The core function of this high-level mental enhancement pill was to form a temporary spiritual shield, protecting his soul from external intrusion.

  Only with this could Elara safely enter Ryan's spiritual sea and gather the scattered fragments of his consciousness.

  "Again?!" Ryan exclaimed in his mind, nearly dumbfounded.

  He had just barely avoided Evelyn's consciousness probe, and now he had to deal with Elara repairing his spiritual sea.

  Fortunately, this time with the high-level mental enhancement pill, the energy cost for Grimoire to construct the false spiritual sea was reduced, deducting only twenty thousand Origin Value.

  Evelyn stood quietly to the side, her gaze fixed on Elara's increasingly solemn face. For some reason, a subtle and inexplicable tension began rising in her heart.

  "How is it going?" Her tone remained cold and calm, showing no outward sign of emotion.

  Elara hesitated, her expression full of uncertainty.

  "I understand." Evelyn spoke before she could finish, already comprehending her meaning.

  "His soul fragments are too dispersed. Forcibly awakening him now might cause irreversible spiritual damage," Elara explained.

  "There is no other way at present. He must slowly absorb the potion's power himself and gradually gather his soul to awaken."

  It was not that she lacked the means to force his awakening, but the risk was extremely high. If harm were to come to this seedling with Grand Magus potential, it would be a tremendous loss for Glacial Arcana Academy. Such an attempt could not be made except as a last resort.

  Elara could not help but sigh, her eyes full of regret and care."After all, this is rare Grand Magus potential. No mistakes can be allowed."

  "Go back. I'll watch him," Evelyn said.

  "Should we place him in our residence instead?" Elara refused to give up, urging again."In his current state, staying with you might interfere with your magical level progress."

  Ryan was completely speechless toward Elara in his mind. Every one of them had an idea to take him away, clearly hoping to monitor him closely.

  He could only pray silently that Evelyn would not yield.

  "We'll see after he wakes up." Evelyn's words immediately blocked any further objection from Elara.

  "All right," Elara accepted reluctantly, then added,

  "But now that he has advanced to Senior Mage, according to academy rules, once he wakes, he must undertake at least one field mission from the academy's task board."

  Evelyn responded with her usual calm, faint tone.

  Seeing this, Elara could only sigh silently in her heart. The Headmistress's stance was resolute, never allowing the three of them to take the boy away.

  It seemed the only way to create distance between him and the Headmistress would be through this field mission.

  By keeping them apart for several months, the subtle connection between them could gradually fade over time.

  As Elara turned to leave, she calculated in her mind with absolute certainty.

  If Ryan were aware of her thoughts, he would surely scoff in his heart: Go ahead and try. Let's see whether this separation has more effect or my acting is stronger.

  Time quietly passed, and night fell once again over the Northern Border Icefield.

  The snow here had never truly stopped, only occasionally changing in size and density.

  Tonight, the snowfall had lessened, and the howling cold wind had softened slightly, leaving a rare calmness in the air.

  Evelyn had gone out not long ago without saying where, and Ryan had no way of guessing her whereabouts.

  After lying still for three full days and nights, Ryan could no longer endure it. Maintaining a soulless, stiff posture for so long had left his entire body aching as if his bones were about to fall apart.

  After carefully checking the room and confirming it was empty, he slowly sat up.

  He stretched his entire body sharply, and a series of crisp sounds erupted from his joints, like gears snapping back into place.

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  "Finally, I can move a little." Ryan slowly rotated his neck, producing another satisfying crack, and he let out a soft sigh of relief as much of his accumulated fatigue dissipated.

  Then he raised his eyes to survey Evelyn's quarters and carefully got off the bed.

  The room was neither spacious nor cramped, sparsely furnished, exuding a cold and solitary aura that perfectly matched Evelyn's personality.

  Aside from a bed and a chair, there was nothing else, and even basic everyday items were few and far between.

  Ryan searched thoroughly and could not even find a bathroom. Like Evelyn, she had long been able to purify herself with magic, making mundane bathing unnecessary.

  "This woman… does she have nothing else to do besides studying magic?"

  Ryan looked around the cold, empty room and could not help but sigh, thinking that this woman truly had no sense of everyday life or leisure.

  He walked over to the chair and sat down, taking a bottle of fruit wine from his storage space, twisting off the cork and taking a few sips.

  "Not enough at all." Ryan smacked his lips. The fruit wine was very low in alcohol, sweet in taste, and far from providing the relaxation he wanted. It was practically like drinking sugar water.

  "Grimoire, can you secretly add some high-proof liquor to the shop?" he thought.

  He glanced at the shop panel, where a bottle of Dragon's Essence had occupied a refresh slot for years, and could not help but feel exasperated. It was useless to him now, clearly Grimoire was deliberately making things difficult.

  【Detected host's need. Shop has added new items: Millennium Whiskey, price five thousand Origin Value】

  【Ten-Thousand-Year Crystal-Aged Brandy, price ten thousand Origin Value. Which one will the host choose?】

  Unexpectedly, Grimoire went straight to presenting the items.

