Chapter 46: [Deception]
The "thousand faces" Character Card leveled up once again, bringing a new ability called [Deception].
[Deception]: Briefly "deceives" history and fate, making the target believe they once possessed, but have lost or not yet fulfilled, a certain identity or state, thereby triggering a corresponding, limited "echo" in reality.
A rather conceptual ability.
Nairn felt the information fed back from the Sefirah [Chaos Theater] and already had a plan in mind.
This ability was practically tailor-made for him.
Although he wasn't a demigod yet and couldn't fully unleash the power of "Identity Planning," the effect of [Deception] was limited to states the target "once truly possessed."
But for Nairn, who could randomly advance a subsequent Sequence ability every week, this was practically a divine skill.
He was quite satisfied with the [Lie] ability of the "Magician," the experience of changing identities at will and perfectly simulating even aura and spirituality fluctuations.
Unfortunately, it was just a one-week trial card.
But now it was different.
With [Deception], he could deceive his own "history" when needed, making the [Chaos Theater] believe he was still that Sequence 6 "Magician," thus briefly borrowing the power of [Lie].
Even if the borrowed [Lie] would be downgraded to [Disguise] due to insufficient rank, changing from flawless to something like "the makeup and Beautification techniques of the three great asian sorceries," which might be noticed as slightly discordant by keen Beyonders like a "Spectator."
Having it was better than nothing.
"Alright, the catching up is over."
Nairn watched another wave of [play value] roll in, but Pales's fear threshold had clearly been maxed out, and subsequent gains were diminishing. He lost interest in continuing to tease this angel.
He took a step back, his gaze under the Monocle locking onto Leonard again, the smile on his face becoming meaningful.
"Come do some good deeds with me, Mr. Poet."
Leonard was stunned.
"You wouldn't want... the secret inside your body to be discovered by the people from the Cathedral, would you?"
Nairn's voice was light, yet like a sharp, ice-quenched knife, silently pressed against Leonard's throat.
A threat!
A naked, undisguised threat!
Leonard's face turned deathly pale in an instant.
Tingen City... just a few days ago, Old Neil had just reported himself to the Captain after being tempted by an evil god and was now undergoing review in the underground confinement room of the Church of Evernight.
That scene, that determination, was still vivid in his mind.
Now, was it his turn?
No! Absolutely not!
He couldn't imagine what would happen if Captain Dunn and the Church found out that an angel from the fourth epoch was residing within him.
Would he be treated as someone corrupted? Sealed away? Or... purified directly?
"Go, child."
Just as Leonard was having a mental struggle and cold sweat soaked his back, Pales's extremely weak yet incredibly solemn voice finally echoed in his heart.
"This 'thousand faces' gentleman... is unfathomable. His power... perhaps touches upon domains we cannot understand. Accept his test; perhaps this is your chance, and mine as well."
Even this old man who had lived for countless years said so... Leonard took a deep breath, as if using all his strength, and nodded with difficulty at Nairn.
"I... will go with you."
Klein took all of this in, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
Nairn had so casually, with a malicious cosplay and a cold threat, completely taken control of a formal Nighthawk, a "protagonist template" who also possessed a "cheat."
This way of controlling people... always felt a bit off.
But Klein also understood that for Leonard and the Pales inside him, this might already be the best outcome.
At least Nairn didn't seem to have any malice.
He just liked to tease people.
What was the big deal about wearing a Monocle?
Klein thought so; at least he wouldn't break down... In the office of the Lanulius Steel Company.
Lanulius was leaning back in his boss's chair with great satisfaction, tasting high-quality black tea from Feynapotter.
He was in an excellent mood.
The financing plan was going exceptionally well. In just a few days, that forged "high-grade iron ore exploration report for the Hornacis Mountains" had attracted over a dozen citizens blinded by greed.
They turned their years of savings into checks with staggering numbers and respectfully handed them over to him.
"Stupid lambs," Lanulius chuckled contemptuously.
They would never understand that the true secret to wealth was never hard work, but a clever "scam."
As a sequence 8 "Swindler" of the "Marauder" Pathway, he was best at weaving one perfect Lie after another, making those greedy and foolish people willingly hand over their property.
One more week, ten days at most.
