When Adrian spoke again, his tone had regained its usual composure.
“After the war ended, a grandmaster craftsman led the survivors, consuming a massive amount of resources to build a city upon this cursed land. They used copper to cast the walls and inscriptions to seal the earth, completely suppressing the things below.”
He paused for a moment.
“The Church’s records mention that the grandmaster craftsman used all the copper mines that could be found at the time. Most of the copper reserves in the entire West were drained during those years. There is no exact record of how long the engraving of the inscriptions took, but judging by the Church’s experience with such projects, it was at least a matter of decades.”
His gaze swept across the map on the table, which was marked with the positions of the bronze pillars and the orientation of the copper wall.
“The Church has records of this bronze creation. But the records are few; we only know it has a name.”
He looked at everyone present.
“The Bronze Sin.”
Lu Yuan’s fingers tightened slightly beneath the table.
The Bronze Sin.
He had seen those massive bronze pillars with his own eyes in the abyss of the pipe network layer. They were so thick it would take dozens of people to encircle them, piercing through the rock strata above and slanting down along the cliff face, extending into depths where the holy light could not reach. Their surfaces were densely engraved with inscriptions, each mark carved at least two finger-widths deep into the copper.
At the time, the grey-white text had provided a scan: 【Target: The Bronze Sin (Special Bronze Creation)】.
“The last bronze inscription artifact.”
That line of grey-white text surfaced clearly in his mind now.
Not only that, but the grey-white text had also detected an additional piece of information: “Trace resonance reaction.” Something on his person had resonated with The Bronze Sin.
He still hadn’t figured out exactly what was resonating—whether it was the Timekeeper pocket watch, the Knowledge Worm, or something else entirely.
Of course, most importantly, Lu Yuan hadn’t mentioned this to anyone, nor did he feel the need to.
It seemed the people from the Church harbored their own hidden agendas as well.
Adrian continued.
“The Bronze Sin contains an incredibly terrifying power. As for what is sealed beneath it, the Church’s records end there.”
The Count’s cloudy gaze finally moved from the map to Adrian. The old man’s expression remained unchanged, his hands resting on the head of his cane like a stone statue. But Lu Yuan felt that he was listening. After all, the Bronze City was his city.
He tilted his head slightly, as if weighing his next words.
“Our primary goal in entering the Bronze City this time is to prevent the things below from escaping. Secondly, we aim to understand the manufacturing principles and pattern flow of The Bronze Sin. Such knowledge is extremely valuable to the Church. Especially...”
He stopped mid-sentence, suddenly retracting his words.
“Never mind. It is inconvenient to say more on that matter.”
Adrian added one last point.
“In short, our arrival here is under the guidance of the Angel.”
After speaking, he slowly glanced toward the Ascension Society.
The look lasted less than two seconds, but it was long enough for everyone to see.
Since you have come as well, shouldn’t you say something?
Glock let out a soft breath behind Lu Yuan. He had been recording everything the entire time, and a communication crystal was flashing—clearly, Kraus was verifying something through other channels.
Arthur remained silent for a long time.
The information Adrian had provided in one go was substantial: a war a thousand years ago, something falling from the sky, a curse, and a grandmaster craftsman building a city. Even if only half of it were true, it was enough to change everyone’s perception of the Bronze City.
Arthur finally spoke.
“I do not possess much regarding the history of the Bronze City either.”
He spoke slowly, as if choosing his words carefully.
“But The Bronze Sin is indeed documented in the records of imperial headquarters. It is an unprecedented inscription project.”
He paused, offering a new piece of information.
“The effects contained within The Bronze Sin can effectively restrict that head. This has been verified.”
That head.
Arthur saying “verified” meant the Empire had already attempted to use the Bronze City to suppress the head and had succeeded.
So what about A.M.? He hadn't been seen for a while; what role did he play in all this?
Arthur continued.
“It is for this reason that the Empire chose the Bronze City as the destination for the Sea of Knowledge Harvesting Plan.”
He stopped for a moment.
“Otherwise, the optimal choice would have been Twilight Town. The conditions there are more suitable for harvesting in certain aspects. But Twilight Town does not have The Bronze Sin.”
After saying this, he paused for a beat.
“Furthermore, during the harvesting process, we discovered that the Bronze City’s inscription system can significantly reduce the instability of the harvesting channel. This is something that cannot be achieved in Twilight Town.”
Arthur did not dwell on that sentence.
“Regardless, since a problem has arisen in the Bronze City, it must be resolved as quickly as possible. This is why I have disclosed so much information today.”
His gaze turned toward the Ascension Society.
“Since you have established yourselves in the Bronze City, you must have your own goals. Speak up.”
