"Thank you, um... what should I call you?"
Brent opened his mouth to express his gratitude, but he found himself at a loss for words.
"You can call her Ink or big sister."
Lu Yuan interjected at the right moment while placing the book where Ink resided in front of Mina.
"Mina, Ink will be with you from now on, at least until you can master your own talent."
Lu Yuan pointed at the black notebook as he spoke.
"This is where Ink will live in the future. Remember, no matter where you go, you must take this notebook with you."
Mina hugged the notebook to her chest with some effort, her small face serious as she nodded.
"Don't worry, Dr. Lu. Mina will protect big sister's house."
"Good."
Lu Yuan patted Mina’s head in approval and then turned his gaze toward Brent.
"Your sister is fine now. I'm going to take her to the base for a simple registration later, and I'll arrange for both of you to stay next door as soon as possible."
"Ah! Dr. Lu, are you saying my sister is going to be officially registered with the Nightwatchers?" Brent looked at Ink floating in the air, his mind racing. He instantly realized this was a golden opportunity to latch onto a powerful backer.
"Yes, you both are quite lucky." Lu Yuan took Mina’s hand and signaled for Ink to follow. "Brent, you stay here at the clinic for now. If anyone comes looking for me, tell them to wait. Also, the room next door belongs to you and Mina now; remember to tidy it up."
"No problem at all! Dr. Lu."
"And Ink, it’s time for you to get inside."
Lu Yuan tapped the notebook.
Ink drifted over somewhat reluctantly. After plucking another cluster of black knowledge from Mina, it dove into the book and disappeared.
When Lu Yuan arrived at the base with Mina, Mary was already waiting.
Mary's eyes lit up when she saw the little girl Lu Yuan was leading. She quickly stepped forward and patted Mina's head.
"She's so cute. Lu Yuan, you certainly have a good eye; you really do stumble upon the most interesting people."
"I was quite surprised myself," Lu Yuan replied, watching Mina, who didn't seem to resist Mary's touch.
"Alright, how do we handle the registration? Do I need to call Ink out?"
"Just have the girl come with me. As for Ink, better not. That little thing doesn't like me very much."
Mary's hand, which was patting Mina, paused for a moment as if she had recalled some unpleasant memories.
"Okay. Mina, why don't you go with Aunt... Sister Mary for a bit? I'll wait for you here,"
Lu Yuan said softly to Mina.
"Okay. Dr. Lu, wait for me to come back."
Mina wasn't afraid. She nodded her small head and took Mary's hand, showing she was ready.
The smile on Mary's face grew even wider at the sight.
"Alright, Dr. Lu, I'll take her now. It will take some time. Once it's done, I'll send her back to your clinic."
Mary suddenly added another sentence halfway through her departure.
"Don't worry, there's no danger at all."
"Understood."
Hearing those words, Lu Yuan took the notebook and left the base.
Back at the clinic.
Brent was tidying up the room next door with great enthusiasm.
He was clearly very satisfied with his new home. It made sense; the environment here was countless times better than the low-rent housing he was used to.
Seeing Lu Yuan return alone, Brent instinctively asked about Mina.
After Lu Yuan gave a simple explanation, Brent finally set his mind at ease.
Lu Yuan thought for a moment, then pulled a few silver shields from a drawer, placed them on the table, and pushed them toward Brent.
"Go buy some dinner."
"No, no, no, Dr. Lu, I have money on me!" Brent waved his hands hurriedly, trying to decline.
"This is for future meals, and it also includes your salary."
Lu Yuan’s expression was serious, and his tone left no room for argument. "Since you're working here, you must follow my rules. I don't want my employees working on an empty stomach."
Brent looked into Lu Yuan's eyes. His outstretched hand froze in mid-air before he finally took the silver coins, his eyes slightly red.
"Thank you... Thank you, Dr. Lu. I'll go right now."
"Good. Tell me if it’s not enough."
With Brent’s departure, the clinic fell into silence once more.
Lu Yuan sat down and tapped on the black notebook.
"Come out and get to work. Stop playing dead."
A wisp of black smoke emerged from the notebook in his coat, and Ink drifted out, huffing indignantly. "What do you take a noble book spirit for? Someone you can just call whenever you want?"
"Spit out that book, 'Basic Structure of Sanity Barriers'." Lu Yuan ignored its protest. "I know you have it in your belly."
Ink rolled its eyes and made a retching motion.
Clatter.
A thick book stained with some translucent, crystalline mucus dropped onto the table.
Lu Yuan habitually wiped the cover clean. Just as he was about to flip it open, a cold little hand pressed down on the pages.
"Reading it like that is too slow."
Ink looked at Lu Yuan with disdain:
"At your reading speed, Mina might be grown up by the time you learn how to construct a Sanity barrier."
"Do you have a faster way?"
Lu Yuan didn't bother to argue and simply asked back.
"Of course." Ink snorted coldly, then flapped its tiny wings and flew up to sit on Lu Yuan's head.
"Empty your mind and don't resist. Consider this the payment for bringing me out."
In the next moment, Lu Yuan felt a torrent surge directly into his mind.
That torrent wasn't dry text, but pure experience and knowledge that had been dismantled and refined.
Terms that were originally somewhat obscure felt like enlarged building blocks; how to assemble them and how to stack them became clear at a glance.
At the same time, a string of gray-white text appeared before Lu Yuan's eyes:
【Knowledge infusion in progress...】
【Sanity barrier under construction...】
Lu Yuan suddenly opened his eyes, a flicker of deep blue flashing in the depths of his pupils.
In the depths of his mind, Sanity that far exceeded that of an ordinary person was constantly condensing. Under Ink's infusion, Lu Yuan continuously mobilized his own Sanity, eventually forming a resilient, invisible barrier that completely enveloped his brain.
At the moment the barrier was formed:
【Basic Sanity Barrier: 3/3. A special technique that condenses one's Sanity into a 'wall,' increasing Sanity's defensive power and resilience to a certain degree.】
【Your understanding of Sanity has deepened. Perhaps you truly can uncover the secrets of Sanity?】
【Sanity III: +2, 2/75.】
Lu Yuan felt the 'Sanity' solidifying in the depths of his mind, and a sense of security he had never felt before welled up from within.
More importantly, Lu Yuan discovered that his Sanity limit had actually recovered by two points!
"It really works! The reduction of Sanity caused by Strange Dreams is not completely irreversible! As long as I master more Sanity-solidifying skills, I'll be able to completely rid myself of this ailment sooner or later!"
Suppressing the joy in his heart, Lu Yuan pulled Ink down from where it was still lingering on his head.
"Ink! Are there any limits to this knowledge infusion?"
Ink didn't answer immediately. Instead, the spirit looked dazed and appeared somewhat weak.
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