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

Lu Yuan stood there, watching his back.

Next time we meet?

The empire's territory was vast; he was going to Bronze City, and Maurice was returning to the capital, a thousand miles apart. They would go their separate ways, perhaps never to cross paths again in this lifetime.

Morris couldn't possibly be unaware of this.

So the meaning of this sentence is quite clear—he doesn't intend to get that rationality ring back.

Another favor.

Lu Yuan withdrew his gaze and kept the matter in mind.

Heller and Vincent were already in the car.

Vincent nodded to Lu Yuan as a farewell. Heller, however, didn't even glance at him, maintaining his usual cold and aloof demeanor.

Hermann stood at the door, watching the carriage leave.

"drive!"

The coachman cracked his whip, and the carriage slowly started moving, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Lu Yuan stood there, watching the carriage gradually disappear into the distance until it vanished on the horizon.

"Gone?"

Hermann's voice came from behind.

"Let's go." Lu Yuan withdrew his gaze.

Herman walked over to him, a cigarette dangling from his lips, and together they gazed at the vast, empty desert in the distance.

"The Pathfinder's Badge..." He glanced at Lu Yuan's chest. "Not bad, better than the Night's Watch's."

"How so?"

"The Night Watchmen are law enforcers; they make people nervous wherever they go." Herman exhaled a puff of smoke. "The Wayfinders are different; they explore the way, and wherever they go, people are willing to help."

Lu Yuan did not respond.

"The caravan departs the day after tomorrow," Herman said. "Use these two days to finish what you want to do."

He glanced at Lu Yuan, his eyes carrying a meaningful look.

"That kid Carl keeps saying he wants to teach you to play the flute, I'm practically sick of hearing it."

As evening falls, the afterglow of the setting sun paints the desert in a golden-red hue.

Lu Yuan sat cross-legged on a stone in the courtyard, holding the sandworm bone flute in his hand.

The flute has a faint milky white sheen and a warm, smooth feel; it is lighter than a typical bone flute. It has several holes of varying sizes arranged in a regular pattern.

Karl sat opposite him, also holding a flute, his eyes sparkling.

"Do you really want to learn?"

"Mm." Lu Yuan nodded.

A big smile immediately spread across Karl's face.

"That's great! I thought you were just saying it casually!"

He excitedly shifted his position and moved closer.

"Let's start with the basics, let's learn how to hold the flute first."

"Look, left hand on top, right hand on the bottom, your fingers should be positioned like this..."

Karl gestured carefully, held the flute to his lips, and blew a short syllable.

"beep-"

The voice was a little immature, but the rhythm was very steady.

"And then there's this..."

"Beep beep—beep—"

After Karl finished playing, he looked up at Lu Yuan, his eyes full of anticipation.

"Why don't you give it a try?"

Lu Yuan put the flute to his lips and imitated Karl's fingering.

Take a deep breath and exhale gently.

"Beep...woo...hiss..."

The sound was intermittent, interspersed with the sound of air leaking, and completely out of tune.

Carl frowned.

"No, no, your breathing is unsteady." He stood up and walked to Lu Yuan's side. "You have to blow with your belly, not your mouth."

"With your stomach?"

"It's just..." Carl thought for a moment, scratched his head, "What did Grandpa call it again... diaphragmatic breathing?"

He patted his stomach.

"The air should come out from here, not be squeezed out of your throat. Try again."

Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow.

He knew about diaphragmatic breathing; he used it when he was prospecting for minerals in the mountains and had to hold his breath for long periods. But using it for playing the flute was a first for him.

He adjusted his breathing and tried again.

"beep-"

This time it's better; the tone is much more stable. Although it's still a bit raw, at least it's no longer leaking air.

At the edge of my vision, gray and white text danced gently:

[Ancient Music Theory: +0.2...0.3/10]

"Yes, yes, that's it!"

Carl clapped his hands excitedly, his smile almost reaching his ears.

"You learn so fast! It took me ages to practice and even produce a single complete note, but you did it on your second try!"

Lu Yuan remained silent.

The experience bar is increasing, which means you're on the right track.

"Then let's continue." Karl sat down again, his expression becoming serious. "Next is the basic scale, seven notes in total, each note corresponding to a different fingering..."

