Chapter 995: Traitor
On one side stood about twenty to thirty vigilant posthumans, while on the other side was a single man with severe injuries.
Several bodies of organization members lay fallen on the ground near Puppeteer's feet, each one with a different cause of death but sharing a common trait: their bodies were either crushed or their limbs severely injured. There wasn't a single intact corpse on the ground, as they wouldn't be able to stand up again or be turned into puppets.
Clearly, any unfortunate Night Wanderers who fell into Puppeteer's hands would be torn apart by their own people. Although these posthumans currently hesitated to attack Puppeteer directly, they were gradually cutting off his wings and tightening their encirclement. If the current situation were a balance, it was currently maintaining a delicate and fragile equilibrium. However, it was only a matter of time before the puppetless and heavily injured Puppeteer would fall.
Unless he had an ally.
Lin Sanjiu glanced at the posthumans around her, swallowing nervously.
"Weren't you the one who sneaked onto the ship yourself?" Another posthuman spoke as soon as Puppeteer finished his question. Despite her petite figure, she exuded a strong aura, appearing as a leader. "I should be asking you, what exactly do you want to do? You've pierced through the ship—are you trying to drag us down with you?"
"The ship?" Puppeteer slowly turned his head, his movements so sluggish that they reminded people of cold-blooded reptiles. His black hair slid down from one shoulder, and his gaze fell upon the petite female posthuman. His tongue lightly clicked against his mouth, producing two soft sounds resembling the satisfaction of seeing a plate of delicious beef. It had to be said that whether he was called a pervert or a mad dog, there were times when those labels were well-deserved.
"So, if I understand correctly," Puppeteer still didn't look in Lin Sanjiu's direction, but chuckled softly, "if I destroy the ship, I can make all of you disappear."
This statement didn't sound like an empty threat—rather, it sounded genuinely terrifying.
"Don't you understand? You'll die too if you do that!" The petite female posthuman exclaimed in shock, her voice filled with anger. "It's space outside! Don't you value your own life?"
The smile on half of Puppeteer's face grew wider.
Lin Sanjiu sighed inwardly.
Based on her understanding of Puppeteer, he wasn't afraid of death at all. She even suspected that deep down, he quietly longed for his own demise. The longer he survived, the stronger his self-destructive tendencies became. And the stronger his self-destructive tendencies, the more terrifying his madness became.
Did he finally see hope in death?
Using death to intimidate him would probably cause the Ocean Voyager to collapse within five hours. Even if she was on the ship as well, he would still... No, it was probably good news for him if they all perished together. Lin Sanjiu silently contemplated.
However, she happened to know a way to reignite his will to survive.
"I have to say," she took a few steps closer to the petite female posthuman, intentionally not lowering her voice, "I don't think he has much time left. With such severe injuries, he can't even play with his puppets anymore, so what's the point of talking about breaking the ship?"
This statement seemed to startle everyone, and countless gazes immediately fixated on her like nails. Ignoring the "shut up!" from someone, she continued, "Why do we have to wait for reinforcements? He's just a puppeteer. If we keep standing here like this, he might start thinking he's someone important."
The petite female posthuman abruptly turned her head, her anger making her seem as if she were about to breathe fire. "Then you go ahead!"
Lin Sanjiu pursed her lips and glanced at Puppeteer. Although he remained silent, the skin on half of his face was slightly trembling, as if it was about to twist up. His expression grew as dark as the storm clouds gathering before a tempest. She immediately fell silent and took a few steps back.
Well, at least he got angry.
"This floor has already been sealed off, but the posthumans with sealing abilities are not here." The petite female posthuman suppressed her anger towards Lin Sanjiu and glanced behind her before turning to Puppeteer. "Unless you know how to break through twenty-one different barriers simultaneously, I'm afraid you won't be able to break this ship. Now, I have a proposal."
Puppeteer seemed as if he hadn't heard her.
"If you cooperate a little, we're willing to guarantee your safety and even provide you with a small boat to return to Heaven Underworld. The conditions are simple: you must compensate for every person you've killed and give up resistance, accepting our control."
Lin Sanjiu was slightly taken aback.
Even a fool would know that this was a proposal Puppeteer would never agree to. There was no reason for the Night Wanderers not to realize this—unless—
Just as she was thinking about it, she suddenly felt several posthumans shifting their positions behind her. She quickly turned her head and saw a few new faces joining the crowd. They had obviously come out from the "large intestine" just like her, but the direction they entered was different from where she had come out. Before she had a chance to raise her eyes to find the exit of the "large intestine," Lin Sanjiu's gaze abruptly stopped on one of the individuals.
She was too familiar with that rough and unremarkable middle-aged man's face!
Their eyes met, and his droopy eyelids blinked at her, quickly glancing at Puppeteer before returning to her—as if he was trying to signal her.
Unfortunately, Lin Sanjiu didn't understand the meaning behind the signal. She wanted to get closer, but Bohemia was currently sandwiched between two other individuals, indicating that they had entered together.
"Have the people you were waiting for arrived yet?"
Puppeteer suddenly spoke in a gentle tone, almost politely, "Do we really need to waste my time with small talk?"
The petite female posthuman's face reddened slightly, and she finally spoke coldly, "...It seems you are well aware of the fate that awaits you. It's a pity, no matter how powerful you are, your personality has sealed your ultimate outcome." She lifted her chin and smiled with a hint of arrogance, "Let the Night Wanderers put an end to Puppeteer today."
Just as her words fell, one of the posthumans who had entered with Bohemia took a step forward. He forcefully pulled open the collar of his white robe, revealing a scar on his neck that twisted and turned like a half-worm, and hoarsely laughed, "Puppeteer, do you remember me? I almost became one of your puppets."
Puppeteer slowly raised his arm. While the posthumans tensed up and became alert, he simply brushed off the dust from his sleeve.
"What?" Without lifting his head, his tone remained gentle and chilling, "A minor character like you should speak louder."
The robed man immediately grew furious, his face turning red. He seemed to be attempting a smile but was not very successful. He angrily flung his robe and shouted, "Did you really think you could escape today? Haven't you realized? I've already immobilized you!"
These words stunned both Lin Sanjiu and Puppeteer.
Immobile?
No, Puppeteer was clearly able to move just moments ago... As this thought crossed Lin Sanjiu's mind, the petite woman suddenly whistled. Immediately after, gusts of air swept around her— the posthumans were about to make their move.
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