Chapter 255

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Chapter 255: Common Sense Substitution

Bai Yan’s appearance had already shifted to match that of “Viscount Edmond.” He had no intention of revealing his “Profligate” identity in front of Kaluoer, fearing it might affect the ultimate effectiveness of the Crown Ceremony “Fictional Enactment.”

A powerful spiritual force entered the girl’s body, swiftly traversing her being. Upon reaching the deepest parts of her soul, it launched an aggressive assault—rough, yet highly effective.

“Ah, ah, aaaaah…”

The soundless cries escaped her lips, resembling the helpless sobs of a beaten little seal.

The body beneath her maid outfit trembled for a while before finally succumbing completely to the overwhelming spiritual force.

Kaluoer stood still, her form tranquil and motionless, a vacant expression in her eyes.

“Hidden Azure” is an extraordinary being, one who has reached the awakened state. Formidably strong, exceptionally skilled in assassination, and, theoretically, any enemy below the Crown level would fall victim to her preemptive “silent demise.”

She was infamous, a living nightmare to many, possessing dreadful potential far beyond that of ordinary assassins.

However, against the power of a “Psychic Dancer” who had already reached the Crown level, “Hidden Azure” was powerless if caught off guard.

Her ability to “annihilate extraordinary abilities” required physical contact with the target in order to be effective.

With a calm demeanor, Bai Yan skillfully manipulated both the physical and emotional aspects of Kaluoer, revealing a faint smile—much like a programmer indulging in mischief after successfully decrypting software.

He waved his hand gently and took a seat nearby.

“Please, have a seat, Kaluoer.”

Kaluoer immediately obeyed, sitting down without question, complying with the command of this seemingly “master,” who was actually the target of her assassination.

Bai Yan gazed at the young girl, beginning the process of accessing her memories. To transform her, he first needed to understand everything about her.

Bai Yan’s eyes gleamed with a silver radiance as he extracted memories from the deepest recesses of her soul.

Bai Yan’s consciousness seemed to enter a chaotic state. Within a unique “space” where light and darkness did not exist, he could “perceive” memory orbs, resembling bubbles, floating around an immensely large golden star.

This was the soul.

All sentient beings’ souls existed within the Soul Dimension, each containing a “soul core” and various spiritual links. Silver-white sparks of “spiritual energy” continually emanated from these links.

Spiritual energy, the power of miracles, the power of origins—these were said to be the ultimate powers in the multiverse.

Noah had long researched the soul, with “mental power” and “innate power” originating from it.

Within this space, Bai Yan saw many things.

Kaluoer hailed from a humble artisan family and had been inseparable from her twin sister, Evie, since childhood. Although their family was not wealthy, it was whole. The two sisters shared a deep bond, sleeping on the same bed, sharing everything, and living a blissful life.

However, the first and only time Kaluoer didn’t share her birthday gift with her sister, Evie, broke the harmony. Evie, in turn, divided the gift into two halves, giving one to Kaluoer.

Kaluoer, unwilling to damage her gift, clutched it tightly, unwilling to share. This led to Evie crying for days, which caused Kaluoer to cry as well. Their parents eventually bought a new gift, so both could have one each.

The two reconciled, swearing to share everything from then on, whether good or bad.

They shared not only joys but also pains.

Then, everything changed.

One day, a sudden explosion shattered their home. Kaluoer, who had been in bed at the time, was shielded by her sister. She could not see the cause of the explosion clearly but was severely injured and fell into a coma.

When she awoke, she found herself imprisoned in a cramped space, unable to find her sister, parents, or any trace of light. The only sensations were the passing of time and the pain from her injuries.

Little Kaluoer wailed in anguish, but no one responded.

On the brink of death, she was taken to a peculiar workshop. There, some floating azure runes enveloped her, starting a risky transformation process.

Afterward, she was transformed into a demi-doll but retained her emotions.

Kaluoer later met “Purple Light,” one of the color assassins. This middle-aged woman, a mentor to novice assassins, showed no mercy, treating Kaluoer with extreme cruelty.

Bai Yan rarely encountered such distant individuals. He saw Kaluoer in the snowy terrain, dressed minimally, shedding tears and screams as she fought a menacing creature with nothing but a small knife.

The middle-aged woman, wearing a purple mask, remained unyielding.

Many apprentices trained alongside Kaluoer, but most could not persevere. Perhaps due to her semi-puppet body or her inherent talent, Kaluoer survived.

Through countless battles, weapon swings, and punishments, Kaluoer was gradually molded into a formidable force. Each instance of physical and mental exhaustion shaped her into something more.

With the aid of an emotion-erasing spell, Kaluoer ceased to weep or lament. She transformed, evolving from an ignorant young girl into a top-tier assassin.

With a calm demeanor, she disassembled her intended target, driven only by the pursuit of intelligence.

“The blade” requires no emotions.

To exist solely as a weapon was to be freed from suffering, sorrow, despair, and fear.

From that moment, Kaluoer realized that being the “blade” was effortless.

Thus, she abandoned her sense of self and the joys she once shared with her sister. Despite this, she couldn’t fathom why she always felt a strange delight whenever she was with her sister.

Why was she the only one plunged into the abyss? Why hadn’t her sister come to find her? Where was she?

Hadn’t they sworn to share everything?

