An unannounced door opening left Lynch’s hair standing on end.
Miss Valente had been walking in front of Lynch, but the stream of light shot in from the side, precisely missing the young noble lady and striking straight for the center of Lynch’s brow.
Before his brain could even react, his body moved instinctively, driven by Cat’s Favor. He lunged backward, knocking the receptionist behind him flying, but he was already too late to dodge. He could only cross his arms to block in front of him.
At the same time, Miss Valente suddenly shifted a step to the side, positioning herself perfectly in front of Lynch.
【Authority, Protection, Ability, Shield of Piety.】
A faint light shield emerged from within her body, protecting the noble lady. However, the stream of light behaved like actual light, passing through the shield without the slightest obstruction, and to the noble lady’s shock, it sank into the center of her brow.
Damn it.
Lynch did not know why, but his eyes suddenly turned red. He pulled her behind him and raised his pistol toward the direction the light had come from, prepared to empty the magazine if things went wrong.
“I am fine, Mr. Lynch, thank you.”
A soft little hand pressed against his back. The urgency in Lynch’s heart vanished instantly. Meanwhile, a flurry of footsteps and noise erupted from the direction the light had originated.
“Don’t be nervous, don’t be nervous, there’s no danger.”
“We wouldn’t fiddle with dangerous items on the main floor.”
“Ha, so that’s how this thing works. How interesting, write that down quickly.”
“Try it again, try it again.”
“Enough, stop it!”
A group of people rushed over, some in formal gentleman’s attire, others in white robes, creating a chaotic scene. Leading them was an old man in his fifties with small eyes, a bulbous nose, and messy hair that made him look ridiculous.
“Are you all right? You’re all right. It seems everyone is fine.”
Lynch felt his temple throb, a fire burning in his chest. He was deeply worried that the noble lady behind him hadn’t made a sound, so he asked with a dark expression, “What was that?”
“An ancient, special artifact we dug up. Oh, you are a Soul Severer. We unearthed a mystery relic called Ocean Currents in a Dream; when it goes into an uncontrolled state, it emits colorful light that chases people.”
“And then?” Upon hearing the term uncontrolled state, Lynch’s head throbbed. “What happens?”
The old man was completely bewildered. “It just… emits colorful light.”
Lynch began to wonder if the man had something wrong with his brain. “I mean the effect of the light.”
“Effect?” The old man scratched his head and asked tentatively, “It gives people a fright?”
【Pfft.】
It seemed someone found that amusing, but Lynch just rolled his eyes. What a pointless conversation. I… if I hadn’t sensed that you were likely a mid-tier, I would have beaten you up already.
However, Lynch understood now. It seemed the uncontrolled state of this item was just emitting a tracking light with no actual effect; it had just been a false alarm.
“Mr. Lynch, don’t be nervous, I really am fine.” Miss Valente patted Lynch’s back again and stepped out from behind him, explaining with a smile, “I apologize for not reacting just now, it was because… I was startled? Pfft.”
Is it that funny to see me frustrated? Everyone is laughing so happily.
“It’s fine, continue the experiment.” Once the old man saw that both were unharmed, he immediately led his noisy group back the way they came. “It’s hard enough to find a safe one, hurry up and write the research report, move it, you lazy bums.”
“Roar~~~”
A beast’s roar suddenly echoed from the depths of the museum, accompanied by a tremor in the ground.
“Hahaha, who woke up that bear statue? We can have a feast tonight. Go on, ignore those idiots, hahaha.”
Lynch broke into a cold sweat, seeing Miss Valente also looking horrified.
I finally understand why this place is so deserted. Between artifacts going into uncontrolled states and monsters popping out, what fool would dare to come here?
But upon closer thought, it was unexpectedly reasonable. Most of the things in the museum were dug up by archaeology, and every one of them was strange; it would be abnormal if nothing happened. Damn, is archaeology such a dangerous discipline? What on earth did I learn in my past life?
Perhaps I should slip away first and reconsider. If I keep bringing my attraction to danger into archaeology, it’s uncertain if Rhine City will even exist anymore.
However, just as Lynch’s eyes darted around in search of an exit, a hand patted his shoulder from behind.
“Student Lynch Levive, are you ready to continue the exam?”
Exam? I’ve already graduated. Unfortunately, I can’t escape now.
Lynch pursed his lips in regret. Upon turning around, he saw the supposedly familiar Professor Dartmond, accompanied by the old President Olei in a gentleman’s suit, standing behind them.
“Don’t be nervous, Mr. Levive, this is all normal,” President Olei said with a smile, stroking his beard. “And don’t blame Professor Green; his mental state is indeed a bit unstable, but it’s not a major issue. In fact, doing too much archaeology makes everyone unstable like him, but there is one benefit: veteran archaeologists all become very powerful. I am an example.”
“Hmm? Why?”
“Because those who aren’t strong enough either die or go mad. Unfortunately, they were a step too slow and were caught by the madness.”
President Olei smiled calmly, waved at the receptionist, and led Lynch and Miss Valente into his office.
