The black giant’s punch was as powerful as a mountain, and ordinary defense seemed like paper against such force.
Fortunately, Ron’s Flowing Shield Wall was not a common defensive technique.
Under the impact of the giant’s punch, it formed a special buffer structure, dispersing most of the shock around.
Even so, Ron felt a sharp pain in his chest, his whole body uncontrollably flying back several meters, nearly crashing into a stone pillar.
However, this level of attack, though strong, was still within his expectations.
"Master!"
Dale exclaimed in panic, water elements rapidly condensing at her fingertips, preparing to strike.
Her large violet-blue eyes were filled with worry and anger, her small body trembling slightly due to the imminent release of power.
"Don’t worry, Dale."
Ron’s voice was surprisingly calm, his fingers stroking the Stand-In Puppet at his waist, "I still have my secret weapon to use."
"It’s time to test your strength."
A portion of consciousness was slowly infused into the Stand-In Puppet.
With a massive influx of Magic Power, the inconspicuous little puppet immediately reacted.
It quickly expanded, its size growing to that roughly equal to a human within seconds.
Ron could feel part of his consciousness diverging into the puppet, forming a unique dual perception.
He could sense his own condition while also perceiving the surrounding environment through the puppet.
The black giant seemed to sense some kind of threat, its previously calm demeanor becoming wary, its dark blue eyes fixed intensely on the transforming puppet.
Under Ron’s mental control, the puppet’s exterior began to change.
Smooth surfaces revealed countless tiny scales, shimmering with a metallic sheen like snakeskin, integrating the Snake Demon traits;
Its limbs grew robust and powerful, with clear muscular contours, showcasing the strength of the Scorpion;
A tail, full of power, grew from its back, the tip’s stinger radiating a faint purple glow.
Ron could sense the innate memories of both the Snake Demon and Scorpion circulating in the puppet’s "consciousness."
All those combat techniques and bodily control experiences became resources he could call upon.
But the puppet itself lacked independent will, merely acting as a highly sophisticated tool, completely under Ron’s mental command.
"Dale, step back."
Ron instructed, simultaneously using the Spiritual Link to maneuver the Stand-In Puppet into a combat stance.
The black giant hesitated not at all, raising its hand with a powerful straight punch aimed directly at the puppet’s head.
The punch was swift, the air was split, creating a piercing whooshing sound.
Ron didn’t instruct the puppet to dodge, but directed it to raise an arm to meet the giant’s fist head-on.
This choice stemmed from his precise calculation of the puppet’s capabilities.
From previous experiments, he had confirmed the puppet’s special capacity to absorb Abyssal Material.
"Boom!"
The collision of forces produced a deafening, dull sound.
A shockwave spread from both centers, lifting loose stones from the ground several inches.
To Dale’s astonishment, the Stand-In Puppet not only didn’t get knocked back by the massive force but the black giant’s fist emitted a sizzling noise.
At the moment of contact, the giant’s fist seemed to hit some extremely unstable substance.
After a strange ripple appeared, it began to crumble as though being corroded.
Black material flaked from the giant’s fist, dripping like ink.
Yet these materials didn’t scatter onto the ground, instead being directly absorbed by the puppet’s skin.
"Just as I anticipated!"
Excitement flashed in Ron’s eyes.
This ability to absorb Abyssal Energy was indeed one of the most valuable traits of the Stand-In Puppet, and the effect was far more significant than he imagined.
At the same time, through the link with the puppet, he felt a peculiar energy flow.
The absorbed Abyssal Energy didn’t entirely assimilate into the puppet but underwent some special filtering, retaining only the useful parts.
This process was so similar to what he once envisioned in the "Melting Furnace Concept!"
The black giant seemed to realize the crisis, instantly withdrawing its damaged right hand, while its left turned into a sharp blade to sweep toward the puppet’s waist.
Ron, through the Spiritual Link, commanded the puppet to dodge.
The puppet’s movements had the incredible flexibility of the Snake Demon and fused with the explosive power of the Scorpion, easily evading the sweep.
While dodging, it used the scorpion’s tail to suddenly thrust forward, aimed straight at the giant’s chest.
The stinger pierced the black giant’s chest and immediately triggered a series of energy reactions.
The black giant’s body rippled like a lake struck by a massive rock.
Those originally stable black materials began to wobble and separate irregularly.
"Keep attacking!"
With a thought, Ron commanded the Stand-In Puppet to launch a fierce, relentless assault.
Under Ron’s control, the puppet demonstrated astonishing combat skills:
Right fist aimed straight at the giant’s soft ribs, left leg sweeping a trip, scorpion tail shadowing the movements to target vulnerabilities.
