Chapter 339: Chaos Adaptation

Deep in the treasure vault, Nari was experiencing the most tense and happiest moment of its life.

From its prey reserves, it selected a "Corrosive Sea Snake" that had just died.

The energy of this abyssal creature was relatively mild, and it still retained rich abyssal essence within its body.

"This should be very suitable."

Nari carefully checked the sea snake's corpse, ensuring there were no overly violent energy components:

"Mild, pure, and rich in nutrients... just like the first supplementary food prepared for an infant."

It cautiously placed the sea snake's corpse near the puppet, then observed the puppet's reaction with tension and expectation.

"Eat, my baby..."

Nari's voice was filled with maternal love and expectation, a tone like a mother coaxing a child to eat:

"This will make you stronger and healthier..."

At first, the puppet had no reaction, lying quietly in the soft nest.

Nari began to worry, anxiety appearing in its giant eyes:

"Is it that you don't like this taste? Or is it too hard to bite?"

Just as it was preparing to change the food, a miracle happened.

Fine rune circuits began to appear on the puppet's surface.

Those originally hidden energy channels were activated, emitting a faint but steady light.

These rune circuits began to operate like a digestive system, extending countless energy tentacles as thin as hair toward the sea snake's corpse.

"It's eating! It's eating!"

Nari trembled with excitement, all its tentacles dancing wildly in the air:

"My baby is eating!"

The puppet's "feeding" process was full of order, completely different from the usual chaotic abyssal erosion.

Those energy tentacles precisely decomposed the sea snake's corpse, extracting the useful essence while the waste was pushed aside.

The entire process was like a precise chemical analysis, with every step accurately calculated.

As the decomposition proceeded, the puppet's charging progress began to increase, while simultaneously emitting a stronger favor fluctuation.

This fluctuation was like a warm spring breeze, caressing Nari's chaotic consciousness.

"This feeling..."

Nari felt the feedback from the puppet, and another secondary consciousness node was stabilized:

"So warm... so comfortable... just like returning to a mother's embrace..."

The giant monster began to roll in the treasure vault, its tentacles swinging wildly, unable to control its excitement like a child who had just received candy:

"Success! It really succeeded! I finally have a real child!"

This was Nari's first time experiencing the sense of achievement and happiness as a "mother."

Watching the puppet "eating" quietly, it felt an unprecedented satisfaction.

That was not the thrill of conquest, nor the expansion of power, but a feeling of pure love and being needed.

"I want to prepare more delicious food for you."

Nari began to plan a richer "menu":

"The sea snake is too monotonous; there are also abyssal jellyfish, corrosive vines, nightmare spider silk... each has different nutritional value."

It was like a new mother formulating an infant's recipe, seriously considering the combination and nutritional balance of each food:

"It cannot be too monotonous; it must be nutritionally comprehensive and easy to digest..."

From this moment on, Nari's life had a brand-new meaning.

It was no longer an ancient monster guarding collectibles in loneliness, but a "mother" with responsibilities and expectations.

Although this "mother-child relationship" might seem absurd to outsiders.

But to Nari, this was the most precious experience in its long life.

The other collectibles in the treasure vault seemed to feel their master's happiness.

Those glowing soul fragments began to dance more actively, and the still-beating heart also quickened its rhythm.

The entire space was surrounded by this warm atmosphere, like a cozy little family.

Deep in the Sea of No Light, an ancient monster was learning how to become a qualified "mother."

And in the distant observation station, a young wizard was working hard to cultivate for higher power.

Two seemingly unrelated clues were tightly connected by a faint thread of consciousness.

………………

In the laboratory late at night, the light of the magic crystal lamp dyed the yellowed paper pages with an eerie hue.

The binding method of these papers was extremely special.

Each page was connected by a living fiber called "Memory Silk."

When Luo En turned the pages, these fibers would squirm slightly, as if tasting the reader's thought fluctuations.

He frowned; the ink on the papers would change subtly according to the reader's level of understanding.

When he thought deeply about a certain point, the relevant text would become clearer;

And when questions arose, some marginal notes would automatically emerge, providing supplementary explanations.

This "living classic" was one of Cassandra's early innovations.

It could resonate with the reader's spirit, providing a personalized learning experience.

"The importance of experimental ethics cannot be ignored; we must ensure that every bloodline modulation is based on the subject's fully informed consent..."

"A true scholar should take the reduction of suffering as their duty, rather than creating more misery..."

"If our research cannot make the world a better place, then no matter how profound the knowledge is, it is meaningless..."

As he read deeper, Luo En discovered a chilling detail.

These gentle and idealistic words would occasionally "twitch" under his extraordinary perception, revealing the original content that had been covered up:

"Whether the subject consents or not does not affect the scientific value of the experiment..."

