He wanted to be the greatest puppet master. He had the talent, he had the skills. He had everything required to climb the peak of puppet mastery. Bloodline doesn't play a major role in puppet masters. Even if you are low rank, you can control others much higher than your rank if you have strong willpower.
However, there is one thing that blocked his way. That was resources. A puppet master needs resources in a much greater amount than others.
If you are spirit summoner along with the puppet master, you can control others, and even living beings with the help of spirits but if not you can only control puppets created with huge resources.
But he was neither a spirit summoner nor did he have money. His talent was overshadowed until he found this group of maniacs that decided to nourish him. He was reluctant to join them but he had no other option. Joining them, he found a new way to use his skill which was to control ghouls, corpses and the dead.
All of them were excellent puppets but they were much harder to control due to the deep resentment and hatred making one lose their mind. However, he was able to protect his mind from erosion.
However, at that moment.
The moment the boy turned his head.
Melvin, for the first time in his life, felt that overwhelming sense of suppression.
The reddish-golden eyes that shone in the darkness were bleak, completely cold and dark. It was so sombre that he felt as if a layer of chill as if darkness itself was going to engulf him.
It was the most piercing gaze he had ever seen.
Melvin, who observed the person, was momentarily startled by a small smile that crept over the boy's lips giving him goosebumps.
The boy started to walk towards him.
Being panicked, he waves his hands commanding everyone to attack that boy who was giving him an odd feeling.
......
'It's quite odd.'
'I have never felt confident like this before. If only I had this type of confidence in my previous life, I wouldn't have died single.'
'Tsk!'
Lucas shook his head to stop his mind from going astray.
'Lucas, don't be arrogant.'
Ghouls rushed at him with a frightening speed.
Unfazed, Lucas just swung his sword.
Countless golden threads were drawn in the air and the ghouls aiming at him were sliced like paper.
"Lucas, leave them to us."
BANG!
Henry cleared the ghouls in a straight line with a punch.
"There might be black wizards hiding here. Don't care about them and go straight for the guardian tree."Henry advised.
"Okay, before that I need to open a path towards the right. I want to deal with the puppeteer."Lucas spoke.
Henry didn't question Lucas's decision and just nodded.
Henry gasped heavily, gathering his energy.
He rotated his fist and lowered it towards his waist. A thick bundle of magical energy coagulated on his fist.
As Henry's aura grew wilder, he unleashed a set of destructive punches.
[Sky Divine Fist.]
....
Seeing a layer of dust flying around and many corpses and groups of ghouls' bodies were getting blasted, he gritted his teeth.
"Why are they attacking this side?"
Melvin almost chewed his nails feeling nervous.
He tried to coordinate the ghouls with his senses but a growl appeared on his face as he saw a dark smoke obscuring his vision.
"Why is the smoke not dissipating?"Melvin asked in disbelief.
"It's because this isn't natural smoke."
"Ohhh!I got it...ahhhhhhhh!"Melvin screamed as he felt a cold blade placed on his neck.
"Who are you?"He asked in a panicked tone.
Melvin was at 4-Star levels but in terms of combat, he can't even defeat a mere 2-Star.
"Your death," Lucas replied.
"Answer me and I will grant you life."
"How can I believe you?"
"You are not a black wizard nor did we have any enmity. It seems you are working with them just to fulfil your purpose."
"What? How did you know that?"
"It's me who will ask questions and you will answer?"
"I will not answer your quest....ahhhhhhhhh!"
The sudden influx of pain blinded his vision. On turning his head, he saw a dagger embedded in his shoulder.
Lucas pulled out a potion and spoke.
"If you answer my question, I will give you this potion otherwise I will cut one finger every time you don't answer a question."
Melvin's body shivered to hear that cold lifeless voice.
"Okay!"Melvin nodded his head.
Lucas heaved in relief. From the moment he saw him, Lucas knew that this guy was a coward and was still a greenhorn.
"What's your name?"
"Melvin!"
"Melvin Humble!"Lucas exclaimed in shock.
"What? How did you know my full name?"
"I heard in the black market, people praised you as a genius," Lucas said nonchalantly, trying to hide his shock.
"What really?"
