Nightwatchers Promise: 800 points
Description: The holder can designate one person to receive protection from the Nightwatchers. Provided it does not violate imperial regulations, the Nightwatchers will provide physical protection to the protected person until the threat is resolved or the expiration date is reached. Validity period is one year. Only for non-wanted personnel.
Lu Yuan stared at that line of text for a long time.
Eight hundred points.
An astronomical sum.
Lu Yuan fell silent.
Right now, the Polymath Tower was exerting pressure.
The attitude of the Nightwatchers was ambiguous.
What if, one day, the Nightwatchers truly could not withstand the pressure?
At that time, what could he do?
Lu Yuan looked at the text before him, his thoughts drifting for a moment.
Laurina was the top student of the Polymath Tower's Alchemy Department.
Her skill in medicine was something he could not hope to reach in a short time.
With her around, the growth rate of his medicinal herbology experience had multiplied several times, and potions of perfect quality were no longer a distant dream.
More importantly.
In this world where the eerie ran rampant, a Sanity potion was a lifeline.
Having Laurina was equivalent to having a stable source of potions.
This was an investment.
Lu Yuan convinced himself in his mind.
Trading eight hundred points for an alchemist who could stably produce perfect quality potions was not a loss.
Lu Yuan pulled his thoughts back.
"This Nightwatchers Promise," he pointed at the line of text, "how do I use it?"
The middle-aged man leaned over to take a look, his expression shifting slightly.
"You want to exchange for this?" He was somewhat surprised.
"This is..."
"I just want to understand it first."
The middle-aged man nodded and explained, "The Nightwatchers Promise is a protection certificate specially approved by the imperial headquarters. The holder can designate one person, and the Nightwatchers will provide protection for them."
"During the protection period, whether it is nobles, merchant guilds, or..." He paused. "...certain unique existences, the Nightwatchers will protect them to the end."
He glanced at Lu Yuan. "In most cases, it is enough to save a life."
Lu Yuan did not speak.
Eight hundred points, plus twenty-five points for the professional-grade alchemical equipment, made a total of eight hundred and twenty-five.
After the exchange, he would have one hundred and twelve left.
It was not much.
But if he did not exchange for it...
If something truly happened one day, it would be too late for regrets.
"I want two things," Lu Yuan made his decision.
"One professional-grade alchemical equipment set."
"And one Nightwatchers Promise."
The middle-aged man froze for a moment.
Eight hundred and twenty-five points, spent without even blinking.
"Are you sure? The price of the Nightwatchers Promise is very high..."
"I am sure," Lu Yuan interrupted him.
The middle-aged man was silent for a moment before nodding.
"Alright, please wait a moment."
He got up and walked into the room behind the counter.
In less than five minutes, he walked out carrying a brand-new wooden box, with a sealed black leather envelope in his hand.
"The professional-grade alchemical equipment set." He placed the wooden box on the counter and took the initiative to help open the lid. "This is the best-looking set in our inventory."
Lu Yuan opened the box.
The tools inside were neatly arranged, each wrapped in soft cloth, gleaming with a metallic luster under the faint light.
Refined crucible, fine-grinding mortar, precision measuring tools, sealed distiller... everything was there, and the craftsmanship was exquisite.
"No problem."
The middle-aged man then handed over the black leather envelope with both hands.
"The Nightwatchers Promise." His tone became solemn. "Inside are a token and a contract. When using it, give the token to any Nightwatchers branch and present the contract; the protection will take effect immediately."
"The name of the person to be protected can be filled in now or later. But once filled in, it cannot be changed."
Lu Yuan took the envelope, weighing it in his hand.
【Target detected: Promise (An extremely rare existence)】
"I will fill it in later."
"Understood." The middle-aged man nodded. "Then I will register your address. The equipment will be delivered this afternoon."
Lu Yuan nodded and put away his badge.
His points had changed from nine hundred and thirty-seven to one hundred and twelve.
He had one hundred and twelve points remaining.
The middle-aged man watched him leave, only sitting back in his chair once his figure had disappeared at the end of the hallway.
He looked at the metal tray. The numbers on the tray had vanished, but the shock from just now remained in his heart.
Nine hundred and thirty-seven points.
How many life-and-death missions did one have to survive to save that much?
He had worked here for thirteen years, and the highest points he had ever seen was only a little over four hundred, belonging to a retired old captain.
But this young man...
The middle-aged man shook his head, thinking no more on it, and picked up the catalog again to flip back to the first page.
By the time Lu Yuan returned to the Alchemy Workshop, it was nearly noon.
Laurina was still busy at the workbench, with several bottles of freshly made potions placed before her. They were of Excellent quality, with a clear color.
Hearing the door, she turned her head.
Her gaze fell on the wooden box in Lu Yuan's hand, and she froze slightly.
"This is...?"
Lu Yuan placed the wooden box on the table and opened the lid.
Laurina walked over, looking down at the items in the box.
Her eyes gradually lit up.
She reached out to take the refined crucible, examining it carefully, her finger gently brushing against the inner wall.
Then came the mortar; she checked the fineness of the grinding surface.
Next were the measuring tools; she checked the accuracy of the scales against the light.
