Chapter 8: Visualization Object

After saying goodbye to the captain, Lei Kedun walked out of the building disguised as a newspaper and writers' association and only then realized that the sky outside had already darkened, so he headed straight home. When Lei Kedun returned, the butler and the two servants had already finished purchasing supplies.

The butler was in the hall directing the two servants to sort various items and then store them. The butler was a thin man in his fifties, his hair already completely white, and his face already marked with many wrinkles.

In Lei Kedun's memory, the butler was a native of Ma Dan named Xiao En·Bo Te, but his family had long since passed away, leaving only a son, and his relationship with the butler was not good.

Although he was old, the butler's spirit had always been fine; it is said that when he was young he was an adventurer, but his adventure ended in a disaster early on, and his leg was injured. Because he missed the optimal time for treatment, even after the wound healed he could only limp, and his dream of adventuring was thus cut short.

Later, because of his physical disability, the butler's life was not good; in this city a person with a disability finds it hard to secure a decent job.

Until later, Lei Kedun's father, because he and his wife were often away from home, needed someone to look after the then‑young Lei Kedun, and the butler, who was known to the father and had a good reputation before his injury, became the first choice.

Thus Lei Kedun's father hired Mr. Xiao En as the household butler, mainly to take care of Lei Kedun.

The other two servants were hired by the butler; they have been changed over the years. The current pair consists of a man and a woman. The man, named Luobo Te, is thirty years old, with thick eyebrows and large eyes, ordinary features, a somewhat thin build, bronze skin, hands covered in thick calluses, and plain clothing, showing that he used to do hard outdoor labor.

The woman, named Sha Li, is thirty‑five, slightly plump, with a smile always at the corners of her mouth; perhaps due to a motherly influence, Sha Li is always very caring toward the alone‑at‑home Lei Kedun. She likes listening to Lei Kedun recount his experiences at school, and she is the first to notice and comfort him when he is sad.

Although she also dresses plainly, she is clearly far better than Luobo Te, and her clothes are kept very clean. She has her own family and children, and mainly is responsible for washing clothes and cooking at Lei Kedun's house each day, earning some money to supplement the household. Sha Li and Luobo Te are both natives of Ma Dan, and they have been working at Lei Kedun's home for two or three years.

When Lei Kedun entered the house, the butler walked straight over and said, "Young master, while you were away the newspaper delivered a telegram from your father; it's already placed on the desk in your room."

"Hmm, he's delayed again and won't be back this month, right?" Lei Kedun asked casually.

In Lei Kedun's memory, this had happened more than once before, and he had long become accustomed to it.

"Yes, it seems they encountered pirates near Di Xi Bay, but fortunately your father and his party were not injured," the butler explained on behalf of Lei Kedun's father.

Lei Kedun furrowed his brows slightly: "The navy's presence around Di Xi Bay is strong; why would pirates go there to die? My father must have encountered pirates on the way to the Luosi De Archipelago, right?"

"Your father's telegram didn't mention that; I think that's the case. In the last telegram he sent, he mentioned plans to expand his trading market in the Luosi De Archipelago," the butler said after a moment, agreeing that Lei Kedun's point made sense, and answered based on the previous telegram from Lei Kedun's father.

"Hmm, let's discuss it when father returns; worrying here won't help. By the way, Uncle Xiao En, I've joined the Knowledge Church, and will be studying there during the day. Please tell Aunt Sha Li that she doesn't need to prepare my lunch at noon anymore," Lei Kedun replied to the butler as usual.

He then added that he had already joined the Knowledge Church and would need to study there for a long period, since there was no need to hide this, and his daily visits to the church could not be concealed.

"The Knowledge Church? Very well, young master, is it as a scholar? I think your mother would be very pleased; although she didn't say it outright, it's clear she hopes you can become a scholar like her. Should we send a telegram to inform your father and mother about this?" the butler expressed more enthusiasm about Lei Kedun's joining the Knowledge Church than Lei Kedun himself.

"Not yet; let's wait until they return, so they'll realize how long they've been away," Lei Kedun replied after a moment of thought.

"Alright, perhaps your father and mother think a stable life is more beneficial for a young you!" the butler said, then offered a justification for Lei Kedun's parents.

"Hmm." Lei Kedun nodded, not denying the butler's words.

"Young master, today I went with Sha Li and Luobo Te to purchase supplies needed for this winter. Looking at the current weather, in half a month winter will arrive," the butler said, recounting today's matters as Lei Kedun prepared to return to his room.

