The Great Rift of All Things

The 1773 Arcane Library is located in Section 1.

It is very close to the Nine Realms Station, only an hour's drive away. After crossing 180 kilometers of basalt caves and arriving at the Moho, when you see the colorful gabbro, the First Transportation Department will not be far away.

Early in the morning, Jiang Xueming made a video call to his elder brother Ye Bei in his hometown to wish him a Happy New Year, and then boarded a train with Liuxing to the jurisdiction of the Transportation Bureau.

Unfortunately, this intercity express train does not have VIP carriages or transfer stations; its final destination is called [Magic City Balason].

On the special day of the first day of the Lunar New Year, apart from Xue Ming and Liu Xing, there were only the train crew members and no other passengers traveling with them.

Looking out the car window at the road signs and the colorful, star-studded intrusive rock formations, I saw the Ghibli intrusive rock.

Xue Ming was lost in thought, with only one idea in his mind—

--Hopefully I can find something useful in the large library.

Meteor was still catching up on sleep. Last night, he received a call from Mr. Jason and was scolded for half an hour. Then he received a call from Teacher Victor and was scolded for another half hour.

Jason hates cockroach jokes.

Victor received the news and was very dissatisfied with Meteor's eldest apprentice's deliberate destruction of the manuscript copy.

However, these are just trivial matters.

A Xing sleeps very quietly; you can see his strong, powerful chest rising and falling slowly. There is no snoring, and he doesn't seem to be dreaming.

During this leisurely time, Jiang Xueming went to the staff lounge to ask a flight attendant about the jurisdiction of the Transportation Department.

The flight attendant was a man in his thirties or older, with a rugged face and a clean-cut appearance. His short hair and uniform gave him a neat and tidy look. He immediately greeted Xue Ming, an Asian woman.

Happy New Year! What's up?

Jiang Xueming walked into the staff break room, found a folding chair, and sat down.

He took out his notebook, ready to sit down and have a long talk.

"Happy New Year, flight attendant! I'd like to ask why this transportation bureau building is located in Nansha? There's only one station there? Are there no other stations?"

"Yes, there's only one station. As for why it's located here, the Transportation Department usually chooses locations in extremely difficult situations. If a railway can't be built in a certain place, and the engineering equipment can't dig a new road, it means that the terrain here is treacherous and the geology is complex, like the boundary between the Pacific Plate and the East Asian continent, where there are huge differences in depth and elevation underground due to plate movement. This is a natural barrier that is difficult for humans to overcome. The Arcane Library was chosen here to provide technical support and conduct environmental research and investigation work in advance for the engineering teams that will overcome the natural barriers in the future."

Why is it called Balason?

"Balason was once the Blue Stone People's favorite insecticide. It is a highly toxic insecticide. A thousand years ago, the Lapis Lazuli Guards used it as an enchanting potion for their weapons. It smells strongly of garlic—which later became a rumor in the marketplace that garlic could repel vampires."

"So that's how it is?"

"Until seventy years ago, this miraculous insecticide finally received an official name, and the area under the jurisdiction of the Transportation Department where the Arcane Library was located was renamed the Magic City · Balasong."

"The Red Stone People used mustard pheromones to drive away White Lady, while the Blue Stone People used insecticides to deal with White Lady."

"That's right. Is there anything else you'd like to ask, sir?"

"I saw a section of the railway map in my passenger log. These places," Jiang Xueming turned to the newly added page of the log, "only passengers who have undergone metamorphosis are qualified to glimpse parts of the Abyssal Railway's route: "These places are abandoned old towns."

Xue Ming's finger followed the markings on the logbook pages, moving to the edge of the Pacific section.

Starting from the Spratly Islands, the route travels upstream, passing through Hokkaido, Japan, until it reaches the Bering Strait.

Why have these border areas turned black?

The flight attendant's tone was eerily calm. "Because they are close to the realm of the dead, these stations often lose contact during Spirit Calamity. The closer a station is to the Pacific Plate, the higher the concentration of Spirit Calamity."

Jiang Xueming was filled with intense curiosity. "What's beneath the Pacific Ocean seabed?"

The flight attendant thought for a moment, searching his memory for relevant information. "There's oil and a volcano."

Jiang Xueming pressed further, "What's next? The excavation area for the Abyssal Railway is further down, right?"

Flight attendant. "No one has ever been there."

Jiang Xueming: "Can't dig any further? Or is it that the special geological conditions make it difficult for the engineering equipment to operate?"

