With a soft 'clank,' Bohemia's face contorted in pain and anguish. She turned away, unable to bear watching, as if the shattered deep red ring in Puppeteer's hand had broken her heart. Lin Sanjiu, too, wore a pained expression, her heartache nearly matching Bohemia's.
The [Hand of Containment], an exceptionally rare and precious weapon, now lay in several broken pieces, along with the scattered red powder, slipping from Puppeteer's grasp.
Despite having destroyed Lin Sanjiu's treasured possession, Puppeteer's improved mood was evident, though happiness remained elusive on his cold and gaunt face. "You're fortunate," he said, "I happen to possess a method for destroying Special Items and was willing to assist you."
Lin Sanjiu's heartache seemed indescribable at this point. The more sorrow she displayed, the more delighted Puppeteer appeared. Although she was determined not to give him the satisfaction, waves of pain still washed over her. She asked, "Was there really no other way?"
Puppeteer clapped his hands, the deep red powder sparkling on his pale palm. He sounded almost cheerful as he replied, "Did you have any other ideas?"
She didn't.
No matter how much Lin Sanjiu and Bohemia had exerted themselves or how many different methods they had attempted, they couldn't retrieve their abilities trapped within the deep red ring. Nobody knew if the Ant Queen's words were true, but no one dared to recklessly test them. Ultimately, they found themselves with little room for further exploration.
After witnessing their struggles and frustrations for half the night, nearly descending into a quarrel, Puppeteer seemed to have grown tired of the spectacle. He revealed a method that turned their faces pale: destroy the deep red ring, and their abilities would return.
Although Lin Sanjiu had been the one to find the ring, Bohemia acted as if she were the rightful owner. She wore a mournful expression, patted her wrist, and retrieved a piece of outer cloth from her bracelet. However, her demeanor didn't reflect joy as she mumbled, "Ah, I really... I really got it back."
"We went through all that trouble and didn't gain anything," Lin Sanjiu said, sighing. She made a few attempts with [Planar World] and [Tornado Whip], but this minor setback didn't particularly concern her. "Shouldn't we leave now?"
As experienced posthumans, they naturally had another task before crossing the road: they needed to walk along the slope to the side of the deceased posthuman and examine his condition.
If he had died because someone sought revenge, that would be one thing. However, if they could discover a clue about the new doomsday from his body, they would be better prepared.
"This guy certainly knew where to die," Bohemia remarked when she saw the man's body lying on the road.
Lin Sanjiu gave her a sidelong glance.
Of course, Puppeteer refused to stoop down to inspect the body. Lin Sanjiu cautiously stopped by the roadside, used Higher Consciousness to create a hook, and carefully moved the body closer. During the process, she even received a compliment from Magus, "No progress after all this time," indicating that her memory was indeed recovering well. Once the body was at the edge of the slope, they all descended a few steps.
Despite his grim expression, the deceased appeared peaceful in death. It was difficult to determine the posthuman's age; he seemed to be in his thirties, much like an ordinary person. There was not a single wound or damage to his clothes, skin, or limbs. If it weren't for his contorted expression, he could be mistaken for a living person.
Bohemia prodded him with a stick, and the stick returned unscathed.
"Could he have died from poisoning?" she asked in confusion.
"Then why did he run?" Lin Sanjiu squatted down, activated [Defense Forcefield], pressed his skin, and examined the subcutaneous bruises. After surviving in the doomsday for so long, they had all become semi-forensic experts to some extent. "The faster the blood flows, the faster the toxin acts, right? Moreover, there was no one chasing him."
"Perhaps the toxin induced hallucinations," Bohemia suggested, trying to maintain her tough exterior. "Let's check his clothes... Hmm, there don't seem to be any internal injuries. Strange."
Even after the examination was completed, and Lin Sanjiu had re-dressed the deceased, they still couldn't determine the cause of his death. "If only the cat doctor were here," Bohemia said, thinking of Meowie Hu once again. "It would have been interested in him... Does he have anything I can use?"
Encountering a posthuman's corpse had become akin to stumbling upon a small armory, a common occurrence in the doomsday. Lin Sanjiu merely offered a silent "thank you" before removing the man's belt.
Unfortunately, this individual appeared to have led a challenging life. The Special Items in his possession were few, and they were either items that the trio regarded with disdain or had redundant functions. Furthermore, these items couldn't save him in the end, rendering them seemingly useless. Lin Sanjiu casually handed the storage belt to Bohemia and pondered whether to find a suitable place to bury the body.