The Great Ascendant did not respond immediately.
He sat there, his face composed of metal plates showing no expression, his silver-grey pupils slowly scanning the room.
Then he spoke, his voice carrying a slight metallic rasp.
“The Ascension Society has only one goal.”
“The Seeds.”
“As for the abyss beneath the Bronze City and The Bronze Sin...” His speaking pace remained steady. “Our archives contain no records of them.”
He turned his head slightly, a cold light reflecting off his metal plates.
“The Ascension Society has been established for a shorter time than both the Church and the Nightwatchers. Everyone present should be aware of this.”
The Great Ascendant continued.
“The great power contained within the seeds can, to a certain extent, help us progress further. That is all I can say.”
Adrian’s lips twitched as if he wanted to say something, but he ultimately remained silent.
His voice suddenly dropped half a notch.
“However.”
His silver-grey pupils fixed on Kraus.
“There are four seeds in total. One was destroyed during the ghoul incident. One has already sprouted. And another should be in your hands.”
Kraus’s expression didn’t change, but Lu Yuan could feel his center of gravity shift slightly forward.
Lu Yuan silently glanced at Kraus. The seed had just come into their possession and it was already being called out. Kraus didn’t look back, but he must have realized the same thing.
The Great Ascendant’s voice remained flat.
“I need that unsprouted seed.”
He paused, as if waiting for a reaction.
“Of course, I will pay a corresponding price. Participating in the containment operation and providing substantial martial support—I can promise these things.”
After finishing with the matter of the seeds, the Great Ascendant fell into a brief silence.
“As for the last seed...”
His silver-grey pupils flickered with an eerie luster before fading.
The meeting room was quiet for two seconds. The flame of a march lamp flickered, and a draft seeped through the crack in the door, bringing the chill of the hallway’s copper-rust scent.
Old Count Helmut only moved after everyone had finished speaking.
The base of his silver cane tapped lightly against the floor. The sound wasn't loud, but everyone in the meeting room heard it.
“The Bronze City needs stability.”
His cloudy gaze rose slowly from the map, sweeping across every face on both sides of the table.
“Therefore, everyone, you must contribute a bit more effort.”
Two sentences. After speaking, he leaned back into his chair, his hands folding over the head of his cane once more.
He said no more.
The attendant stood half a step behind him, his smiling face unchanged.
Lu Yuan noticed a detail. The moment the Count finished speaking, Agnes lowered her head slightly behind Adrian.
Adrian’s smile remained, but he pulled back from his forward-leaning position, taking his fingers off the table and resting them on the armrests.
The Great Ascendant’s silver-grey pupils moved from the Count to the attendant—that smiling man whose narrow-bladed longsword at his waist reflected a cold light in the glow of the march lamps.
‘It seems the Count’s influence is still quite significant...’
Lu Yuan thought silently to himself.
All eyes converged on Kraus.
He was the Vice Director of the Nightwatchers branch and the primary organizer of this operation. He had personally descended into the pipe network and caught the Grey Covenant; he held more firsthand information than anyone else present.
Kraus stood up.
“First, regarding the seeds.”
His finger pressed against the edge of the map.
“The Ascension Society needs this unsprouted seed, the Church needs it, and the Count wants it as well.”
His gaze swept past the Great Ascendant, past Adrian, and finally lingered on the Count for a moment.
“After the operation concludes, you may distribute it among yourselves; how you divide it is your business. Until the operation is over, this seed will remain with us for the time being.”
The Great Ascendant’s mechanical knuckles clenched and then relaxed, but he ultimately said nothing. Adrian tilted his head slightly to look at Agnes, who gave a faint shake of her head. The Count showed no reaction, his silver cane standing steadily before him.
No one raised an objection. At least, not out loud.
Kraus did not linger on the topic for long.
“I have confirmed the information regarding the last seed.”
He looked up, his gaze falling directly on Arthur.
“It is at the top of the Polymath Tower.”
Arthur’s expression froze for a moment.
He clearly hadn’t expected this answer. Almost instinctively, he turned his head to look at the Dean beside him.
The Dean shook his head slightly.
Arthur turned back, his face darkening. His hands at his sides clenched slightly before he forced them to relax.
“Where did this information come from?”
His voice didn't rise, but there was a clear emotional fluctuation.
“Kame,” Kraus answered briefly. “He saw that seed at the top of the tower. And it has already sprouted.”
Arthur didn't know, and the Dean didn't know, but Kame knew—and the Ascension Society seemed to know as well?
The situation had suddenly become complicated. The Department Supervisor knew something the Dean didn't? It seemed everyone was trying to keep secrets.
Rate on N.U.
