“The Man on the Wall. You’ve had contact with Him. You carry something He left behind.”
His voice was pressed very low.
“Just how much more do you know about things related to Him?”
Kame’s right eye stared at Lu Yuan, and he remained silent for a long time.
His throat moved several times. Lu Yuan was prepared to see the “unable to speak” reaction again.
But this time, Kame spoke.
“He is incomplete.”
Lu Yuan was stunned for a moment. This was something he had only seen within the grey-white text; beyond that, he hadn't learned much during his own contact with the entity.
After a brief silence, Kame seemed to be testing how far the contract would allow him to speak.
“Not only that.”
He paused, a layer of thin sweat breaking out on his temples.
“I also know something of His purpose, it’s just...”
Kame’s body suddenly jerked taut, the shackles letting out a sharp metallic clang against the iron chair. Bloodshot veins surged into his right eye, and the veins on his temples bulged. It looked as if something inside his body was choking him.
Kame’s head slumped forward, his chin resting against his chest as his breathing became heavy and ragged. Sweat dripped from his swollen forehead.
“I was a direct participant in the harvesting. I had to ensure its success. I knew what the price of failure would be. Both I and the Polymath Tower would be pinned to a pillar of shame, and all the sacrifices would be blamed on me, the Vice Dean.”
“All in the name of violating the Imperial Code.”
Kame let out a silent laugh.
“So, when I faced The Man on the Wall, I actually made a contract early on. Most of what I asked were... questions. That is my bargaining chip for survival.”
At this point, Lu Yuan had a rough idea of what Kame’s wish had been.
A line of grey-white text jumped at the edge of his vision.
【Bronze City Status: +1... 34.2/50】
Lu Yuan pulled back his thoughts and glanced at Kame. He silently withdrew some of the contempt he had previously felt for the man.
Lake spoke, and this time, there was no chill in his tone.
“Do you know K’s whereabouts?”
Kame shook his head.
“I don’t.”
“Well, you have enough value for now, but you’ll have to stay here for a while longer.”
Lu Yuan nodded, indicating there was no issue.
The two of them walked out of the detention room, and the iron door closed behind them.
In the corridor, the dark silver inscriptions pulsed slowly on the stone walls.
“How much of what he said do you think is true?” Lake asked without looking back.
“Nine... let’s say seventy percent,” Lu Yuan said, taking back the ninety percent he had been about to say.
“He has no reason to lie to me. These pieces of information are his only amulets. Kraus could send him to headquarters, but no one would care if a Vice Dean died under these circumstances.”
“Furthermore, I think Kame’s first wish was very likely for information regarding The Man on the Wall, and he used some method to forcibly offset His restrictions.”
“Of course, we can’t rule out the possibility that these are just some internal details we aren't aware of.”
“Mm.” Lake nodded.
“The location of the seed alone is enough to keep him alive. I hope he isn't lying to us again. Let’s go find Kraus.”
The door to Kraus’s office was open.
Three lamps were lit, and reports and pipe network maps were spread across the desk. Kraus stood behind the desk, talking to Glock. When he saw Lu Yuan and Lake enter, he stopped talking and glanced at them.
“Finished the interrogation?”
“To the end,” Lake said. He walked to the desk, crossed his arms over the back of a chair, and reported the results point by point. He spoke slowly, pausing for a second or two between each point to give Kraus time to digest the information.
Kame admitted to intercepting the fragments from the Sea of Knowledge leakage and handing them over to the Grey Covenant. Someone had informed him in advance that the leakage would happen, but he couldn't say who specifically; the contract had blocked that information.
When Lake reached the last point, he paused.
“The Man on the Wall is incomplete.”
Kraus’s fingers paused for a moment on the desk.
“Then that counts as rare good news. What else?”
“The final seed has already hatched. It’s at the top of the Polymath Tower.”
“Oh?”
Kraus didn't immediately comment. He looked down at the map on the desk.
“It seems someone hasn't been honest.”
Lu Yuan added, “Also, Kame has a scheme for harvesting the Sea of Knowledge that is more stable than the Empire’s current one. Lake used a Swarming Worm but didn't forcibly read him yet.”
Kraus looked at Lake. Lake gave a slight nod in confirmation.
“And K’s whereabouts?” Kraus asked.
“Still uncertain,” Lu Yuan replied.
Kraus was silent for a few seconds.
Then he straightened up and closed the reports on the desk.
“Put those aside for now. The matter of the dive can’t be delayed any longer.”
He looked at Lu Yuan and Lake.
“The people from the Ascension Society and the Holy Church have arrived. The Count has also come in person. The meeting room. Now.”
...
The large meeting room at the end of the second floor.
Kraus pushed the door open, and the light from the march lamps flooded out, far brighter than the corridor.
The meeting room was twice as large as the one they usually used. A large rectangular table sat in the center, covered with a large map of the pipe network layer. The positions of the bronze pillars, known Grey Covenant strongholds, and the location of the copper wall were all marked in different colored inks.
