Chapter 276: Ancient Fragments

Chapter 276: Ancient Fragments

The night sky was as dark as ink, the stars like scattered diamonds.

Luo En stood on his balcony, gazing upward at the heavens.

Constellations shimmered faintly against the velvet-black firmament, like countless cold eyes watching over the tiny world below.

He was attempting to combine the Astrology Art Eve had taught him with his own "Constellations Projection" trait.

Luo En retrieved a faceted crystal from his pocket, gently placing it in his palm.

The crystal's appearance was unremarkable, but within it contained subtle energy fluctuations, as though imprisoning a miniature star.

This was an auxiliary tool gifted by Eve to help beginners safely establish connections with the stars.

"Better to be cautious—just attempt a shallow connection first", he told himself.

Straightening his posture, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes, beginning to adjust his breathing rhythm.

His body gradually relaxed while his consciousness became increasingly clear.

Spiritual energy flowed along familiar pathways, soon reaching a deep meditation state.

Yet unlike previous attempts, this time he wasn't merely absorbing stellar mana.

He was searching for a deeper connection—an intangible bridge between reality and nothingness.

Warnings from the Star Divination (Entry-Level) manual echoed in his mind:

"Never directly gaze at the 'dark zones.'

Never respond to unusual stellar fluctuations.

Never attempt to comprehend the sudden 'Whispers' invading your mind."

Luo En kept these principles in mind, cautiously extending his consciousness toward the stars while carefully avoiding the deeper voids.

He allowed his perception to lightly brush against each star like dragonflies skimming water—never lingering too long or peering too deeply.

After careful searching, he finally focused on the Hermit Star.

This solitary celestial body held a special position in ancient star charts, said to be mystically linked with wisdom and secret knowledge.

The initial contact felt like touching light through a thick curtain—blurred and distant.

Luo En's spiritual energy extended cautiously, like fingers dipping into icy lake water to test the temperature.

As his spiritual energy continued pouring in, the invisible veil seemed to gradually thin.

At a certain moment, an unprecedented connection suddenly formed.

It wasn't communication in the traditional sense, but something more primal and fundamental.

Luo En felt his spirit world violently tremble as countless incomprehensible pieces of information surged into his mind simultaneously.

These weren't specific words or images, but rather indescribable fragments and echoes.

Like scattered light reflecting off broken mirrors—uninterpretable yet impossible to ignore.

The star twisted and deformed in his perception, as though undergoing dimensional expansion.

Previously independent celestial bodies began forming a complex, ominous network of nodes centered around the Hermit Star.

Each node emitted energy fluctuations at different frequencies, yet all shared some invisible connection.

Luo En carefully "activated" several nodes related to the Hermit Star, drawing a mysterious rune in the darkness composed entirely of starlight.

His technique was precise yet cautious, fearing any mistake might trigger unpredictable consequences.

The moment the final node activated, he felt an intangible energy surge from the star's depths.

In that instant, his perception stretched to an unimaginable breadth...

He stood on Crystal Spire's balcony yet floated in the cosmic abyss;

He existed as his present self yet transcended countless light-years of the Time River;

He was both observer and observed.

In this consciousness state beyond ordinary comprehension, Luo En witnessed a terrifying truth...

The Hermit Star wasn't just an ordinary star—it was the remains of something indescribable.

A fragment of an unimaginably vast ancient entity, now decayed into this tiny remnant.

All that remained was this small portion, anchored at the edge of the material universe, radiating residual mana without consciousness.

From the star's depths, untranslatable syllables and symbols flooded Luo En's consciousness.

These weren't language, weren't thoughts, weren't even ordered information.

They were shattered consciousness fragments, like torn books leaving only disconnected words and punctuation.

".Knowledge-Watcher.Observer's cage light fades."

The consciousness fragments had no logic, no continuity, yet carried oppressive weight that made his spirit tremble.

His soul nearly collapsed under this pressure, cold sweat beading on his forehead as his breathing became rapid and ragged.

Luo En knew his guidance had deviated somewhat—he began consciously adjusting.

Just as Eve had told him:

Maintaining one-way observation without attempting interaction or understanding usually prevented direct harm.

Gritting his teeth, steadying his mind, he continued in passive reception mode.

Forcing himself not to ponder the fragments' meanings, not to piece them into coherent information, letting them simply flow across his consciousness like water.

