Chapter 1069: Chapter 38: City Beneath the Earth
The Sequence Potions in the stomach pouch, the ones placed on the Alchemy Rack, they’re all in pairs—these Sequence Potions are worth enough to hire a team ranked on the leaderboard for several months.
But now it seems Lu Li is capable of more than just that.
“You can afford more potions?” Kiluat asked.
“Yes.”
“Alright, we know you’re very wealthy… but are you sure you want to invest all your assets into the team? I mean… the rewards from a month’s work might not even afford a single potion from the top 100.”
“Not all of it.”
“How much?” Yege couldn’t help but lower his voice.
An unimaginably terrifying figure.
“Enough to buy the whole Giant Tree Academy,” Lu Li said, or the entire human world.
“Giant Tree Academy is priceless—” Yege suddenly paused, his tone filled with disbelief, “Is that what you mean?”
“More or less.”
The more trades Merchant Lu Li conducted, the more his wealth was tied to real currency. In other words, his digits were inching closer to actual existence.
“Millions, tens of millions?” Naxi probed.
“More.”
The Holy Light Squad struggled to shift the topic away from Lu Li’s wealth, returning to the original task.
Naf proposed patrolling the surface buffer zone, but Kiluat and Yege simultaneously rejected it.
“Outside, countless anomalies want to kill Lu Li, going to the surface is not a good choice…”
Excluding surface tasks, few options remained, either surveying the intermediate layers or the borders of forbidden zones,
“I have a suitable mission in mind,” said Kiluat, “Deepnight City investigation incident.”
Deepnight City, the new city after Midnight City’s subterranean migration.
As a sanctuary of the Lady of Midnight, Deepnight City is guarded by the Five Great Knight Orders, with countless congregations gathered here; anomalies covet it yet rarely venture.
“What do you think?” Kiluat waited for Lu Li’s decision.
“Alright.”
“I’ll head to the mission hall to find a suitable task.” Kiluat left the round table.
Naxi stood up in a fluster, “I’ll go with you.”
“I’ll also… ouch.” Yege sucked in a breath as he tugged at his leg wound, pressed back into his seat by Kiluat.
“Naxi and I will go, Lu Li, you stay here,” Kiluat said, donning her cloak, “Your appearance might incite more jealousy from those teams.”
“Take the potions.”
Lu Li opened his stomach pouch to search, retrieving two bottles of Sequence Potion number 113 before it closed and digested his hand.
“Protection Potions, they can block weak curses and malice, drink them now.”
“Um… then I won’t go.” Naxi reluctantly removed the cloak half worn, unwilling to consume an additional potion.
Kiluat did not refuse; she took the Protection Potion before departing, unconcerned with the malice from the middle grade towards the Holy Light Squad at the moment.
Once Kiluat left the resting room, Lu Li opened the eye-shaped wooden box, inquiring about Deepnight City while waiting for Merchant Anthony’s arrival, “Tell me about Deepnight City.”
Naxi hailed from Deepnight City; his family resides in the Inner City.
Due to migrating underground from the surface, Midnight City, or Deepnight City’s residents were redistributed…
Divided into unchanging classes.
Nobles and Mystic Power Holders live in the central city, the core of Deepnight City. Headquarters of the Five Great Knight Orders, the Midnight Lady Church, the Alchemists’ Association, and the Caveman General Trade Line are all located there, beyond the reach of Outer City dwellers.
The Inner City, the adhesive of Deepnight City, is also a bustling place. Central City residents can come here, as can Outer City residents. It’s home to fallen nobles, numerous congregations, the middle class, or merchants, as well as the families of Giant Tree Academy students.
The Outer City is Deepnight City’s largest and most populous area.
Every moment, humans migrate from the Dark Wilderness or old sewers or farther away; every moment, lucky ones become Inner City residents from the Outer City. It’s where all the poor and displaced linger, and Deepnight City’s most chaotic region.
Because remaining congregations and emerging churches harvest belief here to hatch Divinities, and because new citizens constantly arriving pose risks to Midnight City.
This chaos is relative; even Deepnight City’s outskirts bring more safety than Spirit Town.
Most of the Deepnight City investigation tasks issued by Giant Tree Academy concern the Outer City. Occasionally appearing in the inner layer, these tasks are no longer manageable by middle or high-grade students—anomalies infiltrating the Inner City are evidently more difficult to handle and more perilous.
The Holy Light Squad has experience with several Deepnight City investigation missions. After accepting a task, they head to the location, search, investigate, identify the issues, then return to Giant Tree Academy to submit results, or stay to solve the problem.
The latter offers rewards due to increased difficulty, but the Holy Light Squad consistently opts to investigate and return with the task reports.
Because the Holy Light Squad lacks the strength, and because they have repeatedly encountered anomalies during investigation missions. Such as those disguised as humans, occupying human bodies, or items storing anomalous consciousness.
This division reminded Lu Li of investigators.
Old Era’s three major organizations operated similarly: investigators probe incidents, night watchmen handle events.
Albeit due to students’ limited strength.
Merchant Anthony arrived slightly slower than usual. Besides responding to Lu Li’s call, it brought news.
“Chris wants you to come over, now.”
Lu Li instructed Merchant Anthony to prepare 4 more stomach pouches and 8 sets of Sequence Potions; Yege and Naxi left the resting room for the deeper grade’s Alchemy Office, lost in thought.
“Is it for us?”
After Lu Li left, Naxi softly asked in the quiet resting room.
“For the captain, you, me, Margaret… that substitute, I think so.”
“Lu Li is truly generous…”
They are now far wealthier than when Margaret was present. Perhaps, no team in Giant Tree Academy was more luxurious than theirs.
Yet their mood quickly turned somber.
The Holy Light Squad would rather Margaret hadn’t died.
…
Knock knock knock—
“Come in, dear.”
Lu Li pushed the door and entered the Alchemy Office.
“It seems you quite enjoy life in the trunk area.” Professor Chris, grooming her long hair at the vanity, gazed at Lu Li through the mirror, “Otherwise, why take so long to see me?”
“Have the mystic power holders arrived?” Lu Li ignored Professor Chris’s coquettish tone.
“Another matter. The Knights Order found clues about the merchant, in Deepnight City.”
“Anything else?”
Lu Li doubted Professor Chris called him over just for this.
“The collector who gathers merchants made a request—he wishes to meet you.”
“He?”
“A resident in the Inner City, not human, fond of humans. He might say things to embarrass you but won’t harm you.”
“Alright.”
The beautiful face in the mirror narrowed its long eyes: “Could you tie my hair?”
“No.”
…
Returning to the Holy Light Squad’s resting room, Kiluat had already returned from accepting the task.
“We’ll depart tomorrow morning.”