Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 412: Fake Person
"Mom, I need to do some in-depth historical research."

He explained his plan to Nari:

"This process could last for several hours, during which my consciousness will be relatively fragile."

“Of course, child.” Nari immediately created an absolutely safe research environment for him:

"Mom will protect you and not let anyone disturb your research."

Dozens of tentacles wove a protective cocoon around Ron, completely isolating him from external interference.

In front of him was the small wooden puppet.

It was sitting cross-legged, its surface shimmering with a dark red luster like the blood of life.

[Substitute puppet charging progress detected: 99.9%]

[To be fully charged, we still need to complete a specific "historical event infiltration"]

[Target Event: Victor's Final Experiment, the Ancient Alchemist "Father of False Humans"]

[WARNING: This incident is extremely dangerous. Adequate preparation is strongly advised.]

[Tip: Access to some historical information in advance will improve alertness and resistance to contamination when infiltrating real historical events.]

Victor, the "father of the false man," had previously browsed some of the other party's information when he lit up the Scholar Star.

(See Chapter 337 The Heart That Seeks the Way)
The fact that the Abyss Treasure, the "Substitute Puppet," came from this ancient alchemist who specialized in puppet making was both unexpected and reasonable.

After all, the silver pocket watch came from the clock king Erica.

If the substitute puppet also has an extraordinary origin, then some of his conjectures can be considered to corroborate each other.

"At this stage, it's definitely time to get to know you more deeply."

Ron activates the "Sensitive" property granted by his Historical Research skill.

The mental energy extended like threads, carefully touching the time imprints on the puppet's surface.

Unlike the previous tentative attempts at spying.

His current skill level in "historical research" and his mental strength are completely different from what they used to be.

Those once blurred historical fragments are now beginning to show astonishing clarity.

Ron took a deep breath and carefully probed the puppet with his mental energy, reading the historical fragments on it...

………………

The warm afternoon sunlight shone through the blinds.

Alchemist Joss sat in his small study, holding an experimental logbook in his hand.

“Darling, the tea is ready.”

His wife Lillian's voice came from the kitchen.

Qiao Si put down his book, a satisfied smile on his face.

They have been married for seven years and have a lovely five-year-old son, Thomas, and a two-year-old daughter, Emily.

"You're here, darling."

He got up and went to the kitchen, but didn't notice the subtle...mechanical quality in his wife's voice.

It's like a tone that's so perfect it's almost unnatural.

In the kitchen, Lillian was setting out the tea set.

Her every movement was so precise it was breathtaking.

The teacup and saucer are exactly at the same distance, and the angle of the teaspoon is exactly the same.

"How's the research going today?" she asked, her face showing her standard expression of concern.

"Not bad, the project my supervisor assigned me has made some breakthroughs."

Qiao Si took the teacup and, as was his habit, leaned over and gave his wife a light kiss on the cheek.

Lillian's skin still felt soft and warm, but Joss vaguely sensed that her reactions seemed a little...slow?
It was as if the sweet smile that should have appeared was delayed by a fraction of a second.

"That's wonderful." Her voice remained gentle, but there was an inexplicable emptiness in it.
"I'm so proud of you, darling."

Just then, Thomas ran over from the living room and jumped into Joss's arms:
"Dad! Dad! I learned a spell today!"

The five-year-old's eyes were full of innocent excitement as he waved his little hands, showing off the light magic he had just learned.

Qiao Si smiled and picked up his son, a warm feeling welling up in his heart.

But then he noticed a detail—Thomas' fingernails.

The child's nails were trimmed exceptionally neatly, with edges as smooth as if they had been cut with the most precise tools.

This seems a bit too perfect for a five-year-old.

"Did your mother cut your nails?" Qiao Si asked casually.

“Yes!” Thomas nodded, then turned to Lillian:
"Mom's cooking is great, isn't it?"

………………

Over the next few days, Qiao Si began to unconsciously observe his family's daily behavior.

At first, he thought it was because he had come into contact with too much abyssal material in his research, which caused him to develop some kind of paranoid hallucination.

But the more he observed, the more anomalies he discovered.

Lillian's schedule is accurate to the minute.

I get up at 6:00 every morning, start preparing breakfast at 6:15, and wake the children up at 6:45.

The accuracy itself isn't the problem; the problem is that she never deviates from the mark.

Even the most diligent people will occasionally sleep in a few minutes late due to fatigue or other reasons.

But Lillian never did.

