Ailan’s voice was filled with a sense of relief and joy, as her verdant figure drifted from deep within the workshop.
But as she approached Ron, her keen natural perception made her pause slightly.
"The aura on your body..."
The Tree Spirit’s voice carried a clear sense of unease:
"It feels very strange... like a mark left by some ancient, powerful being..."
In the Crystal Pool, Dale also sensed this anomaly.
The Sea Demon Girl elegantly stood up from the water, her silver hair flowing like moonlight under the Magic Crystal Lamp.
Worry flickered in her golden eyes:
"Master, that aura reminds me of the terrifying entities from those ancient deep-sea myths... Did something happen to you?"
Faced with the concerned inquiries of his two partners, Ron felt a warmth surge in his heart.
"I did encounter some... special beings,"
he reassured the two "people":
"But it’s all resolved now, and in fact, this encounter turned out to be a good thing for me."
Ron sat down on the chair in the center of the laboratory and began to briefly introduce the results of this exploration to the two of them.
Of course, he didn’t disclose the specific details about Nari.
He simply mentioned encountering a relatively friendly Abyssal Apostle and establishing some kind of reciprocal relationship.
Noticing his master’s slightly tired expression, Ailan immediately began to prepare dinner.
Her verdant branches deftly handled various utensils and ingredients, quickly concocting a table of exquisite food.
Fresh vegetable salad, rich-scented Magical Beast meat soup, and specialty pastries made from Abyssal Plants.
"Master, you haven’t had a proper meal in a long time,"
the Tree Spirit said with concern:
"Though a Wizard’s body can withstand long-term energy supply, proper nutrition intake is helpful for the recovery of the spirit."
Looking at the carefully prepared food in front of him, Ron felt a warmth rise in his heart.
In the midst of those complex struggles and dangerous explorations outside, this place was always his haven of complete relaxation.
"Thank you both,"
he nodded to Ailan and began to enjoy the sumptuous dinner.
During the meal, Ron talked to the two about his upcoming travel plans:
"The day after tomorrow, I’ll be returning to the Central Lands to handle some important matters, and I might stay for one or two weeks."
Hearing this news, Ailan and Dale showed clear concern.
"Master, can we come with you?"
Dale’s voice carried anticipation: "We’ll be a bit worried staying here waiting for you to return..."
"Of course,"
Ron’s answer made the two visibly relieved:
"I’m planning to take you and some important research equipment from the mobile workshop as well."
He looked at Ailan:
"Start packing ahead of time, properly package those valuable materials and precision instruments.
Also, prepare to protect the ongoing experiments from interruption."
"Understood, Master,"
Ailan replied, already planning out the specific packing tasks in her mind.
As Ron’s most capable assistant, she clearly knew which items were necessary to take and which could temporarily be left at the observation station.
After dinner, Ron remembered something he had neglected for a long time.
"Right, I haven’t written to my family in a long time,"
he said as he took out paper and pen from his Storage Bag and began to think about how to report his current situation to his family.
During the last Lance Festival, he actually wrote a family letter to update them on his situation.
This was the second one, quite a long time since the last.
After thinking for a while, he started writing on the paper:
"Dear Father and Brother,
Time flies, and it’s been more than half a year since I last wrote to the family.
I am now working at the Abyssal Observation Station, and everything is going smoothly.
Recently, I’ve achieved some important academic accomplishments, significantly improving my status within the School.
Though work is busy, my health is well, please don’t worry.
Abyss exploration sounds dangerous, but with my current abilities, the risks are within controllable range.
Soon I’ll be making a trip to the Central Lands to handle some important matters.
If possible, I’ll try to purchase some rare items not found in the Faruk Kingdom and send them back.
How are the family estates? How is Brother’s health? Is Father’s work burdensome?
Additionally, I’ll be sending some Magic Stone Fragments with this letter.
These can be exchanged for a large amount of Gold Coins in the Kingdom, enough to sustain the family’s expenses for several years.
Don’t be thrifty, spend what needs to be spent, my income is stable now.
If there’s an urgent matter that needs to contact me, you can use the postal system in the Central Lands.
The address is: Abyss Core Observation Station, Senior Researcher Ron Ralph.
Thinking of everyone at home,
Ron"
After finishing the letter, Ron carefully checked the wording.
He deliberately avoided mentioning specific dangerous encounters and those complex relationships, only reporting his current situation in a lighthearted tone.
For ordinary people, knowing too much about the dark truths of the Extraordinary World is not a good thing.
"When Master writes to his family, his expression always becomes very gentle,"
Dale observed from the side, with a hint of envy in her voice.
Ron looked up at the Sea Demon Girl, noticing the emotions in her eyes.
Dale, trafficked by a Slave Merchant, had a complex feeling for kinship, both longing and unfamiliar.
"You have a family now too," Ron said gently: "The three of us, we are a family."
Those words made Dale’s eyes light up instantly, pure joy blossoming like a flower.
"Really?" Her voice trembled a little: "Can I... Can I count as the Master’s family too?"
"Of course,"
Ron nodded affirmatively:
"Family isn’t just about blood relations, what’s more important is caring and support for each other.
On this point, you and Ailan are both my most important family members."
Hearing these words, Ailan was also deeply moved.
Her verdant branches swayed gently, and a few leaves gathered crystal beads.
It was the Tree Spirit’s special secretion when moved, as precious as tears.
"Alright, let’s all get some rest early,"
he stood up, tidying up the written letter: "There’s a lot of preparation work to do tomorrow."