Chapter 1087: Chapter 56: Ending Confinement
Possessed by vengeful spirits, evil spirits roaming, inexplicable curses, and finally the "kind" spirits and monsters that allowed Kiluat to complete the mission.
Even with ample preparation, Kiluat paid a great price: three months of consecutive failures, resulting in the deaths of 5 victims and 1 severely injured.
Kiluat asked Lu Li to find a way to make the Gatekeeper select a spirits and monsters type mission, which is the best way not to waste too much time on the Level 6 trial.
The Sequence Potion naturally increased Lu Li’s success rate, but it wasn’t enough; powerful and effective Sequence Potions or Homogeneous Items could ensure passing the trial.
And the Gatekeeper did not prohibit it; they only cared about the mission results.
Lu Li wrote a request on the letter paper and handed it to Anthony. He hoped Professor Chris could help. If not, Lu Li would have to find someone else, like Cain.
[Don’t think about finding Cain:
Dear, isn’t staying at Giant Tree Academy good?
Alright, letting our legend hide in a tree hole is indeed a waste. Come to my office once you’re out of the solitary cell and claim your sweet reward.
——Chris, you can also call me dear]
Then came the Level 3 Alchemy test.
Kiluat asked Merchant Anthony to give Margaret’s manuscript notes to Lu Li. They contained her insights and steps - and the inner thoughts she wrote as if talking to herself. Margaret seemed to use the notes as half a diary.
Since Margaret had stayed in the dungeon forever, Lu Li didn’t hesitate to browse through her notes.
Margaret’s notes on Level 6 Alchemy were profound, obscure, and useful. Lu Li mastered many recorded refining techniques and properties of alchemical materials. The occasional self-talk interspersed within made the learning of knowledge not dull.
[The feature of cage grass is fierce; adding an appropriate amount of explosive alchemical items will enhance success rate and effect... After the alchemy class, the professor praised the new discovery, telling me that every concoction could have corresponding characteristics added. It may fail, it may succeed, it may mutate. She encourages all alchemists to have their own characteristics rather than a uniform style...]
[Level 3 Alchemy, without doubt, is more difficult than Level 2 and requires a higher proficiency, primarily needing more Basic Potions. Kiluat still has two months; I will wait for her. If I can get an excellent promotion, I can get more resources...]
The creases on the blank edge of the paper indicate it was once wet and dried.
Those were the tears left at night when Kiluat held the notes.
[Basic Potions are useless, Homogeneous Items are useless. Only Sequence Potions work. Silent Forest No. 39 is the best choice, but the cost is unbearable, even though the reward is generous after success. Kiluat is trying to find a way. I think she won’t find a way. Attempting to refine a weakened version of Silent Forest...]
[Dew Night Grass replacing Fluorescent Grass, it doesn’t work. Where is the problem? Is it a conflict of features or cannot be substituted? Observing the dungeon again, we are not the only ones who discovered it. Among them are outsiders, oddities, and humans; they have all been assimilated by the dungeon, and we must avoid assimilation...]
[Tomorrow morning to the dungeon, Silent Forest ensures a high success rate for this action. Even if it fails, Lu Li’s arrival relieves Kiluat from worrying about me.]
The content of the notes stops abruptly here, and what happened afterward was long known by Lu Li.
Closing the notes, Lu Li asked Merchant Anthony to bring a crucible, pot hanger, wood, and alchemical materials.
The cramped solitary cell quickly became almost impossible to stand in, not only because of that but also due to lack of ventilation. The smoke rising from the firewood quickly filled the solitary cell.
When the smoke became too thick to stay in, Lu Li took out an iron key and opened the iron door — the smoke flowed out of the solitary cell, spreading into the corridor.
Muffled boot steps sounded, and the Gatekeeper arrived like a shadow, paused briefly, and left.
Because Lu Li was still in the solitary cell.
The dispersing smoke soon caught the attention of other solitary cells. The merchant brought in a note from Fudote.
"What are you doing!?"
"Practicing alchemy."
"In the solitary cell...?"
The smoke filling the corridor lasted all day, eventually dissipating because Lu Li mastered the brewing of the basic universal potion.
As time passed, it was the day before the end of the solitary period.
The night was silent, and Lu Li lay on the bed, asleep.
Knock, knock, knock—
At a certain moment, the iron door was knocked on rhythmically.
Lu Li slowly awoke, looking at the dim alarm clock on the table. It was still late at night, with the solitary period ending the next morning.
Knock, knock, knock—
No footsteps, no breathing, only the slow knocking noise sounded for the second time.
Knock—
Click.
As the third knock echoed, the creak of the iron door opening resonated through the quiet corridor.
"Come in."
Lu Li spoke to the towering shadow dripping water beads in the corridor.
The uninvited guest silently departed from the door, its form disappearing into the flowing darkness.
This is why the key to the solitary cell is kept in the hands of the imprisoned students.
Lu Li called Merchant Anthony, asking him to inform the Gatekeeper of the uninvited guest’s appearance, then closed the iron door and went back to sleep.
A quiet night passed.
...
Bam—
The iron door, with more symbolic significance than practical, was opened from the outside.
Lu Li stepped out of the solitary cell that occupied half of his life at Giant Tree Academy and saw Fudote and Yege appearing at the doors of their respective solitary cells.
They finally ended a month of solitary confinement.
Thanks to Merchant Anthony, the long-isolated Fudote and Yege were not disconnected from the outside world.
Kiluat and Naxi greeted their return—preparing a lavish meal.
With injuries completely healed by the tenth day full recovery, Kiluat thanked them, and Naxi shared their experiences over the past month.
Because Lu Li was confined, the originally improving reputation of the Holy Light Squad once again plummeted, more severely than before. Upper-class students treated them like filth.
However, for the Holy Light Squad, now down to only two members, this was not a bad thing.
No team came to provoke or cause trouble anymore.
During the lull, Kiluat and Naxi completed a lot of tasks, momentarily appearing on the leaderboard due to accumulated squad points.
Unfortunately, it lasted only two days.
"The upperclassmen are hunting us. They’d rather not exchange squad points than let us appear on the leaderboard..."
"Immature behavior," Fudote scoffed, arms crossed.
After enjoying the hearty breakfast, Yege returned to his bed to continue resting, while Fudote maintained his poise, sitting by the fireplace to relax, and Lu Li left the lounge to head for Professor Chris’ office while also attending the anticipated meeting with the controller.
Catching Net.
The Homogeneous Item prepared by Professor Chris for Lu Li.
Anything ensnared by the Catching Net found it difficult to escape, no matter the corporeality; the downside being obvious: the anomaly’s size couldn’t exceed the net.
Considering the Midnight City mission wouldn’t involve giant anomalies, it was adequate.
All Lu Li needed to do was confirm the anomaly, ensnare it, and eliminate it.
"Are you ready, dear?" Professor Chris stood beside Lu Li imposingly, the wide brim of her hat casting a shadow like an eave. "If you don’t head to the restricted area, those controllers will assault Giant Tree Academy to rescue you."