[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-notes-on-kraft-anomalous-studies":3,"chapter-notes-on-kraft-anomalous-studies-notes-on-kraft-anomalous-studies-chapter-78":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Notes on Kraft Anomalous Studies",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2283556,4467,"Chapter 78","notes-on-kraft-anomalous-studies-chapter-78",78,"\u003Cp>“No, still not right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The table was moved before the professor’s window; two tiny, crystal-clear fragments were taken from the shelf, wrapped in silk, and placed inside small wooden boxes filled with cotton.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two slightly “fatter” counterparts were pulled out and secured on a stand; nimble fingers adjusted their positions at a pace so slow it was nearly imperceptible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only disruption to this harmonious scene was the fine cloth strips wrapped around the fingertips of two fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two thin crystals clamped a flattened, translucent drop of red liquid; through the double lenses, his eyes fixed on it—this had continued for half the afternoon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xiusi lay listlessly in his chair, staring at the ceiling, a strip of cloth also wrapped around one finger. Since morning, when those small custom-made items arrived, Kraft had been acting strangely for half the afternoon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason it wasn’t the whole morning was simply that he’d skipped a month and a half of classes and felt too embarrassed to miss another day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, most students could tell his mind wasn’t on the lesson—he kept muttering made-up words like “small chamber” and “microscopic,” and announced before class ended that they’d soon have an entirely new subject to study.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This news left the students, including Lu Xiusi, with an indescribable look of shock. Even his most fervent admirers later admitted it was hard to call it good news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the student closest to Kraft, Lu Xiusi was promised many favors and sent out to probe for information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, upon entering, he was immediately bled for a drop of blood by Kraft, who held a needle to his third finger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What exactly is wrong?” Lu Xiusi guessed the new topic might relate to this expensive device, but he couldn’t make out anything from the side, “Aren’t you going to rest for a few days? After all, the Salt Tide District affair just ended.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the final few pitch-black maps were completed, the Salt Tide District incident finally subsided; after a month and a half of recovery, local residents largely returned to their normal sleep patterns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of the two newly dug wells, only one yielded drinkable freshwater—but that was enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This long, arduous journey made Lu Xiusi familiar with the Salt Tide District’s roads and inadvertently taught him many of Kraft’s little techniques—from physical exams to joint realignments, a whole heap of scattered skills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I suddenly feel time is quite urgent; I may not have many chances left to finish what I haven’t done.” Kraft leaned over the lenses, his fingers adjusting with barely perceptible movements, like a gypsum statue bathed in sunlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That sounds so strange,” Lu Xiusi said, straightening his aching neck, moving his chair beside Kraft, watching him fine-tune further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, this phrasing is indeed slightly off,” Kraft murmured, as if speaking louder might shake the adjusting lenses. He pushed the nearby lens a minuscule distance toward the blood drop—without coarse or fine focus screws, manual adjustment was truly taxing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The device in his hands resembled a crude iron stand more than any optical instrument; its mobility was high, the copper lens tube was a mess, and the threaded adjustment offered poor range and precision—luckily, he’d requested several different sizes when customizing it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lu Xiusi, have you ever felt our profession carries a certain degree of danger?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xiusi didn’t understand this view; doctors in the academy were far more prestigious than the wild clinics or barbershops outside, “It’s not that bad. It’s fairly safe—at least in the academy, sudden illnesses can still be treated, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Suppose—just suppose—that what we encountered was truly an epidemic. Even with a bird-beak mask, you might still catch it. What then?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That “suppose” was too terrifying for a young man without independent medical certification—no experience, no theoretical backing to answer it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in front of a friend, especially a lecturer, he couldn’t show weakness; he gritted his teeth and replied, “Same thing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If the chance of death isn’t high,” Lu Xiusi added after a moment’s thought, sensing his answer sounded dishonest and adding a qualifier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was the kind who cared deeply, believed in the supreme value of life, and was willing to help anyone within his means. But when his own life was at stake, his current values couldn’t be condemned for avoidance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, no one bore moral or legal responsibility for an epidemic; most people saw epidemics as divine punishment, something humans couldn’t actively eliminate, only wait for the gods’ wrath to subside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some even used this as an excuse to ignore or even persecute those struck by divine punishment, claiming they were being punished for sin or tested by the gods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, that’s how I think. What do you think?