The Lone SF Transmigrator in the Otherworld Forum

"Hmm. What should we do?"

"How about... turning back now?"

"We haven't really gained anything yet."

"The things we've obtained along the way aren't insignificant..."

"But you said they're things that can be easily bought with Spiritual Stones, even if expensive, right?"

Spiritual Stones were the currency of the cultivation world. They were ores containing Spiritual Power.

"Can we really say there's great value in things that can be easily bought with money?"

"Well, that's true, but..."

Is this something a person who's been a cultivator for less than a year should be saying?

Many of the things they had obtained while climbing the tower were certainly precious enough to make their eyes widen, even for cultivators in the Qi Refining Stage like them.

Elixirs, ores, Spiritual Herbs, and so on. Just selling these would be enough to buy cultivation resources without worry throughout the Qi Refining Stage.

However, it seemed these didn't satisfy her Junior Brother at all.

"It seems we're almost at the end... but it's been too easy, don't you think?"

"I think that's something only you can say."

Hmm.

Karlstein tilted his head in puzzlement.

After all, it was true that he had dealt with the Puppets relatively easily using heavy weapons and climbed up.

"Didn't you say this was a relic from ancient times, existing even before the Flame Metal Sect was established?"

"Yes. That's probably right."

"And yet it's being breached so easily?"

"Normally, it's impossible to defeat the Puppets with Spiritual Power sealed."

Zhang Yihong remembered.

How the Puppets' movements had noticeably changed as they climbed to the upper floors of the tower.

At the end, she couldn't perceive their movements at all with her naked eyes. Even her seemingly invincible Junior Brother Gahwi had gotten injured.

During the battles, she had to wait quietly on the lower floors until he called for her.

To her, his words were completely incomprehensible.

"Still, something doesn't feel right."

"Junior Brother, how about we go back then?"

Karlstein tilted his head.

"Senior Sister, don't you have any greed?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, what? To think of suggesting we go back in this situation..."

"..."

"Or are you afraid I won't share any of the treasures?"

"Th-That's not it. You came this far with your strength alone, how could I be greedy?"

"Is that so?"

"...Yes."

"Then why?"

"Because life is the most precious thing."

That's right. She’s correct, but...

Is she really without greed?

"Anyway, we should see this through to the end."

As Karlstein said this and stepped onto the stairs leading to the upper floor, just as he had been doing...

Ping-

Karlstein's body, which had always seemed to stand firmly and proudly, wavered.

"Junior Brother!!"

Karlstein pushed her body away while staggering, throwing her down the stairs.

And then.

Click-

His vision went dark.

***[I can't believe it.]

?

What's that sound?

[I've been waiting for this moment, but I thought it was impossible.]

An unidentified voice.

[This place was created by gathering the souls of metal.]

What do you mean soul? How does metal have a soul?

[You can hear the voice of metal too, can't you?]

The hell is he saying.

[Ah... The impossible has become reality. The time has truly come to fulfill my wish. Just the fact that you can hear my voice like this...]

Wish?

[Haha. It seems I got too excited and rambled on my own.]

You only realized that now?

[What is your desire?]

Desire? Desire, is it...

[Haha. There was no need to ask. Because I can fulfill all of it for you.]

Hmm...

[I'll give you unimaginable, immense power.]

...Power?

[Power. Yes, with power, you can achieve anything.]

Are you trying to discuss power with me right now?

[What do you think? You just need to answer.]

Haha. You're underestimating me, and by quite a lot.

[You must be faintly feeling it now too.]

That’s right. I can tell that the current situation isn't ordinary.

This... isn't some kind of illusion.

[Let me introduce myself first.]

I'm not particularly curious, but...

[The name might have been forgotten by now, but I was once called the Puppet Demonic Warlord.]

Puppet Demonic Warlord?

***The Puppet Demonic Warlord.

An eccentric who was so obsessed with creating Puppets that he even turned his own body into a Puppet.

There were even wars between major cultivation sects to possess him.

However, he had no interest in such things.

He dedicated his entire life solely to creating Puppets.

Infamous in ancient times, he raided even the secret vaults of numerous major powers to focus on creating the Puppet he dreamed of.

For the Puppet Demonic Warlord, completing that final Puppet was his only reason for living.

The problematic material was Sealing Stone.

Sealing Stone, which sealed Spiritual Power, was actually a material he could have obtained sufficiently with his realm. Although it might have taken some time.

However, what he truly aimed for was the Grand Soul Stone, said to be the highest grade among Sealing Stones.

The Grand Soul Stone, which few even knew about, was only possessed in small quantities even by major cultivation powers. Hidden deep in their secret vaults.

He couldn't give up.

The Grand Soul Stone was absolutely necessary to create the ultimate Puppet he aspired to.

If only he could see his completed masterpiece move!

Despite his considerable realm, he finally managed to steal the Grand Soul Stone for this purpose.

However, no matter how high his realm was, it wasn't enough to easily shake off the pursuit of the cultivation world’s entire forces, and he eventually found himself in danger of being hunted down.

Nevertheless, the Puppet Demonic Warlord finally shook off the pursuit and succeeded in escaping to the Lower Realm with only his final masterpiece, despite being severely injured.

