Chapter 186: Memory Fluid

Chapter 186: Memory Fluid

Luo En lit the Mana Crystal Lamp in his workshop, its pale blue glow banishing the shadows of night.

Lately, he had focused much of his attention on refining his "Sound Wave Oscillation" spell.

Through the Starmonster's whispering—"Zi... Klu... Nyagr... Roti..."—he had developed this spell into the "Erosion Sonata" variation. However, as he repeatedly used this variant, he sensed that the Whispering emerging during meditation seemed to be an extension of the Starmonster's murmurs...

His current research direction involved using the "Erosion Sonata" while simultaneously countering and expanding it based on the Whispering experienced in meditation.

He wanted to make it function without relying on a physical musical instrument, directly acting upon the spell matrix for sudden combat situations.

Rising abruptly, he paced the room briefly to organize his thoughts.

"Teacher, dinner is ready", Liliya's voice came from outside the door, interrupting his focus.

"Coming shortly", Luo En replied, rubbing his temple before turning to open the door.

Liliya stood in the doorway, wearing a light blue apron, her hair still carrying the aroma of food. She looked curiously at Luo En's tired face:

"Researching that spell again?"

"Mm, still not quite right", Luo En sighed, following her to the dining room.

Already seated at the table, Daire eagerly displayed her violet-blue eyes sparkling with anticipation.

When Luo En entered, she immediately jumped up:

"Master! I trained for five whole hours today without getting tired! And the webbing between my fingers fully retracted!"

Excitedly, she showed off her small hands. The webbing between her fingers had indeed vanished, leaving only faint blue traces at the fingertips.

"Excellent work", Luo En smiled, ruffling her silver hair, his mood slightly lightening.

Ai Lan entered from the courtyard, carrying a platter of fresh berries freshly picked.

Compared to her earlier tree spirit form, her current appearance showed almost no non-human features. Only her emerald-green eyes and the vines occasionally extending from her skirt instead of arms hinted at her true nature.

"These berries tonight were ripened using my own pollen—they should taste even better", Ai Lan softly said, placing the fruit tray on the table before walking to Daire's side to gently tidy her messy hair.

Witnessing this warm scene, Luo En's inner gloom and urgency gradually eased.

As they began their meal, Luo En's gaze fell upon a six-stringed zither hanging on the wall since he'd bought it for decoration. Suddenly, inspiration struck him.

Since the "Erosion Sonata" was originally played using a musical instrument, couldn't he further develop this concept by structuring the "Sound Wave Oscillation" spell itself as a sound-producing instrument within its spell matrix?

Daire blinked:

"Master is going to play? I remember you practiced violin often?"

"No, Daire", Luo En shook his head, eyes still fixed on the zither hanging on the wall as a bold idea took shape in his mind.

"I think I've found the breakthrough opening for spell refinement", his eyes gleamed with Inspiration.

Following his gaze, Liliya asked, "Is this about the Erosion Sonata?"

"Exactly!" Luo En's eyes gleamed with inspiration. "I've always tried separating violin play from spell matrix construction. But what if the spell matrix itself could be built as a resonance structure of a musical instrument?"

"I've always tried separating violin play from spell matrix construction. But what if the spell matrix itself could be built as a resonance structure of a musical instrument?"

Ai Lan pondered aloud, "You mean making the spell matrix not just a mana construct, but something that emits sound?"

"Precisely!" Luo En's eyes sparkled excitedly, "Like a resonance chamber—but constructed with spiritual energy instead of physical materials."

He hurriedly finished his meal before rushing back to the laboratory.

Inside, Luo En stood at the center, taking a deep breath as he raised his hands, beginning to channel spiritual energy.

The "Sound Wave Oscillation" spell matrix slowly took shape before him—a complex structure woven from countless mana threads, displaying a gradient of blue and purple.

"If I construct the spell matrix using a violin's resonance structure..."

Closing his eyes, Luo En recalled the violin's internal architecture—the soundbox, sound bridge, harp strings, resonance plate—each component possessing specific vibration traits.

