Chapter 250: The Hermit

Mental power, like fine silk threads, wove paths leading to the depths.

He had been a formal wizard for nearly a month, and the improvement of his mental power and magic power was still maintaining high-speed growth, even making him feel a little surprised himself.

When he just broke through in the Black Mist Jungle, his mental power broke through from 4.9 to 5.3.

Now it had stabilized at the level of 5.4, much faster than the expected speed.

This improvement was not a leap without rules, but a relatively stable process.

Every meditation would bring a small but certain increase, while the "Star Projection" characteristic provided additional gains when the starlight was bright at night.

And the growth of magic power was even more astonishing, surging step by step from 3.8 to 4.2.

From the perspective of actual magic power, it was almost double that of a normal formal wizard who had just advanced.

This was mainly due to the continuous effect of the "Star Projection" characteristic, day and night without rest.

Star energy continuously poured into his body, nourishing the magic core, causing it to constantly expand and deepen.

Luo En's consciousness sank further, passing through the outer layer of thought fluctuations, and came to that sea of stars—his deep conscious world.

After becoming a formal wizard, his spiritual world underwent earth-shaking changes.

The spiritual sea, which was originally like a calm lake, became unfathomable and crystal clear.

Countless starlight dotted it, forming a spectacular star map, as if the entire universe were compressed in his spiritual world.

These stars were not distributed in a disorderly manner, but arranged according to some complex but certain rules.

Like a miniature universe, each star represented a potential or possibility, a guide to the direction of his future growth.

However, most of these stars were in a dim state, and only a very few flickered with faint light, showing signs of initial activation.

Like a giant turning over in its sleep, it foretold the potential power that might awaken in the future.

"Gathering star light through meditation and constantly lighting up the star map in the spiritual world is the growth path of 'The Star-Eater's Babble' in the formal wizard stage."

Luo En recalled the content he had seen in the annotations of his meditation method before, his thoughts wandering in the star map.

From the perspective of strength, he had just stepped into the threshold of the Morning Star level, far from reaching the peak of this realm.

To truly stabilize this realm, he must light up the first star in the spiritual world, so that his mental power reaches 5.5, forming a complete energy circulation system.

At this moment, in Luo En's spiritual world, the brightest star was still in a semi-activated state.

Like the morning star before dawn, it flickered with light that was sometimes bright and sometimes dark, seemingly only one step away from being completely lit, releasing all the potential contained within it.

That was the "Hermit Star," symbolizing the celestial body of loneliness and wisdom.

In the "General Collection of Common Celestial Bodies," this star was described as "the guardian of knowledge, the wise man who knows the secrets of silence."

After lighting it up, it would bestow the lighter with extraordinary intelligence and insight, enabling them to see through appearances and touch the essence.

According to the description of the meditation method, once the Hermit Star is lit, Luo En's mental power will not only break through 5.5 and reach a new standard line.

It will also gain a permanent attribute improvement—intelligence enhancement, making his learning ability and comprehension ability significantly improved.

And at night, especially when the Hermit Star hangs high in the sky, this bonus effect will be further enhanced.

This bonus effect, coupled with the bonuses of his own "Well-informed" and "Conception" characteristics.

Was enough to enable him to understand complex concepts faster and discover subtle clues that were difficult for ordinary people to notice.

Even in some cases, it could produce an intuition close to foresight.

"Only the last step left."

Luo En stared at the half-bright, half-dark star in the spiritual world, his heart filled with both expectation and an indescribable sense of urgency.

According to the records of "The Star-Eater's Babble," as stars are lit one by one, they will gradually connect into constellations, forming more complex and powerful energy structures.

When a complete constellation is formed, the power of all the stars will melt into one.

The constellation will further enhance abilities and bestow unique traits, which also signifies crossing the Morning Star stage and advancing to the Moon-Illuminated level.

The "Hermit Star" occupies a core position in the "Intellect Constellation," which is also a constellation that is relatively harmless and has the most significant improvement effect.

This was also the reason why Luo En chose it as the first to activate.

When most of the important constellations in the star map are completely lit, and an attempt is made to smelt the "Void Skeleton Embryo" under his will.

It also means that he has reached the Dark Sun level and started to march toward the realm of Great Wizard.

This road is long and dangerous, and every lighting requires great energy and patience.

Luo En did not hope to achieve success in one step; he hoped to walk every section of the journey solidly, step by step.

On the other hand, since advancing to a formal wizard, he had felt that his life level had undergone a qualitative leap.

The most obvious change was the sharp decrease in the need for rest.

Once needing at least five or six hours of sleep, now only two or three hours were needed for his spirit to recover to its peak state.

This continuous state of wakefulness increased his research efficiency by at least double.

The nights he used to spend thinking with a tired brain were now the times when his thinking was most active.

