The Cycle of Fate

Chapter 193: The Feeling of Stagnation

"Not good!" Lumean, both a "Hunter" and a "Dancer," possessed exceptional control over his body. The moment something happened beyond his awareness, he immediately realized something was wrong.

Almost simultaneously, he felt his thoughts becoming sluggish. His mind seemed shrouded in thick fog, every thought coming with a pause, requiring great effort to clear: "I've been attacked..."

"'Loki' has really... arrived..."

"Is this... the power of the 'Puppet Master'?"

"If I can't think clearly by the end... will I become... his puppet?"

"My danger sense... has been clouded..."

"Damn it, Térmy, Polos, you couldn't have missed the changes in my fate, yet you didn't... warn me..."

"He deliberately told me before that 'Loki' almost tracked me, just to... lure me here again?"

"Me becoming 'Loki's puppet... would that help him escape his seal?"

"I can't just... wait here, I must resist..."

"Where is... 'Loki'..."

As these fragmented subconscious thoughts flashed through his mind, Lumean managed, with difficulty, to reach into his pocket, his movements stiff and jerky as he looked around.

Earlier, he and Franca had discussed the abilities of the "Puppet Master," agreeing that the power to "silently and invisibly kill" must come with limitations. Otherwise, it would be far stronger than Sequence 5 should be, more akin to the abilities of a saint who has opened the door to divinity. Franca had mentioned that the other Sequence 5s she knew could not possibly compete with such power.

They both believed that this ability either required some medium to function or must be used within a very close range, much like the "Mind Piercing" of the "Ring of Retribution," which only worked within five meters.

Now, given his current situation, Lumean suspected "Loki" was hiding somewhere in the surrounding crowd, no more than ten meters away.

What he saw were street vendors and pedestrians either lingering or hurrying by, some with familiar faces, others completely unfamiliar, with nothing out of the ordinary.

In such a rush, Lumean had no way of distinguishing "Loki" from the people around him, especially since "Loki" was a "Faceless One," adept at disguises and transformations.

While searching for "Loki," he summoned a ball of crimson flame in the palm of his left hand.

His plan was twofold: first, to test if the pain from burning himself could help resist the Puppet Master's control and corrosion; second, to "pose a question" and see how "Loki" would "answer," hoping to glean his location and the weakness of his puppet-making ability.

As the familiar pain seared into his mind, Lumean heard a snapping sound.

The crimson flame in his palm instantly dissipated, scattering into sparks without forming anything explosive.

Lumean swiftly turned, trying to see where the snapping had come from.

But his joints were already trapped in a sticky "glue," making his movements even stiffer, with each action jerking awkwardly.

This delayed his turn by a full second, and when his eyes finally swept across the area, everyone looked perfectly normal. There was no sign of who had snapped their fingers.

"The 'Puppet Master' can... control fire..."

"The pain did little to... alleviate my mental sluggishness... or my body's stiffness, only slightly improving my... reaction speed..."