The Soul-Harvesting Puppeteer - Chapter 32

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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 32
By Han Eol’s reckoning, the appearance of even a single Adult Giritt would inflict catastrophic casualties on Earth’s Ability Users.
So a Superior Species that enslaved such creatures was descending?
That left humanity with only two paths forward.
Either prostrate yourself before the Superior Species and become a slave, or face extinction.
A shudder ran through him.
Han Eol’s body trembled visibly.
Youngjok, the Superior Species of the 4th Continent, did not miss even this minute change.
[Your body temperature just dropped slightly. I wonder why? Hehehehe.]
Han Eol’s eyes widened in shock.
Han Eol was startled.
When Han Eol gave no answer, Youngjok regarded him with an odd expression, then abruptly transformed.
His body, which had seemed like a copy of Han Eol, began to collapse like melting wax before taking the shape of an enormous serpent.
A serpent covered entirely in black scales.
Yet Youngjok’s face still resembled Han Eol’s own.
A sharp, chittering sound rang out.
Youngjok coiled around Han Eol’s body with a susurrus of scales.
Yet there seemed to be no intent to attack. Instead of making direct contact or crushing him, the creature maintained some distance, encircling him entirely.
[Now your neural firing rate has quickened considerably. Hehehehe. What does this mean? We Spirit Beings can reshape our forms at will as you can see, and we command every part of our bodies, yet you suddenly accelerate your neural signals? What message are you trying to convey to me? Hehehehehehe.]
‘Message, my ass. I’m just terrified. You turn into a snake right before my eyes and start squeezing around me—of course my brain panicked. Ugh.’
Truth be told, Han Eol was desperate to faint and be done with it.
The worse part was that no matter how closely he examined the other being, he could not perceive its soul.
What Han Eol saw was an unfathomable darkness—a chasm with no bottom.
‘If it comes to it, I’ll have to try clawing into that void with my Prismatic fingers. Even if I’m going to die, I have to try something.’
Han Eol resolved that the moment he was attacked, he would make one final desperate gamble before death.
The instant Han Eol steeled himself for a last stand, Youngjok suddenly faltered.
[Oh! Pardon me.]
For some reason, Youngjok hastily withdrew his coils and released Han Eol.
The long serpentine body rustled as it shifted.
The creature’s form returned to human shape.
Now it was Han Eol’s turn to be bewildered.
‘What the…?’
As Han Eol clamped his mouth shut, Youngjok seemed uncomfortable and apologized again.
[As you know, I had not the slightest hostile intent. For us Spirit Beings, a physical body is neither necessary nor indispensable, wouldn’t you say? So I assumed you would take my binding of your body just now as a light jest, nothing more. Hehehehe.]
‘What? That was a joke? I thought I was going to die of fright.’
Han Eol was unsure whether to laugh or cry, and his face twisted into something between the two.
Youngjok studied the shift in Han Eol’s expression, then raised both hands in a gesture of surrender.
[You’re a difficult person to understand indeed. Come now. Let us dispense with this unnecessary tension, shall we?]
Han Eol remained silent.
[But what was that, exactly, a moment ago?]
Han Eol said nothing.
[You continue to offer no reply. But this much I am certain of: you are a truly frightening person. Hehehehehehe.]
‘What? This makes no sense whatsoever.’
[That thing just now—the way it burrowed all the way into my depths. How did you do that? I glimpsed a terrible future where an enormous presence tore savagely into my core and seemed ready to rend my very soul apart.]
‘Huh? You glimpsed a future where I tore out your soul? What kind of nonsense is this?’
Han Eol blinked in genuine confusion.
Chapter 6
Youngjok examined Han Eol from every angle, then offered a proposal.
[After all, our species is not so numerous, is it? Though we Spirit Beings possess limitless authority—so much so that there are seniors among us who have ascended even from this 5th Continent all the way to the distant 2nd Continent—precisely because our numbers are so few, even a scholar like myself struggles to establish a foothold on the 4th Continent. Therefore, there is no folly greater than our own kind fighting among ourselves. Hehehehe. So I would like to present you with a proposition. Hehehehe.]
‘A proposal? What proposal?’
[My, you are a taciturn one indeed. Hehehehe. Actually, I rather prefer it that way.]
‘That’s not it. I’m not taciturn. I just don’t know how to converse via brainwaves like you.’
Han Eol felt as frustrated as if he’d swallowed a sweet potato whole.