In the morning, Luo En opened his eyes from meditation, feeling the abundant magic power flowing in his body.

Since becoming a formal wizard, especially after obtaining the "Star Projection" characteristic, his magic power reserve had been steadily increasing every day.

Like a reservoir constantly expanding, it had far exceeded the period of his high-level apprentice days.

Outside the window, the morning of Town 69 had already begun to be busy.

Gray smoke rose from the chimneys of every house, intertwining with the low clouds in the sky, like rice paper stained with light ink.

Faint energy traces were vaguely visible in those smoke, which was the result of the interaction between the Abyssal Aura and ordinary combustible materials.

Luo En got up and waved his hand casually.

The teapot in the room floated automatically, pouring out a cup of tea at just the right temperature, floating steadily to his side.

The surface of the tea was as calm as a mirror, without splashing a drop, showing his currently improving precise control technique over magic power.

This kind of fine magic power control was an almost impossible task before becoming a formal wizard.

Even with the help of spell assistance like the "Halo of Radiance," it was difficult to achieve such precise control.

At most, it was letting objects move roughly, rather than flexibly executing complex actions like this.

And now, after the magic power flow became more active and smooth, this was just a manifestation of his casual thought.

He took a light sip of tea, feeling the warm liquid flowing into his body along his throat.

"The refinement of mental power and magic power control is one of the most obvious changes after a wizard advances."

Luo En pondered in his heart, magic power condensing between his fingers, forming a tiny point of light.

Some time ago, he had tried to keep such a point of light stable, but it would always collapse in less than three seconds.

And now, the point of light danced at his fingertips.

Sometimes turning into a lifelike butterfly, sometimes turning into a flower about to bloom.

Every transformation was precise to an astonishing degree, even capable of simulating the fine patterns on the butterfly's wings and the veins on the petals.

He could even let this point of light pass through the wall and maintain its form on the other side; this control precision was simply unimaginable.

"However, flight is still a problem waiting to be solved."

Luo En pondered, looking at a few birds with slightly larger bodies and dark gray feathers passing through the high sky outside the window.

Their flight posture was exceptionally elegant, capable of maintaining basic balance even in air turbulence.

Putting the teacup back on the table, Luo En walked to the window and lifted his hand gently.

An invisible force lifted his body, making him slowly leave the ground by half a meter.

This kind of floating could indeed achieve a flight effect in a short time, but the speed was average and it was difficult to precisely control the direction.

He adjusted the magic power output slightly, letting himself rotate in the air for a week, then moved forward two steps, and finally stopped steadily in place.

The whole process seemed simple, but it consumed a considerable amount of magic power.

It was like drinking water with a goblet, neither economical nor practical.

Dissipating the magic power, he fell back to the ground, his brow slightly furrowed.

"The Crystal Spire must have specialized flight spells."

Luo En made a plan in his heart:

"Or more efficient space jump spells, such as 'Instant Movement'. Can list this as one of the top contents to learn after arriving at the Central Lands."

Formal flight spells can not only significantly reduce magic power consumption but also significantly improve speed and stability.

Making flight a practical way of moving, rather than a luxurious waste of magic power.

And "Instant Movement" was clearly more difficult; it is said that those below the Great Wizard who want such spells must possess special talents related to space, or use special spellcasting media.

But its applicability far exceeds general movement spells, not limited by distance and obstacles, and can be said to be the peak of all movement spells.

Just then, a slight knock on the door interrupted his thinking.

He responded in a flat tone: "Come in."

The door was pushed open, and Ailan's elegant figure appeared at the door.

The emerald vines of the tree spirit shone in the sun, and that plain female face like a marble statue revealed the usual soft expression.

"Master, the guide Ethan has been waiting outside for a long time."

Ailan's voice was like a breeze brushing through leaves:

"He said that the special commodity trading in the Shadow Zone usually only takes place during the day. If you want to go see it, it's best to set off now. It is said that several explorers just returned from the Abyss and brought back a batch of rare items."

Luo En nodded and stood up.

This was exactly one of the purposes of his trip—to find rare materials needed to build the simulated combat device, and to find suitable fusion carriers for the various "cores" of the Chimera bloodline.

"Tell him I'll be there soon. I'll prepare the collection containers and detection tools first; there might be active tissue samples that need to be processed."

Ailan nodded lightly and exited the room silently.

Luo En walked to the window, looking at the gradually brightening sky, a trace of expectation that was difficult to detect appearing at the corners of his mouth.

In the spiritual world, that half-bright, half-dark Hermit Star was still flickering with light, patiently waiting for the moment to be completely lit.

This moment might come very soon, because every acquisition of new knowledge, every insight into the essence of the world, would bring this star symbolizing wisdom closer to a state of complete awakening.

