"Since it's your first day joining, you don't need to do any work. Why not take a look around, familiarize yourself, and then follow me as my assistant?"
"If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask me. I'll explain."
Lucian followed Yinlin out of the tent.
Truthfully, Lucian could have left after completing the selection.
But he still wanted to see if he could complete the remaining options—especially the third one: Capture Yinlin.
Since the system provided this option, it meant Yinlin might not be a good person.
And this Séance Society she was part of might be an evil organization, just like the Fractsidus. After all, the fourth option mentioned hidden secrets.
Of course, it was also possible the system was falsely accusing an innocent person.
In any case, it wouldn't hurt to observe first. If there was no way to complete the options, he could always leave later.
The camp was very small, with only a few tents.
He casually picked up a trade list on a wooden crate and glanced at it.
The transaction date listed was today, and the goods were: Four Séance Puppets.
Puppets? He remembered Yinlin mentioning this during her confrontation with the Fractsidus earlier.
"Since you said you'd explain, may I ask what these puppets are for?"
Yinlin chuckled. "This touches upon the very reason the Séance Society exists."
"The reason it exists?"
Yinlin smiled faintly. "The Séance Society is a group that developed under the guise of a public welfare organization."
"Its true purpose is to allow the dead to 'return from death.'"
Lucian: "?"
"Return from death? How is that possible?"
Yinlin grinned. "Of course it's possible. If you don't believe me, come with me."
The two arrived at the man named Lirong.
The person who had been instructed earlier to bring Lirong and the little girl to rest in this tent was nowhere to be seen.
The man named Lirong was now unconscious, while the little girl named Yuanyuan remained completely motionless.
When she saw the two approach, she showed no reaction—like a machine that hadn't been turned on.
Lucian asked curiously, "He wasn't attacked by the Fractsidus earlier, was he? Why is he unconscious?"
Yinlin: "This is the price of 'returning from death.'"
Lucian: "What do you mean?"
Yinlin explained, "See this little girl?"
Lucian nodded.
Then, Yinlin whispered, "Soul, return. Revert to a puppet—Yuanyuan, daughter of Lirong."
The moment Yinlin finished speaking, the motionless Yuanyuan instantly transformed, taking on the appearance of a stick figure.
Lucian's pupils contracted sharply.
The sensation was like watching a living person turn into a skeleton without warning.
"This…"
So this was what a puppet was…
Yinlin chuckled. "What's wrong? Surprised?"
"This is the purpose of the Séance Society—to allow the dead to revive in another form, accompanying those who miss them."
Lucian fell silent. He had never heard of such a thing.
Yinlin placed a hand on his shoulder and tempted him. "So? Do you have someone you miss? The Séance Society can revive them too, letting them stay by your side…"
Lucian pondered for a moment. "How is this done?"
Yinlin: "They deliver these puppets to those who have lost loved ones."
"The puppets can perfectly replicate the personality and memories of the deceased… To those people, they are almost indistinguishable from the real thing."
Lucian listened quietly, but he suddenly noticed something.
Even though Yinlin was the one who had brought him into the organization, she consistently referred to it as "they."
Lucian: "So Yuanyuan is already dead?"
Yinlin: "Mhm… But through her father's longing, she has been reborn in this puppet."
"The people who join this organization all do so because they wish to see these important figures again."
Lucian couldn't help but think—if something this good truly existed, it would have already been widely promoted.
Lucian: "Earlier, you mentioned a 'price'?"
Yinlin smiled faintly. "These puppets aren't completely harmless. If one interacts with them too closely, it greatly increases the risk of Overclocking."
Overclocking…
According to Baizhi, Overclocking was a symptom where a Resonator's spirit and abilities became overloaded, causing frequency energy to spill over.
Those suffering from Overclocking struggled to precisely control their ability overflow. The symptoms were divided into mild, moderate, and severe stages, spreading from the inside out.
Simply put, if Overclocking wasn't controlled, one would turn into a monster.
Hmm… That is indeed serious.
But Lucian felt that if the only cost was Overclocking, more people would choose to revive the dead through puppets.
After all, one could just avoid excessive contact with the puppets, right? So he believed there must be another, more severe reason.
Yinlin clapped her hands. "Alright, you've learned enough. Now it's time to help me with some work."
Lucian looked at the puppet lying on the ground and fell silent. He felt this organization had deeper secrets. Later, he would secretly contact Chixia to see if she knew anything about this group.
Perhaps this was the hidden content mentioned in the fourth option…
For now, he would follow Yinlin. This place definitely wasn't the organization's main base. He needed to reach their true headquarters and see if there was a mastermind behind it all.
Suddenly, Yinlin said meaningfully, "Oh, one more thing—remember this: in this organization, 'do not trust anyone.'"
Lucian: "Not even you?"
Yinlin smiled. "Yes. Not even me."
Lucian: "Then who should I trust?"
Yinlin: "Trust yourself."
Lucian: "Do you trust yourself?"
Yinlin: "Of course."
Lucian: "Then why can't I trust you, who trusts yourself?"
Yinlin: "?"
...
Yinlin led Lucian to a small cave not far away.
"See those scattered puppet blanks? Help me gather them. I'll go settle Lirong and Yuanyuan."
After giving the order, Yinlin left directly.
Lucian narrowed his eyes slightly. Instead of immediately collecting the blanks, he took out his terminal and contacted Chixia.
The call connected.
"Lucian! Did you find the people from Black Shores?"
Lucian's expression was serious. "Not yet. Chixia, tell me—have you ever heard of an organization called the Séance Society?"
Chixia: "Séance Society? What's that? I don't think I've heard of it."
Lucian: "I see… Then… has the Magistrate's Office received any strange reports recently?"
Chixia: "Strange reports? Hmm…"
After thinking for a few seconds, she said, "There actually is one!"
"Recently, the Magistrate's Office has received many reports about missing persons in Jinzhou City."
"No one has ever witnessed these missing residents being attacked."
"It's said that many of these missing residents were Resonators with some level of combat ability—some even had military experience."
Missing people? That didn't seem directly related to this organization…
Lucian: "I understand."
Chixia: "Did something happen?"
Lucian grinned. "Nothing much. I just wanted to hear your voice!"
Chixia: "Aiya! You're so embarrassing!"
Lucian: "Alright, I'll keep searching for the Black Shores people. Let me know if you find any leads."
...