Chapter 10: Puppet Command Token
Ain, with Nox hovering nearby, skirted along the azure walls, completely avoiding the chaotic battlefield. Not long after this endeavor began, they were rewarded with a discovery that caused their eyes to light up.
At a distance, near the battlefield, was a thin azure platform placed atop the glimmering white sand. The thousands of puppets battling encompassed a large area, and only after circling the battlefield could it be seen. There was a wooden sword pierced into the platform, standing upright in clear view.
Ain, glancing between the battlefield and the platform, contemplated, “It’s a little too close to the battlefield, but Nox might be able to sneak over.”
He turned to Nox and briefly explained his thoughts. Its task was to scout the platform and retrieve the sword. Nox’s eyes moved up and down vigorously, its way of nodding in excitement.
“Go!”
“Wooo…!”
The white sand underneath served to camouflage Nox’s ghastly white body. It stuck to the ground and quickly traversed the distance, arriving at the azure platform.
Ain watched from afar with bated breath, his attention split between Nox and the battlefield. The puppets near the platform clashed with their fists and weapons, unaware of Nox’s existence, causing him to sigh in relief.
Within five minutes, Nox returned from its mission and explained, “Wooo…”
Ain listened attentively with narrowed eyes while staring at the two spirit masters vaguely visible within their respective armies. Nox was unable to retrieve the sword from the platform. No matter how much it tugged, it refused to budge. Aside from the embedded sword, there were also two empty grooves on the platform. With the platform’s proximity to the battlefield, Nox discovered similar swords in the two spirit masters’ hands.
“The sword seems to be the key here,” Ain speculated. From the grooves on the platform, there were three swords in total. It was difficult to chalk this off as a coincidence. It should be a trial mechanism corresponding to the three participants, including himself.
It didn’t take long for him to decide. Nox’s strength was insufficient, but Ain was a Rank-1 Spirit Master. If those two spirit masters could take out the swords, it shouldn’t be difficult for him either.
Ain nodded at Nox before the two quickly covered the distance to the platform. Unlike Nox, he couldn’t camouflage himself against the white sand. The puppets’ detection range was about three meters from what he’d discovered in the hallway. However, this only applied to unprovoked puppets. While practicing Temporal Blitz in the previous hall, the puppets that spawned farther away would still target them.
Ain couldn’t be sure of the situation here; hence he chose speed over stealth. As he ran with his body lowered, the platform grew larger in his vision. With a jump, he landed atop the platform as white sand kicked up in the air behind him.
At this moment, a shout of disbelief sounded from the battlefield, startling Ain, “How are you still alive!? I killed you hours ago!!”
Carl’s twisted expression portrayed his extreme shock. Mason’s special puppet was like a specter, haunting him from the shadows. He’d already been assassinated multiple times, barely surviving each encounter. Because of that, he’d kept a vigilant watch on his surroundings. Just a moment ago, when a nearby puppet moved its head, he caught sight of a figure rushing to the azure platform from the corner of his eye. Upon closer observation, he realized it was the kid he’d extracted the aethercore from!
The shout not only alerted Ain, but also drew Mason’s attention. Just like Carl, the latter was hidden in the depths of his respective army of puppets. Despite hearing Carl’s exclamation, he failed to understand it as he hadn’t caught sight of Ain yet. Ain didn’t respond or even pause but quickened his pace instead.
Carl saw the sword embedded in the platform, his eyes widening even more. “When did a third sword appear on the platform!? Mason! We gotta stop that kid!”
From these words, Mason pieced together the situation and looked towards the platform, just in time to see Ain’s figure as he grabbed the sword’s handle. There was no time for them to stop him!
“It’s too late!” Under Carl and Mason’s distressed gazes, Ain muttered to himself and pulled out the sword with two hands.
Whoosh!
With just a slight tug of the hand, the wooden sword slid out of the platform that served as its sheath, leaving behind an empty groove in its place. A soft glow suffused the sword before the light drilled into Ain’s forehead. Even without Wisdom Root, information regarding the sword, as well as the trial mechanism, appeared in his head.
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Instantly, some of Ain’s numerous doubts were finally resolved.
“The Puppet Command Token…”
This sword was called the Puppet Command Token, and it was indeed the key mechanism in this trial. Activating the Puppet Command Token would spawn exactly one thousand puppets to serve as soldiers. The objective was to eliminate the enemy ‘general,’ the ones in possession of the other Puppet Command Tokens.
However, there was an interesting caveat. By consuming tiny amounts of aether, the Puppet Command Token could replenish the destroyed puppets endlessly. This mechanism ensured a perpetual battle until one side either exhausted their aether or made a fatal mistake.
Out of the thousand puppets, one was at Rank-1 while the rest were at Rank-0. On the battlefield before him, the Rank-0 puppets served as cannon-fodder while the Rank-1 puppets attempted to assassinate the opposing ‘general.’ Once either side failed to fend off the assassin, the opposing party would attain victory.
