The sun was blazing high in the sky, and the sea reflected a golden hue. Apart from this, Klein saw countless illusory black lines.
They extended out from the nearby mermaid's body, from his body, and from different parts of the nearby sea. They were thin, numerous, and densely packed. They corresponded to different parts of the sea, and they extended into infinity, reaching the ends of the void.
This strange scene with a dense sense of beauty wasn't unfamiliar to Klein. He had borrowed the powers of the All-Black Eye a few times and relied on it to create the fake World for a long period of time. He had seen similar scenes.
This was the source of a Nimblewright Master's Beyonder powers!
The knowledge he obtained from the potion told Klein that these illusory black lines were known as Spirit Body Threads. By controlling them, he could directly influence a target's Soul Body, Astral Projection, Body of Heart and Mind, and Ether Body. Then, using the Ether Body as a bridge, he could control the target's body.
Therefore, all the Beyonder powers of a Nimblewright Master relied on the Spirit Body Threads.
Firstly, it was to use the Spirit Body Threads that every creature had to find a hidden target. It was the nemesis of a Demoness's invisibility and a Secluded Ascetic's ability to hide in the shadows. Of course, Klein wasn't sure if there was a way to conceal the Spirit Body Threads.
Secondly, it was to control the target like a puppet, slowing down their thoughts and stiffening their bodies. This was a form of forceful control, and it was very difficult to resist. One could only rely on the strength of one's Spirit Body to escape. To a Nimblewright Master who was already at Sequence 5, there was almost nothing to worry about against anyone below the demigod level.
Thirdly, with the passage of time, the control would deepen. A Nimblewright Master could completely turn the target into his puppet, hiding behind the scenes within a certain distance and controlling the target to do battle. In this way, the puppet could use its original Beyonder powers!
This is really strange, mysterious, and terrifying. It's practically exclusive to the mastermind. It's no wonder Rosago said that the control of Spirit Body Threads is one of the most difficult powers to deal with below High-Sequence Beyonders …
However, this requires time. Control isn't something that can be achieved in an instant. It needs to be deepened step by step until it's complete. To gain initial control, I'll need about twenty seconds in my current state. However, as the potion is gradually digested, the time needed will clearly shorten. Once a Nimblewright Master completely digests it, it might take less than five seconds. Yes, before the effects take place, the target won't be able to sense it.
"Once he gains initial control over the target's Spirit Body Threads, his thoughts will immediately turn sluggish, his actions will turn sluggish, and his body will turn stiff. Then, he will slowly develop in the direction of a puppet. If a Marionettist has companions, during this process, he can easily finish off the forcefully controlled target. Yes, if the enemy's Spirit Body isn't too strong, a Marionettist will have some strength to spare. He can even divert his attention to draw a gun or use a mystical item to coordinate with himself.
"If the process of control is not interrupted by external forces, the target will become my puppet in five minutes. In a sense, he is already dead, and there is no turning back. Once the potion was completely digested, the time needed to transform into a puppet would definitely be greatly reduced.
"At present, the maximum number of puppets I can control is one. There's no way to determine what will happen in the future, but it will definitely increase. From the looks of it, the limit won't exceed three.
"Apart from needing time, there's also a limit to the distance. At present, I can only see Spirit Body Threads within a 100-meter range. And to control them, I need to be within five meters of the corresponding target …
"When controlling a puppet, the distance between my body and it can't exceed 100 meters for now. It will definitely increase in the future.
"Heh, apart from retaining its Beyonder powers, puppets can also use mystical items and Sealed Artifacts normally. Furthermore, it expends its spirituality and not mine. Of course, the act of controlling it expends a lot of spirituality.
"This power suits me very well. When I encounter extreme danger and have no choice but to investigate, I can let the puppet do it. Although losing it would be a pain, it's better than dying on the spot. Heh heh, before Marionettist Rosago came to deal with me, he must've done something else, causing him to lose his puppet. Yes, he definitely hasn't completely digested the Marionettist potion, so he can't gain initial control over me while waiting for the door to open. All he can do is engage in a face-to-face conversation.
"In short, as expected of a Sequence 5 Beyonder power! Furthermore, the powers of the first few Sequences have been enhanced by 50%, or even more …
"I'm really looking forward to it. I wonder what kind of qualitative change a Sequence 4 will have after fusing so many strange powers. Sigh, I don't even know what its name is …" Klein ended the inspection of his body and sighed.
He then relied on his experience of setting up the activation and deactivation methods for Spirit Vision to restrict his ability to see Spirit Body Threads, so as to prevent himself from seeing things he shouldn't see.
My left thumb pinches the first joint of my index finger, activating it twice and deactivating it once. My right hand can do the same … He reined in his thoughts and looked ahead. He saw that the remaining mermaids had turned around and were curiously sizing him up with their watery blue eyes.
