After ending the call, Lucian turned his gaze to the three lifeless puppets scattered on the ground.
He crouched beside the nearest one, where a small note lay beside it.
"Identity: Wife of Fujie, deceased due to a sudden illness."
"Why did she have to suffer like this… I would rather it had been me."
"But now there's a chance to bring her back to me… Thank you… Master Dollmaker."
Dollmaker? Who is that? Seems like someone of high status.
The note likely described the deceased person the puppet was meant to replace.
Lucian pocketed the note and moved to the second puppet. Beside it was another slip of paper:
"Identity: Xiaofu's parents, deceased during a Tacet Discord surge."
"Mom, Dad… why did you leave me behind? I won't be naughty anymore… Please come back, okay?"
He collected this note as well and picked up the third puppet. Its accompanying message read:
"Identity: Anlinsi's twin sister, separated from her due to an accident."
"It's all my fault… If I hadn't been playing around back then, my sister wouldn't have gone missing looking for me."
"Ten years… I just want to see her one more time, to tell her I'm sorry."
After gathering all the puppets, Lucian scanned the area but found no others. He then stepped out of the cave.
Outside, Yinlin seemed to be speaking to someone over a communication device.
"Hmm… Are you sure about this…?"
"But… I don't think it's necessary…"
"Yes… Understood… Leave it to me."
Curious, Lucian asked, "Something wrong?"
Yinlin smiled. "Nothing. The Séance Society will send someone soon to pick up Lirong and Yuanyuan. How about the puppets?"
Lucian: "All gathered, right here."
Yinlin: "Good. Let's take them to the warehouse first."
"We just killed two Fractsidus members. They'll likely come looking soon, so we should leave quickly."
...
About ten minutes later, the two arrived at the warehouse with the puppets.
But something felt off about the place.
It didn't seem much like a warehouse…
In fact, it looked completely empty.
Lucian licked his lips, an odd premonition creeping up on him…
Yinlin, walking behind him in her high heels, spoke casually:
"Alright, we'll be safe here. The warehouse is equipped with signal jammers and anti-recon systems."
"Fractsidus won't be able to track us down."
Without turning around, Lucian strode forward, chuckling. "Such thorough precautions?"
Purple threads silently materialized between Yinlin's fingers. "Indeed. No one outside can find this place… and no one inside can contact the outside either—"
Before she could finish, the threads lashed out toward Lucian's back.
Yet, to her surprise, Lucian dodged as if he had foreseen it, evading the black creature known as "Suspended Threads" in a flash before turning to face her.
Yinlin had intended to bind him without using her Resonance abilities, but—
Lucian grinned. "Hah! Wicked woman! I knew you were no good!"
"Trying to deceive and ambush me, a freshly turned eighteen-year-old? Shame on you!"
Yinlin scoffed, about to retract the threads for another strike—
But Lucian suddenly grabbed the two pointed horns on the creature's head.
Caught off guard, Yinlin hesitated—but the threads were already recoiling.
With a forceful yank, Lucian mounted the creature's head and rode it straight toward Yinlin as it retracted.
"Hahaha! Take this—Crow Takes Flight!"
Yinlin stared blankly as Lucian's figure rapidly enlarged in her vision. What kind of move is this?!
His clumsy combat style left her stunned. By the time she reacted, it was too late.
"THUD—"
...
Now, Yinlin lay flat on her back, the threads slipping from her grasp and rolling aside.
Lucian sat atop her soft stomach, his hands planted firmly on her "southern hemisphere."
Their faces were barely a fist's width apart. Lucian gazed into her mesmerizing magenta eyes, his nose catching the faint, intoxicating fragrance from her body.
A breeze drifted past, leaving the atmosphere stiff and awkward.
"…Get your hands off first."
Lucian blinked as if just realizing. "Oh, my bad. Momentum got the better of me."
He shifted his hands from her chest to her slender shoulders but kept staring.
Yinlin: "..."
Then, unexpectedly, she burst into laughter.
"Pfft— You really are something, Lucian. I underestimated you."
Lucian raised an eyebrow. "So you knew who I was all along."
Yinlin: "Not just that. I even know whose 'scar' you were talking about. Hehe…"
"How did you figure out I'd turn on you?"
A smirk tugged at Lucian's lips. "I have you to thank for that. You told me not to trust anyone, remember?"
Yinlin chuckled. "Ah~ So I ended up shooting myself in the foot…"
"Well, now I'm at your mercy. Planning to kill me, or…?"
"Kill you?" Lucian scoffed playfully. "You're too pretty for that…"
Then his tone sharpened. "Question time. Answer me."
Yinlin's brows arched slightly.
"Who is Dollmaker?"
"The leader of the Séance Society."
"Why target me?"
Yinlin smirked. "You've heard about the missing Resonators and citizens in Jinzhou, haven't you?"
Lucian: "?"
She motioned toward his right shoulder with her chin.
Without breaking eye contact, Lucian reached up with his left hand—and touched something.
"This is… a bug?"
Between his fingers was a white, gum-like device.
Recognition flashed in his eyes. "You planted this when you were messing with my head earlier…"
"I do know about the disappearances. What's the connection?"
Yinlin grinned mischievously. "Where do you think these puppets come from? Research, using those missing Resonators and citizens, of course."
Lucian: "..."
His expression darkened, all traces of humor gone.
"So your so-called 'joy of reuniting with loved ones' is built on others' suffering and deaths?"
Yinlin laughed. "That look suits you… rare indeed."
"Don't lump me in with 'them.' I'm not some heartless villainess…"
Lucian: "Aren't you?"
She sighed. "Believe it or not, I'm probably on the same side as you…"
Lucian: "?"
Then Yinlin said calmly: "Actually… I'm an undercover agent."
Lucian stared blankly.
"So what, you're saying you had no choice before, but now you want to be a good person?"