The surface of the fossil was covered with cracks resembling blood vessels.
Whenever the tendrils of the Chaos Storm tried to invade, these cracks would shimmer with a faint silver light, diverting the frenzied energy to the sides.
Under this strange protection, a relatively safe space was formed at the center of the platform.
"Less than ten thousand meters away..."
Through the Spiritual Link, Ron sensed the condition of the Stand-In Puppet, and the sense of resonance became unprecedentedly clear.
He could feel the puppet being inside the body of some colossal presence, surrounded by warm liquid, like an unborn fetus.
A strange aroma began to permeate the air.
It was the briny scent of the deep sea, mixed with some ancient and primordial essence of life.
As this aroma intensified, the entire platform began to tremble slightly.
It was not the chaotic shaking caused by the Chaos Storm, but some more orderly, grand heartbeat.
Thump... thump... thump...
Each heartbeat struck Ron’s chest like a heavy hammer, causing his blood to involuntarily follow the rhythm.
Seawater began to surge up from the edge of the platform.
This seawater was an unnatural deep black, as viscous as the melted night sky, with countless glowing particles floating within.
The water level slowly rose, and when it reached Ron’s knees, a terrifying figure, which struck fear into countless explorers, finally emerged from the depths of the darkness.
"Eye of the Abyss" Nari.
Even though he had learned about this being from various sources.
When witnessing it with his own eyes, Ron still felt a profound shock from biological instinct.
It wasn’t "large" in the ordinary sense, but a form of existence that surpassed understanding.
Nari’s body glided slowly in the seawater like a moving continent, its skin an odd material between organic and inorganic.
The surface was covered with countless eyes of varying sizes, some as small as walnuts, others as large as palaces, each emitting a different colored light.
These eyes were not simple visual organs, but rather a more complex perception system.
Ron could feel that whenever an eye gazed upon him, a tendril of consciousness delved into the depths of his spirit.
Attempting to read his memories, emotions, and even thoughts from his subconscious.
The truly impressive part was that enormous face surrounded by countless tentacles.
Unlike the hideous terror of other Abyssal Apostles, Nari’s face bore an intuitively defying kindness.
That kindness wasn’t human gentleness, but a more primal, fundamental motherly care.
Yet within that kindness was an indescribable eeriness.
Because that face was so vast, vast enough to swallow a city whole.
And when such a colossal presence displayed maternal tenderness, it instead evoked a surreal sense of horror.
"I feel it..."
Nari’s voice did not travel through the air but resonated directly within Ron’s consciousness.
"I feel that slender thread... connecting my dear... and you..."
As those words were spoken, a translucent bubble slowly separated from Nari’s body.
The bubble, like a massive amniotic sac, floated towards the platform, with the Stand-In Puppet suspended within.
Over this time, the puppet had undergone significant transformation.
The original Rune circuits had become more complex and precise, forming beautiful silver patterns on the surface like a neural network.
What was more astonishing was that it began to emit an aura similar to life, with even subtle breathing movements appearing on the surface.
But just as Ron was about to approach, all of Nari’s eyes suddenly turned towards him.
That gaze was like being illuminated by thousands of searchlights simultaneously, making one feel completely exposed and without refuge.
Under such comprehensive scrutiny, any disguise or concealment became meaningless.
Each eye was conducting a different analysis.
Some were reading memories, others analyzing emotions, some probing bloodlines, and others observing the color of the soul.
The silence continued for a full minute.
During that minute, Ron felt he had been thoroughly dissected.
His past, personality, motivations, and even potential futures, all were laid bare before this ancient presence.
"Unseen traits... no wonder you can..."
Nari finally spoke, her voice carrying a complex emotion.
Confusion, shock, and an inexplicable sense of loss.
"To be honest, you are much... more interesting than I imagined."
Several of Nari’s smaller eyes began to rotate slowly around Ron, as if observing some rare specimen:
"I expected to encounter a cunning deceiver, a cold-blooded manipulator trying to exploit my emotions... but you..."
She paused, her voice deepening:
"Your soul is as profound as the Starry Sky, full of contradictions I cannot comprehend.
It possesses the cold rationality of a researcher, yet longs for pure emotion... truly a wondrous combination."
Ron sighed softly, realizing that in the current situation, any attempt at disguise or excuse was futile.
Facing such an existence, the only choice was honesty.
Before he could think too much, the flow of thoughts from the other side transmitted again.
Nari’s tentacles began to move slowly, each motion stirring a tumultuous tide of energy:
"My dear... it never had true consciousness... did it?"
This was not a question, but a painful affirmation.
As an ancient presence living for thousands of years, although Nari’s mind was innocently childlike, her understanding of the Essence of Life far exceeded ordinary imagination.