Chapter 1085: Chapter 54: Detention Period
If it were the solitary cell for lower grades, the door would be a finely carved wooden door, with a soft plush bed, a bookshelf with books, and blank notes, along with beams of light slanting in through a narrow window like the morning sun.
But in the middle grades, the cramped space behind the closed iron door contains only a cold, hard bed, a fluorite lamp on the desk, and a corner bucket cleaned with no odor.
At noon, cold food without steam is delivered through the iron door window, and the sound of the Gatekeeper’s dull footsteps echoes down the corridor.
One can imagine how harsh the solitary cell for the upper grades must be.
And Lu Li has to linger in this environment for a month.
Fortunately, the solitary cell only prohibits leaving, not "entering."
Lu Li summoned Merchant Anthony to visit the solitary cells of Fudote and Yege.
The appearance of the merchant surprised them. Unsurprisingly, Fudote and Yege requested new bedding, an additional fluorite lamp, and some books. Those confined always find something to do.
During the interval when the merchant was returning with supplies, Lu Li searched the cramped solitary cell.
The area around the bed and bucket was empty, but when he opened the desk drawer, the sound of metal shifting and scraping "clattered," and a rough iron key lay alone in the drawer.
Lu Li picked up the iron key and compared it to the solitary cell door—it seemed capable of opening the iron door.
The iron key slid smoothly into the keyhole, accompanied by a twist—
Click.
The sound of a mechanism starting could be heard from within the iron door.
Now, a gentle push would open the iron door of the solitary cell imprisoning Lu Li.
Lu Li guessed the purpose of the iron key, withdrew it from the keyhole, and placed it back in the drawer.
Soon after, Merchant Anthony returned, and an extra fluorite lamp made the solitary cell no longer dim. Lu Li replaced the bedding and had Merchant Anthony deliver them to Fudote and Yege, along with some extra eyeballs.
Squeak—
Lu Li sat in the pulled-out wooden chair, bringing a fluorescent lamp closer, and opened the human theory notes Merchant Anthony had brought back from the lounge.
In the following days, having gained a moment of tranquility, Lu Li focused on perfecting human theory.
Food was delivered three times a day, morning, noon, and night, unsurprisingly cold and hard.
Thanks to Merchant Anthony, Lu Li was not as news-deprived as other students confined in solitary cells. Besides the newspapers arriving every morning and evening, he was informed of the current situations in the Land of Light and the Vena Ice-Free Port.
The second batch of survivors had already landed at the Land of Light. The Twisted Vine Church participated in the construction, but it was limited to areas around Agate Lake.
The sunlight spilling over the Land of Light caused many abnormal beings to feel uncomfortable and leave, but more still lingered in the Ruins of Belfast and arrived from the primordial darkness-covered lands. They hide in shadows or those dangerous areas—like the Land of Vortex, which expanded another ring compared to two months ago.
Although Lu Li was nominally the lord of the Land of Light, he and his allies could only control the area around Agate Lake and the temporary roads when Andrea arrived, barely resisting the intrusion of abnormal beings, with no power to radiate outward.
The Twisted Vine Church and its residents are waiting, waiting for the day when Lu Li returns with power.
The addition of a merchant has made material transportation at the Vena Ice-Free Port relatively stable, albeit due to the reduced population in the underground refuge reaching a certain number...
The situation at Vena Ice-Free Port is not optimistic. There are still two months for the harsh winter to completely pass, and without the protection of Divinity, they face abnormal invasions daily, having to huddle in the crowded core area to pass the time.
Without trivial matters to disturb him, Lu Li nearly completed the human theory on the 4th day of confinement, originally estimated to be finished in about 15 days.
Some parts were left, which Professor Chris had warned him not to entirely conclude, deliberately leaving them unfinished.
Knowledge represents a curse, the weight of completing the human theory is something Lu Li cannot bear—nor can Professor Chris.
But there’s no need to worry; the knowledge curse solution at Giant Tree Academy is long found, the final sentences will be completed by a condemned criminal, serving as a substitute.
Glory returns to Lu Li, while death and redemption belong to the prisoners.
Merchant Anthony took the human theory notes, now only missing the conclusion, and returned shortly after with Professor Chris’s wine glass.
"Has our ice melted?" came Chris’s lazy, graceful voice from the wine glass.
Many students saw the Gatekeeper take Lu Li to the solitary cell, a scene that was hard to conceal. The truth was quickly unveiled—Lu Li and others attacked Gienegarde upon his return.
Any news about Lu Li was newsworthy.
There’s no doubt. Even though Giant Tree Academy is relatively closed, the information leaked inevitably, appearing in the newspapers a few days ago.
Many sighed that Lu Li had been assimilated. But to those who knew Lu Li, who had interacted with him, it seemed he was silently changing...
Kiluawait is waiting; previously, her teammates were waiting for her injuries to heal, now she is waiting for her teammates’ confinement to end.
"How many credits can the human theory give me?" Lu Li didn’t talk about this topic.
A sigh came from the wine glass: "I think credits are meaningless now, you can graduate and leave anytime."
Now, the only thing troubling Lu Li is mastering the Cursed Title and its prerequisites: Level 6, Level 7 Mysticology, and Level 3 Alchemy.
Reaching Level 6 in Mysticology and Level 3 in Alchemy, Lu Li can leave the transitional middle grades and proceed to the upper grades for the final step.
"Poor Lins family girl, she abandoned her seed to advance to follow you to the middle grades, just to be confined for a month the next day. After coming out, you’re going to the upper grades again... my dear, sometimes I think you are truly cold-hearted."
"At the end of the confinement, I will take the Level 6 Mysticology trial; do you have any advice?" Lu Li once again evaded Professor Chris’s topic.
"After coming out, select the highest difficulty task your Holy Light Squad can take, that’s the content of the Level 6 trial."
"What about Level 3 in Alchemy?"
"That shouldn’t be hard for you, right, my dear... oh, I should go back."
Before the wine glass returned, Professor Chris left a few useful book titles for Lu Li.
Merchant Anthony returned the wine glass, and came back a few minutes later with those books Lu Li needed.
The solitary cell returned to its tranquil and dim state. On the third day, Lu Li saw himself on the front page of the newspaper once again in the morning paper.
This time, not for the previous disgraceful "brawl," but for representing humanity and nearly completing the theory of abnormal activities in human nature.
At the same time, the controllers of the hunt for the Evil God returned with their prey.
They reportedly even confronted the Gatekeeper, intending to release Lu Li, ultimately stopped by upper-grade mentors on site.
Due to Lu Li’s absence, and their urgent need for human nature restoration, they fell into anxious waiting, temporarily keeping the Evil God and other preys at the edge of the safe zone in the forbidden area. But no one doubts that Lu Li can restore them—because of Lu Li’s reputation and the best example, Cain.
It is now 23 days until Lu Li’s confinement ends.