Return to the Outpost, Taking Stock of the Haul

Luo Lin followed the evacuation route he had mapped out on his way in, leaving the pursuing skeletons and any other possible dangers far behind.

Only when he could no longer sense that palpitating aura of death or the powerful energy fluctuations did he stop.

After confirming that he was temporarily safe, Luo Lin finally slowed down a little and hid inside an exceptionally concealed tree hollow, panting heavily.

This expedition had been brief, but its gains far exceeded his expectations.

Not only had he obtained unknown items such as scrolls and a compass from the ancient ruins, but more importantly, he had acquired that mysterious Gray-Spotted Egg.

After steadying his breathing slightly, he did not dare linger for long. He immediately set off again, returning cautiously and swiftly toward Gray Tower Outpost.

On the way back to Gray Tower Outpost, Luo Lin proceeded even more carefully.

He avoided the dangerous areas he had encountered on the way there, keeping his mental power highly focused as he sensed every stir in the wind and grass.

The new items in the Dimensional Bag at his chest, especially that dormant egg, filled him with a strange sense of anticipation.

Several days later, when the familiar outline of the black-gray fortress appeared in his sight, Luo Lin finally let out a slight breath of relief.

Passing through the energy membrane and entering the outpost, he was met by familiar noise and order, a stark contrast to the deadly silence and danger at the edge of the Rotting Mire.

He did not go looking for Mason immediately. Instead, he returned to his own cramped stone house first.

He shut the door, activated the simple soundproofing array built into the room, and only then truly relaxed.

Several consecutive days of extreme tension and flight had left both his mind and body burdened with considerable fatigue.

Luo Lin first used deep meditation to restore himself to peak condition.

Only then did he begin taking stock of the spoils from this adventure.

The first things he took out were the twelve Glowcap Mushrooms. Seven were of excellent quality and five were ordinary, their faint glow quietly flickering within the dim stone house.

They were more than enough to fulfill Mason's commission.

Next, he carefully removed the items he had obtained from the ruins from the Dimensional Bag one by one and laid them out on the stone table.

The few depleted fragments of mana crystal were of no apparent use for the moment. Perhaps they could serve as materials for certain special arrays, so he set them aside first.

His attention was mainly focused on the stack of beast-hide scrolls, the Bronze Compass, and the vial in the crystal tube.

Luo Lin picked up the Bronze Compass first.

It felt cold and heavy in his hand. The runes on its surface were ancient and unfamiliar, markedly different from the modern rune system he had studied.

He tried infusing it with a thread of mana, but the compass did not react at all. Its needle remained frozen in place.

This seemed to be an ancient enchanted item that required a specific method to activate. The techniques involved might already have been lost.

Luo Lin carefully put it away for future study.

Next, he picked up the sealed crystal tube.

The dark red liquid inside swayed faintly. It was viscous as blood, yet it emitted a strange, lifeless Energy-Inert Field.

Luo Lin examined it with every detection technique he knew, but could not determine its composition or purpose.

Unknown potions often meant unknown risks. He did not dare test it carelessly and stored it away with equal caution.

Finally, his gaze fell upon the stack of beast-hide scrolls.

The scrolls' material was unexpectedly durable, retaining its flexibility despite the passage of time.

He took a deep breath and unrolled one of them.

The scroll contained writing and diagrams drawn in a dark ink.

The writing was neither the common tongue nor any of the ancient languages Luo Lin knew. Its structure was complex and carried a unique sense of rhythm.

Fortunately, he had [Literacy].

Focusing his mind, he slowly fed mana into the spell model and fixed his gaze on those unfamiliar characters.

At first, the characters were as incomprehensible as a heavenly script, but as the spell took effect, a stream of information began to enter his mind with difficulty.

The process of understanding was far harder than reading modern books. The information contained in those characters seemed more ancient and obscure, with many concepts and modes of expression differing from those of the present era.

Luo Lin spent nearly an hour before he could barely understand the opening portion of the first scroll.

It was a fragment of research notes concerning the "Energy-Inert Field."

In an exceedingly rigorous, almost obsessive tone, the author discussed how to use specific material combinations and rune sequences to construct a "Stasis Field" capable of greatly slowing energy decay to the point of near suspension.

