It’s a potion she concocted using her essence of life and herbs from the depths of the forest.
A faint green glow began to permeate the air, each speck of light a condensation of her life energy, capable of calming the most agitated spiritual waves.
"The song of the forest, the dream realm of ancient trees...all disturbances return to tranquility..."
Ailan softly chanted the ancient elven incantation.
The emerald branches swayed gently in the air, as if weaving an invisible dreamcatcher for Ron.
Ron felt the warmth of this care from his companions rising in his heart.
Dale’s song was like the embrace of the ocean, and Ailan’s fragrance was like the forest’s protection.
Two starkly different powers perfectly fused together, creating an unprecedented sense of security for him.
Those terrifying images from higher-dimensional information gradually receded in the face of this gentle force.
His breathing began to become deep and regular, and his tense spirit slowly relaxed.
After confirming that their master had fallen asleep, Dale and Ailan exchanged glances, seeing worry in each other’s eyes.
"Ailan’s mother..." The Sea Demon Girl’s voice carried a slight sob:
"Is the master...bearing something very heavy?"
As her thoughts gradually matured, she began to feel the enormous pressure deep within Ron’s heart.
It was not an external threat, but a more burdensome sense of responsibility.
"I sense it too."
Ailan’s branches lightly brushed Dale’s silver hair, her voice full of heartache:
"Ever since coming to the Central Lands, the master has been different. Although his strength and status have been continuously improving, and his knowledge is becoming richer, that sense of urgency..."
She paused, worry flashing in her emerald eyes:
"It’s as if something terrifying is constantly chasing him from behind, forcing him not to rest for a moment. As if stopping even briefly would allow some irresistible force to catch up."
Dale nodded, a light of memory shining in her silver eyes:
"I really miss the days in the Black Mist Jungle; although it was dangerous then, at least the master would occasionally relax.
He would chat with us, care for our growth, and show a satisfied smile when his research succeeded."
Her voice became even softer:
"But now he is...always pondering things we can’t comprehend, always carrying a look of...concern in his eyes."
"I wish Lily were here too."
Dale said softly, her voice tinged with loneliness:
"She could make the master show that...gentle expression. That completely relaxed, true smile."
Upon hearing this name, Ailan’s branches trembled slightly.
She clearly remembered the intense desire and longing in the girl’s eyes when she looked at Ron, as well as the eager expectation in Ron’s eyes when he occasionally looked at her.
Both of them fell silent, understanding that Ron was bearing burdens they couldn’t comprehend.
All they could do was offer simple and pure care whenever he needed it.
Dale gazed at that sleeping face, her heart churning with emotions.
The awakening of her bloodline brought not only an increase in power but also emotional maturity.
She could now clearly recognize her feelings for her master.
Feelings that transcended reliance and gratitude, something more complex.
But at the same time, she understood that these feelings might never be reciprocated.
Not because the master was indifferent, but because what he carried was too heavy, leaving no room for entanglements of human emotions.
"At least..." Dale whispered in her heart:
"At least I can still be by his side, offering a bit of insignificant help."
She continued to softly hum the lullaby, the melody gentle like waves, enveloping Ron’s consciousness in deep tranquility.
......
As Ron was about to enter a deep sleep, that familiar sensation of lucid dreaming came over him again.
The last images before sleep began to distort and contort like melting candles.
The metallic bulkheads softened like liquid, and the rune circuits started to twist frantically, like a throng of living snakes desperately struggling.
The air itself became thick and viscous, with each breath feeling like swallowing some living liquid.
"Here we go again..."
Ron did not panic; instead, he maintained the calm observation typical of a researcher.
As a wizard who had experienced numerous abnormal phenomena, he had learned to maintain rational analysis during such supernatural experiences.
This feeling of being passively drawn into a dream realm clearly came from an entity far superior to his current level.
Meanwhile, in the monitoring station’s observation center, Uther’s Void Remains projection suddenly appeared before the complex array of surveillance monitors.
Silver light traversed the dense array of monitors, each displaying a different area within the observation station.
When the shadow flashed past Ron’s resting area, the old professor keenly sensed the anomaly.
"Such spiritual waves..."
Uther’s projection trembled slightly, silver eyes revealing a wary expression.
It was a disturbance of energy from a very high dimension, with an evident transboundary characteristic.
In his millennia-long life journey, he only felt this sense of oppression when facing certain high-ranking entities.
He was about to activate the observation station’s emergency intervention system to forcibly sever any possible external connections.
But in the next moment, a mysterious message seeped into his consciousness like flowing water.
It was not a sound, nor an image, but a pure stream of information acting directly upon the soul.
The old professor’s expression shifted from wary to surprised, then to a certain understanding.