Night falls.

An oil lamp was lit in the courtyard, its dim yellow light swaying gently in the night breeze.

Lu Yuan and Karl remained seated, one teaching and the other learning.

"Make this sound softer, and don't use too much breath..."

"Yes, that's it, let's do it again..."

"No, no, I pressed the wrong hole. It's this one, not that one..."

Karl taught very diligently, correcting every detail several times.

Lu Yuan also studied very hard, practicing each note repeatedly until he had mastered it completely.

Before we knew it, the moon had risen to halfway up the sky.

"That's enough for today," Carl yawned, rubbing his eyes. "We'll continue tomorrow."

Lu Yuan nodded.

At the edge of vision, gray and white text quietly emerged:

[Ancient Music Theory: 0.7/10]

From 0.3 to 0.7, it rose by 0.4 in one night.

The speed wasn't fast, but it wasn't slow either.

Carl stood up, stretched, and suddenly remembered something.

"By the way, do you know the story behind the Sandworm Song?"

"I don't know," Lu Yuan said. "What story?"

Carl's eyes lit up, and his tone carried a hint of pride.

"The Song of the Sandworms is the oldest tune in Sandworm Town, passed down for hundreds of years. When sandworms hear this tune, they quiet down. They won't attack the person playing the flute, and they'll even swim towards the direction of the sound."

Why?

"I don't know." Karl shook his head. "Grandpa said it's an agreement between sandworms and humans, that's been going on for a very, very long time."

He paused, lowered his voice, as if he were talking about a secret.

"It is said that the earliest sandworm song was not created by humans, but sung by the sandworms themselves. Humans simply learned it."

Lu Yuan looked at him without saying a word.

Did the sand worm sing it itself?

Those enormous creatures with no eyes and only fangs, can they sing?

Lu Yuan recalled the scene he had witnessed at the quarry that day. The hunters blew their flutes, and sandworms rose from the depths of the sand sea, as if summoned by something.

That's not simple domestication, but some kind of ancient connection.

"The Song of the Sandworms..." Lu Yuan repeated the name softly.

[Ancient Music Theory: +0.1...0.8/10]

the next day.

Lu Yuan got up very early in the morning.

He sat in the courtyard, holding the sandworm bone flute in his hand, practicing what he had learned yesterday over and over again.

Basic scales, breath control, and fingering switching.

Every detail must be mastered, and there can be no mistakes.

When Karl got up, Lu Yuan had already been practicing for more than an hour.

"You started so early?" Carl came out rubbing his eyes, looking surprised.

"I can't sleep," Lu Yuan said.

Karl looked at him, then at the flute in his hand, and suddenly laughed.

"You're much more serious than I was back then."

He ran back into the house, took out his flute, and sat down opposite Lu Yuan.

"Let's continue. Today I'll teach you legato."

In the evening, Herman returned from town carrying a cloth bag.

He walked into the courtyard and saw Lu Yuan and Karl still sitting there practicing the flute. He frowned slightly.

"Still bragging?"

"Grandpa!" Karl looked up. "Lu Yuan is learning so fast! He can already play a complete piece!"

"Oh?" Herman walked over and sat down on the stone bench next to him. "Play one for me."

Lu Yuan did not refuse.

He put the flute to his lips, took a deep breath, and began to play.

It's a simple minor key piece that Karl just taught me this morning. The melody isn't complicated, but it requires steady breath control and smooth fingering.

The sound of the flute echoed in the courtyard, deep and distant, carrying an indescribable sense of desolation.

Hermann listened, his expression gradually changing.

After finishing the piece, Lu Yuan put down his flute.

"How is it?" Karl looked at Hermann expectantly.

Herman did not answer, but looked at Lu Yuan with a complicated expression.

"Two days," he said. "You've only studied for two days."

Lu Yuan nodded.

Hermann was silent for a moment, then suddenly pulled a thin booklet from his pocket and handed it over.

"Take it."

Lu Yuan took it and flipped through it.

The booklet was old, the paper was yellowed, and the corners were curled up. It was covered with hand-drawn illustrations and text, recording fingerings and scores for various flutes.

