---o---
To think something like this would happen...
Natasha gently placed a hand over her heart, feeling her pulse quicken. She closed her eyes and took a long moment to calm herself before her emotions finally settled.
This was the Apothecary...
An entry in the Architects' archives once recorded:
"Flowers bloom in profusion, heading toward an unavoidable withering; birds spread their wings and sing, flying toward an unavoidable fall; streams babble and gurgle, flowing toward an unavoidable drying—why must all things perish? There must be a panacea in the universe, sufficient to cure the chronic ailment named 'short life'."
The Apothecary was the nurturer of all beings, the god of paradise, aiming to make life flourish without end... It traveled among the sea of stars, striving to heal the suffering of life.
May all that have sentience attain all they desire. It never refused any prayer...
All the suffering on Jarilo-VI right now was also within the scope of the Apothecary's healing.
If Natasha wished, she could even pray to the Apothecary for a new world as warm as spring, changing the entire snow-swept, deathly environment of Jarilo-VI and making it burst with vitality...
At that time, people would be able to escape the snowstorm and the Fragmentum, starting a new life in a warm new world.
Natasha looked at the text box for entering a prayer on the light screen, subconsciously wanting to type in her wish...
But she stopped her own hand, halting the thought just before she made the prayer.
"No... I can't. I can't make a wish like that."
Natasha patted her cheeks, forcing her mind, which had been overwhelmed with excitement, to return to normal.
As the Aeon in charge of the Path of The Abundance, although a prayer to the Apothecary would surely succeed, it wasn't necessarily a good thing.
Although Natasha had never had contact with the Apothecary, she knew one thing for certain...
Every gift from fate comes with a price tag, marked the very moment it appears.
This was a logic that only an adult who had struggled for a long time in the Underworld and experienced far too much could deeply understand.
If she prayed to the Apothecary for a new world as warm as spring, would her wish truly be realized in the way she expected?
Natasha didn't doubt the Apothecary's "benevolence," but she doubted whether this world could bear its kindness.
After all, judging from the scene just now, where the Apothecary's mere attention on Ron caused numerous vines to sprout around him and fill the entire clinic, if she really prayed for a new world...
It might bring about another kind of disaster.
For example, unimaginably giant plants and animals could replace the endless snowstorms and the Anti-Matter Legion on Jarilo-VI, and humanity would only be able to survive in the cracks between them.
After all, in the eyes of The Apothecary of Abundance, humans, ordinary animals, and plants were probably all just forms of "life"...
Its benevolence wouldn't differ whether it was facing humans or flora and fauna; everything would receive its equal blessing.
Therefore, she absolutely could not make such a huge wish.
The bigger the wish, the harder it was to constrain, and the more difficult the potential problems would be to handle...
But that didn't mean she should give up entirely and not pray at all out of fear.
Although Ron had just helped her break through a bottleneck and "Snowstorm Immunity" now had a new research direction, Natasha knew that the probability of her researching a construct that could resist Fragmentum corrosion on her own was extremely small.
If she could pray to the Apothecary and receive such a construct...
Since it was just a construct to help resist Fragmentum corrosion, Natasha felt that such a small act of kindness was something she could handle.
Moreover, if she could develop the complete "Snowstorm Immunity" now, the whole of Belobog could begin its revival.
Natasha believed that under Ron's control, their entire civilization would begin to recover at an extremely rapid pace, until they had completely conquered the snowstorm and the Fragmentum, and the flame of civilization burned across all of Jarilo-VI.
And... even if something really did go wrong, it would just be a single instance of trial and error.
This was just a simulation. If a problem truly arose, it would just be a lesson learned, a reminder not to pray in the next simulation...
With that in mind, Natasha tapped on the text box on the light screen and carefully typed:
[O Apothecary, I wish for a medicinal ingredient that can be easily replicated, is effective only on humans, has no malignant effects on the human body, does not conflict with other medicinal herbs, and whose medicinal effect is to resist Fragmentum corrosion.]
