With the anomaly gone, Klein breathed a slight sigh of relief. He surveyed the interior of the house, then chose a spot with some Moonlight and not too many shadows to stand in, to avoid being attacked unexpectedly.
The experience of those few seconds had given him a certain guess about the figure vaguely visible outside the curtains and the low growl-like sound of a wild beast:
They were the corpses that had been hanging inside the church, murmuring " Hornacis... Flegrea..."
When Klein walked through the wall and left the church, they all turned to look at the lit candle as they were hanging down from above. There were no people coming and going on the street. When Klein remotely Flame Manipulation and extinguished the candle, everything was just like last time!
When the crimson moon becomes clearer and its Spirituality intensifies, the "magnet" at the top of the church will have a deeper influence on the town in the misty world. Could it Manipulation the corpses to walk back and forth, disguising them as normal? If that's the case, the light might be attracting the attention of the " Manipulator." In this situation, if the flames aren't extinguished in time and the source is locked, something extremely terrifying could happen. Hmm, I can't rely on my ability to Flame Manipulation to frequently divert the "gaze" of those figures... Klein reminded himself, then used his still-open " Spirit Body Threads " vision to examine the bread, beef stew with potatoes, and deep red wine on the table.
He suspected that the food here was part of the "magnet" at the top of the church. If ingested, the " Spirit Body Threads " would be contaminated and would inevitably drift towards the church. This would explain why the food would evaporate into thin air after being eaten, as it would all be hung inside the church to dry. When the red moon was clear, it could come out and "walk around," which matched Mr. A's description of the missing people reappearing under the bright Moonlight.
At first glance, Klein noticed that the food was like living beings, with " Spirit Body Threads " growing from within and extending towards the ancient church.
What makes them most unique is that each has only one " Spirit Body Threads," which is clearly different from the countless, densely packed threads of normal living beings.
As expected, it was pretty much what I had predicted... With his idea initially confirmed, Klein turned his attention back to how to deal with the " Witch of Despair " Panatiya.
Beside him, the " Wraith " Senor, wearing an old tricorn hat and a dark red coat, suddenly appeared. The Marionette's bones cracked and its face writhed, quickly transforming into the likeness of Gehrman Sparrow.
This is the Marionette using the " Faceless's" ability!
Klein examined the "stand-in" for a while and found some flaws. The clothes could not be changed, and if Illusion was used to cover it up, it would not fool the " Witch of Despair " who was at the Demigod level. Even Mr. A might not be fooled.
After a moment's thought, he had Senor, the " Wraith " in the form of Gehrman Sparrow, remove his clothes, and he himself removed his clergy robes, and the two exchanged clothes!
As Klein put on his clothes and hat, his expression gradually became strange. For the past two months, the Marionette had been dressed like this, having been in the sewers and endured an explosion, and the mixture of various smells was not pleasant.
"Sigh, all the suffering I'm experiencing now is the result of my past laziness..." Klein sighed silently, then completed his disguise, transforming into the pirate captain Gehrman Sparrow.
At this moment, the " Wraith " Senor also changed into a black clergyman's robe, his aura becoming lively and no longer cold, indistinguishable from a living person.
Klein considered it for a moment, then removed " Creeping Hunger " and put " Admiral of Blood " on his left palm.
In that case, the Marionette would be a standard Gehrman Sparrow!
The act had to be performed completely... and if the " Creeping Hunger " backfired during this process, it would be eating the Marionette, haha. When the effect wore off, wouldn't it feel cheated, like it had taken a placebo...? While letting the " Wraith " Senor adapt to the state and taking away the fish and other items, Klein carefully devised a plan:
With a " Marionette " like this that can use my extraordinary abilities, let alone defeating the " Witch of Despair," even stealing that obsidian from her would be nearly impossible; she's a genuine Demigod...
Even if tactical success is achieved using this highly deceptive Marionette —for example, by having it draw attention while I launch a surprise attack, constantly switching positions to confuse Panatiya and make her unable to make accurate judgments—it cannot compensate for the inherent disadvantage in level and strength, and thus fails to achieve the strategic objective...
We could consider having the Marionette engage in close combat, trying to Manipulation Panatiya's " Spirit Body Threads." Since he's already a corpse, he won't be affected by diseases or plagues anymore, allowing us to take him by surprise... Two questions: First, as the " Witch of Despair's " mystical "viruses" and "bacteria" become stronger and more powerful, is it possible that they will affect the Living Corpse? Second, does she possess any other extraordinary abilities that I'm unaware of...? It's highly likely!
Hmm, let me first make a mental list, listing the areas where I have an advantage or am on par with the " Witch of Despair," and see what insights I can glean...
