"I’ve checked."

The Elder Wizard’s voice was hoarse, like sandpaper scraping against stone.

"The main ingredients, the Auxiliary Materials, the Refining method... it all seems... normal."

"I used seven types of detection Arrays, three Bloodline Resonance Techniques, and even the ’Eye of Truth’."

His eyes narrowed slightly beneath his mask.

"The Potion is completely harmless. In fact... it has a powerful nourishing effect on the Soul."

Edmund stared at the Potion in his hand, the dark purple patterns deep in his pupils slowly swirling.

It was as if something was awakening in the depths of his eyes.

"This Potion... it’s too perfect,"

he said suddenly. His voice was soft, yet it carried an unsettling chill.

"So perfect... it doesn’t seem real."

The Elder Wizard fell silent.

The only sounds in the study were the soft crackling of the firewood in the hearth and the whistling of the wind outside.

After a moment, Edmund slowly rose and walked to the window.

"What if..." he began, his back to the Elder Wizard, his voice adrift.

"I were to add a little ’seasoning’ to the Potion..."

He didn’t finish the sentence, but the Elder Wizard understood.

The eyes beneath the mask contracted abruptly, a flicker of terror flashing in the depths of his murky pupils.

"Young Lord, that’s too risky." He swallowed hard, his voice dropping even lower.

"The Elder Council is watching, and Aidele..."

"That’s precisely why I must," Edmund cut him off, turning around.

The candlelight struck him from the side, cleaving his face into light and shadow.

On the illuminated half, his expression was as placid as ever.

But on the shadowed half... the corner of his mouth stretched into a nearly deranged arc.

"I want the ’goodwill’ she personally delivered..."

"to become a poisoned blade that stabs her in the heart."

He raised his hand, and a wisp of dark purple flame ignited on his fingertip.

In the center of the flame, tiny Tentacles could be seen writhing faintly.

The surfaces of the Tentacles were covered in fleshy buds, each one silently opening and closing as if breathing.

The Elder Wizard shuddered and lowered his head, not daring to look any longer.

Edmund stared at the flame on his fingertip, his gaze obsessive, as if he were looking at the world’s most precious treasure.

...

No. 7 Wisteria Lane, third basement level.

Ian sat cross-legged in the center of an Isolation Array, his eyes tightly shut.

Within his Sea of Spirit, the Crystal Core slowly rotated. The Star Orbit patterns on its surface glowed with a faint, silvery light, like the Milky Way in the night sky.

The Starry Sky Festival Meditation Method operated at full capacity within his consciousness.

Countless stars arranged themselves into an Array above his Sea of Spirit, each one drawing upon the invisible Star Force from the Void.

But tonight... he had added an extra step.

His consciousness sank into the depths of his mind, touching the phantom image of the floating panel.

Along the edges of the translucent Light Curtain, pale gold Runes began to flow.

The structure of the Runes was impossibly complex, each stroke containing a Rule that surpassed understanding.

Ian "looked" at the center of the Light Curtain.

Dozens of points of light were marked on it, each one corresponding to the location of a [Soul Calming Potion].

Most of the light points were stationary, emitting a soft, silvery glow.

That was the normal fluctuation of Order.

But three of the light points... were a different color.

They were dark red, like coagulated blood.

Deep within the points of light, inky black patterns could be faintly seen squirming, with tiny ripples spreading from their edges.

The ripples were faint, almost imperceptible.

But they could not escape the panel’s detection.

[Resonance from an Abyss Pollution Source detected...]

[Locating Pollution Source...]

[Coordinate One: West City, Edmund Manor, study on the third floor of the main building]

[Contamination Intensity: Level Two]

[Coordinate Two: West City, Edmund Manor, underground secret chamber]

[Contamination Intensity: Level Four]

[Coordinate Three: West City, Edmund Manor, east Guard tower]

[Contamination Intensity: Level Two]

Ian slowly opened his eyes, a silver glint flashing and disappearing in their depths.

"As expected..." he muttered to himself, his fingertips unconsciously tapping his knee.

’Edmund has a Level Three Contamination, which I expected. But the other two auras... Have their core members also come into contact with the Abyss? The contamination on those two is very weak, more like the residue of indirect contact. Perhaps... it was a ’gift’ from Edmund?’

He recalled the records in that encrypted notebook.

The spread of Abyss contamination didn’t necessarily require direct contact.

It could be transmitted through certain mediums, such as contaminated materials or items engraved with Runes...

Even a single wisp of an aura could plant the seed.

Ian stood up and walked to the stone platform.

The city map was spread out on its surface, where three dark red dots of light throbbed slowly like malignant tumors.

He extended a finger, hovering it over the point of light representing Edmund’s study.

His Spiritual Power seeped into the panel as he began to adjust the resonance frequency.

It was like tuning the most precise of locks, the core turning, the gears engaging.

The silvery Power of Order Stars was converted by the panel, transforming into an extremely subtle fluctuation.

The fluctuation traveled in reverse along the "Order Mark" embedded in the Potion.

Silently... it seeped into the depths of the three points of light.

...

「One day later, at the monthly family gathering.」

The venue was the banquet hall in the castle’s east wing. A long table was laden with exquisite silverware and Crystal glasses.

Candlelight flickered on the chandelier, casting a warm halo of light.

Edmund sat to the left of the head seat, dressed in a Dark Gold-trimmed Long Robe, a gentle smile on his face.

He was conversing in a low voice with a grey-robed elder beside him, occasionally raising his glass for a small sip.

His movements were elegant and impeccable.

Edwin sat opposite him, the collar of his dark red Long Robe slightly open, revealing a hideous scar beneath.

He was gulping down strong liquor, but his gaze kept sweeping over to Edmund, dark and gloomy.

Adrian sat at the far end of the long table. Dressed in ink-green, his long, slender fingers were methodically peeling a grape.

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