Finally, the distiller; she checked its seal.
The more she looked, the more satisfied her expression became.
"This equipment set..." She looked up at Lu Yuan. "Though it cannot compare to the laboratories in the Polymath Tower, it should be enough to make perfect quality."
"Where did you get this?"
"Exchanged it at the Nightwatchers," Lu Yuan answered simply.
Laurina did not ask how many points it cost. Her attention was already completely captured by the new equipment as she began excitedly taking them out one by one, placing them in their proper positions on the workbench.
"With this set, perfect quality potions can be made." She turned to Lu Yuan, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly.
"It just so happens that I can teach you some more advanced refining techniques. The methods for operating professional-grade equipment are quite different from ordinary ones."
Lu Yuan nodded slightly without saying much.
"Don't worry, I guarantee you will learn." Laurina rare showed a relaxed smile. "After all, I am the top student of the Polymath Tower's Alchemy Department."
In that moment, the gloom on her face seemed to dissipate somewhat.
After a simple lunch, the two began attempting to refine using the new equipment.
Laurina explained while operating, her movements even more composed than before.
Lu Yuan observed and learned by her side, occasionally helping to process the materials.
【Medicinal Herbology: +0.3...】
【Pharmacology: +0.5...】
The experience bar jumped much more frequently than before.
Professional-grade equipment paired with professional guidance indeed yielded different results.
The afternoon passed quickly.
The sun gradually dipped into the west, and the light outside the window began to turn amber.
On the workbench, several bottles of perfect quality Sanity potions were neatly arranged. Their color was transparent, glowing with a faint blue light under the sunlight, appearing even purer than those of Excellent quality.
Laurina looked at those potions, a flicker of satisfaction flashing in her eyes.
"It is done."
She gathered the bottles of perfect quality potions and carefully tucked them into her bag.
This was a trump card she had prepared for herself.
She hoped she would never have to use them.
Night fell.
A knock sounded at the door.
Lu Yuan walked to the door, confirmed the visitor's identity through the crack, and then pulled the door open.
A Nightwatcher stood outside. His face was somewhat unfamiliar, looking older than the one from yesterday, with a few streaks of gray at his temples.
He was carrying a wooden box containing supplementary materials.
But Lu Yuan noticed that this box was lighter than the last one.
"Materials." The Nightwatcher handed over the wooden box, his tone brief.
Lu Yuan took the box, weighed it, and frowned.
"It is a bit little."
"This is all that could be mobilized." The Nightwatcher's tone was somewhat helpless. "Recently... there have been many things going on."
He paused and lowered his voice.
"The Polymath Tower has officially sent a dispatch."
Lu Yuan's gaze darkened slightly.
"They demand that we hand over three students who 'left the tower without permission' to cooperate with their internal investigation. The wording is very strong."
Three students. Laurina was surely among them.
"And the attitude of the higher-ups?" Lu Yuan asked.
"Hard to say." The Nightwatcher shook his head. "The Polymath Tower cited some regulations, and we are under... immense pressure."
He paused, seemingly choosing his words carefully.
"There is one more thing."
His voice dropped even lower, almost audible only to Lu Yuan.
"We have no way to escort you out of the city."
Lu Yuan's brow furrowed slightly.
"Once you leave the boundaries of Bronze City, the Nightwatchers will no longer have any excuse to intervene in this matter," the Nightwatcher explained. "The Polymath Tower could take action directly, and we could only watch from the side."
"So..."
"So while in the city, we can still stall using the name of 'assisting the investigation'." The Nightwatcher sighed. "Once you are out of the city, we are nothing."
Lu Yuan was silent for a while.
"What about the Polymath Tower's side?"
"They are conducting their own internal purge." The Nightwatcher's expression became complicated. "The Nightwatchers stationed inside... have been cleared out on a large scale."
Lu Yuan's eyes flickered slightly.
"Now inside the Polymath Tower, only a few captain-level Nightwatchers remain on patrol," the Nightwatcher continued. "The others have all been driven out."
"The imperial headquarters' stance is to avoid direct conflict with the Polymath Tower as much as possible. So..."
He did not finish his sentence, but the meaning was already clear.
The influence of the Nightwatchers within the Polymath Tower was being rapidly eroded.
"If you have any ideas..." The Nightwatcher glanced toward the stairs. "Make preparations as early as possible."
Lu Yuan remained silent.
The Nightwatcher packed up the finished potions and prepared to leave.
As he reached the door, he looked back once.
Laurina was standing at the top of the stairs, her expression calm.
But Lu Yuan noticed her fingers tightening slightly, clutching the edge of her clothes.
The Nightwatcher sighed and walked into the night.
The sound of footsteps gradually faded, disappearing at the end of the street.
Lu Yuan closed the door and turned around.
Laurina still stood in the same place, not saying a word.
"You heard?" Lu Yuan asked.
"Yes."
Her voice was very soft, but steady.
"...I know."
The sound of footsteps echoed on the stairs a few times before vanishing.
Lu Yuan stood in place, his gaze falling on the night scene outside the window.
He reached into his robe and touched the edge of the black leather envelope.
It was a good thing.
After all, no matter what, he now had an extra trump card in his hand.
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