"Pain is merely a necessary price in the process of acquiring knowledge..."

"The sacrifice of an individual, if it is for greater progress, is undoubtedly worth it..."

These hidden texts would only flash for a moment before being covered up again by the "goodwill" on the surface.

"An interesting editing technique."

Luo En stroked one of the pages, feeling the subtle pulse from the memory silk:

"These early papers were later artificially modified to cover up the true thoughts."

He activated all his perception-related skills and traits, beginning to seriously observe the deep structure of the paper.

Under special vision, each page presented a layered state.

The surface layer was the modified "charitable" content, while the deep layer hid more dark and pragmatic true thoughts.

"This is not a change in personality, but a process of gradually shedding the disguise."

Luo En drew his own inference in his heart:

"She possessed this cold essence from the very beginning; it was just that she would deliberately cover it up in the early stages."

He carefully checked the time annotations on the papers, beginning to construct a detailed timeline.

As the depth of cultivation of "The Star Eater's Whispers" increased, the degree of Cassandra's "disguise" gradually weakened.

It was not that she was replaced by some external will, but that her originally existing cold nature was gradually amplified under the influence of star power.

Luo En recalled his own recent psychological changes, that gradual numbness toward the experiments of ancient alchemists:

"I am also experiencing the same process."

He took out a specially made "Introspection Mirror."

This was a psychological state monitoring tool made by combining alchemy according to astrological principles.

The mirror surface did not reflect appearance, but showed the true state of the observer's heart.

After all, sometimes some changes cannot be discovered by oneself, and one must rely on the projection of a third party to reflect the "true face."

In the mirror, he saw himself with a gaze that was gradually becoming indifferent.

"At least I can still realize this change."

Luo En sighed softly, putting away the mirror with some helplessness:

"Realizing the existence of the problem means there is still a possibility of redemption; the key is to establish an effective monitoring mechanism."

Just as he was preparing to continue reading the next document, a strange sound suddenly came from the corner of the laboratory table.

"Tick... tick..."

It was the sound emitted by that "consciousness chromatography device" which looked quite aged.

This equipment was usually silent when running; there was only one possibility for this rhythmic sound—there was unprocessed data stored inside.

Luo En approached to observe and found that the surface of the equipment was covered with a layer of fine frost.

These frost flowers were not ordinary water vapor condensation, but "crystalline substances" produced when thinking overloaded.

"Someone has conducted high-intensity analysis work here."

He carefully touched the surface of the equipment, and his fingertips immediately felt the residual mental imprint.

Through the "Historical Research" skill and its additional trait "Induction Power," he captured some vague memory fragments:

A figure operating the equipment alone in the middle of the night, with countless complex data projections floating around;

That person's hands were trembling, seemingly bearing immense mental pressure;

Several completely empty refreshing potions were placed on the table, indicating that the work had lasted for a long time...

"It seems someone left something specifically for me."

According to the standard procedures of the observation station, all laboratories would undergo thorough data cleaning when personnel were rotated.

The appearance of leftover files was almost impossible.

Luo En first used various complex instruments, then combined his own perception ability to conduct careful testing.

After confirming there were no malicious traps, he began to activate the reading program.

The device emitted a low hum, the internal thought crystals began to glow, and then projected a data file.

The title displayed on the screen made his heart race:

"Exploration of Basic Theory of Virtual Environment Construction_Draft Version_Confidential Level"

The author was signed as "Researcher l. h."

"The timing is too coincidental..."

Luo En looked at this "accidentally" discovered material and had already inferred what was going on.

He recalled the points mentioned by the King of Mirages earlier:

The materials promised to him would be handed to him in an inconspicuous way...

Thinking of this, Luo En steadied himself and began to feel a strong expectation for this document.

And as he read carefully, the complexity and derivation process of the document indeed far exceeded his imagination.

The author not only had a deep understanding of consciousness weaving but also extended into some technical details he had never heard of:

"Artificial cultivation of nerve fibers: Through special biological alchemy, living nerve networks with superconducting properties can be cultivated..."

"Preparation of memory crystals: Converting the sensory memories of the experiencer into repeatable crystal structures..."

"Anchoring technology: During the virtual experience process, ensuring the user does not get lost in the illusion through consciousness anchors..."

Every technical detail was accompanied by detailed experimental data and failure case analysis.

The author clearly invested a lot of time and energy, even not hesitating to use themselves as experimental subjects for dangerous tests.

On the margins of the document, there were some warnings written in red ink:

"The 117th test failed; excessive consciousness separation time led to severe loss of reality..."

"Note: The realism of virtual pain cannot exceed 75%, otherwise it may cause permanent mental trauma..."

"Warning: Some ancient memories should not be used as materials for virtual environments; they will 'infect' the entire system..." The last warning made Luo En particularly concerned.

