I can see experience bars after being transported to another world.

Large quantities of timber poured into the city along the main road to the east, and the church's additional manpower also arrived. The figures in white robes moved through the ruins, treating the wounded and comforting the people.

The Ascension Society also sent a large number of newborns.

It must be said that these newborns are truly top-notch workers.

The broken beam, which would take one person to encircle, could only be lifted by a Night Watchman who had embarked on a path of transcendence. Yet the newborn carried it on his back as if no one else was there, walking from the east to the west of the city without even breaking a sweat.

Like a tireless machine.

Oh, they are machines themselves.

One is worth ten, and that's no exaggeration.

The Great Ascendant and AM never appeared in Bronze City again.

I wonder where they went after capturing those fragments of the Crown of Kings on the battlefield.

Of course, Klaus didn't care where the Great Ascended went, as long as the Incarnates came.

Bronze City changed every day.

The corpses and filth in the ruins were cleared out, the collapsed houses were demolished, new timber and stone were transported over, and foundations were marked out one by one.

Many residents squatted on their own foundations for half a day, then took out charcoal and designed patterns for their new houses on wooden boards.

As for the boundary between the inner and outer cities, Lu Yuan stopped specifically to take a look.

The bronze city wall, which had stood for who knows how many years, had completely rotted away.

Only a wide groove remained at the base of the wall, and the black soil in the groove was still being turned over.

The rotting flesh softened completely, and surprisingly, it didn't emit any strange smell.

They gradually shrank back into the ground, as if they were shrinking.

The flesh and blood were clearly not completely dead. They chose to retreat on their own.

Before long, the name "Bronze City" may become somewhat undeserving of its name.

The ghouls have all disappeared; they have obviously been devoured by the flesh and blood and turned into nourishment.

This saves a lot of trouble.

From now on, Bronze City will no longer need to spare manpower to manage those things underground.

Moreover, having lost the taboo binding, the flesh and blood entrenched at the bottom of the abyss exuded a strange vitality, posing far less of a threat than before.

Rather than calling them threats, they are more like a resource, a recyclable, eerie resource unique to Bronze City.

There was only one thing that made Lu Yuan feel uneasy.

Rick remained unconscious.

He would go to room number seven in section C every day to check on Lake.

The roots of hope intertwined more and more tightly with Rick, and the golden light flowed more steadily each day, but the hideous insect body remained quiet and showed no sign of waking up.

If it weren't for the gray text constantly displaying the notification...

[Target detected: Leike (stable status) (Merging in progress)]

Lu Yuan thought that Lei Ke was dead.

When Lu Yuan went to see Hope, he even tried to communicate with it, wanting to ask it for some leaves and bark or something.

Hope seemed annoyed by his questions, and finally shook herself, letting three golden leaves fall.

After the leaves leave the tree trunk, the golden light on them quickly fades, but the leaves are still golden overall, with golden veins.

Grayish-white text then appeared.

Target detected: Leaf of Hope (Special Artifact)

[A complete leaf voluntarily detached from an aggregate nourished by wishes. It contains some inexplicable power, perhaps having a very positive effect on aspects of human reason.]

After reading it, Lu Yuan carefully wrapped the three leaves, put them into a specially made small bottle, and carried it with him.

Although we didn't get any tree bark on our hands, we've already achieved our goal.

whee.

The old dean woke up.

The news was reported by a doctor from the branch.

When Lu Yuan arrived at the nursing home, the old man had already come out of the coffin-like thing that Margaret had specially made. He seemed to have recovered a lot and was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding a cup of hot water and drinking it in small sips.

Cameron initially used him as a medium for fishing, but did not actually kill him.

Apart from the necessary knowledge pathways, the cycle built upon the old dean's body deliberately avoided all the crucial points.

Therefore, the old hospital director's recovery after this serious injury can be considered a miracle.

His knowledge pathways were not severely damaged or even exhausted as a result; in fact, they have turned misfortune into a blessing in disguise.

However, he didn't seem to be in good spirits. He was awake, but he was somewhat dazed and kept muttering something to himself. If you asked him a question, he wouldn't respond to nine out of ten.

Lu Yuan stood by the bed, and gray and white text appeared.

[Target detected: The former dean (possessing extraordinary knowledge) (human)]

The method and the identity remained unchanged.

This is enough.

It seems that the old dean has had his own opportunity during this period of slumber.

Lu Yuan didn't linger. Seeing the old dean's silent demeanor, he chose to leave.

The Pagoda of Learning is no longer there.

In the Tower of Learning in Bronze City, almost all the teachers and students have died.

Everyone involved in the fishing operation ended up becoming collateral damage to the tower.

Calvin Morton, on the other hand, survived, while Selena died in the chaos.

Lu Yuan remained silent for a moment after hearing the news.

Back in the Tower of Learning, Calvin Morton's eyes, which seemed to regard everything as a sacrifice, still left a deep impression on Lu Yuan.

Surprisingly, someone like him survived, while Selena lay on the ground, without even leaving behind any remains.

And children like Sister Lin, the same thing, their remains were never found.

Sometimes, this world is just so unreasonable.

Lu Yuan felt a sense of helplessness that he couldn't quite put into words.

The day after the old dean woke up, Lu Yuan went to see him again.

This time, the old man's spirits were noticeably better.

He sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes gradually regaining their clarity. And on this day, he already knew what headquarters had planned for him.

The Tower of Learning in Bronze City rendered great service to the Empire, and almost all of its members sacrificed their lives for it.

So, in order to reward the elderly man who was still alive, the headquarters gave him two choices.

One option is to go to another erudite tower in the interior of the empire and directly serve as its vice dean.

Another option is for him to choose. He can retire or go wherever he wants and take on any position he desires, as long as it is reasonable.

When Lu Yuan heard the news, he was quite happy for the old dean.

He can finally leave this marginal place and go to a truly safe place.

"But I don't plan to be the dean anymore," the old dean said.

He leaned there, looking much thinner, no longer possessing the air of a learned scholar he once had; he was now just a gaunt old man.

"While I was unconscious, I thought I saw those children," the old headmaster's voice trembled slightly. "I personally sent them into that sea. I'm so sorry."

"The only ones I can send away are the most talented ones. Lauren, Cabor... and some other children even died while I was escorting them. One of the mentors I chose even betrayed me."