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kraft kept staring at the lenses, offering no comment, leaving Lu Xiusi unsure whether he was too absorbed or dissatisfied with the answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?” Lu Xiusi hadn’t expected Kraft’s reply to be even less confident than his own—he’d assumed, based on past impressions, the answer would at least be “I’d go,” or maybe “I can fix it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kraft showed no embarrassment, stating it plainly, removed the lens, and mounted another tube on the iron stand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Honestly, I don’t know. I’ve recently realized I’m still afraid of death—sounds like a cliché, and the reasons are complex, but the result is this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But the key isn’t here. The key is that we might encounter special circumstances—this ‘might’ will keep growing over a long career until it becomes ‘certain.’ And right now, I haven’t even mastered this thing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He rotated the tube but still couldn’t find the view he wanted; the ground glass slide wasn’t perfect—tiny scratches became vast chasms under magnification.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xiusi understood his meaning but not the full context: “Why suddenly think of this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s say recent events left me mentally tense, made me realize how fragile life is—how close I came to losing it.” Speaking of it, Kraft still felt a chill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When facing something directly, fear isn’t always strongest; focused attention and the will to solve problems suppress secondary emotions, and sometimes terror breeds blind courage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only afterward, in reflection, did he realize how many times he’d narrowly escaped death—Death’s scythe had swept past his neck, snatching a piece of his collar. Thinking of it sent cold sweat down his spine, giving him a sense of urgency between life and death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone else might have vanished one night, or continued secret experiments without ever realizing how close they’d come.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“True,” Lu Xiusi said, unaware of what Kraft had endured—he thought instead of the noon silence in the Salt Tide District, the feeling of being surrounded by disease, which had previewed for him the horror of legendary epidemics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two fell silent. Kraft continued tinkering with his device, while Lu Xiusi rose to heat water on the small stove.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He used some boiling water to rinse the teacups, then spooned a measure of barley into each, pouring in the boiling water. Watching the barley grains sink and float, once most settled, a pleasant roasted aroma drifted from the tea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A small jar was pulled out—part of the students’ “bribes”—its golden, thick liquid swirling inside. Lu Xiusi added three small spoons to each cup, stirring until the full version of barley tea appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“With honey. Want a cup?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, couldn’t be better. Lu Xiusi, have you ever considered applying to the Church as an angel?” The warm, familiar temperature was irresistible; Kraft took the cup, blew away the steam, sipped lightly—the sweetness and roasted barley blended into the happiness of an otherworldly soul in this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seizing the moment his mood had improved, the one chosen to probe finally remembered his purpose and began to gently inquire about the new subject.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now that this matter’s settled, do you have any long-term plans?” He asked casually, as if by chance—if the new subject was coming, it would surely take up a large chunk of time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, new plans would crowd out already tight schedules; if Kraft was willing to talk, he’d surely reveal something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he didn’t, Lu Xiusi had already guessed the new subject related to the device on the table. Since the device was already in preliminary adjustment, they needn’t worry about added burdens for months.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kraft didn’t notice his intent—or if he did, he didn’t care—set down the hot tea and continued working, replying offhandedly, “I might go for a walk?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go for a walk? Where?” An unexpected turn—this question revealed a strange piece of news, baffling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not soon. In about a month. The route’s still being planned, but tentatively southward, taking a coastal ship.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t a whim—it had been planned for a long time. Southbound coastal shipping was a well-established route, passing multiple ports, stopping briefly at each to trade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many cautious captains took this route, making it convenient to carry passengers and collect fares for onward travel; once aboard, you could choose nearly any southern port to disembark—very cost-effective.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heading south toward the central Kingdom of North, you’d reach the famous estuary of the Tem River; from its calm waters, you’d sail inland, entering the nation’s great waterway that cut across half the country.