What kind of memory could "infect" a virtual system?

This indeed involved risks he had never considered before.

"It seems the construction of a virtual environment is much more complex and dangerous than I imagined."

Luo En continued reading and found that the technical route of the document had a surprising degree of fit with his "Three-Phase Integration" system:

Potions are responsible for modulating various consciousness stabilizers and perception enhancers;

Alchemy is used to manufacture physical carriers and neural interfaces for virtual environments;

Enchantment constructs complex rune networks connecting spirit and matter...

"This integration idea... is almost tailor-made for ancient alchemy."

What truly made him smile knowingly was a hidden detail at the end of the document.

On the last page of the technical parameter table, it was written in micro-font that was almost invisible:

"The observer's perspective determines the level of reality, and the true creator never sticks to the limitations of a single dimension.

——To those latecomers who are brave enough to explore"

This way of expression was completely consistent with the style of the King of Mirages.

"The arrangements are indeed meticulous," Luo En muttered to himself, sincerely admiring the methods of this Wizard King.

Just as he was immersed in these precious pieces of knowledge, deep in the fifth layer of the abyss, a warm and eerie "parenting" activity was continuing...

In the Sea of No Light, the treasure vault of "Eye of the Abyss" Nari was like a giant womb, warm and full of vitality.

The membranes of the "Brain Jellyfish King" flowed with changing luster.

These membranes could adjust their color and brightness according to Nari's emotional changes.

At this moment, they were emitting a gentle pink light, the color of maternal care.

Nari was lying in the center of the treasure vault, those eyes larger than a fortress gazing intently at the puppet in the vesicle.

Every one of its tentacles was placed cautiously, for fear of disturbing its "baby."

"What delicious food should I prepare for my little angel today?"

The voice in its consciousness domain was as soft and sweet as a little girl's, forming a strong contrast to its huge and terrifying appearance:

"It liked the Corrosive Sea Snake yesterday; should I try other flavors today?"

It began to rummage through the storage room, where various well-preserved abyssal creature corpses were placed.

Each one was wrapped in a special vesicle, maintaining the fresh state at the time of death.

"The tentacles of this 'Nightmare Butterfly' are very tender; they should be very nutritious..."

"The petals of the 'Blood Tear Flower' contain pure essence of despair, which is very helpful for growth..."

"And the heart of this 'Time-Domain Worm' can enhance time perception ability..."

Nari was like a young mother preparing infant supplementary food, with every choice carefully considered.

It even began to learn to adjust the recipe according to the puppet's reaction, observing which materials were more "popular."

Finally, it chose a "Silent Spider" that had just died.

This creature lived by devouring sound, accumulating a large amount of "Essence of Silence" in its body.

"Come, baby, open your mouth and eat..."

Nari gently placed the spider's corpse near the vesicle, then held its breath and waited for a reaction.

A few seconds later, the miracle happened again.

The runes on the puppet's surface began to flicker, those patterns pulsing like blood vessels, emitting an increasingly bright silver light.

With the activation of the runes, the Silent Spider began an orderly and exquisite decomposition process.

This was not ordinary corrosion or devouring, but an energy reorganization full of artistic sense.

Every muscle fiber was precisely separated, every drop of body fluid was perfectly purified, and even the bones were turned into pure energy flow and absorbed.

The entire process was like watching a wonderful artistic creation, beautiful enough to be fascinating.

"Great! My baby has grown a little bit more!"

Nari trembled with excitement, countless tentacles dancing in the air.

It could clearly feel the puppet's energy fluctuation steadily increasing, while simultaneously emitting an increasingly strong favor effect.

This was also the reason for its excitement; as the puppet grew, the stabilization effect fed back to it was also strengthening.

Those chaotic thoughts that had long troubled it began to clear up, and some emotional fluctuations that were originally uncontrollable gradually subsided.

It finally could feel that clarity of thought and inner tranquility for a long time.

"So this is the feeling that other Apostles possess..."

Nari sighed with satisfaction, tears of emotion flowing from its eyes.

If the condensates of its tears were placed in the outside world, they would undoubtedly be pure abyssal essence, each drop worth a fortune.

"My little baby, you are mother's most precious gift..."

It caressed the surface of the vesicle, its voice filled with maternal love:

"Mother will protect you and let you grow up quickly, becoming more powerful than any other monster..."

Speaking of growing up, Nari suddenly remembered an important thing.

According to the tradition of the abyss, a "warm-up duel" would be held before the ranking battle.

Each Apostle would send their subordinates to fight, which was both a display of strength and a way to heat up the atmosphere for the official ranking battle.

The last duel was more than three hundred years ago; at that time, Nari could only hide in a corner and watch other Apostles display their "works" with longing eyes.

