LotM: Surviving as a Marionette

The Abyss is a place independent of the corporeal world, with its entrance located in the Fog Sea. It is the source of all evil, a place of corruption, the dwelling of devils—the most filthy, depraved, chaotic, and contaminating place that exists.

The original work did not delve deeply into this concept, only revealing that everything that approaches it will continuously corrode and fall into depravity, and even gods cannot escape this fate. As for the Devil Monarch Farbauti, to what extent the Dark Side of the Universe could utilize this thing, and whether the Abyss could be made to manifest in the real world again—these points remain unknown.

"We still underestimated this Ancient God who survived from the Second Epoch."

Even after suffering some indescribable and terrifying influence, He could still use certain means to feedback this influence to the entire world in an even more horrifying manner.

A typical case of 'if I'm not having a good time, then no one else should either' mentality.

"I wonder if the Sefirot corresponding to the two pathways of desire have any remaining power lingering in that Abyss."

Both the River of Eternal Darkness and the Knowledge Moor have power seeping out from the Western Continent, so there's no reason other Sefirot wouldn't have any movements.

Don's eyes darkened deeper. Just as the system was about to say something, all the candles in the room were extinguished with a snap of fingers.

"Lights out, time to sleep."

Thinking about all this messy stuff late at night—aren't you afraid of having nightmares?

System: [...Host, you're quite mentally unstable.]

Don threw a pillow at the system, "Shut down and go to sleep."

---

Saga Fort City, a manor in the northwest direction.

In a simply decorated study, Hewesley Bernstein was looking at documents on his desk.

He was a middle-aged man dressed in light armor, appearing rigid and serious with a stern expression, yet displaying restrained emotions and meticulous attention to detail.

Those who approached him would feel an intimidating sense of natural authority, which left only him alone in the entire study—neither servants nor guards remained near this Loen Colonel.

Browsing through intelligence sent from the front lines this morning, Hewesley Bernstein looked up at the sun outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Today was exceptionally fine weather. While other parts of Loen were merely turning cooler, the Orkney Highlands had already entered the cold season. The warm Sun light made one want to touch this hard-won warmth. For days now, Colonel Bernstein, who had been unable to sleep well due to various matters, rarely found himself lost in thought.

At this moment, a figure silently stood on the windowsill outside the floor-to-ceiling window, yet Colonel Hewesley Bernstein remained completely unaware. After taking another glance at the scenery outside, he immediately withdrew his gaze and threw himself back into his work.

"It's easy to paint a person's appearance but difficult to paint their bones; easy to know a person's face but difficult to know their heart."

After entering Euclidean Space, Don stood on the windowsill observing the interior situation. With one hand holding the Sun Scepter, he infused spirituality into it, making the solar symbol begin to emanate corrupted, twisted, bizarre, and maddening solar rays.

"Looking like this, I really seem like a peeping tom clinging to windows."

He muttered to the air, then stretched out his hand.

"A Sequence 6 Arbiter, indeed an Beyonder of the Loen military, but..." With that, Don began infusing spirituality, borrowing the divinity of the Alchemist that belonged to the system and his own spirit body's high status, he began to 'Dimensional Descent' the beyonder ability of the Marionettist.

He grasped the other party's Spirit Body Threads with one hand.

The Marionettist possessed the most difficult beyonder ability to counter below the demigod level, and he intended to turn this Loen Colonel into his own marionette.

For this purpose, Done temporarily relinquished control of the Traveler marionette named Angie on Owen's side, supporting that marionette with the autonomy of the 'Biomimetic Marionette' module so it wouldn't immediately die from the removal of marionette transformation.

Black radiance burst forth from the Sun Scepter, and all the male servants, maids, guards, butlers, and cooks in this manor were shrouded in the black solar light.

At this moment, a large patch of dark clouds drifted across the sky, obscuring a corner of the sun.

The brilliant sunlight outside the window consequently dimmed.

Hewesley Bernstein suddenly raised his head. He seemed to have discovered something, and his expression became extremely ugly in an instant.

His body began to stiffen, as if strings had been attached to him like a marionette, showing signs of sluggishness.

His Spirit Body Threads were being preliminarily controlled by someone!

"Marionettist?!"

Yet Hewesley Bernstein showed no hesitation. The next moment, his figure vanished from the spot.

Accompanied by tumbling sounds, Hewesley Bernstein, who appeared in the garden, immediately threw out paper figures from his pocket. Those paper figures had already taken on a yellowing and blackening hue, as if they would come alive and attack their holder the next moment.

He had used some kind of one-time beyonder item to escape far from the area he had just occupied, hoping to interrupt the Marionettist's manipulation of his Spirit Body Threads.

But Hewesley Bernstein had no mind to care about this point—he discovered that his condition hadn't improved at all despite distancing himself from his office area.

He was certain his instinctive reaction was correct, but the opponent's tenacity clearly exceeded his expectations.

When did a Marionettist appear in Saga Fort City?

His thoughts began to slow down, and at this moment he understood that what he faced was not a Marionettist, but more likely an beyonder in the demigod realm of the Seer pathway, or someone wielding some kind of sealed artifact with Spirit Body Thread manipulation capabilities.

"A Marionettist cannot manipulate me across such a long distance, but judging from the degree of Spirit Body Thread control and my level of marionette transformation, the manipulator is not in the demigod realm, but rather possesses a certain degree of mobility and holds a mystical item composed of beyonder characteristics left behind by a Marionettist."

Where is he? Why is he attacking me?

No, I can't think so much, I must buy time.

Escape on my own, attract others' attention to get rescued, or kill the intruder—I must choose one of these three.

His expression hardened, and he quickly made his choice, suddenly speaking with an indescribable sense of intimidation in his voice.

"Concealment is forbidden in this area!"

"Escape is forbidden in this area!"

Two prohibitive decrees swept around with intense, compelling power. Hewesley Bernstein frantically scanned his surroundings but couldn't see even a corner of the enemy's clothing or a trace of evidence.

This... how is this possible?!

He could feel the manipulation of his Spirit Body Threads becoming increasingly solid—that intruder was definitely nearby!

An invisible large hand tightly grasped the opponent's Spirit Body Threads, yet that beyonder showed no trace, like a ghost that didn't exist in this world.

Bizarre and terrifying, an indescribable panic made Hewesley Bernstein's face somewhat pale.

He couldn't perceive the enemy's position and could only plan to rush out of here to seek help from other Beyonders belonging to the Loen military.

Right, I'm in Saga Fort City!.

I'm never fighting alone!

"Heh." An ambiguous sound rang in Hewesley Bernstein's ear. His pupils contracted violently as he saw a twisted solar symbol appear before him, and a three-meter-long staff came crashing down on his head!

(End of Chapter)