Chapter 369: The Increasingly Powerful Nemo

Duplicating the Fluorescent Factory wasn’t a cost-effective move. It was even somewhat of a waste.

After all, the Fluorescent Factory was too niche and didn’t have enough synergy with the Merlin Company’s Magic Source products to make it worthwhile.

So, Duan Fei chose another action: “Malicious Interference.”

This action would lower the success rate of the opponent’s Action Cards three times in a row.

The Knight Order had already used this card, but to Jinghong, such interference was child’s play and could be dealt with easily.

With the day’s work handled, the fourth day’s free time began.

The Lone Ranger continued their harassment mission, Jinghong remained on defense, and Flora and the Maid were on standby.

Duan Fei, meanwhile, rushed to the police station to find the location of the Fluorescent Factory. He reported its position to Flora and the Maid before quickly returning to company headquarters to assist Jinghong with defense.

If the enemy’s intelligence gathering was successful, they would likely learn the company’s location today and begin their raids.

After receiving the location, Flora and the Maid immediately headed for the Fluorescent Factory.

Since Flora didn’t know how to ride a motorcycle, she could only sit behind the Maid.

When the motorcycle started, the deafening roar and powerful acceleration made Flora tremble like a frightened rabbit. She squeezed her eyes shut and desperately clung to the Maid’s waist.

“Maid, not so fast!”

“This is more comfortable for me,” the Maid said coolly.

“Slow down! I don’t want an early grave!”

Amid Flora’s screams, the motorcycle weaved through the city streets like a sleek dragon fish, arriving at the Fluorescent Factory at two-thirty.

Hopping off the bike, the Maid looked at the nauseated Flora and said with a sigh, “This is the first I’m hearing that my lady is a fool who gets sick even on bumper cars.”

“Try saying that again after looking at that bike of yours!”

“Get up. It looks like we’ve been spotted.”

The massive Fluorescent Factory was still in operation. Large quantities of Fluorescent Agent were being extracted and processed into the specific formula required by their agreement with the Knight Order.

This Fluorescent Agent possessed a powerful memory function. If someone performed in front of its container, the liquid would record the performance and replay it upon application.

This substance was a powerful propaganda tool among the lower classes. Flora and the Maid’s mission was to destroy this place, then get arrested and start over.

However, the moment they arrived, the Maid realized they had been found.

The moment they arrived, the surrounding shops closed for business.

The florist picked up his gardening shears. A janitor detached the head from his mop, revealing a steel pipe sharpened to a point.

A beggar on the street stood up, a blackened spoon sharpened to a point and tied to his hand with a strip of cloth.

They looked human at a glance, but a longer look revealed unsettling inconsistencies about them.

Some had fingernails growing from their finger pads. Others had multiple pupils in each eye. These minute details created a powerful uncanny valley effect, proving they weren’t human, but Pseudo-men.

Inside the Fluorescent Factory headquarters, Nemo sipped his coffee, staring blankly into the distance.

Beside him, the Succubus clung to his side, her gaze fixed on him with an expression of pure obsession.

Having merged with the Clockmaker, Nemo now possessed both his original Power as a player and the Power of the Clockmaker. The combination filled Nemo with a charm that the Succubus found irresistible.

This was related to a Curse she had previously placed on Nemo, one that had prevented him from leaving her. But when Nemo broke free, the Curse rebounded entirely, making the Succubus its new victim.

Pressing against Nemo, the countless insects that composed the Succubus’s body clung to him, covering him in a nauseating, viscous sensation.

Nemo shot the Succubus a look of disgust. “Get the hell away from me,” he said coldly.

Nemo’s voice startled the Succubus. A flicker of sorrow crossed her half-healed face.

Biting her crimson lip, she asked plaintively, “Lord Nemo, are you still unable to forgive me?”

“I will never forgive you Pseudo-men. If you didn’t know some of the Madhouse’s secrets, I would have slaughtered you long ago.”

“Does that mean you need me, then?”

Gazing at the hopeful Succubus, Nemo sneered. “You’re an optimist. Sure, let’s go with that.”

“Thank you, Lord Nemo.”

Nemo kicked the Succubus away as she tried to pounce on him, then turned to look out the window.

His puppets stationed here were already issuing a warning: the enemy had begun their invasion.

These early-warning puppets were a new creation, combining his own Profession with the Clockmaker’s craft of making Pseudo-men.

They possessed a degree of their own intelligence and would grow stronger over time.

Each puppet was unique, with its own personality and strength. He kept the ones with the most potential inside for further cultivation.

Sipping red wine, Nemo stepped away from the window, observing the charging Maid and Flora through the eyes of his puppets.

The circle of Pseudo-men was slowly closing in. The Maid was the first to act.

She drew a parasol from beneath her skirt and, without hesitation, swung it at the nearest Pseudo-man.

Beneath the canopy, the parasol’s ribs—as sharp as a cleaver—ruthlessly sliced the Pseudo-man in half, revealing gears and black oil within.

Flora sprang into action as well.

Flora pulled out her shotgun, stuck a lollipop in her mouth, and chambered a round with one hand, blasting a pouncing Pseudo-man to pieces.

Using the recoil to spin, she brought the butt of the shotgun down, crushing another Pseudo-man’s skull. She then fired, obliterating a third one that was charging at her.

These Pseudo-men were just common puppets, with strength comparable to an ordinary person. Against Flora and the Maid, it was a one-sided slaughter.

But Nemo didn’t care.

It was the fourth day. Ever since entering this instance, he had been using a legendary item from the Madhouse to mass-produce these puppets. He had plenty to spare.

Not only was the loss of these common puppets painless for him, but he could also use the players’ own hands to obtain more… interesting things.

Down below, as the Maid moved to slice another puppet open, she saw it suddenly erupt in a flash of red light.

The puppet’s muscles swelled abruptly, shredding its clothes and revealing a chiseled form beneath.

Clasping its hands together, the puppet blocked the Maid’s parasol. It then retreated suddenly, dashing toward the factory’s main building.

The Maid gave chase immediately, but a dozen other puppets moved to intercept her, blocking her path. She could only watch helplessly as the special puppet disappeared into the main building.

With no time to think, the Maid spun back around and dispatched a puppet that had closed in on her.

But a question had already taken root in her mind.