After the "surgery" in the clinic ended, Lu Yuan did not rush to rest.
Lawson's mutation was only the beginning.
Since the Strange Dreams had begun to accelerate their erosion of reality, he had to grasp more bargaining chips as soon as possible.
In the afternoon, shortly after Lawson left, Lu Yuan changed into a clean black trench coat and took the box containing the expensive Antique Eastern Ink Block.
He headed to Old John's Tavern, which was not far away.
Passing through layers of inspection, Lu Yuan placed his badge into the lion's mouth, and the metal gates slowly swung open.
The interior of the library remained deathly silent, the pale light casting a somewhat desolate atmosphere.
"Who is it? There were no borrowing notifications for today, were there?"
A lazy and somewhat impatient voice floated down from the ceiling.
Lu Yuan looked up and saw a mass of pitch-black shadow hanging upside down from the chandelier, looking like a resting bat.
Lu Yuan focused his gaze; it was the book spirit, Ink.
"It's me. The item I promised you before."
Lu Yuan didn't waste words and directly pulled the exquisite red brocade box from his coat, gently opening it.
A rich and unique fragrance of ink instantly permeated the air.
This was not the cheap alchemical ink from the Supply Exchange, but a genuine antique ink block from the East that had matured for decades.
"Gulp—"
A very distinct swallowing sound came from the ceiling.
In the next second, the mass of shadow that had been acting cold and aloof suddenly dripped down from the chandelier, pouncing directly onto the table in front of Lu Yuan.
At this moment, Ink acted like a puppy, frantically wagging a non-existent tail at the brocade box.
Lu Yuan couldn't help but find the sight a bit ridiculous.
Was the treatment of a transcendent creature serving as the head of the Nightwatchers Library really this poor?
Lu Yuan pushed the brocade box forward.
"Wah-hoo!"
Ink cheered as the entire mass of black shadow instantly expanded, looking like a large mouth that directly swallowed the ink cake whole.
Following a series of teeth-gritting "crunch-crunch" chewing sounds, the runes on Ink's body flashed with a rhythmic glow.
Once Ink finished chewing the ink block, he realized Lu Yuan was staring directly at him.
Ink felt a bit embarrassed and faked a cough before finally speaking.
"Wait, you don't have something to ask of me, do you..."
Lu Yuan revealed a faint smile and spoke slowly, "I need advanced books on mental defense and deep sea creature handbooks. The more detailed, the better."
These requirements were things Lu Yuan had already planned out.
Mental defense was an idea Lu Yuan had developed.
Because based on his recent experiences—whether it was the Abyssal Kin, Brent's mutated uncle, or the agglomerate in the sewers.
They all shared a common trait: when one looked directly at them, their Sanity would suffer a violent impact!
From the conversation between Old Morgan and Hans, he knew that except for the Knowledge Pathway, the Sanity values of other transcendent pathways were not very high.
This made Lu Yuan suddenly realize: how did they face the Eerie without losing control despite such low Sanity?
There was only one answer: they all had ways to improve their Sanity.
Lu Yuan knew he probably couldn't get his hands on alchemical items that increased Sanity; when he visited the Supply Exchange, he saw many alchemical weapons but not a single Sanity-related alchemical item.
So, it was highly likely that methods to increase Sanity resilience existed that he was unaware of.
As for the deep sea, that was even simpler; most of what Gelimu Port was currently facing was related to the deep sea, so knowing more was always better.
"Belch—"
Ink couldn't help but let out a black burp, his beady eyes rolling up as he gave Lu Yuan a sidelong glance.
"I knew it, not a single one of you Nightwatchers is any good..."
Ink grumbled while pulling the ink block Lu Yuan gave him closer to his chest.
Although it was against the rules, Ink felt obligated after accepting the gift, so he opened his mouth and spat out two heavy books coated in black slime.
Basic Structure of Sanity Barriers
Illustrated Handbook of Deep Sea Creatures: From Eggs to Adults
"The knowledge content of these two books is just right for a beginner on the Knowledge Pathway like you!"
"Remember, there won't be a next time! Just leave them there when you're done."
As Ink spoke, he flapped his tiny wings and dragged the red box away, flying off to parts unknown.
Lu Yuan didn't mind; Ink, the administrator, was clearly a tsundere little thing—sharp-tongued but soft-hearted.
"How interesting."
Lu Yuan picked up the books, found a chair leaning against a bookshelf, and began to flip through Basic Structure of Sanity Barriers.
'Sanity is an essential resource for humans when facing the essence of the world, but the strength of Sanity is innate. To find ways to enhance Sanity, I propose...'
As Lu Yuan read deeper.
Grayish-white text began to dance across his retina.
【Your understanding of Sanity has become more holistic. You have gained new knowledge, Forbidden Lore: Seeker: +1.】
【Analyzing the construction method of Sanity barriers... You have gained a preliminary grasp of the application of Sanity. New skill unlocked: Basic Sanity Barrier (1/3).】
While Lu Yuan was immersed in absorbing knowledge, Ink appeared out of nowhere and said nonchalantly:
"By the way, here's a free piece of information for you."
"A couple of days ago, a fellow with a 'stinking fish smell' came to check the archives."
Ink spoke with a tone of disgust, "Even though he wore a lot of strong perfume, I could smell it. He emitted an abnormal aura."
"However, everything he did was according to the rules, so I didn't pay him any mind."
Lu Yuan's hand flipping the pages suddenly stopped: "Whom did he check?"
"He checked many people, including you, of course."
Ink extended a black tentacle and drew a circle on the table, "He looked over your employment file and even marked several names."
Lu Yuan's pupils constricted suddenly.
Someone was targeting him?
One had to know that in the reports, Lu Yuan's name had been intentionally omitted, and his contributions were converted into points precisely to lower his profile.
Before joining, he was officially brought in under the guise of an emergency conscription, and quite a few people were brought in that way.
Lu Yuan was just one of them; the people the Nightwatchers brought in were a mix of real and fake, all intended to serve as protection.
But clearly, that person's rank was high enough to bypass the reports and find his true background.
Lu Yuan thanked Ink.
Suppressing the uneasy emotions in his heart, he did not intend to sit and wait for death.
"Ink, put these books away for now. I'll read them the next time I return."
Ink looked a bit helpless, gave a perfunctory nod, and then swallowed the books in one gulp.
Leaving the library, Lu Yuan did not go home directly but instead turned toward the Supply Exchange.
The base hall looked empty, exuding an air of grim solemnity.
Rate on N.U.
