Chapter 376: The Calamity Puppeteer
Rengua’s dwelling was connected to Leruze’s well-known frozen lake.
Upon arriving at the lake, a large, snow-covered brick building ca into view. This was the hideout-cum-lodging that the Sword Ghost had provided for Rengua.
Smoke curled up from the chimney atop the worn roof.
As Rengua stepped inside the building, all the bustling movents ca to an imdiate halt.
The figures stopped what they were doing and hurried toward Rengua.
There were roughly twenty of them.
“Ma-Master!”
“Yes.”
“Are you all right? You look...”
“Don’t worry about that. What about the results of the research I ordered?”
“P-please wait just a mont.”
Understanding how seriously the Master regarded this research, a senior among them quickly issued instructions to those nearby.
At his command, the frozen figures began moving again in a rush.
All of them wore dark crimson robes.
Black Shamans.
They had once been shamans from the Nest of Shamans. After Kal’s downfall, they had been dragged into ruin alongside him, but a few had survived. Now, they worked under Rengua, aiding in his research.
“This way, please.”
The man led Rengua underground.
As soon as they entered the basent, a pungent, bloody stench filled the air, but neither of them flinched.
Clang—
A rusted iron door opened, revealing a sight reminiscent of the underground prison in old Kal.
Rows of cells lined the long hallway, and countless people were locked behind the iron bars.
They were all drenched in fear, despair, and resignation. When Rengua appeared, they cowered in terror, shrinking away.
“You’ve gathered more offerings, I see.”
“Lately, more and more people have been coming into Pri Root.”
The civil war in Demtor appeared to be affecting the entire region of Pri Root.
Rengua quietly walked past the prison cells, inspecting the prisoners' condition.
Even with his prized staff destroyed and his body ravaged by severe aftereffects, he seed able to move without much difficulty as long as he didn’t push himself.
‘I owe the boss a big one.’
If not for the potion given by the boss, he would’ve been bedridden for a month.
And then he wouldn't be here, reviewing the experint results with his own eyes.
Right now, each day was crucial to Rengua.
Soon, a large laboratory appeared at the end of the hallway.
Several lab tables were set up, and atop them lay corpses in horrifying conditions.
Rengua was led to one particular corpse.
The body was twisted in a grotesque manner, and as Rengua carefully reviewed the report beside it, his eyes briefly lit up.
“It defeated a 2-star opponent?”
“Yes. The opponent was a 2-star rcenary with extensive combat experience, but the test subject—an ordinary human—erged victorious.”
Rengua glanced away from the report to inspect the dead test subject and clicked his tongue.
“The body couldn’t withstand it.”
“Since the subject was just a normal human, repeated procedures caused the body to break down.”
“In terms of safety, how many tis can a normal body undergo the procedure?”
“Two tis is the limit. Beyond that, necrosis sets in. At most, they survive another two weeks.”
“What about 1-star subjects?”
“They’re also limited to two procedures. However, from 2-star and up, three procedures are possible.”
“And the result?”
“Estimated combat strength is close to 3-star.”
“Failure rate of the procedure?”
“None so far. We’re confident in the success rate.”
“Good.”
Rengua had completed a biological procedure based on a single journal.
The experints perford by the shamans aid to determine the number of procedures each level of body could endure.
Rengua checked each report placed beside the corpses. The more reports he read, the more anticipation he felt.
“We’re nearing the end.”
The corpses ranged from ordinary humans to 1-star, 2-star, 3-star, and even 4-star test subjects, all used to determine procedure limits by tier. Each report detailed the number of possible procedures per classification.
“The limit for 4-star subjects is four... They don’t last as long as I expected.”
The 4-star subject was a large mass of flesh, having lted after failing to withstand a fifth procedure.
Still, the results were satisfactory.
“To think it fought evenly with two of the Star’s Shadows.”
The Star’s Shadows were all monsters just shy of 5-star rank.
aning, if a 4-star subject underwent the procedure up to its limit, it might not break the wall into 5-star, but could still exert power equivalent to the peak of 4-star.
“Not bad. Good work.”
“Th-thank you!”
“Hypothetically... if the subject were 5-star, how many procedures could be perford?”
“S-sir? A 5-star?”
The shaman’s eyes widened in surprise. A 5-star sample was sothing he hadn’t even imagined.
“Judging by its capacity, a 5-star body would be incomparable to a 4-star. It could certainly endure more than five procedures.”
“What if it’s a corpse?”
“Whether dead or alive doesn’t affect the procedure... but the cost would be staggering.”
Each additional procedure exponentially increased the cost.
With the current set of tests nearly exhausting all materials, performing a single 5-star procedure might be possible, but repeating the process would require a significant period of gathering resources again.
“This will be the final procedure.”
“...You an?”
“After this 5-star procedure, there will be no further enhancents.”