The "Constellations Projection" trait demonstrated astonishing effects during this unique connection.

With every heartbeat, more pure constellations energy surged into Luo En's body—far exceeding normal meditation absorption efficiency.

[Detected Special Interaction: Astrology Art (Skill) + Constellations Projection (Advanced Trait)]

[Astrology Art (Entry-Level) Experience Points +1]

[Astrology Art (Entry-Level) Experience Points +1]

[Astrology Art (Entry-Level) Experience Points +1]

...

[Current Progress: Astrology Art (Entry-Level 6/50)]

As the notification appeared, a cool, stream-like mana flow washed over Luo En's body, removing spiritual fatigue and tension.

The connection gradually weakened, finally severing completely.

The star returned to normal, the distortion sensation and dimensional awareness vanishing as though they'd never existed.

Luo En slowly opened his eyes, finding himself still on the balcony, clothes soaked with cold sweat.

"Within certain limits, this risk paid off..." he felt the mana transformation within.

His mana pool had expanded faster than usual, its quality subtly improved as if infused with purer energy.

The gains went beyond this—his understanding of the Hermit Star deepened, as though a more solid bridge had formed between his spirit and the stars.

[The Murmuring of the Star Devourer (Mastery) Experience Points +1]

[The Murmuring of the Star Devourer (Mastery) Experience Points +1]

[Current Progress: The Murmuring of the Star Devourer (Mastery 23/500)]

At this pace, he could activate the first constellations node representing the Hermit Star in a week or two,

completing the first-stage breakthrough at Dawn Star Rank and gaining the Hermit Star's special star phase effect.

Luo En steadied his ragged breathing, contemplating another question:

If an Astrologer's Astrology Art could connect with a meditation technique's "Constellations Projection" trait,

could a Historian's historical research skills also produce interactive effects with his current system?

Once this thought formed, it spread like wildfire, unstoppable.

The Historian and Astrologer were theoretically considered two ancient professions that complemented each other.

One peered into the past, the other gazed at the stars—only together could they reveal the universe's complete picture.

Eve's words still echoed in his mind:

"History isn't just records of past events—it's active nodes within the Time River."

Luo En sat down at his desk and retrieved the manual Eve had given him from the bookshelf.

He flipped through its pages once more, carefully studying the foundational techniques related to historical resonance.

Unlike the traditional path of archaeological excavation or historical verification, Historians employed a more mystical method:

Direct contact with "History Nodes" to obtain pure historical information.

"If done improperly, it easily draws the attention of time hounds."

He began mulling over the possibilities:

"The key is maximizing gains while keeping risks within acceptable limits."

Luo En's gaze swept across various artifacts and research materials in his study before stopping on a small box in the corner.

Inside were several "Rare Relics" he'd collected.

A bold hypothesis formed in his mind:

Perhaps historical research skills could help uncover deeper mysteries within these ancient objects?

"Rare Relic" and "Glorious Legacy" lived up to their names, carrying ancient civilization's imprints.

If he could use historical research techniques to directly "read" historical information within these items, wouldn't that reveal their true origins and latent functions?

Once this thought took root, it blossomed uncontrollably.

Luo En quickly retrieved several Rare Relics he'd collected:

Timekeeper's Pocket Watch, Thousand Shifting Shadows, and Puppet Substitute.

After brief consideration, he decided to start with Puppet Substitute.

Compared to the other two, this artifact felt distinctly more "recent" - perhaps easier to resonate with its historical information.

"Historical research requires an 'anchor' connecting the observer to specific historical fragments."

Recalling the manual's description:

"Some antiques themselves make ideal anchors, having personally witnessed past events while retaining the most direct temporal imprints."

He placed Puppet Substitute on the desk, covered it with his right hand, and began adjusting his breathing and spiritual fluctuations to enter the special resonance state described in the manual.

This state differed from ordinary meditation or his earlier stellar link.

It felt more like projecting one's consciousness into the river of time, becoming a pure observer.

Initially, only chaotic darkness appeared.

Like standing in a starless night, surrounded by endless void in all directions.

Luo En maintained patience, deepening his resonance until faint images gradually surfaced from the darkness.

Similar to air bubbles slowly rising from underwater, extremely unstable - any careless move could cause them to shatter.

