Doomsday Wonderland c1-855

by N. Heller

  Lin Sanjiu noticed a human leg still wrapped in a pair of jeans on the ground near to her when she heard Puppeteer speak again.

  "If you do not wish to get hurt, please give me your kind cooperation. I only have this simple request, and there is no need for anyone to get hurt," Puppeteer smiled, sounding courteous.

  The crowd below started getting restless, but just like the last winter gust in spring, the commotion immediately died down once the surrounding weirdos stared at them.

  Puppeteer looked around, and even though he was still smiling, his gaze was cold and unfeeling. It was impossible to tell how old he was. His occasional movements seemed to lean toward him being a young man, yet, when he crossed his arms and stood still, he seemed older. It was as if he might fit whatever age he was labeled with.

  To add to that enigma, it was difficult to tell what his personality was from the clothes he wore. His entire attire was too strange: his top consisted of an amalgamation of multiple black strips with slits in between which revealed his pale, delicate skin; it was best described as a leather jacket thrown into a blender. He wore a large, scarlet red, c.o.c.kscomb-like accessory on his back which swayed as he walked and a pair of black, t.h.i.g.h-high boots.

  "I have a question," he had a mellow voice, but it caught everyone’s attention immediately.

  "Is there a Consular Officer among the 219 of you?"

  Even after waiting for a few minutes, no one spoke.

  "Oh. A group of 219 is still too small…" Puppeteer sighed, feeling a little unsatisfied by the response. He could only do the next best thing, "Fine. Which of you have information about the Consular Officer here?"

  Lin Sanjiu’s heart tightened when she remembered Fang Dan. She exchanged a glance with Hu Changzai. Despite knowing that it wasn’t quite possible for Puppeteer to spot her among over 200 people, she couldn’t help lowering her head as if she was trying to hide what she knew. When she looked down, she suddenly noticed the trembling legs of the short man standing in front of her.

  She was puzzled. The current situation didn’t seem that scary...

  Somehow, the short man couldn’t stand properly, it felt as if he would fall any second. Unexpectedly, he mustered his courage and spoke with a faltering voice, "Ma… Master Puppeteer..."

  As there was total silence, Puppeteer, who was standing on the stage, heard his voice even though it wasn’t loud.

  [Master Puppeteer? Isn’t that too much of a kiss-*ss?]

  An unfathomable smile appeared on Puppeteer’s face. "Speak."

  "Yes, yes… I spent four to five months trying to find the Consular Officer in this region. However, I heard that he traveled to the North… so, you might not find him here," the short man replied fearfully.

  Lin Sanjiu noticed the two words "this region". If she thought about it logically, considering the size of Earth, if there were only one Consular Officer in each world, the probability of meeting the Consular Officer would be way too small.

  Puppeteer’s smile faded as he asked, "Oh, can anyone provide me additional information about the Consular Officer here?"

  There was silence once again.

  "Ah, alright. It isn’t that I don’t want to believe all of you, but I think I still need to check each of you to confirm that a Consular Officer isn’t hiding here," Puppeteer’s voice was still gentle and cordial as he walked and explained himself at the same time. A platoon of mannequins immediately followed behind him like a group of security guards.

  He walked to the first person standing in the first row. The teenager instantly became defensive, asking, "What are you going to do?"

  "You don’t have to be nervous," Puppeteer said gently as if he was consoling a child, but everyone could still hear his voice clearly, "I just want to know if you’re a Consular Officer. It won’t hurt."

  As he said this, he had already touched the teenager’s forehead, and it happened in an instant.

  The teenager looked as if he was just about to resist, but before he even took out his weapon, Puppeteer had already moved on. Just as promised, it didn’t hurt at all, so the teenager stood awkwardly, not knowing what to do momentarily. Other than appearing a little disappointed, Puppeteer ignored him and continued to the next person. "I am not a Consular Officer, or whatever! Can I leave?" the teenager shouted.

  Puppeteer nodded. "Of course. But you’ll have to wait a little while."

  With that, a mannequin stepped up and blocked the teenager’s path. The teenager remained in his spot with a doubtful expression.

  "Idiot," the short man in front of Lin Sanjiu suddenly mumbled to himself. He grabbed the sides of his pants tightly, appearing to be very nervous.

