[Arlan: Rather than hating rain, he seems to hate what rain signifies. After all, every rainfall appears to be a tragedy for him.]

[Welt: The power of Harmony is making him start to dialogue and reflect with himself.]

[March 7th: This sentence is terrifying when you think about it deeply.]

Will that child be inside?

Just as Aventurine was about to pass through the layers of cardboard painted with houses and streets, suddenly, his gaze was drawn to something on the ground - it was an all too familiar gemstone.

"Is this... a topaz? Why is it here?" Aventurine mumbled to himself.

Ugh... A stabbing pain struck without warning, and Aventurine instinctively clutched his head. This sudden, intense pain felt as if it would split his skull apart, making it almost unbearable.

"What's the matter, does her cornerstone pain you so much?"

Aventurine gritted his teeth, enduring the agony, his mind filled with confusion and bewilderment. His once handsome face was now contorted and twisted with the severe pain: "I'm just curious why it's here, that's all."

"Perhaps that wing-head deliberately placed it here to mock you. To make you understand that your elaborately arranged magic show is nothing but a dying struggle."

The illusory Aventurine's words were full of mockery and disdain: "'The luster of the cornerstone is identical to the radiance of the Qlipoth sacred body,' it's a wonder you could come up with such an absurd excuse. If he had even a bit more sense, your lie would crumble instantly."

Aventurine suddenly raised his head and retorted: "This is just bait."

"Of course!" The illusory Aventurine replied without hesitation: "That's why you included Dr. Ratio's 'betrayal' as a key part of the plan. I must say, that professor's acting was quite convincing."

"Perhaps he wasn't acting at all," However, at this moment, a hint of subtle sadness could be detected in Aventurine's words.

Hearing this, the illusion burst into laughter: "Ha, wouldn't that play right into your hands?"

"That serious-faced, meticulous head of the Oaktree family has an extremely strong desire for control and an almost obsessive persistence in everything. Therefore, you need to handle matters related to him cleverly, ensuring you provide him with sufficient information while also being extremely careful not to let him discover any clues or loopholes."

"...So, you carefully planned and instructed Dr. Ratio to approach him, intentionally revealing parts of the plan. To avoid arousing suspicion, every detail you conveyed to Dr. Ratio was completely truthful and credible, and Dr. Ratio passed on this information to Terminus without reservation."

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

"Finally, through the 'bait' you set, this family head found another cornerstone as he wished, and thus—"

"—You were able to smuggle the third stone past their notice."

"Hmph... Stop rummaging around in my brain, you bastard."

[Stella: The company is indeed united as one.]

[Qingque: Three 'cornerstones' used for gambling, tsk tsk, you're playing for high stakes indeed.]

"Your brain? It's our brain. You are me, and I am you, indistinguishable."

"To avoid giving yourself away in front of others, the most clever method is to first deceive yourself... In my opinion, you can't even fool yourself. You're lucky to have succeeded this time."

The illusion walked to the other side, where the emerald gem that was previously in Terminus's hand was placed. It emitted an enchanting glow, as if telling a mysterious story.

He picked up the stone, showing it to Aventurine, and asked:

"This is the other cornerstone in Terminus's hand. A rather beautiful green, just like you - smooth and cunning." The illusion stared at the gemstone, curiosity flickering in his eyes: "Tell me, what's its name?"

Aventurine smiled slightly, as if he had anticipated this question. "Why bother asking me specifically?" His tone carried a hint of mockery.

The illusion snorted coldly, deciding to cut to the chase. "Hmph... Then I'll make you remember myself. Aventurine is the stone of luck and trickery... That's what she said when you got this stone, right?"

"Hmm... This kind of stone isn't particularly rare, but its color is very close to a certain gemstone, so it's often used as a substitute. And that more expensive gemstone..."

Aventurine continued, his voice low and slow, as if every word contained endless meaning: "is called jade."

"Hmph, even Terminus couldn't tell the difference. It seems jade can indeed substitute for aventurine." Aventurine's tone carried a hint of mockery and disdain.

"Aventurine, topaz, jade... Three elites, three cornerstones, willing to stake everything for little Pinocchio. You're more united than a family," the illusion remarked thoughtfully.

"I've said it before, three 'chips' are enough for — everything, or nothing at all." Aventurine's gaze was firm and cold, revealing a sense of resolution: "Which will it be? Ha, we'll soon find out."

[Welt: But this time, jade was used to substitute for aventurine.]

[Black Swan: Aventurine's color leans more towards a less obvious blue-green. The color difference is enough to distinguish between the two.]

[Sushang: How would a layperson tell by color? Give me a piece of colored glass and I couldn't tell the difference.]

[Terminus: Smuggling past... Indeed a clever tactic.]

[March 7th: Wow! So these are the three chips he mentioned. What a spine-chilling answer!]

[Welt: As the leader, Ena must have known about and tacitly allowed Aventurine to exchange three cornerstones for Pinocchio. They're really going all out.]

"So, where's the real 'aventurine stone'? Let's see it," the illusion said with a slight smirk, looking at Aventurine and speaking softly.

Hearing this, Aventurine couldn't help but let out a cold snort: "Don't you know where it is?"

A glint of mockery flashed in the illusion's eyes as he responded with a hint of playfulness: "I just want you to say it yourself... After all, its current state truly suits its owner."

After a moment of silence, Aventurine slowly spoke: "Then I'll oblige you. They've always been in the most suitable place, never leaving..."

"...right here among this pile of cheap jewelry." Aventurine's voice lowered slightly.

The illusion raised an eyebrow, the corners of his mouth curling up into a mocking smile as he said, "You shattered the aventurine stone before setting out. Look at its state, tsk tsk tsk." He shook his head and sighed, "How much it resembles your shattered life. No matter how glamorous the exterior, inside it's still just a humble little pebble... This thing is far more important than your life."