to know the answer? Sure. It's simple. As long as you..."
Before he could finish—
The shadow behind you suddenly twisted and stretched, writhing like a living thing!
The next instant, the shadow transformed into an indescribable, horrifying form—a pitch-black, distorted monster radiating an intense aura of death!
It was the true culprit behind those murder cases—the entity known as Something Unto Death!
A black claw silently shot toward the vital point at the center of your back!
Sneak Attack!
A triumphant smile instantly appeared on Gallagher's face.
However—
That smile lasted only 0.1 seconds before freezing on his face!
The Aeon of Order
The claw had indeed pierced "your" chest, but your figure suddenly flickered before dissolving into nothingness!
"An illusion?!" Gallagher spun around sharply, his pupils contracting.
The real you had somehow appeared behind him already, a long, narrow blade in your hand.
Slash!
Without the slightest hesitation, the blade in your hand pierced Gallagher's heart from behind with precise brutality.
"How... could this..."
Before you continue