Chapter 11: Her Request I Could Not Refuse

Page 1/3

The so-called dream-entry suit was essentially a form-fitting garment that clung perfectly to the body. Upon close inspection, Mo Wen could see countless tiny contact points on the fabric, arranged and combined into intricate silver patterns.

For things he couldn’t understand, Mo Wen never had the curiosity to investigate.

He sat inside the metal capsule, allowing the pale blue, star-like liquid to envelop him, leaving only his head above the surface.

Behind him, Julia was immersed in the same liquid.

A lone man and woman, sharing the same space and bath, should have created an intimate atmosphere, yet neither harbored any such thoughts.

“Captain, what should I do next?” Mo Wen asked nervously.

Although conducting the “false dream becomes reality” experiment wasn’t his original intention, if it succeeded, it would offer hope of breaking the curse of the “real puppet.”

Moreover, the experiment was extremely risky.

Since he had agreed to participate, he wanted to cooperate as much as possible to increase the chances of success.

“Relax,” Julia said calmly. “This ‘dream-entry liquid’ guarantees that once you fall asleep, you will enter the realm of dreams without fail.”

“Leave what comes next to me.”

“As long as you don’t cause trouble, that’ll be the greatest help you can offer.”

“...”

“But judging by your current state, it seems you won’t feel sleepy anytime soon. While we have this time, let me tell you about the Principality of Maine.”

“That way, if we succeed, you’ll be more composed.”

Upon hearing this, Mo Wen’s heart stirred.

The Forbidden Artifact—the Puppet Kingdom—was, in Freya and Julia’s knowledge, definitively the Principality of Maine.

His original self’s memories of this special country were scant, only that it was a maritime nation beyond the continent.

Julia’s voice came from behind, flat and uninflected:

“The Principality of Maine was founded over three centuries ago, and it was then that it established diplomatic ties with the nations of the continent.”

“Because of the long distance, very few people had actually been there. At that time, the world’s impression of Maine was mostly as a ‘nation of warriors’ and ‘land of knights.’ Its professionals focused almost entirely on physical development and exploitation of spiritual power.”

“The various martial techniques derived from this physical cultivation were quite astonishing, but unfortunately, the continent had seen very few of these techniques, making accurate assessment difficult.”

Page 2/3

“Compared to the continent’s professional systems that emphasized both physique and spirituality, Maine’s extraordinary system initially held no advantage; advancing to higher levels was especially difficult.”

“The scarcity of high-level extraordinaires, coupled with a lack of special outputs, caused Maine’s presence to be minimal. Being located so far overseas, no major power showed any interest.”

“But this situation changed about a decade ago.”

At this, Julia’s voice paused, tinged with a faint sense of reverence:

“At a continental summit, Maine unveiled a revolutionary product—the fully automated puppet.”

“It was efficient, clean, able to work nonstop day and night. One puppet’s productivity equaled that of several workers, and most importantly, it was relatively inexpensive. Over the long term, it was far cheaper than hiring multiple workers.”

“This was a technological breakthrough.”

“As soon as the fully automated puppet was introduced, it caused a great sensation.”

“Many large commercial guilds saw the immense profit potential and sought cooperation with Maine’s representatives.”

“Since then, Maine earned the nickname ‘The Puppet Nation.’”

“Many noble estates across the continent purchased puppets. Compared to the unpredictable human heart, these fully automated puppets, 100% loyal to their owners, were indeed highly useful.”

“Orders flooded Maine like a tide. It was foreseeable that Maine’s national strength would rapidly expand, potentially becoming an empire-level behemoth in the near future.”

“But...”

Julia sighed. “Three years ago, all connections between Maine and the continent were completely severed.”

“Many countries that cooperated with Maine sent envoys across the sea to investigate, but none ever returned with news.”

“It was as if Maine had become a vast hellmouth, swallowing anything that entered without a trace.”

“And it was from that time onward that many coastal countries began to see ‘puppet disease’ patients—those infected with the puppet curse.”

“Speculation ran rampant, and all suspicions pointed toward Maine.”

“That’s roughly the situation.”

Mo Wen listened intently.

Fully automated puppets... they could be likened to highly intelligent robots. Even the technological level of his previous world, Blue Star, was far from perfecting such creations.

Some AI were less artificial intelligence and more artificial stupidity.

Page 3/3

Yet...

“Is there some intrinsic connection between the fully automated puppets and the puppet curse?” Mo Wen’s thoughts stirred.

Gradually, he felt his consciousness begin to drift away.

This was the sign of impending sleep.

He did not resist, instead cooperating as much as possible, emptying his mind and refraining from thought...

Inside the metal capsule.

Noticing Mo Wen falling asleep, Julia raised her hand, placing her palm against the back of his head.

A milky white spiritual glow blossomed, and nourished by this spiritual energy, Mo Wen’s expression softened, his entire body relaxing completely.

The next moment, dozens of silver luminous strips extended within the capsule, connecting to various nodes on the dream-entry suit Mo Wen wore.

A minute later, Julia withdrew her hand and stood up. A crystal-clear droplet slid from her collarbone, tracing a faint wet path down her smooth thigh.

She glanced at Freya, who had appeared beside her without notice, and bowed slightly.

“Your Highness, everything is ready.”

After a moment’s hesitation, she spoke again:

“...Actually, you needn’t go to such lengths. Even though he is the son of Count Rayland, compared to your noble status, he is still...”

Before Julia could finish, the witch lady waved her hand.

Taking a step forward, her magnificent court gown dissolved into particles of light, leaving only a form-fitting dream-entry suit identical to Julia’s.

The same garment, yet on the two women, it created a stark and striking contrast.

She immersed herself in the liquid, paused briefly, and then reached out to grasp Mo Wen’s palm.

The rough, unfamiliar touch made Freya frown, but she showed no intention of letting go.

“This is her request. You know I cannot refuse,” Freya said calmly, turning her back to Julia.