He could run off with this huge sum of at least three thousand gold pounds and live a life of luxury in Backlund.
By then, he could even try to buy the potion materials for sequence 7 to take himself a step further.
Just as Lanulius was immersed in his beautiful fantasy, there was a knock on the office door.
"Come in," he responded lazily.
A young man in an ordinary clerk's uniform pushed the door open, his voice almost breaking with excitement:
"Boss, there's a big client!"
"A big client?" Lanulius raised an eyebrow. "How big?"
"They said... they said they're planning to invest five hundred gold pounds!" The young man gestured excitedly with his fingers, spit flying.
"Five hundred gold pounds?!"
Lanulius sat up straight in his chair, his heart jumping.
Investing five hundred gold pounds all at once into a newly established steel company? That wasn't something an ordinary citizen could afford.
This was definitely a big fish!
"Who are they?" he immediately pressed, a hint of urgency in his voice.
"Three gentlemen, all looking very dignified. One claims to be a history professor who has researched mining investment extensively," the young man replied quickly.
A history professor?
Lanulius's eyes flickered, and the fire of greed in his heart was instantly ignited.
An intellectual! Excellent!
Such people often held themselves in high regard and were more likely to believe Lies that sounded "professional." Moreover, their purses were usually heavier.
"Quick! Please invite them in!" Lanulius quickly straightened his collar and tie, his face instantly piling on the warmest and most sincere smile.
Soon, the office door was pushed open again.
Three figures walked in.
Leading them was a man with black hair and black eyes wearing a Monocle. He wore a classical black robe, his temperament refined yet exuding an indescribable mystery.
Following him was a black-haired young man in a well-fitted three-piece suit and a half-top silk hat. His black eyes were as calm as water, making him look like a rigorous scholar just entering society.
And the last one was a young man with green eyes. His expression... how should one put it? It was a bit too innocent, his eyes filled with longing for the future and aspiration for a great cause.
These three were Nairn, Klein, and Leonard in disguise.
Lanulius's gaze swept over the three and he made an immediate judgment.
The one in the middle with gold-rimmed glasses should be the "history professor," full of scholarly air.
The green-eyed kid in the back was the picture of a rich young master who had been protected too well by his family, with "dumb and rich, come quickly" written all over his face.
As for the one in the lead wearing the Monocle... Lanulius couldn't see through him.
The other party's temperament was too mysterious, making him instinctively feel a trace of unease.
However, this negligible unease was quickly drowned out by the desire for money.
"Welcome to our Lanulius Steel Company!" Lanulius greeted them with a smile, taking the initiative to reach out his hand. "I am the founder of the company, Lanulius."
Nairn ignored the outstretched hand, merely pacing the office on his own, his gaze scanning the so-called "ore vein diagrams" and "photos with celebrities" on the wall like a scanner, a barely perceptible curve touching the corner of his mouth.
Klein followed Nairn's prior instructions, stepped forward, and shook hands with Lanulius.
"Hello, Mr. Lanulius. My name is Klein Moretti, a historian with quite some research into mining," Klein said in a pedantic, slow tone, adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses.
"This is my friend, Mr. Leonard Mitchell. He is very interested in your project." He turned slightly and pointed to Leonard behind him.
Leonard immediately puffed out his chest and said in a passionate tone, as if reciting poetry, "Mr. Lanulius! I have heard of your feat of discovering high-grade iron ore in the Hornacis Mountains! This is a great discovery sufficient to change the landscape of the Loen Kingdom's steel industry! I am willing to contribute my part to this great cause!"
His performance was full of theatrical exaggeration, but combined with his face full of "dreams" and "innocence," it seemed exceptionally sincere and infectious.
Klein complained silently in his heart: This guy... really thinks he's the lead in a stage play. With acting like that, it's a pity he doesn't go to Backlund to perform in dramas.
Hearing Leonard's words, Lanulius was overjoyed.
So easy to fool! Isn't this a fat sheep delivered to the door! And the kind that washed itself before coming!
The smile on his face grew even more brilliant: "Mr. Mitchell, you have such great vision! Our cause is indeed great! Come, come, please sit down, let's talk in detail."
