411 The Gray Youth Before the Night Bell Tolls

The magical city of Tristin.

As the sun sets, the sky is tinged with a deep orange-red, as if nature itself has painted a magnificent picture.

The concert that everyone has been eagerly anticipating is finally almost over.

As the sun gradually sank below the horizon, its last rays bathed the earth, bringing a sense of tranquility to the city. Yet, within this tranquility, a unique passion and vitality were gradually rising.

Tens of thousands of fans gathered early in Tristin City, holding light sticks and signs, ready to cheer for their favorites.

The steel structure of the colossal opera house shimmered with the golden light of the afternoon sun, standing like a giant jewel in the city center. Magical projection screens on the exterior walls played clips of past performances by teenage idols, drawing fans to stop and watch while they waited, occasionally uttering praises and cheers.

As time went on, more and more people gathered in front of the venue, and even the security checkpoints could not keep up with the surge of people, turning the area into a frenzy.

The surrounding vendors seized this business opportunity, setting up stalls to sell merchandise related to the Idol Group. From clothing and posters to badges and light sticks, the dazzling array of goods attracted fans to stop and buy.

Many people also shared their love for their favorite idols and their excitement and anticipation for the upcoming concert.

The sky gradually changed from orange-red to deep blue.

As the city lights began to twinkle and night fell, the start time of the concert drew near, and an atmosphere of tension and excitement filled the night sky.

On this beautiful night, the girl idols will ignite a dazzling audio-visual feast like fireworks on this passionate land!

Luxurious lights illuminated the venue, and magical characters appeared on the platform of the largest newly built stadium in Tristin City.

The illuminated barrier unfolded into a cubic shape, and the energy-insensitive special effects seemed to cover the entire magical city, giving the venue a dreamlike atmosphere, and the cheers rose accordingly.

In addition to basic protective functions, the barrier also incorporates Happy Group's latest security and identification technology.

Although no one dares to call themselves Resurrection Cultist or Calamity Cult anymore, those Terror have simply disguised themselves as civilians again and temporarily disappeared.

No one knows when or where they will flare up again.

Therefore, such large-scale events are almost always equipped with as comprehensive protective measures as possible.

The new barrier draws on the principles of the spell provided by Imperial General Pritzker of Sincerity, and with improvements by Ikatinos and Mie, it can be used to determine the authenticity of a target's intentions. After the latest round of testing, the accuracy rate has reached over 90%.

In addition to the standard security checks conducted by Captain Dekan in Tristin City, visitors to this massive venue with its extremely high audience density and numerous VIPs will undergo highly efficient security questioning.

Although some loopholes still exist, such as the inability to distinguish the truthfulness of words due to self-hypnosis or vague terminology, under this barrier spell, questions that must be answered with "yes" or "no" have a high degree of credibility.

The upgraded barrier can be used to identify potentially dangerous fanatics, and it was also used to identify scalpers during the initial ticket sales.

In response to opportunistic attempts to manipulate prices and exploit genuine fans, Happy Group has implemented several ticketing regulations and a question-and-answer mechanism during the ticket purchase process to determine purchase intentions, effectively shutting down the space for scalpers.

Happy Group is dedicated to combating dog trafficking.

As the venue gradually filled up, Cornelia and her companions, who had come from the Royal Capital and were employees of the Happy Group, had already taken their seats in the central, front-facing positions on the red velvet chairs with gilded armrests.

"Cat Teacher, wake up! The concert is about to start!"

Alice looked at the black cat Cornelia was holding and said excitedly.

Cat Teacher seems unusually quiet today.

He wasn't at all like his usual loud and boisterous self.

However, it slept the whole way.

On the Magic Airship, all they did was sleep; they didn't say a word, and they barely even opened their eyes a few times.

"It was probably too excited yesterday, which caused it to have insomnia today."

Cornelia gently poked its head, causing it to let out a soft whimper.

"Yeah..."

Alice thought about it and agreed.

But why did it feel like the Cat Teacher slightly opened its eyes and glanced at me when I was talking to it just now?

That look in his eyes seemed to say, "Don't bother talking to me"—a hint of disdain?

But that's just how cats are.

I wonder when it will suddenly become arrogant.

"..."

Little Gray, pretending to be the Cat Teacher, listened to the others talking while pretending to be asleep.

Since the Cat Teacher is a talkative cat, even if you have become almost exactly like the Cat Teacher, only being able to say "meow meow meow" will still arouse suspicion from others.

So he simply stopped opening his eyes altogether.

Summer days are long, even now it's only seven o'clock.

It will probably take another two hours for the bet to end and for them to regain their freedom.

Although he had once transformed into a cat and then manipulated Substitute Doll to pretend to be human, Cat Teacher -Cat Teacher had seen through his actions and forbade him from doing so during the agreement.

He disdained to resort to such dishonest tactics.

After arriving in Tristin, we carefully observed the surroundings along the way.

He feels relatively safe at the moment.

Let's start with the Ban/Pick analysis.

The harmless crowd, Ikatinos, Alice, Mie, and Tata, were all around.

They are incredibly kind and belong to the category of neutral goodness.