"Yes."
Master of Demonic Toys a.k.a Melvin will wreak havoc in the future using dead and deceased to fight.
The concept of using puppets had existed since long ago but none used the deceased as puppets. People might have tried but none succeeded except this guy because the malevolent spirit is quite strong.
"Tell me, did you kill every one of these?"
"No, I have never killed anyone. I just joined these maniacs four days ago. They asked me to care if anyone appears here but believe me I am trying to push you away. If I wanted to kill you, all of you would have died, the moment you enter here."Melvin spoke in a pleading tone.
"Where are the black wizards?"
"I don't know, they moved inside the Tree. I don't even know what is going on there. I was forced to work for them or I would have been killed."
"Nice!You still have chance to repent"Lucas's eyes gleamed.
"Sign this."Lucas threw a paper on the ground.
"What's this a slave contract?"
"You can say so."
"I will not sign it."
"You don't have a choice. Did you think you can buy time to attack me with the ghoul?"Lucas's image disappears along with Melvin and using shadow steps he appears 30 metres away.
"I told you not to play tricks," Lucas shouted and stomped on Melvin's leg.
"Kyakkkkk!
Lucas scratched Melvin's neck with his sword and spoke in a threatening tone.
"Sign this or die."
"I promise you will regret it if you make another stupid move."
"Damn it!"
Melvin's body shivered in fright seeing Lucas's menacing face. He opened the scroll and signed with his blood.
'I am gonna pay you for this humiliation. I swear.'
At that time, Lucas's eyes gleamed and a vision appeared before him.
Lucas put back the mana contract and pressed Melvin's shoulder while holding the cross and spoke with a playful smile.
A small light erupted from the Holy Cross as he pressed it on Melvin's shoulder.
A small sign of Cross tattoo appeared over Melvin's back.This would make sure, Melvin didn't have any thoughts of betraying him.
This information, came up out of nowhere inside his mind and he was now even more that this Holy Cross wasn't any ordinary artifact.
"Leave now."
"What?"Melvin's eyes gleamed.
"Don't worry. I won't make things difficult for you. I just want you to work for me and that contract you signed meant you agreed to be my underlying. Naturally, I will treat you well. I will give you advice. Don't use dead humans for now and instead of that use dead monsters. They will be more useful."
"By the way, where do you want me to go?"Melvin asked.
"Go to the City of Hines and look for a guy Creck in secret Puppet Club. He might teach you something. Once you are strong I will contact you. Keep it with you till that time. And yeah, don't try to run. I can easily find you with the help of the contract.''Lucas gave some important information while caressing Melvin Melvin's throat.
Melvin stared at the boy in astonishment and stood up with a hint of resignation on his face.
He picked up the storage ring and things that were thrown at him.
"What's your name?"
"Lucas."
"Now leave before the Church catches you," Lucas spoke before dashing towards the guardian tree.
Seeing the disappearing back.
"This is one of the craziest days of life."
"Haa...Am I his servant? Shouldn't he at least take me with him?"
"Arghhh!Why am I thinking like this?"
"This is the contract's fault. It is surely messing with my thoughts, making me look at him in a new light as if he is my master."
"Damn!"
...
The moment Lucas reached near the guardian tree all he saw was the sign of death.
Corpses hung over the tree and maggots covered them sucking blood. It was a horrific scene.
Lucas remembered that retired mage from the Mage Association of Empire. He was injured and the mana rings were destroyed and his level fell to 5-Star. With not many days to be alive, he retired here but who knew he would face such a misfortune?
Out of 15 corpses hanging here, it was even difficult to identify the person riddled with holes.
Shaking his head, Lucas walked towards the Holy tree, it was then the Holy Cross quivered and a blinding flash erupted from it that covered everything.
Lucas's senses dimmed and he closed his eyes due to the intense light and when he opened it, he found himself in a narrow dark space.
"Where am I?"
Lucas muttered looking at the woody vines around him.
DRIP!
As he searched around, a drop of liquid fell over his cheek emitting a foul fishy smell.
Lucas's heart vibrated as he wiped the liquid and he looked up towards the origin of this.
Seeing the scene, Lucas's eyes widened with disbelief.
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