Chapter 63: Chapter 62: Inspiration Is a Curse, "Truth
Ron did not deny, "Yes, ma’am. I made my first attempt last night."
"How did it feel?" Lady Allen’s expression was inscrutable, neither showing delight nor worry, just purely professional inquiry.
"It was... overwhelming," Ron carefully chose his words, "I saw the stars, heard strange whispers, and witnessed some indescribable terrifying sights—some entity was devouring stars and galaxies."
Upon hearing these descriptions, the old witch’s expression subtly changed but quickly returned to calm.
"I see, it seems you indeed have extraordinary inspiration."
She appeared lost in her thoughts, "Most people on their first attempt can only see vague starlight, at most hear some intermittent ravings. But you directly witnessed the ’Devourer’s’ scene, quite unexpected."
As she spoke, Lady Allen stood up, leaning on her cane, approaching him with a complex expression on her face:
"Ron, do you know how long it usually takes to successfully enter the first phase of ’Star Eater’s Ravings’?"
Ron shook his head, he genuinely did not know.
"For an average apprentice, even one with the best Fourth-class Star quality, it takes at least three months to barely construct a complete initial rune, but you..."
Her voice carried a hint of doubt, "And you managed it on the first night?"
Ron was startled, not expecting his progress to be so unusual, "Maybe it’s because I had a good foundation beforehand?"
"It’s not just about the foundation," Lady Allen shook her head, "This indicates you have a high affinity with ’Star Eater’s Ravings,’ it could even be considered a natural harmony..."
She pondered for a moment, seeming to reassess something, "There must be something special about you that I haven’t yet noticed. But regardless, this is a good thing."
"Then, regarding the spiritual contamination and dreams during meditation practice..." Ron tentatively asked.
"Ah, yes, this issue is crucial."
Lady Allen nodded, "Any Gem Level meditation technique will cause some degree of spiritual contamination, ’Star Eater’s Ravings’ even more so. The higher the quality and the stronger the inspiration one has, the greater the influence because they can perceive more ’realities’ inaccessible to ordinary people."
Her tone became more serious, even carrying a warning:
"In the world of wizards, there is a saying—inspiration is a curse. Because the higher the inspiration, the easier it is to prematurely encounter certain ’realities,’ leading to mental breakdown, madness, or even worse. Many good wizard seeds fall into madness in the abyss before fully growing."
Ron nodded thoughtfully, "That’s why I’ve heard some people, despite having exceptional talents, choose a slower, more stable path?"
"Exactly." Lady Allen looked at him with appreciation:
"Knowledge itself bears no good or evil, but every piece of knowledge has its price. Sometimes that price is time, sometimes money, but the deepest knowledge often costs the integrity of one’s mind."
She paused, seemingly considering whether to continue the topic:
"Your mental resilience is unexpectedly strong, but don’t become complacent. The spiritual contamination from Gem Level meditation techniques accumulates. Each session brings a degree of contamination, if the meditation is overly eager to make quick progress, it could lead to irreversible damage over time."
"I’ll bear that in mind." Ron nodded, silently grateful for the pocket watch’s help.
Lady Allen didn’t further question how he dealt with spiritual contamination, implying she accepted he had his own methods.
"Then let’s continue today’s tutoring. However, first, let me verify your state once more."
Her hand suddenly extended, aged yet powerful fingers pressing on Ron’s temples, a surge of icy energy instantly permeating his consciousness’s surface layer.
Ron reflexively wanted to resist the intrusion but forcibly restrained himself, allowing Lady Allen’s spiritual power to probe within his consciousness’s surface.
The old witch’s spiritual power, like an experienced snake, agile and precise, shuttled around his consciousness space, checking for any possible anomalies.
A moment later, she withdrew her hand, her expression slightly complex:
"Your state is good, much better than I expected, it seems ’Star Eater’s Ravings’ is indeed particularly suitable for you."
Actually, had the additional traits not triggered that special inspiration, cultivating ’Star Eater’s Ravings’ steadily would at most cause mild spiritual contamination, coupled with the artificial Star Dew’s auxiliary effect to mitigate the contamination, the impact would be even smaller.
Lady Allen probably hadn’t expected Ron to advance so rapidly.
In the following time, Lady Allen elaborated on how to consolidate the structure of the initial rune and how to gradually extend the depth and breadth of meditation.
This session of teaching was more in-depth and specific than yesterday; she even personally demonstrated some key steps for Ron to more intuitively understand.
"Remember, don’t rush into achieving success."
Before leaving, the old witch emphasized again, "The first phase of cultivation usually requires at least six months to stabilize and consolidate, even if you have exceptional talent, you should remain cautious."
Ron solemnly nodded, expressing his understanding.
"I’ve heard of too many geniuses ruining themselves out of arrogance." Lady Allen looked deeply at him, "Don’t become one of them."
Leaving the herb store, Ron’s thoughts were a whirlwind.
The cold wind rustled through the branches, whispering like the elusive ravings among the stars, causing him to shiver involuntarily.
"’Devourer’... What is that?" he mumbled in his heart, his mind once again recalling the terrifying sights witnessed during last night’s meditation.
The massive entity beyond mortal comprehension traversing the sea of stars, devouring one star after another like a hungry beast gnawing on prey in the prairie.
"This can’t just be an illusion..."
Ron paused, gazing at the vaguely visible high tower between distant mountain ridges.
It was the residence of an Official Wizard within Black Mist Jungle, the tower’s top consistently emitted mysterious glows, like a lighthouse in the night, or a giant eye watching all.
"Who exactly is Lady Allen? Why does she possess such a meditation technique?"
This question felt like a stone, weighing heavily in Ron’s heart.
Since first meeting Lady Allen, he sensed that this elderly woman was shrouded in numerous mysteries.
Those deep green eyes contained not only wisdom but an unfathomable ancient aura, as though she had lived far more than a century.
Moreover, the phenomenon of her rejuvenation into youthful beauty during those few days of peak magic power fluctuations each month was something no ordinary wizard could achieve.
"’Star Eater’s Ravings’..." Ron softly muttered the name, feeling the peculiar rhythm of each word dancing on his tongue:
"Where exactly did this meditation technique originate? Is it truly just the creation of a mad wizard?"
His thoughts intertwined like a labyrinth, each question seemingly leading to more doubts.
He took a deep breath to bring his thoughts back to rationality.
"Regardless, this meditation technique indeed benefits me greatly." He weighed in his heart,
"Since Lady Allen is willing to impart it to me, I should seize this opportunity, even if there are intentions behind it that I have yet to comprehend."
"After all..." Ron looked at his hands, speaking internally,
"In this world, power is the guarantee of survival, if one is constantly paranoid, nothing will ever be accomplished."
The evening breeze dispersed the mist at the treetop, the glow from the distant tower spire grew brighter, he donned his hood and turned towards the dormitory area.