The Ascendance Deceiver

Cosmo Shop

After his initial visit to the Cosmo shop, Alayn harbored a singular goal in his mind: ensuring that Neo would enter the shop after him or, preferably, before Luverne. Alayn lacked a clear understanding of Luverne's capabilities, which fueled his determination to avoid getting caught by him at all costs. One of the reasons behind Alayn's decision to manipulate the team's entry order into the Cosmo shop was driven by this purpose alone.

"Welcome back to my Cosmo shop, dear player," greeted Solarael, a faint smile gracing his face as Alayn regained consciousness following the teleportation. "Now, how would you like to utilize your one-time bonus question?" he inquired, his tone warm and inviting.

"First and foremost, I have something I'd like to sell to you," Alayn announced with a mischievous grin appearing on his face.

....

"You know, player, you're quite intelligent for a human," Solarael remarked, a faint expression of admiration crossing his features.

"Yeah, I'm well aware," Alayn responded confidently, not displaying any false modesty in response to the compliment. Meanwhile, he took a moment to check the balance of his credits using his ability card. The card seemed to project the balance of 1020 credits above it using an intriguing and mysterious technology.

"Ah right, I forgot. Can you give me a pen and paper?" Alayn asked. "Sure. No credits needed," Solarael said as he saw that Alayn was readying to pay for the pen and the papers.

Solarael handed Alayn a quill pen with embedded ink and a sticky-note-sized paper. Alayn positioned the counter as a makeshift table and started writing something on it. After approximately a minute, he raised his gaze, read the content he had written, and nodded with a sense of satisfaction.

After confirming the content of what he had written, Alayn inquired, "Could you pass this note to the person who visits the shop after me?"

"That service will cost you two hundred credits," Solarael responded calmly, his expression remaining unchanged.

"Two Fucking Hundred credits for that?!" Alayn blurted out, his voice filled with a mix of disbelief and exasperation. The curse slipped out unintentionally, reflecting his genuine reaction.

"Please mind your language," Solarael interjected calmly. "And yes, it does come at a significant cost to seek assistance from an angel, even for seemingly mundane tasks," he explained, maintaining his composed demeanor.

"I apologize for my outburst. It was unintentional," Alayn expressed, regaining his composure and offering an apology.

Deep down, Alayn had foreseen this issue prior to entering the shop. His decision to manipulate the team's entry order, with Neo following him, was not only influenced by Luverne but also driven by this very concern.

That's why Alayn had employed the framing bias technique to subtly influence Neo's decision-making process. By presenting only two options—entering after Alayn or entering after Luverne—Alayn skillfully crafted a mental frame that limited Neo's considerations. He intentionally excluded the possibility of Neo entering the shop after Luverne, ensuring that Neo would remain focused on the desired outcome. Alayn's strategy worked precisely as he had intended, effectively guiding Neo's decision in alignment with his own plan.

Alayn was aware of the tendency for humans to exhibit a mindset of subordination or deference to their superiors, even if it was unintentional. He understood that suggesting acting before a superior would likely go against this ingrained mindset.

While Alayn expected Neo to choose to enter the shop after Luverne, he knew he could easily adjust the order if needed. The main objective was to ensure that Neo entered after Alayn, and the specific order of others entering could be rearranged accordingly.

To maintain control over the entry order, Alayn strategically manipulated the dynamics within the group. He aligned the girl's desire to enter with Luverne, reinforcing the notion that they should enter together.

Additionally, he utilized the authority of their teacher, Mr. Luverne, to dissuade Aidan from disrupting the intended order. By considering these factors and carefully orchestrating the situation, Alayn effectively eliminated potential obstacles to achieving the desired entry sequence.

"Can I leave this here without paying any credits?" Alayn inquired, holding the paper in his hand and gesturing toward the counter. The pen had already been placed there, signifying his readiness to leave it behind.

"You will need to pay five credits if you wish to leave it on the counter. However, if you prefer, you can simply leave it on the floor without any charge," Solarael responded calmly with a slight smile, clarifying the options available to Alayn, as if saying, "Do you think everything would go as you want them to?"

"Tsk, fine," Alayn grumbled, his annoyance evident at the additional charge. He reached for the pen on the counter and, with a calculated movement, crouched down to place the paper on the floor beside the counter. To prevent it from being carried away by a stray breeze, he ingeniously utilized the pen as an impromptu weight, securing the paper in place. As he did so, a determined thought crossed his mind: "If something doesn't align with my plan, I will simply eliminate that variable."

As Alayn stood up, he wasted no time in posing his next question. Without allowing Solarael a chance to respond, he pressed on, "Would it be permissible for two people to enter the shop simultaneously?" Alayn inquired, eagerly awaiting Solarael's answer.

"It would be fine if one of them could pay two credits," Solarael replied calmly.

Alayn handed his ability card to Solarael, displaying his willingness to proceed with his request. "Please deduct the two credits from my account. The two individuals will enter the shop after the next customer," Alayn stated, indicating his readiness to make the payment and proceed with his desired arrangement.

"Alright," said Solarael, taking Alayn's ability card.

After completing the transaction, Alayn retrieved his ability card from Solarael. With a flick of his fingers, he effortlessly made the card vanish into thin air.

After his initial purchase and sale, Alayn had learned that every player possessed the ability to make their card vanish in a similar fashion. It was a skill specifically taught by Solarael to each player during their transactions at the shop.

Alayn understood that this ability was only accessible to those who engaged in buying or selling, emphasizing the importance of participating in transactions to acquire new knowledge.

"Very well then. I shall take my leave now. It has been a pleasure engaging in business with you," Alayn expressed to Solarael, a warm smile gracing his lips, as he waved his hand in farewell. With purposeful strides, he made his way towards the majestic golden door.

"Thank you for your patronage. It has been a pleasure conducting business with you," Solarael expressed with a courteous nod, appreciating Alayn's presence.

As Alayn vanished from the shop, Solarael thought to himself,

"You surely have chosen one hell of a human as your avatar, Marauder."