  Lin Sanjiu had a sudden thought as she whispered, "Hey, which world are you from?"

  The short man was a little stunned when he heard her, he peeked to his side, not expecting that someone would try to start a conversation with him in such circ.u.mstances. He had an average look, but he had a pair of lively eyes. He stared at Lin Sanjiu for a second before he replied, "Whiteout Blizzard. Are you also..."

  Lin Sanjiu nodded and answered secretively as if matching his code word, "Black Death City."

  This was the name of a location she had seen on Ren Nan’s visa.

  "Oh, I’ve been there. Black Death City is gradually stabilizing… Sigh, not only is it inconvenient being in a backward place like Hyperthermal Hell, I didn’t even expect that…"

  Before he finished his sentence, he shuddered and swallowed his words.

  "That’s right. I didn’t expect to be so unlucky. Meeting Puppeteer here, of all places…" Lin Sanjiu sighed, guessing what the man intended to say.

  "So, you’ve heard of him." The short man sighed again.

  "Yeah," Lin Sanjiu answered curtly, hiding her curiosity.

  "This is rare. So, you’re someone who has also been to ‘Twelve Worlds Centrum’. Sigh… From your reaction, you probably don’t know the newest rumor about Puppeteer?" As if suddenly remembering something, the short man introduced himself, "Oh, I am Shen Lianqi, by the way. Let’s be friends. Who knows? Maybe we’ll meet again at Twelve World Centrum…"

  Lin Sanjiu gave her name, suppressing the strong urge to ask what "Twelve World Centrum" was.

  "What is the latest rumor?" she asked a little urgently.

  Shen Lianqi turned pale as their conversation was drawn to this topic again. "I heard that Puppeteer has leveled up, and it’s pretty scary… Recently, even his usual rivals are avoiding him. They all left for other New Worlds. After all, once you’ve reached the same tier as those big shots, it becomes extremely difficult to level up one’s ability! Nobody knows what is going to happen, so everyone is just monitoring the situation. Sigh… Actually, we are nobodies and shouldn’t even get involved. I’d never expected that he would come to this remote backwater…"

  Even though she couldn’t comprehend a lot of what he said, she quickly memorized the details. "Hey, what do you think Puppeteer is planning to do with us today?" Lin Sanjiu asked. She took time to phrase this question in a way that would most likely elicit an answer from Shen Lianqi.

  "Ugh, I am guessing..." Shen Lianqi fixed his gaze on Puppeteer. He noticed that after each time Puppeteer touched someone’s forehead, a mannequin would stand beside that person. He shifted uncomfortably and answered, "I heard that his usual followers disappeared for some time. When they reappeared, they had already become his puppets. They couldn’t even smile on their own accord, but they could still use their abilities.

  "As you know, these puppets here have no active abilities. If it weren’t for ‘The Munitions Factory’, these things would be pretty useless. I heard that he can turn humans into his puppets now. I guess he is probably trying to amass a group of human puppets so that he could break away from ‘The Munitions Factory’. But it is difficult for him to do that within the Twelve Worlds Centrum, so this is probably the reason why he is going to all the newly formed worlds."

  Once Shen Lianqi began talking abo
ut this hot topic which he was interested in and the various information he heard from the gr.a.p.evine, he couldn’t stop. He did not notice Lin Sanjiu’s companions turning pale as he continued.

  "You mean he intends to turn all 219 of us into his puppets?"

  Shen Lianqi didn’t reply. After a while, he muttered, "Sigh, let’s wait and see. If things get out of control, we’ll just have to escape using our own abilities."

  Puppeteer was moving quickly, so he had already checked about 100 people in that short frame of time and was reaching Lin Sanjiu and the rest. As the scarlet red c.o.c.kscomb gradually came closer, they could hear the sound of crunching leather from Puppeteer’s attire as he walked.

  "Xiao Jiu, I suddenly remembered something..." B.Rabbit’s voice sounded in her ears. "Isn’t he planning to touch everybody’s forehead?"

  Lin Sanjiu hesitated for a moment and quickly understood what he meant.

  "Your Versu Poison will kill him in a few seconds. What’s there to be afraid of?"

