The bond with Natasha
Unexpectedly encountering such an event...
Natasha gently placed her hand on her chest, feeling her increasingly rapid heartbeat. She closed her eyes and calmed herself for a long time before gradually regaining her composure.
It was the Apothecary...
The records in the Architects' archives contained such descriptions:
"Flowers bloom wantonly, only to face inevitable wilting; birds spread their wings and sing, only to face inevitable falling; streams babble and flow, only to face inevitable drying up—why must all things perish? There must be a panacea in the universe capable of curing the stubborn disease called 'short life.'"
The Apothecary is the nurturer of all beings, the god of abundance, aiming to ensure the thriving and unending prosperity of life... He travels among the stars, tirelessly working to heal the sufferings of life.
To grant all sentient beings whatever they desire, He never refuses any prayer...
Now, all the suffering on Jarilo-VI also falls 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, transforming the deathly cold environment of Jarilo-VI into one teeming with vitality...
Then people could escape the wind and snow and start new lives in a warm new world.
Natasha looked at the text box on the light screen for entering wishes, instinctively wanting to input her wish...
But she restrained her wrist and stopped her thoughts just before making a wish.
"No... no, I can't make such a wish."
Natasha patted her cheeks, forcibly clearing her mind clouded by excitement.
As a star god who controls the Path of Abundance, although praying to Him would certainly succeed, it might not always be a good thing.
Although Natasha had never interacted with the Apothecary, she knew one thing...
All gifts from fate are marked with a price the moment they appear.
This is a logic deeply understood by those who have been toiling in the underworld for a long time, having experienced too much.
If Natasha wished 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 this world could bear His goodwill.
After all, judging by the recent scene where the Apothecary merely glanced at Ron, causing numerous vines to grow around him and fill the entire clinic, if Natasha really prayed for a new world...
It might bring another kind of disaster.
For example, unimaginable giant plants and animals could replace the endless wind, snow, and antimatter legion on Jarilo-VI, forcing humans to survive in their crevices.
After all, in the eyes of the Apothecary of Abundance, whether humans, ordinary animals, or plants, are probably just forms of "life"...
His benevolence wouldn't differ whether facing humans or flora and fauna; everything would receive His equal blessing.
So, making such a grand wish is absolutely forbidden.
The bigger the wish, the harder it is to constrain, and the more difficult the problems it might cause...
But that doesn't mean giving up on praying to the Apothecary.
Although Ron had just helped her find a new research direction for snowstorm immunity, Natasha knew the possibility of her independently creating something to resist the erosion of the Expanse was extremely slim.
If she could pray to the Apothecary and receive such a creation...
Because it's just a small gesture of goodwill to help resist the erosion of the Expanse, Natasha felt she could still bear it.
Moreover, if she could now research and complete snowstorm immunity, Belobog would begin to revive.
Natasha believed that under Ron's leadership, civilization would rapidly revive, until it completely conquered the snow and the Expanse, spreading the fire of civilization throughout Jarilo-VI.
And... even if something did go wrong, it would only be a trial and error.
This is just a simulation. If something goes wrong, it will just be a lesson learned, knowing not to pray next time...
With this thought in mind, Natasha clicked on the text box on the light screen and carefully entered:
"Great Apothecary, I wish for a material that can be easily replicated, is effective only for humans, has no adverse effects on the human body, does not conflict with other medicinal properties, and can resist the erosion of the Expanse."
She very seriously wrote down many limitations, restricting her wish to a safe range.
The text box on the light screen rippled like water and then slowly disappeared, replaced by deep red text gradually emerging:
"[Abundance] The Apothecary has heard your prayer."
"The Apothecary, with benevolence, glanced at you with compassion. A drop of dew dripped from the vine in His hand, breaking through the boundaries of time and space under the infinite imaginary energy, and landed in front of you."
"It dripped onto the ground, and new plants grew from the vines that had sprouted from the floor due to Ron."
"An inconspicuous cluster of berry roots wrapped around the rough floor stones, constantly growing under the stimulation of imaginary energy, eventually becoming lush. Small, fingertip-sized, bright red berries emerged from the thicket."