The harm is negligible.

The mischievous and kind-hearted Sion is working overtime in the Empire.

This is essentially equivalent to being excluded by the inside side.

Morion, a Level 1 dangerous individual, did indeed bring Alina, but they didn't use their inside privileges to get tickets like Cornelia did. Instead, they chose a spot slightly further back from Cornelia and the others. Cat Teacher, whose danger level was negligible, did not accompany Morion.

Claire, a Level 2 dangerous individual, attended the concert as a friend of Ice Princess, and her seat was further away from the main group.

Clay, a Level 100 dangerous individual, has yet to appear.

Based on past experience...

Dekan then conducted a detailed analysis of the prisoners.

Don't ask why there are prisoners.

Because he first assumes that a criminal is the perpetrator who "would cause him to suffer if he were to be harmed today."

He felt that today's concert had already set all the goals.

This time, all the elements and characters from various car crash scenarios have been gathered, making it a veritable parade of a hundred demons!

Even though Dekan appeared fearless on the surface, he still had to be cautious in his heart!

He may be stubborn, but he's not stupid.

The number one suspect, Morion, may sometimes be unintentional in harming himself, but if he inexplicably interferes, it could have unimaginable consequences.

However, since Morion is sitting so far away this time, he probably has no intention of causing trouble or room for interference.

The second suspect, Claire, is not in danger as long as she doesn't interact with Croix.

I'm awesome!

Where did Croix go?!

The black cat slightly opened its eyes and noticed that Croix next to it seemed to have gone to the toilet.

Although it may seem like a coincidence, it is a very dangerous omen.

Claire's suspicion has increased significantly!

An alarm bell rang in his mind.

However, he had already come up with a solution.

As long as I don't ask Croix for help this time, and the two good buddies sever ties, nothing will happen!

Sorry, my friend! We're on our own this time!

As for the third dangerous person, Clay.

... Clay.

Three points are predetermined; the remaining 97 points depend on Clay's performance.

Since last night, Dekan has been reviewing the past, calculating the future, and imagining all sorts of possible mishaps.

Finally, he came to a conclusion.

Let's just stop wasting our brainpower figuring out Clay.

If this guy wants to harm you, there's no way to defend yourself.

So, after a series of analyses before the match—no, before the concert—[...].

Dekan was probably mentally prepared to face any challenge.

He understands it all too well.

His past experiences of making mistakes and causing accidents have made him a skilled doctor through repeated exposure!

Today presents a potential crisis, but also a valuable experience.

Whether he can overcome his inner demons and shed his comedic persona depends on tonight!

"Why do I feel like Cat Teacher's inner thoughts were so rich just now?"

Mie looked at the black cat and said in confusion.

"Is there?"

"Maybe it's just my imagination..."

Even if Cat Teacher doesn't say anything, he's definitely thinking all sorts of things.

While the group was chatting...

As the powerful music began, the entire concert venue was instantly filled with excited and expectant cheers.

All eyes were drawn to the center of the stage.

The stage is adorned with exquisite reliefs above the entrance, and the towering dome gleams under the stage lights and starlight, exuding a solemn and mysterious aura.

Fans excitedly held up light sticks and cheered loudly, waiting for their three idols to appear on stage.

Suddenly, the lights focused on the center of the stage, and a misty atmosphere filled the air, creating a mysterious and dreamlike scene. Then, the curtain on the stage slowly rose, revealing three idols dressed in dazzling and gorgeous gowns.

They were like angels descended from heaven, their unique charm, like a chosen one, igniting the atmosphere of the entire venue once again.

When they reached the front of the stage, the cheers from the audience rose even higher, as if the roar had reached its peak at that moment.

They smiled and waved, responding to the enthusiastic gazes of their fans, immersing the entire venue in a sea of joy.

On the other side during the concert.

The control room, like the brain of the building, controls all the important equipment. A heavy security door isolates the control room from the outside world, with strict safety signs and reminders on the door.

The control room is spacious and bright, with a huge control panel in the center, covered with various buttons, knobs and indicator lights.

The audio system, lighting system, and projection equipment are all connected to the control panel, and adjustments and controls to any device can be fed back to the control panel in real time.

The operators from Happy Group, dressed in professional uniforms and holding headsets, worked meticulously and attentively, constantly monitoring the data changes on the control panel to ensure the smooth operation of all activities within the venue.

In a tense yet orderly atmosphere, this seemingly ordinary control room is playing a vital role in providing a perfect experience for every fan who comes to the venue.

However, besides these busy staff members, two more figures had appeared in the control room at some point.

They were also watching the situation in the stadium from various angles, as shown in the control room.

Not only can you see the idols on stage, but you can even see every single person in the audience.

"Clay, hiring you was the right decision."

A figure sat leisurely in a chair in the center of the control room, and turned around happily to speak.

"Then our deal is complete."

Clay, wearing a hood, leaned against the wall, occasionally flicking the Magic Crystal Coin given to him by the other party with his thumb.

The other staff members acted as if they couldn't see them.

Or perhaps they simply didn't see anything wrong with the two of them being there!