Reina's even breathing filled the Mirebarrow hotel room.
Jack watched her beautiful face for a moment. The soft glow of a gas-fueled streetlamp was filtered through the curtains. Painting her face in muted grays. She was deeply asleep. Finally a moment of peace for them both after the Mirebarrow incident.
Jack, however, could not rest. Not yet.
He slipped from the bed. His movements were silent as a whisper. A habit from his nights spent as a stealthy specter. The floorboards offered no creak under his light steps.
He crossed to the small, attached bathroom. Rune followed him, flittering just above his shoulder. Glowing golden in anticipation.
Jack looked at the mirror in the bathroom. It was a standard, slightly tarnished piece of glass. But it offered the reflective surface he needed.
With a focused thought, the [Mysterious Mirror World] was activated. A shimmering distortion warped the mirror surface. He pushed through it. Literally.
The Mirror Space unfolded around him. It was his hidden workshop. Silent, sterile, and safe. His personal sanctuary. Here, he could truly focus. Free from any external interference.
The system panel, dismissed earlier, now floated before him. Presenting the choices from his latest level-up.
[AVAILABLE NEW INCARNATION FORM] CHOOSE ONE:
[DEVIL INCARNATION: CUSTOM DEVIL PUPPET]
[DEMON INCARNATION: CUSTOM DEMON PUPPET]
[FIEND INCARNATION: CUSTOM FIEND PUPPET]
[MONSTER INCARNATION: CUSTOM MONSTER PUPPET]
Jack's gaze was direct, analytical. He immediately struck two options from consideration. "Not Fiend. Not Monster. Redundant." He mumbled.
His rakshasa form, Judge Jack, was already categorized as a fiend. A hulking, armored brute with extreme strength. And an incredible gluttonous power.
His kamaitachi form, Racer Jack, was already a monster. Specializing in speed, agility, and razor-sharp blades.
Both were well-covered. The destructive, chaotic aspects of those categories were already within his arsenal.
That left Devil and Demon. His past life research, combined with the mystic knowledge he'd accumulated in this world, provided a clear distinction.
Devils. They were manipulators, deceivers. Their power lay in pacts, in whispers that corrupted souls, in contracts that twisted fate. Their domain was the mind, the spirit, the insidious erosion of willpower. Within the infernal hierarchy, they represented order. Evil order mostly. With complex rules and intricate schemes.
Demons. They were raw, unbridled destruction. Anarchy given form. Physical mutation, brute force, elemental cataclysms. Their methods were blunt. Their goals were often simplistic... tear down, consume, obliterate. They thrived on chaos. Embodying primal rage and brutal power.
"I have enough blunt force." Jack murmured. His voice was echoing faintly in the Mirror Space.
Judge Jack handled brute force. Racer Jack handled speed-based havoc. Even human Jack Night, with his steamrune techs, could bring significant destructive power to bear.
"What I lack is subtle, systemic manipulation. Mental flexibility."
He considered the victims he'd sought vengeance for. Often, pure physical violence cannot solve the problem. Especially related to broken spirits, false promises, or mental manipulation. A Devil could probably dismantle such problems from different angles.
He remembered the recent modification ritual he did in Mirebarrow itself. Many times, the problem was about controlling the pieces. Not just smashing them.
"Devil, then." He decided. The choice was made. It felt right.
The panel shifted. The other options fading. A new prompt appeared...
[CUSTOMIZATION INTERFACE: DEVIL INCARNATION]
The Mirror Space around him transformed. It was now overlaid with a holographic interface. It felt like a game's character creation 3D screen. Vast and responsive to his thoughts.
A blank, doll-like base model, floated in the center. Roughly the size of a toddler.
"A puppet." He mused. "Appropriate."
He began to shape it. The base model yielded to his will. Expanding, shrinking, morphing. He decided on a small, contained form. Smaller even than his kamaitachi's form. A small doll-sized figure.
He planned to make it cool, mischievous, and cute. Not overtly intimidating... which was part of the point for a Devil. Deception.
For the head, he envisioned something iconic. Something that evoked a playful, yet unsettling, spirit. The one he created for the Tale Mansion competition once. A Jack o'Lantern.
He shaped the pumpkin's head, then carved features into its surface... two sharp, triangular eyes, a crooked nose, and a wide, mischievous grin.
From within the hollowed pumpkin head, he conjured an internal fiery glow. A pulsating, orange-red light that made the carved features flicker and dance. Giving it an eerie, living quality.
Next, the attire. A black wizard hat reinforced the magical, manipulative aspect. Conical and slightly askew. He gave it a wide brim and a pointed tip.
Around its neck, he fashioned a high-collared cape. Its fabric was dark, similar to the hat. Giving the small puppet an air of dramatic mystery.
He finalized the aesthetic. Satisfied with the blend of harmless yet mischievous appearance and underlying potential dread. This one was his version of Jack o'Lantern.
Then came the power class. A myriad of options scrolled before him...
Many were familiar, like Primal Sorcerer, Mystic Scholar, and Eldritch Warlock... But some were actually the ones he had never known before. Like... Soul Collector, Mirage Weaver, and Pact Binder...
There were actually many more. Just class names though. Without descriptions. Jack scanned them. His mind was sifting through possibilities. He kept reminding himself that direct combat power was not the goal. Subtlety was.
