Chapter 58

“The situation is basically this: I suspect someone dumped the Clearing Elixir into the well in Salt Tide District, and people who’ve taken the Clearing Elixir within a certain range will experience worsened symptoms when gathered together.”

Kraft sat slumped in his chair, a freshly broken wooden plank propped beside him, its splinters still unsmoothed, one side bearing a large charcoal-drawn shattered circle.

In the end, the table was still bought; the owner gave no negative answer to these odd individuals, especially since the most unusual one among them—a noble—carried a sword.

Seeing the owner’s attitude, this inn was no longer tenable; Kraft packed up his already meager belongings, hung them on the horse stabled at the stable, and checked into another inn. Before leaving, he remembered to borrow the owner’s handsaw to cut off the tabletop and take it with him.

Now they sat in the new inn’s room; since there was only one chair, Li Siton and Lu Xiusi had to sit on the edge of the bed.

Pulling up the small blanket covering him, Kraft shifted a little closer to the stove. “Tomorrow, we’ll go together to Salt Tide District and guard that well, telling them they must stop drinking from it.”

“So they’ll really believe you and accept having to walk farther every day just to fetch water?” Li Siton expressed doubt. “And with your current condition, are you even capable of going tomorrow?”

Kraft had just changed into half-dry clothes, rinsed the salt granules off his skin that constantly stung his minor cuts—now he dared to claim he’d go to Salt Tide District tomorrow? Li Siton seriously doubted he could manage it.

“Don’t worry—even on a battlefield, I’m the kind who can hold out for several rounds.”

Old Wood didn’t want him on the battlefield, true, but he also knew he couldn’t watch over him forever, and that Kraft might one day impulsively seek glory—so his training was never eased; he had to be able to run in full metal armor.

Though Kraft privately mocked this as preparation for running away after losing his horse on the battlefield, he’d still met the standard his grandfather demanded.

The warm stove radiated comforting heat—the most effective and reliable energy humanity currently controlled, the foundation of civilization. He could feel his body warming, his strength gradually returning; at least, normal activity tomorrow morning wouldn’t be a problem.

“As for the well issue… I can pay someone to dig them a new well—or even two—and then fill in that damn contaminated well.”

Having money is indeed a joyful thing; it can easily resolve most problems—even those involving anomalous phenomena—because material foundations are essential.

The residents of Salt Tide District, having no money, could only live there and share one well. Kraft could use money to eliminate the well water’s effects by cutting off the source entirely.

But speaking of money, Kraft remembered something: “By the way, as a lecturer, shouldn’t I be getting paid?”

“Did you just notice this now?” Li Siton gave him the look of a nobleman’s foolish son. He’d worked overtime for two months and only now remembered to ask for pay—first time in his life.

To his surprise, Kraft thought for a moment, then nodded seriously. His daily expenses were minimal; his largest expenditure had been buying paper and ink for copying texts. Had he not recently been spending without income, he wouldn’t have even considered this question.

Subconsciously, he still wasn’t an independent individual—he existed as a family heir, with all financial sources controlled by Old Wood and Anderson.

“Shall I explain to you how the Academy operates?”

“Thank you, but now isn’t the time.” Kraft sensed a faint unpleasant odor—the administrative procedures he hated most.

He could understand countless complex operations, memorize hundreds or even thousands of intricate concepts—but he could never make sense of these strange rules and procedures. Any paperwork outside his specialty gave him a headache.

“Let’s focus on the current matter. Li Siton, your work must also be adjusted. Before we fully understand the mechanism behind all this, not a single drop of Clearing Elixir may be used.”

Emotionally, Li Siton struggled to accept this decision. “Then we’ll immediately return to our original state—we won’t even be able to perform the clean surgeries you requested on some amputations.”

“We can’t gamble on how many people taking Clearing Elixir must gather before they affect each other, and I don’t even know how to calculate what range counts as ‘gathering.’” Kraft was equally helpless.

Losing the dilution solution would be terrible—but if he allowed an anomaly capable of eroding the barrier between the mundane and the deep to spread through Wendeng Port, he’d be to blame.

If this continues, more people will realize the significance of this technique. When Professor Mo Lisen in Dunling decides to publicly announce the discovery, the situation will spiral beyond their control.

No one can resist the temptation of painless surgery. Even if it’s proven that too many people can’t use it, the result will simply be everyone thinking, “I’ll use it first, then worry about others.”

