"Bizarre Puppeteer, huh? Interesting." Jack allowed the grinning mouth of his pumpkin face to get wider. "I'll need to create some puppets. Bones, wood, leather, cotton, sulfur, gemstones, and monster cores... I'll need to stockpile them later."
For now, it was time to check the other new entries in his status panel.
[Archetype: Infernal Entity. This Archetype designates beings that are commonly associated with purgatory or hell. Often having origins rooted in the concept of Underworld Realm, where fallen creatures feasts upon the wicked souls of the dead. Infernal Entities do not progress through standard practice or absorbing energy, but rather through digesting the negative karma of its prey.]
"Digesting negative karma?" Jack narrowed its triangular eyes.
This was different from [Archetype: Mythical Creature] that advanced through fame. Or [Archetype: Supernatural Entity] that gained power through fulfilling its desire and absorbing energy. Or [Archetype: Mortal Creature] that gained power both through practice and energy absorption.
Infernal Entity advanced its power through consuming its prey's negative karma. Didn't it make them a good creature that hunted evil preys?
No! Wait! This was actually the reason... Devils corrupted their preys so that they became fallen and generated high amount of negative karma. They... fattened these preys before they consumed them. Demons caused destruction and anarchy so that the survivors despaired and chose the evil paths. Then, they would come and harvested the result.
Jack grimaced. He was a devil now in this incarnation. But, he wouldn't do what normal devil would do. There was no need to corrupt the preys. He could just hunt those who were already corrupted.
Next...
[Attributes: Physique (40) Mysticism (99) Passion (96) Essence (99)]
It was just as he expected. Lower [Physique], maxed out [Mysticism]. This was the build of a mage. He analyzed further...
[Physique (40)]. Compared to normal humans, which maxed out at (30), it was not bad. But compared to transcendent beings, it was still low. As expected. This form was not for tanking hits or winning brawls. It was delicate. It was supposed to be the one controlling thing behind the scenes.
This solidified his strategy. He must avoid direct, melee confrontation in this form. He should rely on manipulation and controlled proxies.
[Mysticism (99)]. It was maxed out. The second incarnation of his that maxed out this attribute. Which meant... he could use [Mysterious Anomaly] abilities at maximum efficiency. Great! It meant that he would be like his specter incarnation. Minus invisibility, intangibility, and grimoire-based magic spells.
Oh well... With his pokémon-like bizarre puppets, he would have his own unique power later. He just needed to create them first.
[Passion (96)]. It was supposed to be the measurement of an attribute that affected reaction speed, resistance, luck, and charisma. It was surprisingly high. Great!
[Essence (99)]. As always, it was also maxed. This attribute should affect lifespan, rate of regeneration, soul power, and defiance against natural weaknesses. Still no change.
Jack contemplated the last attribute. He was even sure that the potential of his essence was way higher than what was shown by the number. But, he was still just an enhanced transcendent being now. Still locked within this world's reality restricting bubble. He needed to reach the illumination stage to break the limitation.
Next on the list was...
[Status Effect: Soul Puppet. The innate connection of the soul and puppet body ensure that the destruction of the body will not affect its 'life'. As long as the soul was intact, the body will stay animated, even if it is broken to pieces.]
"Now, this is interesting." Jack mumbled as he considered it deeply. "It implies that physical damage to the puppet body is pointless. Even broken down to pieces, it can still move and fight. The body is deception. Just as expected from a devil."
Did it mean there was no need for him to protect the puppet body? No. Damage still needed to be fixed to stay at the top condition. He needed elder wood, sulfur, and bone dust to fix the damage. And despite being common materials, they were not limitless in supply.
Next would be...
[Personal Artifact: Devil Hat. A dark colored wizard hat which enhances magic control and mental defense. It was weaved from the amalgamation of infernal energy, mind flayer leather, and mystical fabric. When worn, it protects the user's mind and enhances the mystic power processing, allowing the user to perceive and manipulate mana at extreme efficiency.]
[Personal Artifact: Devil Cape. A dark high-collar cape which enhances aura control and soul defense. It was weaved from the amalgamation of infernal energy, soul nibbler leather, and mystical fabric. When worn, it protects the user's soul and enhances the infernal aura projection, allowing the user to deceive or intimidate targets more effectively.]
"Cool!" Jack exclaimed. He never expected the cosmetic objects he created could be transformed by his system into such useful artifacts. Mind protection and soul protection were great for survival. Enhanced control in mana manipulation and aura projection were incredible bonuses for his current incarnation
As for the last new entry...
[Bizarre Puppets: -]
"Empty. As expected." Jack commented. "It's the core ability of this form, waiting to be utilized. I have the 'Bizarre Puppeteer' class knowledge in my mind. But I have no puppets yet. This means I'll need to create them."
He looked around. He had time but he still didn't have the complete materials here. He sighed. "Let's design the model first."
Rune glowed green. Showing his agreement of the plan.
...
It was three days later.
Jack and Reina had returned to Lonestone. The Mirebarrow mission was complete. They had acquired a substantial sum from Mayor Glaiver as a reward for their services. More importantly, Jack had gained a new incarnation and a potent new power. The mission was definitely a profit.
