The map.

  Jack stared at the parchment. He used his mental power to probe. It felt stiff. Newer and tougher than its aged appearance suggested. His [Eyes of Judgement] told him that it was just made six months ago. Not old at all. A fake.

  Rune was hovering beside him in her wisp form. Pulsing with a soft, analytical amber light. Scanning the artifact.

  Jack let his spectral eyes traced the lines. A big, rough coastline dominated the right part. Small islands, several of them, filled the waters to the west. He focused, letting his mind’s eye overlay known landscapes. Recognition hit him. This was the West Coast of Vestrose Island.

  Sapphire City was on the same island. A bustling mining and port city known for its gem trade. And mines. And the Mercenary Union filled with a huge number of Steamrune Engineers. It was on the part that was not drawn in the map though.

  And the other islands? They were the minor islets scattered off Vestrose. Often used as hideouts by privateers and smugglers.

  He glanced at the ‘X’ marks. There were four of them. One on the mainland coast. Two on separate islands. And one further out to sea.

  "Vestrose Island." Jack murmured. He stayed there some time ago. A hint of recognition was in his voice. "Specifically, the western reaches."

  He looked at the map again. At a glance, it looked old. But looking closely now... The edges were artificially singed. The ink was a bit too vibrant for something that should be old. The smell was also wrong. It was a forgery, no doubt about it.

  "You're sure about this?" Jack asked. Glancing back at Adam and Alice.

  The twins were still sitting on their beds. Their faces were as expressionless as marble statues. Adam nodded once. A sharp movement without any hesitation.

  Alice tilted her head. Her eyes reflecting the dim light of the room. "It's a lie that contains a truth." She said in a flat tone.

  "The map is fake." Adam added. "But the destination is not."

  "For you." Both said together.

  Jack didn't push for more. If they said it was for him, he'd take it. He trusted them. He used his [Mysterious Anomaly] power to roll the map up. He tried to put it in his system inventory.

  It worked. The system considered the fake map important enough to be kept in the inventory. The twins were right.

  "Thanks, Kids. This treasure map... I'll see what's waiting for me at the end of the rainbow."

  He turned and left their bedroom. Turning his invisibility and intangibility to the max before phasing through the wall. Rune floated behind him, her wispy form glowed a flickering, curious amber.

  Back at his home in Lonestone City, Jack didn't immediately pack his bags. He was intrigued by the map. But he was also a craftsman who had unfinished projects.

  He had a new incarnation to perfect. Jack Lantern, the Devil Puppet. To make that form truly work well, he needed more than just one puppet.

  He already had Sloth. The drowsy panda plushy that could bring targets to sleep like soothing lullabies. But it was not enough.

  The current Bizarre Puppeteer class of Jack Lantern could control three puppets simultaneously. He needed at least two more bizarre puppets.

  He spent the next five days mostly locked in his workshop. Only out for a few times for meals and rests. Or as Racer Jack to do a quick patrol around the city to release the pressure.

  On the third day, the first puppet was finished.

  It was a green, baby-ninja monkey. It had long, oversized, grasping hands and bladed arms. Ones that could fold into its forearms like a mantis. The puppet's face was covered with a mask and cowl. Its visible eyes were a piercing emerald.

  His [Eyes of Judgement] showed its information...

  [Name: Envy]

  [Affiliation: Jack Lantern]

  [Type: Bizarre Puppet]

  [Archetype: Sentient Construct]

  [Bizarre Skills: Camouflage Aura; Treasure Theft; Secret Backstab]

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  [Personality: Selfish]

  Jack was at first worried about its personality. But once he confirmed that it was completely loyal despite its selfishness, he was relieved. Its skills was afterall... perfectly suitable.

  [Bizarre Skill: Camouflage Aura. This skill allows the puppet to bend light and sound around its body. It's not just visual invisibility; it projects a camouflage psychic field. In shadows or complex environments, the puppet becomes conceptually absent from an ordinary observer's mind.]

  [Bizarre Skill: Treasure Theft. The skill allows the puppet to bypass physical awareness and magical protection to 'snatch' one item the target currently values or focuses on the most. Whether it's a weapon in hand or a locket in a pocket, if they love it, Envy can take it.]

  [Bizarre Skill: Secret Backstab. While being undetected and under the effects of Camouflage Aura, the puppet's first strike ignores the target's physical and magical armor. It is a strike born from spite, aimed at where it hurts the most.]

  Three skills a rogue should have. Sneak, Steal. Stab... Perfect.

  Jack set Envy aside. And turned to the second pile of components. This one required more pre-processing work. But less intricate mechanism.

  By the end of the fifth day, the second puppet sat on the table. Its topaz eyes were blinking slowly. It was a furry, pale-yellow baby frogman. Slightly fat. With a wide, smiling mouth and stubby limbs.

