Medium's Creed

[Veteran’s Soul]

Gundo Relic-TU-Class.

Experience: Your shooting and combat skills improve slightly.

Soldier soul-effect 1: Physical attributes improve slightly.

Soldier soul-effect 2: Release the Veteran’s Soul to briefly strengthen yourself. The relic is destroyed after use.

Description: A crystallization of a veteran's will, stronger than the man himself.

"Huh?"

Xu Le suddenly laughed to himself, ignoring the disdainful looks from passersby.

The sudden unlocking of the Veteran’s Soul was perhaps the happiest thing that had happened to him in a while.

The "slight" improvement to his physical attributes... seemed rather substantial.

He had not fulfilled those promises. He had not even begun.

But Old Zhou's last wish had already been fulfilled.

It was as though the will lingering within this medal knew his intentions.

"I'll get it done. Don't worry."

Xu Le squeezed the medal, feeling the power flowing out of this Gundo Relic.

How could he describe it... everything that had been there before suddenly felt lighter.

He should now be able to lift things he previously could not with ease.

A bed frame, for example, a cabinet, or the corpse of an adult human.

"All right, although I've taken on plenty of responsibilities and have some pretty big ambitions, like becoming a sorcerer, before any of that, I should find somewhere safe and stay alive."

Xu Le's destination was clear: one of the few places in the Upper City he could freely enter.

The school he attended, Lighthouse University.

It had discounted campus dormitories and inexpensive cafeterias, though neither was the most important thing.

Most importantly, it had the second-largest library in the entire Lighthouse: Lighthouse University Library.

For a poor student seeking an education, those benefits were truly enticing.

Xu Le knew very well that he would have to live there for a long time to come.

Lighthouse University had a very unusual policy. As long as you chose not to graduate, you could stay there for up to five years.

The body's original owner had been a relentless grinder. He had earned all his required credits in two years, but had never chosen to graduate.

The reason was Lighthouse University's preferential policies.

Without any means of transportation, Xu Le's progress was rather slow.

Just then, a Steam Tricycle happened to stop in front of him, and its driver waved at Xu Le.

"Young man, you're a Lighthouse University student, right? I'll take you to the Suspension Bridge for twenty cents."

The Suspension Bridges spanned the Moat. There were four in total, and apart from traveling by water, they were the only routes from the Lower City to the Upper City.

Xu Le was still a long way from the Suspension Bridge, but money was something he did not have.

Looking at the driver, Xu Le considered for a moment.

"Sir, I see a dark shadow between your brows..."

"Get lost. If you don't have money, just say so. Don't waste my time."

The driver drove off in his Steam Tricycle without giving Xu Le a chance.

Xu Le opened his mouth.

"This society really is ruthless!"

The Lighthouse covered a very large area.

Without any means of transportation, walking from the outskirts of the Lower City to the Upper City would probably take three to four hours, even at a brisk pace.

Xu Le had no money. Walking was his only way to reach the Upper City.

"Forget it. Walking is a kind of strength, too."

Xu Le maintained a positive attitude. Although walking such a long distance was exhausting, he could use the trek to familiarize himself with the physical improvements the Veteran’s Soul had given him.

The bustling city, the drifting smoke, and the whistles that sounded from time to time all proclaimed the city's vitality.

After walking for almost the entire morning, Xu Le finally reached the central Moat.

A broadcast played on repeat here:

[Citizens of the Lighthouse, at midnight tonight, marking the end of June 30 and the beginning of July 1,

the Guyinduo dark tide of the scorching season will arrive. Unless you have essential business, please do not stray far from your homes.

Do not go outside. Avoid excessive interaction. Secure your homes and wait quietly for the Black Tide to end.

This is for our own sake, and for the light of the future.

The radiance of the Lighthouse forever shines upon the earth. May the light bless you.]

The broadcast kept playing, but hardly anyone paid it any attention.

This was already within the city proper. They no longer needed to build all sorts of defenses as people on the fringes of the Lower City did.

Xu Le was heading toward the Suspension Bridge over the Moat when a guard stopped him.

There were plenty of pedestrians here, yet the guard had singled him out. Xu Le's heart tightened.

"Is something wrong, sir?"

"You have a Night Dweller's mark on you. I can't let you in."

The guard's gaze held a hint of aversion, as though he did not want to interact with Xu Le any more than necessary.

But the Night Dweller's mark he mentioned left Xu Le helpless. It was not something he could deal with.

"I'm Xu Le, a student at Lighthouse University. I'm returning to school."

Xu Le took out his student ID and handed it over, hoping to explain himself.

But after looking through the student ID, the guard shook his head again.

"No. As a Night Dweller, you need to wait in the Lower City for three days."

"But I've already passed the Night Dweller screening."

"Spare me all that. The Black Tide is tonight. If I let a Night Dweller like you in, and you mutate into an Oddity and kill a few Upper City residents, whose fault would that be? Who could shoulder that responsibility? You? Me? I'm just a bridge guard. Can you please not get me into trouble? How about this: go back and get written certification, with an official seal. Then I'll let you through."

Xu Le felt helpless. The worst-case scenario he had anticipated seemed to have already happened.

His status as a Night Dweller was causing trouble for his return to the Upper City.

Xu Le hesitated inwardly.

I wonder if there's still time to go back and ask the guards for certification.

Meow!

While the two were arguing, a cat's cry came from one side of the Suspension Bridge.

For some reason, that meow made Xu Le and the guard both turn to look.

A black cat with a glossy coat sat on the railing of the Suspension Bridge, licking its paws and grooming its fur.

Meow!

As Xu Le looked at it, it glanced at him as well.

It again? Every time I see it, something seems to go wrong!

Just then, a voice sounded behind Xu Le.

"Xu Le?"

"Mr. Gan?"

Xu Le turned and recognized the newcomer: Gan, the Medium sorcerer who had examined him.

"Are you heading back to the Upper City?"

"Yes, Mr. Gan, but right now I..."

Gan smiled and turned to the guard.

"Let him go in with me. I performed his examination. Here are my credentials. If anything goes wrong, the external inspector and I will take responsibility."

The guard gave Xu Le a hesitant look, but finally nodded.

"Yes, sir."

"Thank you, Mr. Gan. You've helped me out again." Xu Le nodded to Gan, deeply grateful.

Gan waved a hand.

"It's all right. A good deed each day averts a calamity each month. That is the medium's creed."

The medium's creed?

Xu Le suddenly recalled the Flame Secret Sorcerer's advancement method.

Could he ask Gan whether that manual was genuine?