by N. Heller
Raising his eyes, Puppeteer drawled, "What's wrong?"
"You…" Perhaps the water was too cold, as Maxin shivered profusely. The worst thing happened at the worst time. It was hard for Maxin to say the things that were stuck inside his throat. "Are… you injured?"
"So, what are you suggesting?"
'Perhaps it was because he was injured that he asked me to look for Lin Sanjiu.
'And that's also why he did not notice that "thing".'
Maxin gulped.
"There is... somebody behind you."
Staring at them, the man in question smiled.
Chapter 658 - This is how he cultivates an appreciation for asthetics
Puppeteer twisted around, and his arms fell to his side, revealing the large gaping wound that crawled from his c.h.e.s.t to his abdomen. With each moment, more and more of Puppeteer's condition flashed across Maxin's eyes: his skin, pale as snow; the wound, bleeding. Then, without turning his head, he waved his hand and sent something unseen that slashed through the air. It went straight for Maxin, hit him in the nose, and pushed him back into the sea.
Only then did Puppeteer turn to face Maxin, a cold smile dancing around his lips.
"Did you think that you would stand a chance against me because I was injured? Please don't make me laugh."
"What the hell are you doing?" Maxin struggled in the water, his voice contorted with pain. Blood gushed down his face. "Are you crazy? Look behind! Look behind!"
"There is no one behind me," Puppeteer raised an eyebrow slowly.
Maxin fought with the water until he finally regained his balance. Even as he struggled, he did his best to retreat backward, "What are you saying—"
Enduring the stinging seawater, he opened his eyes and froze.
There was indeed no one behind Puppeteer. There was just an open sea and floating dead bodies behind him.
Maxin's face gradually turned white as though he was the one who was badly wounded.
"That...that's…" He felt a chill travel down his spine, and he was bereft of speech for several long seconds. "Yes, there is nobody at your back now..."
This was because the man had silently moved from Puppeteer's back to his side. Right now, he leaned against Puppeteer's ear, offering Maxin a wide beam.
Puppeteer was completely unaware of his presence until the person twisted his head and whispered into his ear, "He's right. Because I'm right here."
Puppeteer instinctively reacted by throwing an attack at the person. Be that as it may, his attack missed its target, doing nothing but merely stirring up some waves into the air. Then, using the veil of water as his shield, the thin figure clad in a black jacket leaped out of harm's way and landed on a dead body with feline grace. Standing on top of the corpse, the pallidness of his skin and black jacket gave the impression that he was a specter who had lost its color.
"How rude," the intruder laughed. He finger-combed through his shiny golden hair before continuing in an unhurried tone of voice, "You're hurting my feelings, you know?"
Maxin turned his head subconsciously and met Puppeteer's gaze. Both of them looked at each other for a moment then back at the trespasser.
"Look at me," commanded the person smilingly. His grin was as warm as a ray of sunlight that pierced through the thick foliage of the forest in the summer season. "Do I look scary to you?"
He was right. The young man in front of them was not scary at all. In fact, they had never seen a person with an appearance as flawless as his.
Although the crowd of Zeus was considered as a fine specimen in their own right, there was an odd feeling about them. But this young man over here was different. His appearance was so impeccable that they could hardly find any imperfections in it. He had a mesomorphic build and a pair of perfect bee-stung lips. Whenever he smiled, his teeth glowed so brightly they burned one's eyes, and his eyes glimmered with so much brilliance it was as if there was a river of stars in them.
"Hm? Why are you two staring at me like that? Am I too handsome, or what?" Again, the young man chuckled. Then, he began to move towards Puppeteer and Maxin. With every step, his n.a.k.e.d body and package would swing, and the two men in the water had to muster up every bit of strength they had to keep their gaze fixed on his face so that they would not see something that would hurt their eyes.
"Who are you?" Puppeteer asked grimly.
