Laurina

Laurina's expression became complicated.

Suspicion, confusion, and a hint of indefinable emotion intertwined in her eyes.

She stared at the envelope for a long time in silence, her fingers tracing its edges.

"Who... who wrote this?"

Lu Yuan did not answer directly, merely watching her calmly.

"You’ll know once you open it and see."

Laurina hesitated for a moment, bit her lip, and tore open the envelope.

Inside was a folded piece of letter paper, yellowed with age and frayed at the edges.

She unfolded the paper and looked down, her gaze drifting between the lines.

The handwriting on the letter was clear, but the content was simple.

It was just a few domestic remarks:

"Being alone outside, take good care of yourself."

"Study hard and strive to reach the main city."

"Bronze City is still too far from the main city."

"Remember to eat on time and do not stay up late."

"If you have time, go out more; don't always stay cooped up in the laboratory."

At the end of the letter, there was no signature.

There was only a water stain, like a mark left by a fallen tear, that had seeped into the paper to form a faint circular imprint.

Laurina stared at that water stain, her fingers gently stroking the paper, her fingertips trembling slightly.

Her gaze became dazed, as if she were trying hard to recall something, her brows furrowing tightly.

But her mind was a complete blank.

She could not remember who wrote this letter.

She couldn't recall that person's face or their voice.

She couldn't even remember if she had ever received a similar letter.

But a strong surge of emotion suddenly rose in her heart.

It was a hollow feeling, as if she had lost something vital, and her chest ached faintly.

Laurina stood there, clutching the letter in silence for a long time, her breathing becoming somewhat hurried.

Lu Yuan did not disturb her, just waiting quietly, his gaze falling on a distant window.

After a long while, Laurina looked up, her eyes reddened and gleaming with moisture.

"I... I can't remember who wrote this."

Her voice was choked, carrying a distinct tremor.

"But I feel... this letter is very important."

She carefully folded the letter back up as if it were a precious treasure and tucked it into her blouse.

Then she turned to Lu Yuan and bowed deeply, bending low at the waist.

"Thank you."

Lu Yuan shook his head slightly and raised a hand to give her a light, supportive gesture.

"No need to thank me; I was just helping to deliver a letter."

Laurina straightened up and wiped the tear tracks from the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Although I don't know who asked you to bring this to me, I can feel that she... or he... is very important to me."

She paused, took a deep breath, and looked at Lu Yuan earnestly.

"As a reward, please let me treat you to a meal."

She paused again, then asked, "By the way, can you tell me who sent this letter to me?"

Lu Yuan sighed softly.

"I'm sorry, I'm not sure myself. You only need to know that this letter was indeed meant for you."

"It's alright, you can tell me if you remember later." Laurina didn't seem to mind. She composed her emotions and turned to walk deeper into the corridor, gesturing for Lu Yuan to follow. "Let's eat first."

Lu Yuan was momentarily stunned.

He had originally planned to leave after delivering the letter, but on second thought, this was also an opportunity to understand the internal situation of the Polymath Tower.

"Alright."

Laurina led Lu Yuan through several corridors to the top floor of the Third Tower.

This was her private laboratory.

When the door was pushed open, Lu Yuan was stunned, his footsteps stopping involuntarily at the entrance.

The laboratory was massive, at least a hundred square meters, much more spacious than he had imagined.

Rows of cabinets were filled with various alchemical equipment and medicinal herbs, with labels neatly affixed to every container.

Several complex alchemical arrays hung on the walls, with precise lines and dense runes. Half-finished alchemical products lay on the tables, emitting a faint glow.

There was a small table by the window with a tea set and snacks, looking very cozy.

The windows were large, and through the glass, one could see the entire view of Bronze City. Sunlight poured in, casting bright spots of light on the floor.

Laurina seemed to notice his surprise and smiled somewhat bashfully, her cheeks flushing slightly.

"I usually live here; it's more convenient than the dorms."

She walked to the small table by the window and began preparing lunch.

She took bread, cheese, smoked meat, and a bottle of fruit wine from a cabinet, her movements skilled and natural.

"Please make do with this; I'm not very good at cooking."

Lu Yuan sat down at the table, watching her busy figure, his gaze scanning the laboratory.

Lu Yuan looked around the spacious laboratory and asked, "You usually live here?"

"Yes." Laurina nodded while setting out the food. "The Alchemy Department dormitories are too noisy; I don't like it. Besides, I often conduct experiments until very late, so living here is more convenient."

She arranged the food and sat across from Lu Yuan, placing a napkin on her lap.

"Go ahead, try it."

Lu Yuan didn't stand on ceremony and took a bite of the bread.

After eating only dry rations along the way, he indeed needed a change of pace.

As he ate, he asked casually, "How long have you been studying in the Alchemy Department?"

"Three years." Laurina cut a small piece of cheese and put it in her mouth. "I entered the Polymath Tower at fifteen, and I'm eighteen now."

