After the battle ended, the area around the Nightwatchers base was a total mess.
Traces of destruction were everywhere, mingled with bloodstains that had yet to be cleared.
The air was thick with the pungent smell of gunpowder smoke and the lingering scent of evaporated holy water.
Nightwatchers busily shuttled back and forth, carrying the wounded on stretchers, while others tallied material losses or reinforced damaged defensive structures.
Lu Yuan leaned against a corridor wall, his eyes closed in rest.
The continuous combat and Sanity consumption had left him exhausted, and a faint ache throbbed in his temples.
In the corner of his vision, greyish-white text floated quietly:
【Sanity: 37/71】
The effectiveness of the basic holy water had already diminished; the third gulp only restored two points, and he estimated he wouldn't be able to do much for the next day or two.
"Lu Yuan."
A raspy voice interrupted his thoughts.
Lu Yuan opened his eyes to see Old Morgan standing before him.
The old man had changed into a clean, dark greatcoat, his hair neatly combed, making him look significantly more spirited.
However, the exhaustion and solemnity in the depths of his eyes were impossible to hide; it was clear that rushing back so quickly had cost Old Morgan dearly.
"Follow me."
Old Morgan said nothing more, merely gesturing for Lu Yuan to follow before turning and walking deeper into the corridor.
Lu Yuan followed.
The two arrived at a relatively intact small room.
Old Morgan closed the door, pulled a pen and a thick notebook from his coat, and sat down at the table.
"I have to go to the inner city to see the Viscount immediately," Old Morgan said, his gaze sharp as he looked at Lu Yuan. "Every major faction will be present; this is an emergency meeting."
"Before that, I need you to tell me the details of the Strange Dreams once more."
He flipped open the notebook, his pen hovering over the paper. "The more detailed, the better. I need to make a record. This isn't just for reference; it might even lead to a solution for your problem with the Strange Dreams."
Lu Yuan nodded and began his description.
He started from the very beginning—
That sea, as black as ink, yet with a bright white moon hanging above; the shattered ruins on the beach and the worn-down arrays.
The deep cavern in the center of the island, and the primitive houses nearby.
Finally, the Iron Whale stranded on the edge of the beach, the deep sea cultists who appeared out of nowhere, and the unnameable entities summoned forth.
Old Morgan's pen moved rapidly across the paper, recording every piece of information.
"Wait, you can actually move within the Strange Dreams?" Old Morgan's brows furrowed tightly, as this was completely different from previous intelligence.
Members previously infected by the Strange Dreams sometimes saw different things, but they were always passive recipients; no one like Lu Yuan had appeared yet, someone who could run around inside the dream.
Old Morgan, having been biased by previous experience, had assumed Lu Yuan had simply seen those things passively.
"It seems the secrets hidden within the Strange Dreams are much deeper than what has been recorded."
Old Morgan muttered to himself.
"Also," Lu Yuan's voice carried a hint of fatigue, "one of my patients, Lawson, is also infected by the Strange Dreams."
Old Morgan's hand paused, and he lifted his eyelids to look at him.
Lu Yuan continued:
"But he is different from me. In the dream, he not only stepped onto a transcendent pathway, he even seems to have become a sacrificer."
"Before he left, he told me that everyone on the Iron Whale will become 'nutrients', and that his 'kind' will be making big moves soon."
"He also said..." Lu Yuan paused for a moment. "Gelimu Port might not last much longer."
Old Morgan's pen stopped in mid-air.
"Is the information reliable? Are you certain he stepped onto a transcendent pathway within the Strange Dreams?"
"He had almost no reason to lie. I am certain he has become a transcendent; Ink was also present at the time."
A brief silence fell over the room.
A moment later, Old Morgan closed the notebook, his expression even more solemn than before.
"This intelligence is extremely important." He stood up and tucked the notebook away. "It should be useful at the meeting."
"Rest for now." Old Morgan patted Lu Yuan on the shoulder. "And don't push yourself too hard; doing so might overdraw your Sanity! That is a price you cannot afford to pay right now."
Old Morgan lit a rolled cigarette and held it in his mouth.
Lu Yuan remained seated in his chair and did not answer, because he knew exactly what Old Morgan was talking about.
However, Old Morgan was too late; his Sanity had already been somewhat overdrawn, though fortunately, it wasn't severe.
Old Morgan walked to the door, placed his hand on the handle, and glanced back at Lu Yuan:
"Wait for me to get back, then we'll discuss the next step."
Lu Yuan nodded. "Understood."
Then Old Morgan pushed the door open and left.
A strong wind gusted in from the end of the corridor, snapping his coat loudly, and his figure soon vanished into the dim corner.
Lu Yuan stared in that direction, a vague premonition rising in his heart...
After Old Morgan left, Lu Yuan went to see Mina and Brent. They were in good spirits and had managed to eat quite a bit in the safe house.
After giving them a few brief instructions, Lu Yuan went to a temporary rest area.
It was a cramped utility room that had been hastily cleared out for him to rest.
Lu Yuan sat down in a chair, gently rubbing his temples and taking a deep breath to relax as much as possible.
"Hey."
A familiar voice rang in his ear.
Lu Yuan looked up and saw Ink drifting out from the notebook in his coat.
The tiny figure condensed from ink landed on his shoulder, her pitch-black bead-like eyes staring at him with an expression much more serious than usual.
"What is it?" Lu Yuan asked, seeing Ink's grave expression.
Ink was silent for a few seconds.
Rarely, she didn't offer any snarky remarks, only saying:
"If Old Morgan really reaches an agreement with them at the meeting, there is a high probability you'll have to go out to sea to investigate."
"If you go, I'm coming with you."
Hearing this, Lu Yuan shook his head decisively. "No."
"Your previous consumption was too great, and you still haven't recovered. If you come along this time, you will inevitably have to join the fight. You might die then."
"And..." Lu Yuan looked at Ink. "Your host is Mina. She cannot leave you, and I cannot allow her to be in danger."
"Even if I requested to bring Mina, Old Morgan wouldn't agree to it."
After all, Mina was just an ordinary young girl.
She couldn't withstand the winds and waves of the sea, let alone the potential horrors and combat.
Ink opened her mouth as if to argue, but in the end, she said nothing.
She knew Lu Yuan was right.
Silence stretched between the two of them.
After a long while, Ink spoke up sullenly:
"...Then be careful yourself."
Ink's voice was very soft, carrying a trace of worry that was hard to detect.
Lu Yuan nodded. "I will."
Ink seemed a bit uncomfortable with the atmosphere; she said nothing more, her figure flashing as she dove back into the notebook.
Lu Yuan sat alone in the dim room, knowing clearly that he had to go on this voyage.
Because after last night's Strange Dreams, his experience had rarely increased by only one point, but his Sanity limit had actually decreased by four points!
If this situation occurred a few more times, he feared he wouldn't last many more nights.
Rate on N.U.