Lu Yuan followed Kraus and Lake inside, his gaze sweeping the room.
Everyone was there.
Kraus walked to the head of the table and sat down, the marked map directly in front of him.
Lu Yuan took a seat on his right, and Glock sat on his left. A communication crystal was placed at the corner of the table. Lake didn't sit; he leaned against the corner of the wall, arms crossed over his chest, his dark red pupils shimmering slightly in the lamplight.
His complexion was much better than it had been a few days ago, his human form was very stable, and no abnormalities could be seen on the surface.
A tall, thin figure sat on the left side of the meeting room.
Lu Yuan’s gaze lingered there for two seconds. It was difficult to describe that thing as a “human.” Most of its body was the color of exposed metal, and precision mechanical joints could be seen at the shoulders and arms, opening and closing slightly with the rhythm of its breathing.
Its face was nearly blank, with no expression visible on the highly polished metal plates. Its eyes were silver-grey, the pupils unchanging regardless of the light.
He was alone, without any attendants.
Grey-white text jumped out at the edge of his vision.
【Target Detected: Great Ascendant (Ascension Society)】
【A non-human who has modified nearly his entire self into a mechanical structure. He possesses extremely strong eerie resistance and anti-pollution properties. Aside from no longer having a human identity, everything else seems fine?】
Lu Yuan’s gaze lingered on the grey-white text for a moment.
‘It seems the boss of the Ascension Society branch this time is no pushover...’
Sitting opposite the Ascension Society was Adrian.
The Archbishop had never left the Nightwatchers branch and was already waiting here.
He still wore that ordinary dark grey coat, his expression kind. He gave a slight nod when he saw Kraus enter. His fingers tapped the table twice, a habitual movement.
However, the look he gave the Ascension Society’s side held a hint of undisguised distaste. The corners of his mouth twitched downward for a split second before returning to a kind smile. Agnes had arrived at some point as well; she stood behind him, her black hood pulled up, her moon-white hair tucked inside. Her expression was calm, and she didn't say a word.
Beside the main seat, Count Helmut was present in person.
His silver cane was held upright in front of him, his hands stacked on the handle. His upper body leaned forward slightly, and his cloudy gaze was fixed on the map on the table, though it was unclear what he was thinking.
His attendant stood half a step behind him in dark grey finery, a narrow-bladed longsword hanging at his waist. He still wore that smiling expression, a face that didn't change regardless of the occasion.
A final figure appeared at the door.
Arthur Heinz walked in front, his expression solemn. He wore a white belted military uniform with a gold-inscribed red cloak trailing behind him—the formal attire for an Imperial Special Inspector, just as he had worn on the battlefield last time.
After entering, he swept a glance at Kraus, who was busy organizing the markings on the map and didn't look up.
But what truly surprised Lu Yuan was the person following half a step behind Arthur.
It was the Dean.
His hair was grey, his face kind, and he wore the standard robes of the Polymath Tower. His pace was steady and unhurried.
However, he looked much older than the last time Lu Yuan had seen him. The wrinkles on his face had deepened, and his originally thin frame had withered further. It was as if something had consumed a great deal of him during this period.
His gaze was faint. As he entered, his eyes swept over the table and noticeably paused when he saw Lu Yuan.
Lu Yuan was also stunned for a moment when their eyes met.
The last time he had seen this man was on the spiral staircase of the Polymath Tower’s main tower.
He had gone with Laurina to seek the Dean’s help. The Dean had given Laurina a silver medal and said, “Don’t worry, I will be fine, and so will you,” before turning and walking up the stairs.
The white robes had gradually blurred in the blue light and shadows. That was the last time Lu Yuan had seen his back.
After that, the Dean had never appeared again. The Polymath Tower had first claimed he was unwell, then said he was on a mission, and eventually stopped mentioning him altogether.
Lu Yuan had always assumed he was dead.
But he was standing here now. The Dean seemed very tired. After giving Lu Yuan a slight nod, he found a seat and sat down of his own accord.
Grey-white text emerged at the edge of his vision.
【Target Detected: Dean of the Polymath Tower (Knowledge Transcendent) (Pseudo-believer)】
【A human who dedicated his life to knowledge. Traces of a certain ancient aura remain upon him... Truly tragic.】
The grey-white text seemed to convey a certain message.
Lu Yuan withdrew his gaze.
There were ten people in the meeting room, at least half of whom were transcendents of the fourth rank or higher. The aura they unconsciously released, combined with the air, felt very heavy. Everyone had arrived, and the light from the march lamps pinned everyone’s shadows against the walls.
A brief silence followed.
Waiting for Kraus to speak.
Kraus stood up.
He didn't waste words. He pressed a finger on the marking for the bronze pillars on the map and began to speak.
“Something has gone wrong with the bronze pillars. This matter is related to the previous ghoul incident.”
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