Principal

There was a knock on the door.

Lu Yuan opened his eyes; the Gray-White Text at the edge of his vision had not yet faded.

[Sanity: 116/120 (Total)]

It was just dawn, and the light outside the window was still very faint.

Laurina was also startled awake. She sat up abruptly, the blanket slipping down to her waist. A look of vigilance flashed in her eyes as she quickly glanced towards the door.

Lu Yuan raised his hand, signaling her to be quiet.

He stood up, walked to the door, and barely made a sound.

There was another knock on the door, unhurried and with a routine rhythm.

Lu Yuan slightly opened the door and turned to block the view of the room.

A Night Watcher in his thirties stood outside the door, looking relaxed and carrying a tray.

The Night Watcher saw Lu Yuan, raised an eyebrow, and gave him a knowing look.

He peeked through the crack in the door, a knowing smile playing on his lips.

"Breakfast."

The tray was handed over.

Two slices of bread and two bowls of meat soup were placed on top, with steam rising gently.

"Didn't realize," the Night Watcher said in a low, teasing voice, "But he is indeed quite good-looking."

Lu Yuan offered no explanation, simply accepting the tray with a blank expression.

Seeing this, the Night Watcher said no more, his smile faded, and his tone became formal:

Your assignment has changed today; you will not be participating in the West Tower patrol tonight.

He paused, as if recalling something, and then continued:

"Captain Hogger will call you this afternoon; just follow him."

After saying that, he didn't linger and turned to leave.

The footsteps faded into the distance, disappearing at the end of the corridor.

Lu Yuan closed the door, locked it, and returned to his room.

Laurina was fully awake. She threw back the covers and sat on the edge of the bed, her gaze falling on the tray in Lu Yuan's hand.

Two loaves of bread.

Two bowls of meat soup.

Her expression became complicated, and her brows furrowed slightly.

I have indeed been exposed.

The Night Watcher knew she was here.

But there was still a meal for me, steaming hot and fragrant.

This indirectly means that she is safe for the time being.

"Have something to eat." Lu Yuan placed the tray on the table, his voice steady.

Laurina nodded gently, reached out and picked up a piece of bread, taking a small bite.

Her movements were somewhat mechanical, and her gaze was unfocused; clearly, she wasn't thinking about eating.

"The Night Watcher acquiesced." Lu Yuan sat back in his chair, leaning back. "At least it's safe for now."

Laurina swallowed the bread in her mouth, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke:

"That's not safe."

Her voice was a little hoarse, carrying the fatigue of not having slept all night, but her words were clear.

"The Night Watcher's acquiescence does not mean that everyone else does."

Lu Yuan looked at her without saying a word.

Laurina put down the bread, looked up, and stared directly at Lu Yuan with her light brown eyes, her gaze pleading yet also resolute.

"Since we don't have any missions right now, could you come with me to the Main Tower to see the headmaster?"

Her hands were clasped together.

"I have access to the Main Tower."

Lu Yuan remained silent for a few seconds, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest of the chair.

With my current abilities, I really can't protect Laurina.

The principal is the highest-ranking official in the Tower of Erudition; if he intervenes, Laurina should be safe.

But Lu Yuan also had a lingering doubt.

I hope the principal isn't involved too.

"Then let's go find it." Lu Yuan withdrew his hand and stood up almost without hesitation.

Laurina's eyes lit up, as if she had seen a glimmer of light in the darkness.

The two tidied up quickly and left the room.

The corridor was empty and much quieter than yesterday; even the air seemed stagnant.

Occasionally, a few students would hurry past, their steps quick, as if they were avoiding something.

They kept their heads down, avoiding eye contact with anyone, their footsteps echoing in the corridor.

"The clearing was a success," Laurina said softly, a hint of bitterness in her voice.

Lu Yuan looked around, remaining vigilant.

The Tower of Erudition consists of five towers joined together.

The tallest tower in the middle is the Main Tower, and the other four Main Tower surround it, representing the Alchemy Department, Rune Department, Potion, and History Department, respectively.

The Main Tower is the management center and also the principal's office.

The two walked along the connecting corridor.

The magic lamps on both sides of the corridor were still lit, emitting a ghostly blue glow, but the atmosphere was oppressive, as if something was pressing down on us.

Occasionally, the Night Watcher could be seen patrolling, their gazes sweeping over the two, but no one asked any questions, nor did anyone stop them.

The Main Tower entrance is a huge Bronze Gate.

The gate was over ten meters tall, covered with runes that emitted a faint blue light, like some kind of ancient seal.

The runes seemed to be flowing slowly, as if they were alive.

Laurina stood in front of the door, closed her eyes, clasped her hands together in front of her chest, and whispered a spell.

The voice was very soft, like a whisper, but it had a strange rhythm.

The blue light flickered a few times.

The Bronze Gate slowly opened, emitting a deep rumble.

The two entered the Main Tower.

The internal structure of the Main Tower is completely different from the other towers.

At the center is a massive Spiral Staircase that winds its way up to an unseen height, disappearing into the blue light and shadow.

All the rooms are arranged in pairs, staggered on each floor, leaving enough space to install huge stained glass windows.

The faint light from the outside world is refracted and amplified in an unknown way.

The light shines through the azure glass, casting dreamlike shadows on the ground.

The light flows and dances on the Spiral Staircase, like a stairway to the sky.

But at this moment, this dreamlike scene is tinged with an eerie silence.

The Main Tower was empty; there was no one in sight.

Just as the two were about to go upstairs.

Lu Yuan suddenly stopped in his tracks.

At the edge of my field of vision, gray and white text was jumping wildly:

[Extremely dangerous knowledge source detected!]

Stay away! Get away as soon as possible!

[Sanity: -1...115/120]

Lu Yuan's expression suddenly changed.

