Mystery Detective of the Steam World

Chapter 49 The Puppeteer

It's getting late.

Li Wei slumped on the sofa, enjoying the soft and comfortable touch beneath him. The music playing in his ears, combined with the aroma of milk tea, made him feel incredibly relaxed.

"call……………"

He took a sip of milk tea, squinted his eyes, and felt all the fatigue in his body recede. Then Li Wei raised his head, opened the system panel in front of him, and began to process the settlement.

[Mission "Haunted House Shadows" Completed]

[Time taken: s]

Survey efficiency: S

[Impact/Effect: S]

Overall Rating: SSS

[Lifespan +80, Additional Lifespan +40]

Very good, steady growth.

Seeing his lifespan increase, Li Wei nodded in satisfaction. By this calculation, he now had more than half a year left to live.

However, Li Wei was also a little curious: was there really an upper limit to this lifespan? He had only been in this world for less than a month, yet he had completed three missions in a row, adding nearly two hundred days to his lifespan. If he continued at this rate, not only would he not live as long as an ordinary person, nor would he live to be a hundred years old, but he might even… achieve immortality?
Not only that...

Li Wei stared at the lifespan countdown before him, his brow furrowing slightly. Back home, out of curiosity, he had calculated his lifespan. After all, Li Wei and the others felt like they had spent most of the day in the haunted house, but the soldiers outside told them they had only been inside for a short while. So Li Wei wanted to see whether this lifespan was calculated according to his subjective will or according to objective laws.

But this led to an unexpected discovery for Li Wei.

First, lifespan follows objective laws, meaning that no matter how much time Li Wei subjectively experiences, his lifespan countdown still proceeds according to real time.

Secondly, Li Wei discovered that during the entire process, his lifespan had been drastically reduced by approximately five days. He then calculated the time and realized that this was precisely when Katie punched him and sent him flying.

This gave Li Wei another idea.

Could it be that... lifespan is equivalent to health bar?
Does taking damage not reduce your health, but reduce your life?
Conversely, as long as one's life force isn't completely depleted, one won't die?

So, does that mean that the two hours I lost from smoking were also due to harm? In other words, my body perceives smoking as a harmful act?
Li Wei recalled that after returning to MI7, he thought about treating his left hand. However, after seeing a doctor, the doctor said that there was nothing wrong with Li Wei's arm, and Li Wei's "diagnosis" also indicated that his original "bone fracture" had disappeared.

Does this mean that even if someone shoots you in the head or through the heart, you can still live as long as you have enough lifespan left? For example, if you have 200 days to live, and someone shoots you in the head, reducing your lifespan by 100 days, can your wound still heal and you be resurrected?

"It feels like they're vampires..."

Li Wei frowned and gave a wry smile. However, it was obvious that his condition was much better than that of a vampire. After all, vampires were afraid of sunlight, while Li Wei had virtually no weaknesses; at least he had no problem sunbathing.

That punch from Katie was equivalent to five days of his life; what kind of damage is that...?

If this system had damage data, Li Wei would really like to see what Katie's DPS was.

What follows is the most important.

Li Wei reached out and swiped through the information in front of him, until he reached the last item—random reward.

[Special equipment, Crimson Temptation, detected; special rewards to be unlocked]

[Special Reward: Job Skill - Puppeteer]

Specialization: Flesh Manipulation/Soul Manipulation/Creation Manipulation

The Puppeteer… Li Wei wasn't surprised to see this reward. After all, the case itself was related to puppets, and the final boss also focused on this. It wasn't unexpected that he would receive this reward. The foundation of these three specializations is using threads called "Spirit Silk" to control targets, thereby achieving the purpose of manipulation.

Li Wei carefully reviewed the descriptions of the three specializations. Flesh manipulation was the kind he and his companions had encountered before—transforming human bodies into puppets and commanding them to act. Those soldiers were puppets created from flesh and blood; as for their power, it couldn't be said to be small, after all, a group of soldiers who were unafraid of death were indeed terrifying.