Unexpectedly, Puppeteer approached and said, "He can't stand up."
The oppressive aura that emanated from him when he stared at the body was enough to make one wonder if even the dead could tremble.
"What?"
"This corpse," he extended a slender, snowy-white hand, and his fingers moved delicately above the deceased, akin to a cellist plucking strings. However, nothing occurred. "...can't be turned into a puppet."
"Eh?" Bohemia leaned in closer, stuttering, "W-Why is that?"
For some reason, Puppeteer seemed calmer lately and more willing to provide answers, though it left people with the sense that his emotions were in flux. "Generally, it's because the corpse is too damaged and has lost its supporting force."
Bohemia had not expected him to actually answer her and fell silent with a mumble. Lin Sanjiu hurriedly pressed the legs of the deceased several times, feeling puzzled. "His legs are not broken... His entire body is intact."
"Obviously," Puppeteer suddenly became impatient, "Couldn't I figure that out myself?"
Lin Sanjiu stood upright and gazed down at the highway below the slope, hesitating, "Strange, there was no one chasing him last night. What's going on with this world? I think we need to be ca—"
The word "careful" was cut short as Mrs. Manas suddenly shouted a warning in her mind. However, the force behind the attack was swift and forceful. Caught off guard, Lin Sanjiu lost her balance and was almost sent sprawling. She managed to regain control of her body by quickly pushing herself back up with her hands and rolling to land back on her feet.
However, her feet were now on the road.
"What are you doing?" When she looked up, Puppeteer was slowly retracting his hand. "Didn't I say to be careful?"
"I was careful," he said calmly, "I was testing the situation with you."
"Don't you have that goose—"
"You are less likable than the goose."
Perhaps observing her standing on the road for a while without any issues, the two individuals on the slope finally caught up. They had no choice but to leave the corpse by the roadside.
"It's really okay," Bohemia tiptoed as if that would ward off any danger, "Where should we go now?"
On one side of the highway stretched vast and quiet farms, seemingly devoid of human activity. According to the road sign, Bear City was 30 miles ahead. Lin Sanjiu believed that Meowie Hu would likely head towards a place with people, so they followed the direction indicated by the sign.
For posthumans, covering 30 miles wasn't particularly arduous, but it proved to be a painfully monotonous journey. Beneath the scorching sun, they walked step by step through half a morning. Lin Sanjiu almost wished for some danger to break the monotony. The relentless sun, the hot air swirling with dust, and the unchanging, desolate scenery made her wonder if she'd be condemned to walk like this for the rest of her life.
"It's a different season from the Mushroom side," Bohemia complained, "What's wrong with this wretched planet?"
The only person seemingly unaffected by the conditions was Puppeteer. Lin Sanjiu suspected that half of his props were for his own comfort. Despite no longer having his puppets, he produced a silver-white metal ring. The ring stood upright in the air, and he floated in its center, moving swiftly and silently. In no time, he had left the two of them far behind, casting only a small shadow.
"The grand prize told me that he would try to find me within ten months and help you with the issue of the Five Stages of Life." Taking advantage of the opportunity, Lin Sanjiu whispered to Bohemia, "If Gong Daoyi comes immediately, that would be best. But if he doesn't arrive soon and the grand prize comes first, we need to find a way to temporarily get rid of Puppeteer."
Understanding the gravity of the situation, Bohemia nodded, her expression serious. Perhaps because they were discussing Puppeteer, she instinctively glanced forward and suddenly froze. "Huh? Did he come down on his own?"
Puppeteer descended on his own?
Full of skepticism, Lin Sanjiu raised her head and followed Bohemia's gaze along the highway. The distance between them had grown substantially, but as she squinted, she spotted a tiny figure ahead, nearly half obscured by the ring. This figure was silently trailing behind the ring.
This was indeed a rare sight. Lin Sanjiu intended to turn back and say something to Bohemia but abruptly turned her head once more, her gaze fixated intensely on the small figure ahead.
"No," she muttered and hastily took a few steps to the side to alter her viewing angle. "No... That's not Puppeteer."
"Huh?" Bohemia looked puzzled. "But we've been watching ahead, and no one appeared. Did you make a mistake?"
Lin Sanjiu hadn't made a mistake. A person who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere was now closely following behind Puppeteer's ring silently.