Mystery: Big Alarm Clock Ghroth Path

Chapter 281 Another Way to Play the Role of the "Abyss" Path (Thanks to Yu Guannan for the Qidian Coins reward)
"A large number?"

Upon hearing this, "Fool" Klein's calm face in the gray fog turned pale with shock.

He sold off the thirty-odd sets of extraordinary items Roger sent last time, but in recent days he has managed to sell less than ten of them through various channels in the Rosed Island.

Right now, this bastard hasn't even received payment yet, but he's already found himself a "large batch" of extraordinary traits, which are extraordinary traits from the two niche paths of "criminal" and "mutant". What is he supposed to do, this fake god in the guise of a god?
If he can't sell them this time, will he, as the head of the "Tarot Club," still have any shame?

Before he could even control Mr. World to ask a question, Alger, the Hanged Man, had already spoken after a brief pause:
"How much is in this 'batch'?"

"what."

Roger was taken aback by this question:
"I didn't count, but it should be more than the last batch."

Not counted...

Before everyone could recover from their urge to complain, this "Wheel of Fortune" said again:
"Well, it should be less than a hundred, and the vast majority are low to medium sequence."

"Wait, didn't you just say that you had banished those two demigod-level 'devils' to the starry sky?"

"Could it be that there are still experts on the 'Black Wing Reef'?"

The "Hermit" Cattleya immediately discovered the hidden information in Roger's words: the vast majority were low to medium sequences, which meant there were also a very small number of high sequences.

"One was exiled, and one was imprisoned."

Mr. Wheel of Fortune shrugged:

"So there's still a Sequence 4 I'm keeping locked up."

What kind of insane combat power is this... By the way, are demigods + demons + dungeons becoming the popular playstyle for pirate generals these days?

Emlyn, the "Moon," couldn't help but sigh inwardly. In that instant, the vampire felt that his hobby of playing with dolls was like a child's game compared to Roger's behavior.

"Everyone, if I remember correctly, wasn't there a series of murders in Backlund caused by a 'demon' ascension ritual before?"

At this moment, Miss Magician asked:
“I’m thinking, could we consider turning these extraordinary properties into sealed artifacts or something else and selling them? If we sell them directly, they might be taken back by the Blood Cult and the Demon Family.”

Her implication was that the "alien" pathway was fine, but if those extraordinary traits related to "criminals" were allowed to flow directly into the market, it could potentially give some low-sequence demons a chance to advance.

Whether it's a "serial killer," a "demon," or an "apostle of desire," the process before and after their promotion is far too cruel. Selling these things directly is too immoral and against the natural order.

"It doesn't matter."

Roger, the "Wheel of Fortune," smiled and shrugged.

"It doesn't matter if they digest the potion or advance in rank, as long as they don't do anything immoral."

In fact, before the meeting even started, Roger suddenly had a completely new idea that he felt was worth a try.

His words stunned all the participants of the "Tarot Club":

It's just selling an extraordinary ability. Once those "criminals" have taken the extraordinary ability, it's no longer Roger's place to care about them.

To put it bluntly, those who choose to become "criminals" through the extraordinary path are generally not normal people. Once these people acquire extraordinary abilities, they can hide themselves, making it difficult to find them later.

Furthermore, playing the roles of "criminal," "serial killer," and "devil," as well as the subsequent promotion ceremony, requires actively committing evil deeds; otherwise, it would be almost impossible to continue down this path.

Therefore, even the most naive "Moon" Emlyn thought Roger's idea was somewhat far-fetched and had no idea how to implement it.

Seemingly sensing their thoughts, Roger, the "Wheel of Fortune," smiled and then explained:

"Who says we can't control those who become 'criminals' through extraordinary means? We can start a pilot program in Backlund. One of my patrons happens to be running a detective agency, which can provide some oversight. If all else fails, we can recruit more people to expand the team."

"As for personnel management, we can sign contracts with them to make them do things according to our requirements. For example, if they need to digest magic potions, they can do so by helping us carry out tasks, such as stealing some secret information or eliminating certain specific targets."

