Bolen pushed the three silver plates toward Lu Yuan.
“You can think of it as me creating a backdoor in Bronze City’s defensive inscriptions.”
He looked at Lu Yuan, his lips twitching slightly.
“But the backdoor is a bit small.”
“Three plates, three uses each—nine in total. You can use them individually or together. Using them together concentrates the effect, but it will reduce the total number of uses.”
He paused.
“I’ve already reported this, and the backdoor will be closed sooner or later. But since these silver plates were made beforehand, they’re essentially grandfathered in.”
Lu Yuan picked up the silver plates.
They were even lighter than they looked; stacked together, they felt almost weightless. However, the moment his fingertips touched them, a faint ripple emanated from the inscription patterns, carrying the same aura as the city wall’s inscriptions.
He carefully tucked the three silver plates into an inner pocket.
“Thanks.”
Bolen waved a hand dismissively.
“As long as they’re useful.”
Kail stepped forward from the side.
He stood before Lu Yuan, straightened his back, and gave a slight, somewhat stiff bow. It looked as though he had deliberated for a while before deciding on this formal gesture.
“Captain Lu.”
His voice wasn't loud, but it was earnest.
“I want to thank you for taking care of us during this time.”
Lu Yuan looked at him. His shoulder was healed, and he looked much more energetic.
When he first arrived at the branch, he had huddled behind Bolen, barely daring to speak. Now, standing here, his back was straight and firm.
“Keep in touch,” Kail said.
Lu Yuan nodded.
“The path of Dark Inscription is not an easy one. Remember what Bolen told you.”
“I will,” Kail replied with a serious nod.
Bolen glanced at Kail and tapped his cane on the floor.
“You go on back first. Pack the last few things. Don’t leave anything behind when we head out tomorrow morning.”
Kail acknowledged the order, gave Lu Yuan another nod, and turned to leave. His footsteps gradually faded down the corridor.
Only the two of them remained in the room.
The slight relaxation on Bolen’s face vanished. He looked at Lu Yuan, remaining silent for a couple of seconds.
He thumped his cane lightly on the floor.
“Did Kraus tell you about the harvesting?”
“He did.” Lu Yuan sat down on the edge of the bed. “The entire team was injured, and something leaked out from the Sea of Knowledge.”
Bolen nodded, his expression grim.
“He told you the result.”
His voice dropped an octave.
“Let me tell you how it felt from my perspective.”
Lu Yuan watched Bolen, waiting for him to continue.
“You know that since reaching rank 3, I’ve shared a certain connection with this city’s inscriptions.” Bolen rested his palm on the head of his cane, his gaze falling on the rooftop outside, illuminated by the glow of the inscriptions.
“You saw it when we fought ‘9’ underground; I can draw upon a portion of Bronze City’s power.”
“When an Inscriptionist of Large-scale Inscription reaches rank 3, they form a resonance with the city where they reside long-term. While it isn't active at all times, I can feel it whenever there’s a significant change in the load on the defensive inscriptions.”
“When it happened the day before yesterday...”
Bolen paused, weighing his words.
“This city was bearing something.”
He looked at Lu Yuan.
“Something incredibly heavy.”
Lu Yuan didn't interrupt.
“Bronze City’s inscriptions seem to be somewhat overloaded,” Bolen’s voice grew even heavier.
“Don’t be fooled by the fact that the inscription network is still functioning. I feel as though something is siphoning away a massive amount of the city’s defenses.”
“I’ve already reported this. You must be extremely careful lately. If Kraus wants you to leave, I hope you’ll consider leaving for a while.”
Lu Yuan didn't give a direct answer. Instead, he asked a question of his own.
“Does this have anything to do with what leaked from the Polymath Tower?”
Bolen shook his head, his expression complex.
“I’m not certain, but the timing matches up.”
He sighed.
“I wanted to head over to the Polymath Tower to see what I could pick up from the inscription level. Kraus stopped me, saying the site was sealed and no one was allowed near.”
Bolen looked at Lu Yuan, his tone more serious than before.
“Lu Yuan, once I’m gone, there will be almost no one left in this city who can perceive these things at the inscription level.”
“If you go to the Count’s gathering, keep an eye on one thing for me.”
“If the people from the Polymath Tower explain what went wrong with the passage, pay close attention to what they say about the seal.”
“I suspect they are siphoning a vast amount of Bronze City’s power to maintain their opening to the Sea of Knowledge... If anything else happens to Bronze City’s inscriptions, I truly can't imagine the consequences...”
He thumped his cane on the floor again.
“But I have no evidence. Even if Kraus reports it, it likely won't be taken seriously. The word from the empire is that they’re dead set on continuing the harvesting... All I can do is leave.”
Lu Yuan’s expression was unreadable, but he clearly understood Bolen’s point.
However, Lu Yuan had no intention of leaving this time. The events in Gelimu Port had made him realize that in this world, everything was built upon strength. He had been in this world for too short a time.
Even though he practiced Guard every day and spent his spare time reading, the experience points he gained were negligible—sometimes they didn't increase at all.
This forced Lu Yuan to constantly head into the field to face the so-called eerie.
