Chapter 217: Demon Hunter Knight (Two and a Half Stars)

The puppet trembled slightly on the laboratory bench, that kind of semi-mechanical, semi-organic squirming looking particularly eerie under the dim laboratory light.

Luo En took a deep breath and looked calmly at the substitute puppet that had absorbed a large amount of abyssal energy and integrated the monarch bloodline.

Reaching the 50% critical point of charging progress meant that the Demon Hunter job change he had been looking forward to could finally be attempted.

"The key lies in the precision of will projection." Luo En whispered to himself, his fingers lightly touching the complex patterns on the puppet's surface, feeling the energy flowing within.

Initially, his plan was to follow the traditional method, performing suture transplantation of magical beast organs for the substitute puppet.

For this, he had already prepared a series of precision tools and precious magical beast organ samples.

However, when he began to deeply perceive the energy composition of the substitute puppet, a shocking discovery made him stop the work in his hands.

"Interesting... those abyssal substances have already formed structures similar to organs inside the puppet."

A flash of surprise passed through Luo En's eyes:

"The bone fragment extract formed a structure similar to bone reinforcement, the molted skin essence created a protective film, and even the swamp assembler's tissue has already constructed a primitive circulatory system, and the manticore, snake demon, and clone parts absorbed earlier are all playing their roles."

He quickly adjusted his thinking and put down the scalpel in his hand.

Instead, he activated spiritual perception to deeply investigate the energy network inside the puppet.

"This is an unexpected surprise." Luo En whispered to himself:

"Those active abyssal substances have not only formed substitutes for 'sutured organs' but also have absolutely no risk of rejection, forming a perfect symbiotic system among themselves."

This discovery greatly simplified the job change process and also reduced the risk.

Luo En immediately modified the plan and decided to directly attempt will projection, using the puppet as a medium for the Demon Hunter job change.

"Timing starts." Luo En glanced at the crystal clock, a flash of determination in his eyes.

Deep breath, close eyes, he let his thoughts sink into that calm inner lake.

He was fully aware of the risks of the Demon Hunter job change—the school's records clearly indicated that the success rate under the conventional route was no more than 30%.

And even if successful, one would very likely face the sequelae of distortion and mental derangement.

This is also why Demon Hunters are so rare and mostly behave strangely.

But the path he chose was different.

As an intermediary, the substitute puppet will bear all the risks of the job change, while he himself is only responsible for providing spiritual power guidance and bloodline energy.

Theoretically, this should be able to avoid most dangers while capturing the essence of the Demon Hunter's abilities.

"Everything is ready."

He took out a small bottle of light cyan liquid—excellent quality "Amber Thinking Liquid," which is a spiritual power enhancer he specifically prepared for this ritual.

Gently unscrewing the bottle cap, the medicinal liquid emitted a fresh mint fragrance, carrying faint magic power fluctuations.

Luo En drank the potion in one gulp and felt a cool energy spreading from his throat to his whole body, just like a cool little stream flowing through every nerve, washing away all distracting thoughts.

His thinking became abnormally clear instantly, and the flow of spiritual power became smoother, like pure and powerful crystal polished smooth.

"Let's begin."

Luo En took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and slowly injected his spiritual power.

Different from the past, this time he was not simply controlling the puppet's actions but deeply projecting a part of his consciousness into it.

This process was extremely subtle, just like tearing off a corner of his own soul and carefully planting it into another container.

The two-way transmission function demonstrated its true value at this moment—the puppet was no longer an external tool but had become an extension of his will.

"Establish connection... maintain stability." His voice was calm and low, but fine beads of sweat had already seeped out on his forehead.

With the continuous investment of spirit, the substitute puppet began to change.

The originally stiff wooden structure became soft and elastic, and even textures similar to human skin began to appear on the surface.

【Warning: Will separation attempt detected, confirm to continue?】

The panel's prompt suddenly appeared in Luo En's consciousness, and he chose to confirm without hesitation.

【Verifying... Substitute puppet has been recognized by the job panel as "Subject Extension," meeting Demon Hunter job change conditions】

【Abyssal matter active structure has been identified as a valid "Sutured Organ"】

【Job change process initializing】

A burst of stinging pain suddenly came from the spiritual core, and Luo En gritted his teeth, enduring the discomfort.

This pain did not come from the flesh but was a tearing sensation at the soul level, just like being forced to give up a part of oneself.

Although he had psychological preparation, this experience of will separation was still uncomfortable.