Youngjok kept sending brainwaves regardless.
[Since I am no longer in a position to remain on the 4th Continent, I must establish a new foundation there. My footing on this 5th Continent has become unnecessary.]
Han Eol remained silent.
[Do you persist in silence even after I’ve gone this far? Very well. To be honest, I abandoned my holdings here on the 5th Continent long ago and neglected them. I merely left wretched slaves to manage it all out of lingering attachment, but in truth, this place is as good as abandoned.]
‘Wait… is he saying…?’
Han Eol’s heart lifted slightly.
Youngjok nodded slowly.
[How fortunate that you’ve taken a liking to this place as well—that’s why you came, isn’t it? Excellent. I shall transfer all my infrastructure across the 5th Continent, including this location, entirely to you. Hehehehe.]
‘Oh wow. I’m not sure what just happened, but this is amazing? It feels like I’m about to strike it rich?’
Han Eol’s expression brightened immediately.
At that, Youngjok flinched violently and widened the distance between them.
[Why, why are you doing that? What was that grotesque facial muscle movement just now? Surely you don’t think I’m demanding compensation for handing over my infrastructure—are you trying to tear into my soul again?]
Youngjok was so startled that he fumbled for Han Eol’s brainwaves.
‘No, it’s not like that.’
Han Eol protested inwardly.
But before he could, Youngjok stammered out appeasement.
[Please, don’t be so violent. I’m a scholar who practiced for ten thousand years only to barely advance to the 4th Continent. I’m in a different realm of talent than a special combat-specialized Youngjok like yourself. And frankly, our Youngjok species is already running short on numbers—why should allies fight among ourselves? I’m handing over the infrastructure of this 5th Continent to you with no strings attached, so please don’t do anything so frightening.]
Han Eol was baffled by Youngjok’s words.
‘What did I do? I just smiled because I thought I’d stumbled into good fortune?’
When Han Eol remained still, Youngjok extended his index finger tentatively.
When Han Eol still didn’t move, Youngjok grew even more flustered.
[Why won’t you respond? Surely you don’t mean that a free transfer isn’t enough? Are you insisting we settle this between kinsmen?]
‘Settle what? If we actually fought, I’d be the first one dead.’
Han Eol shook his head frantically.
Whether this gesture worked or not, Youngjok calmly extended his finger again.
[Then please, take control now. Hehehehe.]
‘How? How am I supposed to take it?’
Han Eol was at a loss.
Yet in that moment, thinking ‘Could it be this?’, he extended his own index finger to meet Youngjok’s.
[Come now.]
Youngjok brought his finger closer and touched the tip of Han Eol’s hand lightly.
Click!
At the moment of contact, a golden rim blossomed around Han Eol’s pupils.
Youngjok’s eyes, so similar to Han Eol’s own, developed an identical golden border.
Simultaneously, something shifted in Han Eol’s Soul Sea.
Above Han Eol’s Soul Sea, which had been rippling with yellow Marryeong, a golden band formed—and like a water snake, it swam toward him and seeped smoothly into the inner wall of his soul vessel.
When Han Eol examined it closely, the golden band was composed of strange characters.
Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click!
These characters were inscribed one after another into the inner wall of Han Eol’s soul vessel, etched deep and precise.
‘Ohhh, this is rather elegant.’
Because of the golden thread of characters that resembled a long code, Han Eol felt that his soul vessel had become considerably more refined.
Youngjok addressed Han Eol formally.
[I have now transferred control to you. All the infrastructure I left on the 5th Continent is now yours. However…….]
Youngjok hesitated as if afraid, then hurriedly continued.
[However, if we meet again on the 4th Continent later, I hope you might help me.]
‘Help you?’
Han Eol stared at him intently.
Youngjok spoke candidly.
[Of course, I didn’t hand over the infrastructure in expectation of payment. Don’t misunderstand me. But a scholar like myself, devoted to learning, finds it quite difficult to establish myself on the 4th Continent. Hehehehe.]
‘…….’
As Han Eol remained silent, Youngjok pressed on.
[Whereas someone like you, specialized in combat, will surely have no trouble carving out a place for yourself on that harsh 4th Continent, won’t you? I ask only that you remember, when the time comes, that I transferred my infrastructure to you without any expectation of return.]
With those words, Youngjok’s form began to flicker and fade.
Before Han Eol could react in surprise, his visitor vanished completely.
By all accounts, he had used some mysterious power to return to the 4th Continent.