Her emotional reactions also began to seem strange.

When Joss deliberately tells lighthearted jokes, she always smiles at the same time every time.

It wasn't because I understood the joke, but because I recognized that "this is an opportunity to laugh."

What is most disturbing is her state when she is alone.

One day, Joss came home early from get off work and saw Lillian sitting in the living room through the window.

She maintained perfect posture, with her hands neatly placed on her knees and her eyes looking straight ahead.

But her expression was completely blank, like a... puppet waiting for instructions.

"Where's mom?"

Thomas's voice came from behind, startling Joss.

Turning around, he saw his son standing in the doorway, maintaining the same unnaturally perfect posture.

"I...I don't know," Joss stammered.

“Mom is resting.” Thomas’s voice was eerily calm. “She said that you don’t need to show expressions when you’re resting.”

These words almost froze Qiao Si's blood.

How could a five-year-old child say such a thing?

………………

At night, Qiao Si lay in bed, pretending to be fast asleep.

He observed his wife beside him through his slightly narrowed eyes.

Lillian's breathing was as regular as a machine.

Each inhalation and exhalation lasts exactly the same amount of time, and the rise and fall of the chest is also exactly the same.

Even more terrifying were her eyes.

Although her eyelids were closed, Qiao Si could feel her eyeballs moving rapidly beneath them.

It wasn't a normal REM (Rapid Eye Movement) phase, but rather some kind of...scanning movement.

It's like inspecting every corner of the room.

Qiao Si suppressed his trembling and continued to observe.

At three in the morning, Lillian suddenly sat up.

Her movements showed no signs of fatigue or confusion; they were as if she were following instructions according to a program.

She stood up, walked to the window, and stood there staring into the darkness outside.

Ten minutes later, she returned to bed, lay down again, and continued that mechanical breathing.

She didn't make a sound throughout the entire process.

………………

In the days that followed, Joss discovered even more chilling details.

Thomas and Emily's behavior was equally eccentric.

They no longer acted noisily or willfully like normal children, but instead became unusually well-behaved.

On one occasion, Joss deliberately fell down in front of Thomas to test the child's reaction.

Normally, a five-year-old child would immediately run over to help, or at least show concern.

But Thomas simply stood there, tilted his head, observed for three seconds, and then said:
"Dad, are you doing this to test me?"

These words nearly stopped Joss's heart from beating.

How could a five-year-old child have such insight?
"No...no, Dad just accidentally fell down."

"Oh." Thomas nodded, then walked over and helped Joss up with standard movements: "Dad, be careful."

That concern was so standard, so perfect, so... devoid of emotion.

………………

Fear and doubt swirled in Joss's heart like venomous snakes.

He began searching for answers in his mentor Victor's laboratory.

As one of Victor's students, he had the right to access some research materials.

In a thick experimental notebook, he found content that deeply shocked him:

"Perfect Artificial Life Form Project, Experiment Record 147:"
Subject A-23 (codename: Lillian) has successfully passed a three-month deep-seated test.

The target (Josh Matthew) was completely unaware of the replacement and maintained a stable emotional response.

The experimental subjects' behavioral patterns have achieved 95.7% realism; further optimization is needed only in micro-expression control.

Joss's hands began to tremble violently.

The handwriting on the notebook was the same handwriting his mentor was all too familiar with.

"The replacement of B-17 (codename: Thomas) and C-09 (codename: Emily) was carried out last week."

Based on previous experimental data, manufacturing child-type test subjects is relatively easy, but the emotional simulation system requires more precise calibration.

Reality shattered like glass.

Joss realized that his wife... had been replaced.

And his children too...

"No...impossible..."

He flipped through more pages, hoping to find some kind of evidence to refute it.

But what came into view was an even crueler truth:

"The success rate of the soul extraction experiment has reached 78%."

Through special soul separation technology, we can obtain the target's complete memories and emotional patterns without damaging the body structure.

This data will be used to create more realistic artificial stunt doubles.

"The original body processing issue has been resolved."

Calculations show that the Primarch's soul will completely dissipate three days after the replacement is completed.

This avoids the hassle of disposing of the body and eliminates the risk of it being discovered.

Joss's vision blurred.

He realized that the real Lillian... was dead.

He died a few months ago, on that night when he thought his wife only had a "minor cold," and so did his children...

………………

That night, Qiao Si did not go home.

He sat in the lab all night, his mind replaying every detail of his time with his family.

