34: Tragic D-Class Investigator

“Number 9527, crime committed: theft.”

“According to the Mysterious Foundation's law, anyone who steals more than one silver coin shall be sent to the Foundation for re-education through labor, effective immediately.”

Mysterious Foundation?

It should be some kind of large organization in this world. Moreover, they can even formulate laws…

That must be a transcendent existence, similar to a state apparatus.

Meng Yun silently awaited his judgment, expressionless.

It was clear that being sent to the Foundation for re-education through labor was not a good thing.

Nothing else, Meng Yun had already detected all of this from the soldiers' schadenfreude-filled micro-expressions and the terror on the faces of the other prisoners.

Unfortunately, facing the strict guards, Meng Yun seemed to have no choice but to accept his fate.

The Warden wore a dark blue hat, his eyes obscured by shadow, making his emotions unreadable.

He continued slowly, “According to the Arcane Association agreement, prisoners with Arcane talent can be sent to the Arcane Association for transformation. 9527, do you wish to undergo an Arcane test?”

Meng Yun observed the expressions of the people around him again and found that everyone, more or less, showed anticipation, as if the Arcane Association had a much better reputation than the Foundation.

“I accept,” Meng Yun said.

“Very well, please release any attack-type Arcane towards the bullseye on your right. Soldier, uncuff him.”

“No need, I've already opened them.” Meng Yun calmly removed his hands from the handcuffs and stretched his wrists.

“This is…” The Warden's voice finally showed a hint of fluctuation: “Alchemy?”

Alchemy?

Neither the soldiers nor the prisoners could help but stare at Meng Yun in astonishment.

Arcane is divided into nine levels, from low to high, one to nine.

Those who can use Level One and Level Two Arcane are called Arcane Apprentices, while those who use Level Three and Level Four Arcane are called Arcanists.

Higher up, there are Arcane Masters, Arcane Envoys, and the legendary God Art Masters.

Alchemy is a genuine Level Three Arcane, which means that Meng Yun currently possesses the strength of an Arcanist!

In the field, gasps of cold air could not help but be heard.

Among thieves who could not even afford to eat, for an Arcanist to appear, and a true Alchemist who was quite skilled at making money, was truly terrifying!

Some prisoners began to look at Meng Yun with eager eyes.

If they could gain this adult's favor, perhaps they too could escape the fate of going to the Foundation to die and usher in a new life!

After a small display of his abilities, Meng Yun also looked at the Warden.

He wondered if this skill was enough?

The Warden pondered for a moment: “The rules state that any attack Arcane must hit the bullseye.

Begin.”

Clearly, the Warden was not moved by Meng Yun's Alchemy and still rigidly followed the rules.

Whether there were loopholes or biases in the rules was not considered at all.

Meng Yun racked his brain, but in his innate memories, besides Alchemy, there were no other techniques.

This meant that Meng Yun could not cast an attack Arcane to hit the bullseye at all.

Of course, if he were given enough time, under the effect of the Arcane Star's entry, he might be able to create an attack Arcane from scratch.

Unfortunately, he had no time.

The air seemed to stand still for a moment.

Finally, the Warden spoke: “I regret to inform you. 9527, you still need to go to the Foundation for re-education through labor.”

The conclusion was delivered, and to the other prisoners, it was no different from a death sentence.

【You silently listened to the verdict and could only resign yourself to fate. You believed this was a method of the Foundation to transport prisoners to the Foundation as much as possible to complete the tasks they needed.】

【You underwent a humiliating physical examination.】

【You were loaded onto a strangely shaped armored vehicle, along with all the other prisoners, and sent to the Foundation. You tried to escape using Alchemy, but you found that you could not cast Arcane techniques inside the vehicle.】

Finally, after a long journey, Meng Yun arrived at a black fortress.

Passing through the pitch-black entrance like a giant beast, Meng Yun was let out of the vehicle.

“9527! Age 16, no special skills, final classification as D-level Personnel!”

Following the designated areas, Meng Yun stood on the side belonging to D-level Personnel, which was also the most numerous side.

