The Soul-Harvesting Puppeteer - Chapter 44

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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 44
[…….]
A heavy silence descended over the conference hall.
Everyone could only breathe in quick, shallow gasps—no one dared speak.
Han Eol broke the silence.
[Well, ah. This is awkward. It looks like Akin couldn’t last even one round and had to bow out.]
‘!!’
All eyes snapped toward Han Eol.
The Dragon Clan members in particular fixed him with a bloodshot glare.
As the atmosphere grew heavier, Han Eol, flustered, blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
[Um, well… it seems Akin must have had some chronic condition he didn’t mention. My turn to attack is finished anyway, and it was his turn next. I feel rather badly about the whole thing.]
[…….]
Contrary to Han Eol’s intent to lighten the mood, the silence only deepened.
‘Ugh. What am I going to do about this atmosphere?’
Han Eol scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
The representatives of the Dragon Clan and Spirit Clan began a brief dispute in one corner of the hall.
[Twelve Constellations, are you suggesting we wage an all-out war against the Dragon Clan right now? Grrrrowwwwl.]
The Twelve Constellations, faced with the Dragon Clan representative’s bloodthirsty threat, made a show of scratching inside his ear with a branch-like finger.
[Ha. So you’re throwing a tantrum over one dead young Dragon, are you? But first—whose words were those in the first place?]
The Twelve Constellations flicked the branch sharply.
Then a round water droplet condensed between the two, and within it, a scene from the past began to replay.
The protagonist of the recorded scene was the Dragon Clan representative himself.
In that footage, the Dragon Clan representative was egging on the one-on-one match between Akin and Han Eol.
[We took some damage from this petty squabble—no whining about it, no letting this escalate into a tribal conflict, no filing for compensation from each other. Let’s settle it fair and square, like real men, one clean shot each! Bang and done, yes?]
This was the Dragon Clan representative’s position.
The Twelve Constellations goaded his opponent as if playing with a child.
[Ha, ha, ha. So you engage in fair combat, take a bit of damage, and then cry like a babe? And now you’re trying to blow this into a full tribal war? Oh my. Perhaps this old one should broadcast the footage I recorded to every race across the Five Continents? Then tell me—how will your proud Dragon Clan ever show your faces again? Hehehehe.]
[Ugh.]
The Dragon Clan representative was at a loss for words.
He’d never imagined his own words, spoken mere minutes ago, would boomerang back at him like this. Now that he felt the sting of it himself, it burned.
Chapter 7
With the Dragon Clan representative silenced, the Twelve Constellations pressed his advantage.
[And as for full-scale war? Ha! If that’s truly what you desire, then let’s have it. War.]
[What?]
The Dragon Clan representative snarled, his tone savage.
The Twelve Constellations shot back dismissively.
[You seem to think very little of us Spirit Folk. I’m merely suggesting we settle the fates of both our races through all-out conflict.]
As the Twelve Constellations came at him with force, the Dragon Clan representative faltered.
In truth, the Dragon Clan’s numbers were as few as the Spirit Clan’s.
If a full war erupted between them, one race would be looking at total annihilation within the Five Continents.
‘Until now, this old Spirit has been holding back, playing it safe. What is he banking on to come at me so hard?’
The Dragon Clan representative studied the Twelve Constellations through eyes narrowed to vertical slits.
Then, suddenly, Han Eol surfaced in his thoughts.
‘Wait. Could it be… a Nullifier?’
The Dragon Clan representative knew the legend of the Nullifier—the Spirit Clan’s ultimate weapon.
Conventional wisdom across the Five Continents held that the Spirit Clan was weaker in direct combat than the Dragon Clan. But that wasn’t necessarily true. Very rarely, among the Spirit Folk, a being was born.
A catastrophic entity capable of striking the opponent’s very soul directly.
That was the Nullifier.
‘That punk calling himself Han Eol just now—he killed Akin with methods I couldn’t even imagine.’
How was such a thing possible?
There was only one answer.
‘Damn it. A Nullifier has been born among the Spirit Clan. So that’s why this cunning old fox is throwing his weight around like this. Grrrrrowwwwl.’
In fact, the Dragon Clan had been vigilant about the rise of a Nullifier since ancient times.
Why?
