Danger and Farewell

After thinking for a while without coming up with a solution, Lu Yuan simply stopped thinking about it.

Now that things have come to this, we can only hope that nothing bad has happened to the doctor in the Outer City.

Lu Yuan glanced at Mina, who was still unconscious, and then at the dawning sky outside the window. He decided to rest for a while.

He was too exhausted tonight and needs to recover.

Finding a relatively quiet spot in a corner of the Library, Lu Yuan leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

A wave of fatigue washed over me, and my consciousness began to fade.

The dream has come true once again.

But this time, it's different from before.

There was no black ocean, nor that desolate island.

There was only emptiness.

Lu Yuan's consciousness floated in this empty world, surrounded by endless darkness, completely losing his sense of space.

Just as Lu Yuan was trying to move around and figure out where he was, he suddenly noticed a light in the distance.

It was a constantly shifting mass of colors, like a rainbow coalescing into a cluster, but even more enigmatic and dreamlike than a rainbow.

Deep Blue, dark purple, ghostly gold... colors that shouldn't exist together intertwine, constantly twisting and recombine.

Lu Yuan couldn't make out the shape of the colored mass, but he could feel something surging inside.

It's as if something is trying to convey a message.

The colors twisted more and more violently, eventually coalescing to form two words.

"Danger!"

Lu Yuan suddenly opened his eyes, before he could figure out what had happened.

At the edge of my field of vision, gray and white text danced silently:

[Sanity III: +10, 32.2/70]

Lu Yuan stared at the number, his expression grave.

10 o'clock.

The Strange Dream only adds five points each night, but this time it's doubled!

What have I seen again? I just sent away Strange Dream, and now another one has appeared?

He recalled the eerie colors in his dream, and the two words that finally coalesced into them.

Danger.

A feeling of unease welled up inside me.

"Woke up?"

Old Morgan's voice came from the side.

Lu Yuan turned his head and found Old Morgan standing not far away, his face much uglier than before he left.

"Meeting room, meeting time." Old Morgan's voice was weary. "Hans is already waiting."

The atmosphere in the meeting room was heavy.

Hans stood by the table, his face ashen, blood seeping from the bandage on his left arm, clearly the wound had reopened.

Old Morgan sat in the main seat, holding his pipe but not lighting it.

Lu Yuan walked in and sat down beside him.

"Speak," Old Morgan said.

Hans was silent for a moment, then sighed, "The doctors in the Outer City... are all dead."

Lu Yuan frowned.

"Not a single one survived," Hans continued. "Some died in the Clinic, some by the roadside; the methods varied, but all were swift and decisive—clearly they were silenced."

Old Morgan nodded, showing little surprise; clearly, he was already prepared.

"I've already arranged for people to handle things in the inner city," Old Morgan said, holding the report. "Torches are being replenished in the areas where the lights were damaged, and the bodies are being cremated. The lockdown order has been issued, so there shouldn't be any major problems for now."

He paused, his tone becoming even more somber. "But we just received news that the church has suffered heavy losses."

"Besides us Night Watcher, the Church is the place most severely impacted." Old Morgan wearily rubbed his temples. "The Holy Armor Army stationed there suffered heavy casualties; several Priest are seriously wounded and unable to carry out their duties for the time being."

"And those nuns and priests..." he sighed, "They were deliberately targeted, and because they had few means of survival, a large number of them died."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan realized the seriousness of the situation and asked, "So... 90% of the doctors in Grim Port are dead?"

Old Morgan nodded.

"Perhaps more; all the doctors in the inner city have vanished, all those in the Outer City are dead, and the church clergy have also suffered heavy casualties."

He looked at Lu Yuan, his voice heavy. "Right now, in the entire Grim Port, the only doctors we can count on... the church has only a few operational ones left, and if you include private doctors, there are at most ten."

"That includes you, of course."

Lu Yuan remained silent.

With tens of thousands of people in Grim Port, how can they rely on just a dozen or so doctors?

If there is a plague or injuries... but judging from the news, there don't seem to be many places where doctors will be needed, since most people just die.

"The Deep Sea Church's objective is clear." Old Morgan's voice interrupted Lu Yuan's thoughts, tinged with suppressed anger. "They've been targeting the doctor from the very beginning, aiming to completely paralyze Grim Port."

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. "Right now, we need to take care of the wounded. We also need to mobilize the available clergy from the church, and the doctors from the base have joined the rescue efforts."

"Patrols Outer City should be strengthened to prevent any disturbances caused by the chaos." He looked at Hans, "Go and make the arrangements."

Hans nodded and turned to leave.

After Hans left, Old Morgan called Lu Yuan back.

There's something I'd like to discuss with you.

"What?"

"That girl, Mina," Old Morgan said, "Take her to Night Watcher Headquarters while there's still a chance."

