The Ascendance Deceiver

Framing Bias

As Solarael greeted the seven players, they looked at each other with puzzled expressions. Despite having teleported several times before, they were still unfamiliar with the experience.

Curiosity painted on her face, a woman clad in a beautiful blue dress inquired of Solarael, "Are we the first visitors to your shop, or do you possess some form of cloning ability that allows you to have multiple shops at the same time?"

"Is that your question for the first-time bonus?" Solarael asked, his vibrant face devoid of any discernible emotions. "If not, you can wait for your turn to ask questions. I don't have to answer unless it's part of the first-time bonus."

Without giving the woman a chance to reply, Solarael continued, "Now, let's begin. The first order of business is acquiring your ability card. To do so, please extend your right hand and follow my guidance." Solarael's confident voice resonated through the room.

As the group extended their right hands, Solarael demonstrated a fluid motion, flicking his fingers as if grabbing an imaginary card. In perfect synchrony, a credit card-sized, sleek black card materialized between his fingertips.

"Now you try," Solarael said with a smile.

As Alayn and the others attempted to replicate Solarael's hand movements, a synchronized moment ensued. They simultaneously withdrew their hands, revealing a black rectangular card nestled between their fingertips.

"That is your ability card. Now you can read the content on that card to determine your abilities," Solarael exclaimed with satisfaction.

Everyone proceeded to look at the cards in their hands.

Gazing down at the black card in his hand, Alayn's eyes beheld a mesmerizing sight. A golden-hued throne intricately crafted from spear-like objects caught his attention. Avian creatures resembling ravens adorned the throne, either soaring through the air or perched upon it. The entire image was enveloped in a resplendent golden glow, captivating Alayn's senses.

"Flip your card to see its contents," Solarael instructed, his gaze fixed on Alayn.

Following Solarael's guidance, Alayn obediently turned the card over, revealing a sentence inscribed in golden ink. Although the language was unfamiliar to Alayn, he inexplicably understood its meaning. It was as if the language itself transcended linguistic barriers, serving as the primordial tongue of the universe.

"Ability Potential 0.5%: The ability to copy other avatars' abilities and use them at 20% potential once. After use, the copied ability becomes your own, resetting the potential to 0.5%. Activation condition: The authority holder has to kill the other player to copy their ability," Alayn read from his ability card.

A faint twitch appeared at the corners of Alayn's mouth as he processed the information. "So, if I understand correctly, I'm essentially a powerless nobody until I secure a kill," he murmured, emitting a self-deprecating chuckle. "And what do 'avatar' and 'authority' mean?" Alayn pondered, shifting his gaze away from his card.

After looking away from his own card, Alayn discreetly glanced at Neo's card, who stood beside him, hoping to catch a glimpse of its contents. However, to his disappointment, all he could discern was a completely black card devoid of any visible information.

"Neo, look at this," Alayn said to Neo in a low voice while showing the content side of his own card, intentionally hiding the 20% part using his thumb. As he showed his card, Alayn inwardly decided to allow the other party to see the content in his card.

Neo's expression faltered as he observed the card in Alayn's hand. Curiosity piqued, he decided to reciprocate by revealing his own card to Alayn. Unlike their previous attempt, this time Alayn was successful in seeing the contents of Neo's card. As they discreetly exchanged information, ensuring nobody noticed their actions, a veil of secrecy shrouded their card-sharing interaction.

"Ability Potential 0.5%: You can teleport anything touching your hands, as long as it doesn't exceed the weight limit of 5 grams, to anywhere in front of your eyes," Alayn read silently.

Alayn's lips curled into a self-deprecating smile as he remarked, "There's no 'Activation condition.' Do the organizers have something against me, or am I simply plagued by bad luck?" Pausing for a moment, he continued, "Furthermore, it appears that players cannot read the contents of each other's cards without consent. Hm. At first glance, Neo's ability seems rather useless, but with the right expertise, it could become a formidable power." Lost in thought, Alayn unconsciously brushed his lower lip with his right hand—a habit that emerged when he was planning or deep in thought.

....

After approximately fifteen minutes, Solarael finally broke the silence in the majestic grand room. "I believe that should have provided enough time for everyone to read and comprehend the contents of their ability cards."