Flight attendant. "Digging through the Mohorovičić discontinuity is incredibly difficult. Human drilling capabilities have only reached depths of over 10,000 meters. At that depth, the geothermal environment reaches temperatures of 100 degrees Celsius, causing engineering equipment to begin to harden and become unusable. This was a great achievement created by the former Soviet Union."

Jiang Xueming: "But the BOSS can build a station 17,000 meters underground."

Flight attendant. "That's because it spent countless hours modifying the underground ventilation cavities and underground water circulation channels—and ancient giants paved the way and built structures for it. But now, with our human wisdom and strength alone, we cannot conquer the Mohorovičić discontinuity. It will probably be very difficult to go deeper into the Pacific Ocean's underground world."

Jiang Xueming remained silent.

The flight attendant then explained the reasons in detail.

"We've found an entrance, a perilous pass reminiscent of an epic legend. It will take us beneath the seabed of the Pacific Plate."

"Where?"

"Further north of the Siberia permafrost, near the North Sea, lies an underground world of towering, snow-capped peaks, completely different from the natural environment. This is what you often hear about on the radio: Districts 68 and 79 of the Northern Territory —these underground mountains are bitterly cold, with temperatures fluctuating between 11 and -50 degrees Celsius depending on the season. Three seasons of the year are marked by gale-force winds of force 8, making it feel like stepping onto the border of the land of the dead, the homeland of the Frost Giant. Even geothermal activity cannot affect its natural temperature."

"Has someone gone to explore this area?"

"They were pioneers from the Soviet era who crossed this frigid, maddening mountain range, discovered countless ruins of giants, and finally stopped at Red Star Hill."

"Red Star Hill? This is where my friend was going. Why did we stop here? Is this place dangerous?"

"It's extremely dangerous. As for why we stopped exploring—because there's no way out. This place is the entrance to the Pacific Underworld, a vast, seemingly endless, muddy Dead Sea, an ocean beneath the sea, darkness within shadows. Just as described in mythology, it's perpetually shrouded in dioxin-laden toxic fumes that can cause hallucinations. Newborns here don't survive more than a week. Adults who live here will die within seven years at most. It has another name in Northern Europe: Niflheim. The roots of the World Tree are here; it's also the land of the dead."

"Anything else?"

"The area that can be explored by human means is a continuous fossil forest stretching for tens of kilometers near the beachhead of Red Star Hill. The lighting conditions are poor, the climate is cold, and machinery becomes extremely fragile due to the brittleness of metals. Some researchers have tried to salvage sediments from the ocean, which are full of highly toxic chiral molecules."

"Chiral molecules." Jiang Xueming, who came from a background in chemical engineering and batteries, knew the meaning of this term. It refers to molecules that are asymmetrical but have similar structures. To explain it in detail, he would need to use an analogy.

Just like when people look in a mirror, the reflection in the mirror is by no means the real world.

When a human figure is reversed left to right, and then translated into a chemical formula, the molecular structure is also reversed left to right, often resulting in strange, novel, bizarre, and terrifying substances.

"If you have any understanding of chirality, based on my years of experience traveling back and forth in the Arcane Library— " the flight attendant smiled mysteriously, "the Flash Butterfly in nature and the Red Flash Butterfly in the underground world might be two creatures that follow the rules of chirality. They are similar, yet completely different."

Methamphetamine contains one chiral carbon atom.

If it is in a left-handed state, it is a panacea for treating mental illness.

If it is in a right-handed state, it becomes a hallucinogenic drug that is addictive.

Similar molecular structures include catecholamine neurotransmitters, which are also used to treat cardiovascular diseases.

According to the flight attendant—

--In this Dead Sea shrouded in toxic fumes, its mudflats are composed of substances with these chiral molecules. It would probably require the introduction of massive amounts of racemic agents to restore it to a natural environment suitable for human habitation.

After a long silence, the flight attendant slowly spoke, "Actually, this is nothing. We've only found the entrance to hell. What's truly difficult to overcome are the gatekeepers of hell."

"Are there still creatures living in this ocean?" Jiang Xueming found it hard to imagine what kind of life could be nurtured in such a miserable and evil environment.

The flight attendant gestured and patiently explained.

"To be specific, they shouldn't be considered living creatures, but rather inanimate objects similar to those bound by runes—mountain trolls and giants of varying sizes roam this area. They are active in the near-shore region, and their flesh and blood decay and wither away as the Vita Imprint erodes them, from which grow enormous Madness Butterfly. These pure black butterflies have wingspans ranging from six meters to over thirty meters."

