From Human to Skeleton: Revived with Infinite System Crystals-Chapter 543 Threaded Fate

But the puppet user was ready. With a flick of his wrist, he yanked the threads attached to the reanimated corpses, pulling them into the path of Rosana's attack. The flames engulfed the bodies, burning them to ash, but the puppet user remained unharmed, his grin widening.

"You really thought you had me, didn't you?" he sneered, taking a step back, his fingers dancing in the air as new threads shimmered, pulling taut. "I control every part of this battlefield. You're just running into your own doom."

Rosana's claws flickered with flames, her frustration evident as her fiery assault was blocked once again. "You're dead when I get my hands on you!" she spat, her eyes burning with fury.

"Rosana, wait!" Ty shouted, but it was too late.

Suddenly, the ground trembled beneath them, the subtle shift almost too small to notice at first. Ty's eyes flickered to the side, realizing too late what was happening. The puppet user's smirk widened as he snapped his fingers, and the traps that Ty's group had purchased earlier suddenly erupted from the ground.

The fire traps, which had been placed as a defensive measure, ignited all around them. The air filled with searing heat as flames shot up in massive bursts, encircling the group in a blazing inferno. Rosana, already close to the edge, was caught in the full force of the blast.

She screamed as the flames struck her, the intense heat overwhelming even her own fire manipulation. Her gauntlet melted under the pressure, her skin blistering as she was thrown back, crashing into the dirt with a sickening thud.

"Rosana!" Ty yelled, his heart pounding as he watched her writhe in agony on the ground, the flames licking at her body.

Kern's eyes widened in shock as he saw the trap unfold, but before he could react, a sharp pain tore through his chest. He looked down, his breath catching as he saw it—a thin, glimmering thread had pierced straight through his side, embedding itself deep in his flesh.

Blood poured from the wound, staining his armor as the pain ripped through him like fire. Kern staggered, dropping to one knee, his scimitars clattering uselessly to the ground.

"Kern!" Ty's voice was ragged as he rushed to his friend's side, but before he could reach him, another series of threads shot out, wrapping around Ty's wrists and legs, pulling him back with an invisible force.

The puppet user laughed, his voice cruel and mocking. "You thought you were the hunters? You're nothing but prey!" His fingers moved deftly, manipulating the threads as if he were conducting a symphony of pain and chaos. With a snap, he yanked the threads again, and Kern collapsed fully to the ground, blood soaking the earth beneath him.

"Kern, hold on!" Ty struggled against the threads, black flames flaring around his arms as he fought to break free, but the bindings only tightened, pulling him down. The searing pain in his wrists made it nearly impossible to focus.

Rosana groaned from where she had fallen, her skin scorched, her strength ebbing. She tried to rise, but the burns from the fire trap had done their damage. Her flames flickered weakly, the strength of her rage mode slipping away.

"Damn... it..." she muttered, her voice hoarse as she clawed at the ground, her body barely responding.

John, standing at a distance, his face pale with shock, had been too slow to react. His mind raced as he tried to assess the situation, but the scene before him was spiraling out of control. "We need to regroup," he muttered to himself, eyes darting between Ty, Kern, and Rosana.

Before John could move, the puppet user's eyes locked onto him, and with a flick of his wrist, threads shot out toward him. John barely managed to dodge, but one of the threads caught his ankle, yanking him off balance.

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John hit the ground hard, pain shooting through his leg as the threads coiled tighter around him, pulling him into the air like a marionette. He struggled to reach for one of his portals, but the angle and the speed of the attack made it impossible. His hands shook as the puppet user's control grew stronger.

The puppet user's laughter filled the air, his voice gleeful as he watched his prey struggle. "You see now?" he taunted. "You're nothing but puppets on strings. You dance when I pull, and you'll fall when I decide."

Ty gritted his teeth, his entire body trembling as he tried to push against the invisible force holding him down. "You... won't... win," he snarled, the flames around him flickering weakly.

Kern's breaths came in shallow gasps, his vision darkening as the blood continued to pour from his side. "Ty..." he muttered weakly, his voice barely a whisper. "Don't... let him..."

John, hanging in the air like a ragdoll, fought to clear his mind, but the puppet user's grip was relentless. "Ty... we need a plan," he rasped, his mind racing but his body failing.

The puppet user stepped forward, his eyes gleaming with triumph. "There is no plan," he said, his voice dripping with arrogance. "You've already lost."

Rosana, still lying on the ground, forced herself to look up, her eyes narrowing as she saw the puppet user standing over her fallen teammates. Her body screamed in pain, but the fire inside her still flickered. "I... won't let this... happen," she growled through gritted teeth, her fingers twitching weakly as she tried to summon the last of her flames.

The puppet user glanced down at her with amusement, his fingers twitching in the air, tightening the threads around her wrists. "Look at you, still trying," he said, his voice filled with mockery. "You're nothing but a dying ember."

Rosana's claws scraped against the dirt as she struggled to push herself up. Her vision blurred, but the anger inside her flared. The flames around her hands flickered, weak but present. "I'll burn you... I swear..."

The puppet user knelt beside her, his grin widening as he watched her struggle. "You can try," he whispered, his eyes gleaming. "But it won't matter. Soon, you'll be like the rest of them—just another puppet to add to my collection." Find more chapters on novelbuddy