"Get your spell to sleep tight here! No refunds, but it has worked for 3 people!"
"This is the real spell! You-you look like you haven't slept in weeks! Buy this now, or you just might die from sleep deprivation!"
"Cheap solution: knock yourself out using this drug!"
Shouts like these could be heard on the large walkways of the Sect of Hedon as students shuttled back and forth between the vendors, trying to decide which one to buy.
This issue of not being able to sleep had started to affect the whole sect, but the problem was that none of the solutions seemed to be working properly.
Among those walking around with red eyes and haggard faces, Percy was the one who looked most miserable.
He had just gotten healed and needed rest, but the heavens had, for some reason, chosen him as the butt of all the misfortune that one could unluckily find themselves enduring in the Sect.
Off to the side, under the shade of a tree, Daneel was standing while viewing the chaos with happiness.
His second scam: "Create a problem, then sell the solution" was going well.
It was inspired by many scammers from Earth, who used this same concept to steal millions of dollars yearly from rich, hapless citizens.
For example, one could call someone rich, who had engaged in corruption, and tip them off that the government might be on their way to seize certain assets.
At the same time, a solution could miraculously appear, which would seem trustworthy despite its timing.
Using the rich person's fear, the scammers would manipulate him to accept this solution by only giving him little time to accept.
After that, it would be discovered that it was all a ploy, with the solution being flawed in such a way that it stole away the rich person's wealth.
Scams like these were very common, but Daneel had needed something he could affect the whole sect with.
Thinking along these lines, he had ended up remembering that illustrious person who interrupted people
's…special time to demand money so that they wouldn't be disturbed.
Basically, there, he was taking advantage of an essential process that a sect-member engaged in.
Thinking of other essential processes, he realized that sound sleep was something that was so crucial for a sect=member that it couldn't even be put in words.
Absolute concentration was necessary for a mage to be able to manipulate elementary particles properly to cast spells, so they had to be at their top-state-well rested and well fed.
The former mattered more than the latter, as most sect members were still Warriors who needed sleep much more than Champions, who apparently began to become people who did not need to satisfy basic, human needs to survive.
So, after choosing sleep, it was simple.
With the upgraded system, Daneel made a spell at peak Champion level which would make a buzzing sound effect anyone who was asleep.
Then, he chose targets at random, targeting around half the sect's population.
After all, if he went overboard and targeted everyone, it might bring down the higher-ups, which was something he didn't want.
Right now, this was the second phase: allow others to make bogus products to rectify the buzzing, when only he had the real solution.
Everything seemed to be going smoothly, except for the small hiccup where he hadn't expected the sect members to be so capable of such out-of-the-box thinking as to suggest knocking oneself out using a specific kind of drug that was quite dangerous.
Thankfully, this was only a temporary stopgap, as it would cause many physical and mental problems in the long run.
All in all, when he would introduce his solution, which would simply just be a spell to differentiate people, he would ask the system to stop affecting those people with the spell.
He had patted himself on the back for such a simple yet ingenious plan, but he also felt ashamed a tiny bit, wondering what his parents would think if they knew what he was resorting to.
Just when he was going to return to his room to train with some of the Ker Gems he had acquired so that he would let the sect get more desperate, he saw something which startled him.
2 black robed men with golden buckles, who signified the section of the sect in charge of keeping everything running smoothly, approached the walkway he was on before stopping an especially droopy sect member who looked like he might fall unconscious at any time due to exhaustion and sleep-deprivation.
With stern expressions, they began asking him some questions, which made Daneel panic slightly.
If someone sent over Champion level individuals to investigate, there might be trouble even though he was confident that they wouldn't be able to detect a spell made by the system.
Deciding to find out what they were saying, Daneel asked if the system could eavesdrop, but he was told that he had to move closer.
Mixing himself in the crowd, Daneel started to walk towards the two, but they seemed to have been done in merely a few seconds.
Still, they were talking among themselves, so he decided to tail them anyway.
After walking a bit more, although they were quite far away from Daneel, the system managed to pick up what they were saying as they weren't using any special means to hide their communication like anti-eavesdropping trinkets.
"Figures. Whoever is doing this is quite smart to only target a few. Last time, that guy who did something similar chose to target everyone, and he paid for his greed."
With shock, Daneel almost froze, but he continued walking so that he could keep hearing.
"So what do we do? Should be trouble that old guy?"
"He might be listening! You want to do solo training for a month?!"
"Meh, I know he's heading out of the sect on some business-he's discussing with some other senior sect members about it now. Someone said he was headed to Lanthanor, that village in the Central Continent. I wonder what work he could have there. Anyway, you know the rules."
"'Anything goes, as long as the core functionality and direction of the sect to obtain resources and grow stronger isn't disturbed'. Let's give it some time. If the one responsible is smart and has learned from his seniors who have done the same, he will stop the whole thing soon and get as much profit as possible so that we won't have to intervene. Let's come check again tomorrow. Wanna go grab some wine?"
"It's the middle of the day! So, perfect time for wine, I suppose. Let's go."
The conversation ended with them teleporting away using a podium, leaving Daneel with a stunned expression on his face.
First and foremost, he quickly took out a communication trinket and said, "Cancel the wait! Begin selling the real solution in 6 hours! We have to cash in as much as possible by tonight! No questions, just do it!"
Ignoring the fatty who started asking all kinds of questions, Daneel made his way to a teleportation podium.
Although it made his heart hurt, he paid up so that he would be able to get to the podium which led outside the sect.
The Sect of Hedon was covered by a very powerful formation which blocked all transmissions. This was why Percy had needed to exit the sect before to contact him.
The news that Lanthanor might be visited by a senior member of the Sect of Hedon…was terrifying.
Senior members were all Champions, and Lanthanor could practically be destroyed overnight if one really wished it.
Trying not to panic, he tried to apply to go outside but learned that he had completed his opportunities to go out for the month, due to the expedition.
Sect members couldn't roam in the outside world willy-nilly: occasionally, they could go out to look for inspiration or to try their luck for inheritances, but only once a month.
Hearing this answer, Daneel felt so frustrated that his face became red, making the sect member in charge of approving requests ask if he was all right.
Replying that he was fine, he first walked into the jungle, afraid that he might cause suspicion.
After walking for 30 minutes and finding himself completely surrounded by vegetation, Daneel started pacing around and thinking.
It was possible that it might be due to what had happened with the mosquitoes, as according to what the Watcher had said, Ashahell was responsible for giving the doom mosquito to Axelor.
Or, it could be something more sinister.
The problem was that he didn't have data. Realizing this, he looked up to see that tower which made him wish that he could smash through the entrance to find out more.
No. He needed to enter through the proper channels, and he had to trust that that High Council or whatever it was that had the rule that people shouldn't be slaughtered, would stop the worst case scenario from being carried out.
This scam would have to suffice! No matter what, he had to get enough gems to enter the central tower so that he could try to find clues in the archives to find a way to gain at least rudimentary control over the formation so that he could find out what the plan of those secret members was.
This was his only hope, so he would have to step it up.
The best way to do this was to jack up the prices, but this needed some kind of example to spur people to desperation, to buy the real solution no matter what.
Going back to the walkway, Daneel looked around before focusing on Percy, who was still staggering around, looking exhausted.
Well, he would have to do.
Although Daneel felt a bit sorry for the kid, he hardened his heart, deciding to award him with something or the other later.