The most perilous period in all of Dragon history had been when candidates for Spirit Nullifiers launched their attacks.
And each time, Dragon ancestors had carefully provoked the would-be Nullifiers, lured them into traps, and eliminated them.
Every Nullifier candidate throughout history lacked a brain, so even when they saw the trap, they would charge straight in.
‘But what about this one?’
The Dragon Clan representative stared at Han Eol, who stood vacantly among the Spirit Folk at a distance.
‘That one clearly launched the first attack on Akin.’
In ordinary contests like this, the stronger party typically cedes the first strike to the weaker.
Akin was foolish to yield the opening move to a Nullifier prospect without hesitation, but Han Eol was equally strange to accept it so readily.
‘They say all past Nullifier prospects were arrogant beyond measure. But this one is different. Something’s off about him.’
The Dragon Clan representative’s pupils narrowed further as he studied Han Eol.
‘Wait a moment.’
Then the Dragon Clan representative’s eyes widened.
‘Now that I think of it—he spoke to us in formal speech, didn’t he?’
The Dragon Clan representative finally grasped the source of his unease.
The moment Han Eol killed Akin instantly, the Dragon Clan representative should have immediately conjured the word “Nullifier” in his mind.
After all, the Dragon Clan’s greatest dread was the birth of a Nullifier from among the Spirit Clan.
Yet neither the Dragon Clan representative nor any of the other dragons had connected Han Eol with a Nullifier in their thoughts.
Why?
‘Because his conduct diverges so drastically from the behavior of Nullifiers that we’ve learned about through history. That’s why, even witnessing his terrible power firsthand, we failed to recognize him as one.’
Having reached this conclusion, the Dragon Clan representative felt a sudden chill creep across his entire body.
‘Damn it. All previous Nullifier prospects were brainless creatures, which allowed us dragons to respond appropriately. But now a sane Nullifier prospect has been born. This… this is catastrophic.’
Perhaps this one called육성좌 would, unlike his predecessors, live long enough to mature without withering away—and become a true Nullifier.
A genuine Nullifier, stripped of the mere “prospect” label.
A horrifying being who would slaughter or enslave all races save the Spirit Clan, creating a world for them alone,
A future conqueror who would seize not just these Five Continents, but the Fourth and Third Continents as well—perhaps even the Second.
‘Ugh…’
The mere thought of such a calamitous future sent shivers through the Dragon Clan representative.
‘This conference is no longer the issue.’
Urgency gripped his heart.
‘I must return at once and confer with the other Dragon Clan elders about how to prepare for this crisis. We’re all doomed otherwise.’
That desperation showed plainly on his face.
‘Hehehehe. To think I’d live to witness such a precious sight. Hehehehehehe.’
The Twelve Constellations chuckled to himself, savoring the Dragon representative’s expression of dread.
The Twelve Constellations no longer begrudged the blood essence he’d poured into Han Eol.
The conference concluded without fanfare.
The greatest obstacle in this negotiation had originally been the struggle for control over the Central Continent Region.
The hot-blooded Dragon Clan had desperately wanted to seize those rights, while the Spirit Clan needed to protect their core interests by any means necessary.
Yet that matter ended with barely any discussion.
The dragons seemed deliberately to avoid contention over the Central Continent.
Since the Dragon Clan made no demand for concessions, the Spirit Clan representatives didn’t press the issue either.
The Central Continent Region was already under effective Spirit Clan occupation.
‘If the territorial arrangement solidifies this way, the Central Continent naturally remains ours. Wouldn’t you agree?’
‘Your words ring true, Twelve Constellations. Hehehehe.’
‘Hahahaha.’
The Spirit Clan representatives exchanged these sentiments through glances alone.
‘What’s this? It all just… ended without incident?’
Han Eol shrugged his shoulders.
Truth be told, the outcome was favorable for Han Eol as well.
‘Securing the Central Continent’s primary base facility without any danger—that’s not bad. Haha.’
Han Eol was content with this.
Save for one thing.
‘Still, the Dragon Clan took Akin’s corpse with them. I’d hoped to absorb a Magical Spirit from the Dragon Clan this time, but that’s fallen through. Pity.’
Han Eol clicked his tongue lightly.
His gaze naturally drifted toward the coffin containing Akin’s body.
