Wizard: My skills can be upgraded indefinitely.

Morning light streams through the courtyard, cutting out patterns of light and shadow on the bluestone slabs.

The laboratory was filled with a strong herbal aroma.

Ian stood in front of the temperature-controlled cabinet, his fingertips brushing against a row of newly delivered crystal boxes.

The lid is transparent, allowing a view of the various extracts, crystalline powders, and biological tissues soaked in preservative solution neatly arranged inside.

Dark silver, dark gold, dark green...

Under the crystal light, it shimmered with various lusters.

I don't know how Adel managed to get a full twelve copies in just seven days.

"This is the third batch," he muttered to himself, opening the leftmost box.

Inside were twelve neatly arranged crystal tubes, each about the thickness of a thumb, filled with a milky white, viscous liquid.

Fine golden specks of light floated deep within the liquid, like countless miniature stars sealed within.

Each batch is purer than the last one.

"It seems... she's really going all out."

Yes, this concerns her father's awakening, so they will definitely mobilize all resources to collect information.

Ian took one of them out and held it up to the light.

The bone marrow flowed slowly within the vessel walls, and the golden specks of light rotated accordingly, forming miniature vortexes of order.

At the center of the vortex, the faint outline of a unicorn could be seen.

The phantom raised its head, the spiral horn on its forehead gleaming with a faint golden light.

Just by looking at it, you can feel that almost instinctive aversion to chaos.

"Purity level is over 95%... with almost no impurities."

He put down the crystal tube and opened the second box.

Inside were six fist-sized Holy Radiance Crystals.

The surface of the crystal is covered with dark purple cracks, and deep inside the cracks, the inky black liquid slowly undulates.

This time, however, the number of cracks was significantly reduced, and the fluid's activity was much weaker.

"The level of contamination has decreased... Was pretreatment performed during collection?"

Ian's fingertip hovered three inches above the crystal.

Mental energy, like the finest thread, probed out and seeped into a crack.

A faint, distorted, and insane murmur echoed in my mind, but it was at least 30% weaker than the last time.

The panel vibrates silently.

[Abyssal contamination energy detected... Contamination level: Level 1...]

[Pollution source intensity analysis in progress...]

[Pollution Type: Residual Will of the Abyss (weak)]

Purification progress: 17%

[Recommendation: Safe to touch]

Ian withdrew his finger, a knowing glint in his eyes.

Adele must have used some kind of purification method to pre-treat the materials before they arrived.

Although some information will be lost, security is greatly improved.

"That's good...it saves me a lot of trouble." He continued to check the materials at the back.

The petals of the Dawn Flower are eroded, the remains of the Order Metal are broken, and the blood of the direct descendants of the Time Mark family is unearthed...

Each serving is carefully processed to ensure purity and controllable contamination.

Until he opened the last sealed metal box.

The box is dark gray and its surface is covered with isolation runes.

The runes shimmered with a dark golden luster, completely sealing off all fluctuations within the box.

But just as Ian's fingertips touched the lid of the box...

Within his mental sea, the panel suddenly vibrated!

At the edge of vision, dark red characters gushed out like bloodstains.

[WARNING! Moderate concentration of abyssal contamination detected!]

[Pollution Level: Level 3]

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

[Pollution Dispersion Rate: 51%]

[Core contaminant: Unknown biological tissue fragments (active phase)]

[Warning: The source of contamination shares 99.7% similarity with the database record sample (ID: Titu Just).]

[Recommendation: Purify immediately!]

Ian's pupils suddenly contracted, and his fingertips hovered on the lid of the box, motionless.

"Completely identical to the pollution in Titu's spiritual sea!"

The little bird on my shoulder sensed something was wrong and poked its head out from under my wing.

His silver-gray pupils blinked in the shadows, then suddenly widened.

"Ian..."

Its childlike voice resounded in the soul connection, carrying an unusual tension.

"That box...and what's inside..."

"I know."

Ian took a deep breath, pressed his fingertips down lightly, the lead seal runes dimmed, and the box lid slowly opened.

In an instant, the light in the laboratory distorted.

It was as if something invisible was pouring out of the box, swallowing up all the light around it.

The halo of light from the crystal lamp stopped abruptly three meters away from the box, as if there were an invisible black hole there.

Ian narrowed his eyes, a silver light swirling deep within his pupils.

The meditation technique of "Starry Night Ritual" was fully activated in my consciousness, and the power of the ordered stars surged through my meridians.

A pale silver shimmer seeps from the skin's surface, forming a very thin protective layer.

He looked down and gazed into the box.