Jiang Xueming thought of the Blood Offering Church of the Skull and Bones Society. He originally thought it was just an exaggerated religious sculpting technique, but he didn't expect that the Madness Butterfly flying out of the giant's body could actually reach that size.

The flight attendant continued—

"--These Madness Butterfly, born amidst the harsh environment, perish and fall into the mudflats, becoming part of the chiral molecules. The giants' feet tread upon this cold sediment, absorbing the toxic elements within. Their broken bodies constantly regenerate and crumble, driven by the worm nests within them, propelling them onward. They provide the mudflats with more human sediment, acting as gatekeepers for Niflheim. Perhaps that dark ocean behind them is the legendary Golden Gallon, the legendary astral plane, the beginning and end of life on Earth."

The scenery outside the window changes slowly over time.

Man-made structures were increasing, initially consisting of scattered post stations and locomotive depot power towers.

Later, it became a satellite town and artificial vegetable garden greenhouse within the jurisdiction.

The view along the railway line suddenly opens up, allowing you to see the intercity road several kilometers away in the distance.

After listening to the flight attendant's description of the Red Star Mountains, Jiang Xueming took a deep breath, feeling a chill for Mr. Jason.

If what the flight attendant said is true, Mr. Jason's journey is likely fraught with peril, a near-death experience.

Jason's keen Inspiration will lead him to see hordes of ancient creatures and the gates to the land of the dead.

The brave Slavs built a railway right up to the gates of hell, only to be stopped at the gates by these giants. Perhaps one step forward would have led to an endless road, or perhaps to a dead sea with no value for exploration.

Silently noting down this information, Jiang Xueming thanked the flight attendant and prepared to leave.

The train is about to stop at the station, and the train attendant needs to give a few more instructions.

"Let's get back to the Arcane Library! Young man, this is the city of the Lapis Lazuli Guards, the territory of the Blue Stone People. After you get off the vehicle, follow the rules. Don't ask too many questions, and don't wander around aimlessly. Criminals in the underworld have a million tricks up their sleeves, and the Lapis Lazuli guards who are responsible for escorting you don't like to gossip with strangers—if you're just here to read, then read quietly."

Jiang Xueming understood the flight attendant's unspoken meaning and thought to himself.

Given the BOSS's temperament, any criminal who would be spared and escorted alive by Qingjin to Balason for trial is probably no innocent victim; they are likely a "big shot" whose actions warrant execution as a warning to others.

Qingjin was already exhausted from dealing with the people being escorted. If I were to gossip with them now, these hot-tempered police officers would probably send me to detention on charges of obstructing official business.

Think of Professor Victor's waiter, the Bloodhound, who always looked like someone owed her millions, dealt with criminals year-round, and was filled with negativity in every aspect of his life.

Xue Ming nodded his thanks, then immediately ran back to the carriage and woke A Xing.

"--I'm getting off the bus."

A Xing rolled over groggily, blinked a few times, and immediately shouted, "We're here? We've arrived? I'm going to see Grandma Wolf?"

Xue Ming earnestly advised, "When we go into town later, don't wander around or talk to strangers."

A Xing pouted. "Why?"

Xue Ming told Liuxing the whole story, including everything about the Red Star Mountains. A Xing immediately became serious, stopped thinking about anything else, and prepared to focus on serving Grandma Wolf.

A Xing looked worried. "Should we talk to Brother Jason about this?"

Jiang Xueming shook his head. "His stone is Lapis Lazuli, and he knows more about Red Star Hill than we do. I believe he was already aware of this."

Xue Ming didn't bring any luggage, making the trip to the library very safe. This area was the most dangerous part of the Nine Realms Station and also the Transportation Department of the Research Station, so there was no need to carry a gun.

A Xing got out of the car with Xue Ming. When he heard that Jason was going to such a godforsaken place, the kid was completely distracted the whole way.

"Ming-ge, Ming-ge, Ming-ge"

"Yes, I'm listening." Jiang Xueming led the way, following the station announcement.

Balason is known as the Magic City. The city's train station, which resembles an old-fashioned British station from Harry Potter, is filled with brass and chrome steel pipes, orderly platforms, and towering observation towers, making it feel like Azkaban, a magnificent prison for serious criminals.

The two walked out of the train station and did not see a square, but rather the entrance to a stone path that gradually rose in elevation. As they climbed uphill, they saw winding roads on both sides and various old wooden storefront signs.

Occasionally, there are lavishly decorated shops, but they mostly sell oddly shaped lucky charms or sacred objects, uniquely designed ammunition, and explosive flasks for heavy crossbows, used to deal with blood-soaked monsters.

