However, the layers of hyphae on both sides of the passage that had not been carbonized were now abnormally active.
But they did not attack proactively; instead, they were undergoing involuntary spasms.
Like a dying body, the muscles were making their final, unconscious twitches.
In the areas where the living walls were embedded, greyish-white arms all reached out, struggling in agony.
The crawlers on the ceiling let out sharp screeches and fell, rolling and convulsing on the ground as the greyish-green hyphae on their bodies began to peel away from beneath their skin.
The hyphae network, having lost its central command, was collapsing.
The hyphae parasitizing every host suddenly lost their instructions; some contracted frantically, some expanded blindly, and some burst directly out of the hosts' bodies.
The entire pipe network had turned into a massive, rotting corpse.
【Sanity: -1… -1… 44/120】
The rear guard of the Imperial Iron Guard swung his sword to cleave through a living wall arm that had half-sprung from the wall, the dark red embers of his furnace fire flickering at their last.
“Don't stop! Don't get bogged down in combat!” Wolf’s voice came from ahead.
“Just push through!”
The vertical shaft soon appeared before them.
Seeing the iron ladder, Wolf was the first to scramble up. The greyish-green film that had previously covered the ladder had completely withered and fallen off, revealing the rusted iron surface.
The hyphae were dying.
Withered section by section, starting from the point closest to the ground.
Everyone climbed the iron ladder as fast as they could.
Bolen was hauled up by Kail and a Nightwatcher; the old man didn't say a single word the entire time.
Lu Yuan was the last to come up.
The moment he scrambled out of the shaft, the night wind filled his lungs.
Dry and cold, Lu Yuan took several deep breaths, then glanced back down into the shaft.
Muffled thuds echoed one after another from below... It seemed the death of that thing at the end of the hyphae had triggered quite a reaction.
Glock had already brought men to meet them.
“How’s the situation?”
Lu Yuan didn't stop, speaking as he walked in a low voice that only Glock and those closest to him could hear.
“I blew up the hyphae main core. It won't be a threat in the short term.”
“But the roots haven't been fully cleared. It might regenerate eventually, though I don't know how long that will take.”
“One more thing...” Lu Yuan looked at Glock.
“There’s a copper pillar in the deepest part of the pipe network. The main core's roots were stabbed into the seal, and the bottom third of the runes have gone dark. You’d better bring people to repair it as soon as possible.”
Glock’s face flashed with shock. A copper pillar in the pipe network? How did he not know about this?
“Report this to Kraus immediately,” Lu Yuan added.
“I’ll handle it. Thank you for your efforts. Go and get some rest first.”
Glock didn't ask anything else.
He nodded and walked quickly toward the Nightwatcher responsible for communications.
Lu Yuan stopped at the entrance of the alchemy workshop.
Bo Er followed behind, looking at the greyish-green sap and charred debris covering him. His lips moved, but in the end, he only said one thing.
“Go get washed up. Watch out for contamination.”
Lu Yuan glanced at him.
“Yeah.”
Inside the first floor of the alchemy workshop.
Lu Yuan closed the door and tossed his satchel onto the table.
The air smelled faintly of copper powder and old wood.
Lu Yuan walked over to the water bucket in the corner.
The water had been stored yesterday and was now ice-cold.
He took off his trench coat.
The greyish-green sap had soaked through the front and sleeves. Now that it was dry, it had formed a hard crust that could be peeled off in flakes with a fingernail.
Charred powder was embedded in the fabric fibers, impossible to shake off completely.
He threw the coat aside and used a damp cloth to wipe his face and hands.
When the cold water touched his skin, he felt a sharp jolt.
Looking at the residue on his palms, Lu Yuan shuddered.
He wasn't sure if it was from the cold or something else.
After a quick wipe-down, he changed into a clean undershirt and leaned back in his chair.
【Sanity: 44/120】
The greyish-white numbers floated quietly at the edge of his vision.
This number meant he was at a dangerous threshold. Any high-intensity mental shock could result in irreversible consequences.
Before Lu Yuan could spiral into further thought, exhaustion began to set in—the heavy drowsiness that followed a period of intense mental strain.
Images of the vault flashed through his mind intermittently.
The upside-down giant tree.
The densely packed materials.
“...Will... come... back...”
Lu Yuan closed his eyes for a moment, suppressing the images.
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
Bo Er pushed the door open, two sets of folded clothes tucked under his arm and a small crystal in his hand.
“Glock had someone send these over. One set for you and one for me.”
He placed the clothes on the table.
It was a standard Nightwatcher coat—dark grey with a thick cotton lining, newer than the one Lu Yuan had been wearing.
Bo Er then pulled several small bottles from his pocket and set them on the table.
“And these. The branch pharmacy just issued the latest Sanity-stabilizing potions. Every participant gets two bottles.”
Bo Er glanced at the old trench coat thrown in the corner.
“You can't wear that coat anymore. I’ll dispose of it for you. It would be bad if it’s carrying contamination.”
“Okay.”
Lu Yuan draped the new coat over his shoulders and tried it on; it fit perfectly.
Bo Er placed the crystal on the table.