Lu Yuan was slightly taken aback, then understood what Old Morgan meant.

"Grim Port too chaotic; it's not suitable for someone with her talent to develop," Old Morgan continued. "Headquarters has better resources and mentors who can help her control that ability."

"Mo Shui will come along, Brent will go too. He can take care of Mina. Alice is going to Headquarters to report on the situation, so we can escort her. Of course, we'll have to ask your opinion on that."

Lu Yuan thought for a moment, then nodded. "No problem, I'll go talk to her."

He agreed readily because Mina really couldn't be of much help right now; even hiding in the underground Library, she would still be affected by the outside world.

Most importantly, Grim Port is dangerous, and if things don't go well, I might have to evacuate early.

Mina was already awake in the Library.

She was in slightly better condition than last night, but her face was still pale and she had heavy dark circles under her eyes.

Brent stood guard nearby, Mo Shui floating in mid-air, staring with his beady eyes at the even larger number of orbs of light around him, looking rather stuffed.

Old Morgan followed Lu Yuan in, stood at the door without going forward, and simply nodded to Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan walked up to Mina, squatted down, and briefly explained what he had just discussed with Old Morgan.

They went to the Night Watcher Headquarters, where there were better resources and mentors who could help her control her talent. Mo Shui and Brent went along, with Alice escorting them.

After listening, Mina fell silent.

"I don't want to leave," she said softly, looking up at Lu Yuan. "I want to stay and help you."

Lu Yuan shook his head, his tone resolute. "No."

"Grim Port is too dangerous now, and you can't control your talent. Staying here will only get you drowned out by those voices."

"He's right," the Mo Shui floated over, "This place isn't suitable for you, it's too noisy."

Mina bit her lip and remained silent.

Brent hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Doctor Lu... can I stay?"

Lu Yuan looked at him.

"I... I want to help." Brent's voice was a little nervous. "Ever since you took me in, I've been hiding in the base and haven't done anything..."

"Your task is to take care of Mina," Lu Yuan interrupted him, his tone calm but undeniable. "She needs you."

He looked at Mina: "Do you want your brother away from you?"

Mina paused for a moment, then instinctively looked at Brent.

Brent looked at her, a hint of apology in his eyes.

"Go to Headquarters and study hard." Lu Yuan's tone softened a bit. "When you become stronger and can control your talent, come back and help me."

"Besides, didn't you want to save patients like your uncle? Only by going there will you have a chance."

Mina remained silent for a long time before finally nodding slightly.

Old Morgan then stepped forward. "I've arranged the carriages and escorts. Alice is going to Headquarters to report, so you'll be traveling with her."

Clearly, he had anticipated Lu Yuan's agreement and had made preparations in advance.

Packing didn't take much time.

Mina and Brent didn't have much luggage to begin with, and Mo Shui didn't need to bring anything at all.

Before leaving, the Mo Shui floated in front of Lu Yuan.

"Etc."

Her body twisted slightly, as if she were performing a difficult movement.

Then, she vomited up a book.

It was a very thin book with a yellowed cover and slightly curled edges, but it was well-preserved, as if it had been treasured for a long time.

"This is from my collection." Mo Shui's voice held a rare seriousness. "I know you have a high aptitude for reason, so this book is perfect for you."

Lu Yuan took the book, and the moment his fingers touched the pages, he could smell the faint scent of ink lingering on them.

The text on the cover was in an ancient Imperial Language; he could barely recognize a few words: <Knowledge Path Guide>.

"I was planning to give it to you later," Mo Shui lowered his voice, a rare seriousness appearing in his beady eyes, "But I have to go."

She paused, then added, "Remember to check frequently and take good care of yourself."

Lu Yuan looked at the book in his hand, didn't say anything pretentious, and simply nodded. "Thanks."

The Mo Shui turned its head away and drifted towards the door. "Waiting for you in the main city."

The horse-drawn carriage stopped at the entrance of the base.

Alice was already waiting, fully armed, her warhammer gleaming.

Mina and Brent boarded the carriage.

Mina leaned out of the car window and whispered, "Doctor Lu... take care."

Lu Yuan nodded. "Go and study hard, don't cause any trouble for Mo Shui."

The sound of Mo Shui coming from inside the carriage came, "She won't cause me any trouble; a little noise is fine too."

Brent also poked his head in from the side. "Doctor Lu, I'll take good care of my sister."

"Yes! Once you get there, the Night Watcher will take care of everything."

"Yes, but with Sister Mo Shui around, she probably won't need me."

Brent scratched his head somewhat awkwardly.

"What else?"

Mo Shui rubbed his stomach, looking completely unfazed.

Mina couldn't help but smile as she looked at the Mo Shui face.

After Alice finished counting the people in the group and their belongings, she waved and drove away.

The carriage gradually drove away and disappeared at the end of the street.

Lu Yuan stood at the door, watching them leave.