novelraw Chapter 762: Curse and Legend
Chapter 762: Curse and Legend
[Ghoul Community Profile]
[Scratches and bites from Ghouls transmit the Ghoul virus. This virus cannot be eliminated by treating the wound; the only way to stop its spread is to amputate the infected body part before the virus can spread further. If left untreated, the body gradually loses all sensation, and the person transforms into a Ghoul.]
[They possess a certain level of intelligence, enough to control their instincts. The higher a Ghoul's position in the community hierarchy, the greater its intelligence. However, there is no evidence that individuals below the rank of Ghoul King possess intelligence comparable to that of a human.]
[Ghouls are incapable of reproduction. They increase their numbers by attacking humans. If a Ghoul Warlock is present in the community, it can transform corpses or use mediums to lure humans and drive them to madness. The latter method is typically more dangerous, as people whose minds are damaged before transformation are not detected by city gods. Although they are not contagious at this stage, their human appearance makes them more perilous.]
[As an anomaly community, Ghouls have habits similar to humans and live in groups. When the community reaches a certain size, a Ghoul lair becomes a Ghoul settlement. A small portion of the community members become Ghoul Warriors, and an even smaller number become Ghoul Warlocks. Within a settlement, it becomes possible to create Ghoul Warriors, Ghoul Warlocks, and Ghoul Chieftains, who perform specific functions.]
[Their origin is unknown. It is only known that they existed on the Main Continent as early as the end of the Old Era and spread along with migrating humans and the Ghoul epidemic.]
[Ghoul Commoner]
[Found in any lair]
[Lowest rank]
[Size: 1.4–1.7 meters]Lu Li turned the page. The reverse side depicted a new type of Ghoul.
[Ghoul Warrior]
[Found in any lair]
[Mid-rank]
[Size: 1.7–2.5 meters]
[Ghoul Warriors are built solely for combat. They possess a larger and stronger physique than Ghoul Commoners, as well as sharper teeth and claws. Dense muscles are hidden beneath their rotting skin.]
After lingering for a moment on the illustration of the Ghoul Warrior, Lu Li turned the page.
[Ghoul Warlock]
[Found in Ghoul settlements and larger communities]
[Mid-rank]
[Size: 1.5–1.7 meters]
The Ghoul Warlock's snout and claws were severely deformed. Its tissue decomposition was less pronounced, but bones protruding from beneath the skin gave it a desiccated appearance. It held a human skull in its hands.
After studying the illustration of the Ghoul Warlock for some time, Lu Li shifted his gaze to the next page.
The familiar words suddenly warped, dissolving and reforming into the semblance of a desiccated, clawed hand that reached out of the book toward Lu Li.
Thwack!
Lu Li slammed the book shut.
But the clawed hand didn't disappear. The book's black cover began to bulge, outlining the shape of the hand.
Lu Li pressed his left hand against the cover, suppressing the evil force born from the words.
An angry roar echoed somewhere in the depths of his mind, and the clawed hand reluctantly retreated back into the pages. Everything fell silent.
It was as if everything he had just seen was a mere delusion.
Lu Li didn't open the book again, because he had already understood one thing.
People hadn't stopped recording knowledge.
They waited in Professor Nuno Alexandrovich's office for a long time, almost until evening. Finally, a knock came at the half-open, broken door, followed by the news that the professor had woken up.
The wait had been long, but at least it wasn't bad news.
Lu Li and Katerina left the office. The guards escorted them to a lounge.
Professor Nuno Alexandrovich was lying on a cot. His forehead and right arm were wrapped in medicated bandages.
“My apologies, Mr. Lu Li. I became too agitated... and those blockheads dared to insult you,” Professor Nuno Alexandrovich apologized, his voice laced with anxiety.
The guard who had brought them there scratched his protruding belly, clearly paying no mind to the professor's insults.
He was more interested in this destitute man whom Professor Nuno Alexandrovich treated with such reverence.
“Damn you, Mis, go and call the other professors.”
Professor Nuno Alexandrovich dismissed the guard and sighed wearily, turning to Lu Li. “Fortunately, they’re as dumb as posts. If they were any smarter, we’d have no end of trouble...”
The professor's attitude toward the guards seemed to hint at something, but they each had more important things to attend to.
“Mr. Lu Li, could you tell me what happened after the Great Migration?” Professor Nuno Alexandrovich asked impatiently, but then stopped himself. “Wait... Tell us when the others arrive...”
“Mr. Lu Li, when did you return... to the surface?”
“A couple of weeks ago.”
“Before the Eternal Night?”
“Yes.”
The wrinkles on Professor Nuno Alexandrovich's face smoothed out, and he smiled. “You returned quite recently, so perhaps much about this world seems foreign to you. If you have any questions, please, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Where did the ballad come from?”
“The one that glorifies you?”
Professor Nuno Alexandrovich clarified, and after receiving an affirmative answer, he sank into his memories. “I don’t know... After the migration, we lived at Storm Cape. Food was scarce there too, of course, but it was much better than in Revoltown... And then, after you attacked the Third Calamity, that ballad began to spread through Storm Cape.”
“Do you know anything about the evil spirit, the Shadow Maiden?” Lu Li asked.
“The Shadow Maiden...” Professor Nuno Alexandrovich muttered and shook his head. “I’ve never heard of her. Ask the others when they arrive. Perhaps they’ll know something.”
This was also telling: after Lu Li's ‘death,’ Anna had stopped wreaking havoc.
Before Lu Li could ask about what had happened between the Old Era and the Age of Anomalies, Katerina gently nudged his shoulder.
“What do you want to ask?” Lu Li asked her.
Katerina looked at Professor Nuno Alexandrovich and said cautiously, “So, regardless of whether Lu Li is a pureblood human or not, you’ll still ‘buy’ him?”
“Buy him?”
Professor Nuno Alexandrovich's joyful and excited expression soured. “Mr. Lu Li, do you need help?”
He thought Lu Li was being mistreated.
“Katerina is the hunter who pulled me from underground and escorted me to Midnight. She thought I was a pureblood human and wanted to claim a reward for me.”
Professor Nuno Alexandrovich relaxed and smiled. “If that’s all it is, don’t worry... What is it you want?”
“Citizenship... and money!” Katerina’s breathing quickened, and she nervously clenched her fists.
Whether she would continue to drag out a miserable existence as a hunter in a death swamp until her end or secure the safe life of a citizen—it would all be decided in this moment.
“That’s not a problem,” Professor Nuno Alexandrovich replied.
The ease with which Professor Nuno Alexandrovich made the promise made Katerina doubt his words.
“You don’t understand what Mr. Lu Li means to us...”
Professor Nuno Alexandrovich slowly shook his head and looked at Lu Li with reverence, as if gazing upon a saint.
“If it weren’t for Lu Li, you and many others would never have been born, never have grown up. Perhaps humanity would already be extinct, or hiding in dark dungeons where the Calamities cannot reach.”