Most importantly, the key in his Sea of Sanity had recovered most of its power.
If a leak from the Sea of Knowledge truly occurred, there was a high probability he could ensure his own safety.
At the same time, he could harvest a significant amount of experience points from it. As long as he reached rank 3 quickly, he would have the ability to protect himself no matter where he went in the future.
He didn't voice these thoughts. His silence was the only response he gave Bolen.
Seeing Lu Yuan’s silence, Bolen leaned back against his chair with a touch of helplessness. It seemed Lu Yuan’s ‘response’ was within his expectations. He had said all he could.
“Alright.” He waved a hand. “You’ll have to judge the rest for yourself. You’re sharper than I am.”
He stood up, leaning on his cane.
“We’re leaving first thing tomorrow. I’ve already had everything arranged for Franz; the stretcher and carriage are ready.”
“Send a message to the branch once you reach headquarters. Oh, and one more thing—I’ll give you a letter tomorrow morning. When you get to headquarters, help me find out if this person exists,” Lu Yuan said.
“If she does, give the letter to her. If not, just burn it.”
“Understood.”
The two were quiet for a few seconds.
Bolen walked to the door and stopped, but he didn't turn back.
“Stay safe.”
The sound of his cane tapping along the corridor gradually faded away.
Lu Yuan sat on the edge of the bed, not moving immediately.
He was thinking about what to write to Ink. After Gelimu Port, if anyone in this world still remembered him, it was likely only Ink.
If even she didn't remember him...
Lu Yuan shook his head helplessly. He wondered how they were doing.
The ghostly blue light of the inscriptions reflected off the window glass, just as it had on countless previous nights, but Bolen’s words lingered in his mind.
The city seemed to be reaching its limit.
He stared at the light for a moment, then stood up and walked out.
Bo Er was in the small logistics storehouse on the first floor. The lights were on, and Bo Er was crouching inside with several sheets of paper spread out before him, checking the medicinal herb manifest they had brought back from Gubo Town. He looked up when he saw Lu Yuan approach.
“Not asleep yet?”
“A few things.” Lu Yuan leaned against the doorframe. “Kraus is taking me to the Count’s gathering the day after tomorrow. I won't be at the branch for the next two days.”
Bo Er nodded.
“I know. Glock mentioned it.”
“Dunn and Jurgen start their probationary period tomorrow. They’ll be following you for now. Show them the ropes—daily routines, the rules, and the people they need to know.”
“Sure.” Bo Er set his pen down. “How do you want them handled?”
“Dunn is fairly steady; have him learn the logistics workflow first. As for Jurgen...” Lu Yuan thought for a moment. “Don’t let him touch weapons training yet. Let him observe for a few days, especially the Nightwatchers’ code and the imperial regulations.”
“Tomorrow, I’ll look for Lake and see if he can take Jurgen under his wing.”
Bo Er nodded.
“Got it.”
He suddenly asked, “Bolen is leaving?”
“Yeah. Tomorrow morning.”
Bo Er was silent for a moment.
“Understood. Don’t worry about the newcomers.”
Lu Yuan didn't linger and left the storehouse.
He passed the temporary room at the end of the first-floor corridor where Dunn and Jurgen were staying. The door was slightly ajar.
Lu Yuan didn't push it open; he just glanced inside from the doorway.
The oil lamp inside was out, and moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating the outlines of the two beds. Dunn was already asleep, his blankets tucked in neatly and his breathing steady.
Jurgen was awake.
He was lying on his side, his hunting knife resting beside his pillow. His gaze was fixed on the window.
Lu Yuan stood at the door for two seconds.
He didn't go in.
He turned and returned to his own room.
A file sat on his desk. It was just a few thin pages, secured with a Nightwatchers’ watermark seal. The handwriting on the seal belonged to Glock; it had likely been delivered while he was talking to Bo Er.
Lu Yuan opened it and read through.
It contained basic information for the gathering the day after tomorrow.
Time: Morning. Location: Inner city, Count's Mansion.
Participants: Polymath Tower representatives, Church representatives, Ascension Society representatives, Nightwatchers, the Iron Guard commander, and Holy Armored Army representatives.
Nightwatchers attendance list: Kraus, Lu Yuan.
Lu Yuan closed the file and set it on the desk.
Then, he blew out the oil lamp.
The ghostly blue light of the inscriptions filtered in, tracing the outlines of the desk and the file in the darkness. Lu Yuan didn't go to sleep, as he still had his appointment with Kraus at midnight.
Midnight arrived.
The oil lamps in the corridor had been dimmed to their lowest setting, the flames shrinking to the size of a fingernail, barely casting a faint yellow glow on the walls. The Nightwatcher on duty passed by the other end of the hallway, his footsteps light, disappearing around the corner.
Lu Yuan pushed open his door and stepped out.
At the end of the corridor, light spilled from the crack beneath Kraus’s office door.
He knocked twice.
“Come in.”
Three lamps were lit in the office, making it much brighter than the corridor. Kraus sat behind his desk, a half-finished report spread before him. Beside it were two empty bottles of deep green potion and a pot of red tea that had clearly gone cold.
Evidently, he had been waiting as well.
Rate on N.U.
