Chapter 1183: Chapter 23: Flames
On the eighth day after Lu Li returned to the Land of Light.
In the afternoon, after finishing their morning chores, the residents gathered in the square, learning to read and write under Andor and Porter’s guidance in the warm sunlight—after documenting the Basic Knowledge organized by Lu Li, further advancement required learning to read the characters, at least enough to understand them.
Compared to the relatively sluggish Vine Cultists, the human teachers were more flexible.
However, they were only temporary teachers; once the sixth group of residents arrived from Vena Refuge, they would return to sit among the seats.
Back on Lake Heart Island, Lu Li was doing the same thing as the residents in the square—reading.
He re-recorded the Sequence Potion recipes numbered 6 to 10, which were sacrificed to the Crown of Knowledge, and “Sunken City,” but he didn’t go over the popular novel “Martin and the Dog” again.
The Vine Church recently informed Lu Li that there was no more work for the residents at Agate Lake Camp, except for the farmlands which needed daily attention. But the farmlands didn’t require too many people, and they weren’t farmers.
Either the residents would spend their days learning, or they would build more huts, or split their time between both, or possibly do nothing at all.
However, Lu Li had long thought about a building the residents should construct next—a school.
The camp residents can’t always be crowded noisily in the open square. With summer approaching soon, the sunlight and prolonged rainy season would prevent long stays outdoors, and after the sixth batch of residents arrived, learning should be divided according to each resident’s progress.
Separation between those who could only read and those learning to write; between those learning to write and those learning skills; between those studying Alchemy and those studying Craftsmanship.
At that stage, social classes would emerge, or rather classes defined by profession.
After quietly finishing “Sunken City,” Lu Li picked up the list that recorded all the knowledge in his mind, reviewed it again to ensure nothing was missing, then crossed off “Martin and the Dog.”
The sacrifice to the Crown of Knowledge even erases the name completely, so it’s best to check the list after each use.
After doing all this, Lu Li contemplated the power of the Crown of Knowledge.
Unlike other Cursed Titles, the Crown of Knowledge, originating from the foul sewers, could be used actively even without a Curse Title Release. Unlike the Speaker of the Trees who could also be used actively, when forgotten knowledge became power, Lu Li felt he could freely shape it, change its form and structure.
Perhaps this was why Midnight City wanted Lu Li to possess it?
“I sense your confusion, Lord…”
The obscure whisper of the Mother of the Marsh suddenly surfaced in his mind.
Lu Li looked out the window; the folding table was not placed on the lawn, and the Mother of the Marsh was not there.
“Are you watching me?”
“No intent to pry into the private, but my power remains in your body.”
Lu Li didn’t linger on this matter for long, calmly saying, “I was contemplating the power of the Crown of Knowledge. It has plasticity. Midnight City must have a reason for me to obtain it, but I don’t know the correct way to use it.”
“You may experiment with it on my presence.”
Lu Li pondered, and the Mother of the Marsh, who could vaguely sense his emotions, whispered, “I am Divinity, incapable of being harmed by mortal bodies…”
She seemed to forget that the Old Mother was defeated by Lu Li, but under normal circumstances, mortals indeed couldn’t harm an Alien God.
“I will come over now.”
Lu Li left Lake Heart Island and arrived outside Joseph Manor—now renamed Princess Roland’s Villa, with the plaque rapidly completed by the residents hanging on the manor’s rusted gate.
The maid waiting by the gate escorted Lu Li into the manor; receiving guests required a complicated royal etiquette—which fortunately Lu Li didn’t need to adhere to.
Following the maid to the barren garden overlooking Agate Lake, the Mother of the Marsh was the only beautiful thing on this patch of dirt.
“When will you awaken the garden for me.”
The Mother of the Marsh directly whispered, as if this was her true purpose in inviting Lu Li.
“Humanity is scarce and shouldn’t be squandered for now.”
“I could go to Old Belfast to capture prey,” the Mother of the Marsh was eager for her garden.
“It’s best not to.”
Lu Li didn’t want to alarm Old Belfast before being fully prepared, even though the abnormalities living there weren’t unified.
“But we could go to the back of the mountain.”
Strange creatures roamed Sugard Ridge, dealing with them could also alleviate the pressure on Agate Lake Camp.
Ending the conversation, Lu Li began the purpose of his visit to the manor: experimenting with the power of the Crown of Knowledge.
Choosing to sacrifice “Sunken City” again—it was the most valuable among the memories Lu Li could afford to give up—because it described Lu Li’s own story and was connected to his memory.
Moreover, previous insights wouldn’t be erased after the sacrifice, and rereading it might bring forth new understandings.
This could help Lu Li understand the intent of Midnight City.
The power of knowledge, controlled by consciousness, gathered like a mist in his right hand, wrapping around as Lu Li reached towards the outstretched pale hand of the Mother of the Marsh.
Like embers flared by a breath, the power of knowledge flickered and vanished.
It was like a naïve child holding up a wooden sword against a massive warship in the docks.
It was too weak. The Mother of the Marsh couldn’t feel the presence of characteristics through such a feeble, knuckle-tapping force, and she could only guess, “Perhaps the Crown of Knowledge’s Curse Title Release is what Midnight City wants you to have.”
Except that a release required extreme emotions or near-death circumstances, neither of which Lu Li could achieve at the moment, and he had too many titles—no one knew which title would release, just like the Dreamwalker replaced by the Speaker of the Trees.
He could only temporarily set aside the Crown of Knowledge.
“Even possessing a Cursed Title… ultimately, you are human. Without my protection, your consciousness would be lost instantly, like those bones…”
The Mother of the Marsh whispered at this moment.
A fragile body and a vulnerable soul, she never saw humanity’s strength favorably, and she was among the few who regarded Lu Li as a lord rather than an Exorcist.
“I know.”
Claire’s flintlock theory.
Or to describe it more specifically, a flintlock and dagger theory.
The strange ones had armor, flintlocks, giant cannons, and even fortresses, while Lu Li only had a dagger and the temporary armor gifted by the Mother of the Marsh. And he couldn’t wear this armor all the time.
Compared to tapping into the power of Cursed Titles, the growth brought by humanity seemed more apparent: the more humanity, the stronger Lu Li’s resistance to pollution, the stronger his left hand embedded with Redemption Fragments.
Although the side effects were equally terrifying—Lu Li would become increasingly coveted by the strange ones.
This world was like a barren, void, dark world, where every existence burned with a flame called humanity. When the flame extinguished, they would vanish into the cold, silent darkness. Everything has an end, and the flame would eventually die out. To survive, beings must plunder each other’s humanity to strengthen their own flame. The stronger the flame, the clearer the view in this dark world.
Powerful flames could protect themselves, except for humans.