Chapter 300

"This is why Allen has been in a semi-crippled state for so many years."

Valen added, his voice filled with deep guilt:

"Besides the physical damage being difficult to heal completely, any high-intensity use of mental power would activate the scars deep in her soul, leading to a collapse of sanity. But I..."

He paused for a long time:

"I obtained enough resources to repair my mental trauma through a family marriage.

That ancient wizard family, in order to obtain a Dark Sun-level wizard, spared no cost to provide me with top-tier treatment."

The room fell into silence.

Everyone was digesting this story.

"There is one more thing I need to tell you."

Uter's voice broke the silence:

"Sarin did not truly die. Her soul was taken away by that abyss existence, and after nearly a century of modification, she has now become a true apostle."

This news made the three people listening quietly sink in their hearts.

"She is now known as the 'Sweet Nightmare', specifically responsible for seducing young wizards who are thirsty for knowledge."

Uter continued:

"In a sense, she is still continuing the work from over a hundred years ago—spreading the 'gift' of the abyss, only now the scale is larger and the methods are more covert."

Valen slowly stood up and walked to a safe in the depths of the study.

It was a cube made of a special alloy, its surface engraved with protective runes.

He entered the password with trembling hands and took out a deep red memory crystal from it.

"This is the record I kept."

He handed the crystal to Uter:

"Although I chose to escape at the critical moment, at least I recorded the process of how we were seduced. Perhaps... perhaps this record of failure has more educational value."

Uter took the crystal, the light of his phantom flickering slightly:

"Thank you, Valen. I know what handing this over means to you."

"Also..."

Valen hesitated:

"My wife, Elena, passed away thirteen years ago.

She never managed to break through to become a formal wizard, and her physical condition was never very good. Although I tried my best to provide the best treatment, but..."

His voice became trembling:

"We had no children. Elena's body did not allow her to bear the burden of pregnancy. Perhaps this is the punishment I deserve, eternal loneliness."

"The past cannot be changed." Uter's voice carried comfort:

"But you still have the opportunity to contribute to the future. Helping the younger generation avoid repeating the same mistakes is the best redemption for the past."

Luo En listened quietly to these conversations, his understanding of the upcoming historical glimpse deepening.

This was not just a skill training, but a bloody educational lesson about desire, betrayal, and cost.

"When can I start this historical glimpse?" He asked: "Do I need any special preparation?"

"Wait until you break through to the Moon-Sun level." Uter answered clearly:

"The mental strength of the Morning Star level cannot safely withstand that level of historical impact."

The old professor's phantom began to become transparent:

"I will keep these records safe and arrange this special historical journey for you when the time is right. But remember one thing..."

His voice became unusually serious:

"No matter what you see in history, do not try to change anything.

You are just an observer, not a participant. Any act of trying to interfere with history, while not truly changing history, will undoubtedly cause violent disturbances in the river of time and attract the Time Hounds."

As Uter's phantom dissipated, the atmosphere in the room gradually returned to normal.

………………

On the way back to the workshop, Luo En fell into deep thought.

The amount of information obtained today far exceeded expectations and needed to be carefully digested and analyzed.

Valen's weakness, Lady Allen's pain, Sarin's fall... every detail revealed the essence of the wizarding world.

In this world that pursues power, friendship and trust are often the most luxurious things.

After returning to the workshop, Lady Lady Ailan came up: "Master, you look a bit tired. Did the meeting go well today?"

"Very fruitful, but also very heavy." Luo En answered briefly:

"I need some time to sort out my thoughts."

In his private laboratory, he began to try using the "sensing power" trait after the breakthrough.

This ability allowed him to perceive historical traces on objects and reproduce fragments of scenes at specific points in time.

Ever since his skill breakthrough, he had been feeling a subtle sense of attraction.

That feeling was elusive, as if something important was missing in his heart.

And today, after hearing the discussion about memory erasure, this sense of attraction became even stronger.

Luo En closed his eyes and let his "sensing power" guide his attention.

Soon, his gaze was drawn to an inconspicuous storage cabinet in the corner of the room.

It contained various items he had brought back from the Black Mist School, mostly souvenirs or small items with low practicality.

Under the guidance of his sensing power, he opened a wooden box that had not been opened for a long time.

Inside was a pair of exquisite magic crystal balls, with faint energy patterns flowing on the surface of the pale blue spheres.

