Wizard: My skills can be upgraded indefinitely.

The night is deep.

Only one crystal wall lamp was lit in the laboratory, its dim yellow light enveloping a corner of the lab table.

Ian sat cross-legged in the meditation area, his mental energy sinking into his spiritual sea.

The crystallized core rotated slowly, and the star trail patterns on its surface shimmered with a faint silver light.

The meditation method of "Starry Night Ritual" operates in the consciousness, with countless stars arranged in formation above the sea of ​​consciousness.

Every star is drawing upon the invisible stellar power in the void.

hum...

The boundaries of the mental sea are expanding slightly.

The resonance between the stars was clearer than usual; he could feel that the stellar energy was exceptionally active tonight.

It was as if something... was responding to him.

Just then.

Deep within the sea of ​​consciousness, the mark rune that had just solidified into the potion suddenly trembled slightly.

The trembling was extremely faint, like the fluttering of butterfly wings.

But Ian's perception was incredibly sharp.

He "saw" a wisp of extremely fine, jet-black energy appear on the surface of the rune.

The threads twisted and wriggled, carrying a familiar, nauseating odor.

"Abyss corruption..."

Ian's pupils suddenly contracted deep within his consciousness.

Almost simultaneously, the panel vibrated silently!

At the edge of vision, dark red writing appeared like bloodstains.

[Abyssal contamination energy detected...]

[Pollution source intensity analysis in progress...]

[Warning: Pollution level exceeds threshold...]

Pollution Level: Level 4 (Morning Star)

[Pollution Characteristics: Abyssal Will Infiltration (Main), Flesh and Blood Curse (Secondary), Bloodline Mutation (Carrier)]

[Pollution Dispersion Rate: 87%]

[Core pollutant: In the center of the spiritual sea, the abyssal tentacles (active stage)]

[Recommendation: Immediately disconnect the connection or avoid close contact; otherwise, the contamination intensity will exceed the current purification limit.]

The last line of text hadn't fully appeared yet.

The scene before Ian's eyes shattered abruptly!

Before me lay a vast, suffocating space.

No, it cannot be called space.

There is no up, down, left, or right here, no boundaries, only an endless, distorted "existence".

The sky was dark purple, like congealed blood.

The earth was grayish-white, its surface covered with cracks, and deep within each crack flowed a thick, black liquid.

Countless tiny, invisible tentacles emerged from the void and slowly wriggled around.

The surface of the whiskers is covered with small, fleshy bumps. When the bumps split open, they reveal a dense array of eyeballs inside.

His eyes moved, and deep within his pupils were reflected images of madness, pain, and despair...

Burning cities, collapsing mountains, and shattered stars.

And... countless distorted human faces, each one screaming silently.

"This is……"

Ian's consciousness hovered at the edge of this space.

He looked down at his own body.

It had no physical form, only a pale silver halo.

At the edge of the halo, countless tiny starlight swirled, like a thin protective shield.

Outside the protective shield, those jet-black tentacles lunged wildly, crashing into the starlight and emitting a sizzling, corrosive sound.

With each collision, the starlight dims a little.

"This is... Titu Just's spiritual sea..."

Ian understood.

Through the solidified imprint, his consciousness entered the spiritual world of the patriarch Titu.

This is the depths of the consciousness of that peak level three wizard, the patriarch of the Just family...

It should have been a vast, orderly, and time-filled spiritual sanctuary.

Now, however, it has become a den of abyssal corruption.

Ian's gaze swept across the distorted space.

In the distance, some dilapidated "rune buildings" can be vaguely seen.

They were huge, translucent crystal fragments.

Each fragment contains a complex model of witchcraft.

Some of the fragments were still slowly rotating, and the runes on their surfaces occasionally glowed faintly.

But the light was quickly extinguished by the dark tentacles that surged from all around, like a candle flame being extinguished.

Further away, a fragmented image of a clock floats in the air.

The clock face is over 100 meters in diameter, the hands are broken, and the dial is covered with ancient time-marking patterns.

"This is... the bloodline mark of the Just family."

At this moment, the clock face was covered with inky black mycelium, which wriggled and gradually eroded the golden luster of the clock face.

With each tremor of the hour hand, dark red liquid seeps out and drips from the cracks in the dial.

