Unwarranted kindness is often a sign of ulterior motives—either deceit or thievery.
Chen Guo was inherently distrustful of others' intentions, particularly in the harshness of the world around him.
He had noticed that, aside from Frank, everyone else had a vacant stare, their demeanor decidedly off.
This put him on high alert around Frank.
What he hadn't anticipated was Frank's extraordinary innate talent—the formidable Universal-grade ability "Enthrall Humans," which was both incredibly stealthy and a masterstroke for ambushes.
Had Chen Guo's mental fortitude not been significantly superior to his adversary's, bolstered by his spiritual practice and equipment, he might have succumbed to the charm.
Now immune to the "Enthrall Humans" ability, Chen Guo had intended to retaliate, but he noticed that Frank was oblivious to the fact that his charm had been neutralized.
Frank, under the impression that Chen Guo was under his sway, murmured to himself, "Another one under control. It's a shame 'Enthrall Humans' has a half-hour cooldown. I've taken nineteen in the last two days. With this one, that makes twenty—time to act!"
Realizing Frank was unaware of his failed control, Chen Guo seized the moment, deciding to feign submission to Frank's will, biding his time for the right moment to strike.
Frank had already taken a number of people under his influence, all of whom were elites from various regions.
They wouldn't have been part of the Miracle Quest otherwise.
Despite Chen Guo's formidable combat prowess, a direct confrontation with so many would be a hassle.
Better to play the victim, let Frank's guard down, and deliver a deadly blow when it mattered most.
"Come with me, my new pawn," Frank addressed Chen Guo. "What's your name?"
Chen Guo maintained a stony facade and replied, "I'm Wang Shaoyun."
Wang Shaoyun was a real person, an ideal alias, so Chen Guo adopted it.
Frank scanned the leaderboard and after a lengthy search commented, "Second place from Beginner Village? Not impressive, but you'll do as expendable fodder!"
With unwavering faith in his "Enthrall Humans" talent, Frank harbored no suspicions and escorted Chen Guo back to his encampment.
In the camp, there were already a dozen or so individuals with vacant stares, a diverse array hailing from various regions. Among them, a woman named Anna remained unaffected, as she was Frank's spouse.
"Sweetheart, I've snagged another piece of cannon fodder. We're nearly ready to make our move," Frank informed Anna.
"Let's round up a few more. It's safer that way, and besides, there's no cap on your human-charming ability," Anna suggested.
"But it drains me mentally. My head is throbbing—I can manage maybe two more before I risk passing out," Frank admitted.
"Then just two more it is. Our target is a deity, after all. He might be weakened, but he's got numerous puppets at his disposal," Anna reasoned.
"Fine..." Frank conceded reluctantly.
With that, Frank settled in to await the arrival of new trial challengers.
Chen Guo blended in seamlessly with those under Frank's control, his performance flawless.
"I'm the oriole lying in wait while the mantis hunts the cicada. They fancy themselves hunters, oblivious to the fact that they're my quarry," he mused.
Armed with the element of surprise and his formidable fighting capacity, Chen Guo was confident he could take down Frank and his wife.
Eavesdropping on the couple's exchange had given Chen Guo a glimpse into their background. The pair, hailing from the European region, were notorious on Blue Star as a lethal duo of assassins, long-serving the mafia with their deadly expertise.
In the Whole Heaven Battlefield, their prowess and ruthlessness had allowed them to rise swiftly through the ranks. While not in the top ten, they were formidable contenders within the global top two hundred—a significant feat among billions.
What truly tipped the scales in their favor was their fortune. Frank possessed an enhanced, species-specific talent for bewitchment, akin to hypnosis but solely effective on humans. This ability allowed him to manipulate minds, turning others into marionettes at his command.
Leveraging this gift, Frank had lured a multitude of expendables to their demise at pivotal moments, propelling his ascent and amassing considerable resources.
Anna may not have secured an Eon-level talent, but her acquisition was still impressive—an Eon-level talent called "Infinite Horror."
Infinite Horror: Capable of conjuring a terrifying illusion that momentarily paralyzes nearby enemies for five seconds!
This potent control talent complemented Frank's "Charm Human" ability nicely. When facing formidable opponents, Anna would unleash Infinite Horror to shatter their spirit, paving the way for Frank's Charm Human to take effect with near-certain success.
Their teamwork was key in charming numerous experts.
They resorted to using these experts as expendable forces due to the high difficulty of the Paradise they were challenging.
Known as "Ling Long Paradise," this realm had been scouted by them before, revealing its true treasure: the immortal residing within.
Ling Long Paradise was a dilapidated realm, ravaged by disaster and hemorrhaging spiritual energy, on the brink of collapse into the maelstrom of chaotic space-time.
Here lingered an Earth Immortal named Hwa Yangzi, a disciple of the Divine Lord of Salvation, Empyrean Taiyi. Despite being at the Earth Immortal level, Hwa Yangzi was undeniably a figure of myth—a bona fide celestial being!
However, Hwa Yangzi was gravely wounded and now barely clinging to life, unable to even rise.
His defense relied on a handful of puppets and the limited immortal spells he could muster, his mind a chaotic jumble, spouting incoherence, devoid of reason.
Where Hwa Yangzi lay, his collection of treasures beckoned tantalizingly.
Initially, Frank and his wife charmed a small group to confront Hwa Yangzi's four puppets. They managed to destroy only one before nearly facing total annihilation.
Thankfully, their charmed allies were compelled to sacrifice themselves, holding off the remaining three puppets and allowing the couple to make a triumphant escape.
Depleted of mana, Hwa Yangzi could not command his puppets to pursue them. Now, he was but a skeletal guardian, a mere shadow of his former self, yet his mere presence continued to instill despair in the hearts of trial challengers.
Hwa Yangzi, with barely a breath left, possessed a combat strength of 6000.
The remaining three puppets each boasted a combat strength of 3000.
For the trial challengers, facing them was akin to going up against a team of bosses—overwhelmingly tough adversaries.
Yet, the Star Gate key wasn't exclusive to a single individual. Many fortunate challengers had managed to secure one, granting them access to this realm.
Frank, seizing the opportunity, charmed each newcomer, and now, with Chen Guo included, had brought twenty under his control.
Their strategy was straightforward: let the charmed experts fight fiercely in numbers, while they lay in wait to snatch the spoils of the ensuing chaos.