"Well, why don't you hazard a guess? You guys are not stupid, so I am very certain that you already know who am I," said the dashing young man as he crouched down. Maxin jerked his head around, veins bulging on his forehead. "Let me give you some hints. I'm now a devastated and greatly saddened father who has just lost his kids… All of these Zeus. They were all my precious children."
As he spoke, he grabbed the wrist of the Zeus he sat above. Like a misbehaving child, he dragged the corpse and circled around the sea. Seizing his chance, Maxin darted a glance at the Zeus's neck. When he saw nothing on the Zeus's neck, he frowned. Before he could say anything, Puppeteer's voice came.
"You are the highest god?" he asked.
The young man nodded in assent. A wholehearted smile blossomed on his face as he said with great exhilaration, "Bingo! Yes, I'm the highest god."
As the highest god waved his arms in the air, he tossed the Zeus's corpse into the sea behind him. A spurt of water was sent skyward and caused Maxin to shudder at the sight. From the moment Puppeteer sent him to check through the Zeus corpses, a weird feeling had been stirring in his heart. He felt that something was out of place, but after experiencing so many life-or-death situations and ups-and-downs in one day, his brain was so tired and chaotic that he couldn't think straight.
"The tsunami…"
However, there was something he knew very well. Other than the young man before him who called himself the highest god, Maxin could not think of any better candidate that could stir up a tidal wave of such magnitude.
Frowning, Maxin then asked, "Why? Why would you kill all the Zeus?" As the question tumbled off his tongue, the strange feeling suddenly got stronger. Driven by his instincts, he turned his head and looked at Puppeteer. The lanky posthuman now stood as stiff as a rock on top of a corpse. Maxin did not know what he was thinking or how his condition was right now, as he merely saw his silhouette.
The highest god then sat down cross-legged. He stretched his arms into the water and scooped out another Zeus's corpse. Pinching the Zeus's nape, he said, "Because they were too naughty."
Both Puppeteer and Maxin remained silent as they waited for his explanation.
"At the very beginning, this year's God's Ordeal was pretty much similar to the previous year's. Everybody gave their best shot and fought with all their might for the only chance to meet the highest god. It was kind of boring, but well, it's better than nothing."
With those words, the highest god threw the second Zeus's corpse away. He stifled a yawn before drawling out his vowels, "The other competitions were the same. It has been years. Even if I changed the rules, I would get bored pretty soon too… Hmm, how should I put this? It is like a 10,000 episodes soap opera or novel that has been serialized for years. Although we are very familiar with the plots and whatnots, we still enjoy it nonetheless."
"Hang on," Maxin interrupted, "So you're saying that you were watching us when we were participating in the competitions in the Olympics? To you, all of these are just a show?"
The highest god shrugged his shoulders, showing off his beautifully chiseled muscles, which could only be rivaled by a Greek god's sculpture.
" Duh ." As he spoke, he extended his hand and went for the third corpse. "Otherwise, what do you think these sports competitions are for? A long long time ago in Ancient Greece, the Olympics were held in honor of the Olympians. Everything you do in the competition is for me. I am your only audience."
Maxin suddenly shuddered. He did not know if it was because of what the highest god said, or if he finally got the answer for the doubt that had been haunting him all this time.
>
"But when that guy over there appeared," the highest god flung the third corpse away, and when he was going for the fourth one, he nudged his chin at Puppeteer, "The God's Ordeal suddenly became interesting again. This is the first time I ever came across a contender who wanted to capture the host."
Floating on top of the water surface with both Ji Shanqing and Soulsqn on his shoulders, Maxin looked like a statue that half fell into the sea.
"So that is the reason why those Zeus kept talking about how to make the scene more fun and getting the most entertainment out of this…"
"Mm-hmm, that's right. They were discussing how to make the game more entertaining so that I could enjoy it better," the highest god grinned. The way he smiled and showed his row of healthy teeth gave people the wrong impression that he was an innocent young man who had yet to see the dark side of the world. "To be honest, they were pretty good in setting the plot. They even succeeded in fooling you guys with the fake Lin Sanjiu strategy. I was pretty happy with them during that time."