She very carefully wrote down many restrictions, confining her prayer to a safe range.
The text box on the screen rippled like water and then slowly dissipated, replaced by crimson text that appeared bit by bit:
[The Apothecary of [The Abundance] has heard your prayer.]
[The Plagues Author is merciful. It glances at you with pity. A drop of dew falls from the vine in its hand, wrapped in endless Imaginary energy, it breaks the boundaries of time and space and lands before you.]
[It drips onto the floor. The same floor where vines had grown because of Ron now sprouts new plants.]
[The roots of an unremarkable berry bush twine around the rough floor stones. Nurtured by Imaginary energy, it grows continuously, eventually becoming lush and verdant. From the bush sprout fingertip-sized, bright red berries.]
[You smell an elegant, sweet fragrance coming from the berries. With extreme caution, you use a knife to cut the entire small cluster of the berry bush from the stone tiles, leaving not a single trace behind.]
[You carefully conduct a simple study of this berry cluster and find that although it is a blessing from The Apothecary of [The Abundance], it doesn't have many miraculous properties.]
[You drop a berry into a potion flask and watch it dissolve. The progress of your "Project: Snowstorm Immunity" increases significantly.]
The progress bar for "Project: Snowstorm Immunity" popped up on the screen, shooting directly from 50% to the end.
["Project: Snowstorm Immunity" is fully complete. You have obtained a complete "Snowstorm Immunity" formula.]
[You use yourself as the first test subject for the potion. You consume the "Snowstorm Immunity."]
[You find that your body has not changed, but when you retrieve a monster material salvaged from the Fragmentum from a pile of junk, the Imaginary energy from the Fragmentum on it attempts to corrode you.]
[The skin where you touch the monster material grows slightly warm. You discover a strange power emerging from within your body, perfectly resisting the Fragmentum's corrosion.]
[Your body has not worsened from taking the medicine. You feel that your condition has never been better. "Snowstorm Immunity" has fulfilled its intended purpose.]
[You try crushing a berry, extracting its seeds, and dropping them into a small pot filled with sand and gravel.]
[You pour some water into it, and the seeds immediately sprout. The roots wrap around the rough gravel and rapidly grow into a small berry bush. A few small, green berries grow on its branches, slowly ripening.]
[According to your judgment, this berry only needs gravel and enough water to grow rapidly, likely maturing in about three days.]
[The Apothecary of [The Abundance] has lovingly fulfilled your prayer, perfectly meeting your requirements.]
[It seems the words "May all that have sentience attain all they desire" are not empty talk.]
Reading the text on the screen, Natasha's tense mood instantly relaxed.
She had won her bet...
The Apothecary's blessing didn't cause any problems; instead, it perfectly fulfilled her request.
Now, with the complete "Snowstorm Immunity," she had the ability to let the Underworld, and even all of Belobog, step out into the snowstorm and begin a new life...
With this thought, Natasha subconsciously prepared to start cultivating the blessed berries en masse to mass-produce "Snowstorm Immunity."
But looking at the screen, Natasha pondered for a moment and decided not to be so hasty. She would first find Ron in the simulation and tell him about this.
After all, Ron was now the leader of Wildfire. The completion of "Snowstorm Immunity" was no small matter. Ron had to be informed first...
She was just a doctor now. A doctor shouldn't meddle in the developmental direction of Wildfire... Ron would surely have a better way to handle this. This matter should be left to him.
Thinking this, Natasha clicked the screen, waited until the second day of the simulation, and found Ron.
---o---
[You have returned to the Wildfire base. Seele approaches you with some suggestions, hoping you will consider her ideas and enact new policies for the Underworld.]
Why does Seele always have so many ideas...
Ron looked at the text with a sense of resignation, but considering Seele's proactive nature in the last simulation, it was normal for her to be constantly proposing various opinions now.
