Chapter 113: Hydra - Dual Additional Traits

Chapter 113: Hydra - Dual Additional Traits

A wisp of morning sunlight filtered through the window, casting warm golden patches across the wooden floor of the Workshop.

Luo En stood at the center of the training chamber, inhaling deeply as he felt the surging power coursing through his body.

He closed his eyes, his thoughts drifting toward his bloodline origins.

The Ralph Family - an ancient lineage tracing back to the founding of Falu Kingdom. According to the family's ancient texts, their bloodline could be traced to the Hydra Great Venomous Snake, the dominant venomous serpent of the divine era.

Yet in reality, every knight or noble bearing a bloodline could trace their ancestry to some formidable transcendent creature. This wasn't particularly rare - all families had glorious ancestors. Today, the Ralph Family could at best awaken the ordinary Swamp Multi-Headed Serpent bloodline.

The family crest bore the image of a Multi-Headed Serpent, symbolizing their roots and strength. Back in the kingdom, Luo En had often puzzled over why humans possessed bloodlines from great venomous snakes or dragons. He'd even entertained inappropriate fantasies about it. Now he understood... it was all the result of mage experiments.

"But now..."

Luo En murmured, his fingers tracing his arm where golden meridians faintly shimmered beneath his skin - the "Solara's Blessing" trait granted by cultivating the Solar Corona Breathing Technique.

Since consuming the improved Yang Flame Essence breakthrough pill, he'd frequently felt waves of heat flowing through his body. The sensation was both foreign and eerily familiar, as if some long-dormant power was gradually awakening.

"The Ralph Family's Multi-Headed Serpent bloodline and the Yangyan Dragon subspecies bloodline awakened through the Solar Corona Breathing Technique... two completely different Transcendent Bloodlines coexisting within me."

Luo En fell into deep thought.

"Add to that the newly acquired 'Tracing Origin' trait, and I might trace back to a purer, more ancient bloodline form."

The possibility of multiple bloodlines overlapping made his heart race. Of course, this anticipation came with caution. Bloodline activation was a double-edged sword - directional loss of control or excessive intensity could lead to mutation.

But with the "Tracing Origin" trait and his precisely formulated bloodline activation potion, he might minimize these risks.

"Either way, the answer will reveal itself in a few days." Luo En whispered, slowly opening his eyes.

He picked up the ironwood sword resting nearby, executing a series of foundational sword techniques with practiced ease.

Each movement flowed like water, the blade's arc perfectly controlled without wasted energy. Every muscle worked in precise coordination, each strike carrying a chilling precision and piercing edge.

The sword light carved elegant arcs through the morning air, whistling softly as if slicing through the very atmosphere.

[Current Progress: Foundational Swordsmanship (Mastery Max)]

"It's truly reached its peak..." Luo En thought, sheathing the blade. "Continuing practice won't yield any experience points anymore."

The Foundational Swordsmanship had hit its limit - the profession interface confirmed no further improvement was possible. Continuing to practice these basic techniques would be a waste of time. With the interface's skill solidification feature, his proficiency wouldn't degrade even without practice.

"If I want to advance further in swordsmanship, I'll have to wait until I evolve into an [Arcane Swordsman]."

"Until then, I'll focus on spells."

Today marked his second week living in the Workshop. To save time, Ai Li Ke and Li Ya had combined the weekly assessment with the next phase of training - passing would allow direct entry into the advanced curriculum.

"I have the weekly assessment this afternoon. Better practice some spells first."

Smiling faintly, Luo En turned to his spellcasting focus - a finely crafted silver bracelet.

He'd purchased it specifically for this purpose. The artifact enhanced mana flow and spell efficiency, costing about a dozen Mana Shard Fragments. Though a basic alchemy creation, it was sufficient for his current needs.

Standing in the Workshop's training area, Luo En inhaled deeply, centering his spiritual state. He raised his hands, closed his eyes, and felt his mana circulating within.

First, he focused on perceiving the mana field within the chamber, then shifted attention to the special training subject - a white laboratory mouse enclosed in a transparent glass dome.