"You smelled the delicate sweet scent of the berries and very cautiously used a knife to cut down the entire small cluster of berries from the brick, leaving nothing behind."
"You conducted a simple study on this small cluster of berries and found that although it was a blessing from [Abundance] The Apothecary, it did not possess much mystical power."
"You threw a berry into a potion bottle, watched it dissolve in the potion, and the progress of your 'Project: Snowstorm Immunity' significantly increased."
The progress bar for "Project: Snowstorm Immunity" on the light screen directly moved from 50% to the end.
"'Project: Snowstorm Immunity' is completely finished. You have obtained a complete 'Snowstorm Immunity.'"
"You used yourself as the first test subject for the potion, taking 'Snowstorm Immunity.'"
"You found no changes in your body, but when you took out a piece of monster material captured in the Expanse from the pile of miscellaneous items, the imaginary energy from the Expanse on it attempted to erode you."
"The skin in contact with the monster material felt slightly warm, and you noticed an inexplicable force emerging from your body, perfectly resisting the erosion from the Expanse."
"Your body did not deteriorate after taking the potion. You felt better than ever, and 'Snowstorm Immunity' performed as it should."
"You tried crushing a berry, extracted the seeds, and planted them in a small pot filled with sand."
"You watered it a little, and the seeds immediately sprouted. The roots entwined the rough sandstones, quickly growing into a small cluster of berries, with small green berries growing on the branches, slowly maturing."
"In your judgment, these berries only need sand and enough water to grow quickly, maturing in about three days."
"[Abundance] The Apothecary lovingly fulfilled your wish, perfectly meeting your requirements."
"The phrase 'grant all sentient beings whatever they desire' is not just empty words."
Reading the words on the light screen, Natasha's previously tense mood instantly relaxed.
She had gambled and won...
The Apothecary's blessing had no issues and perfectly fulfilled her requirements.
Now, with the complete 'Snowstorm Immunity,' she had the ability to allow the underworld and even the entire Belobog to step into the snow and start a new life...
Thinking this, Natasha instinctively prepared to plant the berries given by the Apothecary as seeds, starting mass production of 'Snowstorm Immunity.'
But looking at the light screen in front of her, Natasha pondered for a moment and decided not to be too hasty but to first find Ron in the simulation and discuss this matter with him.
After all, Ron was now the leader of the Underworld Flame. The complete 'Snowstorm Immunity' was no small matter; it had to be reported to Ron first...
Now, she was just a doctor. Doctors should not meddle in the development direction of the Underworld Flame... Ron would have a better way to handle this; this matter had to be left to him.
With this in mind, Natasha clicked on the light screen, waited until the next day in the simulation, and found Ron.
-------------------------------------
"You returned to the Underworld Flame base, and Seele came to you, offering some suggestions, hoping you would consider her ideas for new policies in the underworld."
Why does Seele always have so many ideas...
Ron looked at the words on the light screen, somewhat helpless, but considering that Seele had been very proactive in the last simulation, it was normal for her to keep offering various suggestions now.
After becoming the leader of the Underworld Flame, Seele often gave him various suggestions, but these suggestions were similar to her actions in the last simulation, even less effective—because this time, Seele was not as ruthless.
Seele was still too young, and these suggestions were really useless...
Ron helplessly manipulated a bit, perfunctorily dealing with Seele.
"You showed a certain degree of approval for Seele's suggestions and told her you would consider them."
"Seele was visibly pleased with your recognition."
"After handling the important documents on the desk, you lay on the bed, exhausted, and fell asleep."
Nothing happened; it was a very peaceful day...
Ron was satisfied with the progress of the simulation so far, took a sip of water from the cup on the table, feeling at ease.
He was very pleased with the progress of this simulation, knowing exactly what to do next.
This simulation was incredibly smooth, like playing with cheat codes. All he had to do was develop his forces step by step, gain experience, and repeat the actions from the last simulation to reach a new ending.
On Jarilo-VI, the biggest threat
was the Destruction Vanguard. As long as Ron could deal with the Destruction Vanguard without dying, he believed that the world would thrive, free from any crises.
After all, after dealing with the antimatter legion and the Stellaron, the only remaining threat would be Sampo, the masked fool.
