The Soul-Harvesting Puppeteer - Chapter 43

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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 43
Chapter 4
[But the newly appointed Star Position seems to be cut from different cloth.]
Gu Seongjwa spoke with a notably bright expression.
Sam Seongjwa nodded in agreement.
[Quite right. Except for that first meeting on day one, he’s been using formal speech with us. It was truly refreshing, I must say. A Destroyer candidate showing respect to his seniors? Remarkable.]
Sam Seongjwa seemed deeply moved by the formal address he’d received from Han Eol.
Observing Sam Seongjwa’s pleased expression, Gu Seongjwa added his own words.
[And that’s not all. Just recently, he thanked me sincerely for the Absorption Pill I gave him. He said he was truly grateful for such a precious gift. When I heard those words from a Star Position, I couldn’t help but be overwhelmed.]
[What?]
Sam Seongjwa’s eyes widened slightly.
‘I gave him the Dragon Scales I treasured like my very life. Yet he never thanked me.’
Suddenly, Sam Seongjwa was engulfed in intense betrayal.
But that very evening, Sam Seongjwa’s bitter resentment blossomed into a flower garden.
[Ah, forgive me—I’d nearly forgotten. Thank you for the precious scales, Sam Seongjwa.]
Han Eol had expressed his gratitude to Sam Seongjwa.
[Gasp.]
Sam Seongjwa clutched at his chest.
A single word from Han Eol had melted him utterly.
After peaceful days had passed, October 25th arrived.
Today was when the two races that divided the Five Continents—the Spirit Tribe and the Dragon Tribe—would hold their conference.
[The moment this conference fails, war with those Dragon bastards will erupt. I ask you all to keep that in mind as you proceed.]
Just before entering the Conference Hall, Sip-i Seongjwa gave the other Star Positions a stern reminder.
Five of the twelve Star Positions were participating in today’s conference.
Among them, Sip-i Seongjwa took the role of the Spirit Tribe’s representative.
Next was Gu Seongjwa as deputy representative.
Lee Seongjwa served as secretary.
Chil Seongjwa handled practical matters.
Finally, Han Eol played the role of observer.
The reason why Sam Seongjwa, who wielded considerable influence among the twelve Star Positions, was absent from the conference was abundantly clear.
Sam Seongjwa was the culprit who had stolen the Dragon Tribe’s body; all the Dragons despised him as an enemy. If he appeared, even a workable deal would inevitably fall apart.
[Under normal circumstances, I’d be uneasy without Sam Seongjwa, our most physically formidable Star Position. But this time, my heart is at ease. That’s entirely thanks to you, our newly appointed Star Position. Ha ha ha.]
As they boarded the Ultra-Long Distance Teleportation Magic Circle toward the Conference Hall, Sip-i Seongjwa praised Han Eol.
[You’re too kind.]
Han Eol replied with humble grace.
[Huh?]
[Oh!]
At that, not only Sip-i Seongjwa but also Gu Seongjwa, Lee Seongjwa, and Chil Seongjwa all wore expressions of shock.
In truth, Sip-i Seongjwa had expected Han Eol to reply something like, [Of course you’d feel at ease. Isn’t it natural with me accompanying you?]
Or perhaps Sip-i Seongjwa had steeled himself for Han Eol to flare up, saying something like, [What, that’s unfair. How could you dare compare me to a mere Sam Seongjwa?]
If Han Eol had shown such pettiness, Sip-i Seongjwa had been prepared to soothe him.
‘But what did he say? “You’re too kind”? A Destroyer candidate knows such a humble word? Good heavens, I’m absolutely astounded.’
Sip-i Seongjwa shook his head slowly in disbelief.
Gu Seongjwa, too, was struck anew by Han Eol’s demeanor.
Lee Seongjwa’s reaction was little different.
Only Chil Seongjwa’s expression seemed troubled.
Chil Seongjwa was the most experienced negotiator among the Spirit Tribe’s Star Positions, having dealt with the Dragons more than anyone.
‘Such a meek attitude might actually work against the conference. Those arrogant Dragon bastards will only run roughshod over us if we keep giving in.’
In fact, Chil Seongjwa had hoped that Han Eol, as befitted a Destroyer candidate, would decisively crush the Dragons’ arrogance.
Yet it seemed the current Destroyer candidate was of a different type than his historical predecessors. That very fact troubled Chil Seongjwa even more.
Chil Seongjwa’s concerns proved well-founded.
Five Spirit Tribe members versus five Dragon Tribe members.
Among them, Han Eol was present as a new observer on the Spirit Tribe’s side.
But whether by coincidence or design, the Dragon delegation also included an unfamiliar face.
