Chapter 99: The Forbidden Dream, the Doll, and the Angel

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Upon hearing the condition of receiving payment before starting work, Minian slightly furrowed her brow. In truth, the family’s research team within the company was not as weak as she claimed. Although they rarely dealt with forbidden artifacts, the advanced technology of “Gospel Biotech” was undeniable; even at its worst, it was still formidable. The family’s research team being helpless against the twin forbidden artifact only proved just how formidable this artifact truly was.

The innate talent of the Vario sect was indeed powerful, capable of violently breaking down the properties of forbidden artifacts, but success was never guaranteed—especially when faced with the extremely rare twin forbidden artifacts.

Prepayment meant one had to be prepared for the possibility of coming away empty-handed.

After a brief reflection, Minian maintained her smile and nodded. “Mr. Li, your request puts me in a difficult position, but I trust your character and am willing to hand over the pheromones to you first. Even if you ultimately fail to crack the artifact, it will not affect the friendship between us.”

Li Nanke understood that she wasn’t looking for a one-time transaction. More than breaking the artifact itself, she valued his personal worth.

“Thank you very much, Miss Minian… I will need an absolutely quiet environment free from disturbance.”

The forbidden artifact-powered blue crystal could not be removed from the ancient castle, and the payment was in pheromones rather than the artifact itself.

Seeing Li Nanke act decisively, immediately wanting to send everyone away to absorb the pheromones, Minian could only say helplessly, “Mr. Li, please take care.”

She waved off the guards at the door and left the secret room herself.

Li Nanke closed the secret room’s door, now alone in the small space.

He gazed at the blue crystal stone inside the glass box, placed both hands on the box’s surface, took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and began using visualization to enter a dream state…

…

Li Nanke opened his eyes.

The gears of the mechanical wall clock clicked softly, filling the air with the faint scent of machine oil.

The room was dimly lit by an old-fashioned wall lamp; a single armchair framed with walnut wood was upholstered in checkered fabric, heavy floral-patterned curtains hung over the windows, and a full set of floral teacups sat on the table.

A coat rack carved with intricate patterns held a slightly worn black trench coat and vest. The room’s furnishings resembled the style of early 20th-century Western countries.

A heavy hammer entwined with sharp thorns leaned against the bed, but Li Nanke’s attention was not on his weapon—it was fixed on a peculiar headpiece hanging on the coat rack.

It was a black rabbit-head mask, with two large round lenses over the eyes and narrow black cross-stitched lines over the mouth. The rabbit’s long ears drooped limply.

The door opened, and a graceful figure stepped inside.

“My dear, you’re finally awake!”

The woman wore a short gray trench coat, a snow-white scarf tied at her neck, and two slender rapiers hung at her waist.

A rabbit mask covered the upper half of her face, with two upright rabbit ears extending above it. Below the mask, her red lips and pale pointed chin were visible.

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The woman approached the bed excitedly. “Don’t move. I’ll change your dressing.”

Only then did Li Nanke notice his bare chest was wrapped in thick, blood-stained gauze.

As she untied the bandages, she spoke, “My dear, I know you’re worried about ‘Strange Rabbit’s’ petrification disease, but with the deranged puppets swarming near the station, completing the mission won’t be so simple…”

As her words fell, synchronized prompts sounded, and blood-red text appeared one by one.

[Dream—“Puppets and Angels”]

[Dream Details: This is the best of times!]

[Alchemists discovered a mineral called “Self-Element” and created mechanical puppets powered by blue crystal stones.]

[The invention of puppets brought unparalleled prosperity to Kratt City. As puppets replaced most labor and security tasks, the city’s development accelerated visibly.]

[People no longer needed to perform heavy labor, free to express their artistic and intellectual talents. Inventions like rail trams and puppet factories flourished, while opera houses and amusement parks brought vibrant colors to Kratt. Puppets worked, people created art…]

[Yet this was also the worst of times!]

[At some unknown moment, the mechanical puppets rebelled against their enslavement, breaking the great covenant, rising in hordes to attack humanity. The petrification disease spread silently, causing unbearable misery until humans became frenzied living corpses…]

[Kratt City plunged into chaos, prosperity vanished, leaving only desolation and death.]