Just as he was about to continue moving forward, an energy fluctuation came from behind, accompanied by crisp footsteps.

Luo En turned around and saw a young woman in an airship uniform walking quickly.

"Wizard Ralph?"

The woman bowed slightly, her voice respectful:

"I am the chief steward of the 'Dawn Walker', and the captain asked me to notify you of a piece of news."

Luo En nodded to indicate her to continue, curious why the airship management would send someone to look for him specifically.

"We will welcome another formal wizard passenger this afternoon."

Mary Ann explained:

"Considering that both of you reside in the a-level area, the captain hopes to consult your opinion in advance on whether you need to set up an isolation board between the two suites. This can ensure that your private space during the voyage is not disturbed."

Luo En raised an eyebrow; this was an unexpected piece of news.

"Can you tell me more about this wizard?" Luo En asked, his tone indifferent.

Mary Ann hesitated slightly, seemingly thinking about what information could be revealed:

"The other guest is Wizard Lei Nuozi; he is an experienced Morning Star wizard and also possesses the qualification of a professional bloodline modulator."

"As far as I know, he often travels between the Central Lands and various Abyssal exploration points and is our regular guest."

She paused and added:

"Wizard Lei Nuozi has a relatively introverted personality, but he is kind and has never had any unpleasant incidents with other passengers in the past."

"The captain hopes that the two of you can get along well, but also understands the need for private space for wizards."

Luo En pondered for a moment.

An experienced Morning Star wizard who is also a bloodline modulator.

Such a person would undoubtedly bring a lot of valuable information and experience.

Especially since this wizard often travels to the Central Lands, he should have mastered the latest intelligence and trends.

For Luo En, who is new to this place, this can be considered the best channel to understand the detailed situation of the Central Lands.

"No need to set up an isolation board." He finally decided: "I am very happy to meet this fellow traveler."

Mary Ann breathed a sigh of relief; she was clearly satisfied with this reply:

"Thank you very much for your understanding, Wizard. Wizard Lei Nuozi is expected to board the ship at dusk."

"If you are interested, the captain would like to invite the two of you to have dinner together tonight so that you can get to know each other."

"I will consider it."

Luo En responded vaguely, neither refusing nor promising.

He wanted to observe this fellow traveler first before making a decision.

Mary Ann nodded in understanding; they naturally did not dare to make any self-assertive behavior:

"Then, I won't disturb your tour."

"If you decide to attend the dinner, please notify us through the service crystal before dusk. I wish you a pleasant visit to Town 69."

The woman bowed gracefully and left, leaving Luo En thinking about this new development.

Stepping out of the "Dawn Walker," Luo En saw Ethan's gray figure under the mooring tower.

The guide was wearing a dark gray coat with a simple style but superior quality today.

The number of small bottles around his waist was more than yesterday, clearly having made full preparations for possible special situations.

"Good morning, Wizard."

Ethan bowed respectfully, the angle of his bending being just right, showing respect without appearing overly flattering:

"Today's itinerary is still accompanied by me throughout the whole process to ensure your safety and convenience."

"I have already arranged the access control for the Shadow Zone, which should avoid some unnecessary trouble."

He made a "please" gesture, and the two walked along the wide stone path toward the town.

A peculiar street lamp was inserted on both sides of the stone path.

It was not ordinary flame or magic light source in the lampshade, but a mutant firefly sealed in a container.

Their abdomens emitted an eerie blue light, which could penetrate the gray mist unique to Town 69 better than ordinary light sources.

Compared with yesterday, the town today appeared significantly more active.

The number of pedestrians on the street increased by at least double.

Long queues formed in front of many stalls, and trading sounds rose one after another, forming a noisy and vibrant wave of sound.

A temporary stage was even set up in the center of the market, and several singers in gray robes were singing a strange song.

The lyrics were mixed with vocabulary Luo En had never heard before, and the melody was sometimes pleasant and sometimes harsh, clearly influenced by Abyssal culture.

Even more eye-catching were the adventurers in various costumes.

They traveled through the streets in groups, well-equipped, with complex expressions of vigilance and excitement on their faces.

Some teams even carried huge material carts, piled with various special tools and protective equipment needed for Abyssal exploration.

"Is there any special event today?"

Luo En asked, keenly noticing that many teams were moving in the same direction, as if attracted by some invisible force.

"It's the change in the 'Abyssal Tide'."

Ethan explained in a low voice, his tone carrying a sense of awe for supernatural phenomena:

"Last night, the observation station detected that Abyssal energy is about to enter the trough period of a minor cycle."

"Many adventure teams are seizing the time to prepare for short-term exploration."

"This kind of opportunity only happens four or five times a year, and the duration of each time varies; missing it might mean waiting for another few months."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 251 =====