Mother Stone

Biodata

Power Progression

Background

Mother Stones are indispensable materials in puppet creation. When immersed in Soothing Fluid and supplied with sufficient Mental Power, a stone awakens, begins beating like a heart, and becomes a Puppet Heart. A puppetmaker then gives that heart a body, while Energy Stones sustain the resulting puppet’s life 4 26.

Qi Chao purchases this particular Mother Stone at the Tieshan Mining Area after choosing it solely for its heart-like shape, texture, and appearance. Aisley and Bego believe it is likely to awaken as a low-grade white stone, but Qi Chao keeps it anyway 26 27.

He places it in a fish tank of Soothing Fluid and nourishes it daily. His Mental Power enters the stone unusually easily—even when he merely focuses on or praises it—and its appetite rapidly exceeds normal expectations 27 28. Qi Chao regards it as an unborn child and intends for its future doll to become Lan Luo’s friend 28.

After nearly a month of nourishment, the Mother Stone reaches its critical stage. It ultimately absorbs enough Mental Power to crack its shell and awaken as a translucent red crystal 32 47.

Appearance

Before activation, the Mother Stone resembles an unremarkable gray rock, though Qi Chao finds its natural heart shape unusually beautiful.

• Palm-sized and distinctly heart-shaped 27
• Initially dull gray and uneven, but smooth to the touch like a pebble 27
• Develops a full, cool gray luster and porcelain-like surface during nourishment 32 44
• Awakens as a translucent, red, heart-shaped crystal 47

Properties

Puppet Heart Formation

A Mother Stone becomes a Puppet Heart only after prolonged nourishment.

• Must be soaked in Soothing Fluid 26 27
• Requires regular Mental Power infusion, normally for one to two months 27
• Begins beating like a heart upon awakening 26
• Its awakened state supplies the life foundation for a puppet 4

Mental Power Absorption

This Mother Stone displays an exceptional capacity for absorbing Qi Chao’s Mental Power.

• It absorbs Mental Power released unintentionally when Qi Chao pays attention to it 27 28
• Lan Luo observes it consume two-thirds of the Mental Power in its tank during incubation 28
• Moss later notes that it absorbs slowly only because it has already accumulated an unusually large reserve of Mental Power 37
• Its final activation would have drained an ordinary person completely, but Qi Chao suffers only exhaustion and trembling hands 47

Grade and Potential

Publicly, awakened Mother Stones are classified by color: red as high-grade, blue as medium-grade, and white as low-grade. Their grades are associated with the future puppet’s lifespan 26.

• The stone’s red awakening indicates superior quality 47
• High-quality Mother Stones can produce longer-lived puppets 26 47
• Mother Stones do not inherently possess fixed grades; sufficient Mental Power and devoted nourishment can draw out their potential 47

Relationships

• Qi Chao — Purchaser and nurturer. He calls the stone “Little Beauty,” speaks to it nightly, and treats it as an unborn child 27 44 47.
• Lan Luo — Intended future companion. Lan Luo watches the stone closely and repeatedly taps its tank, provoking it to absorb Mental Power faster 28.
• Moss — Observes that the stone has an abnormal surplus of Mental Power and recognizes Qi Chao’s unusual strength 37 44.
• Shen Yuxi — Praises the stone’s appearance and recognizes that its condition reflects Qi Chao’s powerful Mental Power 44.

Trivia

• Qi Chao chooses the Mother Stone based on personal preference rather than professional assessment 26 27.
• Bego wagers that he will let Qi Chao kick his severed head if the stone awakens blue rather than white 26.
• Qi Chao cannot see Mental Power, but Lan Luo and Moss can perceive the stone’s extraordinary absorption of it 28 37.