pjbooks Chapter 298 The Lamp Bearer and the Core of the World
Chapter 298 The Lamp Bearer and the Core of the World
In the laboratory.
After Chen Yifan left, Lin Tian slumped onto the cold floor, lost in thought for a long time before finally coming to his senses.
He stood up unsteadily, walked to the control panel, and typed in a series of complex passwords with trembling fingers.
"Buzz..."
A wall slid open silently, revealing a vault hidden inside, made of a special alloy.
Lin Tian took a deep breath and went inside.
Since we've already accepted our fate.
He dared not refuse Chen Yifan's requests, much less offer discounts.
After all, judging from what the other party did at the manor.
That guy is insane!
They dare to use the power of unorthodox methods without reservation.
It's likely that he planned from the beginning to use the Cleaners to raze the manor to the ground.
Li Tian sighed and took out a physically encrypted data chip from a box covered with runes.
This contains all the information he has collected over the years about the "Lamp Bearer" and the "Core of the World".
He obtained this intelligence at the cost of countless resources, and even at the cost of his comrades' lives.
Now, he is going to personally hand these things over to someone else.
My heart is bleeding.
But he had no choice.
People have to bow their heads under the roof.
What's more, what he was facing wasn't a human being at all, but a monster in human skin!
madman!
……
Chen Yifan had barely left the club when Lin Tian chased after him.
He hadn't expected the other party to agree so readily.
He took the chip and went straight back to his dormitory.
He needed an absolutely quiet environment to process this intelligence that might overturn his understanding.
Back to dormitory 404.
There wasn't a single person there.
Chen Yifan locked the door, drew the curtains, and only after confirming that the environment was absolutely safe did he connect the data chip to his communicator.
A massive stream of data unfolded instantly on his retina.
He first opened the folder about "The Lamplighter".
The contents of the document made his pupils shrink slightly.
The Lamp Bearer
[Nature: Top-secret special response unit of the Dragon Kingdom, independent of the military and the Twelve Zodiac Guardians system.]
[Established after the Great Silence.]
[Main Responsibilities: Monitor, contain, and eliminate all abnormal events and individuals related to "heretical sects" within the Dragon Kingdom.]
Organizational structure: Unknown. Number of members: Unknown. Headquarters location: Unknown.
[Known member codes and abilities:]
[The Judge: Suspected high-ranking member of the Lamplighters, abilities unknown. Three years ago, he led the purge of the Eternal Life Society's East China Sea branch, during which the branch was completely physically wiped out.]
[The Ferryman: His abilities are suspected to be related to space or soul; he is elusive and responsible for handling "items" contaminated by heretics.]
[The Gravekeeper: Stationed year-round near the Siberian crater, his abilities are suspected to be related to sealing and suppression.]
……
The data is very detailed, but the key information is scarce.
Lin Tian's ability to obtain these things already demonstrates his extraordinary connections and influence.
Chen Yifan frowned.
This "Lamp Bearers" organization was more mysterious and powerful than he had imagined.
In terms of their duties, they were the official "cleaners," specifically targeting "heretical" figures like Li Yuantu, or even himself.
With such a commotion at Black Forest Manor, involving the arrival of the "Cleaners," it's impossible for the Lamplighter not to intervene and investigate.
In other words, he is now very likely being targeted by this mysterious organization.
Although he believed he was clean, any negligence could be fatal when facing such a state-level violent machine.
"This is troublesome."
Chen Yifan rubbed his temples and continued reading.
At the end of the document, there is a section of Lin Tian's own analysis and annotations.
The attitude of the lamplighter towards "heretical sects" is not simply one of complete suppression.
Based on scattered intelligence analysis, they seem to be divided into different factions within themselves.
Radicals advocate for the complete eradication of all traces of heresy, while moderates believe that heretical power is not absolutely evil; the key lies in the user.
They seem to be trying to study and utilize some relatively "safe" external forces to combat threats from higher dimensions...