Luo En could feel a part of himself flowing toward the substitute puppet, fusing with those abyssal energy structures to form a new connection.

The process lasted for about ten minutes, much shorter than he had expected.

When the pain finally subsided, Luo En felt an unprecedented sense of clarity.

It was as if his perception had suddenly expanded, able to feel the existence of two bodies simultaneously.

【Demon Hunter job change ritual completed】

【Obtained job: Demon Hunter (Two Stars)】

【Basic attribute improvement:

Physique 2.8 → 2.99 (+0.2)

Spirit 4.55 → 4.65 (+0.1)

Magic Power 2.9 → 2.99 (+0.1)】

【Special bonus:

1. Abnormal status resistance: Resistance to toxins, diseases, curses, etc., significantly improved

2. Perception ability enhancement: Five senses comprehensively enhanced, especially night vision and auditory sensitivity

3. "Hunt Evil": Damage to distorted creatures and dark creatures increased, possessing intuitive identification ability】

Luo En carefully read the panel prompts, paying special attention to the specific descriptions of those special abilities.

"Abnormal status resistance" can resist toxins and diseases at the physical level.

What surprised him was the additional effect brought by "Perception ability enhancement."

The improvement in perception is not only reflected in the five senses but also extends to the spiritual level.

Making spell construction more precise and magic power control more delicate.

"This will directly improve my spell efficacy."

Luo En evaluated:

"Whether it is the frequency control of 'Sonic Oscillation' or the energy distribution of 'Ring of Radiance,' they can all reach higher precision."

As for "Hunt Evil," its application in the current environment is limited.

But considering the abyssal exploration that will definitely be carried out in the future, as well as the abyssal creatures that might be encountered,

the value of this ability cannot be underestimated.

And there are improvements in various basic attributes; it's just a pity that for physique attributes and magic power attributes, 3.0 seems to have reached a certain threshold as well...

However, just as he was sorting out these gains, new information appeared on the panel:

【Job linkage detecting】

【Trigger condition: Simultaneously possess "Bloodline Knight (Two Stars)" and "Demon Hunter (Two Stars)"】

【Analyzing possible fusion paths】

【Fusion path confirmed: Bloodline Knight + Demon Hunter → Demon Hunter Knight (Two and a Half Stars)】

【Confirm fusion?】

A flash of surprise passed through Luo En's eyes; this was a change he had not anticipated.

He was no stranger to job linkage, but this was the first time he had encountered such a direct job fusion.

He chose to confirm without hesitation.

【Job fusion starting...】

【Warning:

The fusion process will bring short but intense dual pain of spirit and body, please be prepared】

As soon as the words fell, a tearing pain swept through Luo En's whole body instantly.

This pain is indescribable, just like someone twisting his bones and tearing his soul at the same time.

Luo En gritted his teeth, his fingers tightly gripping the edge of the laboratory bench, his knuckles turning pale from excessive force.

The pain lasted for about ten seconds, and when everything calmed down, Luo En felt that his body had undergone some subtle changes.

【Job fusion completed】

【Obtained new job: Demon Hunter Knight (Two and a Half Stars)】

【Basic attribute improvement:

Physique 2.99 → 3.2 (+0.2)

Spirit 4.65 → 4.75 (+0.1)

Magic Power 2.99 → 3.1 (+0.1)】

【Skill fusion: "Bloodline Activation" + "Suture Modification" → "Flesh Awakening"】

【"Flesh Awakening":

By activating the magical beast bloodline and Demon Hunter modification in the body, the body temporarily enters a semi-awakened state.

Combat power is significantly improved, obtaining abilities similar to black wizard awakening.

Each use will increase the tendency for distortion; the longer the frequency and duration of use, the deeper the degree of distortion, which is irreversible.】

【Job linkage bonus details:

1. Abnormal resistance improved, spiritual pollution bearing capacity improved to a certain extent

2. Perception enhancement extended to the bloodline perception field, making it easier to perceive and analyze the traits of different bloodlines

3. Insight of "Hunt Evil" ability improved, damage to distorted creatures further improved】

Very good, the attribute improvement brought by job fusion broke through the 3.0 dividing line in one fell swoop.

Luo En took a deep breath, feeling the brand-new power flowing in his body.

This power is different from all previous improvements, more primitive, more wild, yet full of infinite possibilities.

The details of the linkage bonus made him even more pleasantly surprised.

The improvement in spiritual pollution bearing capacity means an enhancement in meditation efficiency.