Inside lay a palm-sized, dark red piece of meat.

The surface of the meat chunks was covered with dense, dark purple lines, and deep within these lines flowed a jet-black liquid.

The liquid undulates, like countless tiny tentacles moving beneath the skin.

He stretched out his hand, his fingertips hovering an inch above the piece of meat.

The mental energy transformed into the finest needle, slowly piercing the texture of the flesh.

"hiss……"

A frantic rant echoed in my mind, ten or even a hundred times more intense than the contamination on the Holy Radiance Crystal!

Countless distorted images flooded in.

A burning altar, kneeling figures, jet-black tentacles reaching out from the void...

There was also a blurry face.

"Is that you... Edmund?"

The figure in the picture is wearing a dark gray robe and kneeling in front of the altar.

He held a still-beating heart in his hands, its surface covered with twisted runes.

He tilted his head back, his face showing an almost devout infatuation.

His mouth parted into a grin, revealing his gleaming white teeth.

"Great will of the abyss... grant me power..."

"The bloodline of time... will be reborn before your eyes..."

His voice was hoarse, frantic, and carried a chilling fervor.

The next second, the screen shattered.

The babbling subsided, the madness faded.

Ian withdrew his finger, exhaled deeply, and realized that he had exhausted nearly 10% of his mental energy, as if he had just gone through a fierce battle.

He immediately copied down the source number of the material.

"Rose Merchant Guild..." he repeated the name softly, bowing his head in contemplation.

The little claws of the squeaky bird gripped his collar tightly.

"Ian, this piece of meat... smells very much like the tainted scent of Adele's father."

"Um."

Ian closed the lid, and the lead seal runes lit up again, completely sealing off the nauseating darkness.

"It's not just that they look alike... they're practically from the same origin."

He turned and walked to the lab bench, spreading out a new sheet of parchment.

The quill pen was dipped in ink and began to write quickly, the tip gliding across the paper with a soft, rustling sound.

[Materials Testing Report]

[Batch: Third Batch, Number: X-07]

[Name: Unknown Monster Heart Fragment (labeled)]

[Actual nature: Abyssal contaminant carrier (Level II or above)]

[Pollution Characteristics: Over 90% homology with the pollution found in Patriarch Titus Just]

[Pollution activity: Extremely high (in the continuous diffusion phase)]

[Source: Rose Merchant Guild (Black Market)]

[Recommendation: Isolate immediately and prohibit any form of use or contact]

After writing the last stroke, Ian put down his quill.

Roll up the parchment, tie it with dark silver thread, and insert it into a communication tube.

"quack."

"Here!" The little guy straightened up, his silver-gray pupils lighting up.

"Give this to Edel immediately, and be careful on the road."

Ian handed over the communicator, his voice low.

Tell her I need to see Nassenger, the sooner the better.

Gaga took the communicator, gripping it tightly with its little paws. "Understood, mission accomplished!"

With a flap of its wings, its body began to fade, like ink drops falling into water, slowly dissolving into the shadows of the corner of the wall.

One second later, it completely disappeared.

Ian stood there, looking at the empty corner of the wall, before he finally calmed down.

"Edmund..."

He murmured the name, his fingertips tracing the cold edge of the lab bench.

"How could you... be so crazy?"

An hour later, the laboratory door was pushed open.

Edel walked in quickly, the hem of her wizard's robe still damp with dew.

Behind him followed Nassenger, who had a serious expression on his face.

This mid-stage level two body-refining wizard wore a close-fitting gray outfit, and his skin shimmered with a dark golden glow.

At this moment, his eyes were sharp as knives, like a blade drawn from its sheath.

"Ian."

Adele walked to the lab table, her deep blue eyes filled with an unusual seriousness.

"What you said in your message... is it true?"

Her voice was very soft, but every word seemed to be squeezed out from between her teeth.

Tense, repressed, with a chilling intensity bordering on rage.

Ian didn't speak, but simply pointed to the lead-sealed metal box.

Adele followed his finger and looked down at the isolation runes on the surface of the box, her pupils suddenly contracting.

Although the runes sealed off most of the fluctuations, extremely subtle traces of energy still seeped out from the gaps.

That aura... she recognized it.

In her father's bedroom, she knelt beside the bed, holding her father's cold hand...

I can feel it every day.

Decay, deathly stillness, tinged with a nauseating darkness.

"I want to see," she said.

Ian shook his head. "I don't recommend you touch it. The contaminant is too active. Even a level two wizard risks being corrupted if they come into contact with it."

Adele pursed her lips, her nails digging into her palms.

