Kraus gathered everyone at an open space on the outskirts of the Polymath Tower.
“The dive can’t be delayed any longer.”
He spread out a map showing the street layout of the inner city and the structure of the underground pipe network. His finger pointed to a spot in the eastern part of the inner city, near the Old Council Square.
“Here.”
The location was marked as a sinkhole. Lu Yuan remembered that several collapses of varying sizes had occurred on the surface of Bronze City. While some had been restored to normal after repairs, a few larger sinkholes had been deliberately preserved, with diving entrances left for personnel during the renovations.
The one next to the Old Council Square was the largest among them.
“The Church has already made preparations in advance,” Adrian took over.
The old Archbishop’s voice was measured, each word carrying a customary sense of authority.
“We have set up a temporary church near the Old Council Square for purification and prayer rituals before and after the dive. Furthermore, reinforcements from the Church will be arriving in Bronze City over the next two days to seal off the blocks surrounding the square.”
“The purpose of the blockade?” Arthur asked.
“To prevent ghoul overflows during the dive, as well as anything else that might surge up from underground.” Adrian glanced at Arthur. “You all know the situation from the last dive. The number of ghouls down there far exceeds our estimates. We must have enough strength on the surface to hold the exit, and of course...”
Kraus already understood what Adrian meant. He nodded, his gaze sweeping over everyone present.
“What we need to decide now is the composition of the diving team. How many are going down, whether all rank 4s should go, and whether we go in waves.”
Adrian was the first to speak.
“I do not agree with all rank 4s going down.”
The old Archbishop’s tone was level but firm.
“Although no rank 4s participated in the earliest dives, we know from their accounts that there are extremely terrifying things within that abyss beneath Bronze City. Even excluding the uncertain parts, the sheer number of ghouls is already a staggering figure.”
He paused for a moment.
“Furthermore, there is a massive amount of scavenger fungus below. It will pose a significant obstacle to our progress, not only affecting visibility and breathing but also continuously eroding the human body.”
Adrian’s gaze swept across the group.
“Therefore, the composition of the diving team must be precise. We need people with purification abilities or those who can withstand the erosion of the scavenger fungus. The Church’s people can handle the purification, and they can effectively defend against ghouls. The Ascension Society, with their full-body metal modifications, has the highest resistance to contamination and erosion, making them suitable as the vanguard.”
The old Archbishop looked at Kraus.
“My suggestion is to have a rank 4 as the leader, with the Ascension Society serving as the secondary combat force for the dive. The Nightwatchers only need to send a limited number of people this time. We must leave enough strength on the surface to hold the exit. If something goes wrong below, the surface cannot be allowed to collapse as well.”
Kraus didn’t respond immediately, his gaze shifting between Adrian and the Great Ascendant.
The Great Ascendant spoke.
“The Archbishop’s line of thinking is very cautious.” His silver-grey pupils turned toward Adrian, his tone carrying a hint of dismissiveness. “But if we only send such a small number of people down, what is the point of the dive?”
He raised a metal arm, lightly flicking a finger.
“The number of ghouls is terrifying, and there are terrifying existences in the abyss—we all know this. But if we send a small squad and they retreat in disgrace the moment they hit a snag, only to call for more people later... what have we gained after repeating this several times?”
The Great Ascendant’s pupils glinted coldly under the moonlight.
“It would be better to punch through a channel in one go and seal off the surrounding paths. We should collect as much information as possible to prepare for the next operation. If we don’t have enough people, we won’t be able to accomplish any of these things.”
Two strategies were laid out on the table.
Adrian wanted to control the risk, using a rational composition for limited exploration while keeping a strong reserve on the surface. The Great Ascendant wanted efficiency, investing enough power at once to clear a path and gather sufficient information to avoid a repetitive tug-of-war.
Kraus stared at the sinkhole marker on the map, remaining silent for a few seconds.
Suddenly, a dull tremor rose from beneath their feet.
The vibration was brief, lasting less than a second before vanishing, but everyone present felt it. A wisp of extremely faint grey dust seeped from the seams of the stone pavement, as if something had pushed up from deep underground.
Glock glanced down at his feet, then looked up at Kraus.
Kraus folded the map and tucked it into his inner pocket.
“We’ll merge the two plans. All three parties will provide personnel. A rank 4 will lead the team, the Ascension Society will be the vanguard, and the Church will handle purification.”
His tone left no room for discussion.
“Assemble at the Old Council Square in one hour.”
...
By the time Lu Yuan followed Kraus and the others out of the branch, it was completely dark outside.
The streets were empty. The effects of the blockade had seeped all the way to the outer city, and even half the taverns on the main street were closed. March lamps were hung only every few intersections, their light stretching long shadows across the stone road.
Glock and Bo Er led the way, both carrying their gear, their footsteps steady.
Lu Yuan walked in the middle of the group.
Kraus had been at the very front, but he slowed his steps as they reached an intersection. When Lu Yuan caught up, Kraus didn't look back, simply adjusting his stride to match Lu Yuan’s.
