Lu Yuan walked out of the Polymath Tower's gates with light steps.
The letter had been delivered; Laurina was a genius and lived in the laboratory, which was relatively safe.
The rest was none of his business.
He only wanted to leave this den of trouble as quickly as possible.
However, just as he stepped onto the plaza, ready to depart, the scene before him gave him an ill omen.
At the plaza exit, several nightwatchers were sealing off the passageways.
They wore standard black robes, the silver badges on their chests glinting with a cold light under the moonlight.
An older nightwatcher stood at the front, holding a list and checking everyone who attempted to leave one by one.
Lu Yuan frowned and slowed his pace, but he still walked toward the exit.
"Everyone, show your identification!" The older nightwatcher's voice echoed across the plaza, carrying an unquestionable authority.
Lu Yuan approached, pulled his Nightwatchers credentials from his coat, and handed them over.
The older nightwatcher took the credentials, examined them carefully for a moment, and then looked up to scan Lu Yuan with a scrutinizing gaze.
"A fresh face. Are you new?"
"Yes, I'm here to deliver medicine," Lu Yuan replied calmly. "Can I leave now?"
The older nightwatcher shook his head and returned the credentials to Lu Yuan.
"No. All Nightwatchers within the Polymath Tower are being temporarily conscripted to assist in patrolling the dormitory area."
Lu Yuan's frown deepened. "What if I leave?"
"Aside from a pay deduction, a demerit will be recorded on your file." The older nightwatcher's tone left no room for negotiation.
Lu Yuan fell silent for a moment and then asked, "Can you tell me what happened?"
The older nightwatcher looked around and lowered his voice.
"I was also temporarily transferred here; word is that a perpetrator was discovered inside the tower, and if all goes well, it should all be over after tonight."
Lu Yuan's heart sank.
It seemed things were more serious than he had imagined.
"The operation starts at eight tonight. It's two in the afternoon now."
The older nightwatcher pointed toward the Polymath Tower. "Go wait in the rest room."
Frowning, Lu Yuan turned and walked back toward the Polymath Tower.
The rest room was located on the second floor of the Polymath Tower, a spacious room.
When Lu Yuan pushed the door open, there were already seven or eight nightwatchers inside.
They were sitting in chairs in small groups; some were wiping their weapons, some were resting with their eyes closed, and others were talking in low voices.
Judging by their attire and demeanor, they had all been temporarily conscripted.
"Another unlucky bastard." A young nightwatcher saw Lu Yuan and spoke with a bitter smile.
"I finally managed to get some time off, and I ended up being pressed into service."
Another nightwatcher sighed. "Aren't we all?"
Lu Yuan found a corner to sit in, placed his backpack aside, and began checking his equipment.
A revolver, bullets, and that bottle of Sanity potion Morris had given him.
"Does anyone know what the situation is?" someone asked.
"Not very clearly," a middle-aged nightwatcher replied.
"But the disappearance case in the Polymath Tower should have some leads finally. Otherwise, it wouldn't be this urgent."
"The instructors of the Polymath Tower have already put pressure on the Nightwatchers; it looks like there will be a big move. Rest up now and stay sharp tonight; don't mess up when it counts."
Lu Yuan did not join the discussion, merely checking his gear in silence.
Time ticked away.
The afternoon sunlight spilled through the window, casting golden spots of light on the floor that moved slowly across the room as the hours passed.
About an hour later, the door was pushed open and a nightwatcher walked in carrying a box.
"Potions, one bottle per person."
He placed the box on the table and opened the lid, revealing a row of neatly arranged potion bottles.
"Healing potions and Sanity potions. Take them yourselves."
The nightwatchers rose one after another, walked to the table, and took a bottle of potion each.
"Only one bottle?" one of the nightwatchers asked.
"We usually get more than this for a mission, don't we?"
"Special circumstances. This mission was too sudden, and Logistics couldn't pull together more in such a short time."
The nightwatcher delivering the medicine spoke somewhat helplessly.
"Just be careful during the mission."
He left after saying that.
Lu Yuan also walked over, took a bottle of Sanity potion, and tucked it into his coat.
The sun gradually dipped toward the west, and the sky began to darken. The atmosphere in the rest room grew solemn.
The nightwatchers began stretching their bodies, checking their weapons, and making final preparations for battle. Night fell, and the moon rose.
The runes on the outer walls of the Polymath Tower began to glow, emitting a faint blue light.
The lamps hanging on the surrounding walls were also lit one by one.
Because this was the inner city of Bronze City, lights were rarely lit at night, but the recent disappearance case had left everyone on edge, so the Polymath Tower was unusually bright tonight. Just then, the door was pushed open.
A nightwatcher stood at the entrance and said in a heavy voice, "Time's up. Everyone, follow me."
The nightwatchers filed out, following the lead nightwatcher to the plaza.
Night shrouded the Polymath Tower, and moonlight spilled over the stone slabs of the plaza, making them shimmer.
Over a dozen nightwatchers had already gathered on the plaza, fully armed and wearing serious expressions.
Hoguer was there as well, standing at the front of the line, the golden badge on his chest gleaming brilliantly under the moonlight.
His gaze swept over everyone, and when he saw Lu Yuan, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, clearly not expecting Lu Yuan to be pulled into this as well.
"Tonight's mission is simple." Hoguer's voice echoed across the plaza.
"Patrol the dormitory area and ensure student safety."
He paused for a moment and then continued.
"We will split into two groups. The first group will follow Karl to patrol the east district dormitories. The second group will follow Miller to patrol the west district."
"If you find any abnormalities, signal immediately. Do not act alone and do not leave your team without permission."
Hoguer's tone turned severe. "Is that understood?"
"Understood!" the nightwatchers answered in unison.
Hoguer nodded and began assigning the groups.
Lu Yuan was assigned to the second group, responsible for patrolling the west district.
The leader of the second group was a middle-aged nightwatcher named Miller, who had a scar extending from his forehead down to his chin, giving him a fierce appearance.
Besides Miller and Lu Yuan, there were three other young nightwatchers in the second group.
The first group, which had only four people, left with Karl.
The remaining people followed Hoguer in another direction.
Lu Yuan stood in the line, thinking privately. The west district was the more dangerous area to cover; the Alchemy Department dormitories were in the west district, and the Third Tower was also there.
However, the lack of manpower suggested that his group was not the main force; their purpose was more to serve as an extra layer of insurance.
Thinking of this, Lu Yuan felt a bit more relaxed.
After all, according to his previous assessment, the disappearance case in the Polymath Tower involved either high-rank transcendents or an internal job.
Regardless of which it was, it was still far too dangerous for him in his current state.
He would just go through the motions.
Clearly, he wasn't the only one in the group thinking this way.
For instance, the group leader Miller deliberately slowed his pace, walking in an unhurried manner.
"Stay close to me and don't fall behind," Miller said indifferently, glancing back at his team members.
The team walked toward the west district dormitories.
The west district dormitory building was an eight-story stone structure that looked exceptionally tall in the night.
Lights flickered sporadically in the windows as Miller led the team into the dormitory building, where the corridors were wide with rooms lining both sides.
Magic lamps hung on the walls, emitting a soft glow that illuminated every corner.
Rate on N.U.
