Chapter 276: "Mysterious Magic" Unboxing Review
After learning the detailed requirements of the Crown Ceremony's "Hidden Truth Ruse," Alan immediately realized something.
In a way, the fulfillment of this ceremony's conditions...
It was very difficult to achieve.
A deception that could meet all the conditions at the same time was extremely rare to come by.
Not only did they have to deceive millions of people within a single day, but they also needed to evoke a massive wave of astonishment. And, most importantly, they must ensure that no one besides themselves knew the truth behind the deception.
"Playing dead could be an exciting choice... The way the internet advertises can trick millions of people in just one day... But how can you deceive everyone?"
He noticed keenly that the crucial breaking point lay in determining who "anybody" referred to.
Does it include the "Savior" as well?
This is really important.
Alan was self-aware and knew he could never truly understand what the "Savior" was thinking. He was also completely defenseless against the Savior's ability to probe his thoughts.
That means...
It was almost impossible to keep it a secret from the "Savior".
After thinking for a long time, Alan finally decided to dismiss the idea of deceiving the "Savior".
First, they needed to find a way to trick Profligate.
Although playing dead might sound like a good idea, it couldn't deceive the companions of the Babel Tower.
After pondering and reflecting, Alan immediately realized that perhaps he needed to find a clever solution.
Rituals and logical, objective magic are not the same.
As an expert in mysticism, Alan understood very well the difference between the two.
It wasn't something that fit perfectly together, but rather something more emotionally mysterious.
For example, according to the record of the ritual, sometimes it would require a sacrifice in a specific location, like "fire."
So many times, whether it's a real flame or the feelings of passion and anger, they can have an effect.
If one can meet the symbolic requirements, then they should be able to complete the Crown Ceremony.
And so, Alan naturally thought of the way to "play two tricks" as the story unfolded.
The "Hidden Truth Ruse" Crown Ceremony doesn't require the ruse to be just one.
In theory, having two tricks is also possible!
In the parts of the "ceremony" that are not forbidden, one can freely experiment... This is actually a well-known joke in the study of mysterious rituals.
People who truly often do this, most of them meet a very tragic end.
It is precisely because the "ceremony" is full of emotions that it becomes extremely unpredictable in terms of risks. Compared to spells, it is a rather unstable source of power.
Alan, who was a trained sorcerer, knew all about these mystical studies as if it were second nature to him.
He knew that "finding loopholes" came with risks.
But indeed, "finding loopholes" could also potentially lead to one's success.
"Both I and Babel Tower no longer have any spare time to wait and make mistakes."
So, Alan, not succeeding otherwise, planned a fake death event.
He also played a silly trick, fooling the people of Babel Tower.
Because the trick was too insignificant, when the people of Babel Tower heard this news, they didn't really bother to think about whether it was true or false.
Although it may seem unimportant, he had to invest a lot of time and energy as he single-handedly orchestrated events in both the Platinum Zone and the Dawn District.
Luckily, he could use magic tricks to help himself by creating enemies that looked real.
Finally, Alan's plan reached this stage.
He came back to life as a hero!
Although he tricked everyone when it came to "death," the citizens of Tatsumi City didn't feel like they were victims.
Babel Tower didn't face any decrease in reputation, instead, because of Alan's "resurrection," the citizens felt even safer.
The hero who cannot die is invincible in a certain way!
This was also one of Alan's goals.
He hoped that after experiencing all the events of this year, the people would still be able to stay strong.
Perhaps, next year, they would encounter even more unexpected events and frightening things... No, this was bound to happen!
He not only had to rescue people's bodies from monsters and cultists, but also had to save their hearts.
At this very moment, the resurrected Alan floated in the air, lost in his own performance.
"Death, it made me feel cold, quiet, and surrounded by darkness..."
"I felt hopeless and scared."
"Your voices, the voice of the Savior... it woke me up."
He could feel a purple stream of energy flowing continuously in the square.
These streams not only twirled, gathered, and persisted, but they were the energy of emotions.
Surprise and astonishment filled the air!
Alan had never been able to notice its existence before, until now, when he could visibly see the true presence of emotional energy through the power of the ceremony.
All along, in Noah's world, only a few mentions of it could be found in the realm of mysteries and ancient knowledge.
But Alan knew that there were also some groups who placed great importance on emotional energy, believing it to be a powerful force from the soul, with immense potential.
It was time!
