Inside the containment chamber of the Abyss Research Center, the air felt so heavy that it seemed as if one could wring water from it.
Ron stood in front of the display, his gaze fixed on a Memory Crystal that was a deep, dark purple throughout.
This crystal was completely different from any sample he had seen before.
The energy flow within it formed an incredibly complex multilayer spiral structure.
Each spiral throbbed at different frequencies, like a miniature universe slowly breathing.
The unsettling part was that merely staring at this Memory Crystal for more than a few seconds would induce a peculiar sense of dizziness.
It wasn’t ordinary visual fatigue but a deeper kind of cognitive chaos.
Consciousness was being slowly dragged by some invisible force, intending to draw the observer’s very existence into it.
"Do you feel it? That subtle ’tugging’ sensation?"
Uther’s projection of Void Remains slowly coalesced in the containment chamber.
Today he appeared more solid than usual, a rare solemnity illuminating the silver glow:
"This is the main character of today’s lesson."
Ron nodded slightly, discreetly activating his "Extraordinary Recognition" and "Hunting Evil" perceptive skills at the same time.
The sensing was very faint; the feeling was as if what it contained was not evil or dangerous, but a more intrinsic kind of "void."
"The owner of the memory was a veteran explorer named Edmond, a Bloodline Knight and an experienced Abyss Guide."
Uther’s voice carried an indescribable regret:
"Edmond discovered an extremely rare ’Land of Oblivion’ deep in the labyrinth; this finding should have brought some progress to the Abyss survey, but..."
The old professor’s projection slightly dimmed:
"But Edmond never walked out of there again. No, to be precise, he never even truly ’entered’ it."
"Never entered?" Ron keenly caught this keyword.
"The Land of Oblivion is one of the most mysterious and terrifying places in the Abyss."
Uther’s tone turned particularly cautious, his projection gently swaying in the air:
"These places possess a certain supernatural ’erasure’ ability that can cause entities that come into contact with them to disappear completely from reality—not just death, but the erasure of existence itself."
He paused, a deep concern flickering through the silver glow:
"Those devoured by it will not only disappear from the real world, but all memories, records, and even historical traces of them will also be erased.
As if they never existed in this world at all.
If this Memory Crystal hadn’t been solidified and preserved at the last moment, we wouldn’t even know that Edmond ever existed."
Ron’s heart shook, an inexplicable sense of unease surging up.
The discord that had been plaguing him surfaced once again.
It was as if something had been forgotten, a face flickering blurrily at the edge of memory, yet never clear.
That feeling was like a word at the tip of the tongue, obviously right there, but always just a little out of reach.
"Professor, is this erasure...permanent?"
He forced himself to maintain outward calm, but a hint of tension still leaked into his voice.
Uther seemed to notice the subtle change in Ron’s tone, his silver eyes flickering in the projection:
"Theoretically, it is permanent and complete. But there are always exceptions."
His voice grew deeper:
"Some Wizards with special soul talents, or entities with special Soul Anchors, may leave faint traces during memory erasure.
These traces usually manifest as a vague sense of déjà vu, an inexplicable sense of loss, or a nagging feeling of ’having forgotten something important.’
But the specific content cannot be recalled, as if there is a permanent void in the brain."
Ron’s pupils slightly contracted.
This description matched perfectly with the sense of discord he had been experiencing lately.
If someone were truly devoured, and for some reason, he retained a trace of memory...
Who would it be?
The name was on the verge of emerging, yet he couldn’t recall it at all.
"What, have you experienced something similar?"
Uther’s question was like a knife, piercing straight into the most sensitive area of Ron’s heart.
"Just... some vague feelings, perhaps it’s overthinking."
Ron cautiously replied, not delving into details.
As a rational researcher, he knew not to let emotions sway his judgment without conclusive evidence.
Yet the unease in his heart continued to amplify, like a thunderstorm gradually approaching through the night.
"The existence of the Land of Oblivion also proves, from another perspective, that the Supreme Apostles’ control over the Abyss is far greater than we imagined."
Uther continued, seemingly intent on changing the subject, but his tone became unusually serious:
"Although they cannot completely control the entire Abyss, they indeed possess considerable environmental modification and biological manipulation capabilities."
The old professor’s projection floated forward a bit, the silver glow casting complex shadows on the Crystal walls of the containment chamber:
"What’s more concerning is that our recent observations reveal the emergence of unusually powerful mutated creatures in previously relatively safe shallow regions.
These even include the legendary ’Chaotic Spirit Beasts’—those terrifying entities supposedly only found in the deep regions below the Seventh Floor."