A middle-aged Dragon named Akin was a figure of recent note in Dragon circles—a person of concern who frequently displayed aggressive statements and actions, earning warnings from the Dragon elders.
It was this very Akin who openly provoked the Spirit Tribe.
He chose Han Eol as his primary target.
Perhaps this too was something foreseen.
Lee Seongjwa, the secretary, had a mild temperament and rarely rose to the Dragons’ provocations.
Chil Seongjwa, handling practical matters, was untouchable—unless the Dragons were prepared for mutual destruction, they couldn’t freely attack the one who served as a bridge between the two races.
But could one even touch Sip-i Seongjwa, the Spirit Tribe’s representative?
Even rough-natured Akin would have found it daunting. No matter how reckless Akin was, provoking the Spirit Tribe’s representative carelessly remained beyond the pale.
Then was Gu Seongjwa an easy mark?
Absolutely not. Gu Seongjwa was the most renowned healer and medicinal craftsperson across all the Five Continents.
Akin knew well enough of Gu Seongjwa’s reputation and had deliberately avoided her.
Even dragons needed medicine when they fell ill.
‘Heh. That leaves only this newcomer then. The fellow inherited the old Star Position’s seat, didn’t he?’
Akin had marked Han Eol with this very calculation.
Chapter 5
It happened that the previous Star Position’s territory was at stake in this dispute between the Dragon Tribe and Spirit Tribe.
‘How convenient.’
Akin deliberately provoked Han Eol.
Yet neither the Dragon Tribe’s representative nor his deputy moved to restrain Akin’s rudeness.
Emboldened, Akin grew increasingly severe in needling Han Eol.
Han Eol bore it with equanimity.
One would have thought he’d exercise restraint by this point, but Akin’s insolence only escalated as time wore on.
It was the Dragon Tribe’s inherent nature—to despise the weak—rising to the surface.
Not only Akin, but other dragons began looking down on Han Eol, their behavior growing steadily more discourteous.
[Tch, this is troublesome. At this rate, we’ll make no progress on the conference. Does the Dragon Tribe’s representative intend to simply let this continue?]
Sip-i Seongjwa appealed to the Dragon Representative for a decision.
A flicker of discomfort crossed Sip-i Seongjwa’s expression.
The Dragon Representative caught that momentary weakness.
‘Ah, so the new Star Position lacks spine, does he? How fortuitous.’
Seizing the opportunity, the Dragon Representative actually encouraged the conflict.
[Kh-kh-kh. These aren’t doddering relics like myself or Sip-i Seongjwa, but youth ablaze with vigor. How could one expect to cool such hot blood? Kh-kh-kh.]
At the Dragon Representative’s words, Akin grew even more brazen.
In the end, the Spirit Tribe and Dragon Tribe representatives reached agreement: let the two young ones settle matters between themselves.
[Only, since we must end this dispute and move to the main conference, I propose this:]
The Dragon Representative seized the initiative.
[What manner of proposal?]
To Sip-i Seongjwa’s question, the Dragon Representative suggested a Turn-based duel—that is, each taking a single strike in turn.
[Let us handle this fairly before all witnesses. Two young bloods with hot tempers, each striking once—no dragging it out with endless blows, no cowardly evasion, no whimpering about trifling injuries, no escalating petty squabbles into tribal conflict, no demanding compensation afterward, just manly honor and straightforward exchanges—one clean blow each, decisive! Kh-kh-kh.]
As the Dragon Representative made this proposal, he made a sudden stabbing motion with his sharp claws toward Han Eol. Those curved talons looked deeply menacing.
Akin immediately accepted the Dragon Representative’s suggestion.
[Heheheh. I’m satisfied. If he wishes, let this sickly Star Position strike first. Then I’ll give him one proper blow in return. Heheheheh.]
Akin thrust out his forked tongue and licked his face mockingly.
The sight was both supremely confident and deeply disgusting.
Sip-i Seongjwa turned to Han Eol with concern.
[This has grown complicated. What is the new Star Position’s thought? Will you accept the Dragon Tribe’s proposal?]
[Well, that is…]
[You’re under no obligation to accept. Of course you may refuse.]
Sip-i Seongjwa played the role of restraining him.
Yet this was precisely the situation Sip-i Seongjwa had hoped for. His true intention was to use Han Eol’s strength to humble the arrogant Dragon Tribe’s pride.
Han Eol could not have failed to see through this.
[Sigh. I’m reluctant, but I see no choice. Since the conference cannot be delayed on my account, I accept.]
Han Eol accepted, albeit reluctantly.
A stage was promptly prepared.
Yet contrary to the Spirit Tribe Star Positions’ expectations, Han Eol readily accepted Akin’s concession of first strike.
Through the Great Method, Han Eol had gained a body nearly as durable as the highest-tier dragons, so allowing Akin the first move posed no real danger.
