Wizard: Unlimited Profession Slots Chapter 736 - 340: Eye of the Abyss_2

Their roots weave together across the island, creating a complex structure akin to a neural network.

This implies that attacking individual plants is futile; one must instead pinpoint and neutralize the core node that governs the entire system.

Adroitly dodging the onslaught of tentacles, the puppeteer moves with a precision measured in milliseconds.

Ron has honed these reflexes through endless sessions in the Simulation Battle Device, which are now perfectly channeled through the puppeteer.

Whether he channels the graceful flow of Corona Swordsmanship or the primal ferocity of the Beast Race Swordsmanship, he can cycle between them instantly.

However, relying solely on physical strikes is clearly insufficient.

Although he attempted to weave magic through the puppeteer, the output was severely hampered.

The efficacy of the 'Sound Wave Vibration' was reduced to a mere third of its potency when projected by his own body, and maintaining precise control proved nearly impossible.

Furthermore, casting spells drained the puppeteer’s limited charging capacity, which caused him some frustration.

"It seems best to stick with physical combat for now."

Like a phantom, the puppeteer glides through the thicket of tentacles, its blade severing them in swift, calculated arcs.

As the vegetation was sliced away, an alluring scent began to permeate the air.

Utilizing the insight provided by his 'Hunting Evil' skills, he could clearly detect the mental manipulation laced within these aromatic vapors.

For an average adventurer, this scent would be a death sentence, luring them helplessly into the waiting maws of the plants.

The puppeteer, however, was immune, even finding a way to draw energy from the 'pain' radiating from the wounded plants.

After nearly twenty minutes of intense combat, the puppeteer successfully identified the heart of the plant network.

It was a gargantuan bud sitting at the island's center, its exterior plastered with countless eye-like growths.

Abruptly, the bud cracked open, unveiling a cavernous, dark aperture.

An immense gravitational pull surged outward, threatening to drag the puppeteer into the dark abyss.

But Ron had anticipated this move.

He commanded the puppeteer to unleash a compressed burst of 'Sound Wave Vibration · Erosion Mode,' aimed right into the bud’s central core.

Amidst a cacophony of bizarre, screeching wails, the entire plant network began to rot and wither away rapidly.

Deprived of their life force, the previously vigorous tentacles fell limp one by one.

Though the magical output was significantly weaker than when triggered by his own body, the close proximity allowed the attack to be incredibly effective.

He guided the puppeteer forward, beginning the process of absorbing the decaying matter.

The harvest from this engagement was substantial.

[Abyssal matter successfully consumed, charging progress +0.5%]

[Current energy: 16.5%/100%]

"The energy conversion rate of these abyssal entities is truly impressive," Ron remarked to himself with a touch of satisfaction.

As the consumption continued, the puppeteer's condition steadily improved.

Lacking an internal source, the puppeteer relies entirely on this method of consumption, requiring it to sustain itself through constant combat.

Once the minor island was cleared, Ron directed the puppeteer further into the sea to continue the investigation.

Aided by his 'Hunting Evil' skills, he could sense increasingly powerful entities lurking in the distance.

Some radiated an ancient and profound aura, while others pulsated with a chaotic desire to destroy.

Yet, what piqued his curiosity most was a massive energy disturbance located at the heart of the ocean.

Something dwelled there that seemed to defy all conventional logic.

The puppeteer traversed the water's surface, its method of locomotion rather unique.

Rather than swimming or floating, it tread upon the very surface of the 'sea water.'

The liquefied abyssal energy solidified beneath its feet, forming a temporary, stable platform.

This knack allowed the puppeteer to sprint across the waves with remarkable speed, much like the water striders he used to watch as a youth.

As he ventured onward, Ron encountered a second variety of abyssal life.

These were floating, jellyfish-like creatures, each roughly the size of a cottage.

Their forms were semi-translucent, revealing intricate, squirming organ systems housed within.

Most disturbing of all, human heads were suspended within the 'brain' regions of these creatures.

These heads appeared to retain life; their eyes darted around and their lips moved in rhythmic, silent pleas for salvation.

"Brain Jellyfish."

Ron identified the species instantly.

These beings prey on sentient lifeforms, harvesting their consciousness to function as a type of biological 'computational core.'

The trapped heads were no longer individuals, having been reduced to mere processing units for the creature's intellect.

Upon noticing the puppeteer, the brain jellyfish launched an immediate assault.

Their strategy was unsettling, launching a barrage of thread-like needles from their bodies.

Instead of trying to pierce the puppeteer's frame, these needles sought to infiltrate its 'spiritual core.'

Yet, the puppeteer’s mental architecture was fundamentally different from that of a living being.

As the needles made contact, they were repelled by the puppeteer’s innate abyssal essence.

Several brain jellyfish shrieked as internal organs convulsed under the sudden reflux.

"This devouring technique... it’s the perfect counter."

Sensing the opening, Ron immediately went on the offensive.

He steered the puppeteer to catch the threads of the needles with its hands, immediately engaging the 'devour' ability.

The puppeteer’s palms split open, revealing hollow, hungry voids.

Intense suction erupted from within, forcefully bleeding the jellyfish of their spiritual reserves.

This turn of events sent the brain jellyfish into a panicky retreat.

They desperately struggled to pull their tentacles back, but the cycle had already been established.

Once the puppeteer’s devouring mechanism engaged, it created an inescapable, one-way siphon until the host was completely drained.

Within five minutes, three massive brain jellyfish had been thoroughly 'digested.'

Their spiritual energy was assimilated into the puppeteer, and with their demise, the trapped human faces finally found peace in their final rest.