Alan didn't hesitate for a moment as he knew that this was an opportunity that shouldn't be missed. Without any delay, he began reciting the ancient incantation.
That mysterious spell slowly gathered the emotional energy from the surroundings, forming a concentrated aura around Alan. It began to have a wondrous effect on him.
His figure gradually dissolved in front of everyone, as if he ceased to exist.
Many people stood watching this scene, unsure of what had just happened.
Magic.
Essentially, it was a kind of trickery.
The mysterious path.
Alan felt his body slowly disappearing.
He didn't actually disappear.
Instead, he tricked his own perception.
A more profound and deceitful power, was being demonstrated on Alan.
And during this process, his mind gradually became filled with lots of "knowledge".
All of this knowledge was unearthed from the very essence of his soul.
Not every exceptional individual possesses "innate powers", and Alan was no exception. When he ascended to the position of Crown, he gained some brand new mysterious knowledge from the very essence of his soul.
Alan felt it.
He became incredibly powerful like never before!
Even though... this power may not mean much in the face of stronger, more terrifying beings.
But finally, he took a step forward.
Alan slowly clenched his hands.
He watched the people in the square, these innocent people who lived in the city.
Every person's heartbeat, every person's breath, appeared so clear and vivid before Alan.
They were using candles to "keep vigil" for their "deceased" selves.
He would also burn his entire life, turning into a candle of vigil... until only ashes remained!
--
Bai Yan had returned to his home in Annottales.
The Tulip Manor.
He sat on the chair and skillfully cut open the cigar, placing it in his mouth, but he didn't puff on it.
After a while, Bai Yan took out the relic cigar, which had the power to extract different flavors from ingredients, and started to puff on it.
Smoking and such things were better off avoided... When he was little, someone had forced him to smoke, and he had choked so badly that it made him hypersensitive to the taste of tobacco as he grew up.
Next, it was time for the "unboxing and review" session.
"Alan, you are the only Core Operator whose future strength I am unsure of... In a way, it's quite nice, as it gives me more excitement and anticipation."
Bai Yan took out his mobile phone, filled with curiosity, and took a look at the character card for "Mysterious Magic".
Core Operator:
Title: Mysterious Magic
Gender: male
Rank: Material Realm
Level: Crown (lower)
Species: Human kind
Operator Role: Scouting/Support/Control
Milestone: Night Watcher, Captain of the Night Watchers, Hero Returns
Primary Attributes:
Physicality: 146+50 (Self-healing Specialization) (What, are you also a dragon?)
Inspiration: 312 (Powerful inspiration, and even a faint premonition ability)
Skill: 199 (Mastery over magic, already refined, approaching the level of a grand master)
Secondary Attributes:
Charm: 8 (Received many love letters from boys and girls since childhood)
Loyalty: 8 (Perhaps his loyalty is not towards you, but towards the people you wish to save)
Mood: 6 (Finally, took another step forward)
Trait:
Cunning Man (has a higher chance of success in diplomatic missions)
Deeply caring and loyal (loyalty and mood would change based on the circumstances of loved ones)
Master of Deception (has a higher chance of success in tasks involving deception)
Ability:
Transparent Wall, Phantom Beast, Unlikely Friendship, Magic Wand, Sensing Curtain, Blade Poker, Passwall, Explosive Balloon, Breath Masking, Enchanted Costume, Concealing Hat, Transposition, Dream Indication, Nightmare, Whisper Communication, Ring Ceremony, Short-range Teleportation, Seal Nails, Frozen Solid, Flesh Regeneration, Fire Dragon, Mirror Seal, Chaotic Dance, Harsh Words, Glutton, The Reanimation Spell, Taboo - Remote Puppet, Taboo - Future Vision, Taboo - Black Sun (Spell)
Fictitious Lover (Ritual)
The Grandiose Stage for the Magical Ceremony (Ritual)
The Curtain that Hides the Sky Above (Ritual)
The Fire that Burns Everything. (Proficiency: 81%)
Praising the Sun (Skill Level: 100%, Evolving)
The Pupil of Mystery (Understanding and learning all the magic they've seen with their own eyes)
Blood of Darkness · Self-healing Specialization
The Heart of Life (It rapidly restores vitality through eating).
Mysterious (spells of transformation, illusions, and curses can be performed more effectively)
Secondary information:
Physical attributes: He was 175cm tall with a chest measuring 91, waist measuring 77, and hips measuring 92.