The commercial potions used by hunters are readily available everywhere. Even the Guangling San buns that increase physical vitality are developed and produced at the Research Station and sold all over the world.

The Blue Stone School's trademarks are divided into two major groups.

One clan is the totem of Vancleef the Great Wolf, representing the Lapis Lazuli Guards.

Another group consists of rulers and compasses, both drafting tools, and their school of thought is called the Fools' Workshop.

Lapis Lazuli Guards are mostly hunters who capture criminals.

Fools' Workshop is home to people who create game guides, produce hunter equipment, and conduct biological research in the underground world.

Jiang Xueming glanced at the shops. There were also Magic Wand workshops that specialized in designing specializations for radiant stones and customizing sticks—but he didn't have time to go in and browse. He could come and visit another time.

The two began climbing up a sparsely populated stone path to the City Hall, 700 meters away. Following the guide's map, they boarded a mounted police carriage and headed east towards the Arcane Library.

Along the way, Bu Liuxing talked about Jason.

"Ming Ge, I want to go to the Red Star Mountains with Jason -ge."

"Yes, it's dangerous there."

"I know it's dangerous, but if we go together, we'll definitely find a way!"

"You're not going to try to persuade him? Instead, you're trying to persuade me?"

"Because I like 3301."

"Your leaps of thought are too absurd; you need to speak slowly."

"I like Teacher San San. I think Jason Wendy, Jason's former waiter, was also a very important person to Jason. I would never persuade him to give up this journey."

That makes sense.

"I believe there's strength in numbers. Why don't we set a time to go to this godforsaken place with him and crush his inner demons!"

"Good."

"Ming Ge, you said yes?"

"I agreed."

"It's that simple?"

"Otherwise what?"

"Hehehe, I thought you'd scold me first, then say something like, 'Life is more important, safety comes first,' all the same old thing."

Jiang Xueming handed over his passenger ID to the staff, lazily yawned, and turned to mutter to A Xing.

"Jason Megan is our chef; he can't die. Besides, he's been through thick and thin with us during the Skull and Bones Society trip. I must sacrifice myself for him. This isn't the time to be cowardly; it's the time to stand together through thick and thin."

Meteor's eyes lit up, and he patted Brother Xue Ming's shoulder forcefully.

"Wow! Ming Ge! Every time you get talkative, I feel so energized! Say a few more words, please!"

Jiang Xueming shrugged, pursed his lips, made a strange expression, and said nothing more.

Even after the two boarded the carriage, the coachman and hunter in the front seat looked dejected and complaining about everything, as if he hadn't slept well.

The meteor finally couldn't resist and decided to have a blast making friends.

"Brother! Why are you using a horse-drawn carriage? Can't you afford a motorcycle? Can't you use an electric car? Is your city government particularly poor? No, wait a minute, aren't research cities all rolling in money? This doesn't make sense! Is it just because it's handsome? It is indeed very handsome. Is your horse good-natured? Will it kick me? If it doesn't kick me, can I be friends with it? Brother, what's your zodiac sign? What are the zodiac signs of these two horses?"

Xue Ming tried to stop him, but failed, and felt extremely regretful.

The driver's eyes were bloodshot, and from his wide-brimmed hat and dark passenger coat, one could clearly sense intense Inspiration Pressure.

This guy was extremely annoyed and nearly driven mad by the enthusiastic Red Stone People.

Finally, a hoarse growl came from the scarf, as if in defiance, suppressing his frenzied emotions, and answered in a thick, husky voice.

"This place is a dead zone. In order to reduce carbon emissions and pollution, and to create a good environment for the Research Station's vegetable garden, most people travel by horse-drawn carriage. The freight station occasionally uses large diesel-powered vehicles to haul goods. Our passenger station is very retro in every aspect of life, from clothing and food to accommodation and transportation."

Xue Ming quickly said, "Thank you!"

Meteor wanted to ask a few more questions, but Xue Ming immediately covered her mouth.

Upon arrival at the destination, the Arcane Library presented a completely different scene.

Amidst a complex network of low-rise buildings lies a comprehensive residential area spanning 35 square kilometers—almost the size of a provincial capital-level university town.

The living and learning areas are fully equipped and diverse, and a huge sign hangs above the main building's entrance, reading "[Galahad Magic Academy]".

Bu Liuxing was almost driven mad with excitement, and he was about to tell the gatekeeper about enrolling in school.

Jiang Xueming grabbed the large dog that had slipped from his grasp and headed towards the Arcane Library. They switched from a large carriage to a smaller one. In the dark campus road, they could see the mottled luster of gabbro among the buildings and the starry-sky-colored paint on the high dome.