"I just looked in the study and saw the glasses you dropped; they're already broken," he said, then handed a broken pair of glasses to Lei Kedun.

"Hmm, I understand. Take those glasses to a shop in the next few days to see if they can be repaired; I'm quite fond of them. No rush—let's first prepare the winter supplies. Tomorrow I'll buy a new pair to use for now," Lei Kedun recalled the butler's comment about the glasses.

It was a gift from his father on Lei Kedun's eighteenth birthday—a delicate brass‑colored pair of glasses inlaid with gold thread, which Lei Kedun loved dearly. Recalling its appearance, Lei Kedun thought it was still excellent; it must have been dropped and broken when his former self was on the brink of losing control.

"Very well, young master, you may rest now; Sha Li has gone to prepare dinner, and I'll let you know when it's ready," the butler said after a bow, then hobbled away with his cane.

Back in his room, Lei Kedun turned on the gas wall lamp, closed the door, and flopped onto the bed; with one hand he reached into his jacket pocket and took out the strange ornament he had obtained from the Knowledge Church.

Lei Kedun held the ornament up to his eyes; it was just a short silver chain, not really a pendant, and with nothing attached at the end, clearly not a brooch.

"A ring full of gears and a vertical eye without eyelashes—so steampunk‑Cthulhu, I oddly feel you fit this world," Lei Kedun muttered, looking at the odd ornament.

Lei Kedun stared at the ornament for a while without any clue, then set it aside and began to meditate; the meditation method was already in his memory, but he wanted to change the visualization object—how could an Earthling not visualize something special?

After closing his eyes, Lei Kedun thought for a while before deciding what to visualize; following the meditation method in his memory, he began to sketch a pattern in his mind—stars lighting up one by one, linking together, the image gradually expanding outward. Lei Kedun aimed to visualize a colossal star‑sky dragon, having already chosen his reference.

His head suddenly throbbed; the stars he had drawn vanished, leaving only a few scattered specks of light. Though he didn't know why, Lei Kedun understood that his meditation attempt had failed.

Lei Kedun prepared to abandon meditation and consider other visualizations, but found he couldn't exit the meditation; it was as if his spirit and thoughts suddenly formed their own will, leaving only Lei Kedun's consciousness as a spectator.

"What's happening? Is this the so‑called extra information? Or have I unlucky‑ly run into another mysterious event?" Lei Kedun began to panic.

Lei Kedun's consciousness began to reconstruct a visualization: a shape formed by countless golden‑colored sand grains continuously flowing and coalescing.

A circular ring built from countless gears and pipes, with golden sparks and rising smoke on its surface; at its center a massive eyeless eye, tightly fused with the ring, and several tentacle‑like chains swaying. All of this was composed of golden sand particles; the gears, the massive eyeless eye, the rising smoke and sparks—all were flowing with golden sand.

"Is this the true form of that ornament?" Lei Kedun's consciousness whispered anxiously.

As the new visualization solidified, Lei Kedun found his consciousness seemed temporarily detached, becoming a relatively independent entity within the meditative scene.

Driven by inner curiosity and an inexplicable attraction, Lei Kedun steered his consciousness toward the strange figure that had manifested.

Lei Kedun felt his consciousness collide with the massive eyeless eye at the center of the visualization; in a hazy trance he seemed to see a gigantic eye, devoid of lashes or flesh, resembling a flowing liquid emitting a violet aura.

The moment Lei Kedun saw this scene, a piece of information surfaced in his mind: Sequence 2: Sage, along with countless other data streams rushing into his brain. Lei Kedun was instantly blasted out of the meditative state; in the final instant he seemed to see some light fragments falling from the massive eye toward him.

"Huff! Huff! ~" Lei Kedun sat on the bed, one hand gripping the bedside rail to steady his body, the other hand supporting his head that felt about to explode.

Maintaining that posture for a while, Lei Kedun finally sorted through the knowledge that had been poured into his mind; most of it was useless, redundant information.

For example, the steps to extract salt from seawater, the optimal moment to add salt while stir‑frying; of course, there was also some useful knowledge, such as obscure histories, a spell for weed removal, and bits of Elven language.

"Being flooded with so much knowledge at once, no wonder my head feels like it's about to explode. Luckily it was brief—almost the instant I saw that huge eye I was jolted out of meditation; otherwise my brain would have literally exploded on the spot, a physical explosion," Lei Kedun reflected with some relief.

(End of Chapter)