The small amount of black liquid left in the basement, once diluted, could provide conditions for thousands of surgeries. That number, relative to Wendeng Port’s population, would be substantial—making a large-scale replication of the Salt Tide District incident merely a matter of time.

“This is bizarre—it’s like some kind of plague, where drinking Clearing Elixir is the prerequisite for infection, and gathering users triggers the outbreak?” Li Siton glared at Lu Xiusi, who gave an innocent look—Kraft hadn’t told him this either. “So do we need to make them disperse?”

“It’s hard to do—they have nowhere to go. And it probably isn’t necessary.” Kraft explained. “I suspect the well water has diluted the elixir to its extreme, requiring continuous consumption and aggregation to gradually advance the condition.”

“Our method is to break one link in the chain.”

More words were swallowed. He couldn’t explain how he knew about the wandering, invisible deep entities—saying it would only be dismissed as hysteria and damage his credibility.

“I have no further questions about this, but there’s one thing I need to know: How did the Clearing Elixir end up in the well in Salt Tide District?”

Kraft, who had just been so talkative, instantly fell silent, feigning thoughtful contemplation with little conviction. Lu Xiusi shrank back, minimizing his presence.

The atmosphere grew awkward. For Li Siton, silence was the most powerful answer—more obvious than Lu Xiusi’s refusal to speak.

This confirmed his earlier suspicion. Lu Xiusi helping conceal it was one thing—but for Kraft to also be unable to speak, unable to even name a suspect, meant only one person: Professor Karlman—and likely the source of the Clearing Elixir.

“Fine, if you knew, you’d have already gone and arrested him.” Pretending ignorance was an art. Though Li Siton hadn’t read certain classic passages familiar to otherworldly souls, that didn’t stop him from learning the skill through long-term social practice.

Now it was too late to regret. The trap had been laid the moment he participated in that surgery—perhaps Kraft himself hadn’t even realized it. At this point, no one could wash their hands clean.

Why would the professor do such a thing? What the hell was his motive? Li Siton was frantic inside, yet he maintained a helpless expression, pretending ignorance.

Kraft knew his silence was unconvincing, but Li Siton’s words gave him an exit. “I truly have no idea about this, but fortunately, it doesn’t hinder the next steps. Let’s just do what we can.”

“Need some sleep first?”

“No, I’ve had enough. We’ll talk about sleep tomorrow night.” At the mention of sleep, Kraft instinctively pressed his left waist, gripping the sword hilt—the cold, hard, blunt texture always brought him comfort.

His good mental state made him forget one thing: he’d eventually have to sleep—and that presence, that soft, writhing thing, would come again, dragging him into the deep.

In a way, this wasn’t bad—it suited him perfectly.

He’d already found clues to return from the deep, and since that thing hadn’t caught him there, why not go see what the corresponding region in the deep looked like—relative to Salt Tide District?

A bold idea was born.

Human curiosity and self-destructive urges are unstoppable. Kraft pondered a moment, then voiced his thought: “I’m going to find a house on Elm Street to stay in overnight.”

“Is that really necessary?”

“I’ll likely be traveling back and forth to Salt Tide District frequently. Isn’t it sensible to find a temporary place nearby?”

“Hmm… yes.” Lu Xiusi agreed.

Li Siton nodded. He sensed other motives behind this, but Kraft’s entire demeanor was abnormal—this could be explored later. “If you need help with anything else, don’t hesitate to ask me.”

“Thank you—that’s perfect. I need to buy some things.” Whether Li Siton’s offer was polite or sincere, Kraft didn’t care—he threw off his blanket and grabbed paper and ink. “I’ll make a list—just everyday essentials.”

In his mind, Kraft was already formulating a complete strategy. Fragmented memories of that dark, damp realm—eerily identical to the mundane world—had given him inspiration. Preparations here might be perfectly replicated in the deep.

“Oil? Fire-starters?” Li Siton frowned. “What are these for?”

“They’ll help me have a good dream. Consider it the obsession of some unlucky soul waking up cold and wet.” Kraft shrugged in reply, tossing his blanket aside.

He took the paper and saw, at the very bottom, a small boat—just wide enough for one person, used for near-shore transport and shipboard escape.

“All right, no problem. When you return from Salt Tide District tomorrow, you’ll find these items delivered to Elm Street.”

The paper was folded into a small square and tucked into the bag. Li Siton asked no further questions; he felt no resentment toward this clearly dismissive task. The chaotic shopping list could be handled by others.

After all, he needed a legitimate reason to act alone—to carry out a bold idea.