This is exactly what he needs most today, which means he can approach the critical point of a formal wizard faster.

And the enhancement of bloodline perception ability will greatly help his future bloodline research and alchemy exploration.

What surprised him most was this new skill, "Flesh Awakening."

It allowed Luo En to see a brand-new path—an intermediate path that can obtain the extraordinary power of black wizards without completely falling into madness.

Of course, the warning of "irreversible distortion" also made him vigilant.

"Need to test this new ability."

Luo En looked at the substitute puppet and decided to try this dangerous power on the puppet first.

Through the spiritual link, Luo En sent a command to the substitute puppet—activate "Flesh Awakening."

After receiving the command, the puppet immediately underwent amazing changes.

The originally human-like appearance twisted rapidly, the scale-like patterns on the skin surface became more prominent, flickering with cold metallic light.

Unnatural protrusions appeared at the limb joints, as if the bones were reorganizing.

The most terrifying thing was its face—in the originally hollow eye sockets, that pair of green compound eyeballs now flickered with fierce light.

The pupils turned into vertical thin lines, sharp as knives.

The mouth area tore and extended, forming an opening far exceeding the normal proportion, filled with sharp, saw-like teeth.

Short, horn-like protrusions even grew on both sides of the head, just like the prototype of a demon.

The scales on the back and spine fused into a row of sharp spines, extending from the neck to the tailbone, with the end forming a manticore-like poison sting.

The entire puppet's form was far from human, more like some kind of terrifying half-human, half-beast hybrid, emitting a suffocating, violent aura.

"Amazing change," Luo En observed calmly.

And carefully used measurement equipment to record various data of the substitute puppet in this state.

From the data, the puppet's total physical strength increased by nearly half, and even the energy fluctuations became more active and aggressive.

These improvements were so significant that Luo En had to recalibrate the measurement equipment to ensure there were no reading errors.

"Just the pure physical combat power increased to at least above a high-level apprentice, even approaching the level of a Morning Star level wizard."

Luo En calculated in his heart: "If the problem of distortion can be solved, or a way to limit distortion can be found..."

He subconsciously reached out to touch his own cheeks and arms, confirming that the main body was not affected in any way.

Just as he expected, testing this skill through the substitute puppet allowed him to avoid facing the risk of distortion directly.

Just as he was about to deactivate the puppet's awakening state, an accident occurred.

The substitute puppet in awakening suddenly broke free from control and emitted a low roar.

That sound did not come from the mouth but seeped out from every pore of the whole body, just as if another consciousness was struggling to take the lead.

"Consciousness riot..." Luo En understood instantly what had happened and immediately strengthened spiritual control.

"Flesh Awakening" not only changed the body structure but also awakened the primitive consciousness hidden in those abyssal substances.

These fragmented wild consciousnesses were trying to fuse into a brand-new personality, breaking free from Luo En's control.

Fortunately, the design of the substitute puppet made this rebellion unable to fully succeed.

Luo En quickly regained control of the situation and forcibly suppressed those chaotic consciousness fragments.

"Indeed dangerous." Luo En frowned and thought:

"In a real battle, once this situation occurs, the consequences would be unimaginable."

He slowly and carefully deactivated the puppet's awakening state.

Most of the distorted traits faded, but they did not completely return to their original state.

The scales on the skin became more obvious, the pupils remained in a vertical shape, and the spines on the back, although shrunk, did not completely disappear.

What was even more worrying was that Luo En could feel that those suppressed consciousness fragments had not disappeared.

They were just sleeping, potentially waking up again in the next awakening, and would become even more powerful.

"Each use will increase the degree of distortion... the panel's warning was indeed reasonable."

Luo En summarized calmly: "This kind of power must be used with caution, preferably regarded as the final trump card."

However, even knowing the risks, he was still attracted by this power; after all, it was a huge improvement sufficient to fight across stages.

At this time, a prompt appeared on the panel again:

【Substitute puppet current charging progress: 50%/100%】

【Next stage unlock requirement: Charging reaches 100%】

【Next stage form: Glorious Legacy—Avatar of Calamity】

【After unlocking, can obtain ability:

1. Avatar Stance: Temporarily fuse the substitute puppet with the main body, all abilities superimposed and obtain additional bonuses

2. Energy Isolation: In the fused state, distortion and pollution will be isolated in the avatar part, main body not affected】

This new information made Luo En fall into deep thought...

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 218 =====