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

Beren's cane tapped lightly on the ground.

"It would be best if the deputy chief of staff went. There are some things I can't say."

The topic of pipeline networks has been put on hold.

During a break in the conversation, Lu Yuan's gaze naturally fell on Kel, who was standing next to the Beren chair.

Kai was less than two meters away from him when that change in aura struck him directly.

Something very faint and new had appeared in him.

However, compared to the calm and deep blue aura of the runes on Berlun, it seemed quite immature.

The gray text jumped to a new line.

[Detection Target: Kai'er (Exceptional Knowledge, Inscription Studies, Introduction)]

A child who had been standing outside the door for many years was finally allowed to go inside.

Lu Yuan's lips twitched slightly.

"Kael, has this meant you've embarked on the path to transcendence?"

Kel nodded, his fingers reaching for the clasp on the toolbox, without making a sound.

Upon hearing this, Beren couldn't help but smile.

He raised his hand and patted Kel on the shoulder.

"That kid has finally lived up to expectations. After what happened a couple of days ago, he's finally embarked on the path of inscription studies."

Kel shrank his neck.

"I've only just begun..."

"That's great." Lu Yuan was genuinely happy for Beren when he saw Kai'er enter the house.

Kai looked up at him, a slight smile playing on her lips, before quickly looking back down.

Having followed Buren for so long, I've finally crossed that threshold.

The time when Burren was mentally exhausted was probably due to that final push.

Lu Yuan poured a glass of water for Bo Lun. It wasn't anything special, but Bo Lun took it without complaint and took a sip.

He put down the cup, leaned his shoulders forward slightly, and tilted his cane forward.

"I didn't come here today just to ask you these questions."

He glanced at Kai'er, then looked back at Lu Yuan.

"According to the rules, once a newcomer embarks on the path of Inscription, someone from the Dwarf race should conduct a stone tablet evaluation and recommend a direction. I already sent out a call for help."

"But recently, the atmosphere around the Tower of Learning has been off, and the extraordinary aura throughout Bronze City has become chaotic. No dwarves have come, and my own old acquaintances aren't nearby either."

Lu Yuan's expression remained unchanged.

Something seems off about the Tower of Learning.

"Don't you have a brass whistle? Could I borrow it for a moment?"

"OK."

He also wanted to ask the dwarves if he could take on some quests or something.

Lu Yuan walked to the table and opened the drawer. The bronze whistle lay in the corner, about the length of a thumb, rough, with the symbols on its surface gleaming with a dark gold in the morning light.

I picked it up, walked to the window, and pushed it open a finger's width. The outside air rushed in, carrying the metallic smell unique to Bronze City in the early morning and the aroma of distant cooking smoke.

Put the whistle to your lips.

Blow the whistle.

The sound was faint, like a copper pipe being struck—short, muffled, and then dissipating into the air.

Buren and Kel looked at him.

There was no response outside the window. The footsteps in the branch's inner courtyard were neither hurried nor slow, just like usual.

Lu Yuan put the whistle back on the table.

All that's left is to wait.

When the knocking sounded, Lu Yuan was putting the bronze whistle back on the table.

He walked over and opened the door.

Outside the door stood Hank, the night watchman who had the nosebleed last night.

The color had returned to his face compared to last night; it was no longer as pale as it had been the night before.

He was carrying a bottle of fruit wine in his left hand. The neck of the bottle was wrapped twice with thick hemp rope, and the end was tied in a knot, as if he had tied it himself.

"team leader."

Hank grinned and raised the bottle of wine.

"The logistics department gave me a stronger stabilizing agent. I drank it this morning. Anyway, we're not allowed to go on missions for three days, so I might as well just sit around doing nothing. I also brought a bottle of fruit wine for you to try."

He paused for a moment, his tone relaxed yet serious.

"By the way, I really took your comment when you said, 'Let's talk about our experiences in cultivating rationality sometime.'"

Lu Yuan smiled and stepped aside to let him in.

Hank stepped inside, his eyes scanning the room before pausing for a moment when he saw Burren sitting in a chair and Kel standing next to him.

I subconsciously stopped myself from saying the second half of the sentence.

Seeing this, Lu Yuan took the opportunity to introduce the topic.

"Berlen, with extraordinary knowledge, is a third-tier inscription master and a future Grand Inscription Master. It has already been reported, so it's alright if you know about it."

"Kail, Beren's apprentice, just embarked on the path of inscription a couple of days ago."

Lu Yuan paused for a moment.

"They're all on our side."

Hank then relaxed his shoulders and nodded to Burren. "Mr. Burren." He then nodded to Kel. "Young man."

Beren nodded in return, his gaze lingering on the bottle of fruit wine for half a second without saying a word.

Kai'er whispered "Brother Hank," not daring to speak too loudly.

Hank walked to the table, found a chair, sat down, placed the wine bottle in the middle of the table, and reached out to remove the cork.

A sweet fragrance wafted from the bottle opening.

"Would you like to try some?"

As Hank spoke, he glanced up at Lu Yuan's table, where there were only three cups.

"Alright then," he muttered to himself. "Brother Kai'er, I'm sorry to trouble you to share with your master for a while."

Kai'er quickly waved her hand. "No, no, no, I won't drink it."

Hank smiled and poured him a little, just half a finger's width.

Then he poured a full glass for Lu Yuan and Bo Lun, and finally poured one for himself. His movements were very practiced, showing that he had drunk this wine quite often.

