The Three Divine Staircases

"Because of the cemetery's influence, ordinary people's bodies have weakened, causing them to be influenced by the thoughts of higher lifeforms outside the city walls during their dreams, leading to their degeneration into ghouls... This!

Even separated by a giant city wall, they can cause degeneration through dreams.

What kind of beings are these newly emerged higher species!?"

Han Dong had originally thought that the origin of 'ghouls' was due to some plague spreading, but unexpectedly, it was related to something outside the city walls.

"Furthermore, this also explains.

The essence of ghouls has a certain relationship with the things outside the city walls... Therefore, goggles need to be worn to reduce visual pollution.

Why am I unaffected?

Is it because the 'Faceless Head' itself is immune?"

Han Dong recorded all his speculations in his notebook to be slowly verified later.

The characteristics of the ghouls were also recorded, including [Immense Strength], [Swift Movement], [Fungal Properties], and [Certain Regeneration].

A ghoul arm, elastic like rubber, was placed on the desktop.

The next second, Han Dong directly took the arm into the Portable Prison.

Before entering the sterile laboratory, he used the sterile bag in the buffer room to isolate the arm, preventing the fungi from spreading and contaminating the sterile room.

What Han Dong needed to consider now was the issue of the arm.

He had to find a way to solve the problem of his own weak body... The best solution Han Dong could think of was to utilize the 'Weight Limit'.

"All Cellular Essence has been injected, and the 'Weight Limit' has increased by 2 points (Ghoul Sample)."

First, he injected the ghoul's Cellular Essence into the Cell Cluster, which was much lower than expected... With this, the additional weight value that Han Dong could currently control was 27 points.

"How can I view the relevant attribute values of this arm? Previously, it was through contact with the Cell Cluster... So, what about now?"

Just as Han Dong was asking himself this, a voice from the head echoed in the sterile room.

"Please place the body you wish to use on the detection platform."

"Detection platform?"

When Han Dong turned his head, a clean countertop had appeared beside him. Besides a long, thin tubular scanner, there were no other instruments.

Detecting that foreign objects had been placed on the platform.

The scanner began to work, and in less than a minute, a paper report was generated from the side.

[Mature Ghoul Arm] (Name displayed in green font)

Quality: High-quality

≮Quality is divided from low to high as follows:

Gray (Rough) → White (Normal) → Green (High-quality) → Blue (Rare) → Purple (Unique) → Pink (Epic) → Gold (Legendary) → Dark Gold (Imperial)≯

Weight Requirement: 22 points.

Base: Strength is slightly greater than that of a normal person.

Characteristics:

1. [Claws] - Can cut hardwood and some loosely structured stone at maximum.

2. [Graveyard Fungi] - When dealing damage to a target, it will also infect the target.

Note: The arm can undergo homogenization upgrades – modification, virus injection, arcane enhancement, etc., can all improve the arm's quality and grant additional attributes.

"Basically, all characteristics have been inherited, and the weight requirement is met... If I accept it, will my arm also become like this?"

While Han Dong was worried about changes in his physique, the system prompt sounded again:

"Assimilated limbs can be 'disguised' according to the host's requirements. This function is provided by the Faceless Head."

With this, Han Dong no longer had any concerns. His weak body could finally undergo some change.

"Arm being connected, weight limit: 122/127"

Over the next two days.

Nicholas's family underwent earth-shattering changes.

The school district housing was allocated one day in advance.

A two-story detached house with a basement in Victorian style, located opposite the road from the Royal Knights Academy, with a river view. The interior decoration featured metal art combined with marble.

As the whole family, carrying their luggage, left the Samai residential area... His mother and Nina, sitting in the carriage, both burst into tears.

Han Dong looked bewildered, only watching the scenery by the river.

"Thank you, brother."

"Mm."

Using less than ten copper coins from a bag of copper coins, they managed to buy a full set of furniture.

Additionally, at Han Dong's suggestion, they spent another twenty-five copper coins to purchase slightly modified steam horses. These were more stable and easier to handle than regular horses, making it convenient for Nina to visit the mechanical workshop daily.

After all, the river-view apartment came with a stable. Metal horses were a common mode of transport, with middle-class families owning at least one for convenience.

Han Dong considered that his upcoming knight training would be entirely immersive, with home visits only during breaks. He contemplated whether to hire a nanny for Nicholas's mother.

However, his mother insisted she didn't need anyone, stating she couldn't adapt to being served. Han Dong didn't press the matter.

Besides, Nina would return from the mechanical workshop before nightfall and stay with his mother.

Everything was arranged.

The scheduled third day for registration arrived.

At 07:00 in the morning, Han Dong received a 'call' from the clockwork device worn on his wrist.

"Valen Nicholas, please follow the device's guidance and arrive at the Knight-Errant registration office within the academy by 08:30 to activate your knight card and receive your freshman handbook."

When the call ended, the clockwork device, after Han Dong's research over the past few days, changed into a 'pointer' form.

Han Dong hailed a carriage. It followed the academy's nearly invisible outer wall for about half an hour before he finally saw the gates of the Royal Knights Academy.

This demonstrated just how vast the academy was.

A bronze gate, infused with advanced mechanical craftsmanship, stood before him. The center of the gate bore a massive knight emblem – "Two swords crossed above a white horse's head."

Han Dong quickly inserted the golden Knight-Errant card into a slot on the side of the gate.

Clank, clank! Rumble, rumble!

Steam power drove the gears within the gate, and it slowly opened.

It wasn't the campus scene of grass and flowers he had imagined.

Before him stood a pure white staircase, a hundred meters high. The sides of the staircase were enclosed by walls, with only one path leading upward.

This staircase was the Ares' Stair.

Speaking of 'staircases,' it's necessary to discuss the basic structure of the Holy City - Neunter.

As a national-level city-state, the Holy City's area covered half of Italos.

The national system was a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system.

The apocalyptic environment, the special talent screening mechanism of the Destiny Space, and the parliamentary monarchy management led to distinct class divisions within the Holy City.

The difference between these classes wasn't merely economic; it was also related to 'ability.'

Therefore, during the initial construction phase of the Holy City - Neunter, after a decision by the council, a comprehensive renovation of the inner city was undertaken.

The plan was named "Three Divine Staircases."

The first tier of staircases – there were three in total: Ares' Stair, Hermes' Stair, and Artemis' Stair.

The second tier of staircases – there were two in total: Poseidon's Stair and Apollo's Stair.

The third tier of staircases – there was only one: Zeus' Stair.

(Legend has it there's also a fourth tier, Hades' Stair, hidden beneath the surface, in the deepest part.)

The construction of the Three Divine Staircases divided the Holy City into four urban districts.

The altitude difference between these urban districts was at least fifty meters.

If the outermost city walls were breached, only the outer civilian areas would fall.

Simultaneously, a second metal city wall, a hundred meters high, would rise from the bottom of the Moslaby River, ensuring the safety of the areas above the first tier.

The Ares' Stair that Han Dong faced was one of the first-tier staircases!

And also the most special one.

This was because the staircase only permitted passage to 'knights' of Knight-Errant rank and above.

It led directly to the Royal Knights Academy on the second level of the Holy City.