The ability to disguise oneself and use one's extraordinary abilities as Marionette is considered Demigod- level, as is the ability to instantly switch positions. Aside from these, there's nothing else... Well, considering the " Witch of Despair's " current state, it seems I have another area where I'm stronger than her...
She's in a semi-mad state, her rationality fluctuating, her actions quite extreme, and she's easily driven by instinct. While she's still adept at instigating and manipulating, that's a hunting instinct. I, on the other hand, am in a normal state; my intelligence hasn't suffered, and my thinking and analytical abilities are still sharp...
Is this time I going to win by using my intelligence?
Klein had a flash of inspiration and gradually came up with new ideas and solutions:
Why should I fight to the death with the " Witch of Despair " Panatiya right now?
She must also yearn to escape the Foggy Town; deep down, it's an instinct that surpasses even the desire to eat! And besides, she's full now!
I could totally try collaborating with her. She provides the obsidian, and I draw the special, Concealment symbol, fulfilling the conditions for " Door Opening "...
Moreover, I don't trust that Zaratul. Who knows if he harbors ill intentions or has some hidden schemes? Bringing in the " Witch of Despair " could effectively confuse the situation and restrain her to some extent!
The collaboration is a dialogue-based game, not a fight. A perfect Demigod- level stand-in can play a much greater role than direct combat, which is equivalent to combining my advantages from both sides!
Klein made a quick decision, pondering the details of the "cooperation negotiation" while patiently waiting for the red moon to return to the mist.
After a while, the crimson Moonlight that had pierced through the dark curtains finally dimmed, and Klein immediately had his Marionette pass through the wall Door Opening the door, moving away from the house where he was hiding.
Then, Senor, resembling Wraith in the form of Gehrman Sparrow, walked into the street and headed towards the dark church.
In just ten seconds, Klein, who Manipulation the Marionette, discovered that Senor had been infected with the disease.
This had no effect on the deceased, but Klein vaguely foresaw that as time went on, the disease would become more and more severe and bizarre, and might even directly affect the body's nerves and Spirituality. This would cause the Living Corpse's movements to become stiff and rigid, and in the end, perhaps even the knees would be unable to bend, and it would have to hop to move.
"Thank goodness I didn't choose the option of Manipulation the ' Spirit Body Threads ' with the Marionette," Klein immediately instructed the " Wraith " Senor to shout:
"I stayed inside the church for a while, and I didn't die."
"I've found a way to escape!"
After saying this, " Gehrman Sparrow " sniffed, seemingly feeling increasingly weak and susceptible to illness due to declining physical condition.
At that moment, Panatiya, the " Witch of Despair," dressed in Pure White robe, suddenly appeared at the church entrance. Her hair was now tied up again, and she looked clean and tidy.
Her beautiful, slightly manic eyes gazed at Gehrman Sparrow as she pulled a deep, strange obsidian from inside her clothing.
The outline of this obsidian perfectly matches the recess on the wall behind the church statue!
"Do you need it?" Panatiya asked calmly.
Klein discovered that the " Witch of Despair " had put away the plague and disease, and hurriedly had the " Wraith " Senor nod slightly, saying:
"Yes, as long as it is placed in the correct location inside the church, along with a special symbol, it can open a 'door' to escape from here."
"I know the interior of the church is dangerous for you, but that mainly involves the ' Spirit Body Threads,' and I am a ' Marionettist ' who can Manipulation the ' Spirit Body Threads,' allowing you to avoid being Fate."
" Witch of Despair " Panatiya paused for a few seconds, then smiled brightly and asked in return:
"And then, I became your Marionette?"
"Or will you abandon me at the crucial moment, leaving me to wander aimlessly under the moon?"
Klein was prepared and immediately had the Marionette speak sincerely:
How can I put your mind at ease?
Panatiya didn't respond immediately, but thought about it carefully for a while before saying:
Give me your hair and your flesh.
The Witch's specialty: curses? Cursing Gehrman Sparrow with Senor's hair and flesh? If it succeeds, I'll admit defeat! Klein was certain in his heart while making the Marionette appear very troubled:
"Then you can kill me anytime, right?"
Panatiya, the " Witch of Despair," responded with a smile:
"You can give me your hair and flesh when you enter the church."
"Once inside, if I show any signs of cursing you, you should give up Manipulation my ' Spirit Body Threads,' and vice versa. If I show any abnormality, I will immediately curse you."
"Once the Door of Escape opens, I'll leave first, and in the meantime, I'll return your flesh and hair to you."
After much deliberation and discussing the details with the " Witch of Despair," " Gehrman Sparrow " finally nodded and said:
"Okay, let's do it that way."
Just as Panatiya was about to speak, her eyes suddenly narrowed, and she slowly said:
"I don't know why, but I'm still a little worried."
P. S.: Last half day for monthly votes! Also, due to technical reasons, Audrey's birthday party will start on June 6th. Just so you know.