Chapter 15: Aiming for the Eyes

After a short sprint, Ain caught up to the crouched Carl.

Without pause, Phantom Claws appeared as he swiped at Carl’s head with the intent to kill. He was forcing the latter to either disregard the dying ferret or bear this attack. However, Carl’s response was contrary to Ain’s expectations.

With a flash of light, the disfigured ferret abruptly vanished from Carl’s embrace while he dodged the attack nimbly. Ain’s claws scraped past his shoulder but failed to penetrate the silver metallic layer.

What? Where did the ferret go!?

The ferret’s sudden disappearance stunned Ain. His perfect opportunity to strike had slipped away just like that!

As Ain’s attack missed, Carl’s anger was soaring due to the ferret’s sorry plight. With a warped expression, he punched out with his metallic fist fiercely.

Ain’s adrenaline spiked as he crossed his white claws across his chest. The metallic fist struck like a cannon blast, nearly fracturing his augmented arms. The impact broke his guard, pushing him away. His condition was deteriorating from the accumulating damage and stress.

Carl wasn’t intent on stopping. Ain’s current state caused a savage glint to appear in his eyes. Stomping on the white sand heavily, he instantly covered the short few steps before attacking with a left jab.

Ain’s instinct for survival kicked in as he barely tilted his head to dodge. Carl smiled menacingly at this sight. His shrewd left jab was swift and precise, connecting seamlessly with his next strike. Before Ain’s dodging motion could finish, Carl’s right fist, suffused with a golden glow, delivered a devastating body blow.

Ain stared at the approaching mace-like fist in dismay, unable to muster any resistance.

Ultimately, the puppets’ unadorned attacks and a spirit master’s meticulous strategies were incomparable. Ain’s few days of practice couldn’t triumph over decades of experience, especially in his present worsening condition.

Boom! Crunch!

The devastating impact resulted in a faint shockwave. With it came the alarming sound of Ain’s ribs shattered like flimsy twigs. He spewed out a mouthful of blood as he collapsed onto his wobbling knees.

“You’ve caused a lot of trouble, but this is the end!” Carl uttered balefully, staring at Ain’s downed figure. He grabbed Ain’s neck with an iron grip, pulling him up slightly. A cruel smile was plastered on Carl’s face as he began lifting his right hand to deliver the final blow.

However, just as the golden glow manifested on the metallic fist, Ain’s motionless arm suddenly swiped the disintegrating Phantom Claws across Carl’s eyes. At such close proximity, with his both hands occupied, the latter failed to react in time.

“Aaargh!” A painful scream escaped Carl’s mouth almost instantly. The grip on Ain’s neck loosened, allowing him to strenuously escape the clutches of death. With staggering footsteps, labored breathing, and hazy eyes, Ain’s only thoughts were of escaping. With a final burst of strength, he ignored everything else and ran.

“Aaaargh! My eyes! It hurts!!”

“I’ll f*cking kill you!!”

“Aaaargh!!”

Carl’s anguished wails and vengeful cursing resounded, acting as embellishments to the silent clashes between the remaining puppets.

With Mason’s death, his army of puppets vanished with a faint flash. The Puppet Command Tokens had long left Ain and Carl’s hands. Losing the supply of aether, the puppets were no longer being replenished, and their numbers were rapidly diminishing.

Carl’s screams were still audible as Ain trudged away laboriously. His expression was twisted due to the immense pain, causing his body to shiver.

“Wooo…” After covering a few meters, Nox was unable to hold on. It left Ain’s body with extreme fatigue before collapsing on his trembling shoulders. It was distressed at Ain’s injuries but couldn’t muster the strength to even float.

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Not realizing its appearance, Ain kept moving forward mechanically, as if it was his sole mission in life. An impact from behind suddenly pushed him onto the ground. A Rank-0 puppet fighting nearby had struck him.

Ain crawled on his hands and knees, staring ahead intently. A few seconds later, with a purple tinge suffusing his skin, he finally grasped an object laying atop the white sand. It was his Puppet Command Token.

Ain’s condition was appalling yet his thoughts flowed like crystal water in a gentle spring. His grievous injuries didn’t affect his cognition whatsoever.

Upon falling prey to Carl in close combat, he used the unexpected opportunity to strike back, shifting the tides in his favor. From the beginning, he’d never hoped to penetrate Carl’s defensive spell. The metallic sheen covered his entire body, except for the seven orifices. Ain had been gunning for the eyes all along.

Fortunately, Nox was barely able to support Phantom Claws during that strike.

Ain’s sneak attack effectively disabled Carl, whose aether reserves were also waning. After all, he’d been supporting a defensive spell all this time.