```
Each attack is incredibly precise, without any waste, perfectly combining the Snake Demon’s precision strike and the Scorpion’s ferocious power.
What satisfies Ron most is that whenever the puppet comes into contact with the black giant, a portion of black energy is absorbed.
As a result, the giant continuously weakens, while the puppet grows stronger.
"Boom!"
Another heavy punch, the puppet’s right fist slammed into the black giant’s abdomen like a cannonball, causing a dull thud.
The black giant staggered backward, a huge void appeared between its chest and abdomen, black energy constantly spilling from the wound.
Ron unhesitatingly manipulated the puppet to follow up.
The left leg swept out horizontally, precisely kicking the black giant’s knee.
"Crack!"
Although the body is composed of energy, it emitted a sound similar to bones fracturing.
The black giant’s right leg bent at an incredible angle, the entire body lost balance, leaning to one side.
Catching this moment, he used a spiritual link to control the puppet with both hands.
——like a lion tearing apart prey, fiercely grabbing the sides of the black giant’s head.
The claws directly sank into the black giant’s head, then fiercely pulled outward...
"Crack... Boom!"
The black giant’s head exploded like fireworks, transforming into countless black fragments scattered in the air.
"Amazing, Master!"
Dale jumped up in delight, her previous worries vanishing.
Ron did not indulge in this brief victory.
He noticed that although the black giant’s body lost its head, it still stubbornly regrouped, attempting to continue fighting.
This regeneration ability is one of the terrifying traits of abyss creatures.
But what surprised him even more was the reaction of the stand-in puppet at his waist.
After absorbing a large amount of black energy, it autonomously grew a third arm!
This new arm extended from the right shoulder blade, with a completely different structure from the original arms.
It was covered with dark purple scales all over, fingertips sharp as claws, emitting a faint blue glow.
"This is... the puppet adapting and integrating the newly absorbed energy." A hint of amazement rose in Ron’s heart.
He quickly adjusted his tactics, commanding the third arm to reach forward and penetrate the black giant’s chest, directly grabbing the glowing core.
That is the energy center after the merger of the Shadow Nightmare Hunter.
With the core held in hand, the black giant’s body completely lost support.
Like a sand sculpture washed by waves, it quickly collapsed, turning into a pool of black liquid, gathered at the stand-in puppet’s feet.
Ron controlled the stand-in puppet to pick up the core, meanwhile reaching out to touch the pool of black liquid, starting massive energy absorption.
As energy continued to be absorbed, the stand-in puppet’s body began undergoing subtle changes:
The surface became smoother, the muscle lines clearer, and the overall silhouette closer to a human form.
Most crucially, the third arm completely integrated into the overall structure, as if it was naturally present.
"Master... It... is becoming more like a living being." Dale said softly, with a hint of unease and curiosity in her voice.
"Don’t worry, it’s entirely under my control."
Ron reassured, while checking the stand-in puppet’s status through the spiritual link.
He could clearly perceive a data point:
[Automatically absorbed active abyssal material, charging progress +5%]
[Current energy: 8%/100%]
"Energy increased by 5%."
Ron calculated in his mind: "If in the future we truly explore the Great Abyss, the charging progress should increase very quickly."
50% charging level is the critical point for the stand-in puppet to unlock the "two-way interaction" trait.
Upon reaching this level, not only can the puppet fully replicate Ron’s abilities, but Ron can also, to some extent, acquire the traits absorbed by the puppet.
"Then, I can transfer the stand-in puppet to the Demon Hunter profession..."
Ron calculated in his mind, a slight curve unconsciously forming at the corner of his mouth:
"Gain all the Demon Hunter’s ability enhancements without bearing any transfer risk and side effects."
Imagining that possibility — the extraordinary perception ability, enhanced constitution, toxin resistance, and various specialized skills of the Demon Hunter, all utilized for oneself.
Yet, without having to endure the painful bodily transformation process and long-term side effects, a wave of anticipation arose in Ron’s heart.
Especially when facing various mutated creatures or "Awakened", the Demon Hunter possesses unique "demon hunting" attribute enhancements brought by professional traits, an advantage that other professions cannot replace.
As his thoughts flowed, the puppet already completed the energy absorption, quietly standing there, awaiting the next command.
At Ron’s gentle thought, it immediately shrank, returning to its original size, transforming back into an ordinary small puppet, returning to his hand.
"Now, it’s time to deal with the final matter."
He stowed away the stand-in puppet and walked towards the glowing stone pillar at the center of the altar.
The surface of the stone pillar was filled with ancient runes, emitting a faint blue light.
Ron used "Extraordinary Recognition" to carefully study these runes and discovered they formed a complex teleportation array.