All of Rengua’s experints had rely been tests to create one puppet.
Rengua pulled out a small map from his coat and handed it to the shaman.
“At the marked location, you’ll find a corpse and four swords imbued with a special energy. Retrieve them as discreetly as possible.”
The location was near the border of Aintrier.
They were precious materials Rengua had hidden before Kal’s group began pursuing him during his escape.
The corpse of the Cleaner, and the swords of Special Investigator Rachard.
Rengua intended to use these materials to create a capable guardian puppet.
“You must return within three days. So have started eyeing my position. I need to be prepared.”
“I’ll go imdiately.”
The shaman carefully stored the map and bowed respectfully before leaving.
Left alone in the lab, Rengua reexamined the reports, a look of certainty forming on his face.
The procedure was perfect.
He now understood its limits and side effects.
He slowly walked over to a wall in the lab.
On the wall, dozens of stained papers were pinned haphazardly—most with detailed diagrams of human anatomy.
Rengua’s eyes landed on a title written on one of them:
[Dominic Huaton’s Research Journal]
A mad mage’s research journal, which attempted to push human potential to its limits and reach “immortality.”
The pages were filled with the madness and longing of that mage.
Since settling in Pri Root, Rengua had tirelessly studied this journal, developing one single procedure.
It was known as the Chira Bio-Puppet Technique.
A body-enhancent procedure that could turn even an ordinary person into a creature on par with a 2-star.
‘The foundation for the bio-puppet is complete.’
Once the chira bio-body was completed, a special dead soul would be awakened and fused with the puppet.
He had already prepared the rituals and tools needed for that process.
Rengua studied Dominic’s journal for a while longer.
Clack-clack-clack—
Eventually, he pressed on a section of the lab wall, revealing a secret door.
He slowly descended the narrow staircase.
The stairs led upward, connecting to another area.
How long had he climbed?
At the end of the staircase, a reddish iron door awaited him.
Strange ritual symbols were carved into the door.
Standing before it, Rengua murmured a chant softly.
As the chant ended, a red glow emanated from the door, which slowly creaked open.
Whooooosh—!
A bitter chill swept through the opening.
A pure white world spread before Rengua’s eyes.
From the ground he stepped on, a boundless sheet of white ice extended endlessly.
Standing atop the cold, translucent surface, Rengua stood alone.
This was the deepest part of the frozen lake—a hidden sanctuary of Rengua’s.
He pushed through the intense cold and trudged forward.
As he walked, he pulled a small bell from his coat.
Jingle—
Jingle—
A dull chi rang through the blizzard. Then, at so point, Rengua’s figure disappeared from the frozen lake.
A ritual barrier.
This secluded place had been ticulously constructed by Rengua to ward off any intruders.
Once inside, he stopped and quietly put the bell away.
Everything around him was made of ice.
From the floor to the surrounding walls, and even the ceiling.
A small world made entirely of thick ice.
There, Rengua knelt and bowed deeply.
“My Lord...”
Despite his battered condition, Rengua pressed his forehead against the cold ice, a joyous expression on his face.
He had acted exactly as his Lord instructed. Everything had gone according to the Lord’s foresight.
Of course, not everything had gone perfectly.
[Fenry Chaser and Lily Base. They too shall eventually join the Black Stars. But you must beco one before they do. Before there are four Black Stars.]
Fenry and Lily.
The dark elf and the young witch had not beco Black Stars. Instead, they had risen as core mbers of the World Tree Union.
“There seems to have been a variable... but once my Lord returns, it will all be resolved.”
Eyes closed, Rengua muttered the recent events to himself, as though reporting them.
The intense cold seeped into his body from the floor, but Rengua didn’t even flinch. Instead, he continued to speak as if delivering a report.
“At last, the ti has co. Everything you desired has been achieved.”
He was confident in his puppet-making technique.
The fusion of Dominic Huaton’s chira research and Rengua’s own puppet craftsmanship.
[Calamity Puppeteer.]
It was Rengua’s new Divine Na.
With his eyes closed in silence, Rengua eventually opened them slowly.
Beneath the transparent floor, a man lay sleeping.
In the deepest part of the frozen lake—rested a figure.
“My Lord... Kal.”
Kal Blazer lay still, awaiting his resurrection.
Rengua reverently pulled out a precious purple crystal orb from his coat.
A Soul Gem born from the Dagger of the Dead.
Inside this gem, Kal’s soul slept—intertwined with tens of thousands of other souls.
The one who had subdued those myriad dead and reigned as their king within the gem.
That was the master Rengua was destined to serve.
“It is almost ti for your awakening.”
Monts later, the purple crystal orb glowed with a sinister light, chilling the space around it.
Perhaps reacting to that light...
Twitch—
Kal’s closed eyes, deep within the frozen lake, began to stir.
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