As he said this, the corners of his mouth turned up:
"Playing the role of a 'criminal' only requires breaking the law, but who says the law is necessarily fair and just?"
"As you all should have realized, the laws of this world are only used to restrain the weak. As long as one's strength or power is strong enough, one can ignore the demands of the weak and oppress them by exploiting loopholes in the law. The weak, due to their own limitations in ability and education, are often unable to mount an effective counterattack."

"Compared to the enforcers of Rune, the extraordinary beings of the major righteous churches are considered a breath of fresh air. After all, the gods cannot accept the death of the majority of ordinary people. To them, there is no difference between ordinary people and high-ranking officials. It is more worthwhile to protect the vast majority of ordinary people than to protect the powerful and wealthy."

"Therefore, violating the law is not necessarily wrongdoing. The right to interpret the law rests solely with the judiciary, but the public has its own judgment regarding fairness and justice."

"The same principle applies to 'cold-blooded individuals' and 'serial killers.' For example, some bounty hunters on the 'criminal' path can choose to hunt pirates at sea, using them as targets to demonstrate their cold-bloodedness and violence. This can also accelerate the digestion of the potion."

"The only one that is somewhat difficult is the 'Demon' because it is different from the 'Cold-Blooded One'. The 'Demon' will most likely need to show clear malice that goes against the general public's values, so playing the positive role in this sequence will be very difficult... Of course, it is not impossible that some smart people will discover the rules of positive role-playing and make this path work, otherwise we will not allow the 'serial killer' of sequence 7 to be promoted before that."

“I’m looking forward to the possibilities.” When “The Hermit” Cattleya heard Roger’s somewhat unorthodox ideas, she subconsciously felt they were strange, but upon closer examination, they made a lot of sense.

For ordinary people living in the “peaceful” countries of the North Continent who have not experienced war and maritime chaos, they often confuse the relationship between the law and law enforcement, and also easily confuse the relationship between “good”, “evil” and “outcome”.

From this perspective, Mr. Wheel of Fortune's reasoning is closer to the reality of the world, so the so-called "positive role-playing" of the "criminal" path is very likely feasible—after all, there are distinctions between the hedonistic and temperance factions in the "prisoner" path, and the "criminal" path, as its adjacent path, may also have such potential.

The only problem is that the cost of trial and error in operation would be relatively high, which is not very realistic at this stage.

The "Justice" lady next to her had clearly thought of this question as well, and she asked:
"So, Mr. 'Wheel of Fortune,' how do you intend to regulate their behavior? Through the 'notary's' supervision? But I suspect that freedom of action is a core value for these 'criminals.' If they are to be subject to the kind of constraints you just mentioned, why would they choose to purchase extraordinary features from you instead of other channels?"

Roger, the "Wheel of Fortune," having heard these words, replied as if he were already prepared:
"What you said about using a 'notary's' 'contract' to bind is indeed a method, but in fact, we don't need to do that at all."

"As I just mentioned, I have some people under my command who need to be trained, and they can also play the role of 'witch hunters' when necessary."

"As for the idea of ​​'criminal' behavior, although everyone's reasons are different, lack of money is a very important factor. I can provide mortgage loans and interest-free installment payment services for them. In this way, the threshold for them to become extraordinary becomes very low. I believe that few people can refuse. Even the foundation of the Blood Cult and the Demon Family will be affected."

"Of course, if our 'criminals' can find those evil devils with malicious intentions, they can also find a way to eliminate them or provide intelligence clues. In this way, we can obtain more extraordinary traits, give our subordinates priority in promotion, and even waive part of the loan."

At this moment, "The Fool" Klein finally couldn't hold back any longer and, controlling Mr. World, asked in a hoarse voice:

"You just mentioned collateral. What items are being used as collateral?"

Roger, the "Wheel of Fortune," shrugged.

"It is the extraordinary characteristic itself."

"This is the opportunity for my young men to gain experience."

Everyone was shocked and fell silent after hearing Roger's words.

They all understood Roger's meaning: those "criminals" not only had to borrow money to become extraordinary, but they also had to mortgage their lives. If they engaged in demonic activities outside the framework set by Roger, their extraordinary characteristics would be taken away by Roger's henchmen.