Now the desolate Stone Ruins held only Han Eol, the corpse of a Giritt untouched by a single wound, and a thin layer of settled dust.
Chapter 7
After finally collecting himself, the first thing Han Eol did was extract the Marryeong Stone from the dead Giritt.
‘Damn. I lost the Ultra-Vibration Blade, so this is going to be a hassle.’
At first, Han Eol had steeled himself for a difficult task.
From past experience, the Giritt’s skin was far tougher than whale sinew, and extracting the Marryeong Stone required considerable force.
But contrary to his expectations, the extraction proceeded easily.
This was thanks to Han Eol’s blood.
Han Eol made a small cut on his fingertip, just to test.
‘Marryeong Stones respond to blood, they said.’
Indeed, as his blood made contact, the Marryeong Stone at the Giritt’s throat began to dissolve and soften.
Han Eol seized that moment and rotated his soul axis.
Whirrrrrr—
As the Soul Axis began to rotate slowly, the yellow Marryeong that filled his Soul Sea trembled in response.
As the rotation accelerated, the Marryeong caught by centrifugal force spiraled violently outward, eventually expelling itself from Han Eol’s body.
Whoosh!
An Energy Barrier formed around Han Eol’s body, and part of it caught around the Giritt’s neck.
‘What if this doesn’t work?’
Then Han Eol would have no choice but to press his mouth directly to the softened Marryeong Stone and suck it down.
‘Ugh.’
Han Eol couldn’t bring himself to actually do that.
Fortunately, his instinct proved right. The half-melted Marryeong Stone responded to his Energy Barrier and was pulled smoothly into it.
‘Yes. Yes. Yes.’
Han Eol was nearly bursting with joy.
Next, he gradually slowed the rotation of the Soul Axis and drew the Marryeong in the Energy Barrier back into his Upper Dantian.
Along with the yellow Marryeong that was already there, the Marryeong from the Marryeong Stone lodged in the Giritt’s neck flowed into Han Eol’s Upper Dantian as well, becoming part of his Soul Sea.
This time, the Marryeong Han Eol had accepted was transparent in color.
When it mixed with the existing yellow Marryeong, his Soul Sea still appeared yellow overall.
But the quantity from the Giritt was far greater.
‘What if the Soul Sea overflows from all this?’
At first, Han Eol had worried about that.
It was unfounded.
The newly absorbed Marryeong didn’t raise the water level of his Soul Sea by even a millimeter. Instead, his Soul Sea expanded, and the total amount of energy increased.
‘This is actually good?’
After absorbing the Giritt’s Marryeong Stone, Han Eol tested creating an Energy Barrier.
Whoosh!
In an instant, a yellow Energy Barrier formed around his body.
On the surface, it looked no different from before, but its strength and defensive power were incomparably enhanced compared to what it had been.
The quality and quantity of Marryeong contained in the Giritt’s triangular Marryeong Stone was dozens of times greater than what had been in the Marryeong Stone embedded in his Grade A Combat Vest.
‘Excellent. Excellent. Then why not finish off one more while I’m at it?’
Han Eol had no intention of handing over everything he’d gained in the Highland to the Holy Group.
‘I’m not sure how thoroughly the monks in Chiang Mai will search me, but I’d rather not risk the trouble of carrying Marryeong Stones.’
This wasn’t an unfounded worry.
The Marryeong Stone of an Adult Giritt, especially one from the chest, was of a size and quality that humanity rarely obtained.
But if Han Eol were to carry this back to the Midland?
Then he would be summoned somewhere and subjected to intense interrogation.
“How exactly did you obtain something this valuable?”
“What kind of Marryeong Beast carried a Marryeong Stone of this size?”
“Did you leave more precious stones buried in that place?”
“Let’s go there right now and see.”
He could almost hear such words echoing in his ears.
‘No. I hate that.’
Before, to avoid being shaken down like that, Han Eol had buried precious Marryeong Stones underground in the Highland and left them there.
But now a different use for Marryeong Stones had emerged.
From now on, Han Eol didn’t have to turn over his Marryeong Stones to the Holy Group. He could simply absorb them directly into his Soul Sea.
The Soul Harvester Puppeteer
Author |
Juno
Publisher |
Samyang C&C Co., Ltd.
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Editorial Department
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Samyang C&C Co., Ltd. – Dream Books
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Submission |
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© Samyang C&C Co., Ltd. — The contents of this book may not be used in any form or by any means without the written permission of 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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