Chapter b581 /bStrange Puppets

    bJust /bbthen/bb, /bbJean /bnarrowed her eyes. Without warning, she reached out and clutched the bhand /bbSarah /bbhad /bbced /bon her shoulder, using every ounce of strength she had.

    bA /bsharp jolt of pain shot through Sarah’s fingers. Her face twisted in agony, and she instinctively took a bstep /bback.

    Jean focused all her power into her grip, as if she intended to crush Sarah’s hand bonespletely.

    Sarah nearly cried out; she twisted her wrist, trying to yank her hand free.

    Jean didn’t stop her. She let Sarah pull back, hurting her hadn’t been the point.

    She just wanted her to stop following her. Taking advantage of the opening, Jean broke into a sprint and veered off to the side. She reached out and–pushed what appeared to be a metal wall.

    To her surprise, it sank inward.

    It looked like a wall at first nce, but it was actually a sliding–metal door.

    Without hesitation, Jean shoved it open, slipped inside, and pulled it shut behind her.

    Her eyes darted around. She didn’t see any kind of lock on the door.

    These hidden wall panels seemed to be amon feature in this building. She waited a moment, but Sarah didn’t follow her in.

    No iidea /iiwhat’s /iigoing /iion /iibehind /iithat /iidoor/i, she thoughti, /iibut /iiat /iileast /iiSarah’s /iioff /iimy /iiback/i. iThat’s /igood ienough/i.

    Jean turned around and found herself facing a dim, vintage–style corridor. Elegant murals stretched across the walls; a few flickering candles lit the space unevenly.

    She let out a long, steady breath and moved forward.

    After she passed through the hallway, her surroundings suddenly opened up. She stepped into a vast courtyard; above her was a deep, ink–ck night sky.

    But what she saw in the courtyard made her draw in a sharp, involuntary breath.

    The greenwn was packed with figures.

    Jean didn’t know how to describe them. iShould /iiI /iicall /iithem /iipuppets/i? iOr /iirobots/ii? /i

    Their shapes resembled humans, but Jean could tell, they weren’t human.

    Each one looked like a cold, lifeless machine, wearing the same eerie, emotionless expression.

    She took a step forward without thinking, identally stepping on a loose stone. A crisp ick /iechoed through the space.

    In an instant, the puppets turned toward the sound. Their lifeless eyes snapped to her in perfect unison.

    Jean clenched her teeth. A chill ran down her spine as goosebumps prickled her skin.

    Being stared at by a horde like this took some serious nerve…

    bChapter /b581 Strange Puppets

    The bnext /bbsecond/b, it bwas /bblike /bsomething had activated them they began bmarching /btoward her, ?n pere bformation/b.

    bLike /ba crashing tide,

    Jean’s face went pale. She turned and bolted.

    Faced with this kind of enemy, she knew she didn’t stand a chance; running was her only boption/b.

    Just as she fled through the dim light and shifting shadows, a hand suddenly grabbed her wrist. Startled, Jean yanked her arm back. But then, a soft chuckle reached her ears.

    “It’s me.”

    It was Ludwig’s voice.

    The taut string in Jean’s mind finally snapped loose.

    C

    She looked up toward the sound. Ludwig was gazing at her with a gentle smile, his eyes glinting with moonlight.

    In the next moment, his arm hooked around her, and she was swept into his embrace.

    Everything spun. She barely had time to react before she found herself sitting with Ludwig atop the courtyard’s high wall. Together, they looked down at the bizarre horde of puppets below.

    。