Bolen was clearly a bit troubled and didn't want to continue on this topic.
Kail gripped the stone tablet, looking at it over and over. His mouth twitched, but in the end, he didn't ask anything else.
The three of them remained quiet for a while.
Bolen pulled Kail aside and whispered some instructions regarding things to watch out for before choosing a direction.
Lu Yuan did not disturb them.
He sat back down by the window, tucked the copper coin into his inner pocket, and picked up Kraus's manual from the table, turning to the page he hadn't finished reading.
Joe's handwriting in the manual was slow and deliberate, each stroke carefully placed.
Lu Yuan read a few lines, but his mind kept turning over the words Grimm had just spoken.
The dwarves were involved in the sealing of the Polymath Tower, and the Ascension Society had also hired dwarves.
These two facts combined suggested that the hidden problems in the Bronze City were much larger than imagined.
The light outside the window was slowly shifting.
Time passed without notice.
About another hour or so went by.
Bolen and Kail had been discussing the directions for quite some time.
Kail didn't make a choice on the spot, and Bolen didn't rush him. He simply gave a few repeated warnings to think carefully before choosing and not to be led astray by the dwarves' enthusiasm.
The old man's expression was subtle as he spoke, as if he were wondering if he had been led astray himself back in the day.
Just as Lu Yuan was about to close the manual, there was a sound outside.
At that moment, someone knocked on the door.
Lu Yuan walked over and pulled it open.
Standing outside was an extremely tall man.
"Extremely tall" was an understatement; he was at least a head taller than Lu Yuan. Yet his frame was incredibly thin, and a massive bundle hung from his shoulder, bulging and nearly as wide as the man himself.
His face was withered and wrinkled, his skin looking as though it had been air-dried. He wore a long robe made of various scraps of cloth stitched together in different shades, the seams so rough they looked like they had been sewn haphazardly.
He didn't speak upon seeing Lu Yuan.
A massive hand reached into the bundle behind him, fumbling for a few seconds.
Then, he pulled something out.
It was an exquisite small wooden box. The craftsmanship belonged to a completely different world than the clothes he wore.
“Yours.”
His voice was raspy, as if something were stuck in his throat.
He handed it over after speaking.
Then he turned and left.
His heavy footsteps vanished at the end of the corridor.
Bolen had somehow leaned in already, staring at the box in Lu Yuan's hand.
“A Wanderer?”
His tone carried a hint of surprise.
“Lu Yuan, what did you buy from the Nightwatchers?”
Lu Yuan held the box in his hands. The wood felt warm to the touch, and though there were no extra decorations on the surface, the joints were perfectly flush, showing the skill of the craftsman.
“It should be the custom weapon I ordered from the headquarters' master.”
Bolen's eyes lit up.
He stared intently at the box, his meaning clear.
Open it. Let me see.
Lu Yuan sighed.
A small groove was engraved on the top of the box.
He recognized it at a glance—it was the outline of a Nightwatchers badge.
He removed the badge from his chest and placed it in the groove.
It was a perfect fit.
A layer of nearly invisible array patterns on the lid flashed briefly and then dissipated.
The lid popped open.
The item inside lay quietly in a groove lined with black velvet.
It was a revolver.
Entirely black.
It was a full size larger than his previous "Flame." It was cast as a single piece from an unknown metal, with no visible seams.
Rose patterns were engraved on the grip, and several special gems were embedded within the petals, reflecting a dark red glimmer in the midday light.
On the barrel, patterns like angel wings spread from the breech all the way to the muzzle, the lines fine and sharp as if carved by a blade.
Lu Yuan reached out and gripped it.
His first reaction was that it was light.
Even a bit too light.
It was completely disproportionate to its size. He hefted it a few times; the center of gravity was very stable, making it suitable for long periods of use.
Lu Yuan flipped the frame and opened the cylinder.
There were eleven chambers.
Ten in the outer ring, identical in size and regularly arranged.
One in the center was noticeably larger than the others. The edges of this hole were engraved with complex inscriptions that glowed faintly the moment it opened, then dimmed.
At the edge of his vision, greyish-white text appeared.
【Knowledge Detected: Weapon Inscription... A special inscription capable of converting Sanity into small physical entities... Has a strong restraining effect on the eerie.】
Bolen had already leaned in close.
When he saw the largest hole in the center of the cylinder, his expression changed.
“It actually has a Sanity slot?!”
He looked at Lu Yuan.
“Just how many points did you spend? This thing qualifies as a transcendent weapon, doesn't it?”
Kail also poked his head in.
“This counts as a transcendent weapon too?”
“Of course,” Bolen said irritably. “I've told you so much before, but you never listen.”
He pointed to the cylinder.
“See those inscriptions? This is a classic man-made transcendent weapon. The one in the center of the cylinder was definitely engraved by a rank 3 Weapon Inscriptionist, maybe even a rank 4.”
Holding the revolver, Lu Yuan could already feel a faint warmth slowly spreading up from the grip.
At the same time, he could clearly feel the revolver lightly pulling at his Sanity.
“Custom-made by the Master's Hand. It cost about a hundred points.”
Lu Yuan answered while turning the revolver over.
Bolen frowned upon hearing this.
“A hundred points? Isn't that a bit of a loss? If it just consumes Sanity...”
