[26 years old, the "Charmony Festival," long prepared by The Family of Penacony, is finally approaching.]
[Guests invited from all corners of the cosmos arrive one after another.]
[On the surface, Penacony is immersed in a grand spectacle of peace and prosperity.]
[But you, Sunday, Head of the Oak Family, have already laid your plans behind the scenes.]
[On this day, the highly anticipated Nameless—the members of the Astral Express—arrive in Penacony.]
[You happen to be handling affairs in the lobby of The Reverie Hotel. Your gaze sweeps over their distinct faces. Your intuition tells you that these people are entangled in extremely complex threads of fate. They are a huge variable, a potential threat to your plan.]
[At the same time, you notice a lavishly dressed, blond young man not far away. He is observing everything with great interest, a faint smile on his lips. You sense a strong dissonance from him as well—a vast, carefully concealed ambition and cunning that is almost overflowing.]
[The guests enter the dreamscape one by one.]
[And your sister, Robin, is still within the Dewlight Pavilion, completely unaware of what is about to happen, just as you arranged.]
[Soon, shocking news comes from the dreamscape—]
[Two young women have met with a mishap at the Golden Hour theater, found dead on the spot.]
[The identity of one of the deceased... is "Robin"?!]
[When you receive the news, you immediately know—it's a fake! That is not your sister. Robin is under your strict protection, like a canary in a cage. It is absolutely impossible for her to have appeared in that chaotic theater!]
[Who is playing these tricks, trying to disrupt your game?]
[As expected, not long after, an imposter with your sister's face and voice seeks you out.]
[A Masked Fool.]
[Her words are filled with probing and provocation, trying to glean something from you. You feel nothing, finding it almost laughable. You calmly watch her self-important performance. As she tries to lure you into revealing more, you speak coolly:]
["A good imitation. Unfortunately, you can't fool her family."]
["Speak, Masked Fool... why have you specifically come to see me? What do you hope to gain?"]
[The smile on the face of the Fool, who calls herself Sparkle, instantly freezes. She seems completely taken aback that you would be so direct, so unorthodox.]
[You don't give her much time to react, subtly questioning her about the mastermind behind the scenes. After confirming that her knowledge is limited and that she is mostly here to stir up trouble, you lose all interest. This clown is not worthy of your time.]
["Boring."]
[You directly order the nuisance to be expelled.]
[Afterward, you immediately make a public announcement in the name of the Head of the Oak Family.]
[You declare that you will use all of The Family's resources to thoroughly investigate this horrifying incident and give an explanation to all guests and the unfortunate victims.]
[At the same time, you officially entrust the investigation to the Astral Express.]
[Logically, you push this biggest variable into the spotlight, making them the center of attention. Everything is proceeding according to your calculations.]
[As you predicted, the self-righteous scholar from the Interastral Peace Corporation—Dr. Ratio—soon comes to you.]
[In exchange for some of his research knowledge on the Stellaron, he reveals the true plan of that blond young man—Aventurine.]
[Although he is lying, you are still able to keenly deduce their plan. The IPC is still as ambitious as ever, having dispatched this gambler, Aventurine, to seize the opportunity to reclaim ownership of Penacony.]
[You recall Aventurine's false smile and hidden ambition, a cold glint flashing in your eyes.]
[You then invite Aventurine to the mansion for a private meeting under the pretext of discussing business.]
[In the dimly lit private meeting room, you don't rush to show your hand. You first conduct a routine "Harmony" inquiry with Aventurine. Of course, this is just a front. During your test, a subtle, imperceptible power has quietly woven a net, entangling itself deep within Aventurine's consciousness.]
[The inquiry is complete.]
[Only then do you unhurriedly reveal, word for word, the information Dr. Ratio told you, as well as your own deductions about Aventurine's schemes—using a fake cornerstone to divert attention while the real one is hidden elsewhere.]
[With every word you speak, the color drains from Aventurine's face. You clearly see the confident smile on his face freeze, replaced by shock and fear.]
[Watching his expression change, you feel a great sense of pleasure.]
[How does it feel to have your plan completely seen through?]