It was a massive room displaying various ancient artifacts, all exuding an extremely eerie aura. Lynch felt that if he stayed in this room alone for even an hour, he would have nightmares at night. That President Olei and Professor Dartmond were so accustomed to it made Lynch admire them greatly.
“Student Lynch.” The old professors gestured for Lynch and Miss Valente to sit, and they lit a calming grass cigarette. “You arrived earlier than agreed. Did something happen?”
“Something has indeed happened, and I regretfully must inform you both,” Lynch said with a grave expression. “The previously agreed academic exchange must be canceled. I am sorry, but I have no choice.”
“Why?” President Olei’s white eyebrows furrowed. Even without his anger, the deterrence of an eighth-rank authority holder was heart-stopping.
“The Lynch who came to visit you today is not a student of intermediate archaeology, but a representative for the cave-dwelling hillmen, the sewer ghouls, the Bester Tunnel logistics commander Chairman Grant, and the Governor’s Mansion. I represent them in negotiating a collaboration with the Archaeological Association.”
“First, regarding academics, I can provide the Archaeological Association with members from the cave-dwelling hillmen and sewer ghoul tribes for technical support. They will collaborate from the perspective of indigenous inhabitants, and if you have any questions, you can verify them directly with them.”
“But they haven’t been to Zur-Baha-Sahr,” President Olei shook his head. “That isn’t enough.”
“Which is why there is a second point. Regarding the engineering, I can represent the hillmen and provide the Archaeological Association with the approximate location of Zur-Baha-Sahr. The credibility is absolutely guaranteed. We can even conduct preliminary excavations in our own way, leaving the refined engineering to the Archaeological Association. How can other people’s academic exchanges compare to seeing it with your own eyes and holding it in your own hands, right?”
“Hoo, that is good, but even knowing the location, excavation isn’t so easy. It still requires a lot of…”
“Third, I can represent the Governor’s Mansion and promise full policy cooperation so that the Archaeological Association can carry out its work smoothly. Neither the Governor’s Mansion nor the city hall will make things difficult for the Archaeological Association.”
“It seems Student Lynch really intends to take the exam. You actually dared to tease your professors just now,” Professor Dartmond’s eyebrows arched, and he suppressed his excitement. “Is there a fourth point? Hurry and say it.”
“Fourth, the funding will be fully provided by the city hall, and the Governor’s Mansion will provide some as well.”
“Are you certain? Do you know what kind of price this is?” President Olei had already crushed the cigarette in his hand, his beard twitching. He looked incredibly moved, his eyes staring at Lynch as if he could devour him. “What do you want? If you can truly accomplish all this, I will fulfill any request you have.”
“First, if the Archaeological Association is interested, I will arrange for all parties to meet, but since some things need coordination, I need verbal authorization from the President. I will represent the Archaeological Association in negotiations with them. No written documents are needed, as long as they acknowledge me in the end.”
“Of course, that is not a problem. You are, after all, Dartmond’s student.”
“Second, the ancient city should be along the path of the Bester Tunnel project. I hope the Archaeological Association will not set obstacles for the tunnel project during its academic assessment, unless there is a truly irreconcilable contradiction between the projects.”
“I cannot guarantee that. I must be responsible for the reputation of the Archaeological Association. I can only promise to ensure the smooth progress of the tunnel project as much as possible, unless there is no other choice.”
“However, it must be executed in the name of the Governor’s Mansion, and after the excavation is complete, the ancient city will be handed over to the Governor’s Mansion for development and operation. All benefits belong to the Governor’s Mansion or the Lande royal family.”
“Very well, these are all minor issues.” President Olei continued to stare into Lynch’s eyes. “I am asking what ‘you’ want, Student Lynch.”
“Heh… then I will be blunt. First, I want mystery relics with practical use worth no less than one thousand Lande pounds. Do not give me recreational items like Ocean Currents in a Dream. Second, if there are any artifacts without collection value that you wish to dispose of in the future, I want priority selection rights. Third, I want the holy memory of the red moon. Help me find at least one; if there are multiple, I will pay for the excess at market price.”
“Sss… the memories of the red moon…” The President’s expression was conflicted. “I will try. Continue.”
Heh, it’s done.
Lynch smiled inwardly. The entire process was an empty-handed white wolf play; he didn’t need to pay any cost to trade for a pile of things.
This put Lynch in a great mood, and he raised a fourth finger. “There is one last thing. I want detailed information on the Gate of Falsehood and Reality. The more detailed, the better, and… the faster, the better. Ideally, right now.”
“A manifestation grade mystery relic?” The President’s expression stiffened. He hesitated for a moment before speaking slowly, “You need to go find Professor Green. He has some research on this artifact, but whether he is willing to give it to you is not something I can decide.”
“Who is that?” Lynch and Miss Valente exchanged glances.
“The one who wasn’t quite normal just now, the one with Ocean Currents in a Dream.” The President wore a gloating smile.
Damn, it’s that lunatic.
Rate on N.U.