Those powerful blood-kin families, loyal mutant werewolves, cunning nightmare spiders... each made it envious.

And now...

"There is less than two years until the next duel..."

Nari calculated excitedly, a fire of hope burning in its giant eyes:

"According to my baby's current growth rate, maybe... maybe I can participate too!"

Imagining its puppet shining in the duel arena, imagining the envious and shocked expressions of other Apostles.

It almost fainted just thinking about it.

"I must make my baby the strongest!"

Nari made up its mind and began to formulate a more systematic cultivation plan:

First, collect more high-quality abyssal creatures to provide sufficient nutrition for the puppet;

Then, find some rare ability seeds to let the puppet acquire more diversified combat skills;

Most importantly, conduct actual combat training to let the puppet become familiar with various combat environments...

"Mother will give you the best of everything..."

Nari stared fixedly at the puppet in the vesicle: "You must strive to become mother's pride..."

At the same time, in the laboratory of the Abyssal Observation Station, Luo En suddenly felt a strong fluctuation coming from deep within his consciousness.

That was a feedback signal from the substitute puppet, clearer than ever before.

"This intensity of feedback..."

Luo En stopped his research in surprise and began to carefully analyze this information:

"The puppet's growth speed far exceeds expectations."

Through that faint thread of consciousness, he could perceive the huge changes in the environment surrounding the puppet.

The powerful aura of the Abyssal Apostle still existed.

But now there was an additional emotion he had never felt before—that was pure and fiery maternal love.

"This Abyssal Apostle... actually really treats the puppet as its own child?"

Luo En was dumbfounded, but soon realized the huge value of this situation:

"It was indeed an unintentional success; this way, the puppet not only has a safe growth environment but also receives the input of a large amount of precious resources."

Besides this, as the puppet's ability strengthened, the feedback given to him through the "two-way connection" ability became increasingly powerful.

He could feel his pollution resistance, mental toughness, and even his understanding of abyssal energy all subtly improving.

"The effect of the two-way link is much better than theoretical expectations..."

Luo En began to record the parameter changes in this state in detail:

"This 'remote AFK' mode might be applicable to more projects."

He recalled those artificial lives created by ancient alchemists.

If a similar two-way link could be established, allowing these creations to grow independently remotely while also feeding back power to the creator...

"Another brand-new research direction... I can write it down first; after becoming an ancient alchemist in the future, I will have plenty of time to experiment."

Just as Luo En was immersed in these ideas, the laboratory door was knocked on gently.

"Wizard Ralph, sorry to disturb you."

A respectful voice came from outside the door:

"I am Assistant Researcher Alvin; Professor Youteer asked me to inform you of the arrangements for 3:00 PM tomorrow."

Luo En walked to the door and activated observation mode, making the door transparent from the inside.

A thin young man stood outside the door.

He had a typical scholar's appearance.

Pale skin, sunken eye sockets, and a look of fatigue from long-term reading.

The most eye-catching thing was a detection bracelet worn on his right wrist.

It was made of "sensory metal," and the different colored patterns flowing on the surface represented different degrees of abyssal erosion.

Judging from the green-and-yellow hue of his wrist, the erosion was already quite deep...

"Please come in." Luo En opened the door, noticing the slight limp in the other person's walk:

"What specific arrangements does the professor have?"

"At 3:00 PM tomorrow, the professor hopes you will visit the collection room to see the Ancient Master Swords."

Alvin's voice carried awe:

"Those swords... they all have their own stories and wills. The professor specifically emphasized that you need to make mental defense preparations in advance."

He paused, and a look of worry appeared in his eyes:

"Last year, a researcher was influenced by the residual will of one of the swords due to improper protection and is still receiving treatment in a sanatorium."

"What kind of influence?" Luo En asked with interest.

"The former owner of that sword was a magic swordsman who specialized in hunting abyssal creatures."

Alvin lowered his voice, as if telling some terrible secret:

"After contact, that researcher began to show compulsive hunting urges.

He would go to dangerous areas alone in the middle of the night, looking for any target that could be 'purified'."

This detail made Luo En look forward to tomorrow's visit even more.

Weapons that could influence the minds of those who touched them must contain things he was interested in within their manufacturing process.

"Thank you for the reminder." He nodded: "I will make full preparations."

After Alvin took his leave, Luo En returned to the experimental table.

Ancient Master Swords, the rapid growth of the substitute puppet, and the simulation device that was about to achieve a major breakthrough...

He looked at the direction of the abyss outside the window, full of expectation in his heart.

The night grew deeper, but he felt no sleepiness; instead, his research enthusiasm grew higher:

"Ailan, help me brew a pot of refreshing tea, and add more refreshing ingredients than last time."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 340 =====