37 - Stop Hypnotizing Me, Villainous Princess!

### Chapter 37: Amassing Points One of the other abilities of the "Devourer of Lies" is the power to discern falsehoods spoken by others. With this ability, Lynn effortlessly singled out the most devout believers from the group and began his first wave of persuasive talks. The reason these 312 individuals gathered here was largely due to the influence of these fervent believers. As the saying goes, "strike the enemy at its weakest point." Once these stalwarts of resistance are systematically dismantled, the rest, whose faith is not as strong or who harbor ulterior motives, will be easier to deal with. Just a bunch of insignificant minions. Lynn mused silently. Time flew by quickly. Before long, the evening sun spread its magnificent red hue over the land. Unknowingly, Lynn realized he had been outside the city for an entire afternoon. The hours had been spent chatting with the believers. Finally, accompanied by the system's 232nd chime, Lynn had managed to sway most of the devout ones present to sign extraordinary contracts. Meanwhile, he pocketed 23 system points. The afternoon's efforts left Lynn feeling somewhat fatigued. Sadly, there were no refreshments or desserts to replenish his sugar levels nearby. He was about to wipe the sweat from his brow when he felt a weight on his shoulder. Turning, he found Afeya perched there. "Here." She held a handkerchief in her mouth, which carried a hint of a young girl's sweet fragrance. "Oh, thank you." Lynn accepted the handkerchief, casually wiping his face before realizing something was off. Wasn't she just sulking earlier? How did a few hours transform her into such a docile creature? Sensing Lynn's gaze, Afeya seemed a bit flustered. She turned away, huffing, "It's the royal order to keep tabs on you. Since you're working for Her Highness, I can't just watch you tire yourself to death here." "Oh… By the way, where did you get this handkerchief?" "A girl's secret!" After a playful exchange with Afeya, she leapt off his shoulder in cat form and scampered back to the carriage. Watching her small figure, Lynn couldn't help but smile. Then, he turned his attention to the last group of people gathered in the distance. Among the 80 remaining were mostly opportunists. They neither believed in the Goddess of Creation nor wished to enter the city just yet. Their continuous demand was simple—compensation. They would only agree to leave with a satisfactory sum; otherwise, they would stubbornly stay put. Except for one bald man hidden in the crowd. He appeared ordinary, almost blending into his surroundings. Yet, on the system interface, he stood out glaringly. He was the only character rated C within this gathering. **Character Name:** Marck Blanchard **Plot Level:** C **Deviation:** 0.00% Should his plot deviation reach its peak, it would yield a solid reward of 10 system points. Such a promising prospect, how could he be let go? Lynn had a hunch about his identity. Clearly, there had to be an organizer behind the chaotic actions of the Goddess of Creation's followers. Though others might be innocent, the orchestrator of this disorder was undoubtedly culpable. He could even be acting under someone's covert orders. With that in mind, Lynn decided against hesitation. "You there, come over." Addressing the bald man, Lynn commanded. Marck paused, visibly puzzled as to why this young man would call him out. Had his cover been blown? A touch of unease rose within his heart. "Sir, what can I do for you?" He spoke with a humble tone. Lynn scrutinized him for a moment before speaking abruptly, "Are you a standard follower of the Creationist Sect?" "Of course, I can recite every teaching in the scriptures by heart." Marck replied confidently. That was a lie. Lynn discerned the deception instantly. Where did the lie lie? Is it about his ability to recite every teaching by heart? That wasn’t necessary to lie about; it would be easily uncovered. Therefore, the lie must lie in the initial part. Marck was not just an ordinary follower of the Creationist Sect; he had a different identity. Given his ability to recite every teaching, coupled with his C-level story rank, Lynn deduced him as the orchestrator of this chaos. Also, a remnant member of the Creationist Sect, certainly not a typical believer. Lynn leaned in and whispered only for Marck to hear, “Marck, the effort you put into this is commendable. The sect will remember your contributions.” At hearing his true name revealed, Marck’s eyes showed a flash of shock and suspicion. How did this person know his real name? Wasn't he using an alias publicly? Could it be... A conjecture arose in his mind, causing excitement. At this moment, he fully believed Lynn to be a devout follower of the Goddess of Creation. Given this premise, and the words shared, only one possibility existed. The sect had not been entirely extinguished! There were still remnants ready to resurge! Thinking along those lines, Marck felt like he had found an organization, bubbling with excitement. But lingering suspicion encouraged caution: "What are you talking about? I don't understand." Seeing this, Lynn patted his shoulder in a gesture of camaraderie, "High vigilance is a good thing. However, it seems the orders you and I received from the superior differ?" "My mission is to minimize the impact of this incident. Apparently, this conflicts with your mission. What’s the situation?" Lynn looked at him with feigned puzzlement. At this, Marck finally let down his guard. With a sigh of relief, he cautiously glanced around, then lowered his voice and said, "The superior you mention—isn’t it the one from the Capital?" Capital? So that’s how it is. Lynn had his suspicions but nodded in agreement, "That’s right." Seeing this, a flicker of surprise crossed Marck’s eyes, "Yet, the order I received was to poison these people’s food, kill everyone, and frame it on the demon that destroyed our sect—the Third Princess." Aimed at Yvette? Lynn couldn't help but feel a chill. The plot was downright vicious. Were it to succeed, even with evidence proving Yvette’s innocence, no one would believe it. At that point, her royal aspirations would vanish utterly. Under the wrath of Saint Roland VI, she might even face execution for treason publicly. This could very well be how the original story portrayed her eventual descent into villainy. Have my actions indirectly altered her fate? Post this matter, Yvette's plot deviation might increase further. Reflecting on this, Lynn did not hesitate. He beamed at Marck, "By the way, there’s another order from that superior—do you want to hear it?" "What order?" Marck queried, curiosity piqued. "He told me to send you on your way." With that, Lynn smoothly drew a gun, pulling the trigger without hesitation. "Bang—!!!" With the deafening sound echoing, Marck fell backward with a stunned look of disbelief. **C-Level Plot Character “Marck Blanchard’s” plot deviation has reached 100.00%.** 10 system points credited. This method certainly was the most effortless. Lynn mused silently. Witnessing Lynn’s lethal action, the distant gathered individuals panicked. Lynn wiped the blood off his face with a sleeve, trying to appear less ruthless with a kind smile. “One hundred copper coins each. Take the money, sign the contract, and leave.” “One—a hundred tokens? Isn’t that too little......” "Bang—!!!" A shot fired into the sky, and Lynn smiled, “Now, it’s fifty.” Promptly, the remaining seventy-nine opportunists scrambled, making their way towards Grey. Even small bites make a meal. If they continued to be unreasonable, they might not even receive the fifty copper coins. Moreover, this guy was truly willing to kill! For a moment, anxiety spread among the crowd. Watching as they obediently lined up in the distance, Lynn couldn't help but let out a whistle. It's as simple as that. In just one afternoon, Lynn had amassed a total of 41 system points. Adding the 2 points he had left from before, he now had 43 points in reserve. It was time to return and report to that woman. [In reading mode, the next page cannot be automatically loaded. Please exit reading mode and click to read the next page.]