The banquet was drawing to a close in a harmonious atmosphere, as Sheena elegantly set down her crystal wine glass.
Her gentle eyes turned to Ron, as comforting as the warm sun of spring.
"Lecturer Ralph, your performance was truly impressive."
Her voice was like the chirping of a nightingale, every syllable naturally exuding charm:
"The perfect fusion of that light element and spiritual power reminds me of our school’s research on ’consciousness resonance.’
As she spoke, she gently stroked a leaf-shaped emerald brooch on her chest, which immediately emitted a faint breath of life:
"Your improved plan for the Abyss simulation device, especially the consciousness linking technology, bears a striking similarity to our ongoing research on ’collective consciousness vines.’
Ron sensed the probing nature in her words but maintained a scholarly politeness and interest on the surface:
"Elder Sheena flatters me. However, the collective consciousness vines you mentioned do sound quite intriguing."
"Indeed!"
Sheena grew somewhat excited, like a biologist discovering a rare specimen:
"If you’re interested, why not visit my ’Vitality Spring’? It provides the best environment for deep academic exchanges."
Her invitation sounded so natural, so full of goodwill.
But Ron detected a subtle warning from the gazes of Salamanda and the others.
Especially Hayek, the old man barely perceptibly frowned, tapping his right index finger three times on the table.
"This is truly an honor."
Ron wore an expression of being flattered:
"However, could you allow me some time to consider? After all, this is such a precious opportunity..."
"Of course, of course!"
Sheena smiled gently, but to Ron, that smile carried some hard-to-detect depth:
"Academic cooperation requires thorough preparation; take your time to consider."
Ron stood up and politely bowed:
"I drank too much morning dew wine; please excuse me for a moment."
"Of course, please go ahead."
Sheena maintained her gentle smile, but her gaze lingered on Ron’s face for a moment.
She seemingly noticed something but chose to remain composed.
......
The restroom was located on the side wing of the banquet hall, constructed from the unique "wind-eroded stones" of the Quicksand Lands.
Ron entered the innermost stall and, confirming he was alone, took out another simplified set of divination tools from his storage bag.
The main piece was a pendant formed from a fusion of three different materials:
Ivory represented purity of essence, obsidian symbolized profound intuition, and the embedded crystal was responsible for the conduction and amplification of energy.
Ron gently placed the pendant in his palm and began adjusting his spiritual frequency.
The meditation techniques from the "Star Eater’s Ravings" allowed him to quickly enter a semi-meditative state.
His consciousness contracted along a specific path until it touched the core of intuition deep within his mind.
"Is Sheena’s invitation a deadly trap?"
He clearly posed this question in his mind while slowly injecting spiritual power into the pendant.
The ivory began to emit a gentle white glow, representing the search for pure intention;
The surface of the obsidian revealed deep patterns, symbolizing the unveiling of hidden motives;
And the crystal, at the intersection of both energies, began to project a nebulous image.
The first image gradually became clear:
A beautiful butterfly, its wings displaying a rainbow-like array of vibrant colors, was dancing gracefully in a sunny garden.
The butterfly’s flight path was filled with a sense of freedom.
At times, it fluttered among the flowers, and at times rested by a clear spring, its face (if butterflies have faces) full of curiosity and yearning for the unknown world.
Ron carefully observed this symbol.
In traditional interpretations within divination, butterflies often represent transformation, beauty, and the fragility of life.
Its free flight symbolizes unbounded will, and its yearning for the garden hints at a desire for beautiful things.
The second image began to overlap:
The "garden" towards which the butterfly was flying began to reveal its true nature.
Those seemingly splendid flowers, upon closer inspection, were woven from countless hair-thin metal threads.
Each thread’s end was as sharp as a needle point, glistening with a cold silver light in the sunlight.
The entire garden was, in fact, a massive and intricate spider web, each "flower" a façade for a trap, each "scent" a bait for capture.
More chilling was the sight of other insects’ remains faintly visible deeper within the web.
They once, like this butterfly, were drawn by the beautiful illusion, ultimately becoming part of the spider’s collection.
The third image completed the divination’s entire metaphor:
A massive spider lay silently dormant at the center of the web.
This spider was different from ordinary predators; its eyes contained not pure hunger, but a collector’s obsessive glint.
It wouldn’t kill its prey immediately; instead, it used special silk to wrap them, maintaining them in a half-alive state for prolonged "observation" and "study."
The three images alternated, eventually merging into a complete prophetic vision:
The butterfly, drawn to the beautiful garden camouflaged by the web, happily ventured forward, but what awaited was not nectar and fragrance, but the fate of becoming a rare specimen.
Ron slowly opened his eyes, the divination pendant returning to calm.
His expression became serious, yet simultaneously, he breathed a sigh of relief.
The divination’s result confirmed part of his suspicions but also brought a relatively positive insight: