The Wizard of Truth: Starting with Analyzing All Things

Life at Darkmoon Academy seemed to have returned to a peaceful routine, but Rowe knew in his heart how many unsolved mysteries and turbulent undercurrents lurked beneath this calm. Elena's seductive yet threatening whispers, like a leech, often echoed at the edge of his consciousness during his deep meditation, attempting to shake his mind. But with the tenacity of his "Heart of Analysis" and the orderly framework provided by the gray slate, he suppressed and dispelled them time and again, transforming this pressure into a deeper driving force for research.

He knew that to face the storms of the future, whether it was scrutiny from within the academy, the threat of the remnants of the Gray Tower, or the unreachable abyss and the mystery of the "Source Codex," the only reliable thing was the knowledge and power he possessed.

The third floor of the library became his daily destination. He no longer rushed to search for those unfathomable forbidden knowledge, but instead focused on systematically filling the gaps in his own knowledge system. His first choice was the study of runes.

Harald, the mentor (a first-circle wizard and rune expert), took a keen interest in Rowe, this "problem apprentice" who had gained special privileges and shown a strong interest in runes. After Rowe humbly sought his guidance several times on the deeper principles of basic rune structure and energy flow, the old, rigid wizard seemed to see a promising talent, softened his attitude considerably, and even occasionally offered some pointers.

"Runes are not rigid patterns, but the material manifestation of the rules of energy!" Instructor Haral emphasized in his distinctive, resonant voice, "Every stroke and turn corresponds to the compression, guidance, explosion, or stabilization of energy circulation! Without understanding its inner logic, merely imitating will never make you a true runemaster!"

These words coincided with the "foundation rune" concept that Rowe had obtained from the stone tablet. He eagerly absorbed the systematic knowledge taught by his mentor Harald, starting with the most basic "solid," "sharp," and "energy-conducting" runes. He used his "heart of analysis" and spatial perception to dissect the microscopic energy field structure of each rune and understand why it could produce the corresponding extraordinary effects.

The Book of Truth is still being updated…

[The basic rune structure library has been improved to 17%...]

[Energy-Rune Mapping Model Optimization... Slight Improvement in Deduction Efficiency...]

[Some basic runes have been detected to have derivative relationships with 'Keystone Rune - Stability' and 'Keystone Rune - Circulation'...]

This learning method, based on essential understanding, may seem slow, but it builds an incredibly solid foundation. He is no longer satisfied with simply knowing "how to draw" a rune, but delves into "why it works." This allows him to achieve a success rate far exceeding that of ordinary people when practicing simple rune inscription, and he can even make extremely subtle optimizations to the standard template, reducing its energy consumption by a fraction or extending the duration of its effect slightly.

Harald, the mentor, noticed this and his admiration deepened. Occasionally, he would throw more complex compound rune problems at him for him to ponder. The old man and the young man would often immerse themselves in their discussions for a long time at the table piled with ancient books and practice rune boards, completely absorbed in their conversations.

Current status: Rowe (Late-stage Intermediate Apprentice)

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Strength assessment: The level of mastery is stable, the theoretical foundation is rapidly being solidified, and the student has entered the realm of rune literature and is showing outstanding talent.

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Core abilities: Void Affinity (Beginner), Keystone Rune Understanding (Introductory → Basic), Optimized Sorcery Model (Master), Spatial Awareness (Intermediate), Basic Rune Mastery (Beginner → Proficient).

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Development focus: Systematically study runic literature, deepen spatial perception applications, and explore low-level alchemy applications.

Besides rune studies, another major focus for Luo Wei was exploring and applying his own Void Affinity. The records about spatial attributes on the third floor of the library were sparse and obscure, mostly limited to descriptions of phenomena and warnings. He could only rely on his gradually improving spatial perception to make cautious attempts.

He no longer merely "saw" with his senses, but began to subtly "influence" the surrounding spatial structure. Initially, he could only condense a wisp of spatial energy at his fingertips, causing a slight, ripple-like distortion in the scene before him. Subsequently, he attempted to use this energy to extremely slowly "smooth out" the naturally occurring, extremely subtle spatial folds within a foot-wide radius around him (similar to how he previously used the cracks to avoid the nightmare derivatives), making the space in this area temporarily more "smooth" and "stable."

This application is extremely resource-intensive and has a very limited range of effect, but its significance is immense. It signifies that he has taken his first step from passive perception to active control. He even fantasizes that if he could one day master it, he might be able to create subtle spatial shifts in battle to deflect attacks, or stabilize the space around him to enhance his defense. Of course, this is still a long way off.

During this time, he did not give up his research on the "Starlight Moss" and "Energy Signature" projects. Although he is currently unable to travel far to obtain more moss, he has begun to use the rune knowledge taught by his mentor Harald to try to design a more complex and sensitive "Resonance Beacon" rune structure, and to think about how to combine it with alchemy to create a form that is easier to carry and hide.

This naturally leads to another important field—alchemy.

Lovi himself is not good at material transformation and elemental refining, but in this regard, he has an excellent ally—Lilith.

Lilith (Advanced Apprentice, a genius in potionmaking) drew immense "inspiration" (or rather, was intensely stimulated) from the shadows and nightmares of the Tower of Slumber. She threw herself into the research and development of new protective and purifying potions, often staying up all night in the potion workshop. Her potionmaking skills improved rapidly, and she had already reached the threshold of becoming a prospective pharmacist (a prerequisite for becoming a full-fledged pharmacist).

When Rowe approached her with the optimized beacon rune design and proposed a collaboration, Lilith immediately showed great interest.

