In the early morning, Lu Yuan woke from his sleep.
The morning light filtered through the gaps in the window, falling onto the floor and carrying the dry scent unique to the desert.
At the edge of his vision, greyish-white text quietly flickered:
【Sanity: +12... 38/120】
Lu Yuan looked at the number, feeling slightly more at ease.
Once his Sanity was fully restored, he could use the third ability of the Timekeeper. Only then would he have sufficient self-preservation capabilities.
Just then, there was a knock on the wooden door.
Lu Yuan's right hand instinctively gripped the revolver by his pillow.
"It's me, Karl," a boy's voice came from outside. "Grandpa sent me to bring you medicine."
Lu Yuan released the revolver and sat up.
"Come in."
The door was pushed open, and Karl walked in carrying a wooden tray.
On the tray were several rolls of clean bandages, a clay jar, and a bowl of thin porridge.
"Grandpa says it's time to change your dressing." Karl placed the wooden tray on the stool by the bed, his curious gaze wandering over Lu Yuan.
Lu Yuan looked at him, not rushing to take the medicine.
He knew very well that he wouldn't get much out of Herman.
But this twelve or thirteen-year-old boy...
"Karl," Lu Yuan spoke up, his tone casual. "I'm quite curious about Sandworm Town."
Karl blinked. "Curious about what?"
"For example, what's the deal with hunting sandworms the mayor mentioned last night?" Lu Yuan leaned against the wall. "And how did your mayor become the leader... what exactly is that instrument he uses to soothe the sandworms?"
Karl's eyes immediately lit up.
"You want to know about that?"
"Yes."
Karl tilted his head in thought, then suddenly revealed a sly smile.
"Then you have to tell me some things about the Nightwatchers too."
Lu Yuan arched an eyebrow.
"Deal."
Karl sat cross-legged on the floor by the bed, looking as if he were settling in for a long talk.
"Hunting sandworms isn't actually that hard," he gestured. "First, you have to prepare a special type of food to lure the sandworm over."
"Then, there's a place piled with stones on the north side of town."
"Only the middle part is sandy; it's surrounded by stones on all sides."
Lu Yuan nodded.
Sandworms could only move through sand. Once trapped on stone, they couldn't escape.
"After the sandworm jumps out, the mayor first soothes it with the Song of the Sandworm," Karl continued. "Once it crawls onto the stones, we light a fire."
"Light a fire?"
"Sandworms are afraid of light," Karl said matter-of-factly. "Once the fire is lit, it will run around in a panic, but it can't leave the stones. It eventually exhausts itself to death."
Lu Yuan recalled the system's prompt from the previous night.
Weakness: Any light source (except lit sandworm oil).
So that was how they utilized it.
"And the mayor?" Lu Yuan asked. "How did he get the position?"
"Not just anyone can be the mayor." Karl's tone carried a hint of pride. "In our town, whoever is best at controlling and studying sandworms becomes the mayor."
He paused and lowered his voice.
"Actually, my grandpa could have been the mayor too."
"Oh?"
"But he didn't want to." Karl curled his lip. "I asked him why, but he wouldn't tell me."
Lu Yuan didn't press further, simply committing this information to memory.
"Last question." He looked at Karl. "What is that instrument and music theory called?"
"I forgot the original name; it was too tongue-twisting." Karl scratched his head. "Now everyone calls it the Song of the Sandworm. It's been passed down here for generations."
His eyes suddenly sparkled.
"Do you want to learn it? I can teach you!"
Lu Yuan remembered that when he heard the Ancient Music Theory last night, his Forbidden Lore experience had increased by 0.2.
"Alright."
Karl grinned, then leaned forward with a gossiping expression.
"Your turn."
"Ask away."
"What are you responsible for in the Nightwatchers?" Karl's eyes were bright. "Are Nightwatchers all very, very powerful? Do you have any special abilities?"
Three questions, asked all at once.
Lu Yuan looked at him, the corners of his mouth curving slightly.
Would a twelve or thirteen-year-old child ask about "special abilities"?
The first two could be chalked up to curiosity, but the last one was asked too deliberately.
Clearly, Herman had told him to ask.
However, Lu Yuan didn't plan on hiding everything.
His combat methods relied entirely on the Timekeeper, and he was only a rank 1 transcendent; there was no harm in speaking. On the contrary, being secretive would only invite suspicion.
"I'm a doctor in the Nightwatchers," Lu Yuan said in a flat tone. "The kind that goes out on missions."
Karl was somewhat disappointed. "A doctor..."
"Second question." Lu Yuan held up two fingers. "Nightwatchers are indeed very powerful. Every official member is strong. However, for people like me—doctors or other support roles—our combat strength is a bit weaker."
Karl nodded, his eyes still filled with expectation.
"Last one." Lu Yuan spread his hands. "I don't have any special abilities. I haven't been with the Nightwatchers for long. For this mission, the higher-ups had me tag along, but I didn't expect things to go wrong."
He paused, as if remembering something.
"Now that I think about it, the scheduled reporting time is almost here, and I haven't checked in yet. The captain should be sending someone to look for me."
Of course, Lu Yuan was lying. His main goal was to convey to Herman—or anyone else in town—that if he were missing for too long, people would come looking for him. It was a form of self-protection.
Karl's expression shifted slightly upon hearing this, looking disappointed. Clearly, the points the boy cared about were elsewhere.
"Does that mean you're leaving soon?"
"Yes."
After speaking, Lu Yuan reached for the clay jar on the wooden tray.
"I'll change the dressing myself."
He used his right hand to unwrap the bandages on his left hand with practiced movements.
As the old bandages were removed, the wound beneath was revealed.
Lu Yuan was slightly stunned.
The charred flesh that had once been stuck together had now grown a layer of fine granulation tissue. New pink flesh covered the surface of the wound. Although it was far from healed, the recovery speed was much faster than he had expected.
The medicine Herman provided was better than he had imagined.
Or rather, it was abnormally good.
Lu Yuan showed no signs of being startled. He opened the clay jar and applied the brown ointment evenly to the wound.
A cool sensation washed over him, and the faint burning pain eased slightly.
He re-wrapped the bandages in one smooth motion.
Karl watched from the side, dumbfounded.
"So cool..."
"As a doctor, this is basic skill." Lu Yuan put the extra bandages back on the wooden tray. "The medicine is good. Thank your grandfather for me."
Karl snapped out of it and jumped up from the ground.
"Then I'll go get the instrument!" He ran toward the door. "I'll be back in a bit!"
The sound of footsteps gradually faded.
The room returned to silence.
Lu Yuan leaned against the wall, picked up the bowl of thin porridge, and sipped it slowly.
The Song of the Sandworm...
Listening to just a fragment last night had increased his Forbidden Lore experience by 0.2.
If he could learn it, perhaps there would be unexpected rewards.
Rate on N.U.
