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

The old dean paused here, his chest heaving violently.

"They were all trained by my own hands. They gave everything for the empire." The old man raised his head, his eyes burning with a fierce light. "It shouldn't have been like this."

Lu Yuan did not answer him.

He knew the old dean was right. But then he thought, sacrificing just one child from the Tower of Learning in a remote city could save many more cities and many more people in the empire.

This kind of thing is almost never something you need to consider, regardless of the time or country.

Except for one place.

That's the country I came from; perhaps only it would make a different choice.

Apart from that, the Empire may not have done anything wrong.

Well, maybe.

There was a moment of silence in the room.

"There's one more thing," the old dean said, his emotions slowly returning to normal. "While I was unconscious, I traveled for a time in the sea of ​​knowledge. I saw you. In that sea, you seemed to have encountered a different situation."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan's pupils suddenly contracted.

But then he felt relieved.

Yes, I have indeed explored the ocean of knowledge, so what?

"I think there are more important things to do for the rest of my life."

The old dean suddenly sat up and reached out to grab Lu Yuan's hand.

That hand was thin and weak, yet it gripped Lu Yuan very tightly.

"Lu Yuan," he murmured, "I hope you can carry this resolve forward. The empire shouldn't be so cold-blooded, so many people shouldn't have sacrificed themselves in vain. At least, it shouldn't be like this."

Lu Yuan felt the faint force on the back of his hand, looked at the old man's eyes that were almost spitting fire, and nodded heavily.

It wasn't entirely because of this entrustment.

In fact, Lu Yuan himself didn't particularly agree.

There were better ways to do things that night in Bronze City; those children shouldn't have died in vain.

He saw their final form in the sea of ​​knowledge.

They marched forward, stepping over the corpses and blood of their comrades. One fell, and another took his place, smiles on their faces, their eyes filled with reluctance to face reality and fear.

They were all younger and more talented than the last, yet they had to crush their own souls to pave the way for those who came after them.

Some of them are even more talented than Lu Yuan.

Their consciousness, their rationality, their spirit are all top-notch.

They are the future of the empire.

But the empire abandoned them.

Arthur said that there was a problem on the northeastern border of the empire, the defenses of the Dead City had collapsed, and strange things were surging out from the gap, forcing the empire to make this concession.

But that shouldn't be a reason.

"Where are you going next?" Lu Yuan asked the old man in front of him.

The old dean gazed out the window for a long while before shaking his head.

"I don't know," he said. "We'll just have to see where things take us."

Seeing the old dean's somewhat haggard appearance, Lu Yuan got up to take his leave.

As he reached the door, he glanced back. The old man remained in the same position, sitting on the edge of the bed, gazing out the window, motionless.

On the third day, the old dean disappeared.

The night watchman responsible for looking after him reported the matter.

The room was tidy. The old man took some money and food with him when he left, but left everything else untouched.

Klaus considered sending people to look for him, but after searching the entire city, they still couldn't find the old dean.

Clearly, he deliberately concealed himself when he left, not wanting to be found.

Those at the third level possess extraordinary knowledge and the ability to protect themselves wherever they go.

Besides, Klaus could tell that the old man was already disheartened.

He finally waved his hand and let the old man go on his own.

On the third night, Lu Yuan went to the eastern district of the outer city.

A few lights were still on in the resettlement area.

Agnes's room was in a temporary block, very close to the branch office.

When he pushed the door open, Agnes was sitting at the table, holding a scripture in her hands, muttering something to herself.

A faint golden light emanated from her body, flickering on and off with the low chanting of sutras.

She didn't look well.

Hearing the noise, she tilted her head and looked at the person who had come.

"Are you here to fulfill a promise?"

"I thought you had chosen to forget about it."

Lu Yuan touched his nose somewhat awkwardly.

I'm really a bit embarrassed. This matter has dragged on for far too long.

Moreover, during the fishing operation, the nuns from the church acted unusually quickly, using the precious scrolls without hesitation, and even targeting these outsiders.

Later he realized that it was Agnes's order.

Agnes seemed to notice his embarrassment.

She closed the scripture, the golden light around her faded, and she sat up straight.

"Tell me," she said, looking earnestly at Lu Yuan, "how are you going to help me?"

Looking into her fixed gaze, Lu Yuan took out something he had prepared beforehand from his pocket.

A badge. It is polished very cleanly, with rounded edges, and engraved with three concentric ripples radiating outwards.

This was the first badge AM gave him, the badge that indicated his status as an outer member when he swore an oath to join the Forbidden Society.

By holding it, one can establish a direct connection with the Taboo Society.

"This is a badge of the Forbidden Society," Lu Yuan said, handing over the badge. "Behind them stands a high-ranking forbidden being, albeit a sealed one. Joining them grants you access to the Sea of ​​Knowledge. But you must abide by all its declarations and rules, and pay the corresponding price."

Agnes raised her hand, stopping him from saying anything more.

She was well aware of this, so she chose to accept it.

Lu Yuan nodded and took out another item.

A broken seashell. The edges are cracked, the surface is somewhat damaged, and the shell is tightly closed, as if it is asleep.

"The Peony of Knowledge." Lu Yuan placed it on the table. "This thing came from the rift in the North Sea Abyss. It leads to the entrance to the Sea of ​​Knowledge. I relied on it the first time I entered the Sea of ​​Knowledge. You can use it to forcibly communicate with the Sea of ​​Knowledge by sacrificing a portion of your sanity limit."

"It's of no use to me now," Lu Yuan added, "so, you can have it too."

"With the badge, and this, you'll definitely be able to enter the Sea of ​​Knowledge and stay there for a while, with some protection. But that place is very dangerous, so you need to be careful."

Agnes looked at the two items on the table but did not reach for them immediately.

"Aren't you going to ask me why I want to go in?"

"You don't want to talk about it," Lu Yuan said, looking at her. "And I don't want to know either."

Agnes was considered a friend of Lu Yuan. He was never stingy with his friends.