Since Ron had become the leader of Wildfire, Seele often gave him suggestions, but they were all similar to her actions in the previous simulation, and even a bit inferior—because the Seele in this simulation wasn't ruthless enough.
Seele is still too young. These suggestions are really not very useful...
Ron sighed and operated the interface, giving Seele a perfunctory response.
[You express a certain degree of approval for Seele's opinion and tell her you will consider it.]
[Seele is clearly in a good mood because of your approval.]
[You finish processing the important documents on your desk, lie down on your bed exhausted, and fall into a deep sleep.]
Nothing major happened. A very peaceful day...
Ron looked at the screen with satisfaction, picked up the water glass from the table beside him, and took a comfortable sip.
He was very pleased with the progress of this simulation. He could figure out how to play the rest of it with his feet.
This simulation felt as satisfying as using a cheat engine. From now on, he just needed to develop his faction step-by-step, diligently grind his experience and levels, and repeat the operations from the last simulation to reach a new ending.
The only major threat on Jarilo-VI was that Doomsday Beast. As long as Ron could deal with it without dying, he believed he could make this world prosper and be free of any further crises.
After all, after eliminating the threats of the Anti-Matter Legion and the Stellaron, the only remaining potential threat was Sampo, the Masked Fool.
And Sampo was someone you could communicate with... Ron felt he probably wouldn't be too much trouble, at least far easier to handle than an enemy like the Anti-Matter Legion, with whom communication was impossible.
With these thoughts, Ron took another sip of water, watching as the text on the screen faded and a new line appeared:
[You awaken from your sleep and greet a new day.]
[You were originally planning to carry out your work for the day as usual, but Natasha finds you and excitedly tells you something.]
[Relying on a blessing from The Apothecary of [The Abundance], she has completed the research for 'Snowstorm Immunity'.]
"Pfft—!"
The mouthful of water Ron had just taken sprayed out violently. He stared at the screen, his pupils quaking.
Wha-wha-wha-what the hell—?!!!
A blessing from the Apothecary?!
Where are the Progeny of Abundance? Is there still time to contact the Xianzhou? When does the Astral Express arrive at Jarilo-VI in the story? Do the Stellaron and the Anti-Matter Legion have the ability to suppress the Progeny?
In an instant, countless thoughts and potential methods for dealing with the Progeny of Abundance flashed through Ron's mind.
But he quickly shook his head, clearing the scattered thoughts and forcing himself to calm down.
No... I can't panic.
It's just a game, what's there to be flustered about?
The fact that Natasha could still come and find him meant she was fine for now... Since a day had passed since she faced the Apothecary's blessing without anything happening, it meant the impact of this blessing wasn't significant.
At the very least, it wasn't a blessing like the Ambrosial Arbor, a colossal construct that could blot out an entire star system. The impact couldn't be so severe that it was completely unmanageable...
Thinking this, Ron composed himself. He then saw the text on the screen fade and a new choice appear:
[You hear that Natasha has received a blessing from The Apothecary of [The Abundance]. Your mind is in turmoil, and countless thoughts emerge.]
[Please Choose—]
[1. "Damn it, in for a penny, in for a pound. Since it's come to this, I'll pray once too!"
You feel that the blessing of The Abundance is an unmanageable problem. Since it's already unmanageable, there's no difference between one prayer and two.
You decide to pray devoutly to The Apothecary of [The Abundance]. Given the Apothecary's fondness for you, it will grant any of your wishes.]
[2. "How should I solve this trouble? Or maybe... forget it?"
You feel that the blessing of The Abundance is an unmanageable problem. You feel that everything you do will ultimately amount to nothing, like a meaningless void.
You will give up on handling this matter. Your [Nihility Value] will greatly increase. When your [Nihility Value] reaches 100, you will step onto the Path of [Nihility].]
[3. "There's still a chance for everything. I shouldn't give up hope... Perhaps, by emulating the Xianzhou Alliance, we might have a chance to digest the Apothecary's blessing."