And Sampo could be communicated with... Ron felt he wouldn't be too much trouble, definitely easier to handle than the antimatter legion, which couldn't be communicated with at all.
With this thought, Ron took another sip of water and watched the words on the light screen fade away, new words appearing:
"You woke up from your sleep, greeted by a new day."
"You were preparing to carry out today's work step by step, but Natasha approached you, excitedly telling you something."
"Relying on the blessing of [Abundance] The Apothecary, she completed the research on 'Snowstorm Immunity.'"
"Pfft!"
The sip of water Ron had just taken was suddenly sprayed out, his eyes widening at the light screen.
Wha-what the heck—?!
The Apothecary's blessing?!
Where's the offspring of Abundance? Is there still time to contact the Xianzhou? When did the Astral Express arrive on Jarilo-VI in the plot? Do the Stellaron and the antimatter legion have the ability to suppress the offspring of Abundance?
For a moment, countless thoughts and various possible ways to handle the offspring of Abundance popped into Ron's mind.
But soon, he shook his head, clearing these scattered thoughts and returning to normal.
No, no... there's no need to panic.
It's just a game, what's there to panic about?
Since Natasha could still come to him, it meant she was temporarily fine... since a day had passed without any problems from the Apothecary's blessing, it meant the impact of this blessing was definitely not too great.
At least it wasn't the kind of giant creation that overshadowed star systems; the impact wouldn't be to that extent...
With this thought, Ron calmed himself down, then saw the words on the light screen fade away, and new choices appeared:
"You heard that Natasha received the blessing of [Abundance] The Apothecary, and your mind was in turmoil, countless thoughts flooding your mind."
"Please choose—"
"1. 'Damn it, in for a penny, in for a pound, I'll pray too!'
You feel the blessing of [Abundance] is an unmanageable problem. Since it's already unmanageable, one prayer or two makes no difference. You decide to pray to [Abundance] The Apothecary devoutly. Given the Apothecary's favor, He will grant your every wish."
"2. 'How should I handle this trouble? Or... forget it?'
You feel the blessing of [Abundance] is an unmanageable problem. You think your actions will ultimately be meaningless. You decide to abandon handling this matter, your [Void Value] will greatly increase, and when your [Void Value] reaches 100, you will embark on the Path of [Void]."
"3. 'There's still hope... maybe, emulating the Xianzhou Alliance, we might have a chance to digest the Apothecary's blessing.'
You haven't lost hope, believing there's a possibility to digest even the blessing of [Abundance]. You decide to understand this matter in detail before making a decision. You will try your best to handle this matter, your stress value will slightly increase, but you will uphold the 'savior' principle, and after completing this event, all your path experience will increase to some extent."
...why is there only one option that involves trying hard?
The first one is eager to escalate the situation, the second is purely giving up... that's really about it.
Ron rubbed his forehead helplessly. Based on the earlier deduction, it was far from time to give up completely.
A blessing in disguise, who knows, they might really have a chance to digest the Apothecary's blessing.
Could the hunter Arlan lead the Xianzhou Alliance to such heights, digesting the Apothecary's blessing of the Jianmu? Couldn't Ron lead Belobog to digest the Apothecary's small blessing?
Let's do it!
Cheering himself up, Ron unhesitatingly chose the third option.
The option box on the light screen faded away, and new words appeared:
"You decide to do your best to handle the Apothecary's blessing, not giving up a shred of hope."
"You followed Natasha back to her clinic and saw the carefully sealed cluster of berries. Natasha explained the berries' effects to you."
"You believed the Apothecary's blessing couldn't possibly be as harmless as Natasha claimed; there must be something she hadn't tested..."
"You decided, like her, to use yourself as a test subject and took the newly made 'Snowstorm Immunity.'"
"You keenly noticed that the new potion was different from the previous one. A special energy fused into your body, slightly and permanently modifying it, making you healthier and physically stronger."
"You and Natasha conducted extremely detailed experiments, even infiltrating the deeply eroded Rivet Town to closely interact with the erosion."
"You discovered that when facing the erosion, a peculiar energy emerged from your body, resisting the erosion."
"But every gift comes with a price; energy is always conserved... you found that after resisting the erosion, a part of your energy disappeared."
