Chapter 132: Nocturnal Mutation

The train announcement sounded once more:
"Attention, everyone. As night falls, the Furnace Spider swarm is attacking the train. Anyone who is injured may proceed to the surgical carriage. The doctor will treat your wounds, and all medical care tonight will be provided free of charge."

Free surgery—it sounded like a good deal.
However, based on the current information, anyone lying on those operating tables was nothing more than fish on a chopping block.
Chen Qi pondered for a moment and looked back at the text.
New text appeared.

【You let out a long breath, confirming that the dangerous mechanical puppet is truly dead.】
【Under the gaze of your Spirit Vision, the white runes at the spot where the mechanical puppet perished are steadily fading.】
【You look behind you and hear rustling sounds; monsters are attempting to dismantle these runes.】
【This safe carriage is on the verge of collapse...】

With the protective runes being destroyed, this carriage was no longer safe.
Chen Qi thought it over; his only option now was to head to the forging carriage to see if the conductor and the other powerful individuals could resolve this crisis.
He opened the map and selected the forging carriage as his destination.

【You look ahead and, confirming there are no other enemies besides the dead mechanical puppet, you quicken your pace toward the forging carriage...】

Taking advantage of the time his game character spent running, Chen Qi took out the documents the Right-Eye Detective had given him earlier.
These documents contained a detailed description of the investigation. A puppet capable of mimicking a treasure hunter and passing the employment test could be classified as a "Special Calamity." It was even highly likely to be a manifestation of a sliver of power from the Revelation-level calamity, the Puppet Dance.

The documents included photos of the puppets, recording methods for identifying them.
Some perfect puppet calamities could achieve seventy percent physical resemblance, and in terms of personality, they could mimic up to ninety percent.
According to the records, inside every puppet’s body, there must be a mechanical heart and a strange brain. One could determine if someone was a puppet simply by checking if their heart was made of iron.
The photos showed that inside these puppets was a spherical heart, resembling a cocoon woven from steel wire.

However, using the heart as a means of identification was impractical, as it required exposing the target's chest. In the New Sun world, people who exposed their hearts did exist, but they were extremely rare.
Therefore, the Right-Eye Detective believed the best method was through weight.
A puppet was far heavier than an average flesh-and-blood human; by lifting the individual and measuring their weight, one could distinguish the puppet.
For most people in the New Capital, while using weight to identify a puppet still had its flaws, it was the simplest method available.

Chen Qi looked at these materials, lost in thought.
For an ordinary person, using weight was indeed a decent way to identify a puppet.
But for him, that cocoon-like heart was perhaps the best way!
As long as he set the keyword for "Morning Star" and had it lock onto that heart, he could confirm whether or not the target possessed a "mechanical heart."

Chen Qi carefully observed the circular cocoon in the photo and then looked back at the game.

【You run past a standard carriage, where many people are picking up weapons to fend off the terrifying Furnace Spider swarm.】
【You relay the intelligence you have as concisely as possible to them.】
【Upon hearing your words, the crowd is shocked and becomes much more cautious! They begin to guard against those around them!】
【You run past another carriage...】

Suddenly, a line of text popped up.

【You push through the crowd...】
【You can sense someone catching up to you, coming to your side.】
【She is wearing a conductor's uniform, possesses two extra arms, and has white fur at the collarbone beneath her uniform. She also wears a white mask on her face.】
【The individual speaks immediately: "Guest, please return to the safe carriage. The situation is extremely critical. Within these carriages, besides the Furnace Spiders, some mimics—puppet monsters—have appeared."】
【You recognize the voice; it is the conductor, Zhi.】

Another Zhi. He wasn't sure if it was the real one.
Chen Qi decisively maneuvered his character to create some distance.

【The nocturnal, mutated conductor Zhi notices your puzzled expression.】
【Conductor Zhi explains that due to a disease, once night falls, conductors grow fur and extra limbs; it is a sickness contracted on this train.】
【Conductor Zhi seems to sense your suspicion and cuts her hand with a silk thread, letting blood spray out: "Guest, I am truly human."】
【You grip your long blade slightly, moving further away.】

The second Conductor Zhi?
He still couldn't view the character's panel.
Chen Qi thought it over. Based on his previous idea, he could use Morning Star to judge if the enemy was a puppet.
He opened the panel, used Morning Star to trace the mechanical heart from the image, and attempted to lock onto the monsters.

【Morning Star flies from your hand, searching for a target.】
【Morning Star does not fly toward the heart of the Conductor Zhi in front of you; instead, it traces a path and hovers over the heart of a weary messenger ahead of you.】

It didn't lock onto Conductor Zhi, but rather a passerby?
These puppets were no good; they were monsters.
Chen Qi clicked on the messenger and initiated an attack!

【Your gaze is fixed intently on the messenger!】
【The moment you approach, the weary messenger suddenly reveals a terrifying smile, pulls out a dagger from his waist, and attempts a sneak attack!】
【Slash!】
【You strike first, piercing his heart with a blade imbued with black fire, triggering the "Burial of Black Fire."】
【Cold, tearing flames spread from the target's heart, and the entire body is instantly ripped apart by the black fire.】
【You hit the core, killing the disguised Mechanical Puppet Lv14. You gain 400 experience, an additional 80 Blade-aspect, and level up to twelve. Current experience 67/700.】
【The black fire dissipates, and mechanical parts spill out from within the messenger's body.】

After killing the enemy, Chen Qi activated Morning Star again.
This time, it flew toward a more distant location.
This indicated there were no mechanical puppets in his immediate vicinity.
This Conductor Zhi was likely real; besides, if she were a fake, she would have attacked him already.

【Conductor Zhi follows your steps, looking at you in astonishment.】
【She has lived on this train since she was a child. Her powers of observation are quite strong, and she has seen these puppets before. Why were you able to discover this puppet before her?】
【Do you possess stronger Spirit Vision and observation skills than her? Or have you encountered puppet calamities before? Or are you hiding your aura?】

Chen Qi looked at the text, confirming that using Morning Star to identify puppets was indeed effective.
A new line of text appeared.

【You look at the puzzled conductor before you. Do you wish to share some of the information you have with Conductor Zhi?】

Chen Qi thought for a moment. For his own safety, sharing this information with the others was the wiser choice.
"Yes."

【You continue to rush toward the safe carriage, sharing part of your intelligence with Conductor Zhi: "These puppets have an inseparable connection to the train doctor in the surgical carriage. The cocoons in that carriage are the best proof!"】
【The face behind Conductor Zhi's mask freezes. She repeats in shock: "These puppets... have a connection to the doctor..."】
【Conductor Zhi takes out a magic stone communicator, wanting to relay your information to others, but to her surprise, she cannot transmit the message!】
【Conductor Zhi grits her teeth.】
【Suddenly, you feel a faint chill. You slowly look ahead, and a familiar figure appears before you.】
【You have encountered the weaver of puppets, the mad one, the doctor of the weaving train, the Cocoon Witch!】

The moment the Cocoon Witch appeared, the text turned a mixture of scarlet and white, and white silk began to emerge from the entire screen background.