Whispers of the Star Eater

"I-I thought you might be Mrs. Allen's daughter or a relative." Ron awkwardly looked away, his voice carrying clear confusion.

She laughed again, this time with far less restraint. "Daughter? These old bones of mine have lived for hundreds of years. Where would I get a daughter?"

Only then did Ron notice that although her appearance was completely different, her manner of speaking and the sharpness in her eyes were indeed exactly like Mrs. Allen's.

"But you..." He did not know how to describe the transformation before him.

"You needn't be so surprised." Mrs. Allen turned slightly and explained, "During the few days each month when magical fluctuations are at their strongest, I can briefly return to the appearance I had in my youth."

She stretched her body, seemingly enjoying the comfort brought by her youthful form.

"That's also why I closed early today. During these few days, I usually shut the shop and focus on brewing potions, working through a month's backlog of orders. Old customers like Holt know more or less about it."

Ron nodded, but his senses had already picked up more information.

As the mental strength of a Primary Apprentice grew, he could clearly sense the terrifying magical fluctuations radiating from Mrs. Allen—

That dark and powerful energy field, deep as an abyss, was something no ordinary apprentice, not even a High-level Apprentice, could possess.

An astonishing thought flashed through Ron's mind: Mrs. Allen's strength at this moment had probably already reached the level of a Formal Wizard!

"I originally planned to tell you about this." The pink-haired, beautiful witch continued, seemingly unaware of Ron's thoughts.

"But your conflict with Marcus sent you straight into the Confinement Room, so..."

Ron was somewhat curious about why Mrs. Allen's magic was usually so weak and why she looked so old, but he wisely chose not to press her.

Everyone had their own secrets, and prying into them rashly was often unwise.

"Still, you came at just the right time." Mrs. Allen's tone became more relaxed. "Although your arrival was a little unexpected, since you're here, let's discuss business."

"Yes, ma'am."

Seeing them return to their familiar way of interacting, Ron's embarrassment faded somewhat. He answered respectfully.

"I came to tell you that I've ended my confinement ahead of schedule. I'd also like to ask your advice about a few things."

Mrs. Allen studied him with interest, a light of penetrating Insight shining in her deep green eyes.

"It wasn't just the end of your confinement, was it? The change in your aura is obvious. You've already broken through to a Primary Apprentice?"

Ron nodded slightly. "Yes. I broke through by accident in the Confinement Room."

"By accident?" Mrs. Allen arched one delicate eyebrow, a playful smile touching the corner of her mouth.

"A breakthrough in that kind of environment isn't something that can be explained by mere 'accident.'"

She walked around the counter and took several steps forward.

Her young body made her movements exceptionally light and graceful, utterly unlike her usual stooped posture.

"Your aura is very stable, and the fluctuations in your mental strength are quite even." Mrs. Allen appraised him. "You're better off than most apprentices who have just broken through. It seems the environment in the Confinement Room actually did you a great favor."

Ron did not deny it. "That's true. Being cut off from the outside world allowed me to focus more fully on Meditation and cultivation."

"So, what did you want to ask me about?" Mrs. Allen crossed her arms over her chest, a pose that made a certain part of her body look even more prominent.

"I have two questions."

Ron kept his eyes straight ahead and replied as briefly as possible. He knew that she had always advocated efficient communication.

"First, I'd like to learn about higher-grade Meditation Methods. The Basic Meditation Method can no longer meet my needs."

Mrs. Allen nodded, seemingly unsurprised by the question.

"The Basic Meditation Method is like a phonetic dictionary used by children. Once you've learned it, there comes a day when you set it aside. Your mental strength has indeed reached the point where you need more advanced guidance."

"And the second question?"

Ron hesitated, but ultimately decided to ask directly. "How much do you know about Oliver?"

The moment she heard that name, Mrs. Allen's expression turned serious. A solemnity and seasoned wisdom at odds with her young, beautiful face emerged in her features.

"Oliver? He came to see you?"

Ron briefly described Oliver's visit and how he had spent Magic Stone Fragments to free him from the Confinement Room.

"That's not good news. That boy never shows 'kindness' for no reason. Every gift he gives is backed by careful calculations."

Her fingers tapped lightly on the counter, the rhythm scattered and irregular.

After a moment, Mrs. Allen slowly walked back to the counter. Her slender fingers passed over a row of locked drawers before finally stopping in front of one that looked utterly ordinary, except for the miniature sealing runes affixed to it.

"Regarding your first question." At some point, a small silver key had appeared in her hand.

She inserted the key into the lock. With an almost inaudible click, the drawer quietly slid open.

Mrs. Allen took out a small notebook bound in dark leather. An irregular blood-red gemstone was set into its cover, glowing with an eerie light beneath the lamp.

"I do have some information on higher-grade Meditation Methods. Here, this is it."

When her fingers gently brushed over the notebook's cover, the gemstone seemed to react to her touch and flashed once.

Her gaze also grew profound and distant, as though it had pierced through the river of time.

"Whispers of the Star Eater," also known as the "Starry Sky Meditation Method." "This is a Gem-Grade Meditation Method one level above the Basic Meditation Method. They say it was created in ancient times by a traveling wizard whose mind had been shattered by those terrifying entities among the stars, forged at the edge between madness and Lucidity."

Mrs. Allen's finger stopped on a page of the book, where a complex rune structure had been drawn.

It looked as though dozens of Basic Meditation runes had been interwoven in an inconceivable manner, forming a larger and more complete Energy Circuit.

"It allows mental strength to flow along the paths followed by the stars, achieving twice the results with half the effort. Of course, it also carries corresponding risks." The pink-haired, beautiful witch continued her explanation.

"It's especially suitable for those who have already broken through to the Primary Apprentice level. It may even help you break through all the way to becoming a Formal Wizard..."

Ron practically held his breath, his gaze involuntarily drawn to the rune structure.

Even from that brief glance, he felt an inexplicable attraction, as though the rune itself contained some kind of summons.