Then, his eye caught one class... Bizarre Puppeteer. A puppeteer? If he chose that, he would be a puppet that controls other puppets. The irony. The sheer, delightful irony.
"Bizarre Puppeteer." He articulated. "Yes. That sounds... fun." The interface confirmed the choice. The customization process concluded.
He had spent a considerable amount of time. Meticulously crafting every detail. Limbs, fingers, joints, weight, balance... Ensuring this new form would be both effective and aesthetically suited to his new incarnation. Ensuring that even in a tiny puppet body, he could still move conveniently
A final prompt appeared...
[CUSTOMIZATION COMPLETE. ACTIVATE NEW INCARNATION?]
"Activate!" Jack commanded.
Jack's [Incarnation Shift] ability was activated immediately. His human body dissolved into shimmering motes of light.
In an instant, the light gathered, coalesced, and reformed. Not into his previous human form. But into the small, newly created puppet.
The transformation was now very close to instantaneous. Much faster than before. The [Incarnation Shift] could now be useful even during combat. Jack thought gleefully.
The sudden shift in perspective and sensation didn't bother him too much. He was already used to it.
Jack looked at his current body. He was now a small puppet. His new body was light. Made of what felt like carved wood and tough fabric. Able to be animated by his willpower.
He looked at the mirror. The fiery glow of his pumpkin head cast a warm, flickering light internally. He felt... different. Less ethereal than his ghost form. Less solid than his other incarnations. And yet, he was undeniably present.
He activated his [Eyes of Judgement]. The system panel reappeared before him. This time, it was displaying his own current status in this new incarnation.
[CHARACTER STATUS]
[Name: Jack Night]
[Incarnation Type: Devil]
[Persona: Jack Lantern]
[Race: Devil Puppet]
[Class: Bizarre Puppeteer]
[Archetype: Infernal Entity]
[Power Source: Spirit of Judgement]
[Attributes: Physique (40) Mysticism (99) Passion (96) Essence (99)]
[Karma: Positive]
[System Sight Mode: Eyes of Judgement]
[Supernatural Abilities: Mysterious Anomaly; Mysterious Mirror World; Incarnation Shift; Shapeshift (Voldyanoi); Djinn's Wish Manifestation]
[Passive Traits: Mythical Existence; Mythical Adaptation; Dominator Physique]
[Characteristics: Mythical Existence - Paralysis Immunity, Illusion Immunity]
[Characteristics: Mythical Adaptation - Cold Immunity; Pressure Immunity; Shock Immunity; Bleeding Immunity; Imbalance Immunity; Madness Immunity; Poison Immunity; Lightning Immunity; Heat Immunity; Hyper Regeneration; Aphrodisiac Immunity; Fear Immunity]
[Characteristics: Dominator Physique - Dominating Aura; Inexhaustible Stamina; Mystical Metabolism; Rapid Energy Absorption; Enhanced Libido; Subjugating Intercourse]
[Status Effect: Soul Puppet]
[Personal Artifacts: Devil Hat; Devil Cape; Nine-Anchor Portal Ring; Chains of Vengeance; Lightning Hoverbike; Fairy Companion; Artifact Seeds x5; Rainsister Crystal Coins x6]
[Bizzare Puppets: -]
Jack began to analyze the panel. He read through the detailed descriptions the system provided. He needed to know exactly how this new incarnation worked.
[Incarnation Type: Devil. The infernal architects of evil order. They are deceivers whose power lay in pacts, twisted rules, and law manipulation. Their domain lies on the mind games and mental tricks. They thrive well in environment suitable for complex rules and intricate schemes.]
"Confirmed." Jack acknowledged it. His voice was very different from his other incarnations. It vibrated in a strange, nasal manner. "It was exactly like what he assumed a devil would be."
Next would be...
[Persona: Jack Lantern]
"It's been decided already. Not bad. It evokes an image of mischief. But also a guiding light in the dark."
Jack knew the power of a good persona. Jack Mystery was enigma. Judge Jack was pure brute power of judgement. Jack Night was the link he tied to his past. Racer Jack was fleeting, unavoidable speed. Jack Lantern would be the mischievous leader who guide his puppet army.
He looked at Rune, floating nearby. She had also changed. She was no longer a mechanical fairy now. She transformed into a tiny floating oil lamp. A thumb sized lantern. Fitting to this persona.
[Race: Devil Puppet. A construct of infernal origin. Unlike biological beings, it has no internal organs, no blood, and no need for breath. Its 'life' is fueled by the infernal, eternal flame within. It can be damaged but it is immune to all lingering physical, mental, and spiritual affliction. Elder wood, sulfur, and bone dust are required to fix any damaged parts of its body.]
"Interesting." Jack assessed the race. "It seems that I need to stockpile those things. Elder wood, sulfur, and bone dust. Just in case."
Next on the list was...
[Class: Bizarre Puppeteer. A craft artist who creates and commands bizarre puppets. He designs and creates bizarre puppets out of bones, wood, leather, cotton, sulfur, gemstones, and monster cores. Each created puppet gains basic sentience and random unique quirks; is able to shrink and be stored in puppet pearl; and evolves following its own personal requirements.]
Jack's triangular eyes on his pumpkin head widened. What the hell of thing was this bizarre puppet? Sentient? Quirky? Storable in a ball? Evolvable? Is this a puppet or a... pokémon?