Chapter 482: Chapter 254: Desert Hunter, Reynolds "Thank you for accepting the invitation." The voice on the other end came through a special device, deliberately distorted in some way: "I am the ’Mist Walker,’ a scholar studying the Abyssal bloodline. Your expertise intrigues me greatly—not everyone can pinpoint the fundamental conflict between ’cluster consciousness’ and ’individual consciousness’ so accurately." "The integration of Abyssal creatures’ bloodlines has always been one of my research focuses." He responded simply, neither humbly nor arrogantly. "What is the exact formula for the ’Consciousness Anchoring Agent’ you mentioned earlier?" The other party suddenly asked, clearly trying to test Ron’s professional knowledge. "The standard formula includes Moonstone Powder, Soul Grass Essence, Memory Crystal Fragment, and Star Dew as the base." Ron answered calmly: "However, when dealing with Abyssal creatures, I recommend replacing the Moonstone with ’Abyssal Quartz’ and adding a small amount of ’Dreamland Flower Honey’ as a stabilizer to better accommodate the fluctuating traits of Abyssal energy." His answer evidently satisfied the other party, whose demeanor seemed to relax slightly: "You indeed possess extensive experience. Regarding my test subject, the stabilizing measures I’ve tried include using a ’Balance Crystal’ and ’Soul Rope,’ but the effects were limited. How long do you think it would take to see significant stabilization after introducing the ’Gray Mist Lizard’ bloodline?" "That depends on the baseline state and the degree of rejection of the test subject." Ron pondered for a moment, translating his step-by-step ’Bloodline Shaping’ skills into a detailed professional operational explanation: "Generally speaking, initial stabilization should occur within 24 to 48 hours, with complete integration taking 7 to 10 days. The key is to create a progressively adaptive environment, promoting natural bloodline fusion through the circulation of the energy field, rather than forcibly suppressing rejection reactions..." The ensuing exchange lasted nearly two hours, with both parties delving deep into various theoretical and practical issues of bloodline integration. Through the ’Extensive Knowledge and Records’ trait, Ron showcased a breadth of knowledge far beyond the ordinary, and due to his ’Bloodline Shaping’ skills, he displayed extraordinary practical depth. He carefully controlled the display of information, neither intentionally holding back nor revealing the insight abilities and operational techniques brought by his ’skills’ and ’additional traits’. The other party clearly found the exchange exceedingly satisfying and finally made a decision: "Your suggestions are invaluable. As the agreed-upon reward, the Desert Hunter’s eyeball, tentacle sucker, and corrosion liquid reservoir will be yours. I will arrange for delivery immediately through the system." Moments later, three specially crafted containers appeared on the trading platform. The most striking was the central gigantic transparent sphere, suspended within it was a grotesquely large eyeball. This eyeball was as large as an adult’s head, covered in a layer of black scales, with a pupil showing a bizarre spiral shape, seemingly constantly rotating, inducing a sense of dizziness upon viewing. Dozens of thick nerve conduits extended from the back of the eyeball, still connected to some indistinguishable tissue remnants. The second container held a mass of wriggling black substance—the tentacle sucker of the Desert Hunter. Its surface was covered with innumerable tiny suckers, the center revealing a terrifying jaw full of jagged teeth. Even isolated in the container, the mass of tentacles continued to wriggle, as if searching for potential prey. The last container contained a viscous liquid constantly changing colors—the corrosion liquid reservoir. This was one of the Desert Hunter’s most terrifying weapons, capable of secreting potent corrosive substances that could dissolve the tissue and bones of most creatures in an instant. Ron carefully inspected these three "treasures." Through Extraordinary Recognition and the Insight trait, he could clearly see the complex energy flow within the eyeball and the unique mechanism of transforming Abyssal Contamination into power. "These samples are preserved very well, with plenty of vitality." He sincerely expressed his gratitude: "This will greatly aid my research." "Before you leave, may I venture to inquire about your name?" The other party suddenly asked, "I rarely encounter colleagues so well-versed in Abyssal Bloodline Studies." Ron, after a brief thought, decided to only tell the other party his surname, which was also an unspoken rule among Wizards: "Ralph, from the Black Mist School." The figure opposite seemed to shiver slightly: "Ralph... this surname sounds familiar. I am Reynolds, and if you don’t mind, perhaps we can exchange insights again in another occasion." Ron’s heart was stirred; the name sounded particularly familiar—wasn’t it just the Morning Star level Wizard mentioned earlier by the airship administrator who was about to board? This was indeed an unexpected coincidence... However, upon reflecting, it wasn’t that surprising; in this remote outpost, the number of Official Wizards was not particularly high, so meeting by chance was not out of the ordinary. "Wizard Reynolds, it’s my honor to converse with you." Ron politely responded, beginning to ponder the potential implications of this "unexpected encounter." 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂 Reynolds seemed to say no more, simply concluding the conversation: "I hope the materials I provided will be useful for your research. Perhaps we will meet again soon. Enjoy your stay in Town 69." As the conversation ended, the energy barrier gradually restored to a completely opaque state, and Ron could no longer see the other party’s figure. This is the value of knowledge! He looked with satisfaction at the three precious Abyssal organs obtained without spending a penny, already starting to envision how to integrate them into the ’Lion Head’ core of the Chimera in his mind.