Mystery: When the Fool Meets the Masked Fool

Chapter 454: Is it considered theft if I pay first and then steal?
Having fully embarked on a path of pleasure, Klein finally understood the world as seen through Serres's eyes.

He felt that the world was so wonderful, and everything was filled with endless smiles and joy.

In the theater, even the surrounding platforms and chairs seem to be communicating and interacting with each other, exchanging messages and sharing joy.

This pleased him greatly.

With the simultaneous advancement of the Trickster and the Selfless Clown, and the awakening of double the divinity, his strength underwent a qualitative leap.

Having already adapted to the mask, he was familiar with all its abilities and buffs and didn't need to adapt much further.

He even experienced the forms of mythical creatures in advance.

As he advanced in rank, the mask's enhancement effect on him also increased.

Miracle Worker and Advice Healer, he gained these two Sequence Two abilities.

At the same time, he also seemed to have gained an understanding of the nature of the mask.

This is a form of theft of one's future destiny.

If he becomes a Sequence Two in the future, he can borrow the abilities of that future now. Conversely, if he does not become a Sequence Two in the future, he cannot borrow the extraordinary abilities of a Sequence Two now.

However, from another perspective, now that he can borrow angel-level abilities, it means that as long as he doesn't recklessly do anything reckless, his future potential is at least that of an angel.

So Serres really did kill a Sequence Two Amon, right? Klein thought to himself. Is this really not an extension of the Trojan Horse's power?

Poor Amon, I hope he's alright.

Just as he guessed, once you reach the angelic rank, your abilities are basically what they sound like; you've gained initial control over a certain aspect of authority.

Miracle workers can collect wishes by fulfilling them.

The ability of the Advice Physician does not require any prerequisites; it can "cure tragedies," transforming what is perceived as bad into something beneficial to oneself.

This ability isn't insurmountable; just as treating an illness requires medication, curing a tragedy also requires a cure.

And the ingredient for these antidotes is happiness.

It can be your own happiness, or it can be taking away someone else's happiness.

In short, you always have to lose something.

"This...it's not what was advertised! Serris never mentioned this price beforehand."

Klein imagined it.

Walking down the street, he saw a family who had died in the war. Overwhelmed with compassion, he helped them heal from this tragedy. However, upon returning to Backlund, he discovered that his brother and sister had been brutally murdered in their home.

He subconsciously shivered, but then found it rather amusing.

In fact, that's exactly what he did during the promotion ceremony.

In the first act of the ritual, all the extraordinary qualities that require separation and temporary loss of the means of pleasure are used to create a self-aware clone that considers itself the original.

It would be virtually impossible for a normal Sequence 5 to create such an avatar. Even Amon was able to do something similar only because he had a Sequence 1 Angel King above him.

Therefore, the correct way to perform this ritual is to find a stranger, modify his body with the abilities of the eccentric doctor, and edit his mind with the abilities of the recollection artist. Transform him into your own alter ego.

However, Klein did not do that. He chose to stab himself, to experience the pain of killing and being killed.

He first briefly became a Sequence Three using the mask. Then, enduring the excruciating pain of his soul being torn apart, he separated the Spirit Insect to create a clone. Finally, through the Feathered Dust, the Black Abyss White Flower, and the [Infinity] imprint that he hadn't used since leaving Paradise, he was briefly brought back to life.

This was the method he came up with to exploit loopholes in the ritual.

Although this was extremely cruel to that clone, and he did feel guilty towards it, at least it only hurt himself, not others.

Klein leaned back, sitting on the frozen air, propping his head up with one hand as he pondered.

I've long since figured out my aesthetics of pleasure, but I've never been able to experience it. Perhaps this is because I haven't been able to put my principles into practice. So, is it because my behavior of preferring to harm myself rather than others is precisely practicing my aesthetics of pleasure, allowing me to embark on the path to pleasure? Or is it simply because I've become the fourth in the sequence of the path to pleasure?

At that moment, an idea flashed through his mind.

The answer is that both reasons exist simultaneously.

If he went against his conscience and tried to advance by harming others during the ceremony, he would probably be out of control by now.

Without any lingering fear, Klein simply smiled.

He almost died, but was saved by his own kindness.

This is really funny.

Thinking this, he quickly took out his phone and opened the private message Leonard had sent him.

One message warns him to be careful, as he might have a problem with himself. The other message reminds him to hunt Inszangwell tonight. You can check them out if you're interested.

Then I opened the group chat and saw Leonard recruiting members to prepare for a righteous gang beating of Inszangwell.

If you have resources but don't use them, what kind of person are you?
Justice Audrey, Moon Emlyn, and Magician Fowles offer to lend a hand.

Little Sun Derrick also stated that the gates of the Giants' Court are now open, and he can pilot a Gundam across the sea, Fusak, and half of the Rune to perform a deus ex machina.

Leonard politely declined.

Although now that the war has begun, the extraordinary can no longer be hidden.

However, this kind of super mecha is still a bit too advanced for the general public's current understanding.

Klein smiled as he looked at the chat logs.

The next second, with the sound of shattering glass, his figure left the Dominion Theater, disappeared from the spot, and appeared in an empty room in Pulitzer Harbor, looking down at the sea through the window.

Based on the location, it should be somewhere in this area.

He put away his phone and looked around, but instead of seeing Inszangwill, he saw someone unexpected.

Alicia, Sharon, Marich, and the Rose Knight who inexplicably spawned randomly on the roadside.

Not far below the house, on the top floor of a warehouse.

Perhaps it was because, in Ginji's eyes, Alicia was as conspicuous as a lighthouse. Therefore, Ginji, who was wandering around, happened to appear at the scene and witnessed the group about to commit a "theft."

"I'm sorry, Miss Alicia, I didn't mean to disturb you. However, such theft is not a very nice thing to do," Silver Branch advised.

She was dissuaded. But what troubled Alicia even more was something else entirely.

She first looked at her clothes, then at Yinzhi.

Is her disguise really that bad?

Shaking her head to dismiss the inappropriate question, Alicia patiently explained to Ginzhi.

“Actually, I’ve already bought this mummy from the royal family of Rune as an angel of the Church of Joy,” Alicia explained cheerfully. “It’s just that these transport crew members don’t know that yet.”

what?
Sharon, Marich, and Silverbrush all looked at Alicia with surprise.

"Then... why did you do that, Your Excellency?" Yinzhi asked, puzzled.

"Because it's fun." Alicia put her hands on her hips. "I've wanted to be a phantom thief like Paddo for a long time. This is a girl's first time, so I have to cherish it."

A mental storm raged through Yinzhi's mind.

Is this considered theft? Probably not, since everyone paid. But… is this really not theft? If they paid, why would they steal?
Silver Branch did not respond.

(End of this chapter)