  B.Rabbit’s words sounded in his three other companions’ ears at the same time, and they immediately looked more relaxed. They were so overwhelmed by the new information about Puppeteer and the new terms like "Twelve Worlds Centrum" that they nearly forgot that they were protected by Versu Poison. Since those mannequins were products of Puppeteer’s ability, they didn’t have to be afraid of those things once Puppeteer died.

  The moment Puppeteer withdrew his finger from Shen Lianqi’s forehead, Lin Sanjiu, feeling the confidence from her poisoned body, almost wished that Puppeteer would reach her sooner.

  Puppeteer stepped forward and stood directly in front of Lin Sanjiu. He narrowed his eyes, sizing her up. Looking at him at close proximity, the Puppeteer had hauntingly intriguing features — his long, slender eyes were surrounded by gold dust which glittered under the sun. Even though he was very tall, he did not have an imposing stature due to his slim frame and pallid skin.

  Puppeteer flashed her a gentle smile as he lifted his finger.

  Lin Sanjiu held her breath.

  "Oh, you’re inflicted with [Versu Poison]."

  Chapter 97 - The Choice of a Growth-type Posthuman

  When Lin Sanjiu considered what had happened on that day in retrospect, she couldn’t help wondering if everything would have turned out differently if she had thrust her forehead forward.

  However, she knew that the idea of using her forehead to touch his hand was just oversimplifying things. The truth was that she didn’t even dare to move when his finger was pointing at her.

  No one was holding her back or restricting her movement, but when she stood in front of Puppeteer, she sensed the underlying aura that the man exuded. She felt as if she was looking at a monster in an abyss, one that hid in a dark mist showing only its silhouette. She was frightened, and her legs turned wobbly by simply looking at him directly.

  Lin Sanjiu lost all courage to move.

  Puppeteer did not have the intention of pressurizing her. He looked at her indifferently, and it was obvious that his main focus wasn’t even on Lin Sanjiu. That short interlude of him discovering her Versu Poison only delayed him for a few seconds. Lin Sanjiu only noticed the red ring on his finger when he withdrew his hand. He took off the ring and pressed it on her forehead, carefully avoiding her skin. Once it touched her head, he sighed, "You’re not a Consular Officer. I was betting my stakes on you…"

  From his reaction, he had probably remembered her face when he saw her peering out from the container.

  The ring was most likely a testing device which could help him identify a Consular Officer. With that, it must be much easier for him. Lin Sanjiu eyed it for a second before she gathered her courage and said, "Mas… Master Puppeteer," she greeted him the same way as Shen Lianqi.

  Puppeteer walked past her without looking back, acknowledging her with a short, "Um?" Meanwhile, he pressed the ring on Hu Changzai’s forehead in the same manner. A mannequin immediately stepped forward and stood right in front of Lin Sanjiu.

  "The Consular Officer in this region has died…" The image of Fang Dan sitting on the ground with a knife sticking out from her stomach flashed passed Lin Sanjiu’s mind. She took in a deep breath, trying her best to ignore the mannequin standing in front of her, "I saw it with my own eyes."

  Puppeteer froze for a second.

  "Is that so?" he maintained his cordial, mild voice while he turned his gold-dusted eyes at Lin Sanjiu. "Why didn’t you say that when I asked?"

  Her heart dropped for a second but, thinking that it wasn’t that serious, she opened her mouth wanting to explain herself. Just then, she caught a glimpse of Shen Lianqi’s face. His face now looked ten times gloomier than before. Her heart froze, and her words were stuck in her throat.

  "Since you addressed me as Master, you should know my temperament." Puppeteer maintained his tranquil expression. "You made me stand on the stage like an idiot while you quietly kept that answer in your stomach. Are you mocking me?"

  "This… was not…"

  Lin Sanjiu was regretting over her action, with her body fully tensed. Unexpectedly, Puppeteer ignored her and walked to the next person.

  [From this reaction, this person isn’t so tyrannical after all...] Just as this thought surfaced in Lin Sanjiu’s mind, she heard someone muttered in a tearful voice, "Sh*t…"

  It belonged to Shen Lianqi.

  "What’s wrong?" Lin Sanjiu asked quickly.

