Chapter 424
213 (欠更) - 2 (加更) = 211 (欠更)
The hand that had been poking was already numb. To hell with the me from yesterday and the day before!
Just a reminder to everyone: please don’t argue in the comments section! It’s perfectly normal to have differing opinions. I’ve received conflicting messages about wanting to see more daily life or feeling the pacing is too tight (the review section is full of them, haha). Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to reading.
I tried adding more salt to the water, and then more water to the salt, but in the end, I realized it’s best to stick to my own rhythm.
No arguing! No arguing! No arguing!
On a brighter note, the subscription numbers have been steadily rising, breaking new records every day! We’re about to surpass the 20,000 average subscription mark!
Thank you all for your continued support! I’ll keep working hard!
Good night!
**Chapter 225: The Endless Ambition of the Strong Sound (5099 words)**
Tala carefully took Charles's hand and led him into the mansion, momentarily escaping the revelry outside.
Her steps were resolute, as if she knew exactly where she was taking Charles.
Before long, they arrived at a relatively secluded guest room. Tala pushed the door open and guided Charles inside.
Inside sat a figure cloaked in black robes, their face obscured by a black veil. If it weren’t for the poised way they sat, one could hardly discern their gender from their appearance alone.
Upon seeing Tala enter, the figure rose and bowed slightly in her direction, respectfully saying, “Teacher.”
“I’ve told you many times, Your Excellency Percie, there’s no need to call me teacher. Your knowledge and insight far exceed mine,” Tala replied, then turned to Charles and said, “Lord Charles, this is the person I was to introduce to you. She has arrived today.”
“What you excel at is my weakness, so I can certainly call you teacher,” Percie said, glancing at Charles and bowing slightly. “Hello, I’m Percie.”
Though Percie’s features were hidden, she seemed to sense Charles’s significance from Tala’s demeanor, and thus treated him with the same respect.
Charles smiled and nodded, saying, “Good evening, Percie.”
“By the way, Lord Charles,” Tala picked up a package from the room and handed it to Charles, saying, “This is what you asked me to give you.”
Charles raised his hand to accept the package from Tala. Upon opening it, he found several vials of potions and a notebook. The moment he saw the notebook, he let out a slow breath of relief.
The Strong Sound was currently at the banquet outside, and Charles dared not speak freely—she knew that those who followed the “Performer” path were extremely sensitive to sound, not to mention a 4th-tier powerhouse like Strong Sound.
Anything they said could be overheard by Strong Sound—she was simply too close.
Charles didn’t want to end up accomplishing nothing in this simulation, only to be caught by Strong Sound, forcing her to leave this opportunity behind and wait for the next one.
Tala and the woman named Percie stood by, seemingly waiting for Charles to speak about the next steps. However, Charles wasn’t in a hurry; instead, she quickly flipped through the notebook.
**[July 18, 5 PM]**
**[Tala has secretly sent out a letter, but with the time it takes for the letter to go back and forth, plus the time for the recipient to arrive, it’s likely we won’t hear back until the banquet... The good news is, the Saintess isn’t dying anytime soon; the bad news is, I need to find another way to control Mond.]**
**[I will first devise a plan, then use the “Subverter” archive to conceive another plan, and finally choose the more reasonable one to execute.]**
**[July 18, 11 PM]**
**[Damn it... Just now, under the influence of the “Subverter” potion, I opened the “Sage’s Toy Box,” and the side effects have left me recovering until now...]**
**[At that moment, I thought it would be more effective to figure out the characteristics of my current “strongest” sealed object during the simulation, to see if it could be useful. It seems to have some effect... albeit a negative one.]**
**[I retrieved a peculiar golden insect carcass from it, which seems to be some kind of extraordinary material. Just touching it made my whole body itch unbearably. I barely got through these hours thanks to Aivina’s hypnosis; without her, I might have scratched my skin raw...]**
**[This sealed object is unusable, at least definitely not in combat. God knows what bizarre things might emerge from it.]**
**[However, one thing is certain: it’s indeed necessary to study this thing in the simulation. I need to find a way to make it useful—if the system isn’t deceiving me.]**
**[I have obtained the plan from the “Subverter.”]**
**[First, brainwash the members of the chaotic squad who haven’t been captured yet, making them believe that the one they’re meeting is Mond, and get them to frequently interact with the followers of the Savior Goddess—at least they need to become familiar with their disguised identities.]**
**[Then, using the “Subverter” archive, directly find Mond, brainwash her into believing she is the Keybearer, and have her exchange the scepter and holy contract to complete the church merger.]**
**[Of course, this must involve a bit of “personal interest,” making Mond think she is spreading the “Rotting Plague” within Ansu. This will not only incite public panic but also infuriate the Savior Goddess and enrage the royal family.]**
**[It’s almost predictable that if this continues to develop, it will definitely lead to a massive explosion... but this isn’t a reasonable plan; it’s entirely just the “Subverter” archive’s idea of fun.]**
**[So I modified the original plan.]**
Charles turned the page.
This was very much like something the “Subverter” would do—planning and planning, only for the plan to veer wildly towards chaos. The more chaotic it became, the more excited she got—Charles could relate, having experienced that feeling a few times herself.
Charles continued reading.
**[The earlier steps can remain, but in the middle, I will directly contact Lafayette through Mond to see if I can use the “Subverter” to break her spirit... I consulted Aivina about this, and she believes bringing her along would be safer.]**
**[The “Instigator” path excels in group influence, easily inciting large-scale riots, but it’s not very effective at directly controlling an individual unless you know her inside and out and can accurately pinpoint her weaknesses to drive her mad—like with the previous “Keybearer”—but the goal of the plan isn’t to drive someone insane.]**
**[However, the “Listener” is different. This path isn’t good at group influence but excels at using mental power to affect individuals. Aivina was able to seal Nia’s memories about the Otherworld when she was at Tier 1, allowing her to live longer. Now at Tier 2, she can be of help.]**
**[As long as the “Subverter” can weaken her spirit in advance, Aivina can take advantage of the opportunity to modify Mond’s memories and dreams.]**
**[Then, I can use Mond to approach Lafayette, employing the same trick to alter her memories, making her help us. Finally, before Strong Sound reads the memories again, I’ll directly tamper with the memories in the “Parasitic Brain,” making it believe in a fabricated, fictional recollection.]**
**[Fabricating recollected memories is my specialty... because we’ve truly experienced dozens of so-called recollections.]**
**[The only challenge lies in how to inflict a scar on Strong Sound’s face... a permanent wound that won’t heal.]**
**[But I don’t have much time left, and with your arrival in 24 hours, there are just a little over three days remaining. I must resort to more extreme measures to complete this.]**
**[I’ve decided to use all remaining fate points to maintain the “Subverter” archive, creating the most precise dream composed of multiple recollections for Strong Sound.]**
**[At the moment he enters the dream, in conjunction with Lafayette, I’ll inflict a scar on Strong Sound’s face as she falls into the dream...]**
**[This is definitely far more dangerous than snatching food from a tiger’s mouth. I hope I can pull it off.]**
**[Although I now know a lot about Strong Sound, it’s still far from enough. I must ensure that Strong Sound sees no flaws.]**
**[I need to find out if Lafayette knows anything.]**
A bold plan... and one with no guarantee of success.
That was Charles’s assessment of the plan.
Using dream abilities against a 4th-tier individual is an absolute challenge.
The main difficulty lies in the 4th-tier abilities... as soon as Strong Sound uses her powers in the dream, she will undoubtedly notice the weakening of her strength—Charles can’t simulate Strong Sound’s specific powers in the dream; that’s something only she knows.
Table of Contents