The Puppet Command Token was all Ain needed to determine the outcome.

Using Chronarch Precept to recover his aether, he commanded the Rank-1 puppet to bring him Mason’s body. In its stead, dozens of Rank-0 puppets surrounded the maniacal Carl, gradually wearing him down.

While the Rank-1 puppet was dragging Mason’s body over, Carl’s crazed voice entered Ain’s ears.

“You’re looking for the antidote, aren’t you!? You won’t find it!”

“Mason’s innate talent was Poison Resistance! He doesn’t carry antidotes! Hahahahaha!!”

“If you want the antidote, you’ll have to take it from me!”

“Come on! Come and get it!”

“You won’t last long if you don’t!”

“Come on, coward!!”

Carl, surrounded by dozens of Rank-0 puppets, was like an enraged bull. Each sweep of his thick metallic limbs launched puppets into the air. An unnerving horizontal wound was slashed across his vulnerable eyes, the profuse bleeding smearing his twisted face. With a deranged smile, he shouted at the top of his lungs.

Ain’s paling complexion frowned at Carl’s statements. He ignored the yelling while surrounding himself with Rank-0 puppets. Soon, the Rank-1 puppet arrived, dragging Mason’s lifeless body along.

With a sharp hiss, Ain suppressed the acute pain before searching Mason’s body. There were some small bags attached to his belt and a larger backpack strapped behind his back. Within seconds, the bags’ contents were scattered onto the white canvas of sand as he sifted through them swiftly.

Ain only cared for the medicines. After tossing about a few medicine containers, no antidotes were discovered. There was an empty pill bottle labeled ‘Aether Recovery Pills,’ and another labeled ‘Scarlet Healing Pills.’ The latter still contained two round pills.

“There’s really no antidote…” Ain’s expression turned ugly. He stared at Mason’s corpse while cursing internally. If Carl’s words were to be believed, Mason’s innate talent was Poison Resistance. It was reasonable to delve in poison with such an innate talent but not carrying antidotes was just evil. Was he confident in not accidentally poisoning others? Or did he just not care?

Ain was inclined to believe the latter.

He didn’t dwell on this matter for long. Failing to find the desired antidote was disheartening, so his focus shifted to the Scarlet Healing Pills. He’d never heard of them before, but the name was self-explanatory. As the pills were from a poison expert, Ain was compelled to use Scan.

[Name: Scarlet Healing Pills]

[Aspect: Wood]

[Rank: Rank-1]

[Grade: Normal]

[Aspect Traces: Wood 85.2%, Water 7.4%, Wind 2.1%, …]

[Description: A common mass-produced healing pill with mild effects.]

“Mild effects… how much is that?” Ain pondered briefly before swallowing the two pills. The sparse amount of aether in his body acted as the catalyst after the pills entered his stomach. Immediately, the pills’ essence dissolved, and the magical effects dispersed across his body, naturally converging at the damaged regions.

Warmth gradually spread throughout his body, relaxing his nerves while easing the pain.

“Whew…” Ain sighed subconsciously, feeling the subsiding pain from the broken ribs and the snake bite. The poison’s effects were still present, but the medicinal effects served to temporarily suppress them.

Nox still lay listlessly on his shoulder, casting a sidelong glance at Ain consuming the Scarlet Healing Pills. This action seemed to remind it of something as it tilted its head pondering. After a while, its eyes brightened, “Wooo…!”

“Hmm?” Nox’s exclamation momentarily stunned Ain, “You want to use the Prismatic Void Stone to recover?”

“Wooo…!” Nox nodded with its eyes in a hurry.

Ain was skeptical but still fished out the black stone. “You’re of the ghost aspect while this stone has the void aspect. Can you really absorb it?”

“Wooo…!” Nox affirmed. Its instincts told it was possible.

The Prismatic Void Stone entered Nox’s body, becoming suspended in its cloudy form. Ain observed Nox for a moment before letting it be. He’d know the results soon.

With the temporary suppression of the poison, the immediate threat was restrained, prompting him to address his primary target.

Carl’s taunting shouts subsided some time ago. The opposing Rank-0 puppets had yet to vanish, so he should still be alive.

“His exhaustion has probably caught up. Or maybe the ferret died…” Although curious, Ain held no intentions of scouting the situation. He was firmly seated on the white sand, surrounded by dozens of puppets. The Rank-1 puppet was stationed right beside him, serving as his personal guard.

With the Puppet Command Token in hand, Ain’s advantage over Carl’s ever-diminishing puppet army was apparent. Carl’s only fate was to be swept away by the puppet tide.