Chapter 19—Against The Lady Puppet

"There, done!" Marcus with a brilliant smile, shouted happy as the gadget in front of him started to buzz— indicating it is now turned on. The transmitter then created a small glint coming from the small bulb at the side, before their radar lit up green.

There in the circle screen, a long line of green-light rotated the circular-glass plane. Dots was then revealed in some areas, they appeared abruptly as the light passed by their location before slowly vanishing as the revolving light nears them again— It then showed another set of dots on the screen, indicating the location of every moving being within its coverage.

He was smiling proudly of his work when he found something amiss, not far from his position, a group of dots gathered in a certain location. Their positions changes, but they don't move away from the area.

"What the-" He was about to curse when Angela suddenly came out the door, "turn the frequency of your phone to 120, quick." She said in hurry, not minding his questioning gaze. So he quickly placed it at 120 without hesitation.

The time the frequency was turned to 120, words that answered their questions were heard.

"What do you want from us?" Valor's muffled voice was heard in the speaker, wary but with a tint of confidence.

"What I'm doing is all for the glory of the Paradise, And your body Is what we need right now." A voice with an unfamiliar tone rang to their ears, muffled and also stiffened— a bit monologue. But the words she spoke were clearly understood, paradise the notorious terrorist— and their target, Valor.

"We got to get there," Angela said and quickly took out her wand, ready to cast a meta spell that can kill instantly. But Marcus's hand grabbed hers, he didn't said anything and just listened to the rectangular plastic. Angela that was looking at him in perplexity, gave it a chance and listened to the walkie-talkie.

Valor's response was then heard after the pause, "heh, the notorious terrorist wants my body? Aren't you a pedophile?"

"This guy must be kidding me," Marcus said bewildered by Valor's response, but he quickly realized it, adapt to his friend's ways of doing things. "They have a plan, confident that they can win." Angela from the side also got it, her worried expression turned into a smile.

"Locate the boss quickly, we need to-" She quickly turned priorities but she couldn't finish her words when the gold system lit up.

"Trial: The Dilemma in Raffvet.

Synopsis— Before the parasites hatched, your town was already in trouble. They are everywhere, and they are now making their move.

Mission to participate in the trial..."

[Main Trial Triggered!]

[No instructions will be given with every Main Trial, instead, you will be given the buff of [Knowledge]."

"[Knowledge]— As the events collide, Blueprints of higher E and F will transpire.

The Power of the [Kingdom of Wisdom] Activated."

"[Knowledge]— In desperate needs, Spells needed will be added to your book.

The Power Of the [Celestial Library] Activated."

What? The two said in their mind after they read the regard, surprised and excited. What anomaly could this again be?

But yet again, they couldn't ponder it more than the seconds it was projected. Because on the sofa of this sala, the two froze when putrid malice was felt. Very dark and powerful, it is something they never felt nor expected.

The transmitter then buzzed with undefined sound, high pitch with the mix of a lower one. And in their radar, a large and broad dot was seen. With it emitting green waves that enshrouded the whole manor. "It's starting," Marcus muttered with his hands shaking, the mutation is starting.

"And there's the mutating boss." She said looking at her radar.

"Its malice is this strong even though it is only in the mutation phase," Angela said with despair in her tone, evaluating their decision to stay. Malice is something a higher monster has—perhaps only the named one has it, the embodiment of their power without direct contact.

But before she can continue to evaluate, spells and knowledge started to flood her mind. "Ray Spectrum, Dancing Fire Birds, phantom fishes..." She instantly knew their name and how to cast them, with proficiency and mastery. It isn't like the spells from the silver system, It's more like she experienced years of practice in one second. The most baffling part is that none of these spells are created yet.

"These are all awesome!" Marcus from her side exclaimed, amaze by the blueprints that suddenly appeared in his mind. "Transparent suit, SP-Grenade Launcher, Sturdy gloves..." These are the blueprints that should be the best of Grade E and F, and some aren't even invented yet. Like the gravity-bounding mine, SP-Phantom Suit, Or berserker horn. "Damn, these are badass."

---

"Valor run!"

"What a shitty man I am."

"Live Valor, survive until the end of the world."

"How dare you call her your friend!"

"Why!? They're so young!"

"I'm really sorry."

"I'll come back Val, I'll figure a way back home."

As his eyes focused on the wooden puppet, his sword slashed the head of the puppet mightily. He exhaled the third breath, and reconciled confused, 'What the hell are these?' He asked himself, 'These memories are not mine... But, they feel so real... Wait, couldn't this be from the future me!' He came into realization finally, from the next seconds onwards to the next two weeks— Valor knows what will happen. And it's a lot.

To the outcome of their childish decision to the death of hundreds of innocent civilians. They had underestimated the Trials of this system that appeared— if it is based on difficulty, it should be impossible to accomplish with their level. The overwhelming power of the parasite king, the impossible rift in the kuruuk, and the headquarters of the terrorist in their town. The three main problems turned this lively village barren.