You have not lost hope. you feel that even when facing a blessing from The Abundance, it might be possible to digest it. You decide to understand the matter in detail before making a decision.
You will do your best to handle this matter. Your Stress Value will increase slightly, but you have upheld the philosophy of "Salvation." After completing this event, all of your Path experience will increase to some extent.]
...Why is there only one option that involves actually trying?
The first one is practically hoping for things to get worse, and the second is just giving up... Give me a break.
Ron rubbed his forehead in resignation. Based on his earlier deduction, they were far from the point where they should just give up.
A setback might be a blessing in disguise. Perhaps they really did have a chance to digest the Apothecary's blessing.
If Lan of The Hunt could lead the Xianzhou Alliance to this point, digesting the Ambrosial Arbor blessed by the Apothecary, couldn't he, Ron, lead Belobog to digest a small blessing from the Apothecary?
Let's do it!
Giving himself a mental pep talk, Ron chose the third option without hesitation.
The choice box faded, and new text appeared:
[You have decided to do your best to handle the Apothecary's blessing, unwilling to give up even the slightest bit of hope.]
[You follow Natasha back to her clinic. You see the berry bush that Natasha has carefully sealed away and learn about the berries' effects from her.]
[You believe that the Apothecary's blessing cannot possibly be as harmless as Natasha claims. There must be something she hasn't tested for yet...]
[You decide to do as she did and use yourself as a test subject, consuming the newly made "Snowstorm Immunity."]
[You keenly notice that the new potion is different from the previous version. You discover that a special energy has merged with your body, slightly and permanently altering it, making you healthier and improving your constitution.]
[Together with Natasha, you conduct extremely detailed experiments, even venturing into the deeply corroded Rivet Town to get extremely close to the Fragmentum's corrosion.]
[You discover that when you face Fragmentum corrosion, a wondrous power emerges from within your body, resisting the corrosion.]
[But every gift has a price, and energy is always conserved... You find that after this power resists the Fragmentum corrosion, a portion of the energy within your body disappears.]
[The Fragmentum is constantly corroding you, and you are constantly consuming energy.]
[As a Pathstrider, you can use Imaginary energy to replenish the consumption of "Snowstorm Immunity." However, when you restrict the replenishment of Imaginary energy, you find yourself gradually becoming hungry.]
[You have thoroughly studied these berries and understood their effects.]
[Perhaps because Natasha's prayer was so strictly limited, these berries are not as powerful as other blessings from the Apothecary. They truly do not have many side effects. They merely require energy to resist Fragmentum corrosion, which is a reasonable price.]
Ron let out a sigh of relief as he read the text.
Thank goodness, thank goodness...
The effect wasn't too strong.
The blessings of The Apothecary of Abundance were always like this, adhering to the principle of energy conservation.
The reason the Denizens of Abundance so frantically plundered other civilizations and the blessings other recipients received was because their immortality required energy to sustain.
It was just that the energy required for immortality and the energy needed to resist Fragmentum corrosion were on completely different levels...
Belobog might actually be able to digest the gift brought by these little berries.
As Ron thought this, new text appeared on the screen:
[After completing the detailed research on these berries, Natasha's mood has clearly improved.]
[She believes these berries have no significant side effects and can be cultivated on a large scale to produce enough "Snowstorm Immunity" to trigger a mass evolution for humanity.]
[When no one needs to fear the snowstorm and Fragmentum corrosion, the endless snowfields of this world will become a new home for humanity.]
[She expects you to make good use of this gift from The Apothecary of [The Abundance].]
The text faded, and a new choice box appeared:
[Natasha's words leave you conflicted. Since this gift from the Apothecary does not have major side effects, perhaps the future she hopes for can truly be realized this way.]
[Please Choose—]
[1. "You're right, Natasha. We can't remain stagnant. It's time to open up a new world."
