Chapter 27
Chapter 27
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: The Puppeteer's Past Terror
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"So, what do you all think about our goal this time?"
"My head's completely empty~."
"Hehe. I've already got my hands full with my current tasks. I'm afraid I can't join in on this one."
A group of ten surrounded a massive round table.
They were the brute force and core of Legion, the criminal organization that served as the main villains in Jijiyong's world.
The ten executives known as the Disasters.
"But why are we suddenly pushing this forward? Isn't it too abrupt?"
"I agree. Telling us to just go for it without any preparations?"
"As long as I can fight, I'm good."
The reactions to the agenda brought up in this meeting were mostly negative.
The primary reason was that it felt far too sudden.
No prior discussion, no preparations—just suddenly shouting, We have to do this! So come up with some brilliant plans!
"Butler. Even if you're handling seat one, you can't just act on your own like this."
The Legion executives each had their own code names and rankings based on their combat prowess.
And the top dog of Legion's forces—the culprit behind this current situation.
Legion's Seat One. Code name: Butler.
"Oh, could it be that the young master you've been serving has finally reached his end? If he kicks the bucket, let me know. I'll make a special effort to craft one just like the original."
"Puppeteer..."
He scowled at the woman smirking at him.
Seat Three: Code name Puppeteer.
Her individual strength might be below Seat One's, but everyone here knew better.
Including the Puppeteer herself, all the executives were hiding their true power.
Which meant the rankings weren't all that important in reality.
"Um... I have a method that could succeed with 100% certainty."
The voice cut through the tense staredown between Butler and Puppeteer.
All heads at the round table turned toward the speaker.
"Oh my, shall we hear what our little maknae has come up with?"
"...Arcane. Speak."
The newest addition to the executive seats, the tenth member.
Code name: Arcane. She raised the corner of her mouth and spoke.
"First off, to carry out what I have in mind, we'll need one specific item. If we obtain it, we can definitely achieve the goal Butler mentioned."
"An item?"
"Yes. It's called the Primal Husk."
The Primal Husk.
But despite Arcane's words, the executives just tilted their heads in confusion.
What the hell is that?
Arcane secretly chuckled at their innocently puzzled reactions.
Who would've thought the elite members of Legion—those who turned the whole world against them—could look this cute.
"Ahem. So, where is this item?"
"Cheong has it."
Cheong? Who's that?
Everyone pondered the unfamiliar name.
Realizing from their expressions that she was the only one who knew it, Arcane corrected herself so everyone would understand.
"The Ruler of the West. Does that ring a bell if I say Tiger Queen?"
"That crazy bitch."
"Steal from her lair?"
"Hah, the newbie's lost her mind."
The executives burst into mocking laughter at Arcane's suggestion.
What? Raid whose place?
They'd nod if it was raiding a dragon's lair.
Even plundering a kingdom's treasury—they'd nod to that too.
But sneak into the Tiger Queen's domain and walk out with an item?
Not even the executives could nod to that.
"Ahh, just thinking about that time gives me chills."
"Right, Puppeteer, you've actually met her in person before?"
"Of course. It's one of those memories from my life I'll never forget. Hehe."
"In that case, let's watch her past right here."
"Oh?"
Fwoosh.
The moment the man wearing a monocle opened his book,
a hologram appeared at the center of the round table, showing a much younger Puppeteer from the past.
"I pulled and saved this from the memory you handed over before."
"Who gave you permission to show that here?"
"Too bad. We're watching it."
With those words, the Puppeteer in the video began to move.
This was before Puppeteer had joined Legion.
She had once locked eyes with the Tiger Queen from afar.
Back then, she was wandering in search of excellent materials for her puppets.
[I warn you, human. Leave this place at once.]
"A spirit beast! What fantastic material!"
[This is her domain. If you value your life, depart swiftly...]
There was no hesitation.
The moment the spirit beast appeared before her, she summoned her top combat puppet—a swordmaster model—and it swung its blade at the spirit beast's neck on her command.
Slash.
A single strike ended it before the spirit beast could react.
Blood gushed from the severed head like a fountain.
"Hehe. This pure, beautiful fur and body... My heart's racing thinking about what a pretty, sturdy puppet it'll make."
