Silvery light slowly overflowed from the watch dial, forming a miniature time bubble that enveloped him completely.
Time exhibited a peculiar distortion within this tiny space.
Ron felt the pollution invading his spirit gradually being erased.
His spiritual level was like a piece of paper filled with chaotic lines, being forcefully restored to blankness by an eraser.
His thoughts gradually became clear, the colors and shapes that shouldn’t exist in his vision slowly disappeared, and the whispers in his ear returned to silence.
[Reset complete, Energy -20]
[Remaining Energy Quota: 18/50]
[Pocket Watch Trait Triggered: Detected trace amounts of Time Hound energy residue, absorbed]
[Energy Quota Limit Increased: 50→60]
[Remaining Energy Quota: 28/60]
Ron raised an eyebrow in surprise, looking at this unexpectedly pleasant notification.
"This unexpected gain isn’t bad..."
He felt a bit of joy in his heart, his fingertips gently caressing the fine engravings on the watch’s surface:
"In the confrontation with the Time Hound, the pocket watch actually absorbed part of its time energy and enhanced itself."
This trait couldn’t help but remind him of the potential origins of the pocket watch.
Was it a coincidence, or did this pocket watch inherently have some connection with the Time Hound?
Carefully putting the pocket watch back on his chest, Ron fell into deep thought.
This breakthrough in meditation could be said to be a mix of blessings and curses.
On one hand, he successfully lit up the "Hermit Star," obtaining the valuable "Hermit’s Knowledge" trait.
His spiritual power broke through to 5.5, and his magic power also increased to 4.6, which were substantial gains;
But on the other hand, during the stargazing, he glimpsed those memory fragments about the "Hermit" and the "Devourer."
Which also made him feel puzzled, even with a certain indescribable fear.
"The ’Hermit’ was once an ancient and powerful existence, yet it was disassembled and devoured by the tentacles of the ’Devourer’...
And through the "Star Eater’s Ravings," I am contemplating exactly that terrifying galaxy devourer... What does that mean?"
Ron’s thoughts raced, piecing together all the tiny fragments of information, trying to outline a complete picture.
"The ’Star Eater’s Ravings’ guides me to contemplate the ’Devourer,’ while also connecting me with those existences already consumed by the ’Devourer,’ like the ’Hermit Star’... This guidance is extremely contradictory."
At this moment, a dark thought gradually formed in his mind.
Is it possible that the "Star Eater’s Ravings" is not merely a channel for power inheritance?
Was its true design purpose actually to find more ’spare fodder’ for the ’Devourer’?"
"Who exactly created this meditation technique... and what was their true intent..."
Ron rubbed his temples, trying to relieve the pressure brought on by these heavy thoughts.
No matter what kind of secrets are hidden behind the "Star Eater’s Ravings," he currently does not have enough ability and information to obtain definite answers.
Rather than fall into endless speculation and self-doubt, it’s better to focus on the growth at hand.
His worries cannot solve any problems, and with the assistance of the panel system, perhaps he can avoid traps and risks faced by regular cultivators.
"At least, I am indeed becoming stronger now."
Ron consoled himself while silently warning in his heart:
"I must explore this path more cautiously, find a way to gather more information."
And the newly acquired "Hermit’s Knowledge" not only increases thinking speed but also provides a deeper insight capability, able to see through appearances and touch the essence.
When combined with "Extraordinary Recognition" and "Elemental Perception," it forms an almost omniscient sensory experience.
"If I hadn’t acquired this ability then, perhaps I wouldn’t have been able to discover the Time Hound’s presence in time, let alone identify their weakness of only being able to attack from certain shadow angles..."
Ron couldn’t help but sigh.
Danger and opportunity often go hand in hand.
This endless cycle of cause and effect is almost like some fate-designed test.
Taking a deep breath, Ron stood up, moving his limbs which had become a bit stiff from maintaining the same posture for a long time.
Now, he needs to quickly adjust his state to prepare for the work and research ahead.
"In any case, the gains this time outweigh the risks."
He finally concluded:
"Just in time, in a few days I will meet Professor Yutel for the routine activity of analyzing the ’Memory Crystal,’ I might as well ask him about the Time Hound then."
...
In the special containment center of the observatory, it was Uther’s personal mentoring time for Ron.
Ron stood in a sealed analysis room, with a transparent light blue Memory Crystal placed in front of him.
This Memory Crystal appeared smooth on the surface, but "Extraordinary Recognition" clearly captured the complex energy patterns inside it, layer upon layer like a three-dimensional maze.
This was already his fourth time participating in Memory Crystal analysis work.
In previous attempts, he started from the most basic energy detection, gradually learning how to establish a safe spiritual link and extract information fragments from the Memory Crystal.
Every attempt was accompanied by considerable risk, but under Uther’s guidance, he could always pull back in time before the danger became uncontrollable.
The analysis room was filled with precise energy control runes, interlocking, forming a complete protective network.
These runes not only ensure that any energy leakage during the analysis process is promptly sealed off but also forcibly cut off the link between the analyzer and the Memory Crystal in emergency situations.