Jacob looked at the restless, glistening, pulsating cocoon. It emits an eerie bioluminescence. Inside, something tiny writhes, its form shifting and growing as it seems to devour the energy stored within the cocoon.
Suddenly, a tremor runs through the cocoon. More cracks begin to spiderweb across its surface, glowing brighter with each pulse. With a final surge of energy, the cocoon explodes outwards in a shower of shimmering shards.
Autarch appeared in its place. It retains the basic centipede form but is now only nine centimeters long, and its body is as thin as fine black hair. Its exoskeleton is sleek, obsidian black, polished to a mirror sheen.
Along its back run glowing red lines, pulsing with a faint light that seems to emanate from within. Each segment of its body is tipped with a razor-sharp claw, glinting ominously.
Autarch's head had also completely transformed. Now, it was a segmented carapace with six glowing red eyes that could focus independently, allowing Autarch a wide field of view. Two long, whip-like antennae twitched in the air, picking up on every sound and scent.
Autarch stands tall on its numerous legs, its entire form radiating an aura of power and menace. Despite its insectoid features, there's something vaguely humanoid in its posture and stance, hinting at the vast intelligence that resides within.
Jacob was astounded when he saw Autarch's completely changed form. He hadn't expected that the change would be so big in unique rank evolution. Furthermore, Autarch didn't have eyes before, but now it had six of them, and they were exempt from any emotions and completely icy cold.
"Thank you for looking after me, Sir!" Autarch impassively showed its gratitude with its eerie, stoic voice by using the mental connection with Jacob.
Jacob smiled slightly, as despite Autarch's huge change in appearance, it remained the same: cold and emotionless.
"It is what I should do for your excellent services, and I hope you continue to perform well in the future. Now, tell me about your gains this time?" Jacob asked in anticipation.
He was looking forward to what Autarch was capable of now. After all, Immoritka had once said that a brain hunter had once turned an entire nation into its puppets. He thought that this kind of ability would only appear at a unique rank, so he was looking forward to it.
Autarch revealed without hesitation, "My Brain Analysis, Puppet Possession, and Brain Devourer have been enhanced ten times, and I should be able to possess someone at the unique rank within a minute. Furthermore, the side effects of the brain devourer that rot the body have been reduced by ten percent.
"The Undead Control can now refine 100 Dark Beings into Undead Puppets. But I still won't be able to get their memories. The control's range has increased up to 500 miles!
"My Puppet Poison Magic can now be used remotely by spreading an invisible poisonous mist in the air. I don't need to inject the puppet poison directly through my bits to create a Magic Puppet.
"The Magic Puppets can't leave a 500-mile radius perimeter, or they will become free from my puppet poison magic in twelve hours or if they become a full rank more powerful than me. Now I can also have 1000 Magic Puppets!
"But the puppet poison still can only remain in the air for five minutes before it will lose its potency and effect.
"Lastly, I have also awakened a new ability called the Living Marionette that complements my puppet poison magic and grants me an aspect of Enhanced Puppet Mastery.
"With it, I can use puppet poison magic to cast an innate spell called the Marionette Dispersal. This spell will release around 1 million Marionette Micros in the air, and anyone who breathes these Marionette Micros will be vulnerable to Living Marionette.
"Using these Marionette Micros, I can not only read their minds, but I can affect and manipulate their thoughts and cognitive abilities of a living being without killing them. This creates a Living Marionette. Living Marionettes retain their own consciousness and abilities while they are vulnerable to my manipulation.
"But there is a drawback that the Living Marionettes may resist control, especially if the intentions are harmful. The chances of altering their thoughts and manipulating them into doing what I want can also be greatly reduced if they have strong wills. The mind reading has the same drawbacks.
"Lastly, a Living Marionette can completely escape my control once they leave a 500-mile radius area from me, in this case the Marionette Micro in them will be destroyed. But they will not be able to find anything wrong with them. Living Marionette is also useless on the Dark Beings for now." Autarch was done explaining at this moment.
Jacob's eyes shimmered with astonishment, 'This Living Marionette didn't appear as powerful as Autarch's other abilities, but in truth, they are far more terrifying than all the abilities he has. If he can manipulate the thoughts of millions and influence their actions, the effect would be terrifying.
'It's like dancing in someone else's palms without even knowing anything. No wonder the fantastic insects all have ridiculous retrains. But I can use these abilities to my advantage.'
Jacob's lips curled up in a dark smile as he waved his hand. The Orange Sturgeon he was keeping in his pendant appeared again. He was still the same despite the seven years that had passed; time seemed to have stopped for him.
"Here is your first task after your advancement. I want you to possess him and then teach me the ocean races' language and give me all the information about the ocean races.
"Then you have to infuriate their city not too far away from this place and take over it. I'm in the middle of an extremely important experiment so that I might need some living subjects in the future. I want you to help me with it if the need arises.
"Even if I don't encounter the need, I want you to gather more information about them while also using them to increase your rank up to the peak of the unique rank. Our enemies are not just at the unique rank.
"We still do not know if you can possess someone in the three steps of legend rank or influence their thoughts, so this is also a test to get familiar with the full extent of your abilities."
Autarch slightly shook its menacing head, "I understand."
The next moment, Autarch moved with such speed that even Jacob could only see a faint dark crimson streak. Autarch was simply too thin to be noticed. Furthermore, the deep ocean didn't seem to have any effect on Autarch either.
Within a minute, the unconscious Orange Sturgeon opened its eyes, which were now completely icy cold and mirroring Autarch's emotionless eyes!