Mystery: A Spark

Therefore, the core of a "schemer" actually lies in people; he first influences the behavior of others, and then influences the development of events.

If you put a "scheming manipulator" in an environment where no one is around, then the scope of his actions will be greatly reduced.

Only complex human societies provide the perfect stage for conspirators to perform.

"Tsk, this doesn't feel like a good person. Why am I so compatible with this sequence?" Arthur muttered to himself after carefully sensing it.

The reason he felt he was a good fit for this sequence was that after he took the Schemer's Potion to advance his cultivation level last night, a portion of the potion was directly digested within his body.

He was just confused at the time and not in a very bright state, so he only realized it now.

Arthur scratched his head. He had always considered himself an upright and kind person, but now the truth was telling him that he was a born schemer, to the point that he had digested part of the potion as soon as he drank it.

Tsk, all I did was cause some trouble in Tingen, then join forces with Bonova and the others to cause a few more troubles after arriving in Backlund, and then there was Silver City... Thinking about it, Arthur awkwardly stopped reminiscing.

If you really think about it, he's done quite a lot of things behind the scenes, and they're all big things.

In this light, it's not entirely unfair to say that he's compatible with the schemer's potion.

"Forget it, let's see what extraordinary abilities this sequence has..." Arthur sighed. This was the first time he had digested a potion, yet he felt no joy at all.

The first ability Arthur received from the "Conspirator" potion was "conspiracy," which manifested in two ways.

The first type is deception that is close to the normal range, with supernatural forces only playing a role in subtle details. Therefore, even if there is something like gray fog that can eliminate interference and obscure things, one must actively think and analyze repeatedly in order to discover the problem.

In the original story, Klein was almost fooled by the Red Angel evil spirit in this way.

The second manifestation of this ability is that if the target of the plot does not immediately notice something, Arthur can make that thing or object even more difficult to detect in a remarkable way.

This event or thing could be a detail in reality, or it could be a trap or predicament deliberately set up by Arthur.

In other words, if the enemy does not immediately realize the trap or predicament that Arthur has set for them, then the trap or predicament will be concealed in an extraordinary way until the enemy runs into it or is found out by extraordinary detection abilities.

This is precisely the core ability of a schemer, emphasizing the word "cunning," highlighting deception, sneak attacks, and a lack of martial ethics.

Of course, it's not to say that the enemy falling into a trap will necessarily bring an advantage.

Sometimes, once prey enters a trap, it may be triggered to become ferocious, forcibly breaking through the trap and killing the hunter.

This is also a very likely scenario.

However, once he became a schemer, Arthur was able to more easily put his enemies at a disadvantage and create tactical situations where he had the upper hand.

This is a huge boost for someone like him—no, I mean, for a sunny, outgoing guy like him.

The second ability that "scheming mastermind" brings to Arthur is a powerful insight and analytical ability, which, to put it bluntly, is an enhancement of his intelligence, making it easier for him to see through other people's schemes.

Just as arsonists are unlikely to be harmed by flames, conspirators are naturally unlikely to be tricked by conspiracies.

When Arthur was promoted, he almost lost his mind because he was so engrossed in the pleasure of enhanced insight and analytical abilities.

This also shows that there is a limit to how much this sequence can enhance intelligence; it cannot suddenly transform a person who was originally just a simpleton into someone full of cunning and strategy.

The third ability granted by the "Conspirator" potion is that it allows Arthur to conceal one of his extraordinary abilities, which will only be detected when the ability comes into play.

But this can only conceal the abilities that belong to the extraordinary, including the warlock magic he learned from the Skull of Gul'dan.

The abilities provided by magical items and sealed artifacts are not included.

The puppet that Ambassador Beckeron possessed, capable of manipulating the threads of the spirit body, was not easily detected because its ability was so well concealed.

It's worth mentioning that this puppet, capable of manipulating the threads of the spirit body, is currently in Arthur's hands.

However, since he hasn't encountered any enemies so formidable that he would need to use this thing, the doll hasn't been used since it came into his possession.

Besides the three extraordinary abilities mentioned above, what surprised Arthur was that his Skull of Gul'dan also granted him an ability.

This ability is simple, straightforward, and useful; it allows him to conceal a small area, making it difficult for outsiders to know what is happening within that area.

Simply put, it's a portable shielding ritual.

In the past, when Arthur wanted to discuss sensitive topics with others, he usually needed to hold a shielding ritual to make his conversations sufficiently private.

Now it's much more convenient, and can even be used in battle, making it an excellent skill for making old silver coins.

However, Arthur wasn't quite sure about the exact strength of this concealment, and he planned to have Bernadette test it out another day.

If Arthur could block the angelic level of prying eyes, he would have a much easier time causing trouble in the future.

Hmm, but why would the emblem grant such a skill? Could it be that this cheat code actually contains some hidden authority? Arthur stroked his chin, lost in thought.

……

15 Minsk Street, Joewood District.

Klein, who had just returned to the real world from above the gray fog, drew back the curtains. What came into view was the sun, which had failed to illuminate the earth. It hid behind the clouds and smog, appearing somewhat pale.

He had just gone up above the gray fog to study last night's loot for a while, which included the Witch King's "Book of Secrets," a magical item called the Biotoxin Bottle that could release random toxins, and an extraordinary trait left behind by a Sequence 7 'Werewolf'.

Luckily, when I was packing up my spoils last night, I sealed all of these things with a spiritual wall, and when I got back, I put them on the gray fog as quickly as possible, otherwise I might have been tricked by the biological toxin bottle... Klein thought with some relief.

