This time, the entire Puppet slipped out from the Strange Tree, its whole body completely exposed. However, one of its feet was caught by a vine, so the Puppet didn't fall to the ground as expected. Instead, it hung high by one leg in mid-air, its entire body seeming on the verge of toppling.
Faced with this scene, everyone in the classroom was perplexed, all staring unblinkingly at the Puppet.
Is it just me, or does that Puppet look like it's smiling? Su Yan thought. The corners of its mouth curled into a strange arc, sending a chill through anyone who saw it.
Suddenly, a horrifying scene occurred. The lifeless Puppet hanging mid-air moved its right hand and reached for the vine wrapped around its leg. Then, she pulled forcefully, and the vine around her ankle snapped with a sharp CRACK, torn by her brute strength. Once the vine broke, the entire Puppet fell straight down from mid-air.
THUD.
The Puppet smashed heavily onto the ground, scattering leaves all around.
Those present stepped back a few paces from this bizarre sight, fearing a sudden attack.
Su Yan, however, did not retreat like the others. He instantly tensed, maximizing his Five Senses Perception. If the Puppet attacked, he would retaliate without hesitation.
Time ticked by. The Puppet on the ground had been motionless ever since it fell. Just when everyone had started to lower their guard, the Puppet's eyeballs suddenly moved. Then, under the terrified gazes of the crowd, the Puppet's entire body sat up mechanically, like a marionette.
At this moment, everyone present dared not even breathe too loudly. They were all afraid that any noise they made would draw the Puppet's attention. After all, this Puppet could move on its own. Who knew if it was some Demon or Monster that would attack people? So, it was better to be safe than sorry, lest some anomaly occur and they become the first hapless victims.
"CLICK... CLICK-CLICK!"
Under the cautious gazes of the crowd, the Puppet suddenly moved its body like a living person, its joints crackling. Yet its face remained deathly still, void of any vitality.
"Is a leaf's fall the wind's pursuit, or the tree's reluctance to hold on?" As everyone watched in bewilderment, the Puppet suddenly asked aloud.
The Puppet is asking a question?
Su Yan found this perplexing. This Strange Tree, apart from controlling vines to attack the young man who tried to escape, hadn't actively assaulted anyone else. Now it was manipulating a Puppet to play a question-and-answer game? It all felt very odd. Could it be that the Strange Tree only recently evolved into a Rare Level Creature, and its intelligence isn't fully developed? Otherwise, its bizarre behavior was hard to explain.
As these thoughts crossed Su Yan's mind, the Puppet's neck suddenly twisted. With an exaggerated arch, its face turned towards the youth ensnared by the vines. Then, with hollow eyes, it said to him in a lifeless tone, "You... answer."
Numb! Numb! Numb! The youth felt completely numb. His heart was filled with fear, and cold sweat continuously beaded on his forehead.
But soon enough, he forced himself to calm down and began to ponder the question posed by the Puppet. After a brief moment of thought, the youth answered with a trembling voice, "A leaf's departure is the wind's pursuit. The wind loves the leaf; from the moment the leaf was born, it has wanted to take her across oceans to see the vast world..."
It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. While the youth was answering, the Puppet stood completely still, quietly listening, without making any other movement. However, just as the youth finished speaking, its mouth suddenly twisted into a sinister curve. Then, under the fearful gazes of everyone, it suddenly pounced towards the youth like some bizarre creature.
The youth had no chance to react before he was knocked to the ground by the Puppet. Accompanied by a heart-wrenching scream, the youth was instantly bound by the Puppet, which had transformed into twisted vines. He lay horizontally on the ground, unable to move. Then he was slowly enveloped into a cocoon and subsequently lifted by a vine into mid-air.
At this moment, everyone suddenly understood. So that's how those Giant Silkworm Chrysalises hanging high in the air came to be.
Thinking of this, several of the more cowardly Semi-Advanced Level creatures started to feel frightened again. With two victims already, it meant a third would soon appear. By that logic, a fourth victim would appear next, then a fifth, a sixth... until everyone was completely wiped out.
"I'm such a fucking idiot! I shouldn't have come to play the hero and rescue others!"
"Wouldn't it have been better to turn a blind eye? Why did I have to act out some heroic idealism?"
"I'm truly brain-dead! Just like that, I've thrown my own life away, damn it!"
Seeing their chances of survival dwindling, some began to emotionally crumble, cursing themselves in despair, their words filled with regret.
Hearing that person's self-abuse, Su Yan didn't pay too much attention. It's normal for people to lose their heads in desperate situations, he thought, paying it no mind. He remained calm throughout, quietly focusing his attention on the dense foliage atop the branches of the Strange Tree. With his exceptional hearing, he could detect some extremely faint noises coming from inside. It sounded like hard objects grating against each other, a somewhat piercing noise.
As Su Yan carefully investigated the noise, the Strange Tree suddenly shook violently. Then, with a heavy THUD, a new Puppet fell from the tree, crashing hard onto the floor and scattering a wide area of dead twigs and leaves.
Immediately after, this new Puppet mechanically rose from the ground. It had a face identical to the youth's. It slowly turned its head towards Sister Yu, then, with lifeless, hollow eyes, it looked at her and asked in a dead tone, "Is a leaf's fall the wind's pursuit, or the tree's reluctance to hold on?"