The glimmer of light contained none other than the method to craft the Banner of the Human Sovereign.
This massive stream of information was effortlessly delivered to everyone by Wu Tong through the Herrscher of Sentience's authority over consciousness.
It had to be said—if she had possessed the Herrscher of Sentience's power during her college entrance exams, her life back then wouldn't have been so miserable.
Suddenly recalling the hellish grind of exam preparation, Wu Tong felt a phantom ache in her teeth.
The information within the glimmer she shared was exceptionally comprehensive.
It included unique artifact-crafting techniques, required materials, and even the precise time needed for each step of the process. With these instructions, even a child with no prior experience could successfully craft a Banner of the Human Sovereign—provided they met the conditions.
"Tch, how useless. I don't need this. If I wanted, I could do it anytime with ease. After all, I am the great Herrscher of Sentience! But... thanks anyway."
"Wow, boss is generous! Thanks, boss!"
"Fascinating. So souls can be collected this way? Esoteric knowledge truly is something else. There's still so much to learn in this world..."
"I really want a Banner of the Human Sovereign now! Hey, Mr. Yang, you're the Herrscher of Reason, right? Can't you just conjure the materials?"
"Star, even if I still had my Herrscher Core—which I've already passed to my successor—I can't create things I've never seen or understood."
"Aww... fine."
"An artifact? Not bad. It looks sinister, but those arcane runes and talismans are quite useful. Hmm? This is... a Binding Talisman? It restricts energy flow within the body, immobilizes movement, suppresses attack power... Heh heh heh... This is perfect. My dear elder sister won't be able to drag me back now."
...
Watching the chaotic scene unfold before her, Wu Tong allowed a faint smile to curl on her lips.
A Little Knowledge:
Everyone should remember one thing—what's free is often the most expensive.
And as the saying goes, debts of gratitude are the hardest to repay.
Meanwhile.
In a classroom just three floors below the rooftop.
Saeko Busujima was dispatching the last zombie in the room.
"Sensei, hang in there. We're almost there."
Her body weary and her spirit exhausted, Saeko gripped her wooden sword and shattered the skull of another lunging zombie.
Shizuka Marikawa quickly followed up, barricading both doors with desks and chairs.
Once done, Saeko slumped onto a desk, panting heavily as she addressed Shizuka.
"Ugh... I'm so tired, Saeko-chan. How much farther?"
Shizuka groaned, feeling the weight of her fatigue—and the literal weight on her chest.
"Just two more floors," Saeko replied gently, snapping out of her daze. She began massaging her sore muscles to speed up recovery.
A strange thought crossed her mind as she watched Shizuka.
The bigger they are, the harder they fall... I can't even imagine how Sensei manages daily life with those.
Does she have... troubles because of them?
Shaking off the odd musings, Saeko focused.
"Sensei, let's rest here. The soul's movement has changed—it's descending. We can wait for it here."
Relief washed over Shizuka. If they didn't have to climb those last two floors, she could finally catch her breath.
Without sheer willpower, she would've collapsed long ago. The journey had been grueling—fighting zombies while navigating stairs drained both body and mind.
After a short break, Saeko noticed the dark energy shifting direction—no longer ascending but moving horizontally.
It's here.
She stood, gripping her sword.
"Let's go, Sensei. We're close. Let's hope luck is on our side and we don't run into any monsters."
Her smile was strained. The moment of truth was near, and the stakes couldn't be higher.
Soul manipulation wasn't the work of a righteous person. Success meant salvation; failure, doom.
But they had no choice. Behind them was an endless horde; ahead, an abyss of uncertainty.
Forward offered a sliver of hope. Backward meant certain death.
"Saeko-chan... I'm sorry for holding you back. If things go wrong, leave me behind. You can survive without me."
Shizuka's words sounded like a last testament.
Saeko almost laughed.
Sensei, you overestimate me. If danger comes, even a hundred versions of me at my peak couldn't escape.
A being that controlled souls was beyond human reckoning. But she kept that to herself—Shizuka's courage was fragile enough.
"Enough gloom. Maybe we'll make it out alive. Let's go, Sensei."
She moved to the door, clearing the barricade and steeling herself for battle.
Shizuka swallowed hard but followed without hesitation.
...
Read 50 advance at patreon.com/CNBLUE
(End of Chapter)