This idea, which is like that of a living Yama, would probably be applauded even by the most ruthless capitalists in Rune today. But the most crucial point is that Roger's closed loop can create a team of extraordinary henchmen who obey his orders, which is equivalent to raising an army at almost zero cost.

The "Magician" lady also gleaned another layer of meaning from this: if these "criminals" committed evil deeds, Sam's detective agency could strike hard and enforce the law at lightning speed. While recovering extraordinary characteristics and eliminating factors of social instability, they could also provide Cecilia, Alice, and even themselves with opportunities for practical experience and digestion of magical potions, and incidentally enhance the reputation of the detective agency.

After all, he wasn't afraid of troubles that his subordinates couldn't handle. Fors knew that Roger had the ability of "Rose Bishop". If all else failed, he could pre-plant some condition-triggered flesh bombs on those "criminals" so that those disobedient guys could be eliminated automatically. Then, he could send his family and subordinates to retrieve the extraordinary characteristics.

Behind the absolute rules lies absolute force. Roger's seemingly shrewd plan actually achieved three goals with one move. His thought process was so unique that it exceeded the imagination of ordinary people.

After a moment of stunned silence, Alger, the "Hanged Man," said with admiration:

"Mr. 'Wheel of Fortune,' I still have a lot to learn from you."

Hey, what are you learning? This is a legitimate gathering of evil gods. Can't you learn something normal? Are you two old sly devils starting to admire each other?
"The Fool" Klein roared helplessly in his heart, but he had to admit that Roger's plan was indeed very tempting, and even he couldn't find any fault with it.

"Then, it's decided that way."

Roger, the "Wheel of Fortune," said with a smile:
"If you see any more 'criminals' on the market, you can ask Miss 'Magician' to find out their background. If they are not from my 'criminal' faction, but from the Demon Family or the Blood Cult, then you can eliminate them as usual."

"I'll have to trouble you with this, is that alright?"

Huh? This is an assignment for me?
Miss Magician was stunned. She originally thought this had nothing to do with her, so she was a little confused when Roger said that.

However, considering the many favors she had received from the Abraham family, she had originally intended to repay them. Moreover, Mr. Wheel of Fortune's plan could indirectly restrain the "demons" and prevent them from committing evil deeds as before. Therefore, she finally nodded and agreed.

In fact, Roger did this for another core reason: when he was writing down information about "Demon King" Fabti for Mr. Fool, he suddenly realized two very important issues.

That is, if Adam and Fabti are indeed cooperating, what is their goal? If Fabti is indeed a time traveler, do they know each other's backgrounds? Can Fabti become an ally like the goddess?
After all, it seems that the "Demon King" did not directly tell him about the knowledge related to the "Abyss" path, but rather seemed to let him see the essence of a small part of the "Abyss" tributary. The significance of this was too profound, and even Roger, an extraordinary being in the "Fate" domain, could not see through its mysteries. However, it was certain that Fabuti had most likely placed his bets on him, so if Roger could provide him with some help, he would not only not suffer any loss, but might even benefit.

After all, no matter what kind of "criminal" they are, their ultimate faith points to the "abyss," which may help Fabuti further stabilize his situation and play a special role when necessary.

In addition, the absolute sense of "downward" he experienced when he was falling into the "Abyss" tributary seemed to come from the symbol of the fall of the Mother Tree of Desire—because the "Abyss" path has such obvious malignant tendencies on the surface, the belief in it has often been characterized by a strong sense of depravity.

This corrupt characteristic can be exploited by the Mother Tree of Desire, which can then project its power "downward" from the starry sky to erode the abyss.

The currently proposed concept of "positive role-playing" may offer the abyss some different opportunities, because this "upward" force may allow Fabuti to gain more power to counter the "downward" symbolism, thereby resisting the power projection of the Mother Tree of Desire and gaining more breathing room.

This point has also been mentioned in many materials related to psychological alchemy, namely that the abyss and the starry sky are actually two sides of the same symbol, both being essentially indescribable darkness.

Making this attempt wouldn't cost Roger anything, but if it succeeds and gives Fabuti a chance to survive the corruption of the Mother Tree of Desire, then he, having obtained a Sequence 1 "God's Abomination" extraordinary trait, could very well become one of the most crucial forces in the apocalypse!

(End of this chapter)