Exposure

Less than two breaths later, the first Inscription light appeared above the rapidly spinning Formation Disk, showing that this sudden and unusual fluctuation posed "no danger" to the Academy.

Before the few personnel on duty in the Main Control Room could even breathe a sigh of relief, the oldest detection Inscription at the core of the array began to analyze and determine the situation once again.

With a low, clanking sound, the center of the Formation Disk revealed the origin of that peculiar fluctuation. A line of ancient characters, crystal clear, appeared, identifying it as belonging to "Forbidden Land - Sea of Knowledge"!

At the same instant the determination of the source was made, the positioning pointer on the outer edge of the array also spun rapidly and locked in place, quickly locking onto the specific location from which the fluctuation came. The source pointed precisely to the area on the upper level of the Hanging Tower near the Potion Room, which was the location of the North Campus Infirmary!

The Main Control Room staff guarding the Formation Disk turned pale with fright when they saw the words "Forbidden Land - Sea of Knowledge" displayed by the Formation. They even held their breath.

No one dared to be negligent in the slightest regarding this alarm that involved Forbidden Land. The leading Deacon immediately made a copy of the judgment record on the Formation Disk and rushed out of the Main Control Room to report to his superiors.

Since the Astrologer Grand Knight Commander had just sent the Blue Knight back to the Infirmary and was rushing to the Northern Territory Astrology Society with Eli and Brunkel without stopping, and was not in the Academy, this urgent alarm was immediately presented to the Rock Grand Knight Commander was the only one stationed in the North Campus.

Inside the Council Side Hall atop the upper level of the Hanging Tower, the imposing Rock Grand Knight Commander, with his short, blood-red hair and thick beard, received the Formation imprint presented by the Deacon. He glanced at the judgment mark on it, his sharp eyes narrowing almost imperceptibly. He then looked at the Deacon kneeling below and asked in a deep voice:

Is anyone there?

The Deacon who rushed to report dared not conceal anything and quickly bowed his head respectfully, replying:

"Reporting to the Grand Knight Commander, the Blue Knight is in that Infirmary."

The Rock Grand Knight Commander paused slightly in the hand holding the Imprint Stone Tablet, raised an eyebrow, and continued to ask:

Who is treating her?

The person reporting swallowed hard and recounted in detail the information he had verified on his way there:

"According to the records submitted by the String Knight, the person currently treating the Blue Knight alone in the Infirmary is named Lu Yuan, a freshman who just enrolled in our North Campus this year."

Upon hearing the familiar name "Lu Yuan" uttered by his subordinate, the Rock Grand Knight Commander's originally cold and sharp eyes narrowed slightly. Instantly, the image of the Black-Haired Young Man who had remained calm and composed in the Underground Round Hall of the Hanging Tower of his Fifth Order pressure, and who carried a Living [Time Bestower] artifact in his chest, flashed into his mind.

The reporting Deacon standing below the prince noticed that the Rock Grand Knight Commander had been holding the stone tablet for a long time without speaking, only squinting in deep thought. He cautiously raised his head slightly and asked in a low voice:

"Grand Knight Commander, regarding the fluctuations in the Forbidden Land, should we continue to report this matter to the main academy and higher authorities?"

Upon hearing this, the Rock Grand Knight Commander pulled himself out of his thoughts. His tall figure stood silently in place for a moment, weighing the pros and cons, before slowly giving his orders:

"Continue to report according to procedure, but do not alert anyone in the institute. Define this fluctuation as safe, and say that I said so."

Upon hearing that the Rock Grand Knight Commander had personally taken charge of the matter, the reporting Deacon felt a sense of relief. He nodded emphatically, acknowledged the order, and quickly turned and left the side hall.

Once the palace doors closed again and the footsteps in the corridor had completely faded away, the Rock Grand Knight Commander stood alone in the center of the empty and quiet hall. He looked down at the Formation imprint in his palm that recorded "Forbidden Land - Sea of Knowledge," and narrowed his eyes slightly once more.

Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind. He realized that he also had an extremely important matter to attend to. Once things had completely stabilized with the Blue Knight, he was preparing to personally visit this little guy named Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan, who had just come out of the Infirmary, was completely unaware of the commotion that had occurred three days ago in the Main Control Room of the lower Formation of the Hanging Tower.

He walked back to his two-story detached house against the howling wind on the North Campus Mountain Road. He pushed open the wooden door, stepped inside, and locked the door behind him. Then he remembered the three Deep Zone salvaged herbs he had casually obtained from the String Knight's Storehouse three days ago while treating the Blue Knight: Deep Sea Nightmare Grass, Insect-Attracting Flower, and Void Fluorescent Powder.

Lu Yuan walked to the wooden table on the first floor and sat down. He reached into his personal Storage Pouch and took out the three Lead-Sealed Wooden Box containing Deep Sea Nightmare Grass, Insect-Attracting Flower, and Void Fluorescent Powder. He arranged them neatly on the table and mentally summoned Oden, who had been nestled inside the Drowner's shell, and talked to him about going to the boundary of the Deep Zone of the Sea of Knowledge to salvage during Rising Tide.

As promised by Oden during their nighttime conversation in the cabin, once they gathered these three ingredients and crafted Specialized Salvaging Tool, they could go to the border between the Radiant Zone and the Deep Zone of the Sea of Knowledge and salvage something truly valuable during Rising Tide.

However, Lu Yuan tapped the wooden box on the table lightly with his fingers, and proactively explained to Oden in his mind why he did not plan to go to the border of the Deep Zone to salvage it immediately.

The logic is actually quite simple. To reach the boundary of the Deep Zone Sea of Knowledge and salvage it during Rising Tide, one must actually open a gap in the Sea of Knowledge in the Real World large enough to accommodate consciousness and even guide objects in and out. However, he is currently in the core area of North Campus of the Northern Knight Academy. The entire Academy is not only covered with layers of ancient Formation Patterns, but also has more than one Fifth Order Grand Knight Commander overseeing it. If he rashly tears open a gap in the Sea of Knowledge on someone else's territory, no matter how carefully he controls the commotion, it will inevitably cause some completely unnecessary turmoil and trouble.

Oden, nestled inside the body of the Drowner, listened to Lu Yuan's cautious and thorough concerns, but didn't urge him to take the risk. Instead, he casually said in Lu Yuan's mind:

"If you don't want to create an opening in the Academy, then don't. I can give you the Salvaging Tool Refining Recipe now. You can take advantage of these few days when you're free to make it and keep it in reserve. Anyway, once it's made with these three materials, it can be preserved for a long time without losing any of its medicinal properties. After you leave the Academy and go outside, you can take it out and use it whenever you want."