Puppeteer hugged the freshly decapitated spirit beast's head, even as blood rained down from above.
With materials like this, she might create a puppet as powerful as the one she'd just used.
"Shall I check if there are more materials around?"
Finding top-tier stuff right from the start.
What even better ones might be deeper inside!
"That material mentioned 'her' domain, right?"
There was only one being in this region that a spirit beast would refer to as "her."
"I wonder how magnificent and beautiful a puppet I'd make from the Ruler of the West!"
It had to be fantastical.
Far beyond the puppets she used now!
Just imagining it filled her with ecstasy.
Puppeteer couldn't wait to meet the one called the Ruler of the West.
Meet her... and turn her into her puppet...
Hic.
'Huh?'
What was that?
Hic. Sniff.
Why the hiccups all of a sudden?
And why were tears welling up in her eyes?
Shiver. Shiver. Shiver.
Sniff. Hic.
Thud.
And that wasn't all.
Her body trembled uncontrollably, and for some reason, her legs gave out, sending her crumpling to the ground.
An inexplicable phenomenon she couldn't explain.
Panicking amid the nonstop tears, sweat, drool, and snot, she hurriedly turned her head.
First things first—escape using her puppet.
But as she turned toward her puppet, she understood.
Why this was suddenly happening.
"Uh... uwaaaah?"
She saw it.
A distant figure standing far away.
She couldn't make out the face clearly due to the distance, but one thing stuck vividly in her memory.
The sky.
Those eyes held a beauty like the sky itself.
"Ti... Ti... Tiger..."
That was the master ruling this land.
The Ruler of the West. The Tiger Queen.
And she realized.
Ah, this is because that being is looking at me.
Just a glance, and control over her body slipped away.
But who was Puppeteer?
The woman infamous even in Legion for her madness.
Even in her younger days, her personality hadn't changed.
Amazing! I want it! I want it so bad it drives me crazy!
Even with her body limp, she maneuvered her puppet.
Her greatest masterpiece, one that had gotten her this far.
The premium model made from a swordmaster.
But it'll still fall short, won't it?
A mere glance unraveled her body's control.
What about raw power? No need to even ask!
She decided to unleash her maximum output.
Her body wouldn't move, but she could still wield her magic power.
Step. Step. Step. Step.
Her puppet legion swiftly filled the ground.
With power that could take on a nation alone, she grinned.
Ruler of the West? Tiger Queen? Today, I'll turn you into my finest puppet!
And so the young Puppeteer unleashed her puppets.
Blink.
Just once.
She blinked.
Crunch.
Just a single blink.
Right before entering combat, the time was 0.1 seconds. No, less than 0.001 seconds—a mere instant.
Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.
But to the one Puppeteer wanted to fight, that lost 0.001 seconds she squandered so ridiculously was...
Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.
"Wha... huh...?"
...more than enough time to strip her of everything.
Whoosh.
"Hic! Uh, uuh?"
Where are my puppets?
Gone.
What?
Her puppets.
In that blink-of-an-eye moment with her eyelids closed,
all her puppets that had blanketed the ground vanished as if they'd evaporated.
"Uh... uhehehe."
I can't fight that.
Puppeteer realized it and, before her own body disappeared, reached for her chest.
A desperate gamble to survive this place—please let it succeed.
Crunch.
Fizzle. Fizzle. Fizzzzzz.
With that, the video ended.
In the now-silent round table room, Puppeteer twisted her lips and spoke.
"Exposing a lady's blunder without permission. You have no manners at all."
"What the hell? Puppeteer, how are you even alive?"
Anyone seeing that overwhelming power in the video would wonder how she survived to sit here today.
In response, Puppeteer stroked her lips.
"How did I survive? I can only say I got lucky."
Yes, it was pure luck—nothing else could explain it.
The spirit beast's corpse was still there.
She hadn't damaged its heart when she killed it.
And before the Tiger Queen fully erased her body, she'd torn out her own heart in suicide, preserving her flesh intact.
Finally, the Tiger Queen hadn't taken her body or the spirit beast's corpse with her.
A mountain of fortunes piled up, and she survived.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Feeling the spirit beast's heart now beating in her chest in place of her own, Puppeteer said,
"Our cute little maknae. If you hate us, just say it outright."