15 Making A Puppet

"At this rate, I would only be wasting time," Seth said as he peeked at the empty room from his void mind, "Though, it's not like I have that much to do," he added.

He had pondered over the wall of words for 2 hours now, and still haven't drawn any conclusion.

However, it was understandable.

Seth had to admit that the red quality attachment ability he acquired was more than enough for his use. And of course, he didn't bother taking a glance at other qualities, including Tina's black quality ability. It was too precious to use the [Phoenix], while the other ability was too trashy.

Seth then promptly looked at the red quality attachment abilities.

[Size Manipulation (Red)]

[Energy Shield (Red)]

[Garden of Fire (Red)]

[Ignition (Red)]

[Strength Augmentation (Red)]

[Jet Propulsion (Red)]

[Blizzard (Red)]

[Wind of Harmony (Red)]

[Dual Mind (Red)]

[Reptile Scales (Red)]

[Water Mimicry (Red)]

[Storm Wings (Red)]

[Golden Tail (Red)]

[Combat Sense (Red)]

[Serenity (Red)]

Fifteen red quality abilities. It was enough to make him dizzy in thought. All of them are exceptional, which made it more difficult for him to choose.

'I'll think about it when I have the 'body' of the puppet. It would be much easier to choose an ability in reference with the body—which I still don't know how to obtain,' Seth suddenly had another headache.

With his situation, he couldn't willingly choose which object to use as the body of the puppet and can only rely on heaven-sent opportunities.

He needed to consider the comparability of the two components. Seth knew that once the ability materialized into a core of the puppet, it would act as its soul, brain, and characteristic. And any properties of the ability would be acquired by the puppet as its natural fitness.

Assuming that he used a fire attachment ability as a core for leather clothing, then it would just burn into ashes once it became a puppet. The two abilities may become redundant once their attributes clashed with each other.

That's why the compatibility of the puppet's body and attachment ability should be taken into consideration.

Overall, Seth needed to somehow obtain an object before deciding on what abilities to form.

"Now that I think about it what object should I cultivate into a puppet?" Seth wondered as he scanned the whole room.

However, all he could see were furniture and nothing else as the new occupant still hasn't arrived.

'Seeing a desk or cabinet walking in the streets ever so proficiently with their wooded cranky legs is just wrong.' Seth thought he would never ever make a puppet as a piece of furniture.

At this moment, the door produced a loud creak as it swung open and was accompanied by an irritating and familiar voice.

"Did you miss me, Mr. Pillow?"

Seth rolled his eyes. It was Henry.

Just as Seth was about to prepare for another upcoming crisis, his gaze landed on the outfit that Henry was wearing.

It was a full-body armor, covering every part of his body except the eye. The armor was completely black and fitting and the materials seem to be that of a scale of reptiles. It was ominous yet elegant. However, due to Henry's abnormally plump body, it was somehow unbecoming to the eye.

Seth was momentarily stunned but later became ecstatic.

'A heaven-sent opportunity...' he subconsciously mumbled as the fatty sat on the bed with excitement.

. . . . .

"Man, Sage Lucas is really nice. A grade 4 divine treasure as a reward? Dude's the king of extravagance!" Henry said as he carefully laid the black armor beside him.

"While that Hans didn't even give me a glance. So much for my 'brilliant idea.'" Henry spat curses while organizing his things.

After he finished with his chore, he then looked back at the black armor as his resentful gaze softened, "Although armors are practically useless in puppetry, I could use it in a fistfight, especially in 'that' place."

Seth listened attentively as Henry continued to brag about his newly given armor.

He was already planning on how to steal the Black Armor!

Seth didn't care if he would get in trouble. Although he didn't know how valuable grade 4 divine treasures are, the words "divine treasure" alone tempted him.

If turned into an inanimate puppet, the result would be unimaginable!

'No one would suspect a pillow anyway!' Seth convinced his final hesitancy and waited for Henry to fall asleep.

The armor was already out in the open, all he needs is for Henry to lay on his body, relaxed, and sleep. Seth would then make sure he slept peacefully and uncaringly like sleeping beauty.

"However, there wouldn't be any prince coming to save you," Seth laughed maniacally.

After 5 hours, Henry stopped cultivating and limp down the bed. His saliva dripping from his mouth as Seth poured his energy into his head. Pulling him into a deep slumber.

"You disgusting fatty," Seth grimaced when a sticky saliva drip on him, however, in just a second it was already gone. Cleaned by the overwhelming energy within his body.

Seth smiled, "I'll take this as compensation for all your mischief," he said as the armor was enveloped by inconceivable energy.

The moment his gaze landed on the striking black armor, an idea already formed in his mind.

'Strength Augmentation, it is!'

'I could then create a naturally powerful person- I mean puppet.. or armor,' Seth's words became incoherent as excitement overtook his thinking.

He could already foresee the image of him ripping a 100-meter gigantic beast's head barehanded. Of course, it was just all an inflated imagination. It wasn't clear yet how exactly would the black armor developed.

Without wasting any time, Seth directed the [Strength Augmentation] attachment ability to exit his body.

Following that, a ball of red light floated towards the black armor as it entered the helmet with unnatural steadiness.

Seth took a deep breath before starting the process. What comes next would be time-consuming and energy-draining.

Thereafter, he manipulated every ability energy he has and tempered the orb of light inside the helmet.

Hours have passed and it gradually materialized, entirely establishing itself in the Black Armor's helmet as its core with indistinguishable energy veins connecting the interior of the hollowed armor. Giving the black armor movement and flexible mobility.

Seth looked at it with a complicated expression. He could vaguely feel a faint life emanating from the object!

He knew it wasn't just his imagination. This was the goal of Inanimate Puppetry—to create life!

When cultivating Goliath Puppetry, the carcass of Gigantic Beasts should have a soul core intact. The puppeteer would need to share their attachment ability with the carcass, thus splitting it into two.

However, an object naturally doesn't have soul cores. To do so, with a special technique, the puppeteer would need to completely transfer his or her attachment ability to the receiving object to turn it into a living entity.

It was an irreversible process.

However, it was worth it. The result would give birth to a new entity, much more powerful and versatile than any Goliath Puppet.

Seth sighed, he had been nervous since the start as it was his first time. Luckily, he managed to performed thoroughly and faultlessly.

Still, he wasn't finished. 'It wouldn't live long if I don't turn it into a puppet.' he thought.

The black armor was just like a newborn baby, if not guided and taken properly it would inevitably die from leaking its energy precipitously.

Seth didn't relaxed and immediately started since the next procedure wasn't that difficult.

It was to establish puppetry to the puppet using attachment abilities. It was just like Goliath Puppetry, where you could form a connection with a beast's carcass.

Thereafter, imperceptible energy enveloped the black armor, as its entirety glowed with different kinds of faint light.

Seth split a total of 10 attachment abilities with different qualities. It was to make his puppet more versatile than overwhelmingly powerful.

If it wasn't for the limit is just 10 attachment abilities, Seth would have used 20 or more abilities, after all, as he observed the fatty he found out the more attachment abilities attached the faster the absorption of soul energies.

The core emitted one final light, and finally, it sparked with explosive pressure.

Boom!

A loud surge of soul energy propagated throughout the whole inn, startling all the occupants except Tina.

At the same time, Seth was staring at the Black Armor with wide eyes, apparently terrified.

It was also looking at his direction, not at Henry, but at him, with destructive light on its eyes.