He warmly led the three to the sofa in the reception area and personally poured them black tea, keeping his posture extremely low.
"Mr. Moretti, Mr. Mitchell," Lanulius rubbed his hands, somewhat impatient to get to the point, "I heard you're planning to invest in our project?"
"Yes." Klein nodded and unhurriedly took out a thick notebook with worn edges from his breast pocket. "However, before investing, as a rigorous scholar, I need to conduct a... small assessment of your project."
"Of course, of course! That's only right!" Lanulius agreed readily, though he was dismissive in his heart.
Assessment? Go ahead and assess!
All his materials were meticulously forged by people he paid a high price for, enough to pass for the real thing.
He was confident that no outsider could see through the flaws.
Klein opened the notebook, pushed the gold-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose with an air of importance, the lenses reflecting a ray of wisdom, and began his "performance."
"According to my research, the geological structure of the main peak of the Hornacis Mountains is primarily composed of sedimentary rock formed during the Feysac Ice Age. Theoretically, it's very difficult for large-scale magnetite veins to form in such a rock layer. I wonder, Mr. Lanulius, in which specific stratum is the vein you discovered located?"
The first question was like a sudden thunderclap exploding in Lanulius's ears.
The smile on his face froze instantly.
Wh... what sedimentary rock? What stratum?
How would he know any of that! He had just randomly drawn a circle on the map!
But as a professional "Swindler," he quickly adjusted his mindset, showing an appreciative expression as if he had "indeed met an expert."
"Mr. Moretti, you are truly professional! You've hit the nail on the head!" Lanulius slapped his thigh. "You're right, the main peak is indeed sedimentary rock. But! Our vein isn't on the main peak, but on an associated vein next to it! Because of an ancient crustal movement, a unique igneous rock structure was formed there, which is what gave rise to the high-grade iron ore!"
As he spoke, he walked to the map on the wall and pointed decisively at a spot he didn't even recognize himself.
Klein looked at him, sneering in his heart.
Keep making it up.
This geological knowledge was taught to him by Nairn just last night.
And Nairn's source of information... in Nairn's words, was "asked from a passing geological ghost."
Klein pushed his glasses and continued to ask:
"An igneous rock structure? Then may I ask where the ore grade test report is? Which agency was commissioned for the test? What was the depth and breadth of the sample collection? Also, have the mining permit and the environmental impact assessment report been processed?"
A series of professional questions that made Lanulius's scalp tingle were tossed out one after another from Klein's mouth.
Every one of Klein's questions was like a sharp scalpel, precisely stabbing at the core of Lanulius's scam.
Lanulius's forehead began to sweat.
Among the forged documents he prepared, there was indeed a so-called "grade test report," but the data on it was also made up by him.
As for collection depth, breadth, or environmental impact assessment reports... he hadn't even heard of them!
This history scholar... is he really a history scholar? How does he know more than a professional mining engineer?
Lanulius's brain was working at high speed, trying to concoct new Lies to cover these holes.
"Ahem," he cleared his throat, forcing himself to stay calm. "Mr. Moretti, your questions are all very professional. Our test report was issued by the most authoritative 'Royal Mineral Physical and Chemical Laboratory' in Backlund, absolutely reliable! As for the... environmental assessment documents you mentioned, because our project is still in the startup phase, they are currently in process and will be issued soon!"
He spoke with conviction, as if it were really the case.
However, Klein just looked at him calmly, and then took another document out of his briefcase.
"Is that so?" Klein pushed the document in front of Lanulius. "But I have here a list of all business transactions from the Royal Mineral Physical and Chemical Laboratory for the last quarter. I've looked through it carefully, and there's no record of any test regarding the Hornacis Mountains iron ore."
This document was, of course, Nairn's "work."
With the ability of a "Magician," forging an official document that looked flawless was as easy as pie.
Lanulius's face turned deathly pale in an instant.
His eyes widened as he looked at the beautifully printed business list. The layout, seal, and signature all looked incredibly real, so real that his heart nearly stopped.
How is that possible?!
How could he have such a thing?!
"This... this is impossible!" Lanulius's voice trembled. "This must be a forgery! Who on earth are you people?!"
He finally realized that the three people who came today weren't investors at all, but troublemakers!