Only a scattered two people were classified as C-level Personnel, and as for the higher B, A, and other levels, there were none.

It was obvious that as the lowest D-level Personnel, they would undoubtedly be engaged in the most arduous, exhausting, and even the most dangerous work.

Throughout the process, no one whispered.

There was only resignation to the impending fate.

Perhaps the pitch-black muzzles and machine guns, visible everywhere inside the fortress, had completely deterred them.

Just as Meng Yun and his group were about to finish being assigned, the last truck arrived late.

Its appearance was also different from the pitch-black vehicle that escorted Meng Yun; it was entirely mithril-colored, with mysterious runes flashing on it, which should be some kind of Arcane.

Meng Yun only took one glance, and he imprinted it in his mind.

Under the analysis of the Arcane Star, he easily deciphered its mysteries and used it as a blueprint to spontaneously derive dozens of new Arcane in his mind.

All of them were Arcane related to sealing, shielding, and defense.

This kind of ultra-high-efficiency analysis took only a few short breaths of time.

Aside from making Meng Yun feel a little drowsy, everything else was normal.

Meng Yun clearly knew that this was the support brought to him by the Indomitable Will entry.

The cabin opened, and a slender figure slowly emerged from it.

Her hands were cuffed, and her neck and ankles were also fitted with silver rings.

Meng Yun's gaze narrowed slightly.

This figure was precisely the girl Meng Yun had glimpsed in the prison.

The silver-haired, long-eared, golden-eyed girl.

An angelic face, yet with an aura like that of a demon.

A Foundation personnel in a black uniform loudly reprimanded Meng Yun and the others: “Don't look! Be careful not to lose your sanity!”

Everyone was horrified.

The consequence of losing one's sanity was degradation.

Even the most steadfast Arcanists, once degraded, became pawns of darkness.

These useless people, who were as good as dead, would instantly become beasts once their sanity hit zero.

The Foundation would mercilessly shoot them dead.

Meng Yun was indifferent; he felt completely normal, his Indomitable Will truly unyielding even unto death.

As if sensing his gaze, the girl, who was slowly moving forward, suddenly turned her head.

Her golden pupils met Meng Yun's dark eyes, and they exchanged no words.

But Meng Yun clearly saw that deep within her eyes, there was hidden an unparalleled anger and sorrow.

Of course, this emotion was not directed at Meng Yun.

It was indiscriminately directed at everyone, everything, at this Foundation, at this world.

Meng Yun felt that if she were given a chance, given equivalent strength, she would surely bury the entire world.

What exactly happened to her?

Why did she exude such a unique aura everywhere?

Their gazes met and parted instantly, and Meng Yun did not believe that this ordinary glance would make the other party remember him.

The girl was thus escorted away, and Meng Yun and the others were herded like ducks into a collective dormitory.

This would be their place of survival for a period of time in the future.

Meng Yun looked at the dirty bed and pursed his lips, quite speechless.

He followed the numbers and slowly looked for his bed.

Finally, he saw the number 9527.

However, on his brand-new bedding, a fierce-looking man was sitting.

He sat cross-legged on the bed, saw the number on Meng Yun's chest, then looked at the bed he was sitting on, and said with a fake smile, “Kid, I've taken this spot.”

Several gazes, seemingly present, then sparingly withdrew in an instant.

As if such matters were commonplace.

Old timers bullying newcomers, strong men bullying weaklings; in the D-level dormitory where one's life was precarious and one never knew whether tomorrow or an accident would come first, everyone had always lived like this.

And probably would continue to live like this in the future.

Unless something unexpected happened.

“Click.”

Meng Yun gently placed his hand on the iron frame of the bed, and Alchemy quietly activated.

Countless metals instantly turned into liquid and flowed, forming a metal cage in a blink of an eye, firmly imprisoning the strong man within.

“Want to live here?”

“Then you'll live here forever.”

Amidst Meng Yun's utterly indifferent voice, the strong man let out a wailing scream.

Nothing else, an iron rod was slowly piercing through his flesh, firmly penetrating into his thigh.