On the other hand, he must maintain enough rationality and autonomy to avoid becoming a puppet of the ancient will.
"One year to reach Moon Level."
Ron set a clear goal for himself:
"Other research aims to assist in the rapid breakthrough at the wizard level, and the breakthrough at the wizard level can, in turn, feed back into the progress of other research. A complete growth cycle has to be formed."
When he ended his meditation, that faint thread connecting to the puppet again sent unusual vibrations.
This time, the feeling was clearer; it seemed like the puppet was undergoing some sort of "feeding" process.
"According to my previous observations and guidance, that Apostle should have already started attempting to establish a deeper connection with the puppet."
Ron recorded this finding in his mind:
"This interaction is much faster than I anticipated. It looks like it’s already impatient..."
......
Deep in the Sea of Darkness in the fifth layer of the Abyss, Nari, the Eye of the Abyss, was experiencing the most thrilling moment of its life.
With its finest tentacles, it carefully touched the surface of the puppet as a loving mother caresses a child.
This contact was filled with unprecedented gentleness, in stark contrast to Nari’s usual frenetic image.
"Such a marvelous texture..."
Curiosity was brimming in Nari’s giant eye.
The ends of those tentacles housed extremely sensitive perception organs, able to detect the slightest changes:
"It’s unlike ordinary wood, nor like metal or stone... more like some... living substance?"
The puppet’s "skin" presented a warm texture, with an extremely fine texture on the surface.
Under Nari’s careful observation, these textures seemed to be slowly flowing, like a living vascular system.
What shocked it even more was that the puppet was actively absorbing the high-density radiation energy unintentionally emitted from Nari.
Originally chaotic abyssal factors, upon contacting the puppet, automatically arranged into orderly spiral structures, then were slowly absorbed inside.
"Simply... the treasure of the Abyss..."
Nari’s voice was filled with disbelief:
"I’ve never seen such a phenomenon... is it purifying the polluted radiation around me?"
In its long life, it had seen countless creatures completely eroded by its unconscious actions.
No matter how powerful the wizard or how fragile the mortal, uncontrollable mutations occurred upon contact with Apostle’s power.
But the puppet before it not only was uncorroded, but was changing the very nature of abyssal energy.
Even more miraculous things happened.
After absorbing sufficient abyssal energy, the puppet began to emit a unique vibration that Nari had never felt before.
This vibration was like a gentle spring breeze, calmly soothing Nari’s chaotic consciousness.
Under the influence of this force, Nari felt the first complete "favor" feeding back in its life.
"This... this feeling..."
Nari’s voice trembled; one of its secondary consciousness nodes stabilized under this feedback.
The chaos and pain temporarily retreated, replaced by an unprecedented tranquility.
"Calm... peace... is this what other apostles meant by feeding back?"
Black liquid flowed from the giant eye, tears of excitement and gratitude.
After thousands of years of solitary waiting, it finally found a "child" that might succeed.
This discovery excited the creature, making it roll in its treasury.
The massive body, like a joyful dolphin, wandered around the space.
Countless tentacles danced in the air, eyes on the walls turning as well.
The entire treasury was infected by this celebration atmosphere.
"My darling... my precious darling..."
Nari whispered softly, in a tone like a novice mother speaking to the baby in the cradle:
"You’ve finally come... I’ve waited so long, so very long..."
It began formulating a detailed "nurturing plan," like a new mother, clumsy but full of anticipation.
"You must be hungry, right? My pantry has lots of delicious food..."
Nari started rummaging through its storages, trying to find the most suitable "food" for the puppet:
"This is too hard... this one too sour... this one’s too bitter..."
And to provide the best environment for the puppet, Nari began reorganizing its treasury.
It moved its most precious collections to the nearest spot to the puppet.
Including that still-beating heart and those glowing soul fragments.
"These are my most beautiful collections, and they now belong to you."
Nari carefully adjusted the energy flow within the treasury to create the most suitable "growth environment" for the puppet.
It wove a nest from its tentacles, filled with the most precious "Brain Jellyfish King" membranes.
These membranes were not only comfortable, but could also regulate the energy concentration around them.
"So you will feel very comfortable..."
Nari circled the puppet, its giant eyes full of loving light:
"From now on, this will be your home. I will protect you, care for you, and give you the best of everything..."
Although its appearance was terrifying, at this moment, Nari showed a pure and primal maternal instinct.
The protective desire for the young, the anticipation for growth, the yearning for the future, all perfectly embodied in the behavior of this ancient creature.
It began planning an even more detailed care scheme to ensure its "child" could grow healthily and happily.