You completely agree with Natasha's view. You decide to cultivate the blessed berries on a large scale and distribute "Snowstorm Immunity" to everyone.
By choosing this option, you will initiate a mass evolution. After completing "Project: Mass Evolution," the "Species: Human" will gain several new traits.
Your Favorability with Natasha will increase dramatically.]
[2. "No, we can't use these things! The Apothecary's blessing is too dangerous. We should destroy it completely right now!"
You sternly refute Natasha's view. you believe the Apothecary's blessing must have severe side effects that you haven't discovered. You decide to abandon this blessing entirely.
By choosing this option, you will completely destroy this blessing from the Apothecary.
Natasha will be unable to understand your actions, and her Favorability toward you will decrease significantly.]
[3. "Perhaps we should make rational use of this gift..."
You are extremely cautious about whether to use the blessed berries. You decide to use this blessing on a small scale, and whether to promote it on a large scale will depend on future observation.
By choosing this option, you will cultivate the blessed berries on a very small scale. You will put out a call within Wildfire to recruit a number of highly loyal members to form a "Pioneer Group."
Humans who join the Pioneer Group will evolve and gain several new traits.
Your Favorability with Natasha will increase slightly.]
Looking at the options, Ron frowned and fell into deep thought.
It was a standard three-way choice: yes, no, and a middle ground.
However, for Ron, there were only two viable options. He dismissed the second option the moment he saw it.
After all, having come this far, Ron would never choose to destroy this blessing.
He couldn't be terrified of it just because it was from the Apothecary; all things must be viewed dialectically...
If they could really have everyone take "Snowstorm Immunity" and undergo a mass evolution, it might be another path to a perfect clear.
At that time, the Stellaron would no longer be a threat to humanity, but a protective umbrella that trapped the Anti-Matter Legion and locked down all interstellar routes, protecting the star system where Jarilo-VI resided.
This would give them the space to recover the strength lost in the previous war with the Anti-Matter Legion and the seven hundred years of struggle against the Stellaron.
Humanity could treat the vast snowfields as a new home, reclaim the territories of civilization, and slowly develop until they had the ability to protect themselves. Only then would they deal with the Stellaron and the Anti-Matter Legion and once again face the cold, merciless sea of stars.
Ron was confident that if he could grind Path experience without any threats and completely control the development of civilization on Jarilo-VI, he could probably use the Path of The Abundance to extend his life to an unimaginable length, becoming the immortal emperor of this planet.
It was hard to say to what extent he could develop this civilization then...
At the very least, after resolving the Stellaron issue, none of the cosmic calamities in this sea of stars would pose too serious a threat to the Jarilo-VI of that era.
But... should he really choose the first option?
After long and careful consideration, Ron hesitated between the first and third options, but ultimately gave up on clicking the first.
Because he felt that something was not right... he seemed to have gotten carried away by the Apothecary's blessing.
No... promoting a mass evolution for humanity isn't wrong, but it's absolutely not something to be done now.
Ron suddenly came to his senses, waking from his fantasy of the future and looking at the present state of the Underworld—
The current Underworld could not bear such a blessing.
One must remember that the Fragmentum's corrosion wasn't the only threat within it; the various Fragmentum creations were the most dangerous part.
These creations were not something ordinary people could handle. If people, high on the immunity to snow and Fragmentum, decided to return to their former homes in the Fragmentum because they couldn't survive in the city, one could easily imagine the casualties and chaos that would ensue.
Moreover, the complete "Snowstorm Immunity" was not without a price. It required energy to be protected within the Fragmentum.
But... looking at the current situation in the Underworld, was there really enough food?
Having handled Wildfire's daily affairs during this period, Ron had a very deep understanding of this matter.
The resources in the Underworld were insufficient. And not just the Underworld; even if the Overworld and Underworld were integrated, there wouldn't be enough resources for everyone to be well-fed.
He had learned this in the last simulation. Even when the empire developed to its final stages, it couldn't solve the problem of hunger for everyone.