Fond of: Night Watcher, cats, hot milk, cheese sticks, and cupcakes in paper cups.
Dislikes: Evil and tragedies.
Items: 1 Escape Door, 1 White Son.
Description: The Night Watcher, who has been a member of the Demon Hunt Agency for thirteen years, joined at a young age and received official training. With extensive combat experience and remarkable adaptability, the Night Watcher is skilled in the arts of deception and holds a strong sense of justice.
"The keeper of order and justice, a person who walks with a lantern in the late night."
"Inheriting the legacy of his mentor, holding onto the courage anthem, he continues moving forward as the Night Watcher."
Bai Yan had long discovered that whenever an extraordinary individual ascended to the Crown level, new entries would appear in the logs.
Apart from the significant growth in each Attribute, at the Crown level, "Mysterious Magic" gains an additional new Trait, a new ritual, and a new ability.
The new Trait is called "Master of Deception," which means that Alan is progressively advancing further in this path.
In the future, he would be assigned to do tasks related to this.
The new ritual, called "The Veil that Hides the Sky," was discovered by delving into the essence of the soul.
Bai Yan glanced at the result and realized that even though he had only discovered this one ritual, its effectiveness was truly impressive.
"Create a fake sky in a special area, as long as the 'fake sky' is not destroyed. Inside that area, 'mysterious magic' can freely create 'puppet performers'. These 'puppet performers' can move and act just like real people, they can imitate and disguise themselves almost perfectly, but they cannot use any extraordinary powers."
Now it felt a bit like Alan was becoming a "Master of Puppets". In theory, Alan alone could create an entire "army of puppets".
Bai Yan even imagined a scene in his mind. It was about a certain investigator who was invited to Alan's house. When the investigator arrived, they noticed something strange about the people on the street. Eventually, they discovered that these people were actually puppets. They tried to escape in a car, but found that the car had been damaged. Suddenly, all the "puppet performers" on the street started chasing after them... It sounded like a very scary movie!
Bai Yan fell into deep thought and realized that among the three individuals skilled in magic at Babel Tower, "Mysterious Magic" and "Ninetales Aision" had somewhat similar abilities, but with different tendencies.
The two of them were undoubtedly the masters of magic in the future, but Ninetales Aision's power leaned more towards illusions.
Meanwhile, the abilities of Mysterious Magic tended to focus on teleportation, shifting positions, puppetry, and creating substitutes.
In the end, an additional new trait emerged, called "Mysterious," which foreshadowed Alan's growing expertise in enchantment.
Bai Yan took a deep breath and stood up. He copied the extraordinary power of Mysterious Magic.
At the next moment, he felt an incredible new power of perception that he had never experienced before.
Inside the Tulip Manor, every aspect was filled with the heartbeat and breath of each servant, even the moment when an ant crawled on the ground or a droplet fell from a leaf.
He could feel everything around him with utmost clarity.
"Unbelievable... Is Alan really managing to live in such a condition now?"
Bai Yan pondered for a while, realizing that he needed to be more careful around Alan from now on.
Although blessed by the ritual of the "Fictitious Lover," the strong power of perception is mostly connected to inspiration.
This person has such a strong intuition that they might be able to see through my disguise at any moment.
Although Alan was definitely one of the people Bai Yan trusted the most, he didn't want to reveal his true identity yet.
Staying the same is the best option.
"It seems that it will be hard to lie in front of him in the future... Actually, it's more like if you lie, you will be instantly found out."
Trying to deceive someone in the hands of a master trickster is truly a difficult task.
Bai Yan understood in his heart that even though Alan was already a "Crown," Alan's current power was not on the same level as an ordinary "Crown."
"The Crown has truly exceptional abilities that might be a bit too much. Even if the enemy is a reigning monarch, they may not necessarily be able to defeat the Crown if they have good compatibility in battle."
Among the seven Core Operators - Scarlet Moon, Mu Ling, Alan, Maryse, and Babel Tower - four have already arrived at the Crown level.
The remaining Amy, Slime, and Ganis might also have the ability to fight against extraordinary individuals of Crown level.
Nowadays, the Babel Tower has become incredibly powerful.
"But, the enemy was clearly stronger..."
Bai Yan took a deep breath and glanced at the countdown on the "Babel Tower" game.
There was still some time left until the First Doomsday Crisis...
Nine days.