"Three years..." Lu Yuan was somewhat surprised and put down his bread. "Then what year are you in now?"

"Theoretically, I'm a third-year, but I've already finished all the courses." Laurina spoke calmly, without any hint of boasting in her tone. "Now I mainly focus on research."

She paused and added, "I've created several new alchemical methods and published them in the Alchemy Journal. The instructors said I could graduate early, but I want to learn a bit more."

Lu Yuan went silent, his fork pausing in mid-air.

Eighteen years old, finished all courses, and even created new methods.

Laurina seemed to see his shock, smiled bashfully, and lowered her head.

"It's actually nothing; I just happen to like alchemy quite a bit."

She pointed at the equipment in the laboratory, her gaze holding a hint of pride.

"All these things were bought with scholarship money. The Alchemy Department has many scholarships every year, and I basically took them all."

Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow and put down his fork.

"All the scholarships?"

"Yes." Laurina nodded gently and wiped the corner of her mouth with her napkin. "First place, research awards, innovation awards... it adds up to quite a lot."

She paused and said with a bit of pride, "And the papers I publish also earn me fees, plus some patent income from alchemical products. So... I'm actually quite wealthy."

Lu Yuan suddenly thought of Lawson.

That doctor who acted as a landlord in Gelimu Port was actually able to buy several buildings in the harbor.

It turned out he was living off his daughter.

Lu Yuan couldn't help but smile slightly.

Laurina looked at him in confusion, tilting her head. "What is it?"

"Nothing." Lu Yuan shook his head and suppressed his smile. "I just remembered something."

Halfway through the meal, Lu Yuan changed the subject. "Has something happened in the Polymath Tower recently?"

Laurina's movements paused, her fork stopping in mid-air.

She put down her fork, her expression turning solemn, her brows furrowed tightly.

"You've heard about it too?"

"I heard students have gone missing," Lu Yuan said calmly, his gaze fixed on her. "And they're all from the Alchemy Department."

Laurina was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded, her fingers unconsciously stroking the tabletop.

"Indeed, three classmates have gone missing," she said, her voice kept very low. "Their grades were decent but not particularly outstanding. They usually kept to themselves and weren't very social."

She paused, her tone carrying a hint of unease. "But recently... the behavior of many classmates has been very strange."

"Strange how?"

"They always stay up late, saying they're researching some important topic." Laurina said, looking out the window. "Sometimes when I pass the dormitory area, I can see their rooms are brightly lit."

She paused and bit her lip. "I didn't look too closely, I just felt... the atmosphere was a bit strange. Many students have wanted to change dorms recently, but the tower won't approve it."

She paused again and added, "So I'm not very clear about what's happening in the dormitory area. I've only heard some things while passing by occasionally."

Lu Yuan fell silent, his finger lightly tapping his fork.

He began to piece this information together in his mind.

The missing students: decent grades but not top-tier, loners.

The abnormal students: staying up late, rooms brightly lit.

Despite being an outsider who had just arrived in Bronze City, he knew that unless the city's defenses were failing.

Any eerie entity capable of spiriting away students silently would be enough to slaughter half the tower.

So it was highly probable that someone inside the Polymath Tower was behind it.

The Nightwatchers would naturally think of this point as well.

'The involvement is truly deep.'

Lu Yuan thought to himself.

After lunch ended, Lu Yuan stood up to take his leave.

Laurina saw him to the door, her hand resting on the frame.

"Thank you for delivering the letter." she said seriously, her gaze sincere. "Even though I can't remember who wrote it, I will cherish it."

Lu Yuan nodded slightly, his expression calm.

"Take care."

He paused and added, "The Polymath Tower hasn't been peaceful lately; be careful yourself."

Laurina was startled for a moment, then revealed a faint smile.

"I will," she replied softly.

Lu Yuan turned and left, his footsteps echoing in the corridor.

Behind him, Laurina closed the door with a soft click.

Lu Yuan walked down the corridors of the Polymath Tower, recalling the conversation.

Because Laurina lived in her laboratory, she was actually relatively safe.

A genius like her would be heavily protected no matter where she was.

Lu Yuan thought of this and his hand instinctively moved to his chest.

The Timekeeper pocket watch was faintly warm, as if responding to his thoughts.

Since Laurina was quite safe and the letter had been delivered.

It was time to leave; there was no need to get involved in this mess.

Lu Yuan walked quickly down the stairs, passed through the first-floor corridor, and stepped out of the Polymath Tower.

Just as he stepped onto the plaza, he glanced back at the building behind him.

At a certain window of the Third Tower, a student stood there dazed, staring outside with empty eyes, motionless.

At the edge of his vision, greyish-white text flickered:

【Detected: source of mental contamination】

【Target: Unknown student】

【Status: Sanity level extremely low, on the verge of collapse】

Lu Yuan withdrew his gaze and quickened his pace toward the plaza exit.