Guided by this vision, his spiritual energy began reshaping the spell matrix.

First forming a soundbox-like cavity structure, followed by four harp strings of different frequencies, then meticulously designing the "sound bridge" and "resonance plate."

"The difficulty lies in..." Luo En's forehead beaded with sweat— "each component requires specific mana density and vibration characteristics!"

After several attempts, the spell matrix finally took a completely new form.

No longer a simple mana construct, but a miniature Spiritmusical instrument, its interior precisely mimicking a violin's resonance principles.

"Now, let's inject the Whispering mana pattern..."

Recalling the mysterious syllables heard during meditation, Luo En infused their "melody" into the spell matrix's harp strings.

As spiritual energy flowed in, the harp strings began vibrating at specific frequencies, producing an unsettling low Whispering sound.

"Ziklunyagr Rotip..."

The sound didn't propagate through physical medium, but directly manifested on the spiritual plane.

【Sound Wave Oscillation (Proficient) Experience Points +1】

At the spell's activation, Luo En felt an unprecedented level of control.

The entire spell matrix functioned like a precision-crafted musical instrument, producing perfect "notes" under his spiritual energy manipulation.

But what thrilled him most was that this structure no longer required physical instruments—it could be pre-constructed and released instantly.

"This far exceeds expectations", he adjusted his breathing, deciding to push further.

If the first step was transforming the spell matrix into a musical instrument structure, then step two would be expanding the "melody" content.

Closing his eyes again, Luo En entered meditation, seeking more mysterious syllables from the Star depths.

His consciousness descended into deeper meditation, the familiar stellar scenery unfolding—countless stars shimmering in darkness.

But this time, he pushed deeper, reaching toward regions emitting Whispering.

"Not seeking the core—just capturing more syllable fragments."

As meditation deepened, the stars seemed to come alive, moving in strange rhythms and emitting increasingly complex sounds.

"Ziklunyagr Rotip Salyhom..."

New syllable combinations echoed in his mind, each carrying indescribable ancient power.

Carefully recording these new syllables, Luo En remained alert for potential spirit pollution.

Thankfully, with prior experience, he maintained better spirit barriers, preventing dangerous mana from directly affecting his thoughts.

Back in reality, Luo En immediately attempted integrating these new syllables into his improved spell matrix.

"Constructing soundbox... Adjusting harp strings... Injecting new syllable sequence..."

This time, the spell matrix became even more complex. Upon release, six syllables almost simultaneously resonated, forming a short yet astonishingly powerful "movement."

The air in the training hall seemed to twist from this "movement", small objects vibrating uncontrollably, several books falling from shelves.

"Power's definitely increased", Luo En evaluated, "but control difficulty has multiplied."

The new syllable structure demanded extremely precise spiritual energy control.

"This has potential!" Luo En's heart leapt. Heading to the training ground, invisible ripples spread from his palm, striking the target.

Unlike usual surface cracks, the target twisted eerily before beginning dissolving in a bizarre manner.

Not physical breakage, but deeper erosion—as if its very material structure was being corroded.

"Teacher?" Liliya's voice came from across the yard, tinged with concern:

"It's very late—are you alright?"

"Come here, Liliya", Luo En smiled, his voice unable to hide excitement:

"I believe I've achieved a major breakthrough."

As Liliya approached, she immediately noticed the slowly dissolving target:

"What... spell effect is this?"

"Erosive Waves", Luo En explained, his eyes gleaming strangely, "I've successfully fused Sound Wave Oscillation with Whispering."

He concentrated his spiritual energy again, constructing the improved "Sound Wave Oscillation" spell structure, this time targeting another dummy.

Invisible ripples spread once more, instantly covering the target's surface with eerie purplish-black patterns before it began decomposing from within.

This decomposition wasn't ordinary physical destruction—it felt more like the target's very "existence" was being consumed.

"Goodness..." Liliya gasped, "This effect... unbelievable."

