This set of equipment is expensive, but for a Wizard often conducting dangerous research, such an investment is necessary.
Ron climbed into the sleep pod, feeling the cool touch of the sleep mat.
The mat’s material has a natural calming effect, its texture as smooth as silk.
As the pod door closed, the surrounding runes began to emit a gentle blue glow.
A profound sense of tranquility slowly descended, allowing his tense nerves to relax.
Under the effect of the calming runes, Ron quickly fell asleep.
But this time, the dream was completely different from usual.
In the dream, he found himself in an endless void space.
There was no light, no sound, no trace of any material existence.
Even the concept of "darkness" didn’t apply, for darkness itself was also a form of existence.
This was pure "nothingness," an emptiness that felt hopeless.
There was no concept of up or down, nor a sense of time passing, as if the entire universe had been emptied.
In the center of this void, something was slowly being formed.
Initially, it was just a black dot, as pure black as ink, yet it was the only "presence" within this void.
It kept expanding, moving like it had its own life.
The expansion process was extremely slow, yet carried with it some kind of unstoppable inevitability.
As the black dot expanded, Ron was able to discern its true shape:
It was a mass of extremely viscous black substance, its surface covered in a greasy sheen, as sticky as tar.
Its form kept changing, sometimes writhing like a worm, sometimes stretching like tentacles, sometimes contracting into a spherical shape with no fixed form.
Most unsettling was the indescribable stench emanating from this substance.
It wasn’t simply a rotten smell but a deeper, decay from the essence of existence.
It was the scent of life after it had completely fallen, the residue after hope had been swallowed by despair.
Strangely, Ron did not feel nauseated or afraid.
Instead, a faint premonition arose in his heart; the birth of this black sphere seemed to be beneficial for him.
Even more surprising was that the intense desire to devour within him, gradually alleviated as the black sphere formed.
It was as if something was actively absorbing those negative impulses, bringing his spirit back to peace.
"What is this?"
He pondered in the dream, trying to understand the principle behind this phenomenon.
The black sphere seemed to sense his focus, its surface movement becoming more active.
Though it had no eyes, Ron could feel its "gaze," a kind of invisible connection.
......
When he woke from the dream, the sleep pod’s time display indicated he had only slept for six hours.
Yet his mental state upon waking was much better than anticipated.
The monitoring system within the sleep pod had detected his unusual state during the night.
The calming runes had automatically intensified their power, attempting to calm his emotional fluctuations.
But now the data displayed showed his spiritual power recovery exceeded normal levels.
Not only had it completely dispelled yesterday’s fatigue, but it was even better than his usual state.
The disturbing impulse to devour had also vanished completely.
Ron could feel that his mood had become clear and serene again, like a mirror washed by clean water.
He checked the state of the silver pocket watch, finding the black pointer still existed but completely still.
That unsettling "hunger" had disappeared, replaced by a quiet stillness.
"It seems that dream indeed had some effect..."
He thoughtfully analyzed this change:
"Perhaps this is a protective mechanism that the spirit spontaneously generates when subjected to extreme stress?"
In any case, being able to rid himself of that dangerous impulse was a good thing for him.
At least now, he could face Ailan and Dale without concerns about any inappropriate thoughts.
When Ron arrived at the dining room, his family had already prepared a sumptuous breakfast for him.
Various fruits cultivated by Ailan were spread across the table, each containing abundant magic power and nutrients.
There were sunshine berries glowing with golden light, purple wisdom fruits, and moonlight pears that rapidly restore spiritual power.
Dale had gathered seaweed, crafting it into refreshing soup.
"Good morning, Master!"
Dale greeted him cheerfully, eyes full of concern:
"Did you sleep well last night? Your face still looks a bit pale..."
"Last night I sensed some anomalies in Master’s life waves."
Ailan said with concern, swaying her green branches gently:
"Did you have another nightmare? I can modulate some calming tea..."
Seeing the care of his loyal attendants, Ron had completely recovered his usual state.
The terrible impulse from yesterday seemed to have been thoroughly suppressed.
"I’m fine, thank you for your concern."
His voice had returned to being gentle and sincere:
"I did have a strange dream last night, but now I feel better than before."
He picked up a sunshine berry to taste, its sweet juice bursting in his mouth, bringing warmth:
"The breakfast you prepared is very sumptuous, thank you for your hard work."
Hearing the master’s tone become gentle again, Dale clapped her hands joyfully:
"Great! Master’s spirit is restored again!"
Ailan breathed a sigh of relief, her branches swaying softly:
"It’s good that Master can recover. I was worried that yesterday’s exhaustion might have long-lasting effects on you."
As Ron enjoyed breakfast, he planned his schedule for the day in his mind.
Although he had temporarily rid himself of the turmoil from the devouring impulse, he knew this was merely a temporary alleviation.
The black sphere that appeared in the dream seemed more like an emergency mechanism than a permanent solution; the real problem still existed.