LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 179: City of Puppets
Fog swirled, figures flickered like phantoms in the night. If Kiana didn't know better, she would have thought she'd stumbled into a ghost story.
Especially with ARC City's fiery destruction still fresh in her mind, this eerie scene felt like the restless spirits of the dead returning.
"Just Honkai tricks. I don't sense any strong Honkai reactions, but the range is unusually wide." As the former Vermillion Knight, Fu Hua was familiar with folklore and ghost stories. But like qi, whose true nature was Honkai energy, these phenomena were usually Honkai-related.
"Could it be a Herrscher?" Kiana was worried. The Honkai within her was becoming unstable. If not for the wristband, even simple movements were difficult.
She wouldn't stand a chance against a Herrscher.
"Unlikely. This city recently experienced a major Honkai eruption. There isn't enough residual energy to create a Herrscher. And this isn't a natural eruption. There's a pattern, as if it's being… controlled."
"Controlled Honkai…" Kiana thought of Otto. Her own awakening had been orchestrated by him. If there was controlled Honkai, he was the prime suspect.
But this wasn't the time for that. The fog was thickening, consuming the city. Kiana gently covered the cat's remains.
Taxue. She'd seen its death in her dream. It had become Ren's companion Herrscher beast after his awakening.
If Ren had established this organization, Taxue would be a crucial link, just like Benares. Companion Herrscher beasts had an innate connection to their Herrschers.
And now, a faint Honkai energy emanated from these ordinary bones. A message from Ren?
She didn't understand yet, but it confirmed her suspicions: Obsidian Concord was connected to the Honkai, and that red-haired woman was definitely hiding something.
After a night's rest, Kiana felt stronger. The wristband Older Kiana had given her not only suppressed her Herrscher signature but also slowed the Honkai corruption, giving her a little more time.
"Kiana, I must warn you. You're walking a tightrope. One wrong step, and you'll fall."
"I know. But this is my responsibility." Looking at the fog-covered city, Kiana took a deep breath, summoning an Abyss Flower from her Imaginary space.
"I'm not stopping you. Just… take this."
A crimson feather appeared before Kiana. It seemed… dimmer than before.
"The Eighth Divine Key, Fenghuang Down. Before Otto killed me, I stored my consciousness within it. But my memories are vast, a heavy burden for the Feather. It consumes its energy to maintain my consciousness."
"During my time with you, its energy was depleted. That's why I was dormant. I've awakened again, but it won't last."
"I'll seal myself completely, reducing the load. You can use its power. This situation is different. You might face mental attacks. Your mind is unstable. The Feather will protect you."
"Class Monitor!" Kiana tried to stop her, but Fu Hua's resolve was firm. The feather shimmered, and she fell silent.
The feather, its glow brighter now, seemed lighter in Kiana's hand. She stared at it for a moment, then placed it within her Imaginary space and headed towards the city.
As she entered the outskirts, she felt a sharp, invasive pressure in her mind.
The feather emitted a cool aura, shielding her consciousness.
"Mental interference, as expected."
Fu Hua's foresight had been crucial. Without the feather, Kiana wouldn't have made it past the city limits.
She reached the street food stalls she'd seen yesterday.
They were deserted, tables laden with steaming food, the coals still glowing in the grills.
But the people were gone, swallowed by the fog.
Abyss Flower held before her, she cautiously moved forward. She stepped on something soft.
Startled, she lifted her foot, revealing a black cat with white paws, identical to Taxue, lying dead, its neck twisted at an unnatural angle.
Its gray eyes, its slitted pupils, stared… behind her.
Bang!
A heavy blow struck her back, splintering wood scattering around her.
She stumbled, then quickly recovered, kicking her attacker away.
It was a wooden stool, shattered into pieces. The force had been immense.
But Kiana felt no pain. She subdued her attacker.
An ordinary civilian, his eyes vacant, a puppet controlled by invisible threads.
"Not a dead soldier (Zombie), not corrupted, salvageable." She quickly assessed the situation. He wasn't an enemy, just a victim. Saving him meant stopping the Honkai.
She struck him unconscious, then, risking further corruption, absorbed the Honkai energy from him, preventing him from being controlled again.
The wounds on her hands reopened, but she ignored them. As she dealt with the man, she noticed she was surrounded.
Expressionless faces, stiff limbs, like shadows in a puppet show, moved towards her with unnatural gaits.