Chapter 431: Sanity check

Luo En sat at that familiar oak desk, with the precious items obtained from the Vault of the King of Absurdity laid out before him.

"The Complete Explanation of the Extraordinary" lay quietly in the center of the desktop.

The eyeball on the heavy leather cover was already closed, as if in slumber.

The edges of the pages glowed with a faint golden light, hinting at the infinite knowledge contained within.

Beside it was another item, whose fluctuations stimulated the skin like static electricity, making one instinctively want to stay away.

Luo En’s fingers stroked the cover of "The Complete Explanation of the Extraordinary," wanting to open it to check the contents.

But the moment he touched it, a violent headache surged like a tide, spreading from his temples to his entire cranial cavity.

He gritted his teeth, enduring the pain as if countless fine needles were piercing his brain.

In less than two short days, he had experienced too many events that exceeded the limits of ordinary people:

The psychological trials and paradox challenges in the Vault of the King of Absurdity, each choice testing his inner self;

The hours-long strategic planning with Cassandra, his brain operating at high speed to analyze the weaknesses of the Vital civilization, his thoughts like strings stretched to the limit;

Using the Paradox Paradox Dice for deep divination, enduring the mental impact brought by space-time distortion;

The life-and-death siege of seven Time Hounds, walking on the edge of death every second;

And finally, the divination analysis of future threats, his mental power nearly exhausted, plus the silver pocket watch just being activated and draining his magic power...

Even though he had just taken the mental recovery potion treasured by the Crown Clan, his consciousness still felt as painful as if it were being torn apart.

Stabbing pains came from his temples, and his vision occasionally blurred; these were typical symptoms of mental overload.

His radiation field contracted and expanded unstably, like the rapid breathing of a patient.

The light of the "Triangle of Wisdom" was dim, and the connection between the three stars was intermittent.

The cracks at the edge of the consciousness space had not yet healed, occasionally sending out dull pains.

"Forcing research in this state will only be counterproductive..."

Luo En rationally analyzed his condition, but his inner curiosity grew like wild grass.

"The Complete Explanation of the Extraordinary" was right before his eyes, and those pieces of knowledge from the depths of the universe were within reach.

Just as he was bracing himself to continue his research, the door was gently pushed open.

Lady Ailan’s emerald figure floated in silently.

She could feel the chaotic energy fluctuations in the room through her own extended root network.

The air was filled with the "burnt smell" characteristic of mental exhaustion.

That was the residual aura after magic power had been burned excessively.

Luo En’s life aura was weak and unstable, like a candle in the wind.

"Master..."

Lady Ailan’s emerald branches trembled slightly in the air:

"Your state makes me very worried. I can feel that your Tree of Life is withering..."

Following closely behind, Dail also poked her head out, her damp silver hair clinging to her shoulders like a waterfall.

The Sea Siren’s sixth sense allowed her to detect the fluctuations in her master’s emotions, and that intense sense of unease was transmitted to her like a tide.

"Master looks so tired..."

Dail’s voice carried cautious concern:

"Your magic power fluctuations have become so weak, just like... just like the seawater at low tide..."

The two loyal servants exchanged a glance, both seeing the same worry in each other’s eyes.

They had accompanied Luo En through countless late nights of research and had never seen him in such an exhausted state.

In their perception, although their master worked with high intensity, he always knew how to balance work and rest.

This state of near-exhaustion was truly abnormal.

Just as Lady Ailan was about to step forward to persuade her master to rest.

Without any warning, a translucent information interface appeared before Luo En’s eyes:

[Predation Target Analysis]

[Target 1: Lady Ailan (Ancient Tree Fairy · Golden Ring)

Estimated devouring time: 72 hours

Skill experience obtainable: Herb Identification (more), Elemental Perception (less), Plant Manipulation (average)

Remaining lifespan: 1247 years

Talents:

1. Natural Affinity (Racial): Can freely establish mental connections with relatively harmless plants and dispatch them to a certain extent

2. Regeneration Core (Racial): Unless the energy core is completely destroyed, it can continuously perform high-speed regeneration

3. Elemental Conversion (Racial): Convert any elemental energy into life energy

Special abilities:

