In the deep night of Green Ring No.2, three stars had long since sunk below the horizon.
Only the perpetual glow of the Crystal Tree shone like a beacon in the darkness, casting the last gentle hue over this Otherworld colony.
Ron sat alone on the balcony of his private residence, gazing into the distance at the energy tree, still brilliant in the night.
The recently concluded Magic Pool cultivation had once again elevated his strength, with the energy core within him as hot and stable as a small star.
At the current pace, reaching a quadruple compression upon return was no longer a mere dream.
Yet the satisfaction from increased power could not outweigh the increasingly clear feeling of loneliness deep inside him.
In this vast universe, ultimately, everyone is a solitary traveler.
"So-called reliance is essentially temporary."
Ron whispered to himself, his words carried afar by the night wind:
"The only thing truly reliable is one's own strength and wisdom."