  The information from his [Eyes of Judgement] showed...

  [Name: Gluttony]

  [Affiliation: Jack Lantern]

  [Type: Bizarre Puppet]

  [Archetype: Sentient Construct]

  [Bizarre Skills: Bloating Curse; Devouring Suction; Reversal Metabolism]

  [Personality: Easy Going]

  It sat there. Looking remarkably stupid yet adorable, which was exactly the point.

  Jack sighed. He didn't plan to make the dolls a set of Seven Sins. But, the acquired 'random' skills were just too suitable to be called with those names. He suspected that the randomness was not actually arbitrary at all.

  [Bizarre Skill: Bloating Curse. The skill allows the puppet to emit a gaseous frequency that affects the inner ear and digestive tracts of the targets nearby. Targets feel an overwhelming sense of fullness and nausea, slowing their movement significantly and forcing them to vomit, breaking their focus or spell-casting.]

  [Bizarre Skill: Devouring Suction. The skill allows the puppet to open its mouth to create a small, localized vacuum. It can pull in magical projectiles, poisonous gases, or even alchemical liquid. It stores these substances within its extradimensional stomach.]

  [Bizarre Skill: Reversal Metabolism. The skill allows the puppet to 'digest' what it has swallowed and spit it back out with reversed properties. It turns poison into healing mist, or hostile fireballs into cooling mana bursts. It is the ultimate alchemical recycler.]

  A disruptive de-buff and a pair of utility skills. These were a pretty incredible stet of skills. If they were used in certain situation, the skills would be extremely useful.

  With Sloth, Envy, and Gluttony now complete, Jack Lantern's minimal retinue of bizarre puppets was ready. He was tempted to continue the projects. Completing the set of the Seven Sins. But, he was tempted more with the promised 'useful things' the treasure map offered.

  He made a quick decision. The project could be continued later. It was time for adventure. Time to go back to Vestrose Island. However, he didn't plan to ride his [Lightning Hoverbike] to go there. It would take days that way.

  He would use teleportation. He had a portal anchor set near Sapphire City after all. He could use his [Nine-Anchor Portal Ring] to teleport there.

  However, as usual, to reduce the cooldown of the ring, he would act near midnight. The ring reset itself at midnight. And the ring was one of the few escape trump cards that Jack possessed. He would feel less secure with it on cooldown.

  ...

  Time moved. Unstoppable. The sun dipped below the horizon, painting Lonestone City in hues of orange. Then, the sky turned darker. Stars and the twin moons were there on the cloudless night sky. Midnight approached.

  "Ready, Love?" Jack asked Reina. He stood in their bedroom. In his human form. Wearing a practical leather jacket over a dark, comfortable T-shirt.

  Reina, elegant even in leather-set mercenary outfit, nodded. "Always, Dear."

  Jack activated his [Nine-Anchor Portal Ring]. Choosing the first anchor point. The one he previously set on Vestrose Island. Specifically, near a secluded spring just outside Sapphire City.

  A shimmering distortion appeared before them. Jack grabbed Reina's hand and stepped into it. Rune, in her mechanical fairy form, followed immediately.

  The air around them twisted. Turning into a kaleidoscope of iridescent colors. Their comfortable room in Lonestone City vanished. The slight floral smell of their room was replaced by the sharp, salty tang of the ocean. And the damp scent of moss.

  They appeared near a secluded spring. Tucked away in a secluded location in a hilly place just outside Sapphire City.

  The moonlight filtered through the trees above. Casting long, skeletal shadows on the ground.

  Reina took a deep breath. Her eyes were scanning the perimeter. "We're in Vestrose indeed. It always smells like this."

  "We're not staying for the sightseeing." Jack said decisively. "No entry into the city tonight, Love."

  He reached into his system's inventory space and pulled out a huge chunk of metallic vessel. With a hiss of steam and a crackle of blue energy, the [Lightning Hoverbike] materialized.

  It was a dark, sleek, aggressive machine. Powered by rune-etched engine. It didn't have wheels. Instead it had hover-plates that hummed with a low-frequency vibration.

  Jack rode on it and patted the seat behind him. "Hop on, Love. We've got a long ride ahead."

  Reina climbed on. Wrapping her arms firmly around his waist. "Let's go, Dear."

  "We're hitting the map. Western Vestrose. First marker." Jack notified her.

  He kicked the engine over. Lightning sparks danced along the bike's frame. They shot upward and forward. A streak of light cutting through and then even above the dark woods.

  Jack ignored the main roads. Taking the bike over the rugged terrain. The hoverbike handled the uneven ground with ease. Gliding over jagged rocks and fallen logs as if they were paved asphalt.

  Rune flew alongside them. Easily coping up with the hoverbike's speed. Her body glowed a bright, navigational colors to light the way.