Wizard: Unlimited Profession Slots Chapter 838 - 374: Will You Come Back Again? (Part 2)
Previously on Wizard: Unlimited Profession Slots...
A state of equilibrium had been achieved.
"Mom can feel this connection..."
Nari, with great care, sensed the faint link connecting the puppet and the magic sword.
"That is correct," Ron affirmed with a nod.
"No matter my location, I can perceive your state through this bond. Should you face any peril or hardship, I shall be aware of it instantly."
Hearing this guarantee, the tentacles swayed with delight, only to abruptly cease as if a realization had dawned.
"Well then, since you are returning, shall I bestow a small token upon you before you depart?" Nari proposed.
As she spoke, she began to channel the chaotic power residing within her, this time directing it towards creation rather than combat.
Several exquisite abyss crystals were formed, distinct from the common tear-like companions previously observed.
These condensed abyss crystals, forged through active energy expenditure, harbored concentrated abyssal power, their very presence radiating considerable magical might.
Ron intended to voice his appreciation, but observing Nari's gently swaying tentacles and the hundreds of watchful eyes, he held back his words.
"Until we meet again, then."
He silently accepted the abyss crystals and commenced gathering his own magical energy. "Take care, Mom."
As Ron bid farewell, a peculiar bubble detached itself from Nari's core.
"This bubble will convey you safely back to the surface," she explained.
"Furthermore, it will offer protection should you encounter danger. As long as Mom endures, it shall never falter."
"Farewell, my child..."
Nari's voice filled the expanse, interweaving ancient benedictions as she spoke:
"May the stars illuminate your journey, may wisdom guide your path..."
The bubble commenced its slow ascent, rising progressively through the oceanic depths, drifting towards the upper strata of the abyss.
Through the translucent membrane of the bubble, Ron cast a final glance at the colossal yet benevolent entity.
Nari, with all her eyes fixed upon him, offered a silent goodbye as he departed.
Simultaneously, within her embrace, the surrogate puppet waved a final farewell, its small form embodying all the warmth Ron was leaving behind.
As the distance widened, Nari's form began to fade.
"An exceptionally valuable acquisition..."
He silently evaluated the totality of this exploratory endeavor.
The bond established with Nari not only provided him with formidable support but also imparted fresh insights into the nature of the abyss.
The bubble continued its ascent, traversing the labyrinthine flora of the abyss's fourth tier and the desolate black sand plains of the third, eventually reaching the comparatively secure second tier.
Throughout this upward journey, the normally hazardous abyssal denizens maintained a respectful distance from the protective sphere.
They could discern the formidable aura emanating from it, a consequence of the primordial power dwelling deep within the abyss.
.........
Miller was seated upon a colossal spinal bone, the chronometer in his hand marking time with each rhythmic pulse, the sounds amplifying his already frayed nerves.
A veteran of over two decades in abyss exploration, he had witnessed the unfortunate fate of countless companions who never returned.
The vacant bunks and unclaimed possessions remained etched in his most somber recollections.
"One hour and seventeen minutes remaining."
His voice resonated within the chasm, laced with a palpable, barely suppressed anxiety.
Despite his outward reassurance of Ron's capabilities, confronting a threat of Apostle-level rendered all rational assessment inadequate.
Blake was positioned nearby, his cybernetic eye whirring restlessly within its socket, emitting faint sounds of mechanical friction.
This ocular prosthesis had been acquired ten years prior, during an expedition, when the tentacle of an abyss worm had violently impaled his left eye socket.
While the prosthetic offered superior night vision, the raw agony and terror of bodily dismemberment provided him with the most visceral understanding of the abyss's inherent dangers.
"Boss..."
Blake's voice was slightly strained, his war axe being methodically wiped, its polished blade catching the canyon's spectral luminescence.
"I believe we should steel ourselves for the worst; assurances... in the abyss, they are sometimes merely illusory words."
His pronouncement cast an even heavier pall over the assembled group.
Throughout the annals of abyss exploration, innumerable valiant wizards had embarked into hazardous territories with unwavering confidence, only to vanish without a trace.
"Blake, cease your ill-omened pronouncements."
Camilla directed a sharp glance at him, yet her voice betrayed a distinct waver.
Her hands reflexively tightened around her magic staff, her knuckles growing white with the force of her grip.
As the team's most detail-oriented member and its sole female presence, she possessed an unparalleled comprehension of the abyss's merciless indifference to life.
The contorted appendages, the caustic effluvia, and the corrosive miasma capable of directly unraveling one's sanity...
Each threat alone was sufficient to instantly annihilate even a formidable wizard.
"I am merely stating my observations..."
Blake persisted with his bleak outlook:
“While Wizard Ralph is undoubtedly powerful, confronting an Apostle-level entity… that’s a terrifying prospect, a being capable of rivaling a Great Wizard,” he mused. Staring into the abyss of the canyon with his artificial eye, he perceived the oppressive darkness seemingly teeming with a malevolent sentience. “Furthermore, Apostles possess wildly unstable emotions. One moment they might appear ‘amiable,’ and the very next, they could erupt in a destructive fury, taking lives over the slightest perceived insult,” he added, a knot of unease tightening in his gut. This apprehension was far from unfounded. Despite their immense strength, Abyssal Apostles often operated under a radically different cognitive framework compared to mortals. Numerous adventurers had met their demise, falling victim to misinterpretations of an Apostle's inscrutable intentions during encounters that appeared deceptively benign.