Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 369 Family Should Be Like This
"Perhaps, I also long for this feeling of being needed and cared for."

His voice softened, carrying an unusual vulnerability:

"Since embarking on the path of the extraordinary, I have become accustomed to facing everything alone."

Calmness, rationality, independence… these qualities allowed me to progress faster on the path of a wizard, but they also gradually isolated me from warmth.

Ron raised his head and looked directly into Nari's countless pairs of eyes that emitted a ghostly light:
"Through the puppets, I felt the warmth of being selflessly loved. That feeling... made me realize what I had been searching for all along."

This expression of emotion is half genuine feeling and half carefully guided.

He knew perfectly well that only by showing genuine emotion could he completely win over this ancient and simple being before him.

Nari gazed silently at the young man before him.

She could sense a degree of utilitarianism in the other person's words.

But so what?

Which child wouldn't tell a little lie to get something they want?
Which child wouldn't be more obedient to their mother when they need something?
These clever tricks actually made Nari feel more real.

"my child……"

Her voice became gentler, filled with heartache:

"You've been through so much... no wonder your soul looks so... resilient."

But then her tone became somewhat tentative:
"But... since you crave maternal love so much... why resort to deception? If you had come to me directly and told me your needs..."

“Because I’m scared,” Ron interrupted her.
"You are the legendary Apostle of the Abyss, a terrifying being who strikes fear into the hearts of countless wizards."

"But I'm just an ordinary young wizard, and I'm afraid that if I make direct contact, you'll tear me to pieces."

He paused for a moment, his eyes full of sincerity:

“I’ve seen far too many so-called 'normal people.' They appear glamorous on the surface, but are extremely filthy inside. Compared to them…”

He then took a step forward.

"In comparison, how could a mother who is willing to give everything for her 'child' be a monster?"

These words struck Nari's most tender spot.

As an entity feared by most creatures because of its chaotic nature, she truly yearns to be understood, accepted, and needed.

"You...you really think so?"

Nari's voice became cautious, like a child afraid of being rejected:
"Aren't you afraid of my appearance? Aren't you disgusted by my tentacles? Aren't you terrified of my power?"

"I was indeed a little scared at first."

Ron answered honestly:
"But fear often stems from ignorance. Through this period of contact, I have not seen a terrifying monster, but a mother who is willing to give everything for her 'child'."

At that moment, Nari realized that he was facing a difficult choice.

Although she had confirmed that the puppet was man-made, she could no longer sever the bond she had formed with this "child".

If she loses the puppet's favors, she will fall back into chaos and suffering.

And this young man in front of us is the key to maintaining all of this.

“If I accept you…” Nari’s voice became hoarse, as if she feared the other’s answer:
How would you treat our relationship?

This is a crucial question.

Ron could sense the wariness within it.

Inspiration was also warning him that if he answered the question wrong, he might face an irreversible situation.

Although Nari longs for the warmth of a family, she will not be easily deceived a second time.

“I will treat you with sincerity.” Ron’s answer was concise and firm:
"Although I cannot give you the affection of blood, I can prove my sincerity with my actions."

He reached out his hand and slowly extended it toward the nearest tentacle:
"And... I hope this relationship can continue."

But at that moment, Nari suddenly did something that surprised Ron.

The tentacle she extended was not an ordinary tentacle, but a special tentacle whose surface was covered with dense abyssal contamination.

This tentacle exudes a terrifying aura capable of distorting reality.

The surface of the contaminated air was slowly churning, making a nauseating, sticky sound.

"In that case..."

Nari's voice became somewhat lively, like a mischievous mother wanting to test her child's reaction:

"Before we become a real family... Mom wants to see if you can truly accept all of me..."

The tentacles slowly reached out towards Ron, and the contaminated patterns on the surface began to come alive.

Each line writhes like a living snake, exuding an evil aura that can drive one insane.

Any ordinary organism that comes into contact with this pollution will undergo irreversible mutations instantly.

