"Pain is just a necessary price in the process of acquiring knowledge..."
"The sacrifice of an individual, if it leads to greater progress, is undoubtedly worthwhile..."
These hidden texts only flicker for a moment before being buried again by the surface ’benevolence’.
"An interesting editing technique."
Ron gently brushes one of the pages, feeling the subtle pulse from the Memory Silk:
"These early papers were later artificially modified to conceal the true thoughts."
He activates all his skills and traits related to perception and begins to seriously observe the deep structure of the paper.
Under a special viewpoint, each page of paper presents a layered state.
The surface is adorned with ’charitable’ content, while the deeper layers hide darker, utilitarian true thoughts.
"This isn’t a change of character, but a gradual process of shedding disguises."
Ron concludes in his heart:
"She possessed this cold nature from the start, merely concealed it deliberately in the early stages."
He carefully checks the time markings on the papers and starts building a detailed timeline.
With the increasing depth of cultivation in the Star Eater’s Ravings, Cassandra’s degree of ’disguise’ gradually weakened.
Not replaced by some external will, but the inherently cold nature being amplified under the influence of the star power.
"The cost of the Seeking Heart..."
Ron recalls his recent psychological changes, the kind of gradual numbness to the experiments of Ancient Alchemists:
"I am experiencing the same process."
He takes out a specially made ’self-reflection mirror’.
This is a psychological state monitoring tool crafted based on astrology principles combined with alchemy.
The mirror does not reflect appearances but displays the true state of the observer’s inner self.
After all, sometimes certain changes are indiscernible to oneself and must rely on third-party projection to reveal the ’true face’.
In the mirror, he sees himself with an increasingly indifferent look.
"At least I can still perceive these changes."
Ron sighs softly, somewhat helplessly putting away the mirror:
"Being aware of the problem’s existence means there is still a chance for recovery, the key is to establish an effective monitoring mechanism."
Just as he prepares to continue studying the next literature, a strange sound suddenly emanates from the corner of the experimental table.
"Tick... tick..."
It’s the sound from an apparently aged Consciousness Layering Device.
This equipment is usually silent during operation; such regular sounds can only mean one thing—stored data not yet processed within.
Ron approaches to observe, discovering a layer of fine frost covering the surface of the device.
This frost isn’t ordinary water vapor condensation, but crystallized material produced during thought overload.
"Someone conducted high-intensity consciousness analysis work here."
He cautiously touches the device surface, immediately feeling the residual spirit imprint with his fingertips.
Through Historical Research skills, he captures some fragmented memories:
A figure operating the device alone in the dead of night, surrounded by countless complex data projections;
The person’s hands trembling, seemingly enduring immense psychological pressure;
Empty stimulant potion cups on the table, indicating prolonged work...
"It seems someone intentionally left something for me."
According to the standard procedures of the observatory, all laboratories undergo thorough data cleansing during personnel changes.
Finding leftover files is almost impossible.
Ron uses various sophisticated instruments, coupled with his perception ability, for careful examination.
After confirming no malicious traps, he starts activating the reading program.
The device emits a low hum, internal thought crystals beginning to glow, then projecting a data file.
The title displayed on the screen quickens his heartbeat:
"Foundation Theory Discussion on Virtual Environment Construction_Draft Version_Confidential Level"
Author signed as ’L.H. Researcher’.
"This timing is too coincidental..."
Ron thoughtfully looks at this ’accidentally’ discovered document.
He recalls the advice from the King of Illusions earlier:
Those agreed-upon materials would be delivered to him unobtrusively...
Thinking of this, Ron steadies himself, beginning to eagerly anticipate the document.
And as he reads through it carefully, the complexity and deductive process of the document undoubtedly exceed his expectations.
The author not only has a deep understanding of consciousness weaving but also extends to technical details he’s never heard of:
"Artificial cultivation of neural fibers: Through special biological alchemy, cultivate living neural networks with superconductive traits..."
"Preparation of memory crystallization: Convert the experiential sensory memory into a crystal structure capable of repeated playback..."
"Anchoring technology: During virtual experience, use consciousness anchor points to ensure users don’t get lost in the illusion realm..."
Each technical detail is accompanied by comprehensive experimental data and failure case analysis.
The author evidently invested a lot of time and effort, even risking using themselves as experimental subjects for dangerous tests.
On the edge of the document are warnings written in red ink:
"Failure of the 117th test, extended consciousness separation time resulting in significant reality sense loss..."
"Note: Realism of virtual pain should not exceed 75%, or it may cause permanent psychological trauma..."
"Warning: Certain ancient memories should not be used as virtual environment materials, they will ’infect’ the entire system..."