  "So expensive?" Ryan raised an eyebrow, then looked at his panel showing over four million Origin Value and decided,"Then I'll take the ten-thousand-year one."

  【Item exchange successful! An additional service fee of ten thousand Origin Value has been deducted. Shop has automatically refreshed.】

  Ryan cursed in his mind. As expected, Grimoire had hidden a service fee trap!

  【Try to fight me? You're still too inexperienced!】

  Grimoire's voice carried unabashed pride, laughing wildly in his mind.

  Gritting his teeth, Ryan completed the exchange obediently. The fee was already deducted; not buying it would have been a bigger loss.

  "Hurry up and block the alcohol scent. I paid ten thousand in service fees. There must be some added service, right?"

  【Clever of you.】

  Grimoire muttered, then a layer of invisible magical barrier enveloped Ryan, completely isolating the alcohol scent.

  Satisfied, Ryan felt slightly better.

  He took out the bottle of Ten-Thousand-Year Whiskey from storage. The moment he lifted it, a rich, intoxicating aroma filled his nostrils.

  "Smells amazing." Ryan pulled out the cork, inhaling deeply in delight, his eyes lighting up.

  He casually grabbed a wine glass from storage, filled it, and drank it all in one gulp, with no intention of restraining himself.

  This worked perfectly. When Evelyn returned, he could continue pretending to be soulless under the influence of the alcohol, making the act more convincing and less likely to reveal a flaw.

  One cup after another, the warm liquor slid down his throat into his stomach, quickly coloring his cheeks with a flush and gradually making his gaze become hazy.

  The strong liquor slid down his throat, warming him all over. Ryan felt refreshed, yet he knew he could not drink too much.

  The act of pretending to be soulless still had to continue, and he needed to find the right moment to"wake up."

  He quickly suppressed the flush on his cheeks. With a flick of his body, he lay steadily back on the bed, eyes closed facing the ceiling, instantly resuming his previous vacant posture.

  "Grimoire, this Ten-Thousand-Year Whiskey is really strong, feels amazing. Keep an eye on what's happening outside for me. I'm going to sleep for a while," Ryan said in his mind, then activated the Chaosforge Arcana technique, leaving only a faint trace of awareness to ensure his body remained still.

  【Knew you'd slack off and sleep! If I hadn't blocked the alcohol scent for you, you'd have been exposed already!】 Grimoire replied obediently.

  In truth, Ryan was not truly asleep at most, he was in a light slumber. He still had to maintain the act of being soulless, leaving no room for carelessness.

  If Evelyn discovered any flaw, with her mind, he would be finished.

  Night deepened. It was already the middle of the night, yet the room remained empty, and there was no telling when Evelyn would return.

  Ryan's taut nerves relaxed slightly. He fully closed his eyes, leaving only a trace of consciousness to stay alert to his surroundings, and drifted into a deep sleep.

  But as he slept, the alcohol he had deliberately suppressed began to rise, flowing like warm lava through his body.

  The tiny bit of consciousness he had kept to maintain his posture was gradually eroded by the liquor, leaving only one-tenth of its strength just enough to barely control his movements.

  His Chaosforge Arcana began operating on its own, intertwining with the alcohol. Rather than causing discomfort, it helped him sleep more deeply, his breathing gradually steadying.

  After an unknown amount of time, Evelyn quietly returned to the quarters. She made no sound and went straight to the chair, sitting cross-legged to continue meditating.

  About an hour later, Evelyn stopped meditating and walked toward the bed, intending to check whether Ryan's condition had improved.

  She stood quietly by the bed, her gaze falling on Ryan, who lay with eyes closed, and a trace of complexity flickered in her eyes, as if she were lost in thought.

  At that moment, Evelyn's eyes suddenly sharpened. Ryan's arm twitched slightly. Though small, the movement was extremely conspicuous in the quiet room.

  Was he truly still mentally affected, or had he been pretending all along?

  Doubt rose again in Evelyn's mind. Her gaze became piercing, fixed intently on Ryan, unwilling to miss a single detail.

  Yet Ryan remained in the same posture as before, as if the twitch had been an illusion. Nothing moved after that.

  As Evelyn pondered this silently, Ryan's head suddenly tilted slightly to the left.

  The movement was unmistakably clear, immediately capturing all her attention. She raised an eyebrow, her eyes full of suspicion.

  Then, under Evelyn's watchful gaze, Ryan's head shifted again to the left, fully turning his face to the side.

  A person who should have been in a soulless, vacant state actually moved their head on their own. In the stillness of the deep night, it was strangely eerie.

  Yet Evelyn felt no fear. All her attention was drawn to Ryan's abnormal movements, and her suspicion deepened.

  "Stop pretending. Get up," Evelyn spoke again, testing him.

  The only response was the dead silence of the room and the soft howl of the wind and snow outside.