Chapter 64: We Can't Hold On Much Longer

After returning to the dormitory, Luo En carefully locked the doors and windows, checked the trap marks he set up last night, and confirmed everything was safe before finally relaxing.

He decided to attempt the meditation of "Whispers of the Star Eater" again tonight, but was more cautious, trying to avoid triggering that kind of strong inspiration as much as possible.

Luo En rearranged the defensive runes in the four corners of the room, lit the special calming incense, and then took out the silver pocket watch and placed it beside him, just in case.

"Steady, don't be eager for success." He reminded himself, then sat cross-legged and closed his eyes.

This time, he didn't immediately attempt to build a complete meditation rune, but started from basic meditation, letting spiritual power flow along familiar paths, forming a stable basic state.

After feeling that the state was good, he started to attempt to transition to the structure of "Whispers of the Star Eater", every step cautious, fearing to trigger the strong inspiration like last night again.

As the rune structure gradually took shape, Luo En could feel the quality of his spiritual power undergoing subtle changes.

Unlike the peaceful and moist feeling in basic meditation, the spiritual power guided by "Whispers of the Star Eater" was sharper and more active, as if turning calm lake water into a rushing torrent.

This change brought him a peculiar feeling—thinking became sharper, perception became more sensitive, and he could even capture subtle magical power fluctuations in the air in the room.

At the same time, he also felt a trace of vague spiritual abnormality.

Unlike the intensity that almost drove him mad last night, today's pollution was more like background noise, faint, but always present.

【"Whispers of the Star Eater" EXP +1】

"Sure enough, as long as I don't actively stimulate that kind of inspiration, although the meditation progress will be slower, the spiritual pollution will also be much weaker. The reason it was so dangerous last time should be that the 'Spiritual Flow' trait triggered the meditation method to progress too fast, which triggered inspiration."

Luo En whispered in his heart.

He focused his attention on the stable rune structure taught by Lady Ailan, not deliberately pursuing those deeper realms that might bring inspiration.

However, despite the relatively light spiritual pollution, Luo En still decided to use the Time Guardian's Pocket Watch for purification.

He closed his eyes, focused on feeling that vague sense of pollution, and then guided them to flow into the pocket watch.

【Negative state reset successful: Mild spiritual pollution, Energy -2】

As the pocket watch absorbed the spiritual pollution, Luo En felt his mind become clearer and clearer.

The subtle discomfort during meditation just now disappeared completely, replaced by a relaxed and pleasant state.

"Not bad, even if it's steady cultivation, matching it with the pocket watch can maintain a very considerable progress speed." Luo En nodded in satisfaction.

He looked out the window; the night was deep, but his spirit was abnormally clear.

This might be a side effect of "Whispers of the Star Eater"; after spiritual power improved, the required sleep time also decreased accordingly.

Luo En immediately started a comprehensive inventory of his own situation, without blind optimism, facing possible dangers and difficulties head-on:

【Luo En Ralph】

【Age: 15】

【Current Combat Profession: Wizard Apprentice (One and a Half Stars), Knight Attendant (One Star)】

【Current Life Profession: Potion Apprentice (One Star)】

【Attributes: Constitution 1.5, Spirit 2.6, Magic Power 0.7】

【Skills: Basic Potion Science (Proficient), "Whispers of the Star Eater" (Proficient), Zero-Ring Mucus Splash (Proficient max), Potion Refining (Entry), Herb Identification (Proficient), Basic Sword Technique (Proficient), Breathing Body Tempering (Entry), Spell Construction (Entry), Spiritual Interference (Entry), Sonic Vibration (Proficient)】

【Special Talents: Dual Souls, Solar Corona Protection (Residual)】

【Strength Level: Junior Apprentice】

Unknowingly, the progress of various skills was visible to the naked eye.

From Basic Potion Science to "Whispers of the Star Eater", from Herb Identification to Basic Sword Technique, every item was steadily improving.

Especially Basic Sword Technique, with the help of the Time Guardian's Pocket Watch, the progress had reached nearly half of the Proficient level, and it wasn't far from the next qualitative change.

"Even with the most conservative estimate, at this speed, I should become an intermediate apprentice within two months."

Luo En whispered to himself in his heart: "According to the estimate, reaching 3.0 in spiritual power should be able to cross the threshold of an intermediate apprentice, and the goal of entering the candidate wizard sequence is within reach."

These achievements were enough to cause pride and complacency in any apprentice, but he became more cautious.

Just as Lady Ailan warned, the more genius one was, the easier it was to fail because of arrogance.

"Must remain vigilant, especially about the monitoring of my own mental state."

After recording, he took out the silver pocket watch again, preparing to start the cultivation cycle tonight.

Although the work during the day had consumed a lot of energy, the pocket watch's ability allowed him to easily reset this negative state.

【Negative state absorbed successfully: Fatigue, Energy -1】

After the reset was completed, Luo En no longer felt a trace of fatigue, but instead was energetic, as if he had just woken up.

"The pocket watch's ability is truly too convenient."

He picked up the Ironwood Sword and started sword technique training tonight, every move striving for precision and fluency, perfectly combining the "Solar Corona Breathing Technique" with sword technique. 【

The sword light flickered in the dim room like a dark swimming fish, graceful and lethal.

The training lasted for two hours; when the soreness in his muscles reached a certain level, Luo En used the pocket watch to reset again.

The repetitive training-reset-training cycle allowed his basic swordsmanship experience points to accumulate continuously.

Finishing his practice, he dreamed in his sleep that he was wandering through a sea of stars; those murmurs lingered in his ears, and although their meanings remained vague, they were indeed no longer completely incomprehensible noise.

………………

Kingdom of Fa Lu Ke, Earl Ralph's residence.

The winter sunlight was pale and weak, shining obliquely through the tall windows of the study, yet it could not dispel the heavy atmosphere inside the room.

Earl Ralph sat before his desk, his brows tightly locked; the ledger spread out before him was like an insurmountable high mountain.

The flames in the fireplace emitted a faint crackling sound, barely adding a trace of vitality to this solemn space.

"Father, we need to talk."

A tall, upright young man pushed the door open and entered; this was Luo En's eldest brother, Edmond, the heir to the Ralph family and now the primary manager of family affairs.

The Earl looked up, his once-sharp eyes now bloodshot, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes carving out the traces of time: "What is the problem this time?"

Edmond sat down in the chair opposite his father and took a deep breath:

"The wheat fields on the west side have had poor harvests for three consecutive years, and last year's plague took away a quarter of the serfs; the manor's expenses far exceed its income, especially..."

He paused for a moment, carefully weighing his words: "Especially the magic stone fragments sent to Luo En every month, which have already pushed our finances to the brink of collapse."

The Earl's eyes flickered, but he quickly returned to calmness: "What are you trying to say?"

"Father, you mortgaged the eastern vineyard last month, and this month you sold off the silverware left by Grandmother, all just to scrape together those ten magic stone fragments."

Edmond's voice carried pain: "I know the family's current situation better than anyone—we can't hold on much longer."

(End of chapter)