I can see experience bars after being transported to another world.

Three symbiotic connections hung quietly in the depths of Lu Yuan's perception.

They are still alive.

Eating now.

Lu Yuan intended to put the sampling bottle back at the bottom of the toolbox, but as soon as his hand touched the bottle, the situation inside changed.

The pulsation of the crystalline surface suddenly accelerated, and the interweaving of gray-green and dark gold became more intense, as if some kind of violent reaction was taking place inside.

Then... it stopped.

Three insects of knowledge detached from the crystal surface.

They fell down.

One by one, they peeled off the surface of the crystals and fell dizzily to the bottom of the bottle.

It all happened in less than a few seconds.

Lu Yuan stared at the three small things in the sampling bottle.

Their bodies were covered with a very distinct green layer, exactly the same as the grayish-green color of the crystals themselves.

The originally translucent insect body became no longer translucent, and the flow of color slowed down.

It looks like they've eaten too much.

[Detection Target: Knowledge Insects (Large Forms x3)]

[I've absorbed an excessive amount of knowledge in a short period... I'm still growing...]

"fine."

Looking at them, Lu Yuan breathed a sigh of relief.

Thankfully, they didn't die from eating them. It seems these little creatures are much stronger than expected.

However, the Knowledge Worm that I caught seems to be different from the one that Laurinna got?

Moreover, the growth rate... is much faster than expected.

Inside the sampling bottle, three knowledge insects huddled together, their green sheen slowly spreading across their bodies.

Then Lu Yuan saw something he hadn't expected.

The three insects huddled together.

Three insects, each the size of a grain of rice, their colors merging and their boundaries blurring, resemble three drops of water flowing into the same cup.

Their forms overlapped, their outlines blurred, and then solidified again.

It turned into one.

The size did not increase.

It's still the size of a grain of rice.

But the overall color became much richer. The three colors of dark gold, deep blue, and gray-green no longer flowed separately, but were evenly mixed together, forming a complex color tone that Lu Yuan had never seen before.

The three symbiotic connections in perception also merged into one at the same moment.

Thicker.

Clearer.

Lu Yuan could sense that the merged Knowledge Worm's consciousness was more than one level stronger than before.

It flew out of the sampling bottle.

He did not ask Lu Yuan's opinion.

It circled the air in the alchemy workshop, as if sensing the surrounding atmosphere.

Then it flew back and hovered in front of Lu Yuan.

Very close.

So close, only inches apart.

It was looking into Lu Yuan's eyes.

It wasn't staring at Lu Yuan, but at his eyes.

Then the symbiotic connection sent a very clear signal.

It's not language.

It is an intention.

"It wants to go in."

Lu Yuan was taken aback.

He subconsciously took a half step back, but the worm of knowledge did not follow and remained quietly suspended in place.

Waiting for his response.

Lu Yuan stared at the tiny insect, about the size of a grain of rice, and pondered for a few seconds.

Get in the eyes?

The idea made him instinctively somewhat resistant.

But the message from the symbiotic connection is clear. The knowledge worm chose not to "hide," but to "integrate."

It needs a vehicle for perception.

The eyes are the most important place of perception, and also where the "key" is stored.

Lu Yuan confirmed the intentions transmitted through the symbiotic connection once again.

It is indeed an eye.

"…OK."

Lu Yuan nodded.

The insect of knowledge has stirred.

A tiny point of light, carrying a swirling mix of three colors, flew toward Lu Yuan's left eye.

The moment the pupil met his eyes, Lu Yuan's world changed.

Bright eyes.

It's not that the light has become brighter.

Yes… the world itself brightened a bit.

The originally dim alchemy workshop, with the faint light of candles burning down to half their flames, became clear and bright at this moment, revealing every detail.

The wood grain on the tabletop, the cracks in the corner of the wall, the dust suspended in the air... everything is clearly visible.

But that's not the most important thing.

The color is the most important thing.

Lu Yuan saw the color.

The alchemy workshop was filled with all sorts of auras, which he could only vaguely detect in the past when he deliberately used his Seeker's Perception, but now... he didn't need to.

They are there on their own.

The most obvious thing is the aura emanating from one's own body.

Dark gray.

A faint mist, like a thin fog, enveloped her, rising and falling gently with her breath.

"Is this mine...?"

Lu Yuan looked down at his hands, and a thin, dark gray mist seeped out from between his fingers.

Then his gaze shifted to the sample bottles on the toolbox in the corner.

The aura emitted by the crystals is completely different.

Brilliant.

A light, a blend of gray-green and dark gold, shone through the sampling bottle, like a miniature sun quietly radiating heat in a corner.

The concentration of that aura far exceeded that of anything else in the alchemy workshop.

Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow with interest.

Then he turned around, walked to the window, and pulled back a corner of the curtain.

Look out the window.

Look towards Bronze City.

Lu Yuan's expression froze.

An eerie color permeated the entire bronze city.

The buildings, streets, city walls in the distance... everything was shrouded in a fog of varying thickness.

The outer city area is fine; the fog is thin and barely perceptible.

But the direction of the inner city...

It was almost completely filled.

A dense, indistinct mass of color hung over the inner city, so complex that Lu Yuan couldn't distinguish it at all. Dark purple, gray-green, and various other colors were mixed together.

Moreover, that aura was still wriggling.

It was moving at an extremely slow speed, but it was indeed converging in a certain direction.