"Not just that", Luo En smiled faintly:

"This erosive effect should have additional impact on living beings—especially on the spiritual level."

"But Teacher..." Liliya hesitated:

"This power... feels somewhat wrong. Are you certain it's safe?"

Luo En's expression turned serious:

"All powers have dual aspects—the key lies in the user's control. Understanding how to render them harmless through experimentation is the purpose of research."

Liliya seemed about to say more, but ultimately just nodded:

"You must be exhausted—rest for a while? I brewed some calming tea."

Only now did Luo En realize his own fatigue—cold sweat drenched his forehead, his hands trembling slightly.

This high-intensity spiritual energy manipulation had clearly drained much of his physical stamina and mana reserves.

"Thank you, Liliya", he accepted the offered teacup, carefully sipping the warm liquid to momentarily relax his weary mind and body.

Early the next morning, Luo En returned to the workshop's backyard to test his new discovery.

Ai Lan was soothing a rare medicinal herb plant, visibly agitated by residual spell energy from Luo En's previous experiments.

"This corrosive mana indeed unsettles plants", Ai Lan gently stroked the trembling leaves, "They sense fluctuations unlike anything from their original world."

Luo En nodded—this confirmed his suspicion: the Erosive Waves' effects transcended ordinary physical damage, reaching deeper into the fundamental existence of living beings.

"I need a more durable target to test its effectiveness", he scanned his surroundings, finally settling on a stone bench.

This was one of their fixed targets—its material extremely hard with notable magical resistance, ordinary spells struggling to leave visible damage.

"Master going to cast a spell?" Daire excitedly asked, her violet-blue eyes sparkling with anticipation, "Can I help?"

"Watch this time", Luo En chuckled, patting her head:

"This new spell isn't stable yet—we'll take precautions, so everyone step back."

As the three retreated to a safe distance, Luo En took a deep breath, beginning to construct the spell matrix.

This time, he didn't rush the release. Instead, he carefully reviewed the Whispering's rhythm in his mind, letting it naturally integrate into the Sound Wave Oscillation's mana structure.

Luo En suddenly opened his eyes wide as the two types of mana reached perfect resonance, commanding the stone stump before him:

— Sound Wave Oscillation: Erosion Mode!

An invisible ripple spread from his palm, crashing against the hard stone stump.

Unlike expected immediate erosion on the surface, a strange transformation gradually emerged over time:

The stone's texture began twisting, as though rearranged from within by some invisible force.

After dozens of seconds, the stump suddenly emitted a dull boom. Dense cracks surfaced across its body before imploding in an unbelievable way, collapsing into a pile of powder.

"This… this is unbelievable."

Liliya stared at the powder, her voice trembling slightly: "It looked like it was… disintegrated from the inside by some force."

"So amazing!" Daire clapped excitedly, admiration lighting her face:

"Master's spell is truly miraculous!"

Ai Lan remained silent, but a flicker of worry crossed her emerald eyes.

As a plant being innately attuned to nature, she could more deeply sense the terror hidden within this spell.

Even Luo En himself was slightly surprised.

The effect far exceeded his calculations, its power escalating faster than even he anticipated.

The erosive sound waves hadn't merely destroyed the stump's physical structure—they seemed to affect its very essence, stripping its ability to maintain form.

"This effect…" he mused internally:

"It's like the 'concept erosion' described in the Abyssal Life Compendium."

He recalled the forbidden book's descriptions of higher abyss regions.

In those areas, certain mana no longer followed ordinary physical laws, instead directly affecting concepts and essences of objects.

The Erosion Sonata seemed to display similar traits, albeit much weaker.

He nodded at the three girls, signaling them to resume their activities, and returned alone to his laboratory.

Progress is too fast… was it because Whispering harmonized too perfectly with Sound Wave Oscillation?

Or was it because this entry-level technique from the so-called "Crown Meditation Method" had begun showing its unique terrifying traits?

Either way, at least for this stage, the extended erosion effect of Sound Wave Oscillation gave him an undeniable advantage in battle.