“Glock left this before he went.” Bo Er paused for a second. “The branch wants to speak with you directly about what happened under the pipe network.”
Lu Yuan looked at the communication crystal, unsurprised.
The intel about the copper pillar was too important. A second-hand report would inevitably lose detail; Kraus wanted to hear it first-hand.
He pressed his hand onto the crystal.
The crystal lit up randomly.
A faint blue glow emanated from within, followed by a steady voice.
“Lu Yuan?”
It was Kraus’s voice—the Vice Director of the Bronze City Nightwatchers branch.
Lu Yuan briefly wondered where the Director was.
Realizing his mind was wandering aimlessly, he took a deep breath and forced himself to focus.
“I’m here,” Lu Yuan said.
“Glock gave me a rough summary, but I need you to confirm it yourself.” Kraus didn't speak fast, but every word carried a weight that allowed for no ambiguity. “What did you see in the deepest part of the pipe network?”
Lu Yuan thought for a moment and recounted the events in order, starting from the catchment basin.
He described going in alone after the inscription seal.
First the vault.
The suspended hosts, then the upside-down giant tree, and finally the spherical core woven from brain tissue.
“It was conscious,” Lu Yuan said with certainty. “Not only could it talk to me, but it could even learn. Within minutes, it evolved from single words to complete sentences.”
There was a two-second silence on the other end of the crystal.
“Continue.”
“I used the potion Laurina gave me to create an opening, shoved two exorcism grenades inside to detonate it, and used the last jar of mithril to burn through the connection between the main trunk vines and the roots. The spherical core has most likely been destroyed.”
Lu Yuan paused slightly.
“However, I can't guarantee the root system is completely gone. Given how resilient hyphae are, it might wake up again in the future.”
“One more thing.”
Lu Yuan lowered his voice slightly.
“There’s a copper pillar in the deepest part of the vault. The thing's roots were stabbed into the runic grooves of the pillar, and the bottom third of the runes have gone dark.”
The other end of the crystal remained quiet for a long time.
So long that even Bo Er glanced at the crystal.
“Are the runes recovering?”
Kraus finally spoke.
That single sentence made Lu Yuan realize that Kraus knew something.
“A few runes have lit up again.” Lu Yuan paused, then continued, “They're weak, but they are indeed recovering.”
Another silence.
“I will go down and confirm it personally,” Kraus’s voice regained its composure. “Your mission ends here. Get some rest. Make sure your Sanity doesn't collapse. I’ll arrange for someone to look after you. We’ll discuss the rest later.”
Without another word, the crystal’s light faded.
Meanwhile.
At the Nightwatchers branch, Kraus looked at the darkened communication crystal.
He turned to Glock, who was sitting in front of him, and asked, “If what Lu Yuan says is true, then he’s performed a great service. I finally understand why he’s been able to earn so many points.”
Kraus seemed to be reflecting on something before shifting the topic. “What do you think of Lu Yuan as a person?”
Glock knew this was the conclusion of the secret assessment they had been conducting on Lu Yuan.
After all, as someone involved with the 'Hidden', no matter how normal he appeared, the Nightwatchers had to be prepared for anything.
If he were ever seduced by certain entities, the damage to the Empire could be irreversible.
Glock paused, briefly organized his thoughts, and then spoke.
“Based on our investigation during this period, what we know for certain is that Lu Yuan is likely a Rank 2 unknown transcendent, as he has never used the offensive means typical of a Rank 3 Knowledge transcendent.”
“The transcendent weapon he uses is the ‘Timekeeper’, the object known as the ‘Death Watch’.”
“Of course, the reason I believe the ‘Rank 1’ on his file is inaccurate is because of this. Based on his previous missions and item usage, his Sanity value is very likely above that of a fourth-rank Knowledge transcendent.”
“I found this in the Pathfinders' records. When the Empire sent Pathfinders to that northern desert, they encountered Lu Yuan. There, Lu Yuan used the third-rank ability of the ‘Timekeeper’ to kill ‘Gregory’, for which he earned a considerable amount of points.”
“Vice Director, you should know how staggering the Sanity cost of the Timekeeper’s third skill is. Even a fourth-rank Knowledge transcendent could be sucked dry instantly. Yet Lu Yuan, supposedly a Rank 1, used it. That’s why I strongly suspected he had become a servant or believer of some entity.”
“But after these past few days of testing, including assessments from the Ascension Society, the Church, the Holy Armored Army, and the Imperial Iron Guard, it’s basically certain that Lu Yuan is still human. Oh, right, these are the assessments submitted by Bo Er and his teammates.”
Glock handed three envelopes to Kraus.
Kraus opened them one by one.
The contents were essentially reports of successful tests.
Bo Er: Carried a knowledge pollution fragment; Lu Yuan did not notice it.
Used pollution levels and a Sanity-clarity crystal for judgment; Lu Yuan passed. Note: His Sanity is even more stable than that old man Bolen’s.
Shows no obvious strange habits or impulses toward various eeries.
Basic judgment: no issues.
Note: He is calm and composed, possesses extremely extensive professional knowledge, excellent rapport and leadership skills... and ‘kindness’.
...
Rate on N.U.
