Chapter 276

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Chapter 276: “Mysterious Magic” Unboxing Review

After learning the detailed requirements for the Crown Ceremony’s “Hidden Truth Ruse,” Alan quickly realized something. In many ways, fulfilling the conditions of this ceremony was extremely challenging.

A deception that could meet all the conditions at once was exceptionally rare. Not only did it require deceiving millions of people within a single day, but it also had to evoke a massive wave of astonishment. Most importantly, the truth behind the deception had to remain unknown to everyone except the deceiver.

“Playing dead could be an interesting option… The way the internet spreads things could deceive millions in just a day… But how can I deceive everyone?” Alan thought. He understood that the crucial point lay in identifying who “anybody” referred to. Did it include the “Savior” as well? This was incredibly important.

Alan was fully aware that he could never truly know what the “Savior” was thinking. Moreover, he had no defense against the Savior’s ability to probe his thoughts. This meant that… keeping a secret from the “Savior” was nearly impossible.

After much thought, Alan decided to abandon the idea of deceiving the “Savior.” Instead, he needed to find a way to trick Profligate. Although the idea of faking his death seemed good, it wouldn’t deceive the people at Babel Tower.

After much reflection, Alan realized that a clever solution might be found. Rituals and logical, objective magic were not the same. As an expert in mysticism, Alan knew the distinction well.

It wasn’t about something fitting perfectly together; it was about something more emotionally mysterious. For example, the ritual record sometimes called for a sacrifice at a specific location, like “fire.” Whether it was a real flame or the emotions of passion and anger, both could have an effect.

If one could meet the symbolic requirements, they should be able to complete the Crown Ceremony. Alan soon thought of a way to “play two tricks” as the story unfolded. The “Hidden Truth Ruse” Crown Ceremony didn’t require just one trick. In theory, two tricks were also possible.

In parts of the “ceremony” that weren’t restricted, one could freely experiment. This was a well-known concept in the study of mysterious rituals. Those who frequently engaged in such practices often met tragic ends. This was because the “ceremony” was filled with emotions, making it incredibly unpredictable in terms of risks. Compared to spells, it was a more unstable source of power.

As a trained sorcerer, Alan knew the risks of “finding loopholes.” However, he also understood that these loopholes could potentially lead to success.

“Neither I nor Babel Tower can afford to wait and make mistakes,” Alan thought. With no other option, he planned a fake death event and used a simple trick to fool the people at Babel Tower. The trick was so insignificant that when Babel Tower heard the news, they didn’t bother questioning its truth.

Though it seemed trivial, Alan invested a lot of time and energy, orchestrating events in both the Platinum Zone and the Dawn District. Luckily, he could use magic to create realistic enemies.

At last, Alan’s plan reached its culmination. He returned to life as a hero! Though he tricked everyone into thinking he had died, the citizens of Tatsumi City didn’t feel deceived. Babel Tower’s reputation remained intact, and if anything, the people felt even safer because of Alan’s “resurrection.”

The hero who cannot die is invincible in a certain sense. This was one of Alan’s goals. He hoped that after experiencing everything this year, the people would remain strong. After all, next year would undoubtedly bring more unexpected events and dangers.

He didn’t just need to save people’s bodies from monsters and cultists; he had to save their hearts as well. At that moment, the resurrected Alan floated in the air, lost in his performance.

“Death… It made me feel cold, silent, and surrounded by darkness…”

“I felt hopeless and scared.”

“Your voices, the voice of the Savior… it woke me up.”

Alan could feel a purple stream of energy flowing in the square. These streams not only twisted and gathered, but they were also the energy of emotions. Surprise and astonishment filled the air!

Until now, Alan had never noticed this energy, but through the ceremony’s power, he could now see the true presence of emotional energy. In Noah’s world, only a few mentions of it appeared in the realm of mysteries and ancient knowledge. Yet, Alan knew that some groups placed great importance on emotional energy, considering it a powerful force from the soul with immense potential.

It was time. Alan didn’t hesitate for a moment, knowing this opportunity shouldn’t be missed. Without delay, he began reciting the ancient incantation. The mysterious spell slowly gathered the emotional energy from the surroundings, forming a concentrated aura around Alan. The effect was astounding.