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"Combining runic power with a potion carrier? To create a semi-permanent alchemical item? A very interesting idea!" Lilith's eyes gleamed with the light of a researcher. "Starlight Moss has unique energy properties. Perhaps we could use 'Moonlight Thistle' juice as a base, add 'Solid Energy Crystal' powder to stabilize the structure, and then use your runes to guide the energy and lock the frequency..."

The two hit it off immediately and set up a corner in Field's laboratory (after obtaining permission) to begin preliminary alchemy experiments. Lowe was in charge of the rune design and energy channeling architecture, while Lilith was responsible for material processing, matrix formulation, and stability control.

However, the complexity of alchemy far exceeded expectations. Several attempts failed because either the substrate couldn't withstand the rune's energy and collapsed, or the rune failed to fuse perfectly with the material, resulting in the waste of many precious materials.

"This won't work. We need more professional alchemy equipment and people who understand the properties of materials better to help us." Lilith wiped the sweat from her forehead with some frustration.

After a moment's thought, Luo Wei recalled the silent girl, Lina, who had previously helped him process the Moonlight Mushrooms. She seemed to possess an innate sensitivity and patience when it came to handling materials.

He found Lina and explained his purpose. Lina remained silent, but upon hearing that she could participate in such an interesting study, her eyes lit up slightly, and she nodded gently.

With Lina's arrival, the situation immediately improved. Her grasp of material properties was extremely precise, and she could always find the most suitable ratios and processing methods, greatly improving the stability of experimental materials. The three-person team took initial shape: Lowe led the design and energy, Lilith led the reagents and synthesis, and Lina (a junior apprentice specializing in materials processing) was responsible for materials refining and pretreatment.

After countless failures and adjustments, they finally succeeded in creating their first prototype alchemical beacon.

It was only the size of a button, its surface covered with a thin layer of enamel mixed with starlight moss powder and a special matrix, and its interior etched with miniature resonant runes optimized by Lovy using micro-engraving techniques. When Lilith activated another small patch of starlight moss preserved in the distance with energy of a specific frequency, this alchemical beacon emitted a faint but clear vibration!

Although the effective range is still limited and the production cost is high, this marks a significant step in their research, moving from theory to practical application! More importantly, in this process, Rowe's application of runes, Lilith's understanding of alchemical substrates, and Lina's control over material properties have all been substantially improved.

Just as they were rejoicing over this small success, the gray stone slab in Luo Wei's arms began to move again.

This time, it wasn't a dangerous resonance or a flow of knowledge, but rather an extremely faint yet continuous sense of attraction. It was as if something within the academy was subtly echoing a cornerstone rune in the stone slab that represented "the gathering of knowledge" or "the sedimentation of information."

This feeling was completely different from the dangerous resonance that had previously pointed to the Tower of Discipline; it was more peaceful, even carrying a hint of...familiarity?

A thought struck Luo Wei, and following the faint sense of attraction, he quietly went to find it.

Passing through the familiar corridors and across the central square of the academy, the source of that pull wasn't some forbidden area or towering building, but rather pointed to an unassuming, gray-white, circular building nestled in a corner of the academy—

College Public Library (first and second floors).

Luo Wei was stunned. He went to the library almost every day, so why had he never felt this way before? That's right, his attention had been focused on the advanced knowledge on the third floor, and he hadn't paid much attention to the vast collection of basic books on the lower two floors.

Filled with doubt, he stepped into this ocean of knowledge once more. This time, he released his spatial perception and carefully felt the faint pull.

Finally, he stopped in a secluded, rarely visited area. The bookshelves there did not hold magical texts or historical documents, but rather a large number of seemingly disorganized items—academic journals circulating within the academy, compilations of graduation theses from students over the years, and various unpublished experimental notes and manuscripts!

These materials vary in value and quality, and are mostly regarded as basic reference materials or past records. Few formal wizards would spend a lot of time mining for valuable information from them.

And the source of that pull is permeated this area.

Lowe reached out, his fingertips brushing against the rows of dusty spines. Finally, his fingers stopped on a thick notebook, its spine devoid of any title, bound in some rough animal hide.

That peaceful and continuous sense of attraction emanates from this seemingly ordinary notebook.

He carefully removed the notebook, blew away the dust on the cover, revealing a line of slightly messy handwriting on the title page:

"Hypotheses and Preliminary Verifications of the 'Sea of ​​Collective Consciousness' and the 'Information Settlement Layer'—Carlson's Notes"

Carlson? That name sounds familiar… Rowe suddenly remembered that the author of those fragmentary notes on the ancient energy tower construction theory on the third floor of the library was none other than Carls Runeweaver! Is it the same person? Or is it just a coincidence?

He took a deep breath, and with a premonition, opened the long-forgotten notebook.

What comes into view is not a systematic theory, but a large number of leaps in thought, records of failures, and various seemingly far-fetched conjectures. Among them, the concept of "Source Library" is mentioned repeatedly.

The author of the notes hypothesizes that all knowledge, information, and even ideas generated in the world do not completely disappear, but rather settle in some form within the world's "information layer," like treasures sunk into the ocean. He calls this the "Source Library." Certain special talents, items, or rituals might allow glimpses into this library, or even salvage lost knowledge or inspiration from it…

This conjecture bears a striking resemblance to certain functions of Lowe's grey slate, and his occasional experience of capturing fragments of other people's emotions or remnants of environmental information!

Could it be that the author of this notebook had also come into contact with something similar to the stone tablet? Or did he discover a way to peer into the "Source Library"?

Was the pull of the stone slab guiding him to find this?

Lowe's heart raced slightly. He felt as if he had touched the edge of another enormous secret, one that was intimately connected to the "Source Codex" and the stone tablet.

He found a quiet corner and eagerly immersed himself in this seemingly unremarkable notebook, which might contain amazing insights.