The notes mentioned that such a field could be used to preserve certain precious materials that were extremely active or prone to decay, and even... to slow the process of life.

Luo Lin's heart gave a sudden jolt when he read that.

His hand instinctively went to his chest, where the Gray-Spotted Egg rested.

Could it be...

Luo Lin forcibly suppressed the urge to study the egg immediately and continued reading.

Unfortunately, this scroll was incomplete. The crucial applications and specific construction methods seemed to have been lost, leaving only theoretical deductions and records of failed cases.

Luo Lin set down that scroll and picked up another.

This scroll recorded an improved zero-circle spell model called [Rock Skin], designed to increase the spell's duration and elemental resistance, especially its defense against earth-element and physical attacks.

Its construction principles differed greatly from current models, placing more emphasis on stimulating and solidifying the deep structure of earth-element particles.

Although the model itself seemed somewhat cumbersome due to the differences between eras, the principles of Particle Manipulation contained within made Luo Lin's eyes light up.

It gave him a new direction for further optimizing [Weak Force-Field Armor].

The third scroll was even more badly damaged, and he could only make out portions of a discussion concerning "Soul Imprints" and "contract stability."

It seemed to be research related to some kind of contract spell or magical beast binding, but the key portions were severely missing.

Though most of the scrolls were incomplete, the ancient perspectives and unique spellcasting principles within them already made Luo Lin feel that the trip had been worthwhile.

This knowledge could not directly improve his strength, but it greatly broadened his horizons.

It provided valuable ideas for his future research that differed from the modern system.

Finally, Luo Lin's gaze returned to the cork box holding the mysterious egg.

He took it out and placed it on the table.

Opening the lid and pulling back the beast hide, he saw the lifeless egg covered in gray spots lying quietly inside.

Recalling the scroll's description of the "Stasis Field," along with the faint stirring in his Mental Sea when his fingertips had touched it, a speculation gradually became clear.

This egg had most likely belonged to some strange magical creature, and had been sealed or preserved by that kind of "Stasis Field" back when the ancient Gray Tower had not yet been destroyed.

When the Gray Tower ruins were destroyed, the energy field must have become unbalanced. The stasis effect might have weakened or mutated, causing the egg to fall into its current state of near-death dormancy.

So how could he awaken it?

Or rather, should he awaken it at all?

The fragmented contents concerning "Soul Imprints" and "contracts" on the scroll also stirred his thoughts.

If this truly was the egg of a powerful or rare magical creature, successfully hatching it and forming a contract with it would undoubtedly be a tremendous asset.

But likewise, the unknown also represented risk.

He tried once more to inject an extremely gentle thread of mental power into the eggshell, supplemented by faint mana fluctuations that imitated the aura of life energy.

This time, he sensed it more carefully.

After a long while, just as he was about to give up, something within the dead silence deep inside the eggshell seemed to flicker with the tiniest hint of a response!

It was even weaker than before, like a dying candle in the wind, but it truly existed!

It seemed to be drawing in that faint mental power and energy, but at an unbearably slow speed. It also conveyed a feeling of "hunger" and "weakness."

"It is still alive, but it is extremely weak. It needs energy... and specific energy, or a specific environment, to recover."

Luo Lin came to that conclusion.

Forcefully injecting energy into it would likely do more harm than good.

Luo Lin wrapped the egg in beast hide again, then left the stone house with the twelve Glowcap Mushrooms and headed to the central hall to find Mason.

Mason was indeed still there, idly fiddling with what appeared to be a broken alchemical device.

When he saw Luo Lin approach, his eyes lit up and he immediately came over.

"Luo Lin! You're back! How did it go?"

He rubbed his hands together, his tone filled with anticipation and nervousness.

Luo Lin said nothing. He simply handed over the wooden box containing the Glowcap Mushrooms.

Mason impatiently opened it. When he saw the twelve mushrooms inside, especially the seven superb specimens with flowing faint light, a wildly ecstatic smile bloomed across his face.

"Wonderful! Wonderful! I knew I couldn't go wrong with you!"

He carefully closed the lid, as though he were holding some peerless treasure.