Unexpectedly, the forgotten warrior stuffed the crystal into his mouth and began to chew it vigorously!
"Is it... committing suicide?" Dale was momentarily bewildered by the seemingly foolish act.
"He’s trying to make the core explode!" Ron immediately understood the warrior’s intention.
The crystal shattered in the forgotten warrior’s mouth, and purple energy dispersed into the air like smoke.
The next moment, the forgotten warrior’s body began to swell dramatically, with countless cracks appearing on the surface of his skin, from which purple light shone through.
"Run!"
Ron grabbed Dale, swiftly pulling away while constructing the sturdiest Flowing Shield Wall.
Boom!
The forgotten warrior’s body exploded in an instant, transforming into a purple-black energy cloud that spread in all directions.
The Flowing Shield Wall blocked most of the impact, but some energy penetrated the defense, forming a strange blood mist in the air.
Just as Ron was about to check on the Little Sea Siren in his arms, a peculiar movement caught his attention.
The Stand-In Puppet at his waist seemed to have developed its own reaction, emitting a faint suction.
The next moment, the purple-black blood mist was rapidly drawn into the puppet, as if it were conscious.
"What’s this...?" Ron immediately sensed the anomaly.
The Stand-In Puppet hung quietly at his waist, but its surface had already undergone a subtle transformation.
A layer of faint purple lines appeared on the originally smooth surface, sprawling over the entire puppet like veins.
At the same time, the puppet seemed to be slowly absorbing the energy from the blood mist, with its faint energy indicator slightly brightening.
Ron immediately checked the status of the Stand-In Puppet:
[Actively absorbed active Abyssal Material, charging progress +1%]
[Current energy: 3%/100%]
"It... absorbed the Abyssal energy and autonomously charged?"
Previously, the demonic puppet also reacted and completed charging during experiments with the live tissues of the scorpion and snake demon.
But this behavior of autonomously absorbing energy during battle to complete charging did indeed surprise him a bit.
He gently inserted a trace of Spiritual Power, trying to awaken the Stand-In Puppet.
The puppet reacted instantly, but this time its transformation speed and smoothness surpassed those of the past.
Moreover, its shape changes were more diverse.
The previously fused traits of the snake demon and scorpion seemed to have been enhanced somehow.
"The energy of the Abyssal creatures seems to have strengthened its ability to metamorphose..." Ron mused.
If the Stand-In Puppet could autonomously absorb and integrate the traits of Abyssal creatures, then perhaps it could reach its charging goal more quickly.
He carefully put away the Stand-In Puppet, feeling more hopeful about the journey ahead.
"Master, are you okay?" Dale asked with concern.
"I’m fine," Ron replied, snapping out of his earlier surprise:
"But we need to be more cautious. The monsters here are clearly different from regular Abyssal creatures, their self-destructive behavior... is very unusual."
The Little Sea Siren nodded firmly: "Don’t worry, Master, I will be more careful."
Ron carefully observed the surroundings, looking for possible clues or targets.
On this distorted battlefield, there must be a core somewhere.
Finding it and completing the trial is the purpose of this journey.
But for now, understanding the rules of this environment is more urgent to better handle the challenges ahead.
......
Meanwhile, Trish had also been teleported to another area of the Bloodline Altar.
After a dizzying whirl, the brown-haired girl found herself in a strange swampy area.
Unlike the battlefield where Ron was, the ground here was covered with a thick dark green liquid, emitting a pungent stench.
The sky appeared a sickly yellow-green, with bizarre flying creatures occasionally swooping by, emitting screeching cries.
"Abyssal curse..."
Trish immediately felt the suffocating pressure, as if her muscles and bones were being slowly twisted by some force.
But as Corina’s student, she had long undergone special training to resist the influence of the Abyss.
"Isolation Barrier!"
A pale green Energy Barrier spread from her body, forming a translucent protective shield that temporarily resisted the erosion of the Abyssal curse.
Trish looked around and found a slightly luminous stone monument not far from the center of the swamp, with complex rune patterns carved on it.
"That stone monument might be related to whether I can reach the core area."
The key to the passage to the core altar might be within it.
But the problem was, between her location and the monument was a vast, bottomless swamp, stepping in rashly was tantamount to suicide.
She took a small bottle from her waist and drank the liquid inside.
This was an adaptation potion specially prepared for her by Master Corina, allowing her to move freely in such environments temporarily.
The effect of the potion was almost immediate.
A faint green glow appeared on the surface of her skin, and the flow of blood in her body became more rapid and forceful.
"I hope this is enough to reach the monument."
Trish cautiously stepped onto the swamp surface, letting her toes gently touch the viscous green liquid.
Surprisingly, under the effect of the potion, her body became exceptionally light, almost able to float on the swamp surface instead of sinking into it.
"Master’s potion... truly lives up to the Crystal Tower’s technology."
She continued to advance cautiously, staying vigilant.
This "miracle" wouldn’t last long, and she needed to reach the target quickly.