When Luo En's mental power touched them, a strong sense of déjà vu surged into his heart.

Fragments of memory began to piece together...

A brown-haired girl, a bet, a farewell...

Luo En carefully activated one of the crystal balls.

A faint light flickered inside the sphere, then formed an extremely blurry image.

It was a space composed entirely of nothingness, with no up or down, no front or back, only endless mist flowing slowly.

Deep in the mist, he saw a familiar figure.

It was Trish, but her state looked extremely bad.

Her whole person was like a translucent ghost, her body constantly fluctuating between solid and void, as if she might dissipate completely at any time.

She seemed to notice the observation and turned to look in Luo En's direction.

In those eyes that were once full of vitality, there was now only deep despair and silent pleas for help.

Her lips were constantly opening and closing, seemingly saying something, but no sound could be transmitted.

Luo En tried to increase the energy output of the crystal ball, hoping to establish a more stable connection.

But the image soon began to shatter, like a piece of paper torn by an invisible giant hand, and finally disappeared completely into the void.

The crystal ball returned to calm, only the light on its surface became even dimmer.

"They are still alive... in a sense."

Luo En stared at the crystal ball in his hand and began to analyze it calmly:

"But trapped in some space, they could dissipate completely at any time."

He tried to track the specific location of that different space through the crystal ball, but the information obtained was extremely limited.

With his current strength, there was simply no possibility of going to rescue them.

Even for Moon-Sun level wizards, most can only flee when facing the Land of Oblivion.

To effectively counter that power of "existence erasure", at least the strength of a Dark Sun-level or even a Great Wizard is required, plus specialized protective measures and a lot of preparation.

Luo En stared quietly at the crystal ball, performing a precise cost-benefit analysis in his heart.

From a purely rational perspective, the life and death of Trish and Corinna indeed had limited connection to him.

Although they maintained a good relationship during their time at the Black Mist School, it was far from reaching the point of life and death.

Taking huge risks to save them was not cost-effective from the perspective of maximizing benefits.

Moreover, even if he really tried to rescue them regardless of everything, the probability of success was slim.

The horror of the Land of Oblivion is something even experienced Great Wizards must deal with cautiously.

Acting rashly would only put himself in the same danger.

But on the other hand, Trish was once one of the few friends he had at the Black Mist School.

Although it was not a deep friendship, it was at least a memory worth commemorating.

If conditions allowed, trying to rescue them was not out of the question.

The key lies in the four words "conditions allow".

"When I have enough strength, I will consider the possibility of rescue."

Luo En finally made a decision and carefully put the crystal ball back into the protective box:

"Before that, they can only continue to wait. If they dissipate completely during this period... that can only be said to be the arrangement of fate."

This kind of calculation might seem a bit ruthless, but it is Luo En's consistent style of doing things.

He never makes irrational decisions because of emotional impulses.

Every choice must be based on objective risk assessment and benefit analysis.

He clearly knows that only by making himself strong enough can he truly protect those worth protecting.

Blind sacrifice and impulsive behavior will only allow tragedies to continue to play out.

After resealing the crystal ball, Luo En began to devote himself wholeheartedly to his own growth.

Only by becoming stronger can he face the various challenges of the future.

Whether it is the threat of the Conquest Faction, the temptation of the abyss, or those old friends waiting for rescue...

Everything needs stronger power as a foundation.

………………

Inside the Enchantment classroom in the East Wing of the Crystal Spire, the last rays of the sunset spilled onto the stone podium through the stained glass windows.

Frederick Levin slowly put away the teaching rune pen in his hand, his gaze sweeping over the empty classroom.

The seats that were full just a moment ago now only had a few apprentices left packing up their notes and tools; most had already left in a hurry.

As a senior enchanter with decades of teaching experience, Frederick was long accustomed to this phenomenon.

Enchantment has never been a popular course.

Compared to the practicality of Potions and the intuitiveness of Alchemy, Enchantment requires extremely high precision in mental control and a deep understanding of the rune system.

Most apprentices choose to give up after a few months of contact because of slow progress.

"Again..." Frederick sighed inwardly, feeling the negligible feedback of grace in his body.

A full month of intensive teaching, fifteen hours of careful preparation, in exchange for only such meager returns.

Among these students, I am afraid that less than one-tenth can truly understand the core concepts he teaches.