At the edge of vision, gray and white text quietly emerged:

[Detection Target: Ancient Music Theory Manual (Handwritten Copy)]

[This collection records various ancient musical pieces that have been passed down in Sandworm Town, including a complete version of the Sandworm Song.]

[Note: Some content is quite old and requires careful identification.]

"This is..."

"Something passed down from town," Herman said. "It was originally intended for Carl, but that kid..."

He glanced at Karl and shook his head.

"I've studied for three years and still haven't passed the basics."

"Grandpa!" Karl shouted in dissatisfaction.

"Shut up." Herman glared at him, then turned to Lu Yuan. "You're different; you can play a complete melody in two days. This thing is more useful to you than to me."

Lu Yuan looked at the booklet in his hand and remained silent for a moment.

"No need to be so polite."

"It's not just a polite gesture." Herman shook his head. "You've solved a huge problem for us. What's a booklet compared to that?"

He paused, his tone becoming somewhat serious.

"Moreover, I have a premonition."

"What premonition?"

"You'll come back someday."

Lu Yuan looked at him.

"For Sandworm Town to develop, it needs to engage with the outside world," Herman continued. "You're a night watchman and a pathfinder; you certainly know more people than I do."

"If you need any help in the future, just let me know. Consider this booklet as an advance deposit."

Lu Yuan put the booklet away and nodded.

"Yes."

On the morning of the third day, the caravan prepared to depart.

Three horse-drawn carriages were parked on the edge of town, loaded with sandworm skins, sandworm oil, and various desert specialties.

Young people from several towns are doing a final check to ensure the goods are securely tied.

Herman stood next to the first vehicle, explaining something to a young man. This might be his last time running a trade route; as the mayor of Sandworm Town, he wouldn't be able to leave so easily anymore.

Lu Yuan walked over carrying a bag containing his belongings.

The Night Watchman's Badge, the Pathfinder's Badge, the Sandworm Bone Flute, the Ancient Music Theory Handbook, the "Guide to Knowledge Pathways" that Ink gave me, and that unopenable bronze badge.

There was a faint warmth in my chest; it was the timekeeping pocket watch that had become part of my body.

At the edge of vision, gray and white text quietly emerged:

[Rationality: 68/120]

[Ancient Music Theory: 1.2/10]

After three days of rest, my rationality has returned considerably.

Although we're only halfway through, at least we won't see those messy hallucinations anymore.

"Ready?" Herman glanced at him.

"Um."

"Then let's get on the bus, there are still three days left on the road."

Just as Lu Yuan was about to get into the car, he suddenly heard a series of hurried footsteps behind him.

"etc!"

It's Karl.

He came running up, panting, clutching something in his hand.

"Why...why did you leave without calling me!"

Lu Yuan stopped what he was doing and looked at him.

"It's too early, I didn't want to wake you."

"You should have at least said something!" Carl said, sounding a little aggrieved. "I thought... I thought you left without saying goodbye..."

Looking at his flushed face, Lu Yuan suddenly found it somewhat amusing.

"It's not like I'm not coming back."

Karl was taken aback.

"real?"

"Hmm." Lu Yuan smiled and said, "I haven't finished learning the Sandworm Song yet. Next time I come back, you'll have to teach me the rest."

Karl's eyes lit up immediately.

"Okay! I'll practice hard! When you come back, I'll definitely play better than you!"

He shoved what he was holding into Lu Yuan's hand.

It was a small bag of dried sandworms.

"I'll eat it on the road," Carl said, blushing. "I dried it myself; it's delicious."

Lu Yuan looked at the cloth bag in his hand and remained silent for a moment.

"...Thanks."

He carefully packed up the cloth bag, climbed onto the carriage, and found a seat next to the goods.

Hermann raised his whip.

"drive!"

The carriage started slowly, its wheels crunching over the sand.

Lu Yuan turned around and glanced at the Sandworm Town that was gradually disappearing into the distance.

Low-lying mud-brick houses, fluttering clotheslines, and Karl standing at the crossroads waving incessantly.

He looked for a while, then looked away and gazed ahead.

The yellow sand stretches endlessly to the horizon.

Bronze City.

he came.