Star Ring Secret Words and Silent Warning

Elisa's Coming-of-Age Ceremony gift was finally settled, like a boulder lifted from his heart, and Leon felt his breathing become much smoother. He carefully locked the "Starlight Sapphire" brooch in the most hidden compartment of his room, keeping it company with the crystal card that only had twenty-five Gold Rolands left. This "special fund" had almost been depleted, but it brought him peace of mind. Now, he could temporarily put the hustle and bustle of the Coming-of-Age Ceremony behind him and refocus his energy on more fundamental and secretive matters—improving his strength, and exploring the secrets of that Mysterious Bracelet.

Deep in the quiet night, Count Strauss's Mansion was immersed in the tranquility protected by magic. Leon confirmed the door was locked, the windows were shut, and he carefully checked several inconspicuous corners of the room to ensure there were no magical imprints Aunt Margaret might have set up for supervision (or rather, surveillance)—at least, with his current meager magical attainments, he couldn't detect any anomalies. Only then did he feel slightly at ease.

He walked to the desk, took a deep breath, and opened the rosewood box. Pushing aside the miscellaneous clutter on top, he revealed the object carefully wrapped in fine velvet at the bottom. Untying the velvet, the dull, unremarkable silver-white bracelet lay quietly there.

Seeing it again, Leon's heart still uncontrollably sped up. The busyness and social obligations of the day seemed to be just a facade; this bracelet was the true secret that tugged at his heartstrings, his own secret.

He carefully took out the bracelet and placed it on the dark velvet tabletop. Under the soft light of the magic desk lamp, the bracelet remained dull and lusterless, even showing fine scratches on its surface, forming a stark contrast with the dazzling brilliance of the "Starlight Sapphire." But Leon knew that true value often lay hidden beneath the most inconspicuous exterior.

He closed his eyes, cast aside distracting thoughts, and entered a meditative state again. With the experience of the previous few times, he calmed down faster, condensing his Spiritual Power into fine tendrils and slowly extending them toward the bracelet.

Buzz—

Almost the instant his Spiritual Power touched the surface of the bracelet, that strange resonance was clearly felt again! Stronger than any previous time! It was no longer a faint ripple but a deep, low hum, as if from ancient times, echoing in the depths of his spiritual world. Inside the bracelet, those silver specks of light, smaller than dust, seemed to awaken, their circulation speed noticeably increasing, and the trajectories they outlined became clearer, more complex, full of an ineffable sense of rhythm.

Leon suppressed his excitement and, like he had disturbed the light elements last time, tried to inject a more refined intention—no longer a simple "light up," but a more complex "reveal your secret," "communicate with me"—mixed with a trace of pure Spiritual Power, carefully into the bracelet.

This time, a sudden change occurred!

The dullness on the bracelet's surface seemed to melt away like ice and snow, revealing a deep silver-white base color beneath, like the night sky! The circulating silver specks of light suddenly flared up, no longer flickering faintly but as if infused with life, flowing at high speed along profound trajectories, forming an extremely complex and constantly shifting miniature star map on the bracelet's surface! In the center of the star map, a minuscule yet incredibly attractive silver vortex could be vaguely seen, as if leading to unknown depths!

What shocked Leon even more was that a vast, pure, yet incredibly gentle strange energy, like a flood from a broken dam, poured back along his spiritual tendrils! This energy was completely different from any elemental Magic Power he had encountered; it was older, purer, carrying the coldness and depth of the Stars, yet containing vigorous life. The moment the energy surged in, Leon felt his spiritual nebula like parched land receiving sweet rain, spinning and expanding at an unprecedented speed, solidifying! His Spiritual Power was growing at an unprecedented rate!

At the same time, some fragmented, blurry images and incomprehensible ancient syllables surged into his mind like a tide:

...Endless void, stars like sand... A star burning with silver flames suddenly exploded, its core transforming into a stream of light, falling towards the boundless land... A blurry, giant figure shrouded in starlight let out a mournful yet majestic cry, the syllables ancient and obscure... The bracelet floated and sank in the flames, its luster gradually dimming, finally falling into a cold darkness...

"Ugh!" Leon grunted, feeling his head split, as if his entire brain would explode from the immense information and energy! He wanted to sever the spiritual connection but found his Spiritual Power was like being attracted by a magnet, unable to break free! The star map on the bracelet grew brighter and brighter, the silver vortex in the center spun faster, and the suction force emanating from it grew stronger, as if it wanted to devour his entire soul!

