Chapter 1062: Chapter 31: Identifying the Anomaly
Having mastered the preliminary alchemical techniques necessary for the trial, Lu Li bid farewell to Professor Chris and Claire’s mother and daughter duo and left the Alchemy Office.
“The scent of purple mastflower, a Sequence Potion?”
Claire sniffed the lingering herbal aroma in the room: “I heard the rumor when I got back from outside… Lu Li comes here every day just to make potions?”
“What else, dear? Lu Li is preparing for the Level 2 Alchemy Trial.” Professor Chris placed the blood-red potion on the potion rack. “Get ready, Claire. It won’t be long before you have a new teammate.”
…
A new day began.
Upon learning Lu Li would be taking part in the Level 2 Alchemy Trial, Professor Rubacher explained the techniques of potion brewing during the Alchemy class, including the inspiration brewing Lu Li mastered yesterday.
At noon, Lu Li arrived at the Alchemy classroom.
This time, Lu Li was the only student participating in the trial. As expected, the trial required Lu Li to brew an alchemical elixir with a success rate of over 50%.
Skillfully brewing the basic potion successfully made two days prior, Lu Li passed the trial smoothly, advancing to Level 2 in Alchemy.
“Lu Li, will we still see you after you go to the middle grade?” asked Gou Rou sadly at lunchtime.
“No… The academy strictly prohibits practicing in the Tree Crown Area while being in the Trunk Area…” Fudote said with a complicated expression, realizing the time as classmates with Lu Li was shorter than expected.
“The library,” Lu Li said calmly.
Fudote’s eyes lit up, but Gou Rou still drooped his head, “But I can’t read…”
In any case, the presence of the library somewhat alleviated the feeling of Lu Li’s impending departure.
Tap, tap, tap, tap——
The familiar and distinctive footsteps sounded as the Gatekeeper entered the hall, walking towards Lu Li amidst the curious gazes of the students around.
The Gatekeeper informed Lu Li that the Level 2 Mysticology Trial would take place tomorrow, instructing him to go to the lift in the Mixed Zone before noon.
“I understand.”
The Gatekeeper left shortly after, and Lu Li returned to the dormitory to prepare for tomorrow’s trial.
“Lu Li is leaving, and you’re still eating!” Fudote, caught in some kind of dilemma, grew frustrated seeing Gou Rou munching away.
“But I’m hungry…” Gou Rou said with grievance.
Fudote, uninterested in arguing, took out a pen and letter from the wide pocket of her robe, beautifully penned a few lines, and left the hall to find the Gatekeeper.
“Mr. Gatekeeper, please deliver this letter to the Lins Family for me.”
…
It was nearing noon.
Arriving at the Mixed Zone, Lu Li saw another student participating in the trial on the lift platform.
Bentler.
The freshman with the Cursed Title [Edge Walker].
“Lu Li… um, sir, hello,” Bentler greeted awkwardly.
Lu Li nodded in response, following the Gatekeeper in a short cloak onto the lift.
The lift descended slowly, Lu Li’s voice echoing in the bright silence: “Where is the trial location?”
“Restricted Area Swamp.”
“Restricted Area…” Bentler muttered to himself. He had never been there, but the term itself implied much.
After a lengthy descent, Lu Li once again saw the stunningly fantastical Swamp Area after a few days.
Ant-sized human figures scattered at the edge of the Safe Zone, moving towards the swamp’s depths.
The lift landed in the Safe Zone. Lu Li and Bentler followed the Gatekeeper towards the north side of the Safe Zone.
A team waited there, surrounded by the Gatekeeper.
Besides the obvious attire of outsiders, the team included elders and children, as well as three middle to senior-grade students.
“I am the leader of the team…” The migration team leader trembled nervously, encircled by the Gatekeeper and Giant Tree Academy students: “We’re heading to Midnight City Main Station, and the Gatekeeper told us there’s a Weirdone hiding among us, requiring us to participate in the trial…”
“Identify the Weirdone hidden within the team before reaching Midnight City Main Station.”
“Will finding the Weirdone pass all or just the one?” Lu Li asked.
“Identify the Weirdone you deem suspicious, and reveal the answer upon reaching Midnight City Main Station.”
“Are we allowed to reveal the Weirdone’s identity?” Lu Li noted the lenient trial conditions.
“If you need to, if you believe,” the Gatekeeper replied. This meant that if someone identified and announced the Weirdone correctly, other trialists would pass as well.
But if the revealed answer was incorrect, all would face failure.
With the rules laid bare, the Gatekeeper instructed the team leader to proceed.
Serving as a barrier between Midnight City Main Station and the surface, the Swamp had innumerable passages leading outside. Both Weirdone and humans typically chose to travel through the Swamp to reach the surface or old sewers.
With the Giant Tree Academy’s presence and the Safe Zone ensuring relative security at the outskirts, the Swamp might be safer for the team compared to the old sewers.
At least it wouldn’t draw attention along main and side routes like the old sewers did.
The Gatekeeper escorted the team southward.
The Safe Zone had a diameter of less than ten miles, with the destination being the southern edge. This meant the trial students had about an hour to uncover the Weirdone.
Lu Li quietly observed the dozen or so caravan members. Couples with toddlers, elders holding ceramic jars, young couples… they were anxious and tense, yet relieved.
With the protection of Giant Tree Academy, they no longer had to worry about impending dangers.
Yet, observation alone was insufficient to discern what form the Weirdone had taken to blend into the team. Trial students mingled with the caravan, engaging in conversation and testing.
“Wife’s ashes…he’s still young…we’ve been together a long time…”
Fragments of conversation drifted on the swamp’s faint breeze.
Lu Li entered the caravan, interacted with everyone, and then returned to the caravan’s edge.
The second to leave the caravan was a man named Yege, who extracted each person’s blood to get answers.
Accompanying Lu Li, Bentler was bewildered—everyone seemed suspicious. The tightly clinging lovers, the couple overly concerned for their child.
An hour wasn’t much time. Skirting the descending lift’s tree roots, they drew closer to the distant destination.
“Mr. Lu Li, did you… find the Weirdone?” Bentler, forehead sweating, parted from the caravan, wetting dry lips as he asked softly.
“I can tell you.” Lu Li calmly looked at him.
“I…I’ll wait a bit longer…”
Bentler didn’t want to rely on help… he wanted to pass the trial on his own.
Twenty minutes later, the caravan halted at the southern edge of the Safe Zone.
The deep, cavernous entrance leading to the old sewers was opened beside the stairway guarded by outlines.
And the trial answers were officially revealed—the boy cherished by that couple was the Weirdone in the caravan.
Regretfully, Bentler chose incorrectly. He had assumed the Weirdone was the elderly man who lost his wife.
Though he almost guessed right by thinking the child was the Weirdone, the couple’s affection for the child clouded his judgment.
The couple had already known their child was a Weirdone—after their real child died in the swaddling during the Silent Moments.