1. Life Perception Network: Establish a large-scale perception network through plant roots

2. Toxin Immunity: Completely immune to the vast majority of plant toxins

3. Environmental Modification: Can change the small-scale ecological environment in a short time]

[Target 2: Dail (Pure-blood Sea Siren · Golden Ring)

Estimated devouring time: 48 hours

Skill experience obtainable: Water Elemental Manipulation (more), Wind Elemental Manipulation (very little), Singing (more), Marine Life Communication (less)

Remaining lifespan: 423 years

Talents:

1. Big Eater (Second Tier): Digestion ability beyond reason, can extract nutrients from any organic matter

2. Enchanting Voice (Racial): The voice has an enchanting power that acts directly on the soul

3. Ocean Affinity (Racial): Significantly increases affinity for water and wind elements

Special abilities:

1. Deep Sea Adaptation: Can operate normally under any water pressure environment

2. Emotion Perception: Can accurately perceive others’ emotional fluctuations and psychological states

3. Protective Scales: Automatically deflect physical and some spell attacks]

The moment he saw this information, an unprecedented craving surged from the depths of Luo En’s heart.

It was not his rational thinking, but some more primitive, more greedy impulse.

Over a thousand years of lifespan! Near-immortal regeneration ability! Rare second-tier talents!

These temptations hissed in his mind like vipers, trying to convince him to take action.

"Analyzing from a purely efficiency perspective, this is indeed the optimal choice..."

"In this world where the strong prey on the weak, it is only natural for the strong to use the weak..."

"They were slaves you bought with magic stones in the first place; isn't it a matter of course for them to dedicate everything to their master..."

But just as greed was about to take the upper hand, Luo En’s rationality intervened, as hard as steel.

"No."

He said coldly in his heart, his voice as sharp as a blade.

"First, analyze the source of this impulse from a logical level."

Luo En forced himself into a Master Mo De of absolute rational thinking, just like analyzing a complex potion formula:

"This greed clearly comes from external influence, not my subjective will.

'The Whisper of the Star-Eater' will strengthen the desire to devour; this is a known side effect.

The predation ability of the silver pocket watch clearly amplified this influence further on this basis.

The superposition of the two forces produced an impulse that exceeded the normal range of endurance."

He analyzed his psychological state as calmly as dissecting a specimen:

"Since it is an external influence, it does not represent my true will.

A truly rational decision-maker should not be swayed by any external factors."

"Secondly, evaluate from the perspective of actual benefits."

Luo En continued his analysis, using it to replace those bad distracting thoughts:

"The value of Lady Ailan and Dail lies not only in their talent abilities.

They are the first batch of interpersonal relationships I have established in this world; trust is a scarce resource, and once lost, it is difficult to regain."

"If I choose to betray them, then who else will dare to treat me sincerely in the future?

In the wizarding world, isolation means vulnerability.

A strong person without any allies or supporters is actually the easiest target to be aimed at, just like the Blood King."

"What’s more, their loyalty itself is a priceless treasure."

His thinking operated at high speed like a precision instrument at this moment:

"At critical moments, loyal partners are more important than powerful abilities.

Devouring them might bring a temporary increase in power, but it would mean losing long-term strategic value."

"Finally, consider from the moral bottom line."

Although talking about morality in the wizarding world seems a bit extravagant, he still insisted on his own principles:

"I can be cold, I can be rational, I can make difficult choices for the sake of survival.

But I cannot become a monster without any bottom line.

Betraying those who trust me is an absolute red line that cannot be crossed."

"Once this line is crossed, I will start to doubt the meaning of my existence.

If even the most basic humanity is abandoned, then what is the point of gaining even more powerful strength?"

After this round of rigorous logical analysis, Luo En’s rationality completely suppressed that greed from external forces.

He took a deep breath, feeling the peace he had regained in his heart.

"The strength of will is an important standard for measuring the upper limit of a wizard’s achievements."

He concluded in his heart:

"If I cannot even resist this level of temptation, then I am not worthy of pursuing a higher level of power."

Luo En regained control of his emotions, his eyes becoming clear and firm again.

That dangerous murderous intent dissipated completely, replaced by the calm and gentle temperament he usually possessed. ===== CHAPTER 438 =====