At first, only fragmented scenes emerged:

A dim basement. Rasping incantations. The Puppet being painstakingly carved by a chisel.

And the emotions filled with malice and greed, clinging to these memories like sticky sludge.

As the resonance deepened, these fragments coalesced into more complete scenes.

Luo En witnessed an elderly guardian hunched over a candlelit workshop, meticulously carving the Puppet while whispering incantations. The artisan smeared black liquid onto the Puppet's joints, his bloodshot eyes and trembling body revealing severe curse backlash.

This Puppet had been created as his tool to escape death itself.

The scene shifted. After completion, the Puppet was infused with black mana, gaining initial vitality.

The images blurred, as if some power interfered with historical resonance.

Luo En attempted deeper exploration but felt his spiritual senses issuing strong warnings.

...Pushing further might attract those "hounds."

Reluctantly, he withdrew his consciousness, ending the historical resonance.

Opening his eyes, the Puppet Substitute still lay silently on the desk, seemingly unchanged.

【Historian (entry-level) experience points +1】

【Historian (entry-level) experience points +1】

【Historian (entry-level) experience points +1】

...

【Current Progress: Historian (entry-level 8/50)】

"Though limited in gains, this proves the feasibility of this approach."

Luo En began cataloging the historical fragments he'd obtained.

Though failing to fully reveal Puppet Substitute's true origins, this attempt proved the Historian skill could indeed help him better understand Rare Relic essence.

Puppet Substitute's origins might be far darker than he'd imagined.

Buoyed by this success, Luo En decided to attempt the other two Rare Relics.

First, he picked up Thousand Shifting Shadows, but encountered fierce resistance during resonance attempts.

This wasn't resistance from the Time River itself, but active rejection from Thousand Shifting Shadows.

It detected Luo En's probing and deliberately shielded its historical information.

"Artifacts with autonomous consciousness are indeed difficult to interpret."

Unsurprised, he turned to the final item - Timekeeper's Pocket Watch.

This artifact possessed extraordinary mystery, unique even among his collection.

Its intricate mechanisms seemed almost... non-human craftsmanship.

Despite his "Transcendent Perception" skill reaching mastery level, he still struggled to analyze it effectively.

Placing his palm over the pocket watch, he re-entered the resonance state.

However, when his spiritual energy touched the artifact, it vanished without a trace, like a stone sinking into the sea.

Not resisted, not shielded - just complete silence.

As if his spiritual energy passed through the watch into infinite void.

He intensified his spiritual energy input, attempting deeper resonance, but achieved nothing.

The pocket watch acted like an endless abyss, devouring all exploration without offering a single response.

"Power level disparity." Luo En quickly concluded:

"Timekeeper's Pocket Watch clearly exceeds my current comprehension level. With my present Historian skill, I can't even create a ripple."

This attempt confirmed an important fact: even among same-tier Rare Relics, clear rank differences existed.

Timekeeper's Pocket Watch unquestionably held the highest status among his three artifacts.

[Skill Synergy Detected:

Historian + Transcendent Perception

1. Historian's Rare Relic analysis efficiency increased

2. Transcendent Perception's historical information capture precision improved]

The interface message heartened Luo En. This very synergy had been his expectation, proving his exploratory direction remained correct.

"Direction confirmed, but requires more patience."

He summarized:

"Historian, like Astrology Art, involves long-term accumulation of profound knowledge. Hastiness achieves nothing."

He continued limited historical resonance attempts on Puppet Substitute.

Each attempt yielded tiny new insights, gradually reconstructing a more complete history of this artifact.

He discovered Puppet Substitute had changed hands multiple times, each new master leaving bloody imprints.

After leaving its creator, the Puppet had passed through several mages or other Abyss explorers - always through violence or plunder.

Each ownership transition accompanied bloodshed and death, as if the artifact itself bore some curse.

As his research deepened, he increasingly felt the "weight" of acquired knowledge and spiritual contamination.

Headaches and even brief hallucinations followed each historical resonance session.

Particularly violent historical fragments caused more pronounced negative effects.

"This research progress must proceed at a slower pace." Luo En reminded himself:

"Astrology Art and historical research require long-term stable accumulation. Impatience only accelerates spiritual contamination."

He deliberately slowed his pace, limiting practice sessions.

More time shifted to two critical matters:

Writing academic papers and preparing for the "Rainbow Ring" competition.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end