Opposite Tian Mei, a small figure cloaked in black stood silently, a bronze mask obscuring half his face. Above the mask were five eye-sized holes.
This was Apostle 05, whom Duan Chen had never met.
However, the scene was rather bizarre. Behind Apostle 05 floated a shadowy figure, indistinct and ethereal. The figure's face was entirely black, yet it felt as if an unseen gaze was fixed on Tian Mei, making her unable to look up. The body beneath the cloak seemed to be manipulated like a puppet, creating an incredibly eerie spectacle.
"Yes, yes, it is my lifelong honor to be the subordinate of an Apostle. May I know what commands the Apostle has?" Tian Mei wore a fawning smile.
The Apostle seemed satisfied with her demeanor, nodding slightly. Then, in a voice full of temptation, he said, "You must be afraid now, aren't you? Don't worry, since you've picked up my appendage, then..."
Before he could finish, Tian Mei fell to her knees with a thud.
"Apostle! Please, Apostle, save your subordinate!"
"Heh heh... Don't worry, how could I bear to let my own subordinate perish here..."
Apostle 05 gradually approached, extending a small hand to gently pat Tian Mei's trembling shoulder.
"Rest assured... it'll be alright... everything will be alright... trust me."
His voice was like a hypnotist's whisper. As Tian Mei listened, her head grew heavy, and she collapsed onto the ground, falling unconscious.
When she awoke again, her body had undergone a radical transformation. The skin remained the same, but beneath it, Tian Mei sensed an incredibly potent power, capable of tearing apart heaven and earth with a mere gesture.
"Hahaha... Hahahahaha—What kind of bullshit hunter or useless psychic! I am now one of the Apostle's people!"
In the blink of an eye, Tian Mei reappeared in the bathroom. This time, she was no longer timid as she had been upon entering. Instead, she provocatively swept her hair back and strode out of the bathroom.
When she returned to Tian Rui's side, he noticed she was clearly different and exclaimed in surprise, "You... you..."
"What about me? Oh, right, I've changed my mind. I've decided to start hunting here. As for that psychic..."
"You're crazy!"
Before she could finish, Tian Rui interrupted. The entire first-floor hall had already descended into chaos, with the security guards barely able to contain the surging crowd. His slightly raised voice naturally went unnoticed by others.
"You can sense the psychic's strength, right? This is utter suicide—You!"
Tian Mei grinned sinisterly, pulling open her chest. The not-so-smooth facial sores extended a grotesque tongue, several thin threads wrapped around it. And where the threads connected...
Were the three sea demons beside her!
The three sea demons, who had been observing the spectacle, had blank expressions, as if they had lost the ability to think. Threads dangled from their joints, turning them into literal marionettes!
"Do you... have any more objections to me?"
Tian Mei drained her glass of champagne, a sweet and charming smile gracing her lips.
Under her deathly gaze, Tian Rui shook his head slightly, no longer daring to utter a single word of dissent.
In the blink of an eye, the entire villa fell silent. The guests stared blankly, threads coiled around their bodies, controlling their joints. Even the bodyguards couldn't escape becoming puppets. By the time Duan Chen realized, it was too late.
"Something is wrong in the main hall!" Wilbenniya warned through telepathic communication.
The moment Duan Chen heard the voice, he scooped up Gill with one arm and rushed towards the banquet hall.
"My signal has been intercepted by some unknown force!"
"Understood, heading over immediately!"
Duan Chen's expression darkened. He knew that not all the guests in the banquet hall were sea demons; there were many ordinary people, and each held considerable influence in Ice City. Even the death of one would significantly impact his plan to establish a foothold in Ice City through the Jia family.
Most importantly, these were dozens of lives!
"Bang!"
When Duan Chen arrived at the banquet hall, the sight that greeted him sent shivers down his spine.
The guests were arranged in three neat rows according to height. Threads dangled from the joints of everyone's bodies. Men and women alike had their chests bared, revealing grotesque facial sores on their chests. Crimson tongues extended from these sores, each wrapped with fine threads.
Duan Chen pondered for a moment, realizing this was a chain of interconnected puppets. Perhaps severing the threads would free them from this situation. However, the most crucial matters were whether the guests' consciousness could be restored and the origin of these facial sores.
"Oh my... what an interesting idea."
Hill's emotionless voice held a hint of excitement, seemingly intrigued by the puppet army before her.
"I'll cut the threads. You stay here and don't move."
"Mm."
Duan Chen reached for his waist, and the Thousand Illusions Pandora appeared in his palm.
"Thousand Illusions Pandora—[Blade] Form!"
"Sequence 06: [Swift Steps]!"
Duan Chen weaved between each guest, his form blurring into afterimages. Threads snapped wherever he passed, and the orderly formation began to crumble.
"Huff..."
Duan Chen slowly turned, his pupils contracting.
He saw that all his efforts had been in vain. In the time it took him to turn around, threads had reappeared on the guests, coiling around their joints like nimble snakes. Simultaneously, a strange smile spread across their faces.
"Hee hee hee hee—"
Even the facial sores emitted mocking laughter.
Duan Chen's expression grew grim.
"Captain, do you need assistance?"
"No, at times like these, you must hold your ground! Don't let any anomalies slip through!"
Duan Chen was certain this was a special ability granted by an Apostle.
"Eyes of Truth!"
A faint blue ripple emanated from his pupils. In an instant, he saw that each guest was damp; it was the trace of sea demons' presence. Furthermore, the threads tightly encased their hearts, with several threads extending from the throats of the facial sores, a sight that was utterly revolting.
"Kill him... kill him..."
"Kill him! Kill him!"
"Kill him!!!"
The puppets' voices grew louder, their grotesque limbs twisting as they charged. Duan Chen swiftly put away the Thousand Illusions Pandora and resorted to pure melee combat.
He certainly wouldn't strike ordinary people, but he also didn't believe these facial sores had spontaneously appeared on them.
"Let's see when you reveal yourself!"
Amidst the vast puppet army, Duan Chen fought like a god of war, each punch, palm strike, and kick felling numerous puppets. However, the more he fought, the more Duan Chen felt something was amiss.
The scene of these people turning into puppets felt somewhat familiar.