With this mechanism, the battle had reached a strange equilibrium. Of course, that was before Ain’s appearance.
Ain stared at the wooden sword in his hand with bright eyes. With a single thought, he injected some aether, causing numerous faint flashes to appear around him. Soon after, the flashes instantly receded, revealing an army of one thousand puppets with various weapons.
Seeing this sight, Carl and Mason panicked. Unintentionally, the two looked at each other. Although they’d turned against each other for the potential treasures here, they’d worked together for well over a decade prior to this. With a tacit understanding, they communicated with their eyes.
They’d been battling for hours, and much of their aether had been consumed to replenish their puppets. Seeing Nox on Ain’s shoulders, they realized that the kid had somehow reached Rank-1 in this short period of time. In their current state, his aether reserves should be greater than theirs. Once their aether was completely exhausted, the kid’s puppets could easily overwhelm them with sheer numbers, and from what they’d done to the kid before, their outcome could be imagined.
The two tightened their grips on the Puppet Command Token while altering their commands. Instead of targeting each other, they ordered their armies to attack Ain’s puppet army. Furthermore, they specifically ordered the Rank-1 puppets to target Ain himself!
Instantly, the battlefield’s momentum shifted. The two clashing armies suddenly halted. With an uncannily synchronized turn, they faced Ain’s puppet army before charging forth valiantly.
Wisdom Root ensured Ain’s quick response. After understanding the Puppet Command Token, the two spirit masters’ intentions became obvious. “They want to deal with me before they’re completely exhausted!”
Originally, Ain was apprehensive of the two spirit masters. He’d been kidnapped, and then almost killed by them. Despite becoming a Rank-1 Spirit Master and contracting Nox, the fear in the depths of his heart couldn’t be erased. This was where the Puppet Command Token clenched in his hand served to prop up his confidence. He saw an opportunity to avenge himself!
With flickering eyes, Ain overcame the uneasiness and injected aether into the Puppet Command Token. Following his will, the army of puppets charged at the incoming enemies with their weapons raised high. The Rank-1 puppet received its instructions as well, preparing to intercept the incoming assassins.
“Wooo…” Nox nudged Ain with its cloudy form, asking for a ‘great plan.’
For once, Ain didn’t smile at its antics. “Stay close and prepare to use Possession.”
Nox nodded with its eyes and clung to his shoulder.
With a forceful impact, the two sides finally collided. Puppets swung their swords and axes in powerful arcs, launching wooden chunks into the air.
Thud! Clang!
Continuous sounds of weapons clashing resounded in the hall. The puppets that shattered and scattered onto the ground were gradually swallowed by the white sand. Faint flashes of light behind the armies replenished any casualties.
Ain sensed a slight drain on his aether, understanding the reason. His destroyed puppets were being constantly replenished as well. Despite being outnumbered two to one, eliminating him wouldn’t be easy. The only immediate threats were the assassins lingering nearby.
Clang! Boom!
A few meters to the left, the sound of a heavy collision suddenly appeared, followed by a muffled shockwave. Ain’s eyes followed the commotion, catching sight of two Rank-1 puppets engaged in an intense battle. His Rank-1 puppet had found its target!
“There’s still one remaining.” Without lowering his guard, he waited for the second Rank-1 puppet to attack. He was still concerned about the two spirit masters, and occasionally cast his gaze towards them, confirming their inactivity. If they wished to rush over and attack personally, there was a sea of Rank-0 puppets that needed to be dealt with first. Only the stealthy Rank-1 puppets could bypass them with ease and attempt to behead the general.
“Wooo…!” While Ain was momentarily distracted by the two spirit masters, Nox suddenly shouted in an effort to draw his attention, using Possession at its own initiative. With this surge in power, Ain’s aura soared to the limit as he jolted and instinctively lunged forward.
A sharp fist suddenly tore the air behind him with a strange whistling sound. He barely dodged the sneak attack!
Relying on his augmented perception due to Possession, Ain discovered the puppet’s tracks and retaliated with a powerful punch. However, before his fist collided with the target, the puppet dodged with a quick maneuver to the side. He didn’t want to let if off and attempted to continue with the assault, but the Rank-1 puppet dove into the crowd and soon vanished from sight.
Seeing this result, Ain immediately canceled Possession. Possession had a time limit, and with Nox’s current rank, it was difficult to use it constantly. With his heart beating out of his chest, he glanced at Nox gratefully. Despite his vigilance, he’d still almost failed to react in time.
“Wooo…!” Nox assured him of its ability proudly.
Regarding the escaped assassin, this result was already expected by Ain. When the two spirit masters battled each other before, the assassins had also utilized hit-and-run tactics. Unless there was another Rank-1 puppet beside him, it would be difficult to stop this second assassin.