One-Eyed Monster

The Puppet Masters controlled these people through these Silkworms. Lifeless Puppets became complete nutrient pools for the Silkworms until their brains were entirely devoured by them. Otherwise, their behavior was no different from that of a normal person, the only distinction being their taciturn nature, as they spoke very little.

The Puppet Masters constantly cultivated Silkworm larvae, their sole purpose being the creation of Puppets. Once a Puppet’s brain was completely devoured by the Silkworms, it lost all value to them. At that point, they would discard both the Silkworm and the Puppet. Without food, the Silkworms could only starve to death within the Puppet’s skull.

Whether it was the Puppets or the Silkworms, the Puppet Masters were always heartless, without a shred of sympathy or mercy. In their eyes, these were all tools, existing only to serve them, so they felt no sorrow whatsoever. If a Puppet was lost, another could always be parasitized; if a Silkworm was gone, more could be cultivated. As long as the Puppet Master themselves remained, there would be no problems.

There were always dark corners in this world, and the Puppet Masters were part of this world’s dark corners. Compared to the Dark Force, they could be just as bad, if not worse. Yet, oddly enough, while people had only a vague understanding of the Dark Force, they harbored a deep-seated hatred for it. Conversely, they knew a great deal about the Puppet Masters yet acquiesced to their practices. It seemed that, in people’s hearts, the methods of the Puppet Masters were more readily accepted.

The Dark Force often showed no respect for the dead, but the Puppet Masters were different. When they released the Silkworms, they didn’t just casually choose a host for parasitism. The Puppets they chose were meticulously selected, and most of the time, these Puppets willingly served these masters. Although the genuineness of this ’willingness’ was often dubious.

The actions of the Puppet Masters might seem bizarre, but they had existed on this continent for a long time. Otherwise, Igor wouldn’t have known about these things.

Many Puppets volunteered to become Puppets for all sorts of bizarre reasons. As one came to understand the true reasons these Puppets volunteered, these matters perhaps no longer seemed so strange.

These Puppet Masters were all high-ranking figures on this continent, naturally wielding countless resources. These resources were coveted and anticipated by some, thus becoming bargaining chips for the Puppet Masters. Under the Law of Equivalent Exchange, people would naturally come to negotiate. Everyone had something they wanted, and when faced with someone who could provide it, they would eagerly participate. The Puppet Masters exploited this very aspect of human nature.

When choosing Puppets, the Puppet Masters naturally selected those with special physical constitutions. The Puppet Masters, possessing a plethora of resources, could also screen and evaluate those individuals who wished for change, thereby selecting the Puppets most suitable for their needs. Therefore, these Puppets were one in a hundred; not just anyone could become a Puppet.

The majority of Puppet Masters were found in the Wensi Empire. This Empire, populated by Water Spirits and Tree Spirits, had always been distinctive. Some said the Puppet Masters’ powers came from the Tree Spirits; only such whimsical beings could grant people such strange methods of control. Regardless, the existence of this practice led many to choose to sacrifice themselves to achieve the goals of others.

It was hard to imagine someone willingly becoming a Puppet, yet such things did happen. Some, with great righteousness, set foot on this path of no return to defend their homeland; they were guardian warriors, true heroes. Others willingly sacrificed themselves for their families, hoping to exchange their lives for better resources to ensure their family’s survival.

There were all types of people, each with their own reasons for making such a choice. Puppet Masters never forced anyone to become Puppets; they would only implant the Silkworms if the other party was willing.

Implanting a Silkworm was a clandestine technique, and no one could clearly explain the principles behind it. When a Puppet Master placed a bright green Silkworm larva on a Puppet’s forehead, no one could clearly see what happened next. The Silkworm would vanish in a flash, disappearing without a trace. No one knew where it went, much less how these Silkworms drilled into the Puppet’s head.

A Silkworm would only burrow into the head of its designated Puppet. Silkworms separated from their Puppet Master were incapable of free movement. They were controlled by the Puppet Master and lacked freedom of movement. They would only burrow into the Puppet their Puppet Master commanded, never acting on their own.

No one could explain the mystery; they could only speculate. Many speculated that the Puppet Masters controlled the Silkworms’ Main Body. The released Silkworms were worker worms, tasked with finding food and Energy for their Main Body. Since the Puppet Masters controlled their Main Body, they could issue commands to them. Although this reasoning was rather simple, it had convinced many Scholars. This became the tacitly accepted explanation for how Puppet Masters controlled Puppets.

How did Igor know all this? It wasn’t because he had seen Puppets or Puppet Masters, but rather due to his curiosity. Teacher Hadi of Yonder Travel Academy was researching this very subject, which piqued Igor’s curiosity. Whenever Igor encountered anything related, he would eagerly investigate. Teacher Hadi understood that forbidding it wouldn’t curb Igor’s interest, so he made Igor his little assistant, allowing him to participate directly.

Initially, Teacher Hadi’s obvious goal was to scare Igor away with the disgusting nature of Puppets and Puppet Masters. However, Igor wasn’t so easily frightened. Although Igor felt somewhat nauseated when he first encountered these things related to Puppet Masters, he grew accustomed to them over time. Moreover, he could often provide some sound suggestions. Igor remembered the first time he saw the remains of a Puppet; he had vomited for a long time, and the nauseating feeling was deeply unpleasant.

But it was precisely because he had encountered these things so often that he learned about the crack on a Puppet’s skull.

The Silkworms, trapped inside the skull, had no way out. They were simple creatures, only knowing to exit from where they entered. They wouldn’t adapt, nor would they actively explore; most of the time, they were creatures that simply obeyed orders. Only when the Puppet Masters abandoned them would they sense the crisis and begin to struggle frantically within the skull.

From where they came, they sought to depart. They continuously struck the Puppet’s skull. However, at this stage, they were no longer larvae capable of spreading their bodies to seep in and out. Their bodies had grown too large; they could no longer liquefy. They could only strike foolishly.

The hardness of the skull was beyond their imagination. The only impact they could make was to leave a crack on the Puppet’s skull.