Chapter 128: Nero’s Research
These failures made one thing clear: Nero could not rely on fragmenting his soul, nor could he allow uncontrolled knowledge absorption.
He needed a precise system that would eliminate these risks, a method that would allow him to create learning constructs without compromising his own mind or magical stability.
Nero began crafting a meticulous research plan, one that would ensure he avoided the mistakes of the past while carving a new path forward.
First, the Shikigami concept.
His avatars would not be bound by a portion of his soul.
Instead, they would function as spiritual projections, extensions of himself rather than independent entities.
Unlike past experiments that led to fragmented consciousness and instability, Nero's approach would maintain a direct link between his core self and his constructs.
The key distinction was in the nature of their connection, he wouldn't separate a part of himself, but rather extend his awareness.
Imagine a puppeteer with invisible threads, except rather than simply commanding the puppets, he could feel through them, react through them, and exist in multiple places at once.
Each Shikigami would act autonomously within a predefined range of function, but their fundamental presence would remain tethered to him.
He would create a spiritual thread, a thin but unbreakable link that ensured real-time awareness and prevented any deviation or corruption of the clone's purpose.