At the moment, Jack was in his workshop. However, he wasn't in the usual human form. He was in the form of Jack Lantern, the Devil Puppet.
His small, doll-sized body was floating above his workbench. His pumpkin head glowed with an internal, steady fire. Casting flickering shadows across the intricate tools laid out on the workbench.
A wizard hat sat askew on his head. And his high-collared cape draped around him. Fluttering despite the lack of wind.
Rune, in her tiny lantern form, drifted silently beside him. Her gentle light was actually adding to the workshop's eerie ambiance.
He was completing the final touches on his first bizarre puppet. Jack hadn't designed anything overtly scary or eerie, despite the creepy nature of his new class.
Instead, the puppet he created looked like a plump, round plushie of a baby panda. Its fur was soft. A rich dark-red where a panda's black would be. And a vibrant yellow where it would typically be white. Its eyes were large, innocent button-like onyxes. And its small, stubby limbs ended in soft paws.
He had used a variety of materials... finely spun mist cotton for the plushie's body, polished elder wood for the internal skeleton, and a small, smooth monster core embedded deep within its chest, charged with sulfur.
But, other than those required materials, he actually added more. Furs from Flaming Cat and Sunny Hare for the outer layer. Mercury and liquid silver to protect its core. And Spatial Amber for its additional core protection. They were not required. But it didn't mean that he couldn't use them.
Jack Lantern controlled a miniature, glowing needle with his mental power. Carefully stitching the last seam on the puppet's belly. The threads were almost invisible. Blending seamlessly with the dark-red furry fabric.
He tied off the knot with practiced ease. The small, nimble needle was exhibiting a dexterity of a master craftsman. His Bizarre Puppeteer class gave him this knowledge and mastery.
The completed puppet sat on the workbench. In its inert, cuddly form.
"Time for the activation." Jack muttered. His voice was vibrating in strange manner.
He reached out. Placing his small, three fingered palm on the puppet's chest. A faint, reddish-orange energy pulsed from his hand. Channeling directly into the monster core within the plushie.
Jack could feel that the core, once dull, began to warm up. A deep, steady red light emanated from the puppet's chest. Growing brighter. Then slowly dimming.
The red light pulsed for a few seconds. A soft, rhythmic beat. Before fading entirely.
Then, a subtle twitch.
The puppet's head tilted slightly. Its onyx eyes seemed to gain a spark of life. Unfocused at first. Then they slowly swept its surroundings. Its small paws twitched. And its core let out a soft, almost imperceptible sighing sound.
Jack knew that, like every other Bizarre Puppets, it couldn't talk. But its head movements and the slight slump of its shoulders conveyed a clear, distinct 'life'.
The puppet looked around the workshop. Its gaze settled momentarily on Jack. Then on the lantern form of Rune. But then its head slowly drooped.
With another soft sigh, the dark-red and yellow panda plushie slumped forward. Its head rested on its chest. Its eyes dimmed. Seemingly falling asleep where it sat. It remained perfectly still. A picture of deep slumber.
Jack quickly activated his [Eyes of Judgement]. Fearing that he failed.
A bright, blazing glow emanated from his pumpkin eyes as he focused on the sleeping puppet. An information panel materialized in front of Jack's sight. Shimmering with data.
[Name: Unnamed]
[Affiliation: Jack Lantern]
[Type: Bizarre Puppet]
[Archetype: Sentient Construct]
[Personality: Lazy]
[Bizarre Skills: Drowsy Aura; Nightmare Snores; Dreamy Truth]
Jack absorbed the information. A faint flicker of internal fire replaced his usual steady glow. "Unnamed, huh? And lazy. And with those sleep related skills. Quite fitting with its external form." He chuckled. "Let's call it Sloth, then."
He then focused on the skills. Mentally calling up the system descriptions.
[Bizarre Skill: Drowsy Aura. The puppet passively emits an invisible aura that subtly saps the vitality and perception of living beings in its vicinity. Affected targets experience progressive physical fatigue, diminished reaction times, and an overwhelming desire to succumb to sleep. Prolonged exposure can render even the most resilient individuals unconscious, making them vulnerable to deeper slumber.]
[Bizarre Skill: Nightmare Snores. The puppet emits a low-frequency sound wave, imperceptible to the conscious ear but directly impacting the subconscious mind. This sonic resonance destabilizes the mental fortitude of targets, inducing anxiety, confusion, and disturbing hallucinations. Prolonged exposure can lead to severe mental disorientation, temporary amnesia, and a susceptibility to suggestion, effectively weakening their mental defenses.]
[Bizarre Skill: Dreamy Truth. A potent investigative ability. When the puppet is placed in close proximity to a sleeping individual, it can project a subconscious link into their dreams. Through this connection, it can subtly guide the dream narrative, eliciting truthful, unfiltered answers to questions posed by its master. The target remains completely unaware of the interaction upon waking, making it an invaluable tool for extracting hidden information without detection.]
Jack processed each description. A low whistle escaped his non-existent lips. "Interesting. Very interesting indeed."