novelraw Chapter 974: A Lonely Man
Chapter 974: A Lonely Man
If one were to divide the world's factions into those who submit and those who resist, Midnicht, leader of the Wastelands, is undeniably the faction of submission. Vinnelag, which leads the Main Continent, is just as clearly the faction of resistance.
But the world is never so simple; black and white always bleed into shades of gray.
Whether it's the "submitters" of Midnicht or the "resistors" of Vinnelag, they all ultimately belong to the human faction. Some are merely a darker shade of gray, others a lighter one; some are radical, others moderate. Some are purists, others are tolerant.
Vita's warning revealed a cruel truth: it is impossible to resist the anomalies.
Evil Spirits, spirits of defilement, Evil Gods, anomalies, spirits and monsters, minions of Evil Gods, servants of the Old Gods, anomaly cults, layers of the In-Between, anomalies in the mist, brood lairs, anomaly towns, shadows from deep space...
Their figures litter the scarred landscape.
Regardless of resistance or submission, humanity will eventually become part of this world, will become... an anomaly.
Just like what Lu Li had seen in the outer city.
Just like Vita's ancestors.
Regardless of whether Vita's story was true or false, the future he spoke of was real."I have a different perspective on 'existence'," Lu Li said, his outlook untainted by pessimism, whether concerning the past or the future:
"For example, your race may have lost its way, but it is not extinct."
"What... do you mean?"
Vita couldn't understand what Lu Li meant.
"We were not born with claws and fangs like beasts. Our weapons are our civilization and the wisdom we've accumulated throughout history."
You still remember your history, which means the civilization of your race still flows through your veins, awaiting the moment of its rebirth.
Vita's dark eye stared, unblinking. It was hard to tell if he was stunned by Lu Li's words, or by the fact that they came from an exorcist rumored to be so cold and distant.
"A friend of mine once told me a story."
"A man was lost in another world. He built house after house, dug canals, and cultivated fields, recreating the books and works of his past. He was alone, and he was rebuilding the civilization of his race."
"The fact that you still remember your race's history means it has not gone extinct, even if you are the last one."
The Ancient Era, the Age of Anomalies, the Dark Era—such names, reflections of civilization, show that humanity has never abandoned its history.
Humanity may be assimilated by the anomalies over a long period. But no matter how they change, as long as their history and civilization exist, they remain human.
A ship whose planks are constantly being replaced is still the same ship.
Lu Li left Vita lost in thought, exited the museum, and headed toward the outer city.
He walked through the bustling streets. It was still the Hour of Silence, and the Midnight Lady's protection shielded the people from incursions.
Since his time with Vita had been shorter than expected, Lu Li returned to the camp four or five hours before evening. With nothing else to do, he watched the teams coming and going, all of them wearing tree-shaped badges.
In the first hour, fourteen teams left the camp and eight returned; in the second, three teams departed and ten came back. By the third hour, Lu Li had stopped counting the comings and goings of the teams.
The number of teams entering and leaving the camp varied greatly depending on the time of day, but one could roughly estimate that at least 100 teams left the camp daily.
This meant that a hundred anomaly-related incidents occurred in the outer city every day—
A terrifying frequency, but when divided among Midnicht's population of nearly a million, it seemed insignificant.
Lu Li's gaze shifted from the dazzling sphere of light atop the central tower that illuminated Midnicht, settling on Kiruet and the others as they appeared on a distant street.
Noticing Lu Li waiting for them, they quickened their pace back toward the camp.
"Have you been waiting long?"
"Mhm."
"Sorry, Nasi's parents were a little too hospitable... This is for you," Kiruet said with an embarrassed smile, pulling out a parcel of food wrapped in parchment paper, still warm to the touch.
"It's a Midnicht delicacy. Tastes like dioscorea, but it's sweet like a pastry."
Lu Li took the food, retrieved the anomaly note that was being kept in the camp, and stepped onto the lifting platform.
The sphere of light on the high tower illuminating Midnicht was a little dimmer than when they had first arrived. The slowly rising elevator carried the Holy Light Squad away from Midnicht.
"We got to the root of the problem this time, so the reward should be increased by an extra academic point and one team point," Kiruet said, holding up the source note, which was wrapped in an alchemical cloth.
"Besides the standard reward, we have an unexpected find... this very notebook. Should we study the power of the note, or should we destroy it?"
As students of the Academy of Giant Trees, they obviously wouldn't hide anomalies the way ordinary people might. Contamination is like a wild beast, capable of harming oneself... and others.
Nasi prudently chose destruction; Lu Li and Yeger voted for research. Kiruet, who had the deciding vote, shook her head at Nasi:
"It seems the Holy Light Squad is choosing to take a risk this time."
Back on the Trunk Level, the group split up in front of the common room. Kiruet went to the mission hall to turn in the assignment and collect the rewards, while Lu Li and the others returned to their room to prepare.
Protective potions, revealing potions, and a "loud shout" potion capable of projecting sound over a hundred-meter diameter.
Accidents caused by teams secretly bringing back contaminated items for research were not uncommon on the Trunk Level. Although the timely arrival of the wardens usually prevented serious consequences or disasters, academic and team points were deducted to discourage such incidents, and precautions were essential.
Fifteen minutes later, Kiruet returned with the reward for the mission: a base of 1 academic point and 1 team point, plus an additional 1 academic point and 1 team point.
However, the academic points for the mission were not awarded to each member individually—it was a total sum to be distributed by the captain.
Kiruet decided to allocate 1 academic point to Lu Li, and she split the remaining point equally between herself, Yeger, and Nasi.
Lu Li needed academic points more than they did. If it weren't for the rule that no single team member could receive more than 50% of the total academic points, Kiruet would have given Lu Li more, or even all of them.
Yeger and Nasi didn't object. They had two months left before advancing to the next course, and they were less than 20 points short of the 100-point requirement, which was more than enough time to meet the conditions.
Though it was just a standard course advancement.
Kiruet placed the alchemical cloth, which insulated the note from contamination, on the round table and told everyone to get ready to take their protective potions.
At that moment, the Merchant Antoni suddenly appeared, startling Nasi so much that he nearly spilled the precious potions. The Merchant brought with him a letter that exuded a fragrant perfume.
It was a familiar scent, one that lingered in Professor Kris's alchemy study.
[Dear Exorcist]
[What did you say to Vita? He left, saying he wants to save his race, and he asked me to give you his treasures]
[—The tall and beautiful Kris]
The sender of the letter was no surprise. Lu Li asked his teammates to wait a moment and replied to her:
"Tell Vita that hope still exists."
Professor Kris's response came quickly, conveniently written beneath Lu Li's reply: [That really does sound like something you would do, but I didn't expect even Vita to be "infected" by it. Stop by when you have time; there are some interesting things among his collection.]
Lu Li didn't reply to the letter again and returned to the round table.
"Let's begin."