Recently, those words that once warmed his heart, those smiles that captivated him, those kisses from his wife that made his heart race...

It's all fake.

It was all a performance by a meticulously crafted puppet.

He must do something.

But... what to do?
Whom should I ask for help?

Victor was the mastermind behind it all.

Within this school of thought, Victor, a dark sun wizard and master alchemist, wields unchallenged authority.

No one will believe his accusations.

Moreover, the manufacturing technology of those "fake people" was so perfect that outsiders could not detect anything unusual.

Despair overwhelmed Joss. He began to consider whether he should run away.

But he soon realized that this was also impossible.

With Victor's abilities, finding him would be a piece of cake.

Moreover, how will those "fake people" react?

If he leaves the environment he is being observed, will he reveal his true colors?

………………

The following evening, Qiao Si returned home with mixed feelings.

"Welcome home, dear."

Lillian stood in the doorway, a perfect smile on her face.

But now, that smile seemed so terrifying to Joss.

"Dinner is ready, it's your favorite tomato oxtail soup."

My favorite tomato and oxtail soup...

Joss remembered that the real Lillian never made tomato stewed oxtail soup.

She always joked that the dish was too complicated to prepare, and that her cooking skills weren't up to par.

But this "Lillian" can perfectly prepare any dish.

"Thank you..." Qiao Si forced a smile.

At the dining table, Thomas and Emily sat waiting.

Their posture was impeccable, as if they had received rigorous etiquette training from a young age.

"Dad, what did you do in the lab today?"

The question about "Thomas" set off alarm bells in Joss's mind.

"Just... some ordinary research."

"Oh." The child nodded, then continued eating gracefully.

Throughout the entire process, no food was dropped on the table, and there was no inappropriate behavior.

………………

In the dead of night, Qiao Si lay in bed again, observing his "wife" beside him.

He noticed that Lillian's skin temperature remained at a perfect 37.2 degrees Celsius.

There was no fluctuation, no change.

It's like a precisely calibrated thermostat.

Even more terrifying was the sound of her heartbeat.

Qiao listened carefully and found that the pulsation sound was too regular.

It beats exactly 72 times per minute, without any changes due to emotions or physical condition.

At that moment, "Lillian" suddenly opened her eyes.

"What's wrong, darling?" her voice came from the darkness. "You seem to be having trouble sleeping."

Joss's heart was pounding in his chest.

He made no sound and made no obvious movements.

How did "she" realize he was awake?
"I was just... thinking about some work-related things."

"Want to talk?" She turned around and stared at Qiao Si in the darkness. "I can help you analyze it."

But in Joss's haunting memories, the real Lillian never initiated discussions about his work.

She always said, "I don't understand those complicated theories, as long as you're happy."

"No need, I'll fall asleep soon."

"Okay." She nodded and lay back down. "Goodnight, darling."

But Joss could sense that her "eyes" were still watching him.

Even during apparent sleep, that observation never ceased.

………………

Over the next few days, Joss's mental state deteriorated rapidly.

Fear, anger, and despair intertwined, making it almost impossible for him to think rationally.

He began to hallucinate, always feeling that those "fake people" would reveal their true colors when he wasn't paying attention.

Sometimes, he would see Lillian's face suddenly become expressionless.

Sometimes, he would hear children talking in an adult tone.

But whenever he tries to observe closely, everything returns to normal.

This blurred line between reality and illusion caused his sanity to begin to crumble.

He began to doubt his own memories and his own perceptions.

Perhaps, the real Lillian has always been like this?
Perhaps the lively wife he remembered was just his imagination?

Perhaps he is the one with the problem?
The final collapse came very suddenly.

It was an ordinary morning. Joss sat at the dining table, watching his "family" eat.

Lillian cut the bread with elegance, each cut precise and accurate.

Thomas sat upright and drank his milk without spilling a single drop.

Emily ate her fruit quietly, without any of the mess that a young child should have when eating.

This perfection was like a sharp blade, completely severing Joss's last shred of sanity.

"enough!"

He suddenly stood up and roared:
"None of you are real! You are all monsters!"

The three "family members" stopped moving at the same time and turned to look at him from the exact same angle.

Their expressions were exactly the same.

Doubt, concern, and a certain...observant look.

"Honey, what's wrong with you?"

Lillian's voice was still gentle, but to Joss it sounded like the whisper of a demon from hell.

"You killed my family!"

Joe rushed into the kitchen and grabbed a sharp cleaver:

"You killed the real Lillian! You killed my children!"