This is the first time I've seen this kind of prompt.

Deducting sanity without seeing anything?

In that instant when his reason was taken away, Lu Yuan suddenly felt an invisible pressure, as if something was watching him from above.

[Sanity: -1...114/120]

Without saying a word, Lu Yuan grabbed Laurina's wrist and walked out.

"What's wrong?" Laurina was taken aback, and stumbled a step as he pulled her.

"It's too dangerous here, we can't go up."

Lu Yuan's tone was unusually tense, and his voice was very low, as if he was afraid of disturbing something.

This tension made Laurina realize that something was wrong. She didn't struggle and followed Lu Yuan outside.

At that very moment.

Footsteps echoed down the Spiral Staircase.

An elderly man dressed in a white robe came down the stairs.

His hair was gray, and his face was kind, but his eyes were filled with deep weariness, and his eye sockets were sunken, as if he hadn't had a proper rest in a long time.

His face was covered in wrinkles.

This is the principal of the Tower of Erudition.

When the principal saw Laurina, he was taken aback, stopped in his tracks, and then his expression turned ugly.

What are you doing here?

His tone was anxious and puzzled, and his brows were furrowed tightly.

"I've arranged for Professor Varo to pick you up."

Laurina looked bewildered and shook her head. "I didn't see Instructor Varo?"

She pressed, her voice urgent, "What happened to Professor Varo? Where is he?"

The principal's face grew even uglier, as if all his strength had been drained away, and he shook his head.

"I don't know either; I've been living in the Tower of Erudition."

He muttered a curse under his breath, "Damn it..."

Then he glanced at Lu Yuan, then at Laurina, his gaze settling on Lu Yuan's hand holding Laurina's wrist, his expression complex.

"You can't go up there, leave now."

The principal's tone was firm and left no room for argument.

"The Tower of Erudition is in danger now; according to the plan, you should be sent out."

Laurina opened her mouth, as if she wanted to ask something, but seeing the principal's expression, she swallowed her words.

The principal gave a bitter smile, a smile full of helplessness and guilt.

"The Tower of Erudition is no longer pure, and I can't interfere with it anymore."

His voice was low and deep, as if stating an unchangeable fact.

"All I can do is get the students out there first."

He raised his hand and rubbed his temples.

"Someone is carrying an imperial edict from the Imperial Headquarters, the Tower of Erudition, simply because this is the Bronze City."

Laurina looked puzzled and wanted to ask more.

But the principal raised his hand to stop her, his palm facing her, the movement gentle but firm:

"Don't ask. The more you know, the more dangerous it is."

All you need to know is that you are safe now.

He turned to look at Lu Yuan, his gaze lingering on him for a few seconds as if assessing something. "Do you Night Watcher know Laurina?"

Lu Yuan nodded slightly, his voice steady. "He tacitly allowed me to take them away."

Upon hearing this, the principal's tense shoulders relaxed slightly, and he let out a long breath.

"That's fine."

His tone softened, a hint of comfort tinged with weariness.

"Don't worry about the rest. Just stay on the outer perimeter; it's relatively safe there."

"No one will be looking for you at the Tower of Erudition during this time."

He paused, as if organizing his thoughts, and then continued:

"In two days, your Night Watcher will be allowed to leave."

"At that time, you can just take Laurina out with you."

After saying that, he walked up to Laurina, reached out, and ruffled her hair.

The gesture carried the loving kindness of an elder, gentle and warm.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine, and you'll be fine too."

Laurina's eyes were a little red.

The principal took a silver medal out of his pocket and handed it to Lu Yuan.

"If anyone tries to keep Laurina while you're away, just take this badge and ignore them."

Lu Yuan accepted the medal and placed it in his palm.

The silver metal was cold and heavy, with intricate patterns engraved on it, emitting a faint glow.

The light seemed to have a life of its own, flowing between her fingers.

The principal turned and walked up the Spiral Staircase, his white robe fluttering in the blue light and shadow.

"Let's get out of here, it's not safe."

His silhouette gradually blurred in the blue light and shadow.

Lu Yuan gently tugged at her sleeve, his voice calm. "Let's go, now is not the time to talk."

Left with no other choice, Laurina followed Lu Yuan outside.

The Bronze Gate closed slowly, emitting a deep rumble, like the sigh of some giant beast.

With a loud bang, the door slammed shut.

As the bronze gate closed, the frantically jumping Gray-White Text in Lu Yuan's vision finally disappeared.

But Lu Yuan did not relax in the slightest.

It's obvious that the principal knows something.

Moreover, he is also a very powerful Transcendence.

Otherwise, why would only one of the three people present notice that gaze?

Lu Yuan took a deep breath to calm himself down.

I lost four points of sanity after only spending a short time on the first floor of the Main Tower.

[Sanity: 112/120 (Total)]

What exactly is up there?

Laurina clearly didn't notice Lu Yuan's extremely unpleasant expression.

Her thoughts were still on the principal's words, "The imperial edict from the Imperial Headquarters' Tower of Erudition..."

She murmured to herself, her voice very soft, as if she were talking to herself.

"So it was approved by the Empire?"

Lu Yuan did not answer.

Because the answer is obvious.

The two returned to the outer area along the connecting corridor.

The corridor remained empty, and the light from the magic lamp seemed somewhat desolate.

Laurina remained somewhat silent throughout.

Lu Yuan looked at her and said softly, "At least you're safe now."

Laurina nodded slightly, her movements very gentle.

"But the principal..."

Her voice was heavy, and she didn't continue.

Because the principal is an extremely special, Third Order peak Knowledge Transcendent.

But now they can no longer interfere with what is happening at the Tower of Erudition.

Laurina didn't dare to think any further about what had happened here.