Healing System

Chapter 203 Trial of the Golden Dragon Sect (7)

Michael stared at the words that had begun floating before him, but just as he was about to question it, the words fell back onto the pedestal before scattering around.

And soon, they returned to their usual rhythm of repetition.

However, this time, there were a few words missing: "Hive" and "Mind."

'Speak up already,' he addressed the system, which had obviously been watching the entire situation unfold.

What? Giving up already? The system exclaimed teasingly.

'Of course not. This hive mind—is it literal?' Michael questioned, doubt clearly present in his tone.

If there was indeed some sort of hive mind going on—which was likely the case—it would prove troublesome.

Why? Because if they were puppets controlled by a hive mind, their creator—the one controlling them—already knew of his appearance.

By all standards, this was not good.

However, Lapis was unable to see the words on the pedestal, which made Michael think there was some deeper meaning behind this whole situation.

And the system managed to confirm his suspicions.

It is quite literally literal. From the very moment I saw that pedestal, I realized this whole place is just one big cluster of minds together. You know what the problem is? Everyone is affected.

'Fuck... Everyone? As in, even the people down here?' Michael asked as his expression darkened.

Yet again, the system affirmed his guess.

That's right. Though they are in the process of becoming a hive mind, look at the map for a moment.

He nodded and opened it right up, seeing the green dots scattered all around.

However, there was one thing off. Upon taking a closer look, he noticed the green dots were slightly more dim than others, some even had a tinge of red on them, barely visible.

"Why couldn't I detect it?"

You are not me. Regardless, this is pretty serious.

A frown appeared on his face as he went out of the church, overlooking the small town below him.

'I can tell... Any ideas on how I should go about this? Can I cure them somehow?'

Nope, they are past the point of no return. Not even I could fix them unless I kill them and bring them back, but alas, not enough power for complete revival.

He raised an eyebrow at the statement. 'What do you mean by killing them? What's that got to do with anything?'

They are held up like strings by the puppet master. If you kill them, the strings naturally disappear, the system answered patiently.

'So it's either I kill them or kill the puppet master first, huh?'

Precisely. These kinds of beings are usually demonic and hiding amongst one another, as Lapis had previously stated, of course. The problem of finding the one behind it is even trickier—you just never know who it could be, right?

Even though the system said that, Michael could tell that the tone was betraying the confusion it tried portraying.

'You know.'

And you suspect it now. The system said with a pause before continuing, It is Lapis. However, I am finding a few inconsistencies with him. He has full control of his body, while at the same time, his mind is steady.

'So he's controlling them of his own volition?'

You see, that's where the issue starts. He is both doing this of his own volition and, at the same time, not really. His mana is stable enough, yet wisps of it keep escaping into this little pedestal before you.

Michael nodded before saying, 'So is he being controlled? Or are his inner thoughts controlling the others? I don't quite get it.'

He is being controlled by himself. As ironic as it sounds, that is the case.

However, he still had some unanswered questions. 'What about the two up in the city? They were green as well?'

From what I saw, they are just copies of him, but much weaker. I would recommend you kill those copies first. The connection to the pedestal should weaken, which in turn, would make him weaker.

'And then what? Hope he gets better?'

That is wishful thinking, Michael. You will likely have to kill him—that is, if you want to save the remaining people who have yet to lose their minds.

Upon hearing the bombshell the system dropped, even though he expected it, the system's bombshell was still shocking.

Are you feeling guilty again?

'I...' He was about to answer, but the system interjected, Enjoy exclusive adventures from empire

Is it because of Anna? A child who is already gone?

Michael tilted his head at the system's words. 'What are you talking about?'

Did you not see? the system questioned as a map materialized right before him.

It quickly zoomed into a particular area, one that had both a strong and an extremely weak dot.

However, that's not what stood out. Instead, it was the fact that the weak dot was progressively growing more and more red until eventually, only a single green area remained.

'How...? She was fine just a moment ago.' He looked on with a frown.

This is reality, Michael. Most things happen before you know it. But if you want the technical details, it's because of Lapis interacting with her more than usual. It sped up the process even further. Now she is becoming a puppet, one that acts just as he wants.

A wave of anger began boiling inside Michael. 'Why am I constantly being put into situations like these when I can't do fucking anything about them?'

It wouldn't be a trial if it was easy... Doesn't help that this world is real either. A closed-off realm, an imitation of Atlantis, perhaps. It doesn't seem like it would be standing for long.

'...' Michael groaned in frustration. This trial did feel real ever since the start, with the exception of the monsters he had killed earlier.

It was way too realistic to be fake, and the same could be said for the guardian he had met earlier. Definitely not ideal.

'Not at fucking all...'

However, just as his worries were growing more and more prominent, he saw the two dots on the map suddenly halt and begin approaching him.

And in just a few moments, Lapis slammed the door open, Anna in his hands.

"Michael!" Lapis shouted whilst running up to him, holding the smiling Anna in his hands.

Michael fixed his posture and glanced back at the two of them. "What's wrong?"

"She fell... I think she might've hurt her knee earlier. Can you check it out?" Lapis said while putting down Anna on a nearby seat, her knee slightly red.

"..." Michael kept his composure before replying, "I'm out of mana right now, but you can leave her here. I will send her back in around half an hour."

He was expecting a suspicious denial, but instead, Lapis immediately agreed. "Perfect, thank you. I actually have to get back up into the city, so take care of her for a bit." He turned around before adding, "I trust you."

"...See you later." Michael waved him off before finally turning to the child before him. The same one who had been emotionlessly smiling back at him this entire time.

"Now what do I do about you?"