The distance between them and Glock and Bo Er widened to seven or eight paces.
Far enough.
“Keep an eye on that one from the Ascension Society.”
Kraus’s voice wasn’t loud; it sounded more like a passing remark.
Lu Yuan didn't reply, but he knew this wasn't idle chatter.
Less than two hours had passed since the incident at the tower top. The Great Ascendant’s old body lay there, yet his new body had walked over from the streets outside the Polymath Tower with a natural attitude, as if he had simply changed clothes. No one present at the time had said a word.
“Consciousness transfer...” Kraus softly breathed the words. “In all my years, I’ve never heard of a system that can do that.”
He paused for a beat.
“Even for a forbidden existence, it’s not as if they can just swap bodies whenever they want.”
The last sentence sounded more like he was talking to himself.
“Just how far has the Ascension Society gone?”
Lu Yuan didn't respond.
Kraus didn't expect him to.
After a few more steps, Kraus changed the subject.
“There’s something wrong with that guy.”
Lu Yuan looked up at him.
“I was close to him once earlier, below the tower.” Kraus’s speaking speed slowed slightly. “His aura was a bit unstable, not as deep as last time.”
Lu Yuan mentally reviewed the 【Sanity Wear】 mentioned by the grey-white text.
The “instability” Kraus perceived through his rank 4 presence likely corresponded to that. The two pieces of information matched.
“I noticed it too.”
Lu Yuan kept his voice even lower than Kraus’s.
“His aura is somewhat weaker than it was before the Polymath Tower.”
Kraus’s footsteps faltered for half a second.
“How much weaker?”
Lu Yuan weighed his words.
“Hard to say.”
He thought as he walked.
“But that oppressive rank 4 presence... compared to last time, it’s as if a layer has been worn away.”
Kraus was silent for a while.
“That explains it then.”
He connected all the questions in his mind.
“The price is unnaturally small.”
His speaking speed slowed.
“An unnatural price usually means the price isn't paid there.”
“It’s paid elsewhere, or later.”
Lu Yuan listened silently.
Kraus continued forward.
“If rank 4s could be resurrected like this, the order of the Empire would be finished.”
His voice dropped, devoid of inflection.
“Headquarters will realize it sooner or later.”
Kraus continued.
“Every consciousness transfer grinds away a layer.”
“There is an upper limit to how many times he can transfer.”
They passed another intersection.
Kraus paused for a moment before saying one last thing.
“Precisely because he has a limit, he will value his life even more down there.”
“If something happens, he’ll save himself first.”
“Be careful.”
Having said that, he quickened his pace and caught up to Glock in a few strides.
Glock turned and gave him a nod, and the two of them began speaking in low voices.
Lu Yuan slowed his pace.
Kraus’s silhouette swayed under the march lamps before returning to his usual posture.
...
By the time Lu Yuan’s group reached the alley on the north side of the Old Council Square, the sky had turned pitch black.
The square looked smaller than it did during the day. The night compressed their vision, and the three layers of blockades had cut off the surrounding area completely.
The outermost layer was the Iron Guard. Figures in grey coats were scattered across the rooftops and street corners, their faces obscured.
Further in was the Holy Armored Army. A squad was lined up along the streets leading to the square, the holy light inscriptions on their breastplates glowing with a very faint shimmer. The innermost circle consisted of low-level monks from the Church, the hems of their greyish-white robes swaying gently in the night wind as they tightly guarded the four entrances to the square.
In the center of the square, newly laid copper plates covered the sinkhole.
The copper hadn't fully oxidized yet, its surface carrying the original dark red metallic luster, looking completely out of place against the worn, bluish old stone around it.
Lu Yuan followed behind Kraus as they emerged from the alley.
Kraus’s pace was slightly faster than before, returning to his usual rhythm.
Some people had already arrived at the square.
From the direction of the Church’s temporary church, Adrian walked out leaning on his scepter, with Agnes following beside him. As the nun’s greyish-white robes were lifted by the wind while she descended the steps, she reached out to press them down, her head lowered.
Adrian gave a slight nod when he saw Kraus approaching.
Kraus returned the gesture.
Arthur stood inconspicuously half a step behind Adrian. He wore his deep grey Special Inspector robes, the badge on his chest reflecting a cold glint under the march lamps.
Footsteps echoed from the other end of the square.
The synchronized rhythm of metal joints hitting the ground approached from the direction of the inner city.
Lu Yuan looked over.
Silver-grey metal plates glinted coldly in the moonlight as the Great Ascendant emerged from a street corner. Behind him followed a squad of figures in black robes; every single one of them had the exact same stride and rhythm, with the outlines of metal structures faintly visible beneath their robes.
They were clearly Descendants.
The group stopped about ten paces from the center of the square, forming a square formation without anyone making a single unnecessary sound.
The Great Ascendant walked forward a few more steps and came to a halt.
His silver-grey pupils scanned the people in the square, finally resting on Kraus.
“Is everyone here?”
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