Solarael addressed the gathering, ensuring they grasped the concept. "Currently, your abilities are operating at a mere 0.5% of their potential. However, as your potential increases, your ability card will reflect the changes and enhancements. Additionally, alongside the ability card, the knowledge pertaining to the new abilities gained during potential growth will be seamlessly integrated into your minds." Solarael's countenance radiated with a glow akin to the ascending sun.

Solarael provided further clarification on enhancing potential: "To increase your potential, you have two options: acquire necessary objects from me or earn kills, which will boost your ability potential. Additionally, your ability card grants you access to the Cosmo shop at any time and location, unless you are in a life-threatening situation. Furthermore, your ability card can also display your available credits. Simply concentrate on the card while holding it, and the amount will be revealed to you." Solarael's smile grew faint, yet discernible.

As the players in the grand Cosmo shop began to raise inquiries, Solarael interrupted, "Now, you will be teleported outside of my shop. Following the teleportation, each of you can enter the shop one at a time to utilize your one-time offer and make additional purchases." Solarael's voice resonated with enthusiasm.

In an instant, a brilliant light enveloped the entire room, and Alayn experienced the familiar sensation of losing consciousness. When he regained awareness, he found himself standing before the majestic golden door they had encountered prior to their teleportation into the grand auditorium.

Despite the evident confusion among the group, no one dared to inquire about the sequence of events leading up to their encounter with the majestic door. This observation bolstered Alayn's theory to a certain degree. He held the belief that beyond the visible powers bestowed upon them, there existed an unseen force or influence, a power that shielded their minds from becoming overwhelmed by the inexplicable and helped maintain their rationality. It seemed this power was constantly placating them, discouraging any disruptions to the so-called 'Game' they would carry out by losing control over their emotions or fear.

After a brief period of silence, Alayn mustered the courage to break the ice. "I'll go first," he declared, his voice brimming with determination. Addressing the other players, he added, "I have a few questions in mind, and I fear I may forget the most crucial one amidst the overwhelming presence of that angel." Alayn's confidence shone through, accompanied by a subtle self-deprecating smile gracing his face.

While some individuals, such as the man in his thirties, had contemplated being the first to step forward, they noticed the unanimous nods of agreement from the other players in response to Alayn's statement. In observing this unspoken consensus, they too silently acknowledged and accepted Alayn's initiative.

"Oh, right." Alayn said, addressing Mr. Luverne. Casting a concerned glance towards the young girl standing beside him, he continued, "I'll make sure to ask Solarael if both of you can enter the shop together. It's probably best for you not to leave her alone out here, even for a few minutes." Alayn's words prompted the girl to visibly tighten her grip on Mr. Luverne's hand, reflecting her own apprehension and reliance on his presence.

"Okay," Luverne nodded, glancing at the girl in the yellow dress who tightly held onto his hand. Alayn acknowledged Luverne's response with a nod before turning his attention to Neo. "Would you prefer to go after me or after Mr. Luverne?" Alayn inquired, observing Neo as he continued to fiddle with his ability card.

"I will go after you, Brother Alayn," Neo replied, giving a brief glance to Luverne.

Upon hearing Neo's response, the boy standing next to him interjected with an annoyed tone, asking, "Hey, what about me?"

Alayn looked at Luverne without replying to the boy. "You can go after Neo, Aidan," said Luverne with no change in his expression.

"Yeah, Aidan, you can go after Neo," Alayn responded, playfully rolling his eyes. There was a mischievous undertone to Alayn's remark, seemingly aimed at further provoking the boy.

Alayn slightly glanced at the remaining two players, and they nodded back, as if they understood what he was trying to convey.

Silently, without uttering a word, Alayn stepped forward toward the majestic golden door. With a subtle smile gracing the corners of his face, he reached out and touched the door. As his gaze lingered upon it, hidden from the view of others, a smile gradually spread across Alayn's face. Though it may have seemed like a trivial action, he couldn't help but feel a slight sense of accomplishment stirring within his heart.

As Alayn approached the golden door and pushed it open with his right hand, a playful thought crossed his mind. "Man, using the framing bias in this kind of situation is just too much fun," he chuckled inwardly, relishing in the subtle psychological manipulation of perceptions.