Considering how he would've lost control and become a Sealed Artifact similar to 2-049 if not for their singing and the simple ritual, Klein smiled at them in a friendly manner.
The mermaids were affected by the charm's power as they gently parted their lips, revealing a slightly shy smile.
As their purplish or crimson lips parted, Klein saw their teeth. They were as sharp as wolf fangs, one after another. They were white and shiny, dripping with a sticky liquid.
Klein was taken aback as he realized that this was even more unacceptable than a real monster.
He was already mentally prepared to treat mermaids like the ones in the sewers. Therefore, no matter how crazy or terrifying their forms were, he believed that he could withstand it. However, the situation exceeded his expectations. The mermaids were clearly beautiful and alluring females. Their tails also had the beauty of a different species, but their teeth were so hideous and disgusting. The contrast was just too stark, making Klein unable to look at them directly. He nearly moved his eyes away.
Waving his hand, he quickly took out the charm of the Sea God domain and created a strong wind to push the boat back to the Future.
Along the way, Klein couldn't help but recall the feeling from before.
So the mermaid's singing is a form of neutralization, a form of balance. Otherwise, most Faceless wouldn't be able to resist the Nimblewright Master potion's corruption of their Spirit Body Threads and would directly lose control. Heh, a lucky person like Sea Serpent Cavituis isn't in the scope of discussion. Perhaps, it's because it doesn't have the aid of a ritual that it's relatively weak.
In theory, as long as it has similar effects, a voice or Beyonder power can replace the mermaid's singing. However, without experiencing it personally, there's no way to distinguish the minute differences. Therefore, it's very difficult for High-Sequence Beyonders of the Seer pathway to provide any effective suggestions.
Amidst his thoughts, the boat returned to the vicinity of the Future. With the help of a rope, Klein easily reached the deck.
Anderson Hood stood by the side of the boat and chuckled.
"So you're looking for mermaids for the ritual and not to obtain the corresponding ingredients."
"That's very clear," Klein replied simply.
Anderson shrugged his shoulders and said, "No, it's not clear.
"No, I'm not sure. Normal people would guess that mermaids are the ingredients you need because they aren't worthy of a Sequence 4 ritual. But who knew that the adventurer at the level of a pirate admiral, Gehrman Sparrow, is only Sequence 6.
What do you mean by only? Klein resisted the urge to control Anderson's Spirit Body Threads.
Ignoring the Strongest Hunter who had a provocative halo, he entered the cabin and prepared to return to his room.
Just as he approached the captain's cabin, he heard a creak as the door opened in front of him.
Admiral of Stars Cattleya wasn't wearing her heavy glasses as her dark purple eyes flowed with flowing water as she looked at German Sparrow.
"Congratulations on your successful advancement.
"Did … did I say something in the dream?"
"You know very well," Klein replied with a deadpan expression.
Cattleya fell silent for two seconds.
"You asked me about my relationship with Queen Mystic?"
As she spoke, she couldn't help but survey her surroundings.
She guessed that Queen Mystic might've boarded the Future through my rather abrupt question? I really need to be careful when speaking to smart people … Klein nodded, walked past her, and walked to his room. There was silence in the corridor.
Only when he opened the door and stepped in did Cattleya's voice sound from the captain's cabin, echoing throughout the ship.
"Return."
Inside the room, Klein waited for a few minutes before entering the washroom again. He set up another ritual and threw Creeping Hunger, which was turning more and more irritable due to the lack of food, above the gray fog.
After doing this, he wasn't in a rush to leave. With a wave of his hand, he made the distorted iron-black Tinder glove fly up and land in front of him.
After studying it for a moment, Klein placed Tinder into an iron cigar case and threw it into the junk pile.
Although the expensive glove was already useless, Klein ultimately believed that trash could be used.
Right on the heels of that, he slowly removed the silent Creeping Hunger and similarly placed it into the junk pile.
Phew … Klein remained silent for two seconds before leaving the palace that resembled a giant's residence. He headed deep into the mysterious space above the gray fog.
During his previous explorations, he had discovered a staircase of light that seemed to lead to heaven. He suspected that the number of steps it took had something to do with his Sequence; therefore, he came to confirm it the moment he advanced.
After walking for a while, Klein finally saw the holy staircase formed from pure light. Compared to before, it had an additional step that appeared out of thin air. It had a total of five steps.
Indeed … Klein sighed wistfully without any surprise.
Then, he climbed the staircase prepared for giants and arrived at the top.
At this moment, he wasn't far from the gray fog floating in midair. It was as though he could climb up just one more step.
Klein subconsciously looked up and vaguely saw something.
PS: Keep updating while on the move. Seeking monthly votes ~
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