However, Li Wei would never choose that option, for the same reason he didn't choose the sonic attack before. They had been chased by these things all the way, and if Li Wei used it again, who knew what the others would think of him.

As for soul manipulation, it's the technique the BOSS used to control Katie and Henry, but it seems this move can only manipulate their bodies and not their will. And based on Levi's personal experience, this move isn't actually invincible; after all, he could withstand it, right?

Therefore, Li Wei quickly made a decision: he chose—manipulation of creation!

This skill is actually more "orthodox." Simply put, Livy can create things and then manipulate them. It's like a puppeteer creating a puppet and then controlling it.

Li Wei's reason for choosing this specialization is quite simple. After this case, Li Wei realized that he is essentially a glass cannon. That is, although his output is very strong, his defense is basically zero. Moreover, he does not know any close combat skills. When someone gets close to him, he can only raise his hands and surrender.

Katie can't always be his human shield, and Levi can't always rely on Katie to take the hits for him.

Therefore, finding a suitable shield is very important.

But relying on people alone won't work, and Li Wei isn't so cold-blooded as to use others as his shield. However, artificial creations are different. He won't feel bad if these things break or are destroyed, and they can even act according to Li Wei's wishes... Hmm, thinking about it this way, it's simply the best shield.

With that in mind, Li Wei made his choice.

[Specialization in Creation]

"————!"

Just as Li Wei chose the [Creation Specialization] path, he felt a sudden roar in his brain, followed by a flood of information and knowledge. This included techniques for creating, repairing, and manipulating objects. A moment later, when Li Wei opened his eyes again, he could feel that he had completely mastered this knowledge. The next step was to solidify it through continuous practice…

This is really useful. I wish the college entrance exam was this easy. You could just cram the knowledge into your brain and not have to worry about anything.

Li Wei sighed, raised his hand, and stared at the ring on his right index finger. The ruby ​​set in it wasn't large, but under the light, it swayed incessantly, like flowing blood.

This reminded Li Wei of the red glint that appeared in the dummy's destroyed head.

There must be some connection between it and this ring. Unfortunately, Levi doesn't yet know the ring's origin. Perhaps he should continue investigating the Lancaster family after this. After all, according to Sister Elizabeth, Stephen's wife found the ring in a secret room of the Lancaster mansion, following the instructions of that mysterious person.

This means that the ring had previously been held by the Lancaster family.

So, what is its origin?
And if it had already been taken, why would it appear in a jewelry store on the street? He asked the shop assistant, who said that someone had put the ring there for sale a long time ago.

The other party went to such great lengths, committing murder and robbery, only to sell this ring in the end?

Or perhaps, that person had to give up the ring because of some unexpected event?
Well, there's no way to find answers to these questions right now. We have to take things one step at a time, build ourselves a human shield first, and then consider the next steps in our investigation.

Levi snapped out of his reverie, yawned, and then picked up the bell on the table and shook it. Soon, he saw Eileen, dressed in a maid's outfit, enter through the side door. "What can I do for you, sir?"

Do you know where there's a hardware store around here?

"Hardware...?"

Eileen tilted her head in confusion, seemingly not understanding what Li Wei meant.

"It's a place that sells machine parts and equipment."

"Ah, you mean the steam parts shop? I know, I'm very familiar with those!"

Hearing this, Eileen seemed somewhat excited, which surprised Levi.

“After growing up?”

"Yes."

Erin nodded.

“My parents used to run this kind of shop, and I grew up there, so…”

"Oh, yes, that's true."

Upon hearing Eileen's words, Li Wei suddenly remembered that when he introduced her to the company, the background check had stated that Eileen's parents owned a shop.

"Okay, you'll come with me tomorrow, I need to buy some things."

"Okay, sir!"

For Li Wei, having someone knowledgeable by his side was naturally a good thing. So early the next morning, he took Eileen with him and set off for the market on Iron Felt Road.