Pushing for mass distribution of "Snowstorm Immunity" now was absolutely out of the question. It would only lead to corpses littering the ground from starvation, causing all of Belobog to collapse before hope could even dawn...
A "Pioneer Group" was indeed what they needed to form.
Support a portion of extremely loyal subordinates to take "Snowstorm Immunity," explore the old-world ruins buried in the snow, and gradually expand humanity's sphere of influence.
Then, they needed to find a way to improve cultivation techniques. Although "Snowstorm Immunity" could make humans immune to the cold and Fragmentum, it didn't mean it could do the same for the crops they planted.
However, Ron quickly thought of a solution. In the early stages, they could set up greenhouses on the ice plains, heated by Jarilo-VI's unique Geomarrow, and grow crops inside.
Then, they would develop steadily until the entire planet was under their control and they had sufficient agricultural technology and food reserves. Only then would they consider the matter of mass evolution...
Thinking about it, this was a completely new path, different from before, and it had a high chance of success... This was good.
Ron thought pensively and finally clicked on the third option.
The options on the screen faded, and a new scene appeared:
"Natasha... don't be hasty. We must use this gift rationally."
In the scene, Ron's expression was calm, a stark contrast to the emotionally agitated Natasha, who was clutching a potion bottle in her hand.
He pointed to the carefully sealed blessed berries and said seriously:
"The Apothecary's blessing isn't the problem, but that doesn't mean we can completely digest this gift right now... The Underworld is too poor, Natasha."
"The chronic illness of poverty cannot be treated with strong medicine... Let me handle these blessed berries."
The scene on the screen faded, and new text appeared:
[You have chosen to handle these blessed berries with caution.]
[You persuaded Natasha and have carefully sealed all the blessed berries in the hidden room of her clinic, taking out only a small portion to make a few vials of "Snowstorm Immunity" potion.]
[Your Stress Value has slightly increased. Your current Stress Value is 60/100.]
[You have gained 1000 all-Path experience. Because of your "The Apothecary's Mark" Trait, you have gained an additional 9000 [The Abundance] Path experience.]
[Due to the "Symbiosis of Light and Shadow" Trait, your mutual Favorability with Natasha has slightly increased.]
[As your Favorability has already reached the maximum, it cannot increase further.]
[The Favorability gained has been converted into Bonding Progress. Your current Bonding Progress is: 1/20.]
[Gain more Favorability to increase Bonding Progress. When the Bonding Progress is maxed out, you will trigger the Vows of Matrimony.]
[After triggering the Vows of Matrimony, you will obtain a new duo-combination Trait, the Favorability cap will be updated to 200, and more special events will become possible.]
Looking at the text, Ron paused for a moment, only now realizing that his Favorability with Natasha had been completely maxed out in this simulation.
But on second thought, it was normal. Natasha was gentle and beautiful, broad-minded, and in the simulation, she trusted him so completely, delegating all power to him and even teaching him medical knowledge to let him grind experience like crazy...
Compared to Seele and Bronya before, Natasha was winning by a landslide.
If this happened in reality, Ron felt he might very well be won over by Natasha, not to mention that in the simulation, they had the "Symbiosis of Light and Shadow" Trait, which made it easier to increase Favorability...
He wondered what kind of event would trigger after they were bonded... They were in another world, so he just hoped the great god of censorship wasn't a thing here, right?
If there were some nice scenes later on...
Ron rubbed his hands together, suddenly full of anticipation for the future of this simulation.
He clicked the screen and continued the simulation:
[You bid farewell to Natasha and decide to return to the Wildfire base to implement the "Pioneer Group" plan.]
[But before you can reach the Wildfire base, your old superior, Bronya Rand, blocks your path on the street.]
---o---
P.S. (Author's Note):
This chapter is over 8,000 characters. I actually wrote over 10,000 today, but I decided to save the remaining 2,000 as a stockpile to stabilize my update times.