chapter 137 chain of scam events

The Perfect Bait – Selling the Solution

Brainless Girl had planted the seed of fear. Now, it was time to cultivate it. Fear on its own was useless—it made people wary, cautious, unwilling to take risks. But fear combined with a solution? That's where the real money was made.

Frost Eye remained in the shadows, watching with an amused expression. He had seen all kinds of con artists—fast talkers who relied on confidence, flashy tricksters who dazzled their victims before they even realized what was happening. But Brainless Girl?

She didn't lie.

She didn't need to.

She simply let people deceive themselves.

And the best part? They'd thank her for it.

---

The Market Shift – Spreading the Rumor

The fear she had subtly planted earlier began to settle in. It wasn't outright panic, but the mood in the marketplace had changed.

Merchants tightened their grips on their coin purses. Their usual haggling grew restrained, as if second-guessing every transaction.

Adventurers exchanged uneasy glances. Some checked their bags, perhaps wondering if they had lost something and hadn't noticed yet.

The old herbalist from before muttered protective chants. Superstitions in Mortal Online weren't just for show—some had real effects. But more importantly, they could be exploited.

Fear alone wouldn't do much. Brainless Girl needed people to act on it. She needed a trigger.

So she didn't try to convince anyone directly.

Instead, she made sure they overheard.

---

The 'Unintentional' Discovery

Brainless Girl didn't set up a stall. That would make it too obvious she was selling something. Instead, she picked a quiet spot near a well, a place where plenty of people passed by.

Then, she pulled out a simple wooden charm.

It was worthless—just a trinket she had picked up earlier. But the way she held it, the way her fingers lightly brushed over the surface as if drawing comfort from it, made it seem valuable.

She sighed softly, muttering just loud enough for nearby ears to catch:

"Thank the spirits… as long as I have this, I should be safe…"

Her words were spoken as if to herself, but their effect was immediate.

A merchant paused mid-step. His gaze flickered toward her, brows knitting together. He hesitated, then took a step closer.

"Excuse me… what was that you just said?"

Brainless Girl blinked, feigning surprise, as if she hadn't realized she had spoken aloud.

"Oh… I-It's nothing." She hesitated, fingers tightening around the charm. Then, with a reluctant sigh, she continued, just enough to keep him hooked.

"I… I got this from a friend. A protection charm. They said as long as I keep it close, I won't lose any gold overnight."

The merchant's face twisted in thought. He was already connecting the dots.

She didn't need to spell it out.

---

The Rumor Takes Root

"Wait…" the merchant muttered, voice dropping to a whisper. "That noble who lost his money… He didn't have one of these, did he?"

Brainless Girl bit her lip, then gave a small, reluctant nod.

That was all it took.

The merchant's stance shifted. His fingers curled slightly, his eyes darting around as if checking for eavesdroppers. He wasn't fully convinced yet—but he wanted to be.

People would always look for patterns. And once a pattern was formed, even coincidence started looking like a sign.

The moment he considered that only those without the charms were getting robbed…

The demand was created.

---

The Scarcity Trick – Making Them Beg

The merchant wasn't the only one who had overheard.

A group of adventurers stood nearby, pretending not to listen but clearly paying attention.

An old herbalist's eyes flickered toward Brainless Girl's hand, her lips moving as if calculating something.

Brainless Girl knew she had them.

But she had to make them move first. If she pushed too hard, they'd hesitate. If she made it seem like the charms were easy to get, their value would drop.

So she played the scarcity game.

She hesitated, glanced around, and then whispered, "There's… a small supply left. My friend only had a few. I got mine for five gold."

The merchant's eyes narrowed. "Five gold? For something that protects my money?"

Brainless Girl pretended to hesitate. "I mean… I wasn't going to sell it, but…"

She let her voice trail off, letting him make the next move.

"I'll take one!" he said, pulling out his coin pouch. "No—make that two!"

She acted hesitant before finally sighing and nodding. "Alright… but keep this quiet, okay?"

She handed him two random wooden charms. Completely worthless.

But he clutched them like treasure.

---

The Snowball Effect – Demand Skyrockets

The moment the merchant made a purchase, others started moving.

The adventurers stepped forward. "Wait, you have more of those?"

The old herbalist looked desperate. "Young lady, I'll take one too. I can't risk losing my stock!"

Whispers spread. The rumor took on a life of its own.

Brainless Girl didn't rush. She let them talk among themselves, reinforcing their own beliefs.

By the time she had sold ten charms, the price had doubled.

By the time she had sold twenty, people were bidding against each other.

And when she finally announced she was sold out?

The demand only grew stronger.

---

Frost Eye's Thoughts – A Masterclass in Manipulation

From his position in the shadows, Frost Eye was grinning.

This wasn't just a scam.

This was art.

She hadn't tricked them—she had merely let their own greed, fear, and superstition do the work.

And the best part?

They were grateful.

She had created demand from nothing. Made them beg to be scammed. And all without a single outright lie.

This wasn't luck.

This was talent.

And yet, she had been discarded.

"Idiots," Frost Eye mused. "They threw away a weapon of mass destruction just because she couldn't dodge a fireball."

But then his grin faded slightly.

Because Brainless Girl wasn't done yet.

---

The Exit Strategy – And the Predator Waiting

Brainless Girl didn't linger.

A real scammer would have stayed too long—greedy, trying to squeeze out every last coin. That's how they got caught.

But she?

She took her earnings—a small fortune in gold—and slipped quietly into a side alley.

And that's when she froze.

Because waiting for her, leaning lazily against the wall, arms crossed, was—

Frost Eye.

Watching her.

Smirking.

Brainless Girl's expression didn't change, but her fingers tightened around her coin pouch.

For the first time in hours—

She felt like the one being watched.