However, was it because his final masterpiece, which he hadn't given up on even when driven to death, deviated from his expectations? Or did a problem occur during the process of escaping to the Lower Realm?

Even his Puppet Techniques couldn't make it move.

He had thought it would be complete if he just added the Grand Soul Stone...

Ah...

He thought it was almost done.

A Puppet using 'that' as the core material.

His unrepeatable masterpiece.

Even if he tried to repair or reinforce it, the materials were all unobtainable in the Lower Realm.

Moreover, his body was unable to function properly due to severe injuries.

Moreover, among the various cultivation powers, none were as persistent as those Noble Archers. Even though he had escaped to the Lower Realm, if he stood out too much, they might track him down.

In the end, to complete his final masterpiece, he even used his own body, which he had turned into a Puppet, as material for repairs and finally succeeded.

Thus leaving only one piece behind.

Phantasmal Metal Body....

The final masterpiece completed by dedicating everything.

Such a masterpiece could only be moved by a Phantasmal Metal Body.

Phantasmal Metal Body.

A quality that even the Puppet Demonic Warlord didn't possess.

A quality that simultaneously possessed the attributes of illusion and metal, and could reach the extreme.

One needed to have that level of quality to be able to move his masterpiece.

But where could he find a cultivator with a Phantasmal Metal Body?

To think he couldn't find an owner after creating it!

To think it couldn't move even though the Puppet and Puppet Techniques were prepared!

To think he couldn't even see it move alive after creating it!

As a creator, could there be anything more heartbreaking?

Phantasmal Metal Body was a quality hard to find even in the Upper Realm. As such, it wasn't something that could be easily found in the mere Lower Realm.

In the end, the Puppet Demonic Warlord laid out powerful Prohibitions that could only target a Phantasmal Metal Body and sealed himself.

After a long time, enough for the years to wear away...

Finally, the last piece arrived.

The final piece he had wished and wished for reached the floor right below the top floor where he was.

If it was someone who could break through the lower floors that turned all beings into metal and talk with him...

[Are you satisfied with your current power?]

"Well, I don't think I'm particularly lacking."

What an impudent brat.

[Do you think you were able to break through my Puppets and climb up here because of your own strength?]

"..."

[The very fact that you arrived here alive would have been impossible if it weren't for your physical constitution.]

"Hmm. So was that why? I thought the attacks felt strangely lukewarm."

The prepared Puppets were structured to gradually weaken in response to the purity of the Phantasmal Metal Body quality. After all, he couldn't suddenly kill the Phantasmal Metal Body he had longed for.

"It was too easy, though."

[....]

Of course, even so, it wasn't something that could be easily destroyed.

Especially with Spiritual Power sealed.

To begin with, the Puppets on the lower floors were meant to subdue and capture the target alive.

It wasn't something that could be climbed while destroying so crudely.

Even the Puppet Demonic Warlord hadn't expected this fact.

Is that why this brat was so arrogant?

"So what will you give me if I do what?"

[....]

Why is he so relaxed?

Ah. It's lamentable.

If only the body had remained intact, he would have made this brat bow his head immediately!

"You wanted this conversation because you have something you want, right?"

That's right. The brat's words were correct.

[....]

Yes. What does it matter?

Fine.

[What I want is for you to inherit my Puppet Techniques.]

"Huh? All of a sudden?"

Yes. That's enough.

[Inherit my Puppet Techniques completely and use my masterpiece. Show me my masterpiece moving. That alone would satisfy me.]

"..."

[Become my disciple. I'll make you the strongest under the name of the Puppet Demonic Warlord.]

"Disciple?"

[That's right. I'll make you the greatest in Puppet Techniques, surpassing anyone else. The name of the Puppet Demonic Warlord is by no means light.]

The brat might not know, but just the name Puppet Demonic Warlord was enough to make the world stir.

No one could match him in Puppet Techniques. To the extent that it remained unchanged even after so many years had passed.

[With that alone, you can have the final, greatest masterpiece I created.]

What do you think?

It should be an irresistible temptation.

[It's a masterpiece that can't be matched no matter how many of the Puppets you faced are gathered. No, in fact, it's shameful to even compare it to those trash Puppets.]

I'm proud. Of my Puppet Techniques and masterpiece.

Can't you tell that even the trash Puppets on the lower floors were no ordinary Puppets? Where else would you find Puppets that move so vividly as if alive?

However.

"Uh... For some reason, I don't wanna. I won't be a disciple."

What?

[Why?]

"Huh? Oh, I don't intend to take someone as a master or anything like that. It’s kinda embarrassing."

[....]

How to put it?

Should I call it audacious?

Should I say he doesn't know the ways of the world?

Couldn’t he tell from just the Prohibitions that he, the Puppet Demonic Warlord, was at an extraordinary realm?

[Do you think you'll have such an opportunity again?]

"I just don't wanna. What else can I do? Haha."

Crack-

If he had a body, it would have made such a sound.

"Then the negotiations have broken down?"

[Do you think you can escape from here? This 49th floor is a place no one can escape from. It's a place where you'll be slowly absorbed while alive and turn into metal.]

"Hmm?"

[So become my disciple.]

"Nope. I don't want to."

[....]

This crazy brat!

Even though I'm offering it for free, he refuses!