He could feel the feedback coming from the students: confusion, frustration, boredom, and complaints about the difficulty of the course.

These negative emotions were like needles pricking his heart, reminding him that the teaching effect was unsatisfactory.

"Blockheads, a bunch of blockheads!"

Frederick shook his head with a bitter smile and began to let the servant golem tidy up the scattered teaching aids on the podium.

Those carefully crafted rune models, those example props that took a lot of effort to prepare, seemed to have become boring and tasteless decorations in the eyes of the students.

But he also knew it wasn't the students' fault.

Enchantment is indeed one of the most difficult disciplines in wizarding arts.

Its complexity far exceeds that of Potions and Alchemy, requiring knowledge of multiple branches such as Runology, energy conduction theory, and materials science.

The requirements of Enchantment for talent are much harsher than the other two mainstream wizarding arts.

Apprentices without sufficient mental control precision cannot even successfully depict the most basic stable runes.

And the ability of mental control is largely innate and difficult to significantly improve through training.

"But precisely because of the difficulty, the effect of the grace produced will be stronger... if one can meet a truly talented student."

Frederick remembered that chance encounter a few months ago, the young black-haired teaching assistant—Luo En Ralph.

The other party just audited one class and showed amazing understanding ability.

What's more rare is that he could ask some very insightful questions, showing deep thinking about the essence of Enchantment.

"If he really chooses to study Enchantment in depth..."

Thinking of this, Frederick couldn't help but shake his head and smile bitterly.

With Luo En's current status and achievements, where would he need to put energy into such a complicated Enchantment discipline?

In the past few months, this young "Treasure-level genius" has been in the limelight in the Central Land.

Not only did he win the championship in the "Rainbow Ring" competition on Lance Memorial Day, but he also obtained more than a thousand contribution points based on his original academic theory.

What makes peers most envious is his great success in teaching.

It is rumored that Luo En's courses are very popular with students, and the number of applicants often exceeds the capacity of the classroom.

Those students who walked out of his classroom all hold him in high regard.

And this recognition and admiration will be transformed into a steady stream of high-quality grace feedback.

"I heard he has already unearthed several students with outstanding talent."

Frederick's movements of packing up teaching aids slowed down, obvious envy appearing in his eyes:

"One has even entered the school's key talent pool and is listed as a future seed for cultivation."

This achievement is a great honor for any teacher.

Being able to discover and cultivate a true genius will not only bring huge grace feedback, but is also the best proof of one's academic status.

In contrast, although Frederick has cultivated several qualified enchanters over the years, there are very few students who can be called geniuses.

This is also an important reason why he has always remained at the level of an ordinary lecturer and cannot enter the core academic circle.

Just as he was immersed in this complex emotion, a more heavy topic surfaced in his mind.

Tower Master Cassandra is about to return.

This news is no longer a secret within the Crystal Spire, and various related rumors and speculations are circulating in the dark.

As a senior teacher who has worked in the school for decades, Frederick has learned some disturbing information through his own news channels.

The reforms about to be pushed by the Conquest Faction are likely to completely change the existing management system of the Crystal Spire.

The traditional contribution point system will run in parallel with the new "War Merit System", and academic evaluation standards will also undergo major adjustments.

What is even more worrying is that those wizards who are old but cannot produce enough academic results are likely to face difficult choices.

"Sent to peripheral schools..."

Frederick repeated this term that kept countless colleagues awake at night.

On the surface, this is to strengthen teaching support for peripheral areas, but in reality, it is a disguised form of exile.

Wizards sent to those remote schools are nominally there to fulfill the noble duty of "knowledge dissemination" and cultivate more potential seeds for the Crystal Spire.

But everyone knows that this kind of expatriation often means the substantial end of an academic career.

The conditions in those peripheral schools are simple and resources are scarce, making it impossible to support high-level research work.

The dispatched wizards can only spend the last time of their careers there, gradually being forgotten by the mainstream academic circle.

Frederick thought of his friends and distant relatives.

Many of them are complaining about this upcoming change.

Some began to write papers desperately, hoping to improve their academic reputation before the reform started;

Some tried to seek protection through various relationships, hoping to avoid the fate of being sent away;

Others simply began to consider retiring early to preserve their last bit of face.

But no matter what strategy is adopted, in the face of the powerful influence of the Conquest Faction, these struggles seem pale and weak.