He stopped halfway and suddenly felt relieved.
Because the one thing Lu Yuan didn't lack was Sanity.
Bolen shook his head with a smile, feeling somewhat helpless.
“Then it really is quite suitable for you.”
Lu Yuan did not deny it.
It was indeed too suitable.
Judging by the caliber alone, this thing's lethality wouldn't be low. Eleven chambers, physical bullets condensed from Sanity, plus an effect similar to flame damage—it perfectly compensated for his lack of long-range options.
He just wasn't sure exactly how lethal it was.
Lu Yuan tried to channel a thread of Sanity into the cylinder.
It was smooth, with almost no resistance.
Only one point was deducted...
【Sanity: -1... 109/140】
Inside the cylinder, a bullet emitting a glowing red heat appeared out of thin air.
It wasn't large, fitting perfectly into one of the holes in the outer ring. The heat on its surface pulsed like a miniature flame compressed into a solid.
Based on the aura alone, Lu Yuan was certain.
This weapon was not simple.
“I'll still call it 'Flame,'” Lu Yuan muttered to himself. As for its other attributes, he would explore them slowly when he had the chance.
He thought for a moment and remembered the Detailed Explanation of Transcendent Weapons he had exchanged for earlier. He hadn't flipped through it yet; he'd find some time to look at it later, perhaps to figure out the use of that large central chamber.
He put Flame back into the box and closed the lid.
Bolen looked at the empty box a few more times before walking back to his seat with his cane, looking somewhat unsatisfied.
By this time, the day was getting late.
The light outside the window had changed from the bright white of noon to a warm orange-yellow, and the shadows of the eaves had lengthened considerably.
Bolen and Kail's business was finished.
Bolen stood up, his cane thumping once against the floor.
“We'll head back first. As for Kail's direction—we'll discuss it when we get back.”
He looked at Lu Yuan.
“I'll contact Kraus as soon as possible regarding the pipe network.”
Lu Yuan nodded.
“Alright.”
Just as Bolen and Kail stepped out, there was another knock at the door.
Lu Yuan opened the door to find Hank standing at the front, with three Nightwatchers behind him.
Two of them Lu Yuan had seen before but couldn't name. The one in the middle looked more energetic and wore a silver badge on his chest.
“Captain,” Hank waved. “Let's go, to the tavern.”
“Just us?” Lu Yuan looked at the people behind him.
“More than that.” Hank stepped aside to reveal the people behind him. “These guys are coming too. Frank—from the temporary pipe network squad last time—he knows you and insisted on coming along.”
The Nightwatcher named Frank nodded to Lu Yuan.
Another person leaned in, looking younger and chewing on something.
“Captain, there's something. Vice Director Kraus asked me to pass on a message. It seems some news has arrived from headquarters. New missions might be assigned after tomorrow. For those not injured, today is the last day of leisure.”
'The last day.'
Lu Yuan noted it in his mind; no wonder Hank had come directly to his door this time.
“So, are we going?” Hank raised an eyebrow at Lu Yuan.
Lu Yuan didn't hesitate for long this time.
He went back and grabbed a few gold shields from the drawer, stuffed them into his pocket, and then looked out the window. Bolen and Kail probably hadn't gone far yet.
“Wait for me.”
Lu Yuan pushed the window open and shouted downstairs.
The sound of Bolen's cane stopped at the stairwell.
“Going to the tavern, want to come?”
There was silence for two seconds from below.
“Let's go.”
Bolen's voice came from around the corner, followed by the sound of Kail's footsteps.
So the group walked out of the branch's main gate.
By now, it was evening in the Bronze City.
After the ghoul wave receded, the Bronze City seemed to have returned to its normal tracks after several days of repair.
There were significantly more pedestrians on the streets than before.
Lu Yuan walked through the crowd, looking left and right.
By the roadside, a merchant carriage from out of town was unloading goods, its canopy painted with a symbol Lu Yuan didn't recognize.
Two workers were carrying sacks down one by one, while a man in leather armor nearby counted the items.
A few more steps ahead, the bread shop on the corner was open, its wooden sign blackened by smoke, looking exactly as it had the last time he passed. A few people were lined up inside.
Next door was a small shop selling oil lamps, with copper bases hanging from wooden racks, row upon row, swaying gently.
Opposite them, an old woman wrapped in a headscarf sat dozing behind a herb stall. Lu Yuan glanced at the items on the stall—peace flowers, dried wormwood, and coarsely ground red phosphorus powder. Common items, nothing rare.
People from out of town dressed in leather armor walked the streets in groups of twos and threes.
Escort guards for merchant caravans or independent traders coming to do business.
A peddler squatted by the roadside with a cloth spread out before him, displaying a row of dried meat so dark in color that the type of meat was unrecognizable.
“Want a piece? Freshly smoked!”
But no one passing by stopped.
Hank walked beside Lu Yuan, looking around and muttering something.
“A few days ago, this street was as deserted as a ghost town. Now it's lively again.”
Frank added from behind, “The news of the ghouls was suppressed. The caravans outside don't know what happened inside. They only know the Bronze City has reopened its gates.”
“Those who should come, have come.”
The young Nightwatcher shrugged.
“After all, this is one of the largest trade cities in the west. Life must go on.”
Rate on N.U.