  Shen Lianqi looked at her with a complex expression, "Considering Pu— Master Puppeteer’s temper, don’t you know what it means if he just let you off the hook?"

  Lin Sanjiu did not know what that meant at all.

  Staring back at her ignorant face, Shen Liangi stomped his leg and exclaimed, "You may look intelligent but… Oh God, you’re stupid! We are all dead meat to Puppeteer. That’s why he didn’t even bother dealing with you…"

  "The rumor must be true… things can’t continue like this…" he mumbled to himself as his face turned white.

  Noticing his odd behavior, the mannequin standing beside Shen Lianqi lifted its arm. Lin Sanjiu only noticed then that the mannequin standing near them did not hold any guns. The mannequin reached out to grab Shen Lianqi’s arms. The latter moved his arms, and Lin Sanjiu didn’t see him doing anything else, yet, he managed to chop off one of the mannequin’s hands stealthily.

  The hand which seemed to resemble a real human’s hand, turned to plastic once it fell from the mannequin’s arm. It fell to the ground with a "thud". Puppeteer, who had already walked a few meters away from them, stopped.

  "Do you want to die?" Hu Changzai commented before Lin Sanjiu could say anything, "He’s coming!"

  "I’m sorry, I can’t help you. Didn’t I tell you that we’ll have to escape using our own capabilities…" Shen Lianqi flashed Lin Sanjiu a forced smile.

  Puppeteer turned around and walked toward them leisurely. After a few steps, he was already behind Hu Changzai.

  "300km to the south…" Shen Lianqi forced himself not to turn back as cold sweat poured from his forehead. "Directed Jump!"

  Once he said that, his body rose to the sky like a rocket, throwing off the mannequin who had flung itself at him. His body shot toward the south, and soon he was a mere dot in the sky, all that was left behind was a cloud of dust.

  "Ah, that’s a creation from ‘The Munitions Factory’." Puppeteer was too late, but he did not appear frustrated. "I didn’t expect to find a resident from Twelve Worlds Centrum."

  He turned around, and Lin Sanjiu couldn’t help taking a step back. Surprisingly, Puppeteer paid no attention to her, he beckoned for the mannequin on the floor and asked it, "Who saw that person’s face?"

  The mannequin, who was wearing woman’s clothes, lifted its face rigidly and slowly pointed to Lin Sanjiu. Puppeteer turned to look at her, the gold dust on his face dazzled under the sun.

  [Oh no!] this was the first thought that came to Lin Sanjiu’s mind. She acted almost intuitively, she pumped her legs and jumped bac
kward. At the same time, she pulled out her long whip-like mouthpart and struck the plastic mannequin which had lunged itself at her.

  "Don’t run. I just need your pair of eyes…"

  Lin Sanjiu felt cold sweat running down her spine as she gulped. She finally understood Shen Lianqi’s dread. To her, this man’s existence was on an entirely different tier compared to her.

  Just when Puppeteer was about to move, a small brown shadow shot out of nowhere, targeting his c.h.e.s.t; at the same time, Hu Changzai rushed behind Puppeteer and aimed his fist at the Puppeteer's exposed neck. Their goal was simple: they just needed to come in contact with the Puppeteer’s skin.

  Hai Tianqing, who was standing on the other side, threw aside the mannequin standing in front of him. He ran over, grabbed Lin Sanjiu’s singlet and pulled her behind him, shielding her.

  As the four of them had been together for some time, their coordination was quick and accurate. They blocked every opening which their opponent could use to evade the attacks. If their opponent was anyone but Puppeteer, they would have been successful. However, when B.Rabbit landed on the ground, and Hu Changzai stopped, Puppeteer was still standing idly in the middle. He was totally unharmed.

  The whole situation went out of control. After witnessing a person escaping, and then another group fighting back, chaos ensued, and numerous mannequins were pushed to the ground.

  "Oh really. You guys just know how to give me trouble." Puppeteer sighed and quietly ordered, "Forget it, kill the rest of them. Slit their throats. Don’t damage their bodies."

  He only mumbled those words, but all the plastic mannequins, dummies, and dolls seemed to have received his order at the same time. The legion of puppets charged toward the Posthumans, and before Lin Sanjiu could react, fountains of blood erupted across the pier.