[...They are extremely sensitive to the attitude of the 'core of the world'.]
Any organization or individual attempting to seize the "Core of the World" will be considered a top-level threat and subjected to indiscriminate attacks...
After reading this analysis, Chen Yifan felt a little more confident.
It seems that the people holding the lamps are not a monolithic group.
This might be something he can take advantage of.
He memorized the information about the "Lamplighter" and then opened another folder.
The Core of the World
Upon seeing this title, Chen Yifan instantly became highly focused.
[Source: Unknown. Suspected to be a byproduct of the arrival of the [World Engine] on Earth simultaneously.]
[Form: It is not a single entity, but rather exists as "fragments" scattered throughout special high-dimensional spatial nodes around the world.]
The largest known fragment is located on the top floor of the Sky Tower at Kyoto University.
[Essentially: A kind of "source code" or "authorization key" at the rule level. The holder can use it to make minor modifications to the fundamental rules of the [World Engine] within a certain scope.]
【effect:】
[1. Energy Source: Contains immeasurable pure primordial energy, which can be absorbed and utilized by the power of any system.]
[2. Rule Modification: For example, creating a temporary, small "invincibility zone," or nullifying fire damage within an area. The extent and scope of the modification depend on the size of the fragment and the holder's mental strength.]
[3. "Key": According to records from multiple Outer God organizations, collecting all the fragments of the "World Core" might grant supreme control over the "World Engine," and even... the ability to reverse engineer its secrets.]
Upon seeing this, Chen Yifan's breathing became somewhat rapid.
Rule changed!
Supreme control!
Reverse engineering the world engine?
This thing is practically a bug!
No wonder Lin Tian, Li Yuantu, and those hidden external god organizations are all eager to get their hands on it.
Whoever grasps it holds the truth and the way to deal with the future.
Chen Yifan's eyes became incredibly fervent.
He wants this too!
He doesn't care about becoming a god, but he needs power, absolute power enough to protect his family and overturn the chessboard!
And this "core of the world" is the fastest and most direct shortcut he can see right now!
He continued reading.
[How to obtain: A fragment from the top floor of the Tower of Ascension, protected by an extremely powerful barrier of rules. Only by completing hidden quests on specific "Challenge Floors" can one possibly gain a sliver of opportunity to approach the barrier.]
[Known Challenge Level Information:]
[Floor 30: 'Mirror Corridor', challengers must defeat their exact mirror image.]
[Level 60: "Inner Demon Purgatory," where challengers will confront their deepest fears.]
[Floor 90: 'Gate of Truth', specific challenge details unknown, never recorded.]
[…Lin Tian's note: Based on my speculation, simply passing through these challenge levels is not enough to truly touch the fragments of the 'World Core'. It's very likely that some special 'token' or 'condition' will be needed as a medium. And this medium might be related to the Tower of Ascension rankings and Student Council President Xiao Zhan…]
That concludes the information.
Chen Yifan turned off the communicator, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes.
A vast amount of information intertwined and collided in his mind, gradually forming a clear timeline.
The person holding the lamp is a potential threat and must be carefully guarded against.
The core of the world is a must-win objective; we must obtain it.
The path to the goal lies in the Tower of Ascension.
It seems he must improve his strength as soon as possible and attempt to conquer the tower again.
Moreover, this time, his goal is no longer simply to rack up credits and break records.
Rather, it is the origin of the world hidden above the clouds!
Just as he was deep in thought, there was a knock on the dormitory door.
"Fanzi, it's me, Xia Nan."
Chen Yifan raised an eyebrow, walked over, and opened the door.
Standing outside the door was Xia Nan, pale-faced with dark circles under her eyes, looking as if she hadn't slept for days and nights.
The moment he saw Chen Yifan, it was like seeing a savior. He grabbed Chen Yifan's arm, his voice trembling with tears.
"Brother, something terrible has happened! You...you have to come with me right now! The woman you brought back...she...she's awake!"