Ch 184.

  Matt’s puppet let out a heavy sigh as it stepped forward, pausing alone to gauge the intentions of the approaching group. A flicker of hope sparked within it; if they sent out a representative or a small delegation, perhaps a dialogue could be initiated. However, it quickly became clear that such a scenario was unlikely. The entire mass of figures advanced beyond what it would have deemed reasonable, and so, with a surge of determination, it made the decision to act boldly and bolted forward. Simultaneously, it dispatched a command to Bob, instructing him to circle around the back and target anyone who appeared to be orchestrating the chaos.

  As it closed the distance, a barrage of projectiles—both physical and magical—was hurled in its direction, but they were weak and poorly aimed. Nonetheless, the sheer volume of attacks created a daunting challenge, and Matt’s puppet could only evade so many. Fortunately, each strike that landed with more than a glancing blow was swiftly returned to its sender, ricocheting back with an almost casual ease. At this point, Matt and his puppets had honed their ability to deflect well over 1,000 such attacks, a feat they regarded as routine, though it was anything but ordinary. This proficiency stemmed from their frequent use of essences, both in targeted and broad applications. With all of his puppets at his disposal, Matt had gained considerable experience in tapping into his reserves, especially since his puppets tended to be less efficient in doing so.

  While that might sound like a disadvantage, in the context of developing one’s essence pool, it was actually an advantage—provided the inefficacy wasn’t due to waste. In the case of Matt and his puppet, it certainly wasn’t. As a result, Matt found himself unknowingly harboring about four times the essence he would have accumulated had he relied solely on his own physical prowess. This was compounded by the reality that those who never engaged with their essences would remain stagnant, unable to cultivate their pools. These pools would only be measured once an individual reached B rank, at which point all newly formed essence pools would begin at the same baseline level of whatever the weakest pool was. Furthermore, the system had strict regulations preventing anyone from sharing their essence with those who had not yet attained B rank, ensuring that the balance of power remained intact.

  It might be assumed that somewhere, such crucial information was documented, and they would be correct. The catch, however, lay in the fact that anyone below B rank attempting to read it would find the text scrambled and incomprehensible. This was a testament to the system's power, which could effectively restrict access to knowledge for those living under its dominion. Yet, for most people on Earth, such complexities were far from their thoughts. The group Matt’s puppet was preparing to confront was primarily focused on survival and the pursuit of a comfortable life. Among them were the most dangerous sorts—those who possessed both ambition and the gift of persuasion, peddling their vision of a brighter future to those who felt lost and directionless. Jaelyn epitomized this archetype; although she had never envisioned herself as a leader, she had gradually embraced that role through her experiences fighting the goblins after Matt left.

  Matt, in contrast, embodied the antithesis of this archetype; he lacked a grand vision for the future and had no interest in contributing to anyone else's ambitions. Instead, its focus lay on thwarting the emergence of such visions, driven by a deep-seated belief that no single individual should wield power over the world. Even if that rendered him somewhat hypocritical—since he was essentially imposing his own will upon the world—he remained indifferent to the contradiction. In his mind, he would either achieve his goals or find a way to leave Earth behind, one way or another. Yet, none of these contemplations occupied Matt’s puppet as it advanced toward the front lines of the attacking group, skillfully maneuvering through their ranks with purpose and determination.

  Each strike aimed to incapacitate rather than kill, as Matt’s puppet understood that remaining stationary would lead to immediate encirclement. By maintaining a relentless pace, it launched attacks with near impunity; any adversary attempting to retaliate risked striking their own comrades. This uncertainty prompted the group to hesitate, focusing solely on parrying its blows, and on the rare occasions when they did counterattack, their strikes often went wide or, worse, collided with their allies. The chaos that erupted in the wake of Matt’s puppet’s movements was palpable, sending ripples of panic through the ranks. As it weaved skillfully through the throng, people began to scatter, their faces painted with fear. The once-cohesive formation shattered, and the entire group found themselves fleeing in all directions, abandoning any pretense of order.

  In this chaos, it appeared that the leader had managed to slip away, but over a hundred of those who had gathered were not so fortunate. The aftermath of the confrontation was grim; the casualties included both those who had come to support Matt’s puppet and others who had suffered injuries during the turmoil. Among them, seventeen souls would never again open their eyes, igniting a simmering rage within Matt’s puppet. It had never intended to take a life, yet now it bore the weight of having extinguished someone’s family. This realization meant it had inadvertently forged an enmity that could only be directed toward the fool who had led them to their demise.

  “Jaelyn,” it called out the moment it spotted her upon its return. “You have my blessing to use whatever means you need to figure out what the hell just happened.”

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  “I can tell you what happened,” Jaelyn replied, her voice laced with anger. “Someone has a weak mass mind control ability. It shattered the moment they were injured, but none of them remember how they ended up here—only that they felt compelled to seize our ship.”

  Matt’s puppet inhaled deeply, a surge of fury coursing through it as it grappled with the reality of seventeen lives lost. The thought of the mastermind behind this chaos potentially repeating their actions gnawed at it. What if next time, they targeted a larger group or even the vulnerable residents of the settlement?