Sip-i Seongjwa hoped Han Eol would simply absorb the opponent’s attack barehanded and effortlessly, dampening the Dragon Tribe’s momentum.
Then, when Han Eol’s turn came to strike, he expected the Destroyer-in-training to beat Akin half to death.
‘If such a dramatic reversal unfolds, our Spirit Tribe’s morale will soar to the heavens while the dragons’ spirits plummet.’
This was the scene Sip-i Seongjwa had painted in his mind.
Han Eol’s thinking diverged sharply. He had no appetite for theatrical displays nor reason to dance to Sip-i Seongjwa’s tune.
‘True, my defense has grown extraordinarily strong thanks to the Dragon Scales, but why should I take a pointless hit for that? What fool would do such a thing? He offered first strike—I’ll accept his courtesy and be done with it.’
Han Eol stepped before Akin.
Han Eol’s height was a mere 173 centimeters.
Accounting for his true age of sixteen, he remained only average among his peers.
By contrast, the fully-grown dragon Akin’s body length approached nearly eighty meters, and his head, when raised, towered over fifteen meters high.
Akin flexed his foreleg and taunted Han Eol.
Hehehehe. I won’t dodge—I’ll take it bare-fisted. Come on, hit me with everything you’ve got. What’s that? With such a pathetic little body, your hand won’t even reach my face? Then should I lower my head like this, nice and close? Hmm? Hmm? Like this?
Akin thrust his massive face forward until it was inches from Han Eol’s.
The stench of a predator washed over him, along with the savage aura unique to the Dragon Tribe.
Chapter 6
‘Huh. You startled me.’
Han Eol was genuinely taken aback when the creature suddenly thrust that enormous head forward. More than startled—he felt a sharp, genuine threat.
That rage poured entirely into his iridescent hand.
[You. Die.]
Han Eol spoke only these words.
He’d merely muttered them, very quietly, to himself.
But the result was devastating.
The Dragon Tribe’s legendary resilience?
It meant nothing to Han Eol.
His only real concern was the Dragon Tribe’s lightning-fast movement.
If not for the rare case where the beast’s thunder-like speed outpaced his tracking and he failed to extract its soul, toppling an opponent who’d exposed themselves so completely was almost trivially simple for Han Eol.
Crack. Squelch!
With a nauseating sensation, Akin’s soul was violently torn from his powerful body.
The moment of extraction: the ethereal aspect of Akin’s soul was absorbed into the iridescent palm and vanished forever.
Akin’s corporeal aspect—the ‘hun’—could itself be divided into the ‘hun’ and the ‘po’, and this portion too was drawn into the iridescent hand.
Of these, the ‘hun’ was absorbed into the iridescent hand and disappeared entirely.
Only the ‘po’—containing Akin’s memories and experience—remained as a solid mass, sprouting from the iridescent palm like a wart.
Blorp. Blorp. Blorp.
The eyeball-like protrusion blinked, taking in its surroundings.
The pupil was narrow and slitted, bearing the distinctive mark of the Dragon Tribe.
Yet the eye itself held no will, no thought. Like the ‘po’ of Gilit, recently mounted on Han Eol’s iridescent hand, this eye had become nothing more than a tool—all agency gone, only function remaining.
But since Akin in life had been a transcendent being far beyond Gilit’s station, this eye was considerably larger than Gilit’s.
‘Oh?’
Han Eol was studying this new eye sprouting from his palm with interest when—
‘!!!’
Every Dragon cringed back from their seats.
Sip-i Seongjwa, Gu Seongjwa, Lee Seongjwa, and Chil Seongjwa all lurched upright in shock.
Thud!
As every Dragon and Spirit Tribe member stared wide-eyed, a heavy impact echoed through the Conference Hall, and Akin’s body collapsed to the floor.
In the minds of all who witnessed—Dragons and Spirits alike—there lingered the faint echo of Han Eol’s softly spoken words: [You. Die.]
And those words became, precisely, the Instant Death Authority—a death sentence that had stolen away the tenacious life of an adult Dragon.
It was no ordinary death. Akin died with his tail thrust back through his intestines and stomach, erupting from his throat. Not only his tail, but both his front limbs had been forced up through his body and protruded from his jaws.
The scene was as if some unknowable, savage entity had turned Akin’s exterior and interior inside out.
The reason this occurred was that Akin’s claws and tail were directly connected to his soul.
So when Han Eol tore away Akin’s ‘hun’, pieces of the body were wrenched along with it.
The Puppeteer Who Harvests Souls
Author |
Jyuunou
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Samyang C&C Co., Ltd.
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Editorial Department
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No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form or by any means without the written permission of Samyang C&C Co., Ltd. – Dreambooks.

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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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