The Soul-Harvesting Puppeteer - Chapter 30

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 30
Soon enough, it was Han Eol’s turn.
Of course, the landing point where Han Eol would set foot in the Highland and the landing point of the Chiang Mai Monks did not overlap.
Those monks were scheduled to be guided via Guided Transmission to the vicinity of the Wat Phra That base camp within the Highland, using the attraction phenomenon between Mogi Metal and Jagi Metal.
Han Eol, by contrast, stood nearly a hundred percent chance of being dropped in an entirely different location, guided by the Sacred Group’s watch hand.
Han Eol glanced down at the watch suddenly.
Not because he was curious about the time.
Han Eol was currently wearing a replacement watch.
If Han Eol were to enter the Highland wearing the original watch, there existed a probability he would be transmitted near the 1st Base Camp that the Sacred Group had pioneered within the 8 Continents.
For the Artemis Knights, who had smuggled Han Eol away, that would have been most inconvenient.
So the sub-commander of Artemis had given Han Eol a different watch.
“Once you put on this watch and enter the Highland, you’ll be guided via Guided Transmission to our Artemis exclusive camp. So drop by our side at an appropriate moment.”
That was what the sub-commander had told Han Eol while leaving him at Wat Umong.
‘Well, there’s a high chance things won’t go according to his plan. Strangely enough, the Sacred Group’s Guided Transmission technology doesn’t work well on me.’
With that muttered thought, Han Eol leaped boldly into the Blue Mirror.
Fifth Highland Exploration I — Ruins Within the Cliff
Chapter 1
‘Ah, seriously.’
Han Eol grumbled internally.
Whether it was the Blue Mist beneath the Han River in Midland Seoul or the Blue Mirror in Midland Chiang Mai, the vertiginous dizziness from transmission was no different.
Shortly after,
‘I have no idea where this is.’
Han Eol had landed in a forest where reeds and reed-like vegetation grew densely to a height of three or four meters.
Regular trees, not mere vegetation, stretched upward tens of meters or more—some soaring over a hundred meters—in straight lines.
The trees resembled Southeast Asian palms in shape, but their bark was completely different, gleaming like snakeskin.
Han Eol confirmed the Blue Mirror inside the cave, then planted a Transmitter beneath it.
After finishing his Highland exploration, Han Eol had to return here without fail and dive into the Blue Mirror. Only then could he safely return to Midland Chiang Mai.
‘What if I lost the Receiver and couldn’t find this place?’
Even thinking about it made him dizzy. He’d become a dimensional missing person right then and there, forced to wander this vast Highland continent for the rest of his life.
‘That would be a problem.’
Han Eol shuddered, then checked his small Receiver to confirm that transmission and reception were working properly with the Transmitter.
Fortunately, there were no issues with the signal.
‘Alright, then. Let’s go.’
Han Eol tightened his shoelaces and backpack straps, steeling his resolve.
Then he drew the Ultra-Vibration Blade from his shin, gripped it firmly in his right hand, and confidently began to push through the vegetation.
When Han Eol first entered the Highland, he’d been wrapped in vague fear.
‘But this is already my fifth time doing this.’
Thanks to that, he’d grown quite accustomed. He was no longer afraid of Highland exploration.
Of course, fear still lingered, but on the flip side, there was something he looked forward to.
‘What kind of achievement will I gain this time?’
Han Eol even felt a touch of anticipation.
Scratch that. Pfft.
Anticipation was rubbish.
Han Eol washed his face with his hands repeatedly, sighing.
‘Ugh, damn it. This is ridiculous.’
Barely holding back a stream of curses, Han Eol crept cautiously toward the sheer cliff and peered down.
‘Oh, shit.’
His eyes shut involuntarily from the dizzying vertigo.
That was right. He was at the very top of a dizzyingly high cliff.
And it wasn’t just one side—all four sides were vertical cliffs, carved out as if by an axe.
Moments earlier, Han Eol had pushed through the dense vegetation and emerged into an open vista.
As he explored the surroundings a bit more, he realized the terrain had a bizarre shape—like chopsticks placed upside down on a bowl of rice for a memorial offering.