The dragons, who had hastened to finish the conference and transport Akin’s remains, suddenly felt a burning stare upon them. They turned, and their eyes met Han Eol’s.
‘What… what is that look?’
‘Does he mean to tear Akin’s corpse to shreds and mock it?’
‘They say all Spirit Clan Nullifier prospects are unhinged lunatics without exception. Our ancestors spoke truly.’
The dragons felt their hair stand on end. They quickly averted their gaze and hurriedly hoisted Akin’s coffin, fleeing the scene in haste.
‘What’s got them in such a rush?’
Han Eol tilted his head in puzzlement.
‘Do dragon corpses decompose faster? Is that why they’re in such a hurry?’
Han Eol ventured a wholly implausible guess.
Return to Midland
Chapter 1
Han Eol had originally intended to depart Highland on October 13th and return to Chiang Mai in Midland.
Then the Spirit Clan constellations summoned him by force through their magic to the Colosseum (?), where he underwent Grand Magic to drastically fortify his body.
Finally, Han Eol participated in negotiations with the Dragon Clan and achieved the remarkable feat of protecting the interests of the Spirit Clan—which were, in truth, his own interests.
Within mere days, Han Eol found himself caught up in truly momentous events.
In any case, the negotiations with the Dragon Clan were now concluded.
‘I need to return to Midland.’
Han Eol hastened his return.
Thus, on October 27th—two weeks later than originally planned—Han Eol came back to the cliff where Base Facility 7 stood and dove into the Blue Mirror.
A faint vertigo washed over Han Eol during the transmission from Highland to Midland.
‘Hmm? The vertigo from transmission has eased considerably. Could it be thanks to the Twelve Constellations’ Grand Magic strengthening my body?’
This was the only conclusion Han Eol could reach.
The list of specimens Han Eol submitted to Wat Phra That was as follows:
— One Aktos Corpse
— An Unknown Material Spear eight meters in length, composed of a substance whose composition could be analyzed,
— A Double-Bladed Axe four meters in length with broad, flat sides.
— A Hammer three point five meters in length, boasting an extraordinary weight.
— A Circular Shield two point five meters in diameter.
— Two roots of a rare medicinal herb humanity had yet to encounter.
Han Eol listed Wat Umong as the owner of these specimens.
Midland’s Chiang Mai operated under a different power structure than Seoul. In Midland Seoul, the Sacred Group monopolized all authority, but in Chiang Mai, numerous temples including Wat Phra That pursued horizontal relationships with one another.
In particular, major temples such as Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Umong, and Wat Phra Singh wielded influence no less considerable than Wat Phra That itself.
Of course, Wat Phra That remained the official representative of Midland Chiang Mai. The temple held a monopoly on the authority to transmit Ability Users to Highland.
However, the specimens that those Ability Users brought back from Highland were given priority ownership to the Ability User’s original affiliated temple.
Such an arrangement was possible precisely because of Chiang Mai’s distinctly horizontal power structure.
Han Eol made active use of this system.
‘My current affiliation is with Wat Umong. Therefore, it’s only right that the specimens I brought back belong to Wat Umong.’
This was Han Eol’s unwavering conviction.
But matters did not proceed smoothly.
The specimens Han Eol had brought from the Five Continents were too extraordinary—that became the problem.
“We have never encountered materials like these. No metal our Wat Phra That has collected can compare with these weapons.”
“And these medicinal herbs are extraordinary as well. We extracted just a minute portion of one herb and ran it through a mass analyzer. Please look at this data.”
“And what of the beast’s corpse? It is entirely unlike the Aktos of the Ninth Continent that we have examined.”
“Venerable Abbot, will you really hand over such tremendous artifacts, corpse, and herbs to Wat Umong alone? It is true that Wat Umong has priority, but surely we of Wat Phra That should share these relics and collaborate on their research.”
The production-class Ability Users affiliated with Wat Phra That, brimming with excitement, pressed the abbot.
“Then let me speak with Wat Umong about this matter.”
The abbot of Wat Phra That paused in thought before offering this reply.
Now the ball had passed to Wat Umong.
The Puppeteer Who Harvests Souls
Author |
Junon
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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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No part of this book’s contents may be used in any form or manner whatsoever without the written permission of Samyang C&C Co., Ltd. – 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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