“If you truly consider me your mother… then you shouldn’t be afraid of a mother’s touch, right?”

This is clearly a test, a cruel test to determine whether the other person truly accepts you.

Ron's body tensed instantly, every cell screaming for him to run away.

His research at the observatory made him acutely aware of the consequences of exposure to this level of abyssal contamination.

The skin will begin to rot, the muscles will become twisted and mutated, the bones will rearrange and recombine, and even the nervous system will be completely rewritten.

Even more terrifying is the erosion on the spiritual level.

Ancient malice from the depths of the abyss can infect the mind like a virus, turning a rational human into a mad monster.

But just as his body was about to instinctively dodge, another voice rang in his mind.

That was a warning from inspiration:
If you want to build genuine family relationships, you must demonstrate complete trust and acceptance.

Family members do not fear or guard against each other.

"This is a crucial moment that will determine success or failure..." Ron quickly weighed the pros and cons in his mind.

Reason told him that he should retreat immediately and activate protective spells.

But his intuition told him that this was the only chance he could gain Nari's complete trust.

They may suffer serious physical damage, or even develop irreversible deformities.

However, if he gains his trust, he will receive absolute protection and support from an apostle-level being.

The weighing of the options lasted less than two seconds.

"Of course I will believe you."

Instead of retreating, Ron strode forward, opening his arms to meet the tentacle that exuded an aura of death.

"Because you are my mother, and I am your child. Family members... should not be afraid of each other."

Seeing the other party's actions, Nari's eyes widened.

She clearly hadn't anticipated that Ron would have such courage and trust.

Throughout her long life, no creature had ever dared to actively touch her polluted touch, let alone in such an intimate way.

The moment the tentacle made contact with Ron's body, hell descended.

Intense pain, like an electric current, swept through my entire body in an instant; it was a complete restructuring that began at the cellular level.

He could feel his structure being forcibly rewritten, his entire body twisting and contorting, even his thought processes being invaded by an external consciousness. Strange scales began to appear on his skin, his blood vessels swelled and turned black, and his muscle tissue began to writhe on its own.

The most terrifying thing was that he could hear strange noises coming from inside his body.

Bones are rearranging, organs are changing position, blood is changing composition...

But what's even more terrifying is the erosion on a spiritual level.

Countless fragments of madness flooded his brain like a tidal wave, ancient malice from the depths of the abyss attempting to infect every thought circuit of his mind.

He witnessed countless possibilities of death and felt the relentless onslaught of extreme emotions such as despair, fear, pain, and madness.

Hallucinations began to appear before my eyes:
The indescribable whispers in the shadows, blurring the concepts of time and space.

However, even in such intense pain, Ron forced himself to remain sane.

He activated "The Star Eater's Whispers," allowing the cold power of the stars to stabilize his spiritual core like an anchor.

What Nari found even more unbelievable was that Ron was forcing a smile onto his face.

That wasn't just gritting your teeth and enduring it; it was a genuine expression of emotion from the bottom of your heart.

Even as his body endured hellish pain and his mind suffered unimaginable torment, he still showed unconditional trust in Nari.

"Thank you... for... hugging me... Mom..."

His voice was hoarse and broken from the pain, and it took great willpower to utter each word.

"No! My child! Stop!"

Nari finally realized what was happening, letting out a mournful cry and retracting her tentacles as if she had been electrocuted.

Seeing the horrific stains on her child's body, her guilt and self-blame erupted like a volcano.

"Mom didn't mean it! Mom just wanted to... just wanted to see... I didn't expect it to turn out like this..."

Nari's voice was filled with regret and heartache as she frantically searched her body for something.

Its enormous body churned violently in the sea, creating towering, raging waves.

"Wait! Mom has a way... there's definitely a way to save you!"

The next moment, a fist-sized fruit began to separate from deep within Nari's body.

The surface of the fruit radiates a liquid-like glow of life and exudes a captivating fragrance.