Below, on the grayish-white ground, a bottomless pit has been eroded.

"The corruption of the abyss... has already eroded the very source of my bloodline."

A chill ran through Ian.

Level 4 pollution...

This means that the Abyss Corruption within Titu's body has reached the strength of a Morning Star Wizard.

Under normal circumstances, a level-two wizard's consciousness would be instantly devoured and assimilated when faced with this kind of pollution.

But Ian is different.

He "looked" at the core of his pale silver aura.

There, the phantom of a small panel floats silently.

Pale golden runes flowed along the edge of the semi-transparent light screen.

The rune structure is extremely complex, with each stroke containing a rule that transcends comprehension.

At this moment, the panel is emitting extremely faint but incredibly resilient fluctuations of order.

Wherever the ripples passed, the dark tentacles that had rushed towards them retreated frantically as if they had encountered a natural enemy.

But it soon surged up again, like an endless tide.

"My stats... could they be higher than the Will of the Abyss?"

No, this isn't even a sliver of the Abyss's will.

The thought flashed through Ian's mind.

But he didn't have time to think about it, because the view in the distance had captured all his attention.

At the center of this distorted space.

A huge crystallized core, over 100 meters in diameter, is suspended in the air.

The core is dark gold in color, and the surface is covered with dense cracks.

Deep within the cracks flowed a jet-black liquid, within which tiny tentacles could be faintly seen wriggling.

The core is surrounded by seven layers of broken protective magic arrays.

The magic circle, which should have been a pale gold color, was now dull and lifeless, with its edges covered in dark black mycelium.

And directly above the crystallized core...

Something was hanging there.

Ian's "gaze" is focused on the past.

It was a section of... an arm-thick, jet-black tentacle.

The surface of the whiskers is covered with spiral patterns, and a dark red light flows deep within the patterns.

The light pulsed like a heartbeat, and with each beat, it released an invisible wave of pollution.

The ripples swept across the entire sea of ​​consciousness.

All the tentacles twitched, and all the eyeballs moved accordingly.

All the images of pain, despair, and madness... surged forth.

The lower end of the whiskers is deeply embedded in the crack of the crystallized core.

Like a straw, it greedily sucks up the spiritual energy source within the core.

The upper part extends into the depths of the void, connected to something unknown.

"Abyssal Tentacles...Active Phase..."

Ian understood.

This is the core of pollution.

This is the root cause of Titus Just's coma and spiritual stagnation.

This tentacle is slowly eroding the soul of this peak level three wizard.

Dragging him toward the abyss.

"Something has to be done..."

Ian's consciousness spun within the halo.

He knew that one dose of medicine would not be enough to purify the tentacle.

Level 4 pollution is equivalent to the power level of a Morning Star Wizard.

If he were to force his way close, he would be instantly devoured.

"Perhaps, the surrounding area... is worth a try."

His "gaze" swept around the crystallized core.

There, the inky black pollution spread like a thick fog, its tendrils swaying like seaweed.

However, in some areas at the edge of the dense fog, the pollution concentration is relatively low.

Some broken fragments of the sorcery model are still struggling to emit a faint light.

Some remaining spiritual energy is still instinctively resisting erosion.

"Let's start from there," Ian thought to himself.

The pale silver halo slowly "drifted" forward.

The starlight shield rubbed violently against the surrounding pollutant tentacles, emitting a piercing hissing sound.

Like a red-hot iron block being immersed in ice water.

With every meter forward, the starlight dimmed a little.

The panel continued to release its orderly fluctuations, barely maintaining the protective shield from breaking.

Finally, he "drifted" to a relatively "clean" area.

This location is about 500 meters from the crystallization core.

The thick, inky black fog that filled the air had thinned considerably, and the tendrils had become sparser.

Dozens of broken fragments of witchcraft models were scattered on the ground.

The surface of the fragments still retains faint, regular fluctuations.

Ian stopped walking.

The pale silver halo slowly contracted, coalescing into a smaller, more solid sphere of light.

Inside the sphere of light, the power of the ordered stars began to circulate.

The meditation method of "Starry Night Ritual" is fully activated in the consciousness.

The light from the Star Seed was projected onto this ball of light through a mysterious connection on the panel.

Fine star trail patterns appeared on the surface of the light sphere.

