Seeing them talking, Cier moved swiftly. With a flick of his hand, a knife shot through the air, embedding itself into the side of the fat supervisor's head. Blood splattered across the woman's face, freezing her in shock.
Before she could scream or react, another knife flew, piercing her throat with deadly precision.
Both fell to the ground, their movements jerking unnaturally for a few moments before succumbing to stillness.
The face once so contemptuous of him now lay lifeless on the ground, killed with a single thought.
Looking at the supervisor's bloodied face, Cier felt a sense of comfort, but when he looked at the dead wife, he felt nothing.
While Cier didn't take pleasure in killing innocents, there were exceptions. The supervisor had no family except for his wife, and being married to him made her complicit in his actions. To Cier, a family should be neat and clean, and that was just the reason he needed.
Not looking at the bodies of the supervisor and his wife, Cier decided to leave the area and continued on his way.
About half an hour after he left, a loud shout came from the same house, followed by a commotion.
People gathered around the house, murmuring and pointing, some curious, others smiling or even gloating. No one seemed upset, and it was clear the supervisor wasn't well-liked in this area.
But none of this concerned Cier, who was now in a small shop, purchasing materials for puppet-making, like thin strings and small wooden rods.
After browsing for a while, he made his way back home.
Although Cier was eager to deal with Jef as soon as possible, he knew now wasn't the right time.
According to the information on the slip, Jef usually visited the Lizardborn headquarters every Saturday, and that would be the perfect opportunity to act—far better than targeting him at the the crowded casino. Today was Monday, just a few days away from Saturday, and Cier was willing to wait that long.
Once inside his house, he quickly opened the book on puppet making, and began reading, focusing on the techniques and details about making puppets.
The basic puppet Cier chose to make was a marionette, a traditional type of puppet controlled by strings. A marionette required careful craftsmanship, as it had to be balanced and designed in a way that allowed it to move in lifelike motions when manipulated by its strings.
To begin, the process started with shaping a small wooden body, carving out the head, arms, and legs. The body was often hollowed to reduce weight, ensuring the puppet would be easier to maneuver. The limbs were carved separately and attached at the joints using small hooks or pivot points, giving them flexibility. The head was detailed with basic features—eyes, nose, and mouth—which could be painted or drawn on.
Strings were then tied to each key joint of the puppet—the head, arms, and legs—while another string controlled the torso. All of these strings would be connected to a central control bar, allowing the puppeteer to guide the movements of the marionette with ease.
Cier opened the book on puppet-making and began to follow its instructions. The pages described the process with precision, emphasizing how time-consuming and intricate the task could be. It was a task that demanded patience, the book claimed, as one had to carve each piece carefully and ensure the joints were fluid enough to allow smooth movements.
For Cier, however, the task was effortless. His hands moved swiftly and skillfully, carving the body of the marionette with ease, something that the book had warned would take time. The limbs were shaped and attached quickly, and the strings tied with expert precision. As the puppet took form, Cier couldn't help but notice how smoothly it moved once the strings were attached. It was nothing like the painstaking attempts described in the book; in a matter of hours, Cier had completed the marionette. His precision and focus turned what would have been a tedious task for most into something almost second nature.
Cier didn't know whether it was his growing abilities or if he truly had a natural talent for this craft. As he worked on the marionette, his hands moved fluidly, almost instinctively, and the process felt surprisingly effortless. The creation seemed to come together with a kind of ease that he hadn't expected, especially given the intricate steps involved.
After completing the marionette, Cier felt an unusual sense of mental clarity. His mind, which had been weighed down by the burden of his past and the looming task of dealing with Jef, seemed a little freer, a bit lighter.
As he continued to work with the marionette, manipulating it with the strings and observing its movement, Cier realized something else. His abilities, which he had been struggling to develop, seemed to improve. He could feel a noticeable difference—his control had improved, and he could focus longer without his concentration waning. It was as if, with just a few hours of practice, he had gained three times the improvement he'd managed from the previous half day of training.
Cier didn't know whether it was his growing abilities or if he truly had a natural talent for this craft. As he worked on the marionette, his hands moved fluidly, almost instinctively, and the process felt surprisingly effortless. The creation seemed to come together with a kind of ease that he hadn't expected, especially given the intricate steps involved.
After completing the marionette, Cier felt an unusual sense of mental clarity. His mind, which had been weighed down by the burden of his past and the looming task of dealing with Jef, seemed a little freer, a bit lighter. There was something about the act of crafting that eased the tension he'd been carrying.
It was only then that he noticed a change in himself. As his mind cleared, he found his abilities had improved. He could manipulate the strings with much more ease and accuracy than before. In just a few hours of practice, he noticed that his progress had been three times what it had been in the previous half day.
Whether it was his own development or the sense of relief in his mind, Cier could say for certain that making puppets helped him further developing his abilities.