North Sea Nautical Records
The footsteps continued.
The door was pushed open, and sunlight flooded in instantly.
Then the door closed, and the world went dark again.
Lu Yuan was the only one left in the bookstore.
And the badge on the table.
Lu Yuan sat on the old wooden stool, not leaving immediately.
Quiet.
The Flame of the oil lamp flickered gently, and the shadow cast on the bookshelf swayed accordingly.
He was thinking about the conversation that had just taken place.
The other party released a limited amount of information, but every piece of it was carefully selected.
He knew about the seashells.
He knew about the Sea of Knowledge.
He can see "colors," and he knows it too.
But he was unaware that he had reached the Second Order, nor was he aware of the new abilities he had gained.
This means that although this person is powerful, he is not omniscient.
His knowledge was limited to what could be observed externally.
The activation of the shell in the Viscount's Residence triggered a seal fluctuation, which he could sense, though strange, he could also explain.
He probably behaved just averagely among the Ruined House, but he could probably have noticed something by observing from the sidelines.
It seems there's always a pair of eyes lurking in the shadows, watching the Night Watcher involved in the inner city.
Lu Yuan reached out and picked up the badge.
The metal felt slightly cool.
Turning it over to look at the back, it's not very smooth, and there are faint Inscription on it.
As Lu Yuan's fingertips slid across the surface, a trace of knowledge lingered within.
At the edge of vision, gray-white text slowly danced:
[You have encountered new knowledge... Special Inscription Studies...]
[Forbidden Studies - Seeker: +0.2...0.4/100]
[Current Status of Bronze City: +1...2/50]
Lu Yuan remained silent for a moment, then put the badge into his pocket.
He won't join, at least not now.
But he wouldn't lose the badge.
There's one more thing.
When Morris mentioned Laurina, his tone was dismissive, as if it were all in the past.
This means that the Tower of Erudition project has moved to its next stage.
Alternatives have also been found.
Although it is unknown whether the so-called replacement is the three missing noble students.
But what is certain is that the promise he obtained with 800 points saved Laurina, but it did not prevent anything from happening.
"I'm really weak! How could this person be so fearless..."
Standing up, Lu Yuan took one last look at the bookstore.
The books on the bookshelf were neatly arranged, showing no signs of having been read.
The teacup on the table had gone cold, with light brown tea stains remaining at the bottom.
The book "North Sea Nautical Records" next to it was still open.
Page 73. Abyss Rift.
He memorized the page number, then pushed open the door and stepped into the sunlight.
The Night Watcher, who had been hiding on the street outside, saw Lu Yuan come out and, after confirming that he was safe, then pretended to be nonchalant and left.
When I got back to the branch, it was a little after 11 a. m.
Less than an hour had passed since we set off.
Raymond was waiting in the conference room.
Helen was there too, her Notebook open.
Seeing Lu Yuan enter, Raymond put down the documents in his hand.
"Have you seen the person?"
"I saw him."
Lu Yuan sat down opposite him.
He recounted the entire conversation.
Every word the other person said, every action they took, the layout of the bookstore, the books on the table, the ripples on the wax seal, and that badge.
But he omitted two things.
First, the other party mentioned that the seal patterns trembled when the shell was activated.
Lu Yuan believed that someone within the Night Watcher must have discovered this, and with a little investigation, they would be able to trace it back to him.
But as long as the Night Watcher doesn't bring it up, he won't say anything either.
Once the seashell is in your hands, it belongs to you.
Second, his analysis of the aura emanating from Morris.
This involves the perceptual abilities of those Seeker of Forbidden Studies, and explaining it would require too much explanation.
The rest, not a single word was omitted.
Raymond listened without interrupting.
Helen's pen moved quickly across the paper.
After Lu Yuan finished speaking, the room was quiet for a while.
"What was his attitude when he mentioned Laurina?" Helen asked first.
"It doesn't matter," Lu Yuan said, "Like he's talking about something that's already over."
Helen paused for a moment, then continued writing.
Raymond stood up and walked to the window.
The sunlight streaming through the window shone on his face, but his expression was somber.
"A Transcendence being with at least Third Order Knowledge Path is roaming the inner city under an alias, directly connected to the disappearance case, and backed by an organization..."
He didn't finish speaking.
"A person who engages in high-level research is not Tower of Erudition," Helen added.
"Yes." Lu Yuan nodded and continued, "The Tower of Erudition still has some concerns."
"This person is different; he's making direct contact with the target, and it's more like he's... recruiting."
"And it might be more than just the Third Order," Lu Yuan thought to himself.
Raymond turned around and looked at Lu Yuan.
What do you think his connection is to the missing persons case?
"A direct connection," Lu Yuan said. "All three missing persons received invitations related to 'knowledge.' And everything about this person is connected to the Sea of Knowledge."
He then continued.
"But I'm not sure if he was the one who carried it out or the one behind it."
"Those two people in the Ruined House last night, without Morris, had a different aura."
"However, the information I received from Morris suggests that he and those two were at least in a cooperative relationship."
"It could also be about taking advantage of relationships," Helen added.
"Anything is possible."
Raymond remained silent for a long time.
Finally, he spoke, his voice regaining its calmness.
Keep the badge.
He glanced at Lu Yuan.
"We'll have a meeting this afternoon to report on this matter, along with the previous leads."
"Your role will remain unchanged for now; you'll still be the team's advisor. But from now on, you'll be in charge of keeping an eye on Morris's situation."
He paused.
Regardless of the attitude from above, what needs to be done must be done.
Lu Yuan looked at him.
Raymond's face showed neither anger nor helplessness.
There was only a quiet steadfastness.
"Go back and rest first. We'll be back for a meeting at 3 PM."
"OK."
Lu Yuan stood up and walked out of the conference room.
It was almost noon when we returned to the Alchemy Workshop.
Laurina stood at the workbench, holding Mortar, her movements light and focused.
Hearing the door open, she looked up.
His gaze lingered on Lu Yuan's face for a moment.
You're back?
"Um."
Laurina did not press the matter.
They simply handed him a new Sanity Potion.
"Drink it."
Lu Yuan glanced at it, then swallowed it.
[Sanity: +10...83/120 (Total)]
Last night, I naturally recovered 15 points, exceeding my usual recovery rate. This should be an additional effect of the Perfect Potion.
Laurina glanced at Lu Yuan's expression, then turned back to continue grinding the ink.
Several bottles of freshly made medicine were placed on the workbench; they were of excellent quality, and each bottle had a handwritten label on it.
Lu Yuan sat down by the window.
Sunlight streamed in through the window, falling on Laurina's profile.
Her expression remained calm and composed. Lu Yuan withdrew his gaze, took the badge from his pocket, and flipped it in his palm.
A small patch of light reflected off the metal, landing on the ceiling and flickering.
Then he put away the badge, picked up the Mortar, and began processing the medicinal herbs he would need that afternoon.
The clanging of the Mortar and pestle echoed in the room, one clang after another.
[Pharmacognosy: +0.1...19.1/50]
[Pharmacology: +0.1...32.3/50]
Experience is pulsating slowly.
The sun is shining brightly outside the window.
I wonder how many more days this will last.