According to Eileen, Iron Felt Road has always been the core parts manufacturing area of ​​Fog City. There are all kinds of parts and shops here. There are shops that wholesale and retail standardized parts, as well as shops that specialize in manufacturing special products for customers. Some inventors also open their own shops here to manufacture some strange and unusual machines, hoping to be noticed and, ideally, to receive a considerable investment.

As Levi and Eileen stepped off the carriage, the first thing they heard was the clanging of metal and the hissing of steam coming from all directions. The condensed white steam rose from all sides, making it feel like entering a sauna—though not quite drenched in sweat, it wasn't much better.

Looking around, the houses were basically not houses at all. Some had huge chimneys attached to their windows, while others had been modified to look like insects with eight metal legs. The overall impression was one of mental derangement and chaotic disorder.

It's a nightmare for road planners and builders.

"Please follow me, sir!"

Wearing a cloak, Eileen spoke to Levi and then led him deeper into the Iron Felt Road. To Levi, the place was like a maze, but Eileen moved with ease, as if she were back home… oh, this was her home, after all.

As Li Wei followed Eileen, he curiously looked around the shops. Even with just a quick glance, he could see many interesting things.

For example, in the towering construction factory next door, an aerial train is being welded. On a street corner, a young man in greasy work clothes with a full beard is excitedly waving a wrench, introducing his latest invention—a steam car with six wheels—to a customer.

"Look, this vehicle has the largest boiler yet. Its six wheels maintain excellent balance and allow it to reach speeds far exceeding those of four-wheeled vehicles. It will definitely help you achieve victory..."

Li Wei turned his gaze from the six-wheeled race car to the shop window next door. Behind the window, humanoid machines, each taller than a person, were dancing gracefully. However, Li Wei didn't think these were the robots of his time; they felt more like life-sized dolls that rotated in a music box.

Not only that, Li Wei also saw bipedal mechs that were as tall as two-story buildings. They walked on the streets, their thick, forklift-like arms moving up and down, moving boxes and instruments onto tracks or unloading them.

Well… this style of “technology” certainly left a deep impression on Li Wei. After all, in Li Wei’s time, the path was all about electromechanical engineering, and this kind of multi-rivet steam-coated steel approach was truly extremely rare.

However, Li Wei had to admit that the raw, powerful sense of strength emanating from these massive steel structures, accompanied by steam jets and the roar of wild beasts, was far beyond what machines of the electronic age could match.

Moreover, the vitality unleashed by this brutal and extensive development of the steam age is truly... captivating.

"right here."

As Li Wei curiously admired these steam-powered technological creations, Eileen led him to a shop that looked more like a large factory or warehouse, with a sign hanging at the entrance that read "Kailida Steam Machinery Craftsmanship." Eileen stepped forward and knocked on the door forcefully—not because she was rude, but because if she didn't knock hard, the person inside probably wouldn't hear her.

After a moment, the closed door was opened, and a bearded man in greasy work clothes with a pipe in his mouth appeared in front of Eileen.

Upon seeing Eileen, the man's eyes widened immediately.

"Oh, Eileen! My little princess! You're back! I've missed you so much!"

"Uncle Hank!"

Seeing the bearded man in front of her, Eileen smiled.

"Quick, come in! Where have you been all this time? I was so worried about you. Are you alright?"

"I am fine."

Eileen shook her head and then introduced herself to Hank.

“He is Mr. Li Wei, and I am currently working at Mr. Li Wei’s house.”

"I see..."

Upon hearing Eileen's words, Hank, with his pipe in his mouth, looked Li Wei up and down and nodded.

"Not bad, he's a good young man. What do you want with him here?"

“Mr. Levi wanted to buy some manufacturing supplies, and I thought Uncle Hank had a good selection, so I brought him along.”

"Good, little girl, you still remember to support your Uncle Hank's business."

Hank chuckled, then looked at Levi.

"Come in, young man. Let me see what you need. We have almost everything related to machinery here! For Eileen's sake, I can give you a 20% discount!"

"Excuse me."

Without hesitation, Levi took off his hat, nodded to Hank, and then walked into the noisy shop in front of him.

(End of this chapter)