She was aware of the risks, of course, but she had to see them for herself.

"Open it." She repeated, her voice even colder.

Ian glanced at her and didn't try to dissuade her further.

A fingertip lightly traced the lead seal, the runes dimming. Your one-stop haven for novel reading. The box lid slowly opened.

Darkness surged forth, swallowing the light and distorting the air.

The temperature inside the laboratory plummeted, and fine ice crystals condensed on the stone slab.

Adele stood still, motionless.

She stared at the dark red piece of meat inside the box, her deep blue eyes revealing a swirling pattern of silver and dark gold veins.

Something seemed to awaken in my eyes...

"Where did this come from?"

Her throat bobbed, making a hoarse, breathy sound.

"Rose Merchant Guild"

Ian closed the lid and reactivated the isolation rune.

The darkness faded and the light returned to normal, but the chill in the laboratory lingered for a long time.

"One of the materials in the third batch was labeled 'Fragment of the Heart of an Unknown Monster'."

He thought for a moment and added, "But what I detected... was a deep-sea contaminant, and its danger level is likely to exceed level two."

Ian didn't give the exact level three, but that was enough.

"The same source as the contamination in my father's body?"

"I have confirmed it; the homology rate is over 90%."

Ian's voice was calm, yet it pierced Adele's eardrums like a nail.

She closed her eyes, her chest heaving violently.

It was a long time before she opened her eyes again.

All emotion had vanished from his eyes, leaving only a cold, almost tangible killing intent.

"Nathange."

"Here." Nassenger stepped forward, his voice deep and rumbling like thunder.

"Go investigate." Adele turned around, her eyes darker than the deepest night.

"Investigate the Rose Chamber of Commerce thoroughly, and find out every link in this supply chain."

"Find out... who is behind all of this."

She paused, her voice suddenly turning cold.

"I allow you... to use any means necessary."

"Understood." Nassenger nodded emphatically, his eyes blazing with murderous intent.

He turned and strode away, his footsteps fading into the distance in the corridor, like a ferocious beast unleashed from its cage.

As the chieftain's former personal guard, he also hated the murderer who assassinated Titu.

The laboratory fell silent again.

Adele stood still, her back to Ian. Her chest rose and fell gently with her breathing.

A long time passed.

She spoke slowly, her voice soft, yet carrying an undeniable resolve.

"Ian."

"Um?"

"Can this material... be used for tracking?"

Ian paused for a moment, then said, "Yes, but it will take some preparation and time."

He walked to the lab bench and spread out a new sheet of parchment.

"The contaminated carrier contains the spiritual imprint of the refiner, which is subtle but can be analyzed."

Once the distinctive features of the branding are identified, we can trace the source back to its origin.

Edel turned around and looked at him.

"Approximately how long will it take?"

"Give me a day." Ian picked up his quill and quickly wrote down a few steps on a piece of paper.

"During the analysis process, the contamination may spread, requiring an absolutely safe isolation environment."

"Golden Oak Street won't work; the security array here is too weak. What if it leaks..."

He paused for a moment, then stopped talking, his meaning clear.

Adele understood perfectly. She walked to the window and looked towards the direction of the family castle in the distance.

His eyes were deep, as if he was weighing something.

After a while, she spoke slowly, her voice carrying a certain determination.

"Go to my backup lab in the east of the city."

She turned around and looked at Ian.

"That was my father's private property from his early years, and no more than three people know about it."

"The third underground level has a complete isolation array that can block all energy fluctuations below level four."

Even the Morning Star Wizard would have difficulty finding it without careful investigation.

Ian's heart skipped a beat. Wasn't this the perfect place for him to build the altar?

The altar materials have been collected, but the location is still undecided.

Here on the central continent, he was not as carefree as he had been in Anoria.

Level 4 Morning Stars are not uncommon in this area, and even Level 5 Moon Wizards occasionally appear.

If it were discovered that he communicates with the abyss, he could be slapped to death with a single blow.

"Is there a medicine-making room there too?"

"We have all the standard equipment."

Edel took a dark silver key from her dimensional ring and handed it over.

The key was cool to the touch, with delicate time-marked patterns engraved on its edges.

"The address is on the Third Street in the East of the city, and the house number is 'No. 7, Wisteria Lane'."

"The gate is locked by bloodline; only my blood can open it."

She bit her fingertip, squeezed out a drop of blood, and dripped it onto the key.

Blood seeped into the key, and its dark silver luster suddenly shone, revealing a complex chain of runes.

"Take this. Delia will take you there. You can stay there from now on; it'll be safer there."