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along the river, you’d see the civilization nurtured by the kingdom’s most fertile lands—this region had been inhabited far longer than the kingdom itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Major landmarks, including Vestminster Castle on the gold coins, were mostly distributed along this route—calling it the birthplace of the kingdom wasn’t an exaggeration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Equally famous was its higher population density and urban scale, which, with water transport, fostered more advanced industries, ultimately feeding back into academic progress—various demands pushed new nobles and factions, despite Church pressure, to establish comprehensive universities beyond religious studies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most famous of these was the jewel at the kingdom’s heart, Dunling: Professor Karlman’s alma mater, the dream of countless students, and the very place he’d spent his first half-life trying to escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Dunling University】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re going to Dunling?” Lu Xiusi concluded after mentally tracing the route—given Kraft’s wealth and thinking, it made no sense for him to go anywhere else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, it can be arranged, but it’s just one goal among others. Mainly, I want to see more of the world.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, Dunling was certainly the main goal—Kraft had already been considering it. The black fluid incident was crushed in Wenden Port, but its origin and composition remain unknown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Black fluid can’t be used anymore, but abdominal surgery has been proven viable. I want to visit cities there—might gain some inspiration.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kraft’s mention of this darkened Lu Xiusi’s mood—he recalled again how Professor Karlman had been proven directly linked to the Salt Tide District incident, and drank two mouthfuls of barley tea to mask his emotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment, he said: “If you really go, ask him why he did it. I know you’ve already formed your judgment, but I still want to hear his own answer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, I’ll remember.” Kraft, still sipping tea someone else had brewed, accepted the request. Dunling was definitely on his list anyway; his method of inquiry might differ from what Lu Xiusi imagined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to understand the full story: how Morrison had extracted the “black fluid,” whether its human origin truly justified its classification under “Humoral Theory,” and where Karlman had learned his methods of contacting deeper lifeforms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another silence fell. Kraft sipped the sweet, fragrant tea, chewed and swallowed a few barley grains, then adjusted the glass slide slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you going alone?” Lu Xiusi thought carefully and felt uneasy; according to the professor’s description, big cities were far more complex than tiny Wenden Port.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, of course not. I just received my academy salary, so, as tradition dictates, I’ve taken on a new retainer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was new—Kraft hadn’t mentioned it. Lu Xiusi was deeply curious: “Who?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You should still remember—Kup.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half a month later, Kup had come to the academy on his own. Losing his religious faith and undergoing a worldview shift, he could no longer remain in his old life and decided to follow the man who saved him, seeking even a sliver of meaning in his confused existence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had awakened, left his old world behind, and didn’t know what to do next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kraft had always found this young man, who had faced deeper lifeforms without suffering mental breakdown, intriguing. His long labor on the docks had built his stamina—he was a promising candidate, both mentally and physically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crucially, Kup had no family, no ties in Wenden Port—he could leave with Kraft at any time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s about it. Don’t worry—I’ve thought it all through. What could go wrong? Come, look at this.” He stood, yielding his place, the spot he’d occupied all afternoon now given to Lu Xiusi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t touch the stand—I spent ages adjusting it. Just look.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xiusi sat at the table, withdrew his hand from reaching for the lens tube, and, imitating Kraft, pressed his eye to the tiny crystal lens—the entire field of view was red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Red. That’s just the color of blood. What else?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Look closer. The quality’s too low—it’s hard to distinguish. I’ve been fooled several times already.” Kraft realigned the reflective silver plate, letting brighter light pass through the slide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, Lu Xiusi saw it: what had appeared as a blurred mass was actually countless tiny red dots, packed densely within the blood drop taken from his fingertip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The future.” Kraft drank a large gulp of warm barley tea, feeling the liquid flow into his empty, lunchless stomach, and showed the first truly relaxed smile Lu Xiusi had seen on his face in two months: “I mean, the future—the new subject you’ll study.”\u003C\u002Fp>",2274,"2026-06-20T02:15:55.761Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","0a05d7f62aa048910fa1c79786ff9e60cea48abad125f33b80adba4e76065a79","notes-on-kraft-anomalous-studies-chapter-79","notes-on-kraft-anomalous-studies-chapter-77",406,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fnotes-on-kraft-anomalous-studies-cover.jpg"]