[For this gambler who dared to make moves on your territory, you decide to—]
[1. Use him. Tell Aventurine his life is in your hands and force him to find and lure out the true culprit behind the deaths.]
[2. Eliminate the threat.]
'Aventurine... this guy is too slippery, like a venomous snake. Use him? The risk is too high. He could bite back and outplay me at any moment. The only safe enemy is a dead one. It has to be 2.'
[You chose to eliminate the threat. Villain Points +150.]
[Just as Aventurine's mind is racing, trying to find an explanation or an escape route now that his plan has been exposed—]
[You detonate the mental trap you had quietly set without hesitation!]
[The power of "Harmony" mixed with "Order" erupts in his mind!]
[Aventurine doesn't even have time to scream. The look of shock on his face is frozen for eternity. He collapses, his eyes vacant, all signs of life gone.]
[Target Aventurine is deceased... Analyzing... Analysis complete!]
[Acquired permanent Trait in simulation: [Gambler's Luck (Purple)]!]
[Effect: When making a high-risk decision or action, you can forcibly increase the success rate of that action by 50%. However, the consequences of failure may be doubled. Note: The original success rate of the event cannot be lower than 10% (Cooldown: 240 hours).]
'Gambler's Luck?' Jiang Mo was shocked. 'This Trait from Aventurine feels a bit broken, doesn't it? A forced 50% increase in success rate... Doesn't that mean something with a 50/50 chance becomes a guaranteed success? Although the consequences of failure are doubled, this is definitely a god-tier skill for turning the tables at a critical moment. Not bad! Not bad at all! Killing Aventurine was definitely worth it. As for the IPC... pfft, no evidence. By the time they figure anything out, it'll be too late.'
[You choose to load this permanent Trait for the current simulation. Current loaded Trait slots: 2/3]
[You have successfully eliminated a major potential threat. Villain Points +200.]
[You quickly and calmly clean up the scene, leaving no trace.]
[You then use your authority as Head to classify Aventurine's disappearance in the same way as the previous deaths—killed by the murderer hiding in the dreamscape. This further muddies the waters, focusing everyone's attention on the "culprit."]
[Aventurine's disappearance causes some ripples in Penacony, but in the clamor leading up to the Charmony Festival, they are quickly forgotten. You successfully divert the IPC's attention to the investigation of the "true killer."]
[The Astral Express continues to run around the dreamscape as you wished, drawing most of the attention and trouble for you.]
[However, you feel that the real killer is also a variable that must be found and eliminated.]
[Soon, through The Family's extensive intelligence network, you obtain a great deal of information about the case. After analysis, you narrow down the suspect to one person—]
[Gallagher.]
[This person frequently appears near the crime scenes in the guise of a security officer, his movements secretive. However, there is no record of him in the Bloodhound Family's roster, or in any of Penacony's official records! His identity is a fake, and his purpose is definitely not pure.]
[You decide to take the initiative and set a trap, sending an invitation to Gallagher in your name as the Head.]
[The location is the same mansion where you killed Aventurine.]
[Gallagher arrives as scheduled. He has a nonchalant, devil-may-care attitude.]
["Yo, Head of the Oak Family, Sunday..." Gallagher says mockingly, his hands in his pockets. "So eager to see me. Finally realized you can't catch the ghost in the dream with your Order alone?"]
[You ignore his cheap provocation, your gaze cold as you look straight at him:]
["The time and place of your appearances coincide highly with the murders in the dreamscape. There is no record of you in The Family's roster. Your identity is a forgery. Gallagher... or should I call you by another name? Tell me, who is the killer? Why are you disrupting Penacony? What is your ultimate goal?"]
[Gallagher grins, showing his teeth. "Want answers? Sure, it's simple. All you have to do is..."]
[Before he can finish—]
[The shadow behind you suddenly twists and elongates, writhing as if alive!]
[The next moment, the shadow transforms into an unspeakable horror—a dark, twisted monster reeking of death! It is the true killer from the murders—the entity known as "Something Unto Death"!]
[A black claw silently stabs towards the vital point of your back!]
[Ambush!]
[A triumphant smile flashes across Gallagher's face.]
[However—]
[That smile lasts for only 0.1 seconds before it freezes.]
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