This specially bred mouse was extremely sensitive to spiritual energy fluctuations, making it ideal for practicing spirit interference spells.

"Spirit Interference..."

His spiritual energy gathered, condensing into an almost imperceptible micro-ripple.

Though seemingly fragile, this ripple contained a carefully constructed spirit interference pattern capable of disrupting a target's nervous system, causing temporary confusion or dizziness.

He repeatedly adjusted the ripple's frequency and intensity, seeking the optimal balance. Too weak, and it would have no effect; too strong, and it might permanently damage the test subject.

The first few attempts yielded poor results.

The first attempt - the mouse barely reacted.

The second - it merely twitched its ears.

The third - it briefly froze, then quickly recovered.

"Not precise enough..." Luo En frowned.

Closing his eyes, he immersed himself completely in spiritual construction, attempting a more complex ripple structure. This time, he formed a ring-shaped spirit wave theoretically capable of targeting specific brain regions with greater precision.

"Fourth attempt..."

As the spiritual energy released, an invisible ripple shot toward the glass dome.

This time, the effect was immediate - the mouse froze mid-movement, its eyes going vacant and unfocused.

This wasn't simple paralysis, but a specific neural interference state. Luo En clearly perceived the mouse's brain activity temporarily ceasing under his influence.

After several dozen seconds, the mouse recovered, though it appeared visibly fatigued and disoriented - typical aftereffects of spirit interference.

[Spirit Interference Experience Points +1]

[Breakthrough! Spirit Interference (Entry-Level 50/50) → Spirit Interference (Proficient 1/100)]

[Acquired Additional Trait: Stagnation Zone (Within a specific range, interference effects receive a moderate boost)]

"It worked!" Luo En whispered excitedly, sensing the subtle transformation in his spiritual energy flow.

After a brief rest, he began practicing "Spell Construction" - the foundation of all spellcasting, determining a mage's mana control and spell model stability.

He picked up a special crystal orb designed for spell construction practice. The orb could instantly reflect the caster's mana control, displaying any fluctuations or instability within.

"This time, I'll attempt a triple-layered configuration..."

Luo En muttered, recalling an advanced technique he'd read about in Essentials of Mage Modeling - a method typically mastered only by experienced spellcasters.

Channeling spiritual energy into the orb, he began constructing the spell model internally.

Starting with a simple ring structure, he gradually increased complexity, adding second and third layers while maintaining specific resonance relationships between each.

The orb's interior slowly revealed intricate glowing patterns. Initially hazy, the patterns grew clearer and more stable as Luo En continuously refined them.

This process consumed immense spiritual energy. Sweat beaded on Luo En's forehead, his breathing growing labored.

Yet he persisted, micro-adjusting every detail until the triple-layered configuration within the orb achieved perfect balance.

"Now..."

As the final instability vanished, the orb's glowing patterns suddenly blazed with intense brightness. The three ring structures perfectly overlapped, forming a harmonious whole.

[Spell Construction Experience Points +1]

[Breakthrough! Spell Construction (Entry-Level 50/50) → Spell Construction (Proficient 1/100)]

[Acquired Additional Trait: Stable State (Slight increase in spell model stability, slight decrease in mana consumption)]

"After accumulating so many days' worth of effort, I finally achieved this breakthrough today."

Luo En murmured, gazing satisfied at his dual breakthroughs.

These two skill advancements would prove invaluable during today's weekly assessment.

After finishing his spell practice, Luo En sat cross-legged, preparing for his daily meditation cultivation.

As he entered the meditative state, his consciousness sank into the familiar starry expanse - the unique consciousness domain of The Murmuring of the Star Devourer.

As always, countless living stars shimmered with eerie light in the vast cosmos, whispering in hushed tones.

But today, Luo En noticed the stars seemed more active than usual. Their light burned brighter, their whispers clearer.

He could even make out fragmented words within the murmurs:

"...Return..."

Luo En's heart pounded. This was the first time he'd heard such clear "voices" during meditation.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end