And if just six syllables could produce such terrifying power, weaving them into a complete musical piece amplified by resonance devices would result in effects beyond imagination…

——————

"Daire, focus!"

On the training ground, Luo En sternly watched the distractible little siren.

Daire struggled to maintain a water sphere's stable form but clearly had her attention elsewhere—specifically, on the new flowers Ai Lan had planted at the courtyard's far end.

"Sorry, Master", she stuck out her tongue, sheepishly returning her gaze to the water sphere.

Luo En shook his head, chuckling:

"Alright, training's over for today. You can go see the flowers, but don't touch them—they might irritate a siren's skin."

"Yay! Thanks, Master!"

Daire cheered, her water sphere instantly losing form as a puddle. But the little siren had already skipped off toward Ai Lan.

Watching her go, Luo En sighed softly.

The siren's growth was astounding, but her attention remained easily scattered—this was the key area needing training.

"Since now I can finally focus", he muttered, pulling a small pouch of fine sand from his pocket.

Since learning the Flowing Barrier spell from Hayaek, he'd invested vast time practicing, though progress remained slow.

This first-tier spell required precision far beyond anything he'd previously encountered.

Even with a complete spell matrix, mastering its essence remained extremely difficult.

He sprinkled a pinch of sand into his palm, took a deep breath, and began guiding spiritual energy into each grain.

Though he'd considered using Soul Steel as a medium, at this foundational stage he could only practice with basic materials.

Spiritual energy rained down like gentle rain, evenly coating each grain, lifting them to form a palm-sized small barrier.

"First step succeeded…"

Maintaining this state, he attempted to gradually expand the barrier while ensuring uniform mana density across all regions.

This process tested spiritual energy control to an extreme—any fluctuation would collapse the entire structure.

When the barrier reached about half a meter in diameter, a distant voice interrupted:

"Teacher, you have visitors."

Luo En's focus broke, the barrier wavered violently, but he quickly stabilized the mana flow.

"Who is it?" Without turning, he kept stabilizing the barrier.

"Andie His Highness", Liliya answered, "he says it's urgent."

Andie's visit was unexpected, but Luo En knew his old friend wouldn't interrupt research without good reason.

It must be important.

"Ask him to wait a moment—I'll be right there."

Carefully dismantling the spell, he let the sand grains fall gently before turning to Liliya.

The girl curiously stared at the sand, obviously fascinated by the just-seen spell.

"What spell was that, Teacher? It looks different from ordinary shields."

"Flowing Barrier—a more advanced protective spell."

Luo En offered a brief explanation: "At your current level, it's too early to approach such techniques. Now, let's meet Andie."

In the reception room, Andie in his simple robe sipped tea calmly. Seeing Luo En enter, he immediately set down the cup, his rare serious expression emerging.

"Luo En, I've investigated what you asked", he cut straight to the point:

"Madame Ellen's shop has indeed closed, but strangely, there are no formal records of her departure within the School."

Luo En's brow furrowed slightly.

Madame Ellen's departure was more complex than he'd imagined.

"And there's something even stranger", Andie lowered his voice: "There are anti-spy wards around the Herbal Medicine Shop. Ordinary apprentices passing by wouldn't even sense the shop's existence—as if it was always just empty ground."

Luo En and Liliya exchanged glances, both reading the same confusion and concern in each other's eyes.

"Shall I continue investigating?"

After a brief contemplation, he shook his head:

"Not for now. Since Madame Ellen is this cautious, there must be reasons. Interfering recklessly might cause her trouble."

He turned to Liliya beside him, offering a slight smile:

"Could you prepare some snacks? Andie and I have more to discuss."

The two continued chatting about their respective progress.

Andie mentioned an important piece of news—his father, the king, had been growing increasingly unwell recently.

Best to let him keep deteriorating—this would make Andie's return to claim the throne easier…

Luo En maliciously mused as he saw off the Thirteenth Prince.

Returning to the training ground, he decided to continue practicing Flowing Barrier.