After he flung the fourth body away, he tilted his head. Water droplets dripped down his wet hair, onto his c.h.e.s.t, then his abs, before rolling off. "However, all the Zeus are children I've crafted, so needless to say, my Zeus are the rightful lead actors. I prefer watching the main characters be more intelligent than their enemies, slaughtering their opponents, and toying with the antagonists… Many Zeus died during the start of the battle and that made me displeased. If it weren't for the drama that Lin Sanjiu created, I would have long given up while I waited for a turning point in the plot!"
The image of Old Hag, the old man who saved him, came with splendid clarity into Maxin's mind.
He might not have realized that he was merely an inconsequential clown in Zeus's script.
"Then what?!" Anger ran harsh lines down both sides of the highest god's flawless face as he harrumphed. "Have you ever watched a movie that tormented the leading actor? Their strategy was exposed, the lead actors were compromised, and they even failed to unwrap the grand prize! It was so frustrating! The story began high but ended low; everything had swayed from its intended course. They were a bunch of fools! I was so angry that I lost all interest in the competition that was going on land, so I destroyed and killed them all! After all, the last thing I would lack is posthumans."
His attention-grabbing eyelashes fluttered. A glint appeared in his dewy eyes once more. When the highest god reached for the fifth body, he regained his jovial laughter. "But I'd forgotten one thing. Those Zeus bribed all of you with 'God's blessing' so I've got to make sure that none of you drown in this water. Even if that fellow gets hurt, he pretty much deserves it…"
While Maxin held his breath and watched anxiously, the highest god scooped up an unfamiliar-looking male body. That person's facial features were very normal and looked nothing like that of the other Zeus. Any other person would definitely assume that he was yet another posthuman who had become an unintended casualty of circ.u.mstances. However, the beguiling, eye-catching Pygmalion Choker around his neck embodied a stark rejection of this conclusion.
"Ah, found it!" the young man in his birthday suit exclaimed. "This is the one!"
Maxin jerked his head back, and his gaze clashed with Puppeteer's in the air.
Chapter 659 - Sanjiu! Sanjiu!
Everything was as clear as day now.
Maxin was slightly dazed at first when Puppeteer ordered him to look for Lin Sanjiu from the mass of floating bodies in the sea, but now he knew why. Zeus Lin must not die. If he was dead, then Lin Sanjiu could not be saved anymore, and everything they had done until now would be for naught.
Nevertheless, there were only corpses bobbing up and down in the sea, and Puppeteer was telling him that one of them was Lin Sanjiu?
"Hey, dude, you haven't realized it yet, have you?"
Grabbing the male corpse by his neck, the highest god said with a lopsided grin, "This Zeus is a traitor. When I set off the tsunami, that guy wearing a leather jacket protected him. However, when he realized that this Zeus was going to die regardless of his protection, he ordered him to do something that all of you have been wanting him to do."
Zeus Lin did not want to die. And if he wanted to save himself from death, he had to take out the [Human Traffickers Roster] so that when his life was in danger, the leecher inside the pocket folder could replace him.
Just as Zeus had planned, the male corpse wearing Lin Sanjiu's choker in the highest god's hand was a leecher while Zeus Lin himself was absorbed into the roster. It was just that they had no idea whether Lin Sanjiu had regained her body or if she was still a Zeus.
Maxin wanted to sigh. If it weren't for his bad condition and foggy mind, he would've thought it through already and gotten the corpse faster than Zeus.
"Unlike Lin Sanjiu, this leecher cannot store Special Items on his body," Puppeteer suddenly said, his voice soft and soothing to the ears. It drifted along with the fleeting sea breeze above the ocean. After a short pause, he began to speak again, sounding like a storyteller narrating a story. "So long as he did not lose the roster, we can just find it and open it. Then will we know if the one who survived is Zeus or Lin Sanjiu."
