Puppet Master Chapter 72: Chapter 72: Rest

Read chapter 72 of Puppet Master by PeName on NovelPedia.

The blazing midday sun shone down, heating everything beneath it. Feeling the warm sunlight on his skin, Tris thought the blood-soaked space from before was nothing but an illusion—if not for the lingering aches still present all over his body. While continuing to heal himself with “Fast Heal”, Tris used Space magic “Eye From Nothingness” to carefully check the area around him. ‘Has it really gone?’ Tris wondered in surprise. It was hard not to be astonished. After all, the way that figure appeared and disappeared was far too sudden and mysterious—mysterious like its very existence. “Too strong!” Tris exclaimed sincerely. It was the first time in his life he had fought a battle without seeing any chance of victory. Even Zyron and his companions, strong as they were, could not compare to the danger posed by that single figure in the red cloak. Through his short dreams, Tris had already known there were beings absurdly powerful like that. For this reason, even though he possessed far greater strength than children his age, he never allowed himself to be arrogant and always acted with extreme caution when outside. Yet he never expected to encounter such an overwhelming opponent so soon. Experiencing it directly in reality was vastly different from a dream—it was truly terrifying. ‘Fortunately, that person never had killing intent toward me.’ Tris sighed in relief. That was something he had already realized in the middle of the battle. Unlike Tris, who struck with clear intent to kill, his opponent treated the fight purely as a game. Each blow not only avoided his vital points but also deliberately refrained from causing overly serious injuries. Even if the intent had been to capture him alive for interrogation, there were far more effective ways to do so. For someone whose thinking and calculations surpassed even his own, there was no way that figure did not know this. Thus, even after being seized and hung up like a salted fish, Tris did not attempt any reckless countermeasures. ‘Damn it! Unlucky enough to stumble into this place only to get beaten for nothing.’ He thought bitterly once again. Since that figure had already blocked the path here, Tris understood he no longer needed to waste effort searching for the cultist. It was easy to guess why the cultist had suddenly vanished without leaving a trace right after escaping the tunnel. Moreover, the fact that the red-cloaked figure was already standing guard here led Tris to suspect that he might be the mastermind behind today’s mission to attack the cult’s lair. Tris wanted to curse that the cultists must have lived too wickedly to draw such a being’s attention, but after remembering that he himself had just been beaten, he chose silence instead. Sighing once more, Tris looked at the puppet lying near his feet. After the Domain collapsed, the “Berserker” puppet had been restored intact. He stored it back into his ring, then took out “Feathers.” He needed it to determine his current location and the direction back to town. The work here was finished; it was time to return. Exhausted both physically and mentally, all Tris wanted now was rest, a bath, and a hearty meal. * * * * * * * * * * The road back was longer than expected. On top of that, several Magical Beasts blocked his way, so it was well past mid-afternoon before Tris finally returned to town. Immediately upon arrival, he sensed an unusual atmosphere. The mood of the guards was especially gloomy and heavy. ‘News of Will’s death must have reached them.’ Personally, Tris greatly admired the man. It was not only his sense of responsibility toward those under him but also his indomitable will—ready to bite into the enemy even at the cost of his life, even if facing the incarnation of an evil god. ‘Sadly, good men don’t live long, while disasters last for thousands of years.’ Once again, Tris reminded himself not to go playing the good man or hero. Careful hiding and survival were the wiser path. Today’s outing had nearly