Chapter 1162: Chapter 2: Land of Obsession (Part 2)
2. Companions
Those who are engulfed in the illusions of the Old Era are pitiful—how laughable it is to shrink one’s head into the covers and imagine warmth in a world where primordial darkness shrouds the surface, anomalies occupy the land, and evil spirits patrol.
The Giant Tree Academy does not wish for students to become such people, though just hours ago a student pleaded with Lu Li to take him back to the safe and warm canopy layer—this incident, for unknown reasons, was discovered by Vice Dean Chris, who decided to bring low-grade students to the senior year’s New Year gathering. Senior professor Helmut invited Lu Li to talk in a secluded place. This Twin Soul, whose body harbors the soul of his father, seemed to benevolently inform Lu Li of the urgent knowledge he sought and the forbidden wisdom other professors dared not speak. Vice Dean Chris arrived soon after to drive him away—”We will meet again in the future,” Helmut said as he left.
Vice Dean Chris did not want Lu Li to learn forbidden knowledge prematurely and told him the reason: knowledge is coherent and interconnected. Even for normal knowledge, we need time to comprehend—perhaps you can read a whole professional book in one day, but you absolutely won’t remember it. And for knowledge recording Weird Power, knowing it needs even more time to water. Spending a whole day to finish it won’t make you smarter; instead, it’s best to pray that Weird Power won’t turn you into a madman or a monster with distorted thoughts.
After the gathering ended, Lu Li took Chris’s New Year gift, a Dream Elixir. When he awoke from a wonderful, unknown dream, everything around him seemed to convey an unreal, illusory feeling to Lu Li. It was as if he was still sleeping in a dream, not yet awakened.
The New Year did not corrode the Exorcist’s mind; all beautiful things only reminded him of the despair and loss in the real world. Illusory beauty only lasts within the thick walls formed by tree bark, like a fragile and laughable dream, while the dim and serene outside is the reality.
Returning to his studies, Lu Li once again showed his terrifying learning talent, completing in two weeks what other students accomplish in a year. The professors were uneasy, or perhaps they didn’t want Lu Li to intrude into the still-unwoven web—they had to subtly hint to Lu Li that he was progressing too fast—even though there were equally outstanding students in history.
In the end, Lu Li stayed in the lower grades temporarily due to the professors’ expectations. Staying didn’t affect his study progress—after the Mysticology level 1 trial, the level 2 trial soon came. Classmate Bentler and Yege from the middle grades traveled with him, searching for the anomaly hidden within the migrating team to Swamp.
They quickly discovered the anomaly, a Mimic People disguised as a young child of a couple. Slightly deviating from expectations, the couple knew the truth—they entrusted their love for the child they lost under Despair Night into the Mimic People. Since the Mimic People were harmless like herbivores, they achieved a win-win result: Lu Li and his team passed the trial, and the couple with the child were not dealt with, albeit they couldn’t remain in the team due to deceit.
“We shouldn’t vent hatred onto equally impoverished beings as us,” Yege recited, inviting Lu Li to join their Holy Light Squad post-trial. Lu Li neither refused nor accepted, returning to the canopy layer to prepare for the Alchemy level 2 trial and unsurprisingly passing the exam—then swiftly passing the Mysticology level 3 trial the following day, unexpectedly to everyone.
“Children shouldn’t carry dazzling treasures through sewage-filled dark alleys,” some professors thought. “Lu Li isn’t legendary because of Exorcist achievements but because legends achieve Exorcists. Exorcists proclaim their arrival at the end of Weird Times and shall descend in The Dark Era.” Remaining professors thought. Regardless, Lu Li proceeded to middle grade. Professors prepared gifts and received Lu Li’s return gift—Eyeball Fruit. This eyeball can summon merchants who have been inseparable from Exorcists since the Old Era.
The Giant Tree Academy environment worsens as one descends. The pitch-black corridor ceilings hung with cobwebs and shadows, as if light cannot penetrate this dim zone. Yet middle-grade students, accustomed to the environment, still find it better than the further below senior years. Meanwhile, the Holy Light Squad never liked it as much as today—because of Lu Li’s arrival.
After the surprise, the Holy Light Squad faced their present ordeal again—they discovered an underground city. Conventionally, dungeons buried with opportunity and danger should not be touched by middle grades; however, they found an alternative way to evade danger, only requiring the precious No. 39 Sequence Potion: Tranquil Forest’s help—we all know the immense wealth Lu Li possesses, that string of numbers extending from the Lennon Islands to the Ailen Peninsula. Thus, the Holy Light Squad’s trouble resolved, obtaining Tranquil Forest’s Margaret to head to the dungeon. She took longer than imagined. At dawn the next day, the ominous, messenger of ill fate, Gatekeeper stood outside the door, bringing the bad news: Margaret forever remained in the dungeon.
The bad news struck the squad full of joy due to Lu Li’s arrival abruptly. They went to the dungeon entrance, confirming they lost her eternally—Margaret’s body was no different from the Strange Residents wandering numb outside the dungeon. Enshrouded in sorrow, Lu Li became the vice-captain of the Holy Light Squad, gradually adjusting to middle-grade rules. Staying in the Giant Tree Library studying at night, accepting tasks with companions in the morning, accustomed to The Dark Era combat style—not as brutal yet artistic like Old Era, as if a painter proficiently depicting an oil painting—now, the combat resembles an apprentice painter selling a basket of oil paintings for ten Shillings street-side.
Meanwhile, the Holy Light Squad obtained a book claiming to be the Book of Contracts, asserting knowledge of everything, possessing everything, yet it was only a peculiar book continuously devouring victims. With the passage of time, they gradually forgot the pain. And when everything seemed to turn better, trouble quietly found Lu Li’s Holy Light Squad—the child obtaining treasures only has their treasures snatched.
Viper Squad captain, Gienegarde initiated a secret duel with Keanu Aite, a duel wagering her and the church’s dignity. Keanu Aite was merely a Shallow Believer, yet she had to agree. Refusal would only drag herself and the Holy Light Squad into the abyss. Despite lacking church support, the Exorcist’s existence could easily rival any church. At this moment, Fudote also advanced to middle grade joining the Holy Light Squad, offering some help.
With Lu Li’s support, the secret duel ended with Keanu Aite’s victory, only Gienegarde’s disgraceful conduct during the duel angered them; Yege proposed teaching Gienegarde a lesson—Lu Li also participated. The action, albeit successful, was unsurprisingly discovered by the Gatekeeper, imposing a month’s confinement punishment on the three, including Lu Li. Students complained that the Holy Light Squad spoiled the Exorcist, whereas professors were delighted—because they had sufficient time to plot the next steps.