---o---
[You have once again spent another day with Natasha in her clinic. Due to the effect of the Trait [Symbiosis of Light and Shadow], your mutual Favorability has slightly increased.]
[Natasha's Stress is too high, triggering her Stress Relief event—]
[Natasha confides in you about her stress, hoping to receive some help from you.]
[Seeing her exhausted and helpless state, a flicker of emotion stirs in your heart.]
[Due to the effect of the Trait [Symbiosis of Light and Shadow], your Favorability toward Natasha has increased.]
[Your current Favorability toward Natasha is 100 (Max level reached. Exchange Vows of Matrimony to raise the cap.)]
[Please Choose—]
[1. "Failed again? It's alright, leave it to me."
Choose to help Natasha. A judgment will be made based on your "Medicine" skill level and Intelligence attribute as you think of a solution.
Due to your numerous previous attempts, your success rate has now increased to 100%. You are certain to find a way to solve the problem.
Natasha's Stress Value will be reduced. After solving the problem, the research progress of "Project: Snowstorm Immunity" will increase significantly. You will gain one point of [The Abundance] Path Progress.]
[2. "You still need to pursue your dream on your own. I can't help you..."
You will refuse to help Natasha. Natasha's Stress Value will increase due to your indifference.
The research on "Project: Snowstorm Immunity" will stagnate, and Natasha may choose to change her research direction as a result.
Your [The Abundance] Path Progress will decrease slightly.]
Reading the text on the light screen, Ron let out a sigh of relief, a hint of excitement appearing on his face.
"Excellent, I finally triggered it..."
In truth, Ron should have stepped onto the Path of The Abundance long ago.
Even before he became the leader of Wildfire, he had already successfully accumulated seven points of Path Progress for The Abundance with Natasha. In theory, with only three points remaining, he just needed to grind "Medicine" skill experience with her for three more days.
Unfortunately, after he reached seven points of Path Progress, Natasha had no more knowledge to teach him...
As a doctor in Belobog's Underworld, although Natasha had once studied at the Belobog Medical College, her grades weren't top-tier, nor could she remember all the medical knowledge accumulated over Belobog's seven-hundred-year history.
For Ron, learning her limited knowledge was a piece of cake; he had thoroughly mastered it all within seven days.
After that, Ron began the extremely painful process of doing daily tasks to grind "Medicine" skill experience and Path Progress.
Although Wildfire was now developing vigorously, for Ron, managing the organization only took less than half of his Energy; he was fully capable of doing much better.
But he had set aside more than half of his Energy, spending it all in Natasha's clinic during this period.
Whether it was seeing patients at the clinic or helping Natasha research "Snowstorm Immunity," Ron's "Medicine" skill experience would increase steadily...
Regrettably, these daily tasks didn't give much experience. His skill level had already reached level forty-seven back when his Path Progress hit seven, so this experience was like a drop in the bucket. Leveling up was pure torture.
He had been immersed in these tedious daily tasks for some time, just barely managing to grind his "Medicine" skill to level fifty-five and his Path Progress to nine points.
Even the success rate for the "Snowstorm Immunity" research daily task had been ground from 10% all the way to 100%. The time to finally max out his progress had arrived...
Ron rubbed his hands together and, without the slightest hesitation, clicked on the first option.
The options on the screen faded, and new text appeared:
[You have chosen to help Natasha. You begin to think.]
[Long contemplation now sparks into a flash of inspiration. You choose to take a different approach, to integrate the power of a Path into the potion in another way.]
[You drop a piece of Crystal Amber into the potion flask, watching as it dissolves into the potion. The turbid power of the Path merges with the potion, stably becoming part of its power.]
[You have successfully found a way to integrate the power of a Path into a potion.]
[Your actions have caused the progress of "Project: Snowstorm Immunity" to increase dramatically. The project's current progress is 50%.]
[For your contributions to the potion research, you have gained one point of Path Progress.]
[Your current progress on the Path of [The Abundance] is—(10/10)]
[Your Path Progress has reached the maximum. You have successfully stepped onto the Path of [The Abundance].]
Here it comes, here it comes!
Ron stared intently at the light screen, eagerly awaiting the moment he would step onto the Path of The Abundance. He didn't even notice the notification that his Favorability with Natasha had maxed out; his mind was completely focused on the new Path.
And the Path of The Abundance did not disappoint his expectations in the slightest, giving him a little taste of The Abundance's shock and awe.
