As the gun fired, Anderson's entire body suddenly collapsed, awkwardly dodging the bullet.
Unaware of the situation, Klein leaped to the other side, activating his Spirit Vision as he drew his revolver.
In that instant, his first thought was that Anderson had gone too far with his hunt last night, provoking retaliation. He just wanted to shout, "I don't know him! He has nothing to do with me!"
Just then, at the table next to Anderson Hood, a burly man in a shirt with rolled-up sleeves threw away his knife and fork, pulled out a loaded double-barreled shotgun from under his chair, aimed it at the ground, and pulled the trigger from his superior position.
His actions and the hotel owner's shooting were almost simultaneous, only slightly slower due to the multiple steps involved.
Bang!
The shotgun shells flew out, and countless tiny particles riddled the ground with holes. Although Anderson managed to roll away in time and avoid most of them, he was still hit by some, and his side was instantly turned into a bloody mess.
Just as Klein was about to shoot the burly man with the double-barreled shotgun to help Anderson Hood escape danger, he discovered that the man, like the hotel owner, suddenly looked blank, filled with surprise and fear, as if he had finally sobered up.
No, they weren't the real attackers... Klein rationally stopped his finger from pulling the trigger, his gaze quickly sweeping around the restaurant.
Seeing that his Spirit Vision hadn't detected anything, he immediately pinched the first joint of his left index finger twice with his left thumb, activating his observation of the " Spirit Body Threads."
At this moment, the ladies and gentlemen in the restaurant, terrified by the shooting, stood up and rushed towards the exit.
As they passed by the rolling Anderson, a pretty and elegantly dressed young lady suddenly stopped, opened the dark glass bottle she was clutching tightly, and splashed the liquid inside at the Strongest Hunter.
Sizzle!
The areas stained with the liquid quickly turned black, indicating severe Corrosion. Anderson covered his face and sprang up, narrowly avoiding the attack.
Immediately afterwards, the quiet and lovely lady, the gentleman with the newspaper, the waiter in the red vest, and the five-year-old child with candy on his hands all launched their own attacks on Anderson Hood.
Flour, lit matches, fruit knives, scalding hot coffee, and high-alcohol beverages came one after another. Everyone in the hotel restaurant seemed to have only one goal: to kill Anderson Hood!
In this extremely dangerous situation where no one with extraordinary abilities could participate, Anderson, who was surrounded and unable to escape, tumbled and rolled, sometimes leaping up, sometimes kicking tables away, and sometimes setting things on fire in advance, barely avoiding vital organs and suffering no serious injuries.
At this moment, Klein also noticed something unusual:
In a corner of the restaurant, where the seating area was hidden by a decorative cabinet, fine, ethereal black " Spirit Body Threads " were clearly visible, yet no movement was heard from them.
This seemed quite unusual in the hall filled with chaos and fear!
Was the real perpetrator who orchestrated this "passerby murder" sitting right there? Judging from the bewildered, confused, terrified, and panicked expressions of the hotel owner, waiters, and customers after attacking Anderson, they hadn't become puppets; this was Manipulation on another level... Illusion, the emotional seeds of the " Apostle of Desire," or perhaps, another influence on the psychological level? Klein suddenly had a flash of inspiration and immediately took two steps forward, knocking away a customer with cream still stuck to his lips, thus opening a passage for Anderson Hood.
The Strongest Hunter immediately rolled out of the encirclement from this direction, followed Klein and ran back to the second floor of the inn, leaning against the wall at the corner of the stairs, panting heavily.
"Has my provocation reached this level? Even ordinary citizens I don't know want to kill me and have actually done so? Ouch..." As he spoke, Anderson aggravated the injury on his right rib and almost screamed.
No, no, no, the truth is, people plagued by Misfortune shouldn't go hunting pirates... The reason Klein just abandoned his plan to approach the target and attempt to control it using the " Spirit Body Threads " was because he considered a possibility:
The passersby seemed to have been given Psychological Suggestion or subjected to psychological Manipulation, which is why they suddenly attacked Anderson in a seemingly orderly manner. This doesn't quite match the extraordinary abilities of the " Apostle of Desire," because the controlled person's attack is targeted, precise, and shows obvious signs of preparation. Klein had previously heard of a Sequence 4 Potion recipe called " Manipulator "!
Furthermore, based on the testimony of the " Psychiatrist " released from " The Creeping Hunger," Klein has always suspected that there are quests or figures related to the " Psychology Alchemists " on Toscarter Island.
Furthermore, given that mental Psychological Suggestion and psychological Manipulation align closely with the characteristics of the " Spectator " approach, and since Klein had long believed that the " Manipulator " was likely a member of the " Spectator," a " Dragon," the outline of the matter became clearer:
The " Psychology Alchemists " does indeed have an important base on Toscarter Island, and has dispatched a Sequence 4 Demigod to guard it. This Demigod influenced some pirates, causing them to unconsciously do things for him. These pirates unfortunately became Anderson Hood's benefactors last night, and so, this morning the real investor came knocking!