His figure gradually dissolved before everyone’s eyes, as if he ceased to exist. People stood watching, unsure of what had just happened.

Magic. Essentially, it was a form of trickery. A mysterious path.

Alan felt his body slowly disappearing. But he hadn’t actually disappeared. Instead, he had tricked his own perception. A deeper, more deceitful power was at work. During this process, his mind was gradually filled with newfound “knowledge.”

This knowledge was unearthed from the very essence of his soul. Not every exceptional individual possessed “innate powers,” and Alan was no exception. However, when he ascended to the position of Crown, he gained new, mysterious knowledge from his very essence. Alan felt the change. He became incredibly powerful like never before!

Though this power may not hold much against stronger, more terrifying beings, it was a significant step forward. Alan clenched his hands slowly, his focus on the people in the square—these innocent citizens of the city. Every heartbeat, every breath, was clear and vivid before him.

They were using candles to “keep vigil” for their “deceased” selves. Alan 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 in a chair, skillfully cutting open a cigar and placing it in his mouth without puffing on it. After a while, Bai Yan took out a relic cigar, one with the ability to extract different flavors from ingredients, and began to puff on it.

Smoking was something best avoided. When he was a child, someone had forced him to smoke, and he choked so badly it left him hypersensitive to tobacco as he grew older.

Next came the “unboxing and review” session.

“Alan, you are the only Core Operator whose future strength I am uncertain of… In a way, it’s quite exciting, as it adds a sense of anticipation,” Bai Yan said, taking out his mobile phone, curiosity piqued. He looked at the character card for “Mysterious Magic.”

Core Operator:

Title: Mysterious Magic

Gender: Male

Rank: Material Realm

Level: Crown (lower)

Species: Human

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 (increases the chance of success in diplomatic missions)

Deeply Caring and Loyal (loyalty and mood change based on the circumstances of loved ones)

Master of Deception (increases the chance of success in tasks involving deception)

Abilities:

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)

Rituals:

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 are more effective)

Secondary Information:

Physical Attributes: He was 175 cm tall with a chest measurement of 91, waist measurement of 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, a member of the Demon Hunt Agency for thirteen years, joined at a young age and underwent official training. With extensive combat experience and remarkable adaptability, the Night Watcher excels in the arts of deception and upholds 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.

In addition to 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,” indicating that Alan is advancing further down this path. In the future, he would be assigned tasks related to this.

The new ritual, “The Veil that Hides the Sky,” was discovered through delving into the essence of the soul. Bai Yan glanced at the result and realized that despite having discovered only this one ritual, its effectiveness was truly impressive.

“Create a fake sky in a special area, and 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, imitating and disguising themselves almost perfectly, but they cannot use any extraordinary powers.”

It now seemed that Alan was becoming a “Master of Puppets.” In theory, Alan alone could create an entire “army of puppets.”

Bai Yan even imagined a scene. It involved a certain investigator invited to Alan’s house. When the investigator arrived, they noticed something odd about the people on the street. Eventually, they discovered that these people were actually puppets. They tried to escape in a car, but found it damaged. Suddenly, all the “puppet performers” on the street began chasing after them… It sounded like a terrifying 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.

Both were undoubtedly the future masters of magic, but Ninetales Aision’s power leaned more towards illusions. Meanwhile, Mysterious Magic’s abilities focused on teleportation, shifting positions, puppetry, and creating substitutes.

In the end, an additional new trait emerged, “Mysterious,” signaling 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 detail was filled with the heartbeat and breath of each servant, even the moment 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 living in such a condition now?” Bai Yan pondered, realizing that he needed to be more cautious around Alan from now on.

Although blessed by the ritual of the “Fictitious Lover,” the strong power of perception is mostly tied to inspiration. This person has such a strong intuition that they might 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’ll be instantly found out.”

Trying to deceive someone who is 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 reached the Crown level. The remaining Amy, Slime, and Ganis may also have the ability to fight against extraordinary individuals of Crown level.

Nowadays, 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.