Chapter 138

This book caught fire.

Li Zhuiyuan didn't try to put out the fire. His first reaction was to wonder if the evil book was deceiving him.

The young man immediately knew the answer: No, it wasn't.

He had only used it as an experiment, or more vividly, a form of divination. But with the arrow already on the string, no matter the outcome, he would continue on his chosen path according to his inner convictions.

So, its burning proved that destiny was on his side;

If it hadn't burned and shown no reaction, it would have just been superstition, and he would have simply proclaimed, 'Man can conquer nature,' and proceeded anyway.

Either way, it wouldn't influence his choice, so its current reaction leaned more towards reality.

It truly involved a heavenly secret.

The fire continued to burn. Li Zhuