This so-called "Life Turnaround System" was naturally Ebner—or rather, one of his "Eyes of Wisdom" masquerading as such.
He relied on a simulated version of the "Whisperer" ability to descend remotely into the sailor Tom's mind.
Because the power carried by the "Eye of Wisdom" was limited—and most of it was being used for "disguise," to avoid being noticed by Cattleya and Sharf—it could only rely on control over "desire" to gradually guide the other party into lowering his mental defenses.
Tom calling it a "devil" wasn't actually wrong. This was indeed the power of a "devil."
As for that "task system," it was purely Ebner's malicious sense of humor… of course, it was also meant to compensate Tom a little while conveniently drawing closer to Frank.
I just didn't expect this guy to be illiterate… forcing me to expend what little power I already had to use the 'Comprehend Languages' secret art…
But this isn't a long-term solution… Looks like before the secret art's effect wears off, I need to issue tasks that let Tom take the opportunity to learn Loenese characters!
While Ebner's "Eye of Wisdom" was thinking this through, Tom, after a brief moment of shock, had already sprung into action.
Although he wasn't well educated, he was actually quite intelligent and decisive. After all, given his original upbringing, without such qualities, he wouldn't have survived to adulthood—much less joined the "Star Pirates."
Tom knew very well that the very bottom level of the Future was Frank's territory, a place all sailors regarded as extremely terrifying. Rashly going down there to scrub the deck would inevitably arouse suspicion.
So, after thinking it over, he took the excuse of being short on money and proactively found the sailor scheduled to clean the lower deck today, offering a price: if the other party gave him 5 pounds, he would switch tasks.
Things went very smoothly. Even at the "high price" of 5 pounds, the other party eagerly paid immediately, as if afraid Tom would change his mind.
This left Tom somewhat puzzled. After all, although Lord Frank's territory was very eerie, it at most caused psychological discomfort and didn't usually involve any real danger.
In fact, back when Miss Jane was still on the ship, everyone had even wished to encounter something unclean in Frank's area, just to have an excuse to visit Miss Jane's séance room for treatment.
However, the moment he descended into the lowest cabin of the ship, he immediately understood why.
From the dark compartments came cries mixed with fear and pain, yet strangely tinged with a sense of pleasure:
"Devil! You devil!
"Give back my mystical items! I'm going to kill these damned mushrooms!
"Don't come again… When I said reproductive desire, I absolutely didn't mean this!
"Did you hear me? Stop it now, you devil!"
Tom was terrified. He completed the floor-scrubbing at the fastest speed he could manage, then fled the lowest level as if escaping for his life, afraid Frank would keep him there.
Only after running all the way back to the open deck did he finally let out a sigh of relief and wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.
After blowing in the sea breeze for a while and calming down, Tom found an unoccupied corner and opened the "light screen" to confirm the task reward:
"Tom, congratulations on taking the first step in your life turnaround. You have obtained the task reward—'Apothecary' potion formula fragment A.
"On the fragment, the words 'jellyfish venom' can be faintly seen."
Through the prompts on the "light screen," Tom learned that Sequence 9 fragments consisted of only four pieces—A, B, C, and D—and that collecting them all would allow him to assemble the complete formula.
He clenched his fist excitedly and eagerly opened the second turnaround task.
After some time had passed, Tom exhausted every means to complete the task, only to receive a "Warrior" fragment C…
Hidden within his mind, Ebner chuckled inwardly and thought, How could I let you piece together a formula that quickly? Although you'll need to become a 'Moon' pathway Beyonder in the future to probe Sharf and Frank's state, there's no rush right now…
...
Friday night, at the Port of Pritz. Elegant gas streetlamps made of black metal cast their light, illuminating the roads.
At this time, the vast majority of ships had already docked, and tranquility was the main theme here.
On the top level of a warehouse, within a space enclosed by numerous wooden crates, three figures were abruptly sketched out of thin air: Sherlock Moriarty in a formal suit and top hat, Maric in a white shirt and black vest, and Sharon, who had changed back into her black soft hat and court-style long dress.
Using "Teleportation," they had traveled directly from Backlund to this location, still some distance away from the port where the ship carrying the mummy of Tutankhamun II was scheduled to dock.
Klein braced himself with his right hand, kicked off a wooden pillar with his foot, and lightly leapt onto a crossbeam. Like walking on level ground, he quickly reached the wall.
There was a sizable ventilation opening here.
He immediately took out the telescope provided by Maric and began observing the dock described in the intelligence.
On the rooftops of the surrounding buildings, soldiers carrying steam backpacks and holding thick-barreled rifles had already taken up positions. They patrolled back and forth, vigilant of their surroundings, ready to shoot at any unauthorized person who dared approach—issuing only a single warning.
In addition to these, several exaggerated mechanical monstrosities were parked around the dock. Their entire bodies were made of metal, towering taller than giants. On top were rotating turrets, water-cooled machine guns, and vertical smokestacks. The lower sections were grayish-white, with many areas exposing rivets, bolts, and gears, giving them a very rugged appearance.
At the front of each machine was a thick cannon barrel, while the bottom consisted of two rows of metal wheels wrapped in rubber treads.
They looked like dwarven war chariots from a fantasy game… Klein muttered, then glanced at the temporary cranes and steel cables erected on the dock, judging that the military seemed to be creating an illusion of "being on guard, but with a low alert level."
Was this meant to strengthen the resolve of the Rose School of Thought's Indulgence faction?
Klein withdrew his gaze and tossed the telescope to Maric, who had moved closer, letting him observe the scene again.
—Before taking official action, they all shared a consensus: to avoid using Beyonder powers as much as possible and rely on non-mystical devices to surveil the target, so as not to arouse suspicion. After all, the dock area might very well harbor demigods, or even angels.
Although they also had Miss "Messenger" hiding in the spirit world, and Klein even possessed a "Historical Projection" talisman that could summon Ebner at any time, Mr. "World" still had no intention of launching a frontal assault… after all, that didn't fit the style of a "Trickmaster."
Once Sharon had also grasped the on-site situation, Klein, who had moved aside onto a wooden frame, revealed a seemingly relaxed smile and said,
"We don't need to get involved in the battle between the military and the Rose School of Thought's Indulgence faction. We just need to wait until they start fighting, then use the copper whistle in my hand to lure the mummy out and obtain its blood.
"No problem, right?"
"No problem," Sharon replied calmly, while Maric expressed the same meaning by shaking his head.
Just as Klein was assigning tasks, the "Pride" Hvin Rambis, controlled by Alvin, had already arrived near this warehouse and silently infiltrated the subconscious seas of the three of them.
Although Klein's mental island was protected by the divine power of the Evernight Goddess, allowing him to remain lucid whenever his subconscious or dreams were invaded…
This time, however, when facing Ebner's probing, the Goddess's power did not provide Klein with any feedback.
(End of chapter)