The negative effect of biotoxin vials is that they can gradually weaken the holder's body and even cause illness.

If carried for too long, it might even die from illness.

The reason this thing didn't work last night was because the battle ended very quickly with Arthur's involvement, while it takes some time for the thing to take effect.

Fortunately, last night's battle was quick and decisive, otherwise, if the biological toxin bottle had taken effect, it would have been really difficult to deal with... Speaking of which, this thing is indeed a good match for vengeful spirits, because spirits don't get sick... In that case, I might be able to summon my own spirit through the gray fog to use this magical item... Klein thought to himself while making breakfast.

These spoils will later be divided with Arthur. If Arthur doesn't want the biological toxin bottle, then Klein plans to keep it for himself.

This was the first magical item he had obtained that was both useful and usable in combat.

The universal key is very useful, but its negative effects are really a pain.

Ever since he stole the Blasphemy Card and ran into a demon, Klein has kept it on the gray mist and doesn't usually take it down to use.

As the clock struck eight, Mike Joseph, a reporter from the Daily Observer, arrived promptly.

He had previously agreed with Klein to have Klein protect him while he went to the East End to conduct interviews and see what the people there were actually like.

Having already collaborated successfully on the Devil Murder Case, Klein knew this reporter was a good person and agreed without hesitation.

Reporter Mike had no prior experience with disguise, so he had no idea how much trouble his presentable attire would cause him in the East End.

It wasn't until Klein reminded him that he realized what was happening and changed into the ordinary clothes that Klein had specially prepared for him.

The two boarded the carriage and soon arrived at the edge of the eastern district.

"The food at this cafe is alright, of course, that's relative to the residents of the East District," Klein said, pointing to the slightly greasy cafe on the street corner.

He occasionally came here for breakfast when he stayed in a nearby one-bedroom apartment.

"It seems to be one of the better restaurants around here." Mike didn't actually consider it a coffee shop.

They went inside, ordered some simple breakfast, and then began looking for interview targets.

Klein looked around and quickly found a suitable interview subject: a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties with graying temples who looked like a homeless person.

But who here isn't a potential homeless person?

The people living here have no ability to cope with risks. Even a small accident can turn someone who could support themselves into a homeless person.

Klein wanted to interview this homeless man because he felt that people his age in the East End must have experienced a lot and could provide them with sufficiently detailed information about the East End.

Of course, another reason was that Klein saw that the man seemed to be in bad shape and was very hungry, so he wanted to try to help him.

During the interview, Klein learned that the man's name was Old Kohler, and that he was originally a good worker with a wife and two lovely children.

However, a simple infectious disease took away his family, his wealth, and everything he had, turning him into the homeless man he is today.

After their interview with Mr. Kohler, Mike and Klein, guided by Mr. Kohler, planned to travel to other parts of the East End for further interviews.

However, as he passed an intersection, Klein heard a commotion coming from the street not far away.

Curious, they walked over and saw a somewhat obese man, dressed reasonably well, beating a middle-aged man with a wooden stick. The man's clothes were faded and looked rather worn.

The man who was hitting the middle-aged man had a fierce face and an arrogant expression. He kept hitting the man with a stick, shouting as he did so.

"You've gone too far! You dare ask for wages? We're already being kind enough to give you a meal, and you don't even know how to be grateful!"

The middle-aged man being beaten was with a child, who was crying and pleading, "Please, don't hit my dad, don't hit my dad..."

Chapter 169 The Gestapo of the Eastern District

The matter is not difficult to understand.

The person who was beating someone was probably a supervisor or someone similar, while the person being beaten was an ordinary worker.

The root cause of the conflict between the two, or rather, this one-sided beating, was that the factory manager owed the worker his wages.

Although Klein and his two companions who had come to watch did not know the full story, they quickly grasped the general outline after listening for a while.

Both Klein and Mike frowned, and reporter Mike couldn't help but say:

"You make people work but don't pay them, and you even dare to beat them up?"

"What's it to you? I'm warning you, don't meddle in other people's business!" The fat manager pointed at Mike with a wooden stick and shouted sternly.

The brewery he worked for belonged to a baron, and as its manager and a close confidant, he was known for his arrogance.

At this point, Klein and Mike had disguised themselves again, wearing ordinary workers' clothes and looking like commoners, so they naturally didn't attract the attention of the fat supervisor.

Klein was also very dissatisfied with the fat manager's actions, but what saddened him even more was that only the three of them came to try to stop the fat manager's tyranny.

There were other people around, but they either ignored what was happening or simply watched quietly, seemingly indifferent.

This unconsciously reminded Klein of the "numb Chinese people" described by a gentleman in his previous life.

"Sigh..." Klein sighed inwardly, just as he was about to do something to resolve the matter, when he heard old Kohler exclaim softly beside him:

"The security team is here!"

The security team? What's that? Klein looked in the direction of old Kohler's gaze with some confusion, and was immediately taken aback.

Holy crap! What the hell is this outfit? Are they some kind of Gestapo from San Dezi? Klein stared dumbfounded at the approaching group of people in black uniforms and red armbands.

Arthur is really going too far. What the hell is he trying to do?

Klein has been in Backlund for quite some time now, and he has been to the East District before, but he has never heard of the Sheriff's Team.

So when I saw this group of people dressed neatly and looking quite imposing, my first thought was that this must have been Arthur's doing.

Upon seeing the arrival of the security team, the eyes of the people around them began to light up, no longer so numb, as if they had seen some hope. This included the middle-aged man who had been beaten.

The chubby manager noticed that the expressions of the people around him were not quite right. He turned around and his face immediately changed.