Danger! Extreme danger!

Leon's alarm bells rang! He had been too careless! The power and secrets contained within this bracelet were far beyond what he could touch now! This was not a fortuitous encounter at all, but a deadly trap!

His survival instinct erupted! He desperately concentrated his remaining will, no longer trying to understand the fragmented information, but wildly consolidating all his Spiritual Power, like a warrior severing his own arm, forcibly cutting towards the spiritual tendril connected to the bracelet!

"Pfft—"

As if a taut bowstring had been snapped, Leon spat out a small mouthful of blood, a tearing pain spread through his spiritual world, and he felt as if all his strength had been drained, collapsing backward onto the chair, his vision darkening. The star map and light on the bracelet's surface instantly extinguished, returning to its dull, unremarkable appearance, and it fell onto the velvet tablecloth with a "clatter."

The room was deathly silent, with only Leon's heavy and pained gasps. He felt as if his Spiritual Power had been almost completely drained, his head felt like it had been hit by a heavy hammer, buzzing, his whole body weak, unable to even lift a finger.

After an unknown amount of time, perhaps a quarter of an hour, perhaps longer, Leon finally managed to catch his breath. He struggled to sit up, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and looked at the quiet bracelet on the table with lingering fear, his eyes full of aftershock.

In that moment, he had truly felt the presence of death. This bracelet was by no means a gentle auxiliary cultivation item, but a dangerous object sealed with terrifying power and ancient secrets! The "key" it required was likely far beyond what his current meager Spiritual Power could provide. Forcibly activating it would only lead to backlash and consumption!

"I can't try this carelessly again..." Leon panted, warning himself inwardly. At least, until he possessed sufficient strength and found the correct method, he absolutely could not rashly probe deeply with his Spiritual Power again like he just did.

However, risks and rewards coexist. Although the process was extremely perilous, he was not entirely without gains.

First, he truly felt the immense and ancient Star energy contained within the bracelet, of extremely high quality, far surpassing ordinary Magic Elements. This confirmed the bracelet's extraordinary nature.

Second, although the fragmented information that forcefully surged in was incomprehensible, keywords like "stars exploding," "falling," and "figure in starlight" seemed to point to some ancient mythological or historical event related to the Stars. The origin of this bracelet was likely terrifyingly grand.

Most importantly, despite only brief contact, the scouring of that pure Star energy allowed his previously slow-growing Spiritual Power to achieve a significant, leapfrog improvement! He felt his Spiritual Sense range had widened, and his control over Magic Power also seemed more adept. This was practically a potent medicine; although it had almost cost him his life, its efficacy was real.

"Fortune lies on the side of misfortune, and misfortune lies on the side of fortune..." Leon gave a wry smile, recalling an ancient Eastern proverb. This bracelet was an unprecedented opportunity, and also a Sword of Damocles hanging over his head.

He carefully rewrapped the bracelet in velvet, this time with more layers, and then locked it back in the deepest part of the rosewood box, resolving not to touch it deeply again carelessly until he had sufficient self-protection capabilities.

After completing all this, extreme fatigue and a sense of soul-deep injury washed over him like a tide. Leon didn't even have the strength to walk to the bed, collapsing directly onto the chair and falling into a deep sleep.

That night, he slept very restlessly. In his dreams, there were only fragmented stars, burning silver flames, and that giant figure shrouded in starlight, emitting a silent cry...

When he woke up the next day, Leon still felt mentally weak, with a dull headache, a lingering effect of overexerting his Spiritual Power. But he also clearly felt that his Spiritual Power limit had indeed increased by a small margin compared to yesterday. This progress, gained by dancing on the edge of a knife, left him with mixed feelings.

He looked at his pale face in the mirror and resolved that he must improve his strength faster. He had to get into the Magic Academy's Training Class, and he had to learn as much knowledge as possible, especially about the identification of ancient magic items, sealing arts, and knowledge related to Star Magic. Only knowledge could help him understand and safely control this bracelet.

At the same time, he realized that he needed a stronger physical body to withstand possible spiritual shocks. Captain Hans's training could no longer be treated perfunctorily.

Danger and opportunity coexisted. The "Star Bracelet," lying quietly in the depths of the box, was like a silent seed that had taken root in the soil of his destiny. Whether it would eventually grow into a sheltering tree or a poisonous vine bringing destruction depended on his choices in every step forward.

The road ahead was becoming more obscure, and also more... fascinating.