But as the last shadow was dispelled by the "Ring of Brilliance," it had no place to hide.
The high-dimensional pollution continued to erode the form of the Time Hound, making it increasingly unstable, even starting to lose its concrete shape.
That iconic cone-shaped mouthpart also began to dissolve, turning into a blurred cloud of energy.
A very terrifying degree of erosion, but clearly not enough to kill the opponent.
... Or rather, whether this special entity residing along the river of time even has the concept of "death" is unknown.
"Quickly, escape now!" He seized the opportunity and forcibly cut off his connection to the river of time.
His consciousness swiftly receded like a tide, and Ron broke away from that dangerous dimensional intersection with unprecedented speed, fleeing back to his familiar Spiritual World in panic.
When the last thread of connection was severed, he seemed to hear a sharp screech coming from afar.
It was the fury and unwillingness of the Time Hound, but it could no longer reach him.
The process of returning to reality was like traversing a tunnel filled with broken glass, every inch stabbing into the essence of his being.
When his consciousness fully returned to his body, Ron abruptly opened his eyes, and the crystal light in the Meditation Room stung his eyes to the point of soreness.
A drop of cold sweat slid down from his temple, and only then did he realize that his entire body was soaked with cold sweat.
"Phew..." He adjusted his breathing, gradually calming his heartbeat down.
"Survived... at least for now..."
He gasped weakly, but couldn’t truly relax.
This thrilling confrontation with the Time Hound was far more dangerous than he had imagined.
So much so that Ron’s Spiritual Power was almost completely exhausted, with high-dimensional pollution leaving marks on him.
Fragmented high-dimensional memories also surged in his mind like a tide at this moment.
Those fragments of "Hermit"’s experiences did not exist in a way that human thinking could comprehend.
They were woven in a form beyond language.
Each image, each concept was like a forcibly compressed galaxy, piled within his limited cognitive framework.
Darkness and cold—no, that was not darkness and cold as humans understand it.
That "darkness" transcended the absence of the spectrum, and that "cold" was not a decrease in temperature, but a fundamental change in the state of energy.
In that nameless void, an immense entity silently swam.
The form of the "Hermit" was difficult to describe with any known terms.
It was not a physical entity, nor merely pure energy, or even merely thought or consciousness.
It was some more essential existence, a... Ron could not even find a suitable word to describe it.
It could only be temporarily regarded as a form of "crevice life," an extra-dimensional individual existing at the junctions of all known material forms.
This ancient observer traversed the galaxies, collecting the knowledge and mysteries of the universe.
It did not interfere, only observed, silently recording the rise and fall of one civilization after another, the birth and death of star after star.
And the "Devourer" was even more terrifying than the "Hermit."
In the memories Ron received, the image of the "Devourer" was equally indescribable.
It was not a whole but countless overlapping existences occupying the same space simultaneously.
Each perspective presented a different form, yet it was the same entity.
With those terrifying "tentacles," it effortlessly pierced through the dimensional barrier where the "Hermit" resided, tearing it to pieces.
At that moment, something in the universe was permanently changed.
An ancient observer was destroyed, countless fragments of knowledge scattered.
"The ’Hermit’... was hunted by the ’Devourer’..."
Ron murmured to himself, a chilling sensation creeping up his spine.
[Historical Research (Beginner) Experience Points + 1]
[Historical Research (Beginner) Experience Points + 1]
[Historical Research (Beginner) Experience Points + 1]
...
[Current Progress: Historical Research (Beginner 28/50)]
[Astrology (Beginner) Experience Points + 1]
[Astrology (Beginner) Experience Points + 1]
[Astrology (Beginner) Experience Points + 1]
...
[Current Progress: Astrology (Beginner 22/50)]
The prompts from the panel appeared one by one, confirming that he had indeed benefited significantly from this dangerous experience.
But at the same time, a heavy spiritual contamination enveloped his consciousness like a toxic fog.
It was an indescribable burden, rendering his thoughts blurry and chaotic.
At the edges of his vision began to appear colors that shouldn’t exist—these colors didn’t even belong to the visible spectrum, yet he "saw" them in a disturbing way.
Meaningless murmurs and whispers echoed in his ears, not uttered in any known language, yet seemingly conveying some sort of information.
More terrifyingly, these abnormal perceptions were gradually integrating into his daily cognition, attempting to make the abnormal "normal," trying to alter his basic perception of reality.
"This level of contamination..."
Ron struggled to maintain the clarity of his thoughts, experiencing intense nausea and dizziness:
"It’s probably the most severe contamination I’ve encountered so far, surpassing the inspirative trigger from first contact with the ’Star Eater’s Ravings’ and the ’Dead Universe Battlefield’ when I advanced to Advanced Apprentice."
Without a moment’s hesitation, he immediately activated the silver Pocket Watch in his chest.
The moment his fingertip touched the surface, familiar time fluctuations emanated from it, as if a tightly wound string was gently plucked.
Ron carefully injected a strand of Spiritual Power, awakening the slumbering power within the Pocket Watch.