Ian took the key and held it in his palm.

The metal felt slightly cool to the touch, still retaining the warmth of Adele's fingertips.

"So who will take over this place?"

Adele walked to the temperature-controlled cabinet and looked at the neatly arranged medicines inside.

His eyes were calm, but there was an undercurrent of emotion surging within them.

"I'll be taking over here for now; there are some things... I need to handle personally."

Ian nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

He put the sealed metal box into his dimensional ring, quickly packed his things, and turned to walk towards the door.

Gaga nestled against Ian's chest, its silver-gray pupils gazing outside.

"Although the area is well-protected, we still need to be careful."

Edel's voice came from behind.

Ian paused and turned around.

I saw her standing in front of the lab bench, the morning light shining obliquely in from the window, cutting out the boundary between light and shadow on her profile.

"Be careful too," Ian said, then pushed open the door and left.

The footsteps faded into the distance in the corridor, eventually disappearing in the direction of the courtyard.

Adele stood there, listening to the receding footsteps.

A long time passed.

She slowly raised her hand, her fingertips gently brushing against the cool edge of the lab bench.

There, traces of ink smudged from when Ian had just written remained.

The handwriting is neat and the logic is clear.

Like him, always calm and always methodical.

"Father……"

She murmured to herself, her voice echoing in the empty laboratory.

"It seems my daughter... has found a clue."

Outside the window, the morning light is just right.

There's an undercurrent of tension around the potions workshop at number 12 Golden Oak Street.

No. 7, Wisteria Lane.

From the outside, it looks like an ordinary two-story stone house.

The wall was covered with withered wisteria, the vines swaying gently in the autumn wind, making a soft rustling sound.

The gate was tightly shut, with no markings on the door panel, only a rusty brass lock.

Nassenger led Ian to the door and looked around.

The alley was deserted, with only the faint sounds of a market coming from afar.

"This is it."

Delia whispered, taking out a dark silver family token from her bosom.

The edge of the token is engraved with time-marking emblems, which gleam faintly in the sunlight.

She pressed the token against the door panel.

hum...

Complex bloodline runes appeared on the surface of the door panel, flowing and eventually converging at the keyhole.

Click.

The brass lock opened automatically, and the door slowly pushed inward, revealing the dimly lit front hall.

"The young lady said the entrance to the third basement level is in the study."

Delia went in first, her steps very light.

"Come with me."

Ian followed behind her, while the cuckoo on his shoulder warily scanned their surroundings.

The front hall was empty, with only a few pieces of furniture covered with white cloths, and a thin layer of dust on the floor.

It's obvious that no one has been here for a long time.

Beyond the foyer lies a narrow corridor.

At the end of the corridor was an oak door, slightly ajar, revealing rows of bookshelves that reached the ceiling.

Delia pushed open the door to the study and walked to the bookshelf at the far end.

Reach out and gently press on an inconspicuous recess on the side of the bookshelf.

Click, click, click...

The sound of a mechanism turning rang out, and the bookshelf slowly slid open to one side, revealing the downward stone steps behind it.

The stone steps are narrow, allowing only one person to pass at a time.

The walls on both sides were inlaid with glowing moss, emitting a pale green light.

A faint...stale smell permeated the air.

Like an ancient book that has been sealed away for a long time.

"Just go down."

Delia stepped aside, gesturing for Ian to go first.

"I'll stay up here and keep watch. If anything seems amiss, notify me immediately."

Ian nodded and stepped onto the stone steps.

Gaga gripped his robe tightly, her little head turning around, her pupils shimmering slightly in the dim light.

The stone steps descended for about thirty meters, ending at a heavy metal door.

The door was covered with isolation runes, which shimmered with a dark golden luster, completely sealing off any fluctuations behind it.

Ian took out the key that Adele had given him and inserted it into the lock.

With a gentle turn.

With a click, the metal door slowly opened inward.

Behind the door was an underground space entirely constructed of dark blue boulders.

The space isn't very large, about 200 square meters.

In the center stands a stone platform, its surface covered with intricate isolation arrays.

At the edge of the magic circle, twelve fist-sized crystals of order were embedded.

Pale golden energy flowed within the crystal, shimmering faintly in the dim light.

Apart from some standard experimental facilities, there was nothing else in the entire space.

Ian first carefully examined the area, not missing any hidden corners of the face and mouth.

Only after confirming that there were no monitoring runes did he nod in satisfaction.

"Great, haha, we'll be staying here for a long time from now on."

Gaga blinked her little eyes and rubbed against his ear.

"As long as you're here, it doesn't matter where I go."

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