As Ruger sensed his own condition, he kept a close watch on Stray Hair One.
Though its radiance had surged, that was only by the standards of a single strand of hair. Gentle light gradually drowned the soft, glossy, smooth, and uniquely independent hair that had been nurtured by Spirit Fur Nourishment. Stray Hair One's figure was completely concealed by the glow.
It floated steadily above Ruger's hand, as though he were casting a Light Spell that was nearly halfway empowered.
These wondrous runes were not merely shaping something—they were also binding it, building a strange connection. As the deity grew stronger, the bindings and connection would also strengthen. Naturally, the two ends of that connection were the shaped deity and the wizard: Stray Hair One and Ruger.
In theory, a shaped deity would not easily develop thoughts of its own. It was merely a proxy body, a purification vessel for channeling Faith Power. It could be understood as a special alchemical tool. But there were always exceptions. Once a shaped deity reached a higher level, it could easily give birth to a peculiar self. There were also certain special wizard paths that deliberately allowed shaped deities to develop selves, become split consciousnesses, or even become weapons.
All of this was mentioned in Kurt's notes, though not in much detail.
Ruger had learned more when he visited the blacksmith shop and chatted with him.
Stray Hair One was a case of gaining thoughts ahead of time through an unconventional method. This was not unique to Ruger. Some wizards—especially those who did not intend to delve deeply into the path of faith wizards—made the same choice he had.
It was just that suitable vessels were difficult to find.
There was one advantage to doing this: purity. When wizards' shaped deities reached