"The erosion is constant, and so is the energy consumption."
"As a path walker, you can use imaginary energy to replenish the 'Snowstorm Immunity' consumption, but when you limit imaginary energy replenishment, you feel increasingly hungry."
"You thoroughly researched these berries, understanding their effects."
"Perhaps due to Natasha's stringent requirements when praying, these berries were not as powerful as other Apothecary blessings; they had minimal side effects, merely consuming energy to resist erosion, a reasonable price."
Reading the words on the light screen, Ron breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, the effect was not too strong.
The blessings of [Abundance] The Apothecary always adhere to the principle of energy conservation.
The people of Abundance are so crazed about plundering other civilizations and the blessings received by other blessers because their longevity requires energy to sustain.
But the energy needed to grant immortality is vastly different from the energy needed to resist erosion...
The small gift brought by these little berries, Belobog might really be able to digest it.
With this thought, new words appeared on the light screen:
"After completing the detailed study of these berries, Natasha's mood visibly improved."
"She believes these berries have no side effects and can be mass-produced to formulate enough 'Snowstorm Immunity,' enabling humans to undergo a group evolution."
"When everyone no longer fears the snowstorm and the Expanse, the endless snowfields will become a new home for humanity."
"She expects you to make good use of this gift from [Abundance] The Apothecary."
The words on the light screen faded away, and new options appeared:
"Natasha's words left you conflicted. Perhaps the future she hoped for could indeed be realized since the Apothecary's blessing has no significant side effects."
"Please choose—"
"1. 'You're right, Natasha. We can't be stagnant; it's time to explore new horizons.'
You fully agree with Natasha's view, deciding to mass-produce the blessed berries and distribute 'Snowstorm Immunity' to everyone. Choosing this option will initiate a group evolution. After completing 'Project: Group Evolution,' the species 'Human' will gain various new traits. Your favorability with Natasha will greatly increase."
"2. 'No, we can't use these things; the Apothecary's blessing is too dangerous. We should destroy it completely now!'
You severely refute Natasha's view, believing the Apothecary's blessing must have serious side effects you haven't discovered yet, deciding to abandon this blessing altogether. Choosing this option will completely destroy the Apothecary's blessing. Natasha will be unable to understand your actions, and her favorability towards you will greatly decrease."
"3. 'Perhaps we should make reasonable use of this gift...'
You are very cautious about using the blessed berries, deciding to utilize them minimally, leaving large-scale promotion for later observation. Choosing this option will result in small-scale cultivation of the blessed berries. You will recruit highly loyal personnel to form the 'Pioneering Team.' Humans joining the team will evolve, gaining various new traits. Your favorability with Natasha will slightly increase."
Looking at the options on the light screen, Ron frowned, falling into deep thought.
A standard set of three options, with the choices being yes, no, and a moderate choice.
But for Ron, only two options were viable; the second option was ruled out the moment he saw it.
After all, things had reached this point, and Ron would never choose to destroy this blessing.
One shouldn't be afraid of the Apothecary's blessing simply because it is His. Everything must be viewed dialectically...
If "Snowstorm Immunity" could indeed be given to everyone, leading to a group evolution, it might be another perfect way to clear the game.
At that time, the Stellaron would no longer be a threat to humanity but a protective umbrella, trapping the antimatter legion and blocking all interstellar routes, protecting the star system where Jarilo-VI is located.
The strength lost in the war against the antimatter legion and the seven hundred years of struggle against the Stellaron would be replenished.
Humans could treat the vast snowfield as a new home, reclaim the territory of civilization, and slowly develop until they had the strength to deal with the Stellaron and the antimatter legion, facing the cold, ruthless star sea again.
Ron was confident that if he could gain path experience without threats, and fully control the development of civilization on Jarilo-VI, he could extend his life to unimaginable lengths, becoming the eternal emperor of this planet.
By then, who knows how much he could develop this
civilization...
At least, once the Stellaron was dealt with, all cosmic calamities in the star sea would pose no serious threat to Jarilo-VI.
But... should he really choose the first option?
After a long, careful consideration, Ron hesitated between the first and third options and eventually decided not to choose the first.