  “It’s time for a full lockdown,” it declared firmly. “Until we find the bastard responsible for this, we can’t allow our weaker members to become targets.”

  “We need to understand how they managed to control so many people so quickly,” Jaelyn remarked, her brow furrowed in concentration. “Even though it’s been a couple of days, I spoke with some of those we captured recently, and none of them showed signs of being mind-controlled at that time.”

  “We must keep a close eye on those who were captured and ensure they don’t mix with anyone else,” Matt’s puppet urged, dread tightening in its chest. “I wish we had someone like Emily here right now.”

  “Yes, her identification skills were extremely useful,” Jaelyn agreed, her expression softening slightly. “But I believe we can still devise a plan that will work.”

  As the questioning dragged on, it became increasingly clear that progress was elusive, with far too many captives to sift through. Despite Jaelyn employing her abilities designed to unmask deceit, the responses were frustratingly uniform: they all claimed to have been swept up by an overwhelming desire to seize the nearly completed ship for themselves. Matt’s puppet suspected that the individual behind this chaos possessed a skill that allowed them to either implant such desires directly into others or to amplify their own ambitions, spreading them like wildfire among the group. This revelation raised another unsettling possibility: perhaps the mastermind was also a prisoner of their own cravings, unwittingly driving the chaos they had sown. If so, they could easily be among the captured, oblivious to their role in the turmoil that ensued. However, this theory left a significant gap in understanding; it did not clarify how three distinct factions had converged into one chaotic assembly, a mystery that none of those present could explain. All these uncertainties gnawed at Matt’s puppet, planting seeds of doubt as it grappled with countless scenarios spiraling in its mind. Fortunately, Apricity and Jaelyn sensed the tension radiating from it just as they completed the last of the interrogations, the first rays of sunlight beginning to break over the horizon.

  “You need to focus on what you can control,” Jaelyn urged, her tone firm but measured. “We don’t even know if we’ve captured the one behind the attack. All we know is that they’re after the ship. So, just guard it and let us figure out the details.”

  “Exactly,” Apricity chimed in, crossing her arms. “You’re not a detective; in fact, I’d say that’s very far from what you think of yourself.”

  “That’s not true,” Matt’s puppet shot back, its voice steady. “I hunt, and that requires following clues and learning about my targets. I don’t see this as all that different.”

  “Just guard the ship,” Apricity insisted, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Give us a chance to show you that we can handle this.”

  Matt’s puppet hesitated, ready to argue, but then paused. It recalled that it would be awake for a few more days and needed to conserve energy. The fatigue weighed heavily on its limbs, a reminder of how weakened it felt after the recent chaos. So, with a reluctant nod, it relented and took up its post, watching over the ship as dawn broke.

  As the morning light spilled across the deck, it observed the workers stirring, stretching, and preparing to dive into their tasks. More than once, Matt’s puppet approached a few of them, asking casual questions, driven by an underlying fear that one might have been targeted. Each time, the workers responded with puzzled expressions, unaware of any threat lurking among them. Meanwhile, Apricity and Jaelyn huddled together, their brows furrowed in concentration, discussing possibilities and reviewing everything they had learned once more.

  “The attack was poorly planned, and it could either be a distraction or we might be dealing with an idiot,” Jaelyn stated, letting out a heavy sigh that seemed to echo her frustration. “The real goal might just be to make us waste our time trying to unravel what’s happening while they execute their actual plan behind the scenes.”

  “What could they even want?” Apricity asked, her brow knitted in confusion as she glanced around the makeshift camp. “This place is really just suitable for a small port, and even then, it’s likely to become a hassle with the sea life growing more powerful by the day.”

  “Who says that anything we have here is their goal?” Jaelyn countered with a yawn, stretching her arms above her head. “Their aim could be simply to drain our energy and resources.”

  “If that’s the case, they are doing a remarkable job,” Apricity retorted, crossing her arms tightly. “Honestly, I’m not sure if I’d prefer facing an idiot or a mastermind in this situation.”

  “Maybe they’re both,” Jaelyn offered thoughtfully, her eyes narrowing as she considered the possibilities. “Or perhaps they’re neither. What we really need to figure out right now is what to do with our prisoners. We can’t keep them under guard like this indefinitely, but letting them go doesn’t seem right either.”

  “We can’t have them mixing freely with others if we’re dealing with a possible mind control ability,” Apricity grumbled, her brow furrowed in concern. “I worry that any group leading them out of here could become targets for others as well.”

  “I suggest we put them to work turning the land around us into farmland,” Jaelyn proposed, her voice steady. “It would require them to build some houses and sort out a few logistics, but it would help address the issue that all the monster meat Matt keeps sending us can only postpone for so long.”

  “Do you think they’ll agree?” Apricity asked, her uncertainty evident in her tone. “I understand they attacked us, but I doubt any of them believe we would execute them for refusing to cooperate.”

  “Don’t worry about that,” Jaelyn replied with a confident smile, her eyes glinting with determination. “By this time tomorrow, I’ll make them think it was their idea all along. Now, I need a nap, and you do too, so the question is, which one of us goes first?”

  Thanks for reading Primal Path!

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