Early morning in Gelimu Port was shrouded in a thin layer of mist.
The streets were deserted, with only a few early workers hurrying by with their tools, their exhaled breath condensing into clouds of white mist in the air.
Lu Yuan wrapped his trench coat tightly around him and walked quickly along the flagstone path.
He carried Mina's black notebook in his arms, and Ink was poking half of its head out from the edge of the book, its beady eyes darting around as it surveyed the surroundings.
"I have already prepared the knowledge light orbs."
Ink's voice came from inside the notebook, carrying a hint of pride.
"Even if you dilly-dally with Old Morgan for a while, I can hold out."
Lu Yuan looked down at it and nodded.
"Thank you for your hard work."
"Of course."
Ink snorted and retracted back into the notebook, leaving only its eyes exposed.
"This book spirit has principles; even though I live in Mina's notebook, I still prepare what needs to be prepared."
The corners of Lu Yuan's mouth turned up slightly, but he did not speak.
Soon, the outline of the Nightwatchers base appeared in his field of vision.
The grey stone walls were faintly visible in the morning mist, and the gas lamps at the entrance were still lit, emitting a dim yellow glow.
Lu Yuan took a deep breath, pushed open the main gate, and habitually walked through the small door hidden in the corner.
The Supply Management Office.
Old Morgan was sitting at his desk, which was piled high with various reports and documents; he held a pen in his hand and was annotating something.
Hearing footsteps, Old Morgan looked up, and his brow furrowed immediately upon seeing Lu Yuan and Ink.
"This early?"
He put down his pen, his cloudy eyes sizing Lu Yuan up from head to toe.
"Did something happen?"
Lu Yuan stood before the desk and did not answer immediately.
He took a deep breath and then looked Old Morgan straight in the eye.
"Old Morgan, there is something I must tell you."
Old Morgan sensed the gravity in Lu Yuan's tone; he slowly leaned back against his chair and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Speak."
Lu Yuan opened his mouth and remained silent for a few seconds before he finally spoke:
"I've been infected."
"It is the same symptom Laisen had; I call it the Strange Dreams."
As the words fell, the room suddenly became deathly quiet.
Old Morgan's hand froze in mid-air, and his originally cloudy eyes suddenly became sharp.
That gaze was like two knives piercing straight into Lu Yuan.
"What did you say?"
Old Morgan's voice was low, carrying a sense of oppressive weight like an approaching storm.
Lu Yuan did not back down; he raised his head and met Old Morgan's gaze.
"I was infected by the Strange Dreams, starting from the first time I touched Laisen's body."
"By now... it has been about two weeks."
In the next second, Old Morgan slammed his hand down and stood up abruptly.
"Bang!"
He slapped the desk, sending the documents on it flying in all directions.
"You were infected by the Strange Dreams?! Why didn't you say something earlier?!"
Old Morgan's voice suddenly rose, and the wrinkles on his face twisted together in anger.
"Do you know how dangerous the Strange Dreams are? Do you know what it means for your Sanity to collapse?!"
"You fool! Do you think you're so smart that you can carry this alone?!"
Lu Yuan remained silent and ultimately said nothing.
Old Morgan's fury was like ignited gunpowder, unable to be stopped.
"Two weeks! You actually hid it for two weeks; you really are something."
He walked around the desk and came to a stop in front of Lu Yuan, his cloudy eyes filled with disappointment and anger.
"I thought you were a smart man, but look at you. You're as stupid as a pig!"
Lu Yuan pursed his lips and finally spoke:
"I'm a newcomer and didn't know the conduct of the Nightwatchers in Gelimu Port, and Laisen seemed very resistant toward the Nightwatchers..."
"So you were worried we would treat you like a monster?"
Old Morgan interrupted him, his voice carrying unmistakable anger.
"What do you take us for? What do you take the Nightwatchers for?"
"Our original purpose is to protect the citizens of the Empire! We fight against those transcendent things; we aren't butchers!"
At this moment, Ink floated out from the notebook, hovering in mid-air.
"Old man, don't get so worked up first. Let him finish speaking."
Old Morgan snapped his head around and glared at Ink.
"You are responsible too! You are a book spirit, and yet you didn't notice?"
Ink rolled its eyes and said righteously:
"I only found out two days ago, okay? I'm not omniscient and omnipotent!"
"Besides, this guy hides things deep; I only sensed it because he nearly collapsed last night."
Old Morgan's chest heaved violently, clearly trying to control his emotions.
He took a few deep breaths, turned around, and faced away from Lu Yuan.
After a long silence, he finally spoke in a raspy voice:
"Tell me, what is the situation now?"
Lu Yuan answered honestly, "Not very good."
"My Sanity has been dropping, and... it dropped particularly severely last night."
"My Sanity Barrier also has issues; only one-third of it remains."
Old Morgan's back stiffened slightly.
He turned around, the anger on his face having largely faded, replaced by a complex expression.
There was anger and disappointment, but more than that, there was worry.
"One-third... I suppose your luck is decent, having learned the Sanity Bar... Wait? When did you learn the Sanity Barrier?"
A flash of surprise crossed Old Morgan's eyes.
"Even if you are a genius, you aren't a God-chosen transcendent after all. How could you learn it so quickly?"
Seeing Old Morgan's suspicious gaze, Ink coughed and spoke up:
"Uh, actually, I performed a knowledge infusion on him."
"I see. In that case, the fact that you're still alive means it wasn't your time to die yet!"
Old Morgan muttered to himself, seemingly processing this information.
Then he paced back and forth in the room, his footsteps sounding exceptionally clear in the silence.
"Something like the Strange Dreams can actually be treated in the early stages."
Old Morgan stopped and looked at Lu Yuan.
"Back when the ore was brought back, a small number of Nightwatchers were infected with that strange illness of dreaming about the sea, but fortunately, the Empire has a province called the Land of Dreams."
"There is a third-rank transcendent there; his profession is 'Dreamweaver,' and he entered transcendence through dreams."
"He can enter others' dreams and forcibly sever your ability to dream, so that the Strange Dreams you mentioned will no longer have a connection with you."
Lu Yuan's eyes lit up, and a spark of hope ignited in his heart.
But Old Morgan's next words were like a bucket of cold water poured over him.
"However..."
Old Morgan sighed, his voice carrying a sense of helplessness.
"This treatment needs to happen right when the Strange Dreams begin; we've tested this..."
"You have already been infected for two weeks. If it weren't for the Sanity Barrier acting as a safety net for you, you would be dead by now..."
Lu Yuan frowned upon hearing this but ultimately said nothing; if he had to do it over again, there was a high probability he still wouldn't have confessed to the Nightwatchers.
After all, under those circumstances, the choices he made were already the optimal ones.
Old Morgan looked at his expression and waved his hand.
"It's not entirely without a solution."
"But it will take time, resources, and your cooperation."
Rate on N.U.