The cave where Han Eol first arrived (the cave in which the Blue Mirror had been generated) appeared to be located within a jungle region with dense vegetation, but this jungle was confined to an area no more than thirty meters across in either direction.
Everything beyond those thirty meters was empty space.
The place where Han Eol now stood was so high that clouds hung around the cliff face far, far below.
Moreover, the cliff’s angle was so steep that there seemed no way to descend.
Though Han Eol’s mental strength displayed attack power close to instant death, a misstep in a place like this would leave him defenseless.
‘Should I just go back home?’
Han Eol seriously considered returning to Midland Chiang Mai.
If a member of the Sacred Group 1st Division returned from the Highland empty-handed without any achievement, they would face Personnel Disadvantage.
But Han Eol was no longer attached to the 1st Division—he was here at Wat Umong as a guest.
Therefore, there was no reason for him to suffer any loss if he turned back empty-handed. The only damage would be disappointing Natiko, the abbot of Wat Umong, which might make Han Eol’s Highland expeditions difficult for a while.
‘That much of a loss I can bear. Why court ruin by being greedy? Better to just turn back with nothing.’
Han Eol made the decision to play it safe.
Just as Han Eol turned to leave without hesitation, something caught his eye.
‘Huh? A ladder.’
What Han Eol had found was a Vine Ladder woven from tough vines.
The ladder stretched downward from the cliff, vanishing into the depths below.
Han Eol pressed himself flat against the cliff’s edge and peered down, but he couldn’t tell how far the ladder extended.
‘Who would’ve built a ladder in a place like this? Could it be from an Ability User from Midland?’
If that were the case, climbing down that ladder wouldn’t be a bad choice.
But what if the Vine Ladder was a trap set by Demon Beasts?
After deep deliberation, Han Eol reached a decision.
‘Eyes closed, walking away. Too risky.’
Just as Han Eol turned back, abandoning his greed—
Screech!
A sharp, piercing cry split the air, and something dark came flying to engulf him.
“What the—?”
Han Eol reflexively swung the Ultra-Vibration Blade.
At the same moment, his Soul Axis began to spin with a faint whirring sound, churning his Soul Sea.
A fierce vortex erupted within the Soul Sea, and the Demon Spirit caught in its centrifugal force burst outward from Han Eol’s body.
The Demon Spirit coalesced, forming a yellow energy barrier around his form.
Whoosh!
In the blink of an eye, the surface of the swollen energy barrier teemed with fish-shaped creatures swimming in schools—their forms resembling open palms.
The dark monstrosity that had engulfed Han Eol collided violently with the energy barrier.
Chapter 2
In the moment of impact, Han Eol clearly witnessed the palm-shaped fish swarm rushing toward the collision point and exploding—pop! pop!—one after another in self-destruction.
From the effect of these explosions, half of the dark creature’s attacking force was neutralized.
‘Oh! This is way better defense than a Grade A Combat Vest!’
Han Eol felt as though he’d struck an unexpected windfall.
Next, Han Eol concentrated, trying to locate the enemy who had ambushed him and tear out its soul.
But then a bone-chilling dread washed over him.
‘Oh no. Damn it.’
Han Eol had certainly succeeded in completely blocking the enemy’s strike. The yellow energy barrier had defended perfectly, and he hadn’t been scratched.
But the force of that collision had sent his body skidding backward—that was the problem.
Han Eol, who had been standing at the cliff’s edge, was suddenly suspended in empty air.
“Ah—ah, ahhhhh!”
Han Eol windmilled his arms as he fell.
Dizzying terror seized him; his heart nearly stopped.
By the time Han Eol had plummeted dozens of meters without mercy—
The Vine Ladder trembled and swayed into his field of vision.
‘Ahhh, please, please—’
Han Eol thrashed his hands frantically.
Snatch!
One vine strand caught in his grip.
The violent jolt dislocated his shoulder blade. Tendons tore with a sickening rip, and his face contorted like a demon’s mask in agony.
‘Kgh—’
Still, Han Eol clung to the vine with grim tenacity.
Pushing further, he stretched out his other hand and managed to seize the upper portion of the Vine Ladder.