After just a few minutes' drive, the two entered the main book depository and headed towards the main hall.

The staff at the boardroom counter were neatly dressed and prepared to ask the two passengers for their identification.

The enormous cotton chair behind the counter was about thirty meters wide.

--Van Vancleef wolf lay sprawled on a chair, like a guardian of the city, welcoming every little one who came to visit the Arcane Library.

The meteor stammered, barely able to contain its excitement.

He saw Vancleef's body covered in layers of fine fur that resembled blue, gold, and gray yarn, his wolf-like jaws and golden eyes. He almost wanted to rush into his grandmother's arms and give him a good pat.

Xue Ming had already raised his fist, ready to deal with any emergency—he regretted not bringing a gun; at least when A Xing went berserk, a bullet could break the kid's leg.

"Grandma! Grandma! I've come to see you! I've come to the Great Library to study!"

Vancleef immediately jumped off the cotton chair, his huge wolf head shoving past the two female clerks to get close to the counter, and took a deep breath at the shooting star.

In that instant, the shooting star could no longer laugh.

He felt as if his entire body had been licked by a foul-smelling tongue.

The spiritual pressure emanating from this ferocious and ruthless ancient creature as it stared at its prey almost suffocated him; patches of wheals and red spots quickly appeared on his skin, an allergic reaction to stress.

A deep female voice came from the wolf's throat. "I don't know you, why are you calling me grandma?"

Meteor immediately said, "3301 is my waitress! I want to marry her!"

Vancleef tilted his head and thought carefully, as if searching through more than two hundred names in a family tree, and then searching through more than two hundred direct descendants for even more grandchildren's names, before finally remembering this unfamiliar granddaughter.

"Oh, I see," it said, shrinking back, jumping onto the large chair, and continuing to maintain its elegant and dignified paralyzed posture.

Meteor: "That's it? It's over?"

Xue Ming whispered a reminder: "Otherwise what? With so many children, would it chat with each one of them? Even with its powerful spiritual essence, it would go crazy. The fact that it replied to you is already a favor. Meteor, wake up. The fact that it didn't ask you for betrothal gifts means it has already accepted you."

"I can hear everything, no need for private discussions," Vancleef said immediately. "But the Nameless One is right, Bu Liuxing —your physical constitution is exceptional. I believe you are qualified to join my clan; your blood is the best dowry."

Vancleef, this ancient beast, expresses his marriage proposal in a very straightforward way, without any euphemism or concealment.

Meteor didn't know how to respond for a moment, so she could only nod vigorously. She was immediately pulled by Xue Ming to the inner hall to find a book to read.

Meeting the Big Bad Wolf was like going through a simple formality. If there is another opportunity to study at the library or at the Galahad Magic Academy in the future, there may be a chance to learn more about her.

After explaining his purpose to the library's guide, Xue Ming learned that this [Galahad Magic Academy] was an exclusive institution for passengers.

--After acquiring Soul Power, passengers experience a long period of inactivity. During this time, they find it difficult to understand the true power of Soul Power or to skillfully utilize it for combat and survival.

During the four stages of pupation, cocooning, emergence, and adulthood, you can apply to the BOSS to study at this school.

The process of finding the book catalog doesn't take long.

This ancient Arcane Library contains not only original paper texts but also easily circulated e-book versions.

According to the guide, ancient books that are over a hundred years old are printed using lead, aluminum, copper, and nickel as printing blocks.

After all, hard drives are very fragile electronic hardware and are prone to bad sectors during data migration. Even the loss of just one compressed file is a huge loss. Therefore, both physical documents and electronic archives are needed to preserve this precious knowledge.

The book Jiang Xueming wanted happened to be the dragon-slaying technique that most of the passengers wanted to learn.

Homo sapiens are apex predators, and their hunting instincts make the passengers extremely concerned about the [Gate of Death] of other creatures.

These kinds of books are easy to find.

--Someone compiled a combined edition based on ancient books from different eras.

Author: Hunter King

Book Title: The Great Rift of All Things (1984 Combined Edition)

Everything has cracks, that's how the light gets in.

[--Leonardo Cohen, "Ode"]

When the e-reader was delivered to Jiang Xueming, the first thing he saw upon opening the book was this simple and concise title and preface—it was like a textbook from forty years ago.

Meteor also got a copy, and the two found a seat nearby and began to devour this bible that described the weaknesses and Gate of Death flaws of underground creatures.

This inhalation lasts all day.