Chapter 42: Chapter 42: Three Gods Steps
Translator: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales
“Because of the influence of the cemetery, ordinary people’s bodies weaken, making them susceptible to the mind influence of higher life forms outside the city during their dreams at night, and they fall and turn into ghouls… this! Through a massive city wall, they can even make people fall through dreams. What in the world are these newly-born superior species!?”
Han Dong initially thought that the origin of ‘ghouls’ was due to some sort of plague, but he never expected it to be related to something outside the city.
“Moreover, this means…
the essence of ghouls has a certain relationship with the things outside the city wall… hence, it is necessary to wear goggles to minimize visual pollution.
Why am I fine?
Is it because the ‘Faceless Skull’ is inherently immune?”
Han Dong recorded all his assumptions in a notebook for future verification.
The characteristics of ghouls are also recorded in the notebook, including
[Huge Power], [Agile Movement], [Fungal Traits] and [Certain Regeneration]. A ghoul arm with the elastic resilience of rubber was laid out on the table.
The next second, the arm was taken by Han Dong directly to the Portable Prison.
Before entering the sterile laboratory, he used a sterilized bag in the buffer room to isolate the arm in order to prevent the fungus from spreading and contaminating the sterile room.
The issue Han Dong needs to consider now is the arm problem.
The solution he sees for his weak body… is to utilize the ‘Load Limit’.
“Cell Essence has been fully injected, ‘Load Limit’ increased by 2 points (Ghoul Sample)”
Han Dong first injected the Ghoul’s Cell Essence into the Cell Clump, which was much lower than he expected… so, extra Load Value currently available for Han Dong’s use is 27 points.
“How do I check the attribute values of this arm? I used to do it through contact with the Cell Clump… but now?”
Just as Han Dong asked himself, the sound from the skull echoed within the sterile room.
“Please place the body part you want to use on the test table”
“Test table?”
When Han Dong turned around, there was an immaculate table beside him, devoid of any equipment except for a slender, tubular scanner.
The scanner detected an external object placed on the table.
The scanner started working, and in less than a minute, a paper report was generated from the side. [Mature Ghoul Arm](Name displayed in green)
Quality: High-quality
<Qualities are ranked as follows:
Grey (Rough) -9 White (Common) —+ Green (High-quality) -9 Blue (Rare) —Y Purple (Unique) -4 Pink (Epic) —+ Gold (Legendary) -4 Dark Gold (Imperial) >/
Load Requirement: 22 points.
Base: Slightly more strength than a normal person.
Special Traits:
‘Claw’ – can cut through hard wood and some loose stone materials.
‘Graveyard Fungus’- will infect targets when harming them.
Note: The arm can be upgraded through homogenization – modification, virus injection, secret method strengthening, etc. These can increase the arm’s quality and give extra properties.
“All the usual characteristics have been inherited, and the load requirement is in accordance… Will my arm become like this once I accept?”
Just as Han Dong worried about the issue of body changes, the system voice came again:
“The assimilated limbs can ‘disguise’ according to the host’s requirements. This function is provided by the Faceless Skull.”
With this, Han Dong no longer had any concerns. His frail body will finally undergo a change.
“Arm is being integrated, Load Limit: 122/127”
Over the next two days.
There was a great change in Nicholas’s family.
The school-district housing had been designated a day earlier.
A Victorian-style detached building, two-levels with a basement, located opposite the road of the [National Royal Academy of Knights], a riverside villa with metal art combined with marble interior decoration.
As the whole family left the Samay Civilian Area with their luggage… Mother and Nina, sitting on the carriage, started crying at the same time. Han Dong looked puzzled, simply taking in the scenery by the riverside.
“Thank you, brother.”
“Hmm.”
They only had to use less than ten coins from a bag of copper coins to buy a whole set of furniture.
In addition, under Han Dong’s suggestion, they spent twenty-five more copper coins to purchase a slightly modified steam horse, which is more stable and easy to control than an ordinary horse, making it convenient for Nina to go to the mechanical workshop every day.
After all, this riverside home also comes with a stable, and middle-class families should at least have one metal horse as a means of transportation.
Considering his upcoming full-time studies at the Knight Academy, Han Dong considered whether to hire a nanny for Nicholas’s mother.
However, his mother insisted that they did not need to hire anyone, claiming that she is not used to being served by others, so Han Dong did not push it.
Besides, Nina would return from the mechanical workshop as dusk fell, staying with her mother.
Everything was arranged.
The scheduled registration day arrived.
At 07:00 in the morning, Han Dong received a ‘phone call’, from the mechanical device on his wrist.
“Valen Nicholas, please follow the device’s guidance to the Apprentice Knight’s registration office inside the academy before 08:30 to activate your knight’s card and collect your freshman handbook.”
At the end of the call, under Han Dong’s research during these days, the device transformed into a ‘pointer’.
Han Dong hailed a carriage, and after about half an hour of traveling along the outer wall of the academy that could barely be seen in its entirety, he finally arrived at the gate of the National Royal Academy of Knights.
This shows how large this academy is.
The copper door, infused with high-grade mechanical craftsmanship, was in front of him, with a giant knight’s emblem – ‘two swords crossed above a white horse’s head’ – engraved in the center of the door.
Han Dong quickly inserted the golden apprentice knight card into the slot at the side of the door.
Clack clack rumble rumble!
Steam power drove the gears in the door to rotate, and the door started to slowly open.
Instead of the anticipated campus scene filled with green grass and flowers, before him was a pure white staircase, a hundred meters tall. The staircase was closed off on both sides by walls, with only one way up.
This staircase was none other than the – Steps of Ares.
If we talk about ‘steps’, it’s necessary to mention the basic structure of the Holy City – Noientena.
The territory-level city-state, the Holy City, covers half of Vidalos.
The national system adopted is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy.
The special talent selection mechanism of the doomsday environment and the Fate Space, combined with the management of a parliamentary monarchy, results in distinct class divisions within the Holy City.
The difference between the classes is not just financial, it also pertains to the question of ‘abilities’.
Therefore, when the Holy City – Noientena was established, the entire inner city was overhauled following the decision of the parliament.
The plan was known as the “Three Gods Steps”.
The first step – there were three in total: the Steps of Ares, the Steps of Hermes, and the Steps of Artemis.
The second step – there were two in total: the Steps of Poseidon and the Steps of Apollo.
The third step – there was only one, the Steps of Zeus.
(It is rumored that there is a hidden fourth step – the Steps of Hades, located below the ground at the deepest location.)
The construction of the Three Gods Steps divided the Holy City into four major city areas.
The difference in altitude between each city area is at least fifty meters.
Once the outermost city wall is breached, only the outer peripheral civilian areas would be lost.
At the same time, a metal wall, rising a hundred meters high, would be deployed from the bottom of the Moslabi River, guaranteeing the safety of areas above the first step.
The Steps of Ares that Han Dong faced was one of the first steps!
And it was the most special one.
Because this step only allows ‘knights’ of apprentice knight rank or higher to pass through.
Leading directly to the second level of the Holy City – The National Royal
Academy of Knights..