Limitless The Strongest Revenant

Chapter 366: Nothing is easy. [1/2]

It was truly amazing how people mastered different fields. From craftsmen to academics to warriors. A life spent specializing in one field truly showed the limits of what man could achieve.

Connie was not a fighter, nor could she build anything. What she could do, however, was manipulate public opinion. It was a skill on which politicians and the media built their livelihoods. And Connie knew how to use it well.

A normal person had his own brain and therefore his own opinion. Apart from the fact that most of the time they didn't seem to. Much like in sales, only amateurs force an opinion on a potential customer.

Unless it was done in large numbers, people would normally detect attempts at manipulation and react accordingly. Only the dumbest sheep blindly accept everything. Those with brains would do their research before making a decision.

It was similar with news. The time when news agencies had no bias was over. When the rich 1% bought the companies that delivered the news, they became nothing more than a tool for propaganda.

America still suffered greatly from this over the years. They choose what news was shown. It was sad that school shootings became so common that people simply became desensitized just because it was always on the news. Such was the power of propaganda.

Anyone in sales knows that the key to making a sale was to convince the customer that they were the ones who decided to buy something. The reason for buying could be the stupidest reason.

But as soon as the customer believed he had made a sound decision, the salesman's job was done. A salesman's job was to convince someone that they were smart for buying a certain product. Any other approach would result in resistance.

In the same way, media promotions try to do the same thing, just in a more universal way. Connie's promo didn't try to tell people that me and Hellsend were the next best thing since sliced bread. But it was methodical in its approach.

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First, she showed me giving a speech. Then, instead of interviewing me directly, she went to those who followed me. Before ending with the Sirens. The conclusion was that she withheld any manipulative words and basically said "think about it".

The truly curious would investigate for themselves. While the stupid would not have believed anyway. She deliberately highlighted the different groups among me. From all five professions to the Formless. Hell, even the words of the Sirens seem calculated.

They deliberately chose to show happy moments along with effortless fighting. The fan service of the Sirens was added to create a cocktail of an alternate world very different from what a Reaper normally experiences. Punctuated by the fact that it was something even a Revenant supported as true.

Basically, it was a simple message.

No matter where you came from or what your background was.

If you wanted change.

If you wanted to be happier, to be safe.

Come under the banner of Hellsend.

This world, this life, this harem could all be yours.

All you had to do was follow.

I am not selling you this life, but I am telling you that it is real.

"How frightening."

[Indeed. Constance Faye's ability to weave a story is unparalleled. If she were to use it maliciously, she could use it as a weapon to destroy alliances or relationships.]

"Maybe I was lucky to have her on my side."

[I disagree Limitless. There is one difference between Hellsend and everywhere else. It was inevitable that you would gather talented individuals. ]

"Huh? And what could be the reason?"

[You have no prejudices. To you, it makes no difference whether they are manifest or formless. Occupation and background hardly matter. You treat them all the same. With a weapon in hand, everyone is equal under the banner of Limitless.]

"Everyone is equal, huh?"

[Indeed. Many long for a meritocracy. A world where their efforts are fairly rewarded. This is as true on Earth as it is in Hellsgate. However, since tenacity and drive are necessities for Reapers, there are few socialists here].

"Yes, being incompetent or lazy in this place would mean death."

[Correct. The tax system and the professions were created to ensure this. Of course, such systems also force people into a mold. Since you have none, only under your rule would the reapers be truly free. ]

"Hmm, kind of poetic of you, Exa."

[It is just an observation. The number of talented individuals is growing by the day. If properly nurtured, they would serve as the foundation of your power.]

"Well, this is all over my head anyway."

[Indeed.]

"Hey, did you just call me stupid?"

[No, I did not. You just believed that your intellect only goes up to that level, so anything more complicated than that is "beyond" you].

I used to say that all that shit was not for me, but it was not because I was stupid. It was because it was tiring. While I was average academically, I was not average in terms of street smarts.

"Hmm. If you're smart, here's a question for you, Exa. I have four hours, what would be something I could do that would drastically increase my fighting ability?"

[Four suggestions come to mind Limitless].

"Submitting to a Specter or Revenant is out. Taking someone else's {Fate} is also out. Buying new weapons, also off the table."

[One suggestion remains.]

"Figured as much."

I learned that from Aira. What AI suggests is basically the most optimal solution to the problem. Unless told otherwise, it would not consider anything else.

While I was desperate for power, asking someone to fight for me or shield me was something I would never do. Dependence on others was both a crutch and a poison. For my goals, I had to improve myself first and foremost.

As for capacity, I was already at my limit at eight. I couldn't take on another {Fate} even if I wanted to. Giving up one of my harem's {Fate} was also not something I wanted to consider.

Buying new guns would also be a hassle. For one thing, the calibers I use are already near the top of their class. If I were to upgrade, I would have to leave the realm of small arms. That presented a whole host of problems that I had no idea how to overcome at the moment.

That was all I could think of at the moment, so I was also interested in what Exa came up with.

[The last idea is to acquire soulgears that are compatible with your fighting style].

"..."

Right, there was that possibility. I knew early on from Jo and Jas that apart from the Reaper's {Fate} and those of his kindred, the only way to have another was through Soulgear.

Even in RPGs, characters were spec'd by optimizing their skills and equipment. For Reapers, this would be equivalent to {Fates} and Soulgear.

Personally, I found that just by having {Honey Trap}, the tactics available to me increased dramatically.

Perhaps the best benefit of Soulgear was that it could be inherited. If I no longer wanted to use a particular Soulgear, I could pass it on to either the Sirens or the Hellsend. I was very lucky to get the lewd vase.

I have no idea how I would have gotten to this point without it. But unfortunately, the Soulgears required some moral resilience to use.

For one, these equipment were forged from the corpses of Dead Reapers.

Using monster or even animal parts was culturally acceptable. But how would it be if you used the body part of another person? It wasn't like I was transplanting their bodies, but still.

What would I say if the reaper's relatives saw me using their {Fate}? IRIS had the right idea to return the soulgems of the Dead Reapers to their Forsaken. Ideally, this would be the perfect scenario.