Cassandra Saint-Manzhi, this legendary Great Wizard, the current patriarch of the Crown Clan.

What she represents is not just personal will, but a major shift in the direction of the entire wizarding civilization.

From the conservative and steady traditional route to the radical and expansionist path of conquest.

The impact of this shift will be profound and comprehensive, and every wizard working in the Crystal Spire cannot stay out of it.

"Perhaps... the status of Enchantment will be higher than it is now."

Frederick tried to find a glimmer of comfort from this gloomy prospect.

Conquering other worlds requires a large amount of equipment and enchanted props, which is exactly the specialty of enchanters.

From this perspective, the importance of Enchantment will not only not decline, but may receive unprecedented attention.

Wizards who have mastered advanced Enchantment technology are likely to become core talents under the new system.

"But the premise is to be able to produce enough practical results..."

He shook his head with a bitter smile; reality is always much crueler than fantasy.

Just mastering theoretical knowledge is far from enough; one must be able to create truly valuable results in order to stand firm in this reform.

Just as Frederick was immersed in this worry and thinking, a sudden huge impact struck.

It was a torrent of grace so pure it was shocking, transmitted from a relatively close distance with unprecedented intensity and concentration.

This feeling was like someone walking in the desert suddenly encountering nectar, or like a river on the verge of drying up suddenly merging into a surging tributary.

Frederick's body trembled violently, almost losing control in this intense pleasure.

He had to grab the edge of the podium tightly, forcing himself to maintain superficial composure.

But the shock was so intense that his legs began to soften and fine beads of sweat seeped from his forehead.

"Whose grace is this...?"

Frederick exclaimed in his heart, trying to analyze the source and characteristics of this grace.

As an experienced teacher, he has a keen perception of the quality of various graces.

The grace of ordinary apprentices is usually weak and short-lived, like drizzle, long but limited in strength;

The grace produced by students with outstanding talent will be purer and more lasting, making people feel comfortable like the warm sun in spring;

But the scale and quality of the grace before him have completely surpassed all his previous experiences.

"This purity... is only possible for a Treasure-level genius."

A look of shock flashed in his eyes, and he began to search for possible sources in his mind.

Within the Crystal Spire, there are only a handful of young wizards rated as Treasure-level, and most have clear mentorship relationships.

There is likely only one person who can produce such strong grace feedback at this time and in this place...

"Luo En Ralph?"

Frederick widened his eyes, this guess making him feel both excited and confused.

This level of grace feedback usually only appears when a student makes a major breakthrough or deep realization.

A bold idea emerged in Frederick's mind.

That pure energy was slowly nourishing his spiritual core, clearing away the trace amounts of corruption accumulated over the years, and even making him feel that his thinking had become sharper.

This effect is no longer just simple grace, but a kind of near-miraculous spiritual purification.

"I must find a way to seize this opportunity."

A strong impulse rose in Frederick's heart; reason told him he should remain calm, but the desire in his heart was as hot as fire.

As a scholar who has worked in the field of Enchantment for most of his life, he knows too well how precious this opportunity is.

If he could continue to guide that genius, he would definitely be able to obtain a steady stream of huge grace feedback.

Moreover, in the upcoming wave of reform, a mentor with a Treasure-level student would undoubtedly gain higher status and better treatment.

"But... I heard he has already gained the favor of Professor Uter..."

The coldness of reality soon extinguished the fire in Frederick's heart.

Not to mention how to teach the other party, Luo En might only be learning Enchantment out of interest, not out of real professional needs.

"However... maybe there is still a chance."

Frederick remembered that brief contact before, the humble and focused attitude of that young man in his memory.

Unlike some arrogant geniuses, Luo En gives the impression of being sincere and thirsty for knowledge.

Such a person might really be interested in in-depth academic exchanges.

"I should be more proactive."

Thinking of this, Frederick began to make a plan in his heart.

He believes that with his decades of accumulation in the field of Enchantment, he will definitely be able to provide some content that the other party is interested in.

"At least give it a try..."

Frederick took a deep breath, feeling the warm power brought by that grace in his body.

This feeling is like nectar after a long drought, reigniting his passion for teaching and academics.

Perhaps the god of fate is opening a new door for him, giving him the opportunity to achieve a real breakthrough and achievement in the later stages of his career.

And the key to all this is that young genius named Luo En Ralph.

(End of chapter)