The patterns extended and intertwined, eventually coalescing above the sphere of light into a miniature, three-dimensional star rune.

The moment the rune takes shape.

"Buzz..."

The air in the entire area suddenly jolted!

The surrounding jet-black tentacles contracted wildly as if they had been branded with a hot iron!

The thick fog churned and receded.

The grayish-white earth below was revealed, along with the broken fragments of witchcraft on it.

"efficient……"

Ian was overjoyed and controlled the ball of light to slowly descend to the ground.

The moment the ball of light touched the ground.

A ring of pale silver ripples spread out from the point of contact.

Where the ripples passed, the cracks on the gray-white earth began to heal.

The inky black liquid flowing deep within the patterns evaporates instantly upon encountering ripples, like ice and snow meeting the blazing sun.

zizi...

The soft sound was particularly clear in the quiet space.

The ripples spread for about ten meters before slowly dissipating.

Within a ten-meter radius, the earth regained its original dark golden luster.

The thick, inky black fog that had been lingering in the air was cleared away.

The faint light on the surface of those broken fragments of witchcraft seemed to brighten slightly as they began to coalesce again.

"It can only purify the surface..."

Ian is very clear about his limits.

The purification of this ten-meter radius consumed nearly ten percent of the Order Star Power in the potion.

This sea of ​​the spirit is so vast that its boundaries are invisible.

To achieve complete purification, one needs at least the strength of the Morning Star level.

"But... as long as we continue to purify and slow down the pollution process, that's enough."

He condensed another sphere of light and began purifying the next area.

One piece, then another.

Pale silver ripples spread continuously in this distorted space.

Like faint starlight illuminating a dark ocean.

Where the starlight shines, pollution recedes and order is restored.

Although the area is small, it will soon be eroded again by the surrounding pollution.

But at least... the rate at which the pollution spread has been slowed down.

At least, those remaining fragments of witchcraft have a little more chance to breathe.

At least, the rate at which the crystallized core was being eroded... slowed down a bit.

Ian didn't know how long this could last; his Order Star Power was rapidly depleting.

The light sphere has dimmed by 70% compared to its initial brightness.

But he didn't stop, because the panel would vibrate slightly with each purification.

New handwriting keeps appearing at the edge of my field of vision.

Purification progress: 0.01%

[Abyss Rule Fragment (Level 4) being collected...]

[Time-Traces and Bloodline Contamination Model Updated...]

[Analysis of the combination of the Curse Rules and the Will of the Abyss...]

Every piece of information is valuable knowledge.

Every act of purification is a fight against the abyss.

Outside, in the clan chief's bedroom.

Titus Just lay on the large stone bed, his chest rising and falling slightly.

Dark purple lines flowed faintly beneath the skin, like countless venomous snakes slithering beneath it.

Adele knelt by the bed, her hands tightly gripping her father's cold hands.

His deep blue eyes were fixed on his father's forehead.

There, the second dose of the medicine had just been dripped in, one-fifth of the original amount.

The pale silver liquid seeped into the skin and disappeared.

One second, two seconds, three seconds...

ten seconds.

Nothing happens.

Adele's heart sank lower and lower, her nails dug into her palms, drawing blood.

Her eyes were red-rimmed, and she clenched her teeth to keep herself from making a sound.

Just when she was almost in despair once again.

A faint light suddenly appeared under the skin on my father's forehead.

The light was very weak, like a candle flame flickering in the wind.

But a light did indeed rise, a pale silver light with starlight-like radiance.

The light slowly seeped out of the skin and hovered three inches above the forehead.

Then... it started to rotate.

The light spot rotates very slowly, releasing a faint silver ripple with each rotation.

Ripples spread, sweeping across the father's pale face.

Wherever it passed, the dark purple lines under the skin seemed to fade a little.

Although the changes were extremely subtle, Adele could see them clearly.

"efficient……"

Her throat bobbed, making a hoarse, breathy sound.

His hands trembled slightly with excitement.

After rotating ten times, the light gradually dimmed and disappeared back into the skin of the forehead.

The palace fell silent once more.

But this time, there was something different in the deathly silence.

Adele held her breath, sensing carefully.

The aura emanating from my father is indeed different...

"The aura is strengthening..." Her pupils suddenly dilated.

Although so faint as to be almost imperceptible.