Han Eol was able to survive thanks to the enhanced physical strength and agility he’d gained upon awakening his Ability.
Though he had lost his Ultra-Vibration Blade in the process of gripping the vine, that wasn’t the concern now.
Han Eol dangled from the cliff, swinging wildly back and forth until he finally pressed his feet against the rock face and halted the pendulum motion.
From that position, he tilted his head back ninety degrees and looked upward at the cliff above.
The dark monstrosity that had engulfed him moments before—
He worried it might attack again from above.
‘If I take a second strike in this position, I’m done for.’
Han Eol’s lips went dry.
Fortunately, there was no sign of the enemy.
‘But if I climb back up, it might attack again.’
With that judgment, Han Eol began to descend carefully, rung by rung, down the Vine Ladder.
I had no idea what awaited below that cliff, but the thought struck me that climbing back up now would be madness.
It was when Han Eol had been descending for well over two hours that it happened.
At last, the vine ladder came to an end. And there, impossibly, stood what appeared to be an ancient stone structure.
The clouds still seemed to hover several kilometers below Han Eol’s feet.
Which meant this ruin had been built on a cliff face far higher than the cloud layer itself.
There was no way to know who had left such a structure in this place.
Nor could one guess at the magnitude of danger that might lurk within it.
Yet to turn away and ignore the ruin now would be nothing short of foolish.
Did the rumors not speak of how Highland’s ruins concealed wonders vast enough to reshape human civilization itself? Was that not why the Sacred Group emphasized to its personnel entering Highland: “Should you discover any ruin, immediately drive Mogi Metal markers into the surrounding area and return at highest priority to report”?
Han Eol recalled his training at once.
‘Good heavens.’
His eyes wavered between terror and anticipation as he beheld the stone structure before him, weathered by centuries of wind and rain.
The stone ruin, carved directly into the cliff face, looked immensely ancient.
The rows of stone pillars flanking the entrance bore the faint traces of what must have once been intricate carvings, now blurred and formless with age.
And the sheer scale of the entrance itself made his blood run cold.
‘The entrance alone must be fifty meters tall? The width is over thirty meters. Are the original inhabitants giants?’
Han Eol’s fingers brushed against the Pyros Ring fitted on his left middle finger.
This artifact, seized from the Tri-headed Eight-tailed Demon Beast, not only increased the wearer’s movement speed but also possessed a Stealth function.
Yet Han Eol was still unfamiliar with wielding Demon Spirit, so he couldn’t fully utilize the ring’s capabilities.
‘If I could just master the Stealth function, I’d feel much more secure…….’
Han Eol clicked his tongue with frustration.
Next, he ran his hand over the Grade A Recovery Potion worn around his neck.
‘If things get truly dire, I can always drink this.’
The thought steadied his racing heart somewhat.
On the other hand, Han Eol trusted the Thick Hide he’d taken from the Girrit Tribe’s Tri-headed Eight-tailed Demon Beast. Its superior defensive properties and various resistance enhancements put his mind at ease.
An hour later.
Han Eol had now ventured deep into the stone ruin.
And not merely along a horizontal path—he’d been descending all the while, spiraling downward along a gentle slope toward the cliff below.
Yet he’d found nothing of note.
Only the sense that this ruin had been abandoned for countless years, dust piled knee-high on the floor, walls crumbling in places.
At these depths, there was no light whatsoever.
Han Eol had long since removed the Infrared Goggles from his pack and fitted them on.
Though these goggles could detect heat and function in darkness, they were of little use in a place utterly devoid of life.
Still, wearing them made the surroundings visible enough, which was better than nothing.
‘How much further does this path go?’
Han Eol grumbled inwardly as he continued down the slope for another thirty minutes.
At last, the gentle descent ended.
Instead, a doorway—about one-third of it collapsed—appeared before him.
The Soul Harvestress
Author |
Juno
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Samyang C&C Corporation
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Editorial Department
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Samyang C&C Corporation – Dream Books
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G720:N+A063-20260703071
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blog.naver.com/dreambookss
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Submission |
[email protected]
The contents of this book may not be used in any form or by any means without the written permission of Samyang C&C Corporation – Dream Books.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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