"Bingo." The highest god smacked his knee and said mirthfully, "Rest assured. I can tell you that the roster is still on this corpse. Although I'm not very happy with these Zeus, I have to confess that they indeed put on a good show."
After that, he stretched his arm and patted the head of a Zeus floating near him, looking like a lovely dad giving a compliment to his dear son.
"I didn't expect them to leave me a conundrum. Well, to be honest, I don't know if I will see Zeus or Lin Sanjiu after I open the roster. If it's Zeus, then I will have to punish him. But if it is Lin Sanjiu…"
The highest god raised his chin, his smooth and powerful mandibular muscles glistening in the sun. His body evinced the glow of excellent nourishment, and his fair skin was smooth as if it had been polished. All of them found it hard to not stare at his well-proportioned body. "If it is Lin Sanjiu, then I will keep her inside the roster as a leecher!"
He c.o.c.ked his head, allowing his mane of golden hair to flow radiantly in the air. "It's quite boring when you are watching a game alone without anybody to talk to. I could use her as my personal digital pet."
Maxin turned and stared woodenly at Puppeteer, but the man clad in black remained silent. He even gave people the impression that he had not moved from his location for a long time.
"Oh, here it is." The highest god went straight for the belt without thinking twice and pulled out an A4-size pocket folder. There was a label "For Human Traffickers" affixed to the shiny surface of the pocket folder. The pocket folder seemed to be made of waterproof material, as it was still dry even though it had been soaked under the sea for such a long time.
Lowering his head, the highest god fiddled through the pocket folder.
As if to torture the two men in front of him, this man of unrivaled handsomeness began to look from the first page. The moment he flipped open the pocket folder, he exclaimed, "Oh! It is a female leecher!"
Maxin's heart skipped a beat, then the highest god sighed.
"It is a female leecher, but it seems that she has been staying inside the pocket folder for seven months already." As he spoke, he raised the pocket folder for them to see. Using the dim sunlight as their only light source, both of them could see that there was a chubby girl inside the plastic sleeve. Her eyes kept rolling around, and she looked like a depiction. Since they were pretty far away from the highest god, they could not see the leecher's expression clearly. Close to the footer of the page, there was a label full of words. Perhaps it was the description of the leecher.
"You have experienced four near-death experiences even though you have been a leecher for just seven months? What a poor girl," the highest god exclaimed as he waved his hand at the girl before flipping to the next page. There was a tiny corpse on the next page.
"Ten years old, one more month and
he would have been a leecher for a year. Manner of death… unknown? Well, seems like taking care of a digital pet is not an easy task." He pinched the corpse and threw it behind him.
Looking at the highest god's carefree demeanor, Maxin was so anxious that he wished he could smack the highest god in the head so that he could speed up.
As if he sensed their impatience, the highest god slowed down his movement even more.
"A man? Pass. Hmm, an elderly woman? This is actually pretty entertaining. The folder itself is like a self-sustaining community, there are so many people inside… Ah, this man is so hot!" The highest god squinted his eyes. "Oh, that's a mirror, my bad. Okay, let's move to the next page… Hey, why are there some cosmetics in here?"
Time ticked by excruciatingly slow. The highest god continued to blabber on and on and on. Maxin did not know how does Puppeteer felt, but he was on the verge of exploding.
Not every page contained one leecher. When the highest god finally reached the last page, he raised the roster high and buried his head into it.
After two seconds, he raised his head and offered them a wide grin.
"Guess who I saw?" the highest god said, his big dewy eyes sparkling. "Was it Zeus or Lin Sanjiu?"
Maxin did not want to guess at all. To rescue Lin Sanjiu, he had spent too much time and energy, and had experienced so many life-or-death situations that he was drained. He just wanted the highest god to quickly reveal the mystery and get this over with as soon as possible.
The moment the highest god finished speaking, the two hitchhikers on his shoulders shuddered. Just as he pressed their heads down, he caught something in the corner of his eye and froze. The words escaped his mind, and he forgot what he wanted to say.