But the decaying, lifeless aura emanating from my father had indeed faded somewhat.

Instead, there is a faint trace of "vitality" belonging to the living.

Like a dried-up riverbed, a single drop of water seeped out.

Even though it's just one drop, it represents hope.

"Ian..."

Adele murmured the name.

The emotions that had been suppressed in my chest for more than a year finally burst forth at this moment.

Tears welled up uncontrollably, sliding down her cheeks and dripping onto her father's cold hand, spreading dark water stains.

She recalled everything she had experienced over the past year since her father fell into a coma.

The elders' cold indifference, the brothers' scheming, and the ever-present hidden arrows.

Every time I go out, I worry about being intercepted and killed.

In every negotiation, one must be wary of being set up.

Those "allies" who once greeted her with smiles have all turned away and left.

Those "subordinates" who used to be so respectful to her are now baring their fangs.

She was like a lonely chess piece, placed on the chessboard, at the mercy of others.

All the changes stemmed from the collapse of her strongest support.

There was no place for her within the family anymore.

If it weren't for the secret help of Fifth Sister Ashia, and if it weren't for Delia and Nasenger's unwavering loyalty...

She may have died long ago in the icy sea, in some dark alley.

"Father……"

Adele buried her face in her father's hand, her shoulders trembling slightly, and suppressed sobs echoed in the palace.

Only in this empty bedroom would she reveal her most vulnerable side.

But this time, the cries contained not only despair, but also... hope.

He cried for a long time before slowly raising his head.

Her eyes were red and swollen, but her gaze was brighter than ever before, like stars washed clean by tears.

She wiped away her tears and looked at her father again.

That subtle vitality, though faint, certainly existed.

"Ian..."

She repeated the name to herself, and the image of that calm face came to mind.

Those deep eyes were always calm and composed.

It's as if he wouldn't even flinch if the sky were to fall.

The first time we met was on the Leap. He was wearing an ordinary gray robe, and a small black bird was perched on his shoulder.

He is excessively young, speaks concisely, acts decisively, and possesses astonishing abilities.

Later, he helped her pass the family's test, and the potion he concocted had an astonishingly good effect.

He helped her concoct the Rock Bear Potion and helped her train Karl and Crowlind.

He helped her... stabilize the situation.

Every time she was in trouble, he always had a solution.

Every time she felt hopeless, he always brought her a glimmer of hope.

Just like tonight, just like this moment.

The sliver of starlight on my father's forehead shone for only a brief moment.

But that moment of light illuminated the deepest darkness in her heart.

"Ian... just who are you?"

Adele murmured to herself, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the back of her father's hand.

In his mind, Ian's face became clearer and clearer.

Those calm eyes, that face that never showed much expression.

And... the occasional glimpse of that almost detached focus.

She suddenly remembered the way he looked when he was sorting through medicinal herbs in the lab that day.

His slender fingers held the crystal dropper with such precision that it was as if he were playing a musical instrument.

The light shone from the side, cutting out a line of light and shadow on his face.

At that moment, she suddenly felt...

This man seemed to be separated from the whole world by an invisible barrier.

No one can enter his heart, and no one can see through his secrets.

But this same person helped her and saved her time and time again.

The throbbing in her chest intensified, and a softness she herself didn't even realize she felt grew stronger.

Like seeds buried under frozen soil, they finally feel the warmth of spring.

It begins... to sprout quietly.

She didn't know what that feeling was like.

All she knew was that every time she thought of him, she felt a little more at ease.

Every time I see him, my tense nerves relax a little.

Although the road ahead is still difficult, at least... there is hope.

Adele took a deep breath and sat up straight again.

He wiped away the last tear from his face, and his eyes regained their resolve.

"Father, you must hold on."

She spoke softly, her voice low but carrying an undeniable determination.

"My daughter has found a solution."

"Your daughter will definitely wake you up."

"And..." She paused, looking out the window.

The night was deep, and the stars twinkled through the gaps in the clouds.

Inside the bedchamber, candlelight burned quietly.

On the stone bed, Titus Just's chest seemed to rise and fall more noticeably than before.

No one knew any of this except for Adel, who was kneeling by the bed.

as well as……

In the laboratory on Golden Statue Street, there was a man meditating with his eyes closed.