He slashed with the fourth move and breath, while the lady puppet stiffened with the sudden malice she detected. "Valor I'm scared." Rein from his side shook after she blew up the wooden puppet that came. So he tried to calm her down with words, "get yourself together rein, that lady's attention is now focused on the sudden malice. This is our chance, I'll create an opening and you do your job." He might be calm, but he is suppressing the surging emotions he is feeling now. 'Why was it you oldkreg?'

Valor made the decision base on the [Knowledge]. From those despairing memories he got, this plan of theirs is the only one that worked.

He listed the spots he can step to in the crowded hallway, while he exhibited his fourth to eighth moves, "Follow me!" he said softly to Rein and hopped on the spots he listed before. On the red carpet, they danced with the wooden puppets. Limbs and head flew, while they quickly neared the thoughtless lady.

The hooded lady quickly noticed their approach, "Shit!" She cursed, the circles on her prosthetic arm vanished while she attempted to block Valor's vertical slash— Floating in the air is where he is. They quickly arrived while she was stiffened by that malice, it is strong and powerful. A being she should be wary of, but that also gave valor and Rein the chance to get to her quickly.

His knife that was quickly traveling slowed on the air, "It was a feint attack!" She exclaimed and was about to move again when Valor grabbed her wrist with his pair of steaming hands, locking her with his body. Hands-on prosthetic arms and thighs on the hard stiffened hips. "What are you doing?" she asked him confused. She knows that He knows she can just cast a fireball through her mouth, with just three seconds and valor will catch a direct hit.

But Valor only smiled, signing her that he has a plan. And in the exact seconds those thoughts were processed, Rein appeared below. Riffle is tossed on the ground while the blue ball now lies on her right hand. Rushing to her with that ball pointed to her.

"Shit!" She exclaimed when she saw the ball, quickly identifying the aesthetic design of the mind ball. Rein took the chance and stabbed the ball with all her might, to the direction of her lower abdomen is where it is going.

But a puppet controlled by a puppeteer beyond the main path didn't came unprepared, "You two like surprises huh? Then here's a surprise. Overdrive!" She questioned them before shouting under her hood. Electricity then flowed in her body in large quantity, the emergency skill overdrive was fully activated. It will power her up for three seconds in max, or she'll implode with heat.

She broke through the bounding grip of Valor before she grabbed his right wrist and took him off her hips by lifting him off the air, with a swing, she smashed him on the floor beside her. Luckily the floor is cushioned with the carpet, "Valor!" Rein seeing this exclaimed, worried about Valor's we'll being.

But she couldn't worry any longer, she saw the hands that gripped Valor also nearing her face. So she tried to fasten her thrust, But she was too late, and the lady is too strong. Her face was captured by the metal arm, gripping it like the mandibles of a ferocious monster. The lady lifted her off the ground, looking at Rein with a smile behind the shaded hood. "Your loss pretty girl." She said confident, mission accomplished for her.

She waited for a response, but she found her not interested in doing so, she's quiet. Not responding With a despairful plea, the very thing she is waiting for. So she levitated her from the ground to see her reaction. But she saw nothing. Lifeless and emotionless, eyes hued with nothing. "A puppet?" She asked surprised but no one answered her.

Instead, a hand grabbed onto her right shoulder before it got heavier and forced her to turn clockwise, making her face the owner of the hand, "Your loss bitch." Rein who is now standing in front of her, smirked with the ball in her right hand, the lady was quickly baffled seeing her smirk, the words, "but how?" Couldn't help but come out of her lips.

Rein quickly punched the ball against her face while she's still baffled, confused and envy. She forced herself to avoid the blow.

And she successfully controlled her thoughts again and was about to dodge her punch when she suddenly lost balance. She instantly found her metal joints on the knees not working anymore, as they were slashed by Valor's knife below her. Disorienting her stance to dodge.

The ball shoved into her face, while the hood was removed and revealed her mechanical face in a blink before it got scrapped by the ball. Her sight vanished and the power of the orb quickly had its effects. It quickly controlled the lady puppet, reforming it with the orb as its center. Its legs were healed and the scratches on the metal skin before Vanished before the words of the AI echoed. "What can I do for you, mam?"

Rein who was looking at her smirked and answered the lady's question, "I didn't say I only saw one orb on my mom's table." She then went to the puppet that looks like her, extended her hands, and took the orb from the hand of the wooden puppet.

"How many dummies can you control?" She asked the lady, it quickly answered with a monotonous tone. "1054 puppets mam."

"Yey, we can use this to kill that boss." She said happily while facing Valor, but his eyes changed hues, his decision rewrote. "No, we won't fight it." He said, knowing the outcome of their initial plan. It is something he regretted with the memories. "I got a better idea."

By experiencing the whole hellish next two weeks, he has better plans to defeat these major problems. He must act where he is sure he is benefitted greatly, not just one by one steps he always does.

"We'll blow up the house."