The text on the screen faded. Specks of golden-green brilliance formed lines of light, twining around the edge of the screen like vines, completely changing its previous minimalist style.
Its faint golden luster proclaimed its nobility, while the vibrant green light pulsed with the unique vitality of life.
A new scene began to play on the screen:
Emerald green thickets broke through the clinic floor, shaking off dust and soil. They grew as if sentient, twining and clustering around Ron like pilgrims at a holy site, suffused with a vibrant life force.
And in the scene, a golden-green light suddenly flashed within Ron's pupils.
In the next instant, the image on the screen dimmed for a moment, and a series of silhouettes flashed by—
In the boundless, vast sea of stars, a gnarled, colossal tree flourished with lush branches and leaves. Its star-kissed boughs swayed in the cosmic sea, and orange-yellow alien fruits, like blazing suns, glowed brightly within its canopy. It was rooted in a gigantic dreadnought, drawing sustenance from the wails of a myriad of souls.
A verdant planet surged with a sea of trees symbolizing life, tumbling through the stars like a tumbleweed. Fine tendrils extended from its shade, plucking light from among the stars and feeding it, bit by bit, into the arboreal sea. Every galaxy it passed through was plunged into utter darkness.
A transparent behemoth extended its long tail, piercing the leaping flames of a star. The scorching fire flowed into its body little by little. Within a century, the star turned into cold stardust, its light completely devoured by the beast. It shook its fearsome head and opened its massive single eye, its dark green pupil shimmering with the blessed light of eternal life...
Finally, the image dimmed and then cleared once more—
A figure was spreading its six arms amidst the sea of stars reflected in Ron's pupils. It wantonly stretched its lithe, powerful form, its joints extending as if performing a cosmic dance.
Its hair, like the golden-white plumage of a magpie, slowly bloomed amidst the cosmos of a thousand stars.
The myriad eyes on its body opened all at once. The crimson pupils shifted slightly, casting a compassionate gaze towards Ron.
Its lips curved into a beautiful arc. A layered, multi-toned voice seemed to cross space and time. One of its thousand hands gently waved a vine it held, and a rain of myriad lights surged toward Ron along with the voice.
"Why must all things perish? The chronic illness of this planet is spreading. I do not wish to see living beings grieve, nor for the myriad things to wither and die."
It lowered its gaze and murmured as if in pity:
"May all that have sentience attain all they desire."
"You may all pray to me as you wish."
The scene on the light screen paused. A crimson text box appeared, with flashing red text constantly popping up:
[Because of your "Salvation" Trait, you have successfully stepped onto the Path of [The Abundance] while simultaneously being a Pathstrider of [The Preservation].]
[Because of your "Salvation" Trait, the concept of the Path of [The Abundance] has been slightly broadened by it. You now walk a Path that interprets [The Abundance] through the philosophy of Salvation.]
[Your White Trait "Salvation" has successfully been upgraded to "Salvation (Blue)" for encompassing two Paths.]
[Salvation (Blue): The philosophy of Salvation reveals different paths forward.
You can use the philosophy of Salvation to encompass the Paths you walk, broadening their concepts and bringing you new solutions.]
[The Paths currently encompassed by your Salvation Trait are: [The Preservation], [The Abundance].]
[All of your Path abilities will receive a minor boost of 20%.]
[Because you have successfully broadened the philosophy of the Path of [The Abundance], The Apothecary of [The Abundance] has cast its gentle gaze upon you.]
[An endless rain of light brushes past your cheek. It mourns for the future of Jarilo-VI, unable to bear seeing living beings fall into the calamitous fires of annihilation to burn and crumble, everything turning into a sorrowful, dead silence.]
[Because of its fondness for you, it will respond to all of your expectations.]
The text on the screen faded, and a crimson choice box popped up.
But this time, it was less a choice box and more a text input box—
[The Apothecary has left its attention on you. you can pray to it at any time, and it will respond to your wish without hesitation... in a way that it finds pleasing.]
[Please enter your prayer.]
Looking at the crimson text box, Ron felt not a shred of pleasant surprise, but rather a great deal of shock.
He rubbed his temples with a sense of resignation, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and gave a bitter smile.
"The Apothecary's attention is reasonable, but... but praying to the Apothecary is just too surreal, isn't it?"
Recalling the silhouettes that had just flashed across the screen, Ron felt a sense of helplessness.
