'Task status has been updated.'
'Task: A Little Experiment for the Master of Marionettes'
'How can a Master of Marionettes not have their own marionettes? Please hurry and find sentient beings that can be made into marionettes. Please remember that the quality of the marionettes is also important.'
'Create your own marionettes.'
'Task Completion: 3/3'
'Status: Completed.'
'Congratulations, Host, Appraisal次数 +5, Remaining Appraisal次数: 38 times.'
''Craftsman' usage次数 +1, Remaining Forging次数: 24 times.'
'Knowledge Fragment Quantity +100, Remaining Knowledge Fragment Quantity: 415.'
'New task updated.'
'Side Quest: Establish/Join a Secret Organization.'
'With the fall of the Blasphemer God of the Pale Disaster, the orthodox gods have also gradually faded from people's eyes; the descent of evil gods, the great will is about to awaken, and when the future comes, when the orthodox gods die, when the unknown erodes the world, perhaps in the next millennium, or perhaps in the millennium after that, the world will undergo unparalleled changes. Therefore, perhaps you, as an outsider, should make some preparations early...'
'Note: This task has a certain inclination, please choose an inclination as soon as possible!'
"The descent of evil gods, the awakening of the great will?"
Tang stood on a huge half-open iron gate, flipping through the task prompts given by the System.
Did this side quest involve prophecy?
"Does it refer to the True Creator, or those from outer space?"
His brows furrowed slowly.
He knew the great will referred to the great existence above the gray fog, as well as the ancient Sun God and the like...
As for the death of the orthodox gods, did it refer to the God of War? Or did it foreshadow the future failure of the gods' defenses, allowing those things from outer space... or other even more terrifying things to awaken and erode the entire world?
Having come from the Seer pathway, Tang easily noticed the various vague references in these words.
He always felt that there was something seriously wrong with the System's side quest prompt, as if it said something and yet said nothing at all. It would have been better if it had just shut up.
And this rhetoric...
"System, why are you acting like a Seer?" Tang said with some disgust, "Speaking halfway, how many Seers have you eaten?"
System: 'Huh??'
Host, your insults are so vulgar.
"Can you give me a hint? What exactly does it refer to? Be clearer."
The System was somewhat speechless. 'Don't know, don't know, think for yourself.'
Shutting down, playing dead.
Looking at the unresponsive System, Tang knew that the System should be restricted by a higher power and couldn't really spit out anything. With this, he had no choice but to close the System interface, jump down from the iron gate, and look around again.
"Looks like I can only take it one step at a time... Father will 'die' soon, maybe a week, maybe a month, but it won't be too long after all. Before that, I must make some preparations."
For himself, for that big idiot Owen, for his mother, and there were still many things to be busy with.
After an afternoon of modification by Tang, the top of the 'Never-Ending Theater' was no longer a black, infinitely high curtain studded with countless 'stars,' but synchronized with the natural and external celestial phenomena.
After all, this was inside the theater. Consuming a certain amount of the Sealed Artifact's own power to simply synchronize celestial phenomena was extremely simple.
And for the theater core, as long as it didn't touch on matters of principle, it was willing to let things go for now.
The outside sky reflected overhead, the setting sun gradually descending, and a red moon quietly rose.
At this moment, Tang was standing on a clearing, surrounded by countless illusory architectural outlines, but they had no substance. Instead, they were hidden behind layers of shadowy curtains, looming, like nothingness and yet like reality.
They were just illusory images produced by 'miracles.' Before true miracles descended upon them, they would remain in this state for a long time.
"Professional things really should be left to professionals."
An afternoon was only enough to make a simple draft.
The theater core was very cooperative, but the accumulated miracles here were truly not many.
The previous battle had consumed most of the miracles inherent in the theater, and the remaining miracle power was also maintaining the theater's existence, leaving too little power for him to make large-scale renovations.
At this moment, the largest building was the huge black iron gate behind him.
There were no marionettes around, no shouts, and the tranquility and broad view brought by the peace of mind and spirit were something Tang hadn't felt for a long time.
He had hidden the marionettes in another space. Without those eerie things staring at him, the environment inside the theater was indescribably refreshing.
"Living in here wouldn't be a bad enjoyment."
Within the theater, all 'miracles' would be satisfied, and living here would be a pleasure.
Away from disputes, away from those omnipresent terrifying things, the huge curtain shielded all prying eyes from the unknown. If he were to stay in this place until the end of his life, perhaps he could accept it.
It was a man-made 'Garden of Eden.'
Despite this, Tang still turned around and looked at the iron gate behind him.
The black iron gate was deep and profound, and the other side of the gate connected to reality.
Tang crossed over without hesitation.
Passing through the huge iron gate was like falling into the clouds and returning to the human world.
The iron gate behind him gradually closed and dissipated. The huge curtain of the 'Never-Ending Theater' floated in the sky, invisible to anyone. In this area, unless instructed by the proprietor, it would remain in a 'closed' state, but this state wouldn't last too long.
Because—
'Proprietor's Ring'
'Negative Effects: If you cannot bring miracles and surprises to the theater for a long time, then you will be the theater's biggest surprise!'
Benefits and risks went hand in hand. Those who couldn't bring 'miracles' to the theater and satisfy 'miracles' couldn't be the master of the theater!
Very good, this was very Level Zero Sealed Artifact-like.
Clapping his hands, Tang took out his new marionette.
As a Master of Marionettes, although the limit was manipulating one marionette, he had the System storage, making it easy to change to a favorite marionette anytime, anywhere, without even needing a complicated prayer to summon a spirit and bring it above the gray fog.
Look at his new marionette.
Behold, a Traveler!
"Finally, I don't have to run around anymore, and I won't have to ride in bumpy carriages to Tingen in the future."
This was a female marionette who looked twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with a gentle face, soft long hair casually falling over her shoulders, and wearing a black robe, making her look somewhat mysterious.
Her name was Ange, from the Tudor Dynasty, and she was one of the sacrifices during the Fourth Epoch War.
As Tang manipulated the spirit threads, the marionette placed her hand on Tang's body, and the rich color blocks around them began to become distinct. They entered the spirit world.
(End of this chapter)