Behind it was nothing but question marks.
Lu Yuan had already guessed what was behind the copper wall.
Bolen called out.
“I’m starting.”
A deep blue light lit up at the base of his cane.
The light overflowed, slowly wandering across the surface of the copper wall.
The blue-white investigative power flowed along the inscription grooves, attempting to decipher the structure and content of the wall.
Lu Yuan watched Bolen with some nervousness, but after a long while, Bolen spoke with some embarrassment.
“I can’t see anything. My knowledge doesn't seem sufficient to see through what’s on there...”
“Wait...”
Bolen hadn't even finished his sentence.
The eerie inscriptions on the copper wall seemed to be attracted by Bolen’s ability.
The grooves began to writhe.
The vortexes began to spin.
Countless inscriptions, like a painting reaching to the heavens, slowly unfurled across the surface of the copper wall.
A faint dark red glow seeped from deep within the grooves, spreading and diffusing along the inscription pathways. In that instant, the entire copper wall seemed to come alive.
“Ah... so beautiful...”
Bolen stared at the copper wall before him in awe, his face gradually taking on an expression of obsession.
Seeing this, Lu Yuan did not hesitate.
Timekeeper, activate.
【Sanity: -1... 81/120】
Lu Yuan’s speed exploded. Holding back slightly, he landed a practiced punch on the back of Bolen’s neck.
The old man didn't even let out a grunt before going limp.
Lu Yuan hoisted Bolen over his shoulder and turned to leave.
At the moment he turned, Lu Yuan finally couldn't resist glancing back.
The inscriptions on the copper wall were now all glowing.
The dark red light illuminated the entire wall, making it translucent.
The vortex symbols spun wildly, and the inscription lines pulsed like blood vessels.
A portion of the copper wall had become semi-transparent.
There was something behind the wall.
Greyish-white text flickered frantically.
【Target Detected: ■■ (Incomplete)】
【A special existence that knows ■■■, possessing incredible transcendent power. However, He does not seem to be whole. Perhaps if you rescue Him, you can obtain rewards far beyond your imagination.】
【Warning: You have perceived what should not be...】
【Sanity check in progress... Check in... failed. Your beliefs are under assault... You will believe in His existence... Assault failed...】
【Forbidden Lore: Knowledge Seeker: +1...】
【Sanity: -5... 76/120】
The moment the invisible pressure enveloped Lu Yuan, the Knowledge Worms within the symbiotic connection suddenly became restless.
The little things sensed that Lu Yuan’s “self” was being tampered with and instinctively tried to rush out of his eye sockets.
Lu Yuan gritted his teeth, using his will to force the Knowledge Worms back down.
He absolutely could not let these two little things out; they would never be able to withstand the existence behind the copper wall, not even for a single glance.
【Your presence has disturbed His consciousness drifting in the “Chaos.” Your memories will be tampered with...】
The moment the existence behind the copper wall truly looked at Lu Yuan, a flood of memories instantly integrated into his mind.
【Hidden Witness (1/1) will protect you...】
Countless memories pulled Lu Yuan back into the past.
They were fragmented clips of countless people wearing white robes with golden inscriptions, kneeling together in perfect order.
They were bowing repeatedly toward a spiral golden astrolabe that occupied the entire sky.
However, in the next moment, an eye shimmering with platinum and gold crossed the sky and fell upon Lu Yuan’s position.
Lu Yuan’s entire body stiffened, feeling as if all his blood had frozen.
In the next moment, the image shattered. Lu Yuan gritted his teeth and began to run, Bolen still on his shoulder.
An invisible chill spread from the direction of the copper wall.
In an instant, Lu Yuan’s body felt as if it had fallen into a swamp.
Even though Timekeeper was still active and his acceleration state hadn't faded, Lu Yuan’s steps were slowed by some force.
Even with Timekeeper active, he could only walk away from the copper wall one step at a time, as if he were walking normally.
“Lake!”
Lu Yuan shouted.
Waiting in the distance, Lake’s tentacles made of worms instantly extended toward Lu Yuan.
Invisible pressure crushed the tentacles.
Lake’s worms were flattened and burst. One tentacle exploded, then a second, splashing greyish-black worm ichor onto the copper floor.
But Lake gritted his teeth.
A third tentacle bored out from deep within his worm-body, passing through the invisible pressure zone and grabbing Lu Yuan.
The tentacle wrapped around Lu Yuan’s waist and gave a sudden, violent tug.
Lu Yuan, still carrying Bolen, was dragged out of the copper wall’s range of influence.
At the same time, Timekeeper deactivated. His body returned to its normal speed.
【Sanity: -3... 73/120】
Lake didn't say another word. His worm-body contracted as he decisively led Lu Yuan in a retreat back the way they came.
The eerie inscriptions on the copper wall continued to flash, seemingly indifferent to the departure of Lu Yuan and the others.
Lake dragged Lu Yuan, and thus, the three of them retreated along their original path.
Lake was in the lead.
With a tentacle wrapped around Lu Yuan’s waist, he half-dragged, half-led him back.
His worm-body was a size smaller than when they had arrived, and the frequency of the writhing had noticeably increased.
Lu Yuan followed behind, carrying Bolen.
The old man was in a deep faint, his head hanging down, showing no reaction at all.
The pipe network tunnels receded rapidly in the light of the march lamps.
Lake suddenly spoke.
“I’ve lost quite a bit of the mutation source within me. To think there was such a place beneath the Bronze City and no one discovered it?”
Lu Yuan’s voice held a hint of helplessness.
“It’s clearly connected to those people in City Hall. What are they even after?”
After a brief silence, Lake said, “Power beyond the transcendent, the blessing of eternal life.”