Those silhouettes were obvious. They were none other than the Progeny of Abundance, blessed by the Apothecary.
As the only Aeon in the entire sea of stars who never refused a prayer, The Apothecary of Abundance presided over the most benevolent of Paths.
The philosophy of The Abundance was selflessness, healing, and dedication... nearly all Pathstriders who walked this Path normally were extremely kind-hearted people.
The Aeon of Abundance, the Apothecary, being bound by the driving force of its Path, was naturally a benevolent Aeon who embraced the cosmos with love.
But that didn't mean everything related to it was good.
In fact, because the Apothecary never refused a blessing, and because its blessings were overwhelmingly powerful, the creatures it blessed formed a terrifying force in the cosmos that could almost be called a natural disaster—
The Denizens of Abundance.
They helped others and sought blessings from the Apothecary... sounds pretty good, right?
But after others received the blessing, they would reveal their fangs, opening their greedy maws to the civilizations blessed by the Apothecary.
They plundered resources from the weak, plundered blessings from the blessed, and swarmed across the sea of stars like locusts. Everywhere they went became fodder to sustain their "immortality"...
In the words of the Xianzhou Alliance, who were protected by the Aeon of The Hunt, these Denizens of Abundance were a plague upon the stars. Those who received the Apothecary's blessing and completely collapsed under it were terrifying Progeny of Abundance, all of whom deserved to be reduced to annihilated bubbles under the light-arrows of The Hunt.
Ron absolutely did not dare to ask for a blessing from the Apothecary... Stepping onto the Path of The Abundance was enough for now. He didn't think for a second that after grinding some experience, he wouldn't be able to beat the Doomsday Beast in the future.
He didn't need the Apothecary's blessing at all.
Although the Apothecary's blessing could push his combat power to an unimaginable level—it would also push him into an uncontrollable abyss.
One had to remember, even the Xianzhou Alliance, which had studied The Abundance for millennia, still couldn't solve the various problems caused by its blessings...
The Mara-Struck affliction brought by long life had never been resolved. Even Jingliu, one of the High-Cloud Quintet, could not escape it, ultimately fighting her disciple Jing Yuan in the Starskiff Sea, her whereabouts unknown after the battle.
And Jingliu had only received the long life that everyone on the Xianzhou had, prayed for at the Ambrosial Arbor...
Someone like Ron, who would receive a direct blessing from the Apothecary, would probably go completely mad in a short time, transforming into an immortal Progeny of Abundance in an endless desire for growth.
He was playing a simulation game, not letting the game play him. Even if such a character was powerful, what was the point if he couldn't control it himself?
It was better to honestly grind levels and experience himself. Only what he slowly earned himself was truly his, and using it felt reliable...
Ron thought silently to himself, and after a moment of consideration, he typed a line of text on the light screen—
"This is a trial... To pray to a god would render the trial meaningless. I do not wish to pray to you."
The crimson text box on the light screen faded, and the scene resumed playing:
The Apothecary's elegant yet grotesque form gradually faded before Ron's eyes. Ron saw everything dissolve into illusion, only the warmth of the rain of light landing on his body slowly grew.
An ethereal voice drifted into his ears:
"How can a wingless bird fly out from the world-ending calamity of fire? May you cast aside your burdens, be no longer stubborn, and be free and at ease."
Its figure, about to fade completely, receded into the sea of stars. Ron suddenly saw the Apothecary before him seem to transform. Its gracefully curved arm turned into a menacing scorpion tail, which phantomly swept past Ron's cheek, its poisonous barb lightly piercing his face.
Ron saw an utterly insane scene flash before him—
The growth of all things, of all vines, became uncontrolled. The world twisted, greedily seizing everything. The recipients of the blessings wore hideous faces under the weight of it all, and the wails of abominations echoed throughout the land.
Watching the scene on the screen, Ron couldn't help but feel his skin crawl.
"This is too surreal. I feel like my real-life SAN value is plummeting just from playing a game..."
He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. The Apothecary was simply too baleful... The things he encountered from its direct attention, even just watching them on the screen, felt too mind-bending. His SAN value was dropping like a stone.
These images were simply indescribable. Even just looking at the flat screen, the visions were completely imprinted in his mind, difficult to dispel.
Just as Ron was struggling to recover from the shock the Apothecary had brought, the scene on the screen faded, and new text appeared:
[You have refused the blessing of The Apothecary of [The Abundance]. It has left you with an admonition and a mark.]