This time, instead of ordinary sand, he retrieved a specially prepared composite powder from his laboratory—

A chimera of particles with various attributes, theoretically capable of forming a more comprehensive protective barrier.

"Testing this new medium…"

He sprinkled a pinch of the compound powder into his palm, beginning to guide spiritual energy into it.

Unlike ordinary sand, this composite powder reacted more sensitively to spiritual energy but proved even harder to control.

Each distinct component required precise mana ratios, like conducting a complex symphony where every section must perfectly coordinate.

The synergy from multiple career paths provided astonishing effects now—he could perceive and adjust every tiny mana fluctuation with unprecedented precision.

Slowly and steadily, a rainbow-colored translucent barrier formed before him.

Unlike the monotonous transparency of ordinary barriers, this one displayed flowing rainbow hues, each color representing different elemental energy fluctuations.

When the barrier stabilized completely, Luo En began attempting shaping—another critical trait of Flowing Barrier.

Guided by spiritual energy, the barrier transformed from a flat shield into a spherical enclosure, then into a hexagonal prism, each transition flowing naturally without stiffness.

Over the following days, Luo En dedicated vast time to practicing Flowing Barrier.

He experimented with various mediums—from simple sand, water flows, to complex metal powders, crystal dust, even medicinal herb extracts containing special mana.

Each medium required different spiritual energy control techniques and granted distinct barrier traits.

Water-formed barriers were flexible and elastic;

Metal powder barriers were sturdy and rigid;

Crystal dust provided specific mana resistance;

Medicinal herb extracts could grant healing or beneficial effects.

During one joint training session with Daire and Liliya, Luo En tested Flowing Barrier against Daire's water arrow barrage.

"Ready, Daire?"

Luo En held a handful of specially prepared iron sand, prepared to cast.

"Whenever you are, Master!"

Daire excitedly waved her hands, humidity instantly rising as water molecules gathered.

"Begin!"

The little siren thrust her hands forward, dozens of crystalline water arrows surging from all directions toward Luo En.

Simultaneously, Luo En rapidly constructed his spell, a circular barrier shimmering with metallic luster expanding around him.

The water arrows struck the barrier with a series of crisp sounds, none penetrating the metallic defense.

Luo En felt each impact, subtly adjusting the barrier's mana density to maintain structural stability.

"Harder, Daire!"

Encouragingly, he evaluated the barrier's endurance capacity internally.

Daire bit her lip, a mischievous glint flashing in her eyes: "Master, watch out!"

She clasped her hands together, then suddenly pulled them apart—the surrounding air almost instantly becoming bone-dry.

All moisture condensed into a massive water spear, ten times larger than ordinary water arrows.

The spear's tip formed thick ice crystals, gleaming with cold light under sunlight.

"Amazing!" Liliya gasped, never having seen Daire unleash such power.

Luo En was also momentarily surprised but reacted swiftly.

He rapidly reinforced the barrier's area about to be struck, shaping the entire structure into an arc to better disperse impact force.

"—Go!" Daire cried, the giant water spear launching like a cannonball, crashing heavily into the barrier.

Boom!

A dull explosion echoed as mana ripples spread across the barrier's surface, yet it remained unbroken.

The water spear bounced off, shattering midair into countless droplets raining down.

"Success!" Luo En smiled with satisfaction.

At that moment, he noticed something peculiar:

The barrier's surface began automatically adjusting its structure, growing stronger—especially the area just struck.

"Strange… I didn't consciously adjust anything."

Carefully observing this transformation, Luo En suddenly realized what occurred.

The barrier seemed to "remember" the attack pattern, automatically reinforcing relevant areas to prepare for similar future assaults.

[First-tier Flowing Barrier (Entry-level) Experience +1]

[Breakthrough! First-tier Flowing Barrier (Entry-level 50/50) → First-tier Flowing Barrier (Proficient 1/100)]

[Acquired Additional Trait: Memory (Barrier can partially remember and actively defend against previously encountered attack types)]

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end