He felt something was wrong... it seemed he was getting a bit carried away by the Apothecary's blessing.
No... advancing the group evolution of humanity is correct, but not now.
Ron suddenly snapped out of his fantasy about the future and looked at the present underworld—
Such a blessing was beyond the current underworld's capacity.
The erosion of the Expanse wasn't the only threat; various Expanse creatures were the most dangerous.
These creatures couldn't be handled by ordinary people. If people, immune to the snowstorm and the Expanse, became reckless and decided to return to their former homes in the Expanse, the casualties and chaos would be unimaginable.
Moreover, "Snowstorm Immunity" wasn't without cost. Living in the Expanse required energy consumption.
But... considering the current situation in the underworld, do they really have enough food?
During his time managing the daily affairs of the Underworld Flame, Ron had a deep understanding of this issue.
Resources were scarce in the underworld, and even integrating the upper and lower regions wouldn't provide enough resources for everyone to live a comfortable life.
The last simulation revealed this; even the empire couldn't solve the hunger problem.
Mass production of "Snowstorm Immunity" now was absolutely impossible; it would lead to widespread starvation, toppling Belobog before hope even began...
An "Exploration Team" was indeed needed.
Supporting some highly loyal subordinates to take "Snowstorm Immunity" and explore the buried relics of the old era in the snow, gradually expanding humanity's influence.
Then figure out how to improve agricultural techniques—although "Snowstorm Immunity" allows humans to be immune to cold and the Expanse, it doesn't mean the crops would also be immune.
But Ron quickly thought of a solution: initially, they could erect greenhouses on the icefield, using the unique geothermal energy of Jarilo-VI for heating, to grow food.
Then steadily develop until the entire planet was under control, with enough agricultural technology and food reserves, before considering group evolution...
This would open up a completely different path from before, with a high chance of success... quite good.
Ron pondered thoughtfully and eventually clicked on the third option.
The option box on the light screen faded away, revealing a new scene:
"Natasha... don't rush, we need to use this gift wisely."
In the scene, Ron appeared calm, a stark contrast to the somewhat excited Natasha holding the potion.
He pointed to the carefully sealed blessed berries and said seriously:
"The Apothecary's blessing is fine, but that doesn't mean we can completely digest this gift now... the underworld is too impoverished, Natasha."
"A chronic disease like poverty can't be cured with a drastic remedy... let me handle these blessed berries."
The scene on the light screen faded, and new words appeared:
"You chose to handle the blessed berries cautiously."
"You persuaded Natasha to securely store all the blessed berries in the hidden room of her clinic, taking out only a small portion to make a few bottles of 'Snowstorm Immunity' potion."
"Your stress value slightly increased; your current stress value is 60/100."
"You gained 1000 points of all-path experience, and due to your trait [Apothecary's Mark], you gained an additional 9000 points of [Abundance] path experience."
"Due to the trait [Mutual Dependence], your favorability with Natasha slightly increased."
"Since your favorability is already maxed out, the increased favorability converted into bond progress. Your bond progress is now: 1/20."
"Increasing bond progress will unlock a bond vow. When the bond vow is triggered, you will gain new duo combination traits, with a new favorability cap of 200, unlocking more special events."
Ron was momentarily stunned, realizing that in this simulation, his favorability with Natasha was already maxed out.
But thinking about it, it made sense; Natasha was not only gentle and beautiful but also broad-minded, trusting him completely in the simulation, and constantly teaching him medical knowledge, wildly boosting his experience...
Compared to Seele and Bronya before, Natasha was winning by a mile.
If this were real life, Ron felt he might be charmed by Natasha, let alone in the simulation where they had the trait [Mutual Dependence], making it easier to increase favorability...
But he wondered what would happen after forming a bond... they've crossed into another world; there's no way the Harmony god would intervene, right?
If something nice happens...
Ron rubbed his hands together, suddenly filled with anticipation for the future of this simulation.
He clicked on the light screen, continuing the simulation:
"You bid farewell to Natasha and decided to return to the Underworld Flame base to implement the 'Pioneering Team' plan."
"But before you reached the base, your former boss Bronya Rand stopped you on the street."