Controlling his expression, Klein looked at Anderson and said indifferently:
"It must be that one or more pirates from last night were involved with a Concealment Demigod on this island."
"Do you think that kind of thing is something Mid-Sequence Beyonder could do?"
"I can't be that unlucky..." Anderson's voice trailed off, turning into a muttered remark, "Sure enough, those guys were all being controlled, innocent bystanders. Thank goodness I didn't fight back, otherwise I'd be the mastermind behind a shocking massacre, with a bounty on my head! That would be a huge problem; I'd have no choice but to become a pirate."
Klein's lips twitched slightly as he said:
"What if the person who was just controlled was a pirate with extraordinary abilities, or Mandated Punishers or priest of the Church of Storms? How would things have turned out?"
"I'm already dead." Anderson shrugged, then said with a sudden realization, "You mean, he didn't intend to kill me, that was just a warning?"
Klein nodded seriously and said:
So, you still have a chance.
"Yes, go apologize."
Let's go see what that Demigod is up to.
"An apology?" Anderson's face fell, and he said awkwardly, "In the Sonia Sea, my reputation is still quite prestigious."
Klein said nothing, straightened up, patted his coat, and prepared to leave.
At that moment, Anderson lunged forward, getting ahead of him to the top of the stairs, and shouted:
I'm sorry! I was wrong!
"Anything can be discussed!"
He paused for a second, then repeated:
I'm sorry! I was wrong!
"Anything can be discussed!"
Clap clap clap! Slow clapping echoed from the first floor, and a figure appeared at the entrance of the stairs.
With the sound of light footsteps, the figure gradually approached the corner, but Klein instinctively and subconsciously looked away, seemingly unwilling to know what the newcomer looked like.
Furthermore, he found himself with no intention of raising his arm to aim the gun, as if he had been Psychological Suggestion and had lost the will to resist.
This is terrifying... Well, this isn't face-to-face Hypnosis, so I can sense it, but if I were directly targeted, the consequences would be unbelievable... I'm being influenced now. According to Miss " Justice," the other party has silently arrived at my island of consciousness through the ocean of collective unconsciousness and performed certain actions? Klein was just beginning to realize this when he suddenly felt the urge to leave and return to his room.
Was this a silent "command" from the Demigod? Klein roughly understood that the other party wanted to speak with Anderson alone, so he did not resist, walked out of the stairwell, and went into his own room.
Less than five minutes later, Anderson knocked on his door, his face filled with grief.
"Have you reached an agreement?" Klein asked casually.
Anderson nodded emphatically:
"Phew... yes, he asked me to do something for him, but I can't tell anyone what it is."
"Do you remember what he looked like?" Klein asked deliberately.
Anderson pondered carefully, then suddenly frowned:
"I don't remember..."
Sure enough... You think it's worth it to offend a Demigod for just 16 pounds...? Klein sighed inwardly and then said:
"Can I leave tomorrow?"
"Sure, that matter isn't urgent. Let's deal with the problem of Misfortune first," Anderson replied without hesitation.
Klein said no more, and pointed to the floor:
Are you still going for breakfast?
Anderson was taken aback at first, then smiled and said:
"Certainly!
No worries should affect my eating and sleeping!
The two went downstairs and found the waiter quietly cleaning up the broken items; the owner and customers had completely forgotten what had just happened.
After breakfast, Anderson went out again, busy collecting bounties and special currency, and making some preparations, while Klein stayed in his hotel room, gathering the Spirituality that had overflowed after his advancement, and testing the extraordinary abilities of the " Marionettist " with small insects.
At 2:30 p. m., he entered the Gray Fog ahead of time to conduct a personal rehearsal for the upcoming Tarot Club. After all, Mr. The Fool wanted to subtly and gently influence the Hermit. Cattleya.
Sitting in the " The Fool's" seat, Klein practiced the three hammering plans he had devised over the past few days. Two of the plans required mobilizing some of the power of this space, and two required the use of props. Therefore, he had to figure out the entire process in advance and master it thoroughly so that he wouldn't show any signs of inexperience at the crucial moment.
After an unknown amount of time, Klein breathed a sigh of relief and finalized the matter.
Then, he materialized the "world," and without needing any objects, he directly saw the countless fine black lines spreading across the other person's body.
"Objects materialized using the power of the mysterious space above the Gray Fog possess a certain Spirituality... that's why they have ' Spirit Body Threads.' In the real world, however, inanimate objects don't exist." Klein skillfully Manipulation those black threads, quickly gaining true and complete control over the "world."
Now, he can not only make the "world's" expressions more delicate and its reactions more like real people, but he can also make the puppet's Spirituality fluctuations closer to nature, no longer lifeless!
In addition to these, he also gained direct access to the "world's" vision, hearing, and other senses, much like a player who runs two instances of the game simultaneously!
After completing all this, Klein glanced at the gold-cased pocket watch and sent a message to the little " The Sun," allowing him to silently count his heartbeats.