[Because of the Apothecary's choice, you have received a new Trait: "The Apothecary's Mark (Red)"]
[The Apothecary's Mark: The Apothecary of [The Abundance] has left a mark upon you. It will watch this mark at all times with one of its eyes. Its gaze will cover Jarilo-VI until this world is completely destroyed, until the myriad spirits wail and the flame of life is extinguished... or until it walks the path of recovery, the ice and snow melt, the plants grow, and birds sing in the sky.
It awaits you to change your mind, to pray to it once more, and receive the power and blessing you deserve.
Your [The Abundance] Path progression speed is increased by 100%. The effect of all your [The Abundance] Path abilities is increased by 100%.]
Looking at the text on the screen, Ron's mood, which had been low due to the previous images, suddenly soared. He felt completely relieved.
"Good. Although I didn't get the Apothecary's true blessing, I still received some help..."
"But I didn't expect the Apothecary to be so concerned about Jarilo-VI's future. As expected of the only Aeon who never refuses a prayer, who cannot bear to witness decay and sickness..."
Ron muttered to himself, very satisfied with the newly acquired trait.
Although the main reason this trait was Legendary Red was because it allowed him to pray to the Apothecary, for Ron, the accompanying bonuses were as good as a Golden Trait.
A direct 100% acceleration to his Abundance Path progression speed, and a 100% boost to the effects of all his Abundance abilities. This power exuded a simple and easy-to-understand beauty of strength...
Ron was filled with confidence that he could max out his experience and take down the Doomsday Beast without a scratch in the future.
He clicked the screen, and a new line of text appeared:
[You awaken from your trance to see Natasha's worried face.]
[She asks with concern if you are alright and what just happened, seemingly still out of the loop.]
[Because the Apothecary's blessing was too bizarre, you have no intention of letting Natasha know about it. You just say that you have stepped onto the Path of [The Abundance] and were just spacing out for a moment.]
[You look around and find the entire clinic covered in inexplicably grown vines.]
[You suspect this is related to The Apothecary of [The Abundance] and ask Natasha to help you clean them all up.]
[You briefly study the pruned vines and find that they are merely constructs created by the power of the Path of The Abundance and have not been influenced by the Apothecary.]
Seeing the text, Ron couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. The Apothecary was indeed only focused on him, the one who could broaden the Path's philosophy, and hadn't caused too much of an impact.
If that was the case, there would be no negative consequences for the future...
Ron looked at the screen and continued his operations. He left Natasha's clinic, preparing to completely exhaust his remaining Energy for the day by heading to the Wildfire base to check on their work and handle some routine affairs.
What Ron didn't know, however, was that on the other side...
Natasha was staring at the scene on her light screen, lost in a long silence.
The golden light from the screen reflected on her face, her magenta eyes filled with the expectation of a wish about to be fulfilled.
On the screen, a golden line of text was shining brightly—
[You witnessed the scene of Ron stepping onto the Path. The Apothecary cast its gaze upon Ron.]
[Among the myriad eyes of The Apothecary of [The Abundance], one of them cast its gaze upon you.]
[As a thousand points of light rained down to cleanse Ron, one drop separated and landed upon you.]
[Through the reflection in Ron's eyes, you saw the true form of The Apothecary of [The Abundance], saw the beacon at the end of the Path...]
[You have obtained a new Trait: "The Apothecary's Gaze (Gold)"]
[The Apothecary's Gaze: Your assistant, Ron, has received the mark of The Apothecary of [The Abundance]. It is constantly watching all of Jarilo-VI, watching your assistant Ron, awaiting his response... but at the same time, it has also noticed you.
Your [The Abundance] Path progression speed is increased by 10%. The effect of all your [The Abundance] Path abilities is increased by 10%.]
Natasha looked at the Golden Trait on the screen and took a deep breath.
Although Jarilo-VI had been sealed by the Stellaron for seven hundred years, the Architects' records still contained some information on a few of the more famous Aeons.
When Natasha was studying at the Belobog Medical College, as a doctor, she had read the records concerning The Apothecary of Abundance...
May all that have sentience attain all they desire.
The Apothecary never refused a prayer... As long as the Apothecary could see you, could hear your plea, it would surely grant your wish.
Just like... the current Natasha.
She, too, could now pray to the Apothecary.