He then added another question.
“What do you think those existences look like?”
Lu Yuan was stunned by Lake’s question. He realized he had never truly considered this matter.
“Maybe... they have power beyond comprehension, extreme pollutive properties, and can easily crush a city?”
Lu Yuan thought for a moment before answering.
“You’re right, but also wrong. The essence of our transcendence is to borrow power—to explore, discover, and call upon the power of those existences within the darkness.”
Lake chuckled helplessly and continued.
“Even though the mutation source I borrow from is only a ‘low-level’ existence, I can still reach rank 4. So, how massive do you think it would be if those existences were willing to share their knowledge or actively bestow even a tiny bit of their power?”
Lu Yuan was dazed.
It was true. Just by borrowing the power of a not-so-high-level eerie entity, humans could go so far. What if it were a forbidden existence?
“Wait? Why would humans be able to accept or even use the power of such existences?”
Lake was also taken aback by Lu Yuan’s response, then couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
“It’s a shame you haven't joined the Practicalists. You’re right, but what if one only needs to discard their human identity to obtain that power?”
Lake’s voice deepened.
“How many people do you think would throw themselves at it?”
Lu Yuan fell silent.
He also realized why the Deep Sea Church back in Gelimu Port had been so obsessed with sacrifices. The blessings bestowed by their ‘Mother’ were likely enough to tempt anyone...
“But if someone truly accepts power of that level, they lose more than just their human identity, don't they?”
“Yes, more than that. Your family, your friends, your beliefs, your everything—it all vanishes.”
There was an indescribable look on Lake’s face, which was composed of worms.
“My family died because of the Swarming Worms, yet they are also the source of my eerie power.”
“Humans are too weak—so weak that we have no choice but to rely on eerie power to survive. Because of this, some people lose everything on the path to finding power, while others are unwilling to discard those things, so they formed the Nightwatchers.”
“The previous rulers of the Empire were also Conservatives. They held the view that all power, except for the Forbidden, could be explored without discarding one's human identity—they even encouraged such exploration.”
“But now the Conservatives are no longer enough to face the Empire’s dangers, so the Practicalists have taken the stage. They ignored the imperial regulations, and the Polymath Tower became the first place to be sacrificed. Heh, how ridiculous.”
Lu Yuan fell into silence. So that was it. No wonder the Nightwatchers had always been obstructing the Polymath Tower’s experiments.
Yet in the end, their actions were only meant to cause some trouble rather than truly stop them. Everything made sense now.
Lu Yuan glanced back.
The tips of several of Lake’s tentacles were the wrong color.
They were originally the same flesh color as the rest of his worm-body, but now they were grey and black, as if corroded by something.
Those few tentacles slowly retracted into his body, covered by other normal worms.
“Are you okay?”
Seeing this, Lu Yuan couldn't help but show a look of concern.
“I’m fine. I’ll recover after resting for a while. The Swarming Worms have strong vitality. I’m almost impossible to kill; I can even withstand things that Klaus can’t.”
“That’s good.”
Lake was very fast. A journey that wasn't short was compressed into a mere ten minutes.
Lake thus led Lu Yuan and Bolen out of the pipe network.
They reached the surface.
The moment the night wind rushed in, Lu Yuan took a deep breath.
Lake released the tentacle wrapped around Lu Yuan’s waist.
His worm-body began to contract, the worms packing together layer by layer until his silhouette gradually returned to human form.
Short brown hair, a gaunt face, and a dark uniform.
However, his complexion was terrible, his lips were pale, and most importantly, Lake was much shorter—now only reaching slightly above Lu Yuan’s waist.
Lu Yuan lowered Bolen from his shoulder and leaned him against the base of a wall.
The old man still hadn't woken up; in fact, he was in poor condition.
His face was deathly pale, his eyelids were tightly shut, and his lips were slightly blue.
Lu Yuan crouched down to take a look.
Greyish-white text emerged.
【Target Detected: Bolen (Knowledge Transcendent) (Unconscious)】
【A human whose consciousness has suffered trauma.】
Consciousness trauma?!
It seemed the eruption of the eerie inscriptions had caused actual mental damage to Bolen.
Fortunately, it wasn't mental pollution.
“Bolen’s condition isn't right.” Lu Yuan stood up quickly. “He needs to be sent back to the branch for treatment immediately.”
Lake didn't waste any words, bending down to hoist Bolen onto his back.
The two of them hurried toward the branch with Bolen.
At the branch gates.
The Nightwatcher on duty was stunned to see Lu Yuan followed by a very short, pale stranger carrying the unconscious Bolen on his back.
“He’s with me.” Lu Yuan flashed his badge.
The guard didn't ask further and quickly let them through.
Lu Yuan had Lake take Bolen to the medical room first while he went to find Klaus.
The light in Klaus’s office was still on.
A knock on the door.
Klaus was still sitting behind his desk.
Seeing Lu Yuan’s state, he put down his pen.
“Speak.”
Lu Yuan stood before the desk.
“A large area of eerie inscriptions appeared in the pipe network. The Bronze City’s pipes were all interrupted there; the builders bypassed that area.”
“There is a copper wall deep inside. I don't know how high it is, but it’s cast as a single piece. When Bolen was investigating, he triggered an inscription reaction and suffered mental erosion. I knocked him out and carried him out. He’s currently unconscious with consciousness trauma and has been sent to the medical room.”
“Lake was suppressed there, and while he was saving us, his body seems to have suffered significant damage.”
“Furthermore... there is something behind the copper wall.”
Klaus’s finger stopped on the desk.
“Lake is injured?”
“Yes. He’s much shorter now, only reaching my waist.”
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