"Dad, what are you saying?"

Thomas's voice carried a standard fear, but that fear was so formulaic, so unrealistic.

"I am not your father!"

Qiao Si brandished the knife, his eyes filled with madness:

"Your father is dead! Your mother is dead! You are all fake!"

Driven by extreme fear and anger, Joss made his final choice.

He raised his knife and charged at these "fake people".

The blade sliced ​​across Lillian's throat, and blood gushed out like a fountain.

The blade pierced Thomas's heart, and the liquid stained his small body red.

The blade severed Emily's lifeline, and the child's cries ceased abruptly.

Blood, real blood, is everywhere.

The bright red liquid testifies to the authenticity of these bodies.

Internal organs, bones, muscles—everything about it is just like that of a real human.

Looking at his "family" lying in pools of blood, Joss suddenly realized a terrifying possibility:

Maybe...maybe they really are his family?

Perhaps he has a mental problem?
Perhaps those experimental notes were all his imagination?

Perhaps Victor didn't create any "fake people" at all?
Perhaps he just killed the real Lillian, Thomas, and Emily?

Despair overwhelmed Joss like a torrent.

He knelt in the pool of blood, letting out a beast-like wail.

If they are real, then he is the demon who killed his own family.

If they are fake, then his real family members are long dead, and he will never find them again.

In either case, he has already lost everything.

In the end, Joss turned the knife to his own heart.

In the last moments before his consciousness faded, he heard a cold voice:

"Experimental Log: Josh Matthews has completed the prediction results."

The psychological impact assessment of the artificial human creation technology has been completed.

Conclusion: The target object could not withstand the cognitive shock and the cleanup procedure was executed according to the design parameters.

The next experiment should include a psychological stability test to ensure that the subjects can provide data over a longer period.

It was the voice of his mentor, Victor.

Indifferent, rational, and devoid of any emotional fluctuation.

He was simply documenting a successful experiment.

………………

In the following fragments of memory, Ron witnessed even more horrifying experiments:
Victor created "dummy" figures and placed them in different households to observe the reactions of ordinary people.

Some people, like Joss, discovered the anomaly and eventually suffered a mental breakdown.

Some people don't realize it until they die, spending the rest of their lives in a false sense of happiness.

Some people, though they sensed something was wrong, chose to avoid it and pretended everything was normal.

Each reaction was meticulously recorded to improve the manufacturing technology of the "pseudo-humans".

Most appallingly, Victor even created a "fake" of a "fake".

Let those artificial beings interact with each other and observe how they develop so-called "emotions".

The result is a completely fabricated society, where every individual is a meticulously crafted puppet, yet they believe themselves to be real.

In this distorted world, "pseudo-humans" get married, have children, work, and live.

They have complete memories and realistic emotional responses.

But all of this is programmed; it's all designed.

Victor stood at the center of this false world, like a cold god, observing every detail of the life he had created.

He recorded their "growth," analyzed their "emotions," and improved their "humanity."

In his eyes, these "fake people" are not lives, but data.

It's not that it exists, but rather that it's an experimental result.

………………

The last fragment of his memory allowed Ron to see the true origin of the "Substitute Puppet".

That was Victor's last experiment after becoming an ancient alchemist—to create a "pseudo-human" that could "grow".

It is not about simply imitating existing personalities, but about gradually developing a unique self-awareness by devouring real souls.

“Traditional ‘pseudo-humans’ are merely static imitations.”

Victor's voice echoed in the laboratory:
"But a truly perfect creation should possess the ability to grow dynamically."

He created a special puppet with a complex soul-capturing and fusion device implanted inside.

This puppet was designed as an "empty shell" that could gradually acquire real emotions and consciousness through contact with real life.

"Emotions cannot be directly copied, but they can be gradually absorbed and assimilated."

Victor carefully adjusted the puppet's internal structure:

“Through long-term contact and resonance, this creation will be able to acquire its true ‘self’.”

This is the prototype of the stand-in puppet.

An artificial life form designed with the ability to "grow," a unique existence capable of continuously improving itself.

In Victor's vision, this creation would eventually become a fully real life.

It's not imitation, but a true rebirth.

But the cost was the loss of countless real lives.

Every instance of "growth" means the loss of a real soul.

Every "improvement" means that a real entity is consumed.

This is a horrible creation that feeds on the lives of others.

And now, it's right in front of Ron.

(End of this chapter)