Lu Yuan's pupils contracted for a moment.

What is that?

But the next second, my eyes suddenly stung.

Tingling.

My vision blurred for a moment, then returned to normal.

The bronze city outside the window has returned to its quiet nighttime state, with the faint glow of runes on the city walls flowing quietly, just like usual.

I can't see anything.

Lu Yuan rubbed his sore eyes.

"The time was too short."

Clearly, that was an improvement brought about by the worm of knowledge.

A sense of weariness crept into the connected consciousness.

The little one is tired too.

The recent fusion and the visuals from before have taken a toll on them.

Lu Yuan didn't force it, but instead looked down at the edge of his field of vision.

The gray and white text is jumping around.

densely packed.

[Taboo Studies - Seeker of Knowledge: +5.0…35.4/100]

[Imperial Language: +7…263/1000]

【铭文学（基础）：+11…11.9/10…上限突破，经验溢出…铭文学（进阶·待定）：1.9/50】

[Basic Medical Care: +10…13.8/20]

Lu Yuan stared at the string of numbers, his breathing quickening slightly.

These were all fed back by the worms of knowledge after they consumed the crystallized consciousness.

A crystal the size of a thumb was gnawed on by the worm of knowledge for only a few seconds, and the amount transformed was already this much.

Taboo subjects jumped 5 points in one go.

5 points.

He fought desperately in the network for several rounds, and even with the overflow of consciousness crystals, he only gained less than 2 points in total.

Now the knowledge worm feeds him 5 in just a few seconds.

Inscription literature is even more exaggerated.

The basic inscription skill level was capped at 10, but it was broken through directly, automatically advancing the skill and raising the cap from 10 to 50.

This cycle... is really running.

As Lu Yuan was processing these numbers, he suddenly sensed another unusual movement.

Chest.

A pocket watch for telling time.

The pocket watch, which had long since become one with the body, trembled very slightly the moment the experience surged in.

It was as if something had touched it.

But it only lasted for a moment before it stopped.

Lu Yuan looked down at his chest, his brows furrowing slightly.

Is there a connection between a timekeeping pocket watch and the feeding of the knowledge insect?

Or perhaps... the things sealed within the consciousness crystal resonate in some way with the timekeeping pocket watch?

The weariness coming from the other end of the symbiotic connection grew even stronger.

The worm of knowledge has fallen into a deep sleep.

Lu Yuan did not receive an answer.

Lu Yuan suppressed this question in his heart for the time being, walked back to the table, and put the sampling bottle back at the bottom of the toolbox.

The frequency of the micro-light pulsation on the crystal surface remains unchanged.

It seems that the worm of knowledge did not leave any trace on it.

Lu Yuan closed the toolbox and straightened up.

It was already quite dark outside the window.

The faint glow of the city wall runes and the scattered lights in the distance were the only sources of light for the Bronze City at night.

What time is it?

Lu Yuan walked to the bedside, took out his pocket watch from under the pillow, and glanced at it.

Two in the morning.

After returning from the Tower of Knowledge, fishing, opening pinholes, waiting, making contracts, and fusing with the Worms of Knowledge... this whole ordeal took up most of the night.

Current status:

A rational score of 79/120 is not low, but it's not abundant either.

Taboo study 35.4/100, just finished rising.

A worm of knowledge lives in my eye, and it's sleeping.

Lu Yuan stood by the window, looking at the deep night outside, and remained silent for a few seconds.

Time to sleep.

Tonight's harvest has far exceeded expectations.

Knowledge worms, symbiotic contracts, feedback loops, enhanced vision... each of these, taken individually, represents a qualitative leap.

But what I just saw...

The eerie mass of color shrinking above the inner city…

What is it?

Lu Yuan drew the curtains and lay back down on the bed.

The moment I closed my eyes, a faint warmth emanated from the symbiotic connection.

The little thing curled up in its eye sockets, sleeping soundly.

Lu Yuan also closed his eyes.

Too much to do tonight, my brain needs a break.

I'll think about the rest tomorrow.

early morning.

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, casting a long, thin patch of light on the floor.

Lu Yuan was awakened by the knocking on the door.

dong dong dong.

It was unhurried but persistent, one step after another, as if it was certain that someone was inside.

Lu Yuan opened his eyes, his mind not yet fully clear.

A restless commotion came from the other end of the symbiotic connection, and the Knowledge Worm was also awakened.

"who? 』

There are night watchmen on duty outside the alchemy workshop, so no one usually comes to knock on the door directly.

Unless it's the Night's Watch themselves.

Lu Yuan rolled out of bed, put on his coat, and walked to the door.

Open the door.

A short old man was standing outside the door.

It reached almost to Lu Yuan's waist.

His wrinkled face wore a serious yet somewhat comical expression, his gray beard was piled haphazardly on his chin, and he wore an old leather apron of indeterminate color, covered with jingling little tools.

He raised his head, looking Lu Yuan up at him with a solemn expression.

Then he spoke.

Aren't you going to invite me in?

He rubbed his hands together.

"It's terribly cold standing here."

Lu Yuan looked at the tiny old man in front of him, who barely reached his waist, and frowned slightly.

At the edge of my field of vision, gray and white text appeared.

[Detection Target: Dwarf (Master of Inscription)]

[A special entity that helps humans choose the direction of inscriptions, but also deceives them.]