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Chapter 61: Spirit Pollution – Terror
Chapter 61: Spirit Pollution – Terror
More terrifyingly, as this influx of information poured into him, horrifying visions began unfolding before his eyes.
Between the stars moved something unimaginably vast – its form twisted beyond human comprehension, like a grotesque mockery of cosmic laws.
It slithered, it expanded, devouring every planet and even stars in its path like a colossal black hole. But it was far more... sentient than any black hole.
Luo En suddenly realized the residual vision he was witnessing might be the same spectacle that had once driven the traveling mage who created The Murmuring of the Star Devourer to madness.
This was undoubtedly a cosmic-scale horror, an ancient entity transcending human understanding.
"This is the weight of forbidden knowledge. No wonder it crushed that mage's sanity..."
The thought barely formed when his mind began unraveling, his brain searing with pain as if pierced by countless blades.
In truth, he hadn't directly gazed upon the entity – merely glimpsed its edge through the gaps between stars. Yet even this fleeting glance had flooded his body with indescribable dread.
His spirit dissolved like mist, his thoughts collapsing like an ant trying to comprehend a volcanic eruption or a single raindrop containing the entire ocean.
"Neural capacity exceeding limits... Must sever connection..." His consciousness sea screamed danger warnings.
Frantically, the observer tried breaking his meditation to return to reality, but found his mind trapped by the vision's hypnotic grasp.
The stars flickered at an unnatural frequency, their whispers sharpening into screeches like swarms of insects crawling through his skull.
"No! This isn't what I want! Must maintain control!"
At this critical moment, the Artificial Star Dew reached peak activation.
A thin silver-blue membrane formed around his consciousness, acting as a protective barrier filtering out most of the sanity-shattering information.
【Artificial Star Dew Effect Activated: Spirit Shield】
【Current Resistance Against External Spirit Attacks – Protection Level: 83%】
With this shield, Luo En barely maintained his lucidity.
He clearly understood – without preemptively consuming the Artificial Star Dew, he'd likely already be suffering irreversible contamination.
【The Murmuring of the Star Devourer Experience Points +10】
The protective formation within his room remained stable, the incense completely burned out, leaving behind a faint fragrant afterglow – traces of the Artificial Star Dew's dissipated energy.
Opening his eyes, Luo En found himself soaked in cold sweat, yet his spirit surprisingly clear – far less damaged than expected.
Madame Ellen's warning had proven accurate, and his precautionary use of Artificial Star Dew had indeed saved him at a crucial moment.
Only after calming did he realize his lips had been bitten bloody from prolonged tension, a thin crimson trickle tracing his jawline.
【Warning: Spirit Pollution Detected】
Instantly, he grabbed the Silver Pocket Watch from his nightstand, focusing his consciousness into it to eliminate this abnormal state.
The black gemstone embedded in the timepiece flared, beginning to absorb his negative status.
【Negative Status Reset Successful: Medium Spirit Pollution – Energy -5】
As the watch neutralized the contamination, Luo En felt his mind gradually clearing, his thoughts regaining structure.
The sensation of being invaded by alien thoughts vanished, leaving only a lingering exhaustion.
"That was far too dangerous", he murmured, his back still drenched in cold sweat.
Despite Madame Ellen's warning, he hadn't anticipated the first meditation session with The Murmuring of the Star Devourer would nearly kill him.
Yet danger and reward often walked hand-in-hand.
His spiritual energy seemed to have undergone unique refinement – like muscles requiring tearing to grow stronger, spirits needed such limit experiences to ascend.
【Spiritual Energy Underwent Limit Challenge!】
【Spirit: 2.4 → 2.6】
"If I hadn't prepared the pocket watch and star dew beforehand, today would've ended disastrously... Next time must be even more cautious. This world holds too many deathtraps."
Sighing deeply, Luo En opened the window, letting night air flood the room to dispel its lingering oppressive atmosphere.
Though dawn approached, his spirit remained unnaturally alert.
He recognized this as a normal aftereffect of spiritual energy enhancement, requiring hours to subside.
"Since sleep's impossible, might as well use this time productively."
Retrieving his notebook from beneath the bed, he began roughly documenting this meditation experience for future reference.
Only after finishing did he feel his spirit finally relax, his eyelids growing heavy.
While the pocket watch still had 5 energy units remaining after purifying contamination, the spiritual exhaustion rendered further training impossible.
Fortunately, its energy gauge reset daily at midnight – tomorrow afternoon, after meeting Madame Ellen, he could continue training without waste.
Lying back, he recalled the stellar visions from last night, their grandeur and terror still vivid.
"This is the path of a mage – walking the boundary between knowledge's weight and madness."
With this final thought, he drifted into uneasy slumber.
...
Early morning found Luo En at the window, watching dawn's light disperse the mist above Black Mist Jungle, his mind slightly eased from last night's trauma.
During his brief sleep, he'd experienced an extremely strange dream.
In it, he wandered an endless starry sea, surrounded by those same incomprehensible whispers.
From the depths of the cosmos, something watched him – its gaze ancient, icy, and bone-deep chilling.
"Was it just a hallucination from exhaustion?"
Rubbing his eyes, Luo En checked his professional interface – all status indicators normal. Last night's pocket watch should have purged all contamination.
Shaking his head, he resolved to focus on mastering The Murmuring of the Star Devourer's core principles to prepare for upcoming challenges.
"First, report last night's experience to Madame Ellen, then continue studying."
With his plan set, he left his room.
...
The early morning Herbal Medicine Shop exuded quiet serenity, its air perfumed with faint medicinal fragrances. Madame Ellen sorted yesterday's accounts behind the counter.
"Here already?" Without looking up, she spoke as if expecting him.
"Yes, madam." Luo En respectfully replied, closing the shop door behind him.
Already waiting inside, Madame Ellen's emerald green eyes locked onto him the moment he entered, as though attempting to pierce his very soul.
"So you've tried it already." The old witch cut straight to the point without pleasantries. "Faster than I anticipated."
(End of Chapter)
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