Chapter 183: Spirit Body Threads

Chapter 183: Spirit Body Threads

High in the sky, the sunlight was fierce, and the sea reflected a sheet of gold. Yet in Klein’s eyes, besides these things, there were countless illusory black threads.

They extended from the mermaids not far away, from his own body, and from different spots in the nearby sea. They were thin and numerous, densely packed, corresponding to different parts of the body, and stretching toward an infinite distance, reaching the end of the void.

This strange scene, possessing a dense and intricate beauty, was not unfamiliar to Klein. Several times before, when he had borrowed the power of the All-Black Eye, and when he had relied on it long-term to shape The World as a fake person, he had seen similar images.

This was the source of a Marionettist’s Beyonder abilities!

The knowledge obtained from the potion told Klein that these illusory black lines were called Spirit Body Threads. By manipulating them, one could directly influence a target’s spirit body, astral body, mental body, and ether body, then use the ether body as a bridge to control the target’s physical body.

Therefore, all of a Marionettist’s Beyonder abilities revolved around Spirit Body Threads.

First, by using the Spirit Body Threads that existed within every living creature, a Marionettist could locate hidden targets. This was the bane of a Witch’s invisibility and a Hermit’s shadow-hiding abilities. Of course, Klein was not yet sure whether there were methods that could conceal Spirit Body Threads themselves.

Second, a Marionettist could control a target like manipulating a puppet, causing their thoughts to slow, their body to stiffen, and their movements to become sluggish. This belonged to a kind of forceful control, one difficult to resist through ordinary abilities. In most cases, the target could only rely on the strength of their own spirit body to break free. For a Marionettist already at Sequence 5, there was almost no need to worry about anything below the demigod level in that regard.

Third, as time passed and control deepened, a Marionettist could completely transform a target into their puppet. Within a certain distance, they could hide behind the scenes and manipulate the puppet in battle. Under that method, the puppet could use its original Beyonder abilities!

“This really is bizarre, mysterious, and frightening. It’s practically tailor-made for a mastermind behind the scenes. No wonder Rosago called manipulation through Spirit Body Threads one of the most difficult abilities to deal with below High Sequence…

“However, it needs time. Control cannot be completed all at once. It has to deepen step by step until it is finalized. To initially control a target, in my current state, I probably need about twenty seconds. But as the potion is gradually digested, that time will clearly shorten. By the time the Marionettist potion is completely digested, perhaps it will be within five seconds. Mm. Before it produces an effect, the target can barely detect it. Those with certain prophetic abilities might be able to…

“Once I initially control a target’s Spirit Body Threads, they will immediately suffer slowed thoughts, sluggish movements, and physical stiffness, then gradually develop toward the state of a puppet or marionette. If the Marionettist has companions, they can easily finish off the target being forcibly controlled during that process. Mm. If the enemy’s spirit-body strength isn’t too high, and the Marionettist still has some spare capacity, he can even draw a gun or use mystical items while multitasking, cooperating with himself.

“If the control process isn’t interrupted by an outside force, after five minutes the target will become my puppet. In a certain sense, they will have truly died, and the matter will be irreversible. Once the potion is fully digested, the time needed to transform a target into a puppet will certainly shorten drastically.

“The current limit of puppets I can control is one. What…