Chapter 353: Spirit Puppet [2]

"Now, you are mine, and I am yours forever."

Soren felt his heart swell until it filled every corner of his chest. It was like standing at the edge of a vast ocean, watching the waves roll in, knowing he could dive in and never reach the bottom. He had already given her his heart, had already let himself fall for her completely, or so he had assumed. But in this moment, holding her hand with the ring on her finger, he felt himself falling again, deeper than before, and the fall was sweeter than anything he had ever known.

"..."

They stared at each other and slowly parted their lips.

Soren chuckled softly, resting his forehead against hers. "Actually, there’s something else I wanted to give you."

He reluctantly backed away and took out something from his inventory and held it out to her. "This is for you."

Ethea raised a brow, eyeing the object. "What is this, dear?"

"It is a spirit puppet," Soren explained. "It matches its owner’s cultivation level and has a few useful abilities. It can even change its appearance based on your imagination."

Ethea’s eyes lit up as she stared at the puppet with sudden curiosity. "How do I change it?"

"Just focus on what you want it to look like. The puppet will do the rest."

Ethea nodded and closed her eyes, focusing her mind on the puppet in her hands. A moment later, when her eyelids fluttered open, the puppet had already transformed into a plush mini plushie of Soren: complete with messy brown hair, big warm brown eyes, a polite little smile, and a tiny black suit with a tie.

"..."

Soren fell silent at the sight of his own miniature self, dressed up like a little gentleman and staring back at him with those big, round eyes. He didn’t know whether to laugh or feel embarrassed.

"...That’s not... what you think of me, right?" he finally asked.

"Mm." Ethea nodded, her lips curling into a satisfied smile. "Cute, right?"

"I... I’m not sure I’d use that word for myself."

"Then what word would you use?"

Soren looked at the plushie again. Then at her. Then back at the plushie. "...I have no idea."

Ethea laughed and hugged the plushie to her chest. "I love it. Thank you, dear."

"...Well, I’m glad you liked it at least." He paused and added. "Do you wanna know what else it can do?"

Ethea nodded enthusiastically.

"First, it naturally synchronizes with its master’s cultivation, mirroring their realm without any extra effort," Soren explained, pointing to the tiny plushie in her hands. "And it constantly absorbs ambient mana from the surrounding environment on its own, so there is no need to worry about manually recharging it unless necessary. Beyond that, it possesses autonomous combat capabilities, allowing it to fight alongside its master or defend them independently in times of danger. Lastly, spells can be stored directly inside it, granting the ability to cast them remotely through the puppet whenever desired."

"It’s pretty good for a spirit puppet," Ethea muttered in surprise. "But can it reach 7th circle or higher too?"

"That... I don’t know." Soren rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Though if I had to guess, it’s probably not that powerful."

"...We can find out about it once you get stronger and reach those stages," Ethea suggested a solution, and Soren nodded in agreement.

While she continued admiring the tiny plushie, he sent the remaining details directly into her mind: ’It can also create a temporary clone of itself. Though weaker, it can still fight. And if things ever turn dire, it can self-destruct to release a powerful burst of energy against surrounding foes. The puppet or its clone will be destroyed, but it can be rebuilt with time and materials. Furthermore, concentrating on the puppet allows its owner to see and hear through its senses, which makes it ideal for scouting or guarding.’

’...It’s a lot more advanced than I thought.’ Ethea looked up from the miniature figure, genuine impression warming her gaze as she smoothed her thumb over its tiny shoulder.

Soren smiled, sending one final thought through their connection. ’One last thing: it can record and store whatever information it sees and hears. The owner can review those recorded details whenever needed.’

’That’s... so cool!’ Ethea’s eyes lit up. ’It’s like a personal scout and assistant all in one.’

’...Haha, now that you said it, it really is like a miniature butler and knight rolled into one.’ Soren laughed, shaking his head.

He glanced toward the window, checking the sky’s position. "Speaking of our schedule, when is the meeting set to start?"

"In about two hours," Ethea replied, cradling the tiny plushie carefully in her lap.

Soren checked his wristwatch to confirm, tapping the glass face. "That gives us a good hour and a half to spare. Let’s take a rest before we head over."

He gently nudged her shoulders, guiding her into a comfortable position. "Lean back and close your eyes. I will wake you when it is time."

"Alright, you take a rest too," Ethea replied and closed her eyes.

Soren rested his arms on the table and lowered his head, staring at her peaceful face with a soft smile before finally letting his eyelids slip shut.

’Malakor, you know what to do.’

’...Yes, master.’

’Good...’

When Soren opened his eyes again, he found himself standing in an endless grassland, a warm breeze rustling the green blades around him. He closed his eyes again, reaching out into the expanse to find a familiar presence and carefully guiding it to his side.

A few seconds later, he opened his eyes and found Ethea, standing before him on her own two feet, bathed in the soft light of the open field.

"...Dear, open your eyes."

"...?" Ethea’s eyelids fluttered open a moment later, revealing her ice-blue eyes as she blinked at the sweeping field around them. Her gaze landed on Soren first, then drifted to the endless green stretch reaching toward the horizon, confusion washing over her expression.

Before she could process the sudden change of scenery, a far sharper realization struck her. The ground felt solid beneath her soles. Weight rested firmly on her legs, balance shifting naturally with every small breath.

Her breath hitched as her gaze dropped to her feet, perfectly planted in the grass.

"Is this... a dream?"