Finally, at a critical moment, she lost all sense of feeling.

The name “Kaluoer” became a false identity.

The true “Hidden Azure” was born.

She was a flawless assassin, an instrument of perfection.

In the dark room, Bai Yan silently delved into Kaluoer’s memories. It felt as though he had watched her past unfold before him in a cinema, and his heart could not help but stir with sympathy.

“Indeed, replacing common knowledge is truly a formidable task. It took several hours just to substitute a few pieces of it.”

Even Bai Yan shook his head in exhaustion.

With a tired but thoughtful gesture, he reached out and gently caressed Kaluoer’s head.

“Awaken, please.”

As Kaluoer’s confused gaze cleared and she saw Bai Yan, she immediately launched into an assassination attempt.

She began performing an unusual action—squatting repeatedly in place.

Yes, squatting.

With both hands on her knees, Kaluoer squatted up and down, her face devoid of emotion. She repeated the movement over and over.

[Why can’t I kill the target?]

Kaluoer was perplexed.

Despite being an accomplished assassin, the reality was that her knowledge had already been replaced by the formidable power of the “Psychic Dancer.”

The word “assassination” had been replaced with “crouching down,” though she noticed nothing strange about it. This was the power of “Common Sense Substitution.”

Bai Yan silently observed, unable to suppress his laughter.

“You are indeed working hard. Keep going, gather your strength. I’ll be here waiting for you to kill me.”

Kaluoer’s squatting became more frequent, as though she were exploring various assassination methods, perhaps believing she had exhausted all her options.

But Bai Yan remained calm, sitting back and enjoying the comedy.

“You should understand by now, with your current strength, you cannot kill me.”

Bai Yan sat, holding a “delicious cigar,” pretending to smoke, and remarked, “Hidden Azure, you rely on yourself, yet you’re fundamentally incapable of completing the task at hand. So, what will you do next?”

The girl with icy blue hair gazed coldly at him, silent.

But her inner thoughts were a flurry of confusion.

[Cease the assassination temporarily and report the situation to the ‘host’.]

Finally, Kaluoer stopped squatting and vanished into the darkness.

Bai Yan made no move to stop her.

Kaluoer could not successfully report this situation to her superiors, for Bai Yan had already altered her memories. The method of reporting that resided in her mind was now entirely erroneous, sending all information directly to Bai Yan. She was completely unaware of this.

“The game has only just begun, young assassin,” Bai Yan murmured, staring at the night sky.

The next morning, Bai Yan awoke to find Kaluoer standing by his bed, expressionless, dressed in her black and white maid’s attire.

After revealing one’s identity to the target, what should be done?

Bai Yan had replaced the common sense in Kaluoer’s mind. Though it took time, the effect was noticeable.

Originally, her common sense was to “immediately leave the vicinity of the target.”

Now, it was to “pretend everything is normal.”

Bai Yan sat on the bed, watching Kaluoer and commenting calmly, “Indeed, this is the terrifying power of the mind, wouldn’t you agree, Kaluoer?”

The young girl remained silent, her mind temporarily in confusion due to the change in her common sense.

Bai Yan listened closely to her thoughts.

[Why did I come back… The target is still alive… The mission has failed…]

[Until new instructions arrive, the assassination should be temporarily halted.]

[Hmm, stay here, awaiting the next notification from the ‘host’.]

Kaluoer bowed seriously, her demeanor respectful.

“Sir, I don’t comprehend your words. Please allow me to assist you in changing your attire.”

“Very well.”

Bai Yan nodded and stood, walking confidently to the mirror. He stretched out his arms, ready for her assistance.

The young girl stepped forward, carefully assisting him with his attire.

[As long as I remain in my ‘maid’ state…]

[He won’t realize my failure from last night.]

[The secret remains intact.]

Kaluoer, unaware of the strange logic behind her actions, proceeded as though nothing had changed.

Bai Yan, however, silently watched her through the mirror.

Starting today, she would be free from the clutches of the Mercury Ball, no longer under the enchantments that dulled her emotions. While emotional restoration would take time, Bai Yan believed it was only a matter of time before Kaluoer’s emotions returned to normal.

“Anything to report today?” he asked.

“Yes, sir,” she replied, still respectful and calm.

Kaluoer reported, “Baroque, the esteemed high priest, will soon arrive at the Tulip Manor. He wishes to extend an invitation for you to attend the birthday celebration of Her Highness Evie.”

Evie…

Kaluoer felt a faint sense of familiarity with the name, but she couldn’t recall why. Her memories of her sister had mostly been erased by the Mercury Ball.

“Very well, I understand.”

Bai Yan nodded, not surprised. This was part of his plan.

Baroque, the high-ranking priest whom he had never met, now saw “Viscount Edmond” as a dear friend and was considering inviting him to the birthday banquet of Her Highness Evie.

Evie was one of the key members of Babel Tower, Kaluoer’s twin sister. The “Innocent Singer.”

Evie lived in the first district, home to the “key” to the Ultimate Ritual—a secret known to only a few.

Only Bai Yan, who had completed the first playthrough of “Babel Tower,” and a few others, truly understood this.

Thus, Bai Yan manipulated the situation to ensure Baroque would deliver an invitation. He needed to enter the first district to come into contact with the “Innocent Singer” and the key to the Ultimate Ritual.