Chapter 87: Chapter 87
Ron had never imagined that this world harbored such a massive pitfall. Although it wasn’t fully confirmed yet, judging by Morris’s demeanor, it didn’t seem like he was making things up.
Or rather, at the very least, those many bloody precedents from the past were highly unlikely to have been fabricated by Morris.
Furthermore, Ron also recalled the wizard curse that Aunt Mary had mentioned before. Because books were invented by wizards, anyone who came into contact with books might suffer misfortune, as they were said to attract Evil Spirits.
Looking at it from this angle, could it be that research, thinking, and knowledge had also acquired such misfortune because of wizards?
If that were the case, then for this world to develop and progress, wouldn’t every single step need to be drenched in the blood of scholars?
Who could pay such a price time and time again?
Consequently, Ron thought about how this world had remained in a classical era for so long. Was it truly just because of transcendent power? Could it not also be because knowledge and thinking themselves were hindered?
At this thought, he couldn’t help but feel bewildered and despairing for this world and for his own future. Living in such a world, no matter how powerful an individual became, could they really change the entire world?
“Instructor, is there really no way to avoid this curse on thinking and knowledge?”
“It’s very difficult for ordinary people. Sometimes, even knowledge that is considered common sense among Transcendents can cause them to go mad. Of course, compared to pondering and researching the transcendent, the mere intake of knowledge carries a relatively smaller risk.”
Morris’s expression was complicated. As if thinking of something, he continued, “Transcendents have a somewhat higher tolerance for these things, but it’s not absolute either. I can’t really say for certain; just be extremely careful.
“Don’t over-explore the unknown. If there’s anything you want to know, just ask me directly. Skipping the process of independent exploration will significantly reduce the risk.
“Additionally, I believe the reason scholars go mad might also be related to their willpower. So you must never slack off on training in that aspect. This is also connected to achieving the Senior rank.”
“Mhm, I will keep the Instructor’s reminder in mind.” Ron nodded solemnly in agreement.
…
Afterward, the two separated. Morris continued east, while Ron searched through the rubble for Jason’s figure. Before long, he found Jason behind a half-collapsed house that had been smashed by brute force.
“Uncle Jason, I finally found you.”
“Ron, why are you here?”
Seeing Ron come looking for him, Jason’s expression immediately changed. He lunged forward to stand before Ron and asked anxiously, “Did something happen at home?”
“No, no, don’t worry, Uncle Jason, everything is fine at home. It’s just that you didn’t come back all night, and Aunt Mary and Liya were a bit worried. I asked Instructor Morris and that’s how I found you here.”
“My fault, I should have had someone bring them a message!”
Jason’s tone was full of remorse, but seeing Ron, his heart still eased. “I still have work to do here. Hurry back and tell Mary and the girls not to worry, I’ll be home later.”
“Uncle Jason, are there wounded over here too?”
Ron noticed that while a large number of houses were damaged in this area, the residents should have been evacuated long ago. Furthermore, the main battlefield wasn’t even here, so he was somewhat puzzled.
“The enemy was very powerful. They ran rampant within the territory, and wherever the battle erupted between both sides, there would almost certainly be wounded left behind. During combat, it was hard to attend to them, and now not a single one can be missed.”
Jason explained while already getting to work. He dismantled the half-collapsed house piece by piece, carefully searching every corner. If he came across paving stones that had been upheaved, he would flip them over again, lest a wounded person had been pinned beneath stones tossed up by the shockwaves of battle.
Seeing such a primitive search method, Ron couldn’t help but feel somewhat disappointed. “Uncle Jason, is there really no more efficient way to search?”
Right now, the battle between the two sides had just ended. If they could find all the wounded in the shortest time possible, they could administer first aid immediately. If they were too late, some critically injured personnel might lose their lives as a result.
In reality, this method of searching that Jason and the others employed was mostly for finding critically wounded who couldn’t speak or make noise, or even corpses.
Anyone who could still move or speak wouldn’t have gone unnoticed this long.
After Jason finished searching another area, Ron couldn’t help but ask, “Uncle Jason, do you have a search roster?”
Jason was about to answer when an excited shout rang out from afar: “Found Mata! He’s still breathing! Someone come help!”
Hearing the voice, Jason immediately set off, and Ron followed close behind. Arriving at the source of the shout, the searchers had already cleared away the debris on the surface of the rubble, revealing an unconscious soldier whose chest armor was deeply caved in.
One person was trying to undo the armor, but the deformation made such an action extremely troublesome, which was why he had called for help.
Because Jason was slightly further away, by the time he arrived, four or five people had already gathered around the unconscious soldier. Even working together, they couldn’t pry the armor open.
Just as Ron was feeling anxious for the unconscious soldier, a voice called out: “Make way, make way! Captain Bolin is here, he has a Transcendent Weapon!”
Hearing the voice, the people surrounding the unconscious soldier immediately stepped aside. That captain named Bolin then used a black longsword similar to Morris’s to attempt cutting open the unconscious soldier’s armor.
After a burst of sharp, high-pitched noise, the armor on the soldier’s chest was finally opened, revealing the blood-soaked garment underneath.
After doing this, Bolin looked as if he were suffering from severe exhaustion, his steps unsteady. If someone hadn’t supported him in time, he might have collapsed to the ground.
“Be careful, get him back! Give me some food too; the consumption from using a Transcendent Weapon is just too great.”
Afterward, the people around sprang into action. Two of them found something resembling a door panel, carefully lifted the critically injured and unconscious Mata onto it, and then ran swiftly toward the Bell Tower Square.
With a Knight’s mastery over force, there was no worry of him being dropped midway.
The others all contributed the food they carried on them, and even Ron offered a piece of flatbread.
After that, the group quickly dispersed to continue searching for other potential wounded or corpses.
Returning to the previous search spot, Jason explained to Ron, “There is a roster. Not counting Mata who was just found, there are still eleven people unaccounted for. The search only stops when everyone is found.”
“Then let me help you search. If I go back alone, Aunt Mary and Liya will inevitably still worry. If I search with you, we can finish the task faster and head home sooner.”
“Uh, alright!”
Jason hesitated for a moment before agreeing, but he did raise one requirement: “Make sure to be gentle with your movements, so you don’t injure any of the wounded who haven’t been found yet!”
“Mhm, I will.”