Kai'er picked up the slightly spilled cup and was about to bring it to her lips.

Buren reached out a hand.

Without saying a word, he simply reached out and gently moved Kelp's cup to the side.

It wasn't moved far; it was just moved from where Kai'er naturally had easy reach to a place where he had to stretch his arm out a bit more to reach it.

Kai's hand froze in mid-air.

Beren remained silent, simply picking up his glass and taking a sip.

Kai'er withdrew her hand and stood back obediently.

Hank saw this and suppressed his laughter without making a sound.

Lu Yuan picked up his wine glass and took a sip.

The fruit wine is on the sweeter side, not very acidic, and has a slight astringent taste that lingers on the back of the tongue.

"good."

He put down the cup.

Hank burst out laughing.

"Captain, you even said 'not bad' about this wine. My brothers back home could talk about it for ages after drinking it."

He took another sip of his glass, glanced around the room, and then his gaze settled on the table.

Klaus's pamphlet, a half-open toolbox, and a brass whistle.

"Captain, the furnishings in your room are really quite simple..."

Hank shook his head slightly.

"A book, a toolbox. It seems the rumors are true."

Kai couldn't help but steal a glance at his wine glass that had been moved aside, swallowed hard, and lowered his head.

Lu Yuan smiled.

"What rumors are circulating about me?"

"They say you're from that church, an ascetic."

Hank took a sip of his drink and sighed.

"I was terrified last night. When I woke up, I thought I was half dead. I haven't been on any missions for three days and I've had nothing to do. Luckily, a few bards have started working at a nearby tavern these past few days. I go there to listen to their music to pass the time."

Lu Yuan nodded.

"Hmm? A bard?"

"Yes, a group of people who wander around, many of whom have already reached the extraordinary level, but most of them are the kind who are proficient in music."

Lu Yuan's eyes lit up when he heard this, because he had no other way to improve his skill in Ancient Music Theory.

Since bards are well-versed in music, do they know anything about ancient music theory or anything else?

After a brief chat, the atmosphere gradually cooled down.

Hank put down his glass and rubbed his hand on the outside of the glass a couple of times, as if deciding how to start the conversation.

"team leader."

He looked up at Lu Yuan, then glanced at Beren and Kale.

"That's a rational matter, and if it's convenient, I would really like to talk to you about it."

Lu Yuan had already seen through Hank's intentions and nodded.

Hank was still a little hesitant.

Lu Yuan gestured again, indicating that they were all on his side.

Hank then relaxed his shoulders and placed his hands on the table.

"I'm not one to hide things, Captain, please don't laugh at me."

"I'm on the path of the bizarre and extraordinary, but I won't go into specifics, anyway, it's not particularly strong. My talent is also just average."

"Reaching the second tier is the limit for me in this lifetime. As for the third tier..."

He shook his head and smiled.

"Don't even think about the third tier."

Lu Yuan didn't respond this time.

Hank picked up his glass, took a sip, and continued.

"Every time I go on a mission, I go out fully equipped with potions. If I'm not fully equipped, I can't hold on. That weird stuff, once you get contaminated, it drills into your brain. The result of relying on willpower to tough it out is..."

He paused.

"Captain, you've been at the branch for quite some time now. Of my brothers, from Tier 1 to Tier 2, not many have died at the hands of the Strange Beings. What have died the most?"

"Their rationality faltered, but they were still alive, and turning to logistics in the end was a good outcome."

Hank seemed to have thought of something, and his tone carried a hint of melancholy.

"The hardest part is that even the logistics can't be put into operation..."

Beren leaned back in his chair and silently tapped the end of his cane with his finger.

Kel had long since put his glass down from his lips and forgotten to drink, his eyes fixed on Hank.

Hank smiled and continued.

"Moreover, taking too much of these medications can lead to dependence."

"So I started looking for other paths a long time ago."

He held up his fingers and counted them one by one.

"There are only a few ways to go down the path of 'improving one's rationality'."

"First, top-grade potions. One bottle is enough for the rest of your life's salary. With my current salary, it would take me several years to buy one bottle."

"Secondly, there's talent. Talent is something you're born with; if you don't have it, you don't have it."

"Third, the path is strong, and changing the path is impossible, so we can only take whichever path we choose."

"Fourth, items. It depends on luck. Although you can exchange for them in the Night Watch, it's too difficult to get good ones with so few points..."

He gave a self-deprecating laugh.

"There's only one left: the cultivation method."

Hank lowered his hand, a look of helplessness on his face.

"The Night's Watch has training methods specifically for my path, and there's more than one."

"I've tried every single one of them."

"I haven't even mastered one set."

The room quieted down for a moment.

"Captain, do you know what the most ironic thing is?"

Hank looked at the wine in his glass.

"The cultivation method didn't help me increase my sanity; on the contrary, it seems that my resistance to the strange has decreased a bit."

"I asked some seniors, and they said it wasn't a problem with the method, but with me."

"I consulted several more experienced mentors. Some said, 'You need to find someone who resonates with you,' others said, 'I haven't walked this path before, so I can't help you,' and still others..."

He paused for a moment.

"Some people are just naturally gifted and have strong connections; I simply can't replicate their path."

"This mission is the most direct one."

Hank touched the bridge of his nose.

"Of the ten brothers, I was the most seriously injured. If it weren't for you coming back, Captain..."