Consultation (New book seeking support)

In the bathroom.

Sulu took a shower while pulling up his attribute panel:

Name: [Sulu Portley]
Profession: [None]
Rank: [0]
Title: [None]
Strength: [1.5], Agility: [1.2], Constitution: [1.0], Spirit: [1.6]
Skills: [Corpse Maiden Creation LV1], [Krav Maga Combat Arts LV4]
Passive: [General Hebraic LV3], [Basic Physics LV4], [Demon Hunting Lore LV1], [Ancient Hebraic LV2]
XP: [70]

Setting aside the corpse's relics, the changes in his attribute panel alone made the days he spent soaking in the sewers—where the stench made people avoid him like the plague—worth it.

Sigh, it was enough to make one weep.

He and Sean were never particularly sociable at St. George University, and ever since they took the sewer job, they had become like street-clearing tigers—stinking for miles against the wind, with everyone scrambling to stay away.

Sulu was naturally a clean person, and he scrubbed himself until his skin felt raw.

Even so, when he arrived at the library the next day, he still felt as though a faint odor clung to him.

Perhaps it's just my imagination!

Sulu went to the language section, pulled out several thick tomes, and sat down at a table.

Immediately, he noticed the slightly crowded area around him clear out, with several female students hurriedly getting up to leave.

Well... at least it's effective for saving a seat!

Sulu mocked himself, opened one of the heavy books, and began to compare.

His physical gains from the sewer—the Gold Dragon was ordinary, and he planned to study the rhombic iron plate later; only the few tattered pages were worth treating with serious attention.

However, the characters on them were unfamiliar and required translation.

The library at St. George University was all-encompassing; he had even found a few books introducing Ancient Hebraic here. Although they were superficial, they counted as a point of entry.

Now, he was just hoping to give it a try.

"Study of Ancient Languages? No!"

"On the Twenty-Seven Variants of Hebraic? Incorrect!"

"<The Relationship Between Island Scripts and Mysterious Symbols>... Huh?"

After spending over an hour amidst the rustling of pages, Sulu happily found a certain image in one of the books.

The characters on it were almost identical to those on the parchment.

"...According to the author's observations and research, the language on the mysterious stone carvings on Walker Island originates from the Gulam Language... This language is very rare, and today, perhaps only some tribal priests in the tropical rainforests still retain it."

"Gulam Language?"

Sulu re-examined it; the snake-like, twisted characters on the illustrated stone carving were definitely from the same source as those on the parchment.

But...

The author had only taken a few photos and provided no translation content for the Gulam Language at all.

Moreover, even after Sulu searched the entire library, he could not find a single document researching the Gulam Language.

"It is a minor language, after all..."

Sulu stood up and returned the books to their original places, sighing slightly.

He was indeed very curious about the identity of the mysterious deceased; the person was highly likely to be a transcendent, yet dying silently in the sewers was a tragedy.

Who killed him? And for what reason?

Sulu thought as he transcribed the Gulam Language he had recorded from the parchment onto a piece of paper, intending to find a linguistics professor to consult.

Although the main library lacked relevant literature, a professor might have some private collections.

"Huh? Is this... Gulam Language?"

Just as Sulu was writing intently, a voice filled with surprise and uncertainty came from beside him.

"Molly?"

Sulu looked up, saw a timid face, and asked in surprise, "You've studied ancient languages?"

"Yes... because I have a great interest in ancient texts, I once took a few elective courses on ancient languages, and one of the professors mentioned the Gulam Language to us!"

Molly adjusted her glasses: "It is said that this language was passed down from a mysterious ancient civilization and carries all sorts of incredible powers."

This woman actually took the initiative to talk to me?

Sulu, however, felt something was off. After all, the last time they met, she couldn't run away fast enough. Could it be that she had developed Stockholm syndrome from being abused?

As if sensing his confusion, Molly immediately explained, "Officer Marilyn came to find me later. I know you're innocent... I'm sorry, I thought you were... I thought you..."

Her voice trailed off, and she seemed too shy to continue speaking.

"It's good that the misunderstanding is cleared up!"

Sulu looked at the few characters he had written down: "Could I trouble you to help me translate these?"

"I'll try..."

Molly stepped forward and carefully examined the words: "The professor only used a few examples of Gulam Language for us. Because this script is so complex, no one uses it anymore... Where did you get this from?"

"From an old book..."

Sulu lied without blinking.

In any case, what he had written down were just one or two characters extracted from the parchment; even if he ran into an expert in ancient languages, they would never be able to guess the context.

"I only recognize one word—Spirit!"

Molly pointed to a twisted, snake-like glyph: "In the ancient Ram Civilization, this symbol represents the soul, ghosts, and so on... As for the other two, I'm sorry, I don't recognize them!"

"Thank you, you've already helped me a lot!"

Sulu smiled and nodded. Being able to recognize even one word had already surprised him: "May I ask the name of the professor who is proficient in Gulam Language?"

"She is a good friend of my mentor, Professor Alanis!" Molly answered readily.

"It's her!"

An image of a mature and intellectual woman immediately surfaced in Sulu's mind.

This Professor Alanis was a famous beauty at St. George University and remained single to this day; countless men were infatuated with her.

A sudden chill ran through Sulu's heart.

The Gulam Language used by the death transcendent, and Molly just happens to know it—this is all too much of a coincidence... And that professor is linked to her as well!

At this thought, Sulu even felt a pang of regret for asking Molly these questions.

He had not forgotten that he was still under the threat of that black shadow. Before Rhode Potterley arrived, he should have kept a much lower profile.

Life is a game you only get to play once; don't go throwing it away by being reckless.

"Would you like me to ask Professor Alanis for you, or perhaps borrow a book on Gulam Language research from her?" Molly, unaware of Sulu's inner thoughts, asked considerately.

"No! That won't be necessary!"

Sulu immediately shook his head: "I just happened to come across a few characters and was a bit curious. I have no interest in studying it in depth!"

He kept a straight face, striving to appear indifferent to the matter.

Seeming to sense the shift in atmosphere, the smile on Molly's face froze: "I... I understand."