Gravity Mage with Level-Up System Chapter 1840: Part 1: Dark Red Puppet

SunHaven City — Underground Chamber

Right now, I stand within the underground chamber. The gadget's glow brightened the entire area.

Illumination pierced the shadowy corners, unveiling hidden objects. Straight away, my eyes locked onto the compact altar placed right in the room's center.

Covered in strange patterns, the black altar drew my attention. Moments later, I looked elsewhere.

Dark red smoke caught my sight—it encircled the altar completely. That mist had originated from this very spot earlier.

Its potency had knocked everyone out cold instantly.

[Ding! A living artifact is detected.]

[Ding! There is a chance of merging two living artifacts.]

[Ding! The host can use the mana core eating artifact or red magic scroll to merge with dark red orb.]

The system's alert rang inside my head. Stunned by the words, I froze momentarily, doubting what I'd heard.

A few minutes elapsed before the truth sank in.

Shaking off the daze, I focused on the dark red orb. Hesitation gripped me about handling it directly.

Querying the system confirmed its lethal touch. The Zero Puppet sprang to my thoughts at once.

Concurrently, the system warned me against breathing the dark red smoke.

Swoosh!

Instantly, I vanished from sight. Teleporting into the Gregor Mansion, I located the Zero Puppet, loaded it with mid-grade mana stones, and brought it online.

The Zero Puppet stirred to life and saluted me.

No time to lose—I guided the puppet out and ordered it to seize the dark red orb.

Next, I stored the Zero Puppet back in the Gregor Mansion. Task complete, I hurried out of the underground chamber.

Outside now, my attention shifted to the Magic Lords and Gary Crest. Backup loomed near, so I retreated to the plot's edge.

Gadget lights formed a vast dome overhead. A sudden dash out would trigger the alarm.

Instead, I opted to shelter in the Gregor Mansion. Rematerializing inside, I rushed to the hall for the Zero Puppet.

Shock hit me hard at the view. The Zero Puppet had altered; dark red smoke enveloped it fully.

"What happened?" I muttered to myself.

Transformation gripped the Zero Puppet visibly. The dark red orb eluded my search. Resorting to the system probe, I scanned it.

[Ding! The living artifact is currently undergoing fusion with the Zero Puppet.]

The system's reply hit home, leaving me at a loss for words.

"You told me that only living artifacts can fuse with each other. So what’s the situation right now?" I asked the system. Utter bewilderment clouded everything.

[Zero Puppet is a puppet artifact which can be upgraded. The dark red orb’s power is suitable for its upgrade.]

That mental response from the system cleared it up for me in a flash.

Far from ordinary, the Zero Puppet's origins ran deep. Heir to the Star Puppet Inheritance, I hadn't headed home; leftover inheritance pieces awaited retrieval.

An upgrade for the Zero Puppet was scheduled back there, yet this surprise chance emerged unexpectedly.

Gathering my wits, I stared at the Zero Puppet. Merging the dark red orb with the red scroll artifact had been my aim for tighter reins.

Still, disappointment evaded me. Mine to command, the Zero Puppet's boost spelled victory for me.

Level 7 strength marked it before. Post-upgrade power? A mystery.

Outside

Guards detected Gary Crest and the Magic Lords' dire state. Gary's personal protectors, they acted fast.

Gadgets powered down, dissolving the light dome. Wizards swarmed in right after.

Dark red smoke's grip held firm on Gary Crest and the Magic Lords.

Protectors pushed hard to revive them, to no avail. Family reinforcements were called; elders dispatched by the family head arrived promptly.

On the scene in time, they extracted Young Master Gary Crest and the rest. Chamber entry terrified them—they sealed it shut externally.

Entrance discovered, they'd delve deeper later. Special barriers planned for the zone, post-rescue care.

Time passed

Within Crest Hotel, admin duo toiled away, eyes glued to room 210.

Male and female staff dug into intel. Wizard Vincent Carey's identity clicked—they pondered Young Master Gary's deference.

Prior shock had floored them; 20-plus minutes tamed the turmoil.

Still vigilant, guest absence persisted. Word came: young master hospitalized.

Exploration mishap—he and Magic Lords breathed toxic haze. Vacant lot family ops? Staff insiders knew.

Tied tight to young master Gary, secrets stayed open to them.

...

Gregor Mansion

Zero Puppet's shift wrapped up. A dark red humanoid puppet, my size, loomed before me.

Scrutiny started. Magic artifact forged its frame now, core intact for mana stones.

Plus, dark red smoke seeped from it—deadly threat to enemies. New skills? Intriguing unknown.

Key question: does control remain mine?