"This is the 'fruit of life,' one of Mom's most precious collections!"

Nari carefully presented the fruit to Ron, her voice filled with urgent pleading:
"Eat it quickly! She can rebuild any damaged life structure, including the distortions caused by the pollution of the abyss. Please, you must get better..."

Ron accepted the strange fruit, which was clearly priceless, with trembling hands.

Even in excruciating pain, he could still feel the terrifying life energy contained within the fruit.

That's almost equivalent to the total vitality of an entire city.

The fruit melts in your mouth, transforming into a warm torrent that washes over your entire body.

The twisted muscle tissue began to return to normal, the mutated blood vessels returned to their original shape, and even the psychological trauma was healing rapidly.

But what's even more amazing is that this healing process not only eliminated the damage, but also brought additional benefits.

Ron could feel that the essence of his life had been strengthened.

Resistance to the power of the abyss has been greatly increased, and even the regenerative capacity of cells has been permanently enhanced.

[Constitution 3.9→4.3 (+0.4)]

[Gained Special Talent: Medium Pollution Resistance]

"How are you? Does it still hurt? Is there anything that's bothering you?"

Nari asked with concern, all her eyes fixed on Ron, afraid of missing any signs of discomfort.

That worry was so genuine, so pure; she had completely immersed herself in the role of a mother.

"It's completely healed, even better than before."

Ron answered sincerely, while reaching out to gently stroke one of Nari's nearest ordinary tentacles:
"Thank you for saving me, Mom."

This closeness made Nari tremble with excitement.

The entire storm environment fluctuated violently because of her emotional swings.

"My good child...Mommy's really good child..."

Nari's voice was full of maternal satisfaction and happiness.

"Now, let's proceed with the fusion ceremony."

Nari began to mobilize the chaotic power within him, but this time it was not a destructive release, but rather a precise modification of the environment:
"Mom will create the perfect environment for you so that no one can disturb our family gatherings."

The surrounding chaotic storm began to undergo strange changes.

Under Nari's precise control, the originally chaotic energy was rearranged and recombined to form a stable experimental space.

Gravity, temperature, humidity, and even the flow of time are all adjusted to the optimal state for precise operation.

"Within this barrier, even that perceptive old man Max cannot sense our presence."

Nari proudly introduced his masterpiece:
“Tell Mom what you need to complete the ceremony. No matter how precious the materials are, Mom will find them for you.”

Ron looked at the ancient being before him who was willing to give everything for him.

An emotion welled up within him that he himself could hardly describe.

There was a sense of satisfaction from the successful completion of the plan, a touch of emotion for Nari's genuine feelings, and a deep sense of... guilt.

But soon, the researchers' rationality regained the upper hand.

Emotions are precious, but we must not let them interfere with rational judgment.

The ultimate goal of this contact is to gain power, knowledge, and the possibility of breaking through one's own limits.

"I need an absolutely stable space, as well as an environment for the fusion of Soul Steel and Magic Crystal."

He began to explain in detail the technical requirements of the fusion ceremony:
"The whole process takes about seven or eight hours, and any slight disturbance during that time could lead to failure."

"no problem!"

Nari agreed without hesitation and began to further modify the surrounding environment:

"When a mother's child undergoes an important ceremony, anything that dares to disturb it will be torn to shreds by the mother!"

As the commitment was made, the surrounding space began to undergo more intricate changes.

As Ron watched all this, he began to formulate a detailed plan for the next step.

The fusion ritual was just the beginning; the real goal was to completely transform the substitute puppet into the ultimate weapon he had always dreamed of.

A living magic sword that can adapt to any environment, has the ability to evolve on its own, and is completely under its control.

Now, he has the strongest protection, the most precious materials, and the most perfect environment.

There is also a "mother" who is willing to give everything for him.

Everything is going according to plan, even more smoothly than the most optimistic expectations.

(End of this chapter)