[You are a formidable mercenary “Tracker” employed by the nobility, leading the four-member “Black Rabbit Gang,” including yourself.]

[In the face of Kratt City’s madness and turmoil, how will you unravel the secrets hidden beneath the darkness?]

Self-Element, blue crystals, alchemists, rebellious puppets, petrification disease, Tracker…

Li Nanke pondered deeply.

The enemies in this world seemed mainly to be the powerful puppets created by alchemists, apparently unrelated to bestiality. The only possible connection was the petrification disease…

The woman finished removing the blood-stained gauze and gasped in surprise—the gruesome wound on his chest had vanished.

Li Nanke pressed her hands down gently, carefully recalling his memories, and addressed the woman codenamed “Sly Rabbit”:

“The giant puppet is still nearby?”

As the gang leader “Black Rabbit,” Li Nanke had requested a panacea from his noble employer to cure petrification disease for “Strange Rabbit,” the brother of his beloved “Sly Rabbit” and also his brother-in-law.

As a condition, he was tasked to reach the city station to find a puppet hidden inside a train carriage and bring it to one of the few safe havens in the city—the Kratt Grand Hotel.

According to the employer’s information, the puppet was extremely valuable, and more than just the employer sought it. He was likely to encounter other trackers, making the mission very dangerous.

Black Rabbit intended to carry out the mission alone, but Sly Rabbit worried and secretly followed him.

Fortunately, when Black Rabbit was severely injured by the giant puppet at the station, Sly Rabbit helped him escape.

Sly Rabbit shook her head anxiously, asking, “The giant puppet didn’t chase far and has now returned to the station… My dear, how did your wound heal so quickly? Are you alright now?”

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Li Nanke shot a sidelong glance and scolded according to his remembered mannerisms:

“Stop nagging! Who told you to follow me secretly without my permission!”

Sly Rabbit lowered her head, speechless, looking a little aggrieved, thinking he might send her away.

Li Nanke stood up. “Remember this—when on a mission, call me boss… Now go get my clothes!”

Hearing this, Sly Rabbit’s worry turned to joy. She kissed him on the cheek, then obediently fetched his clothes from the coat rack.

Li Nanke dressed, picked up his bloodied war hammer, and walked to the window to pull back the curtain.

The sky was gloomy and gray after rain. The street below was slick with puddles. From the second floor of an uninhabited house, he saw a few figures wandering the street.

Their movements were unnatural and disjointed, joints sparking with occasional electric flashes.

At the street’s far end, a layered staircase led up to the train station’s wide-open doors, above which hung a neon sign bordered with vintage bulbs—Kratt City Station.

A small figure approached from the opposite side of the street. The one wearing a gray rat mask caught the mechanical puppets’ attention.

Facing several attacking puppets, “Gray Rat” wielded a curved blade, its cold gleam flashing with every swing, leaving tiny blue particles in the air—light emitted from the Self-Element’s power.

Soon, the powerful puppets were reduced to dismembered limbs, collapsing with sparks flying.

Gray Rat stepped over the fallen puppets and entered the station.

He was a rival tracker seeking the mission’s target puppet!

At that moment, synchronized prompts sounded again.

[Key Node One: Escort the employer’s target “Puppet P” to formally check into the Kratt Grand Hotel.]

Li Nanke’s eyes flickered.

According to his memories, these puppets created by alchemists were formidable fighters. Once a Self-Element crystal-powered puppet went berserk, its destructive power rivaled that of a tank.

And this was only the lowest-grade, most common service-type puppet.

The rival tracker’s ease in dispatching puppets proved his strength was no joke. No wonder the forbidden dream had gifted him a teammate, Sly Rabbit, for free.

After a moment’s thought, he said to Sly Rabbit, skilled in stealth and assassination:

“You keep following me quietly. Don’t let anyone notice. When the critical moment comes, I’ll tell you to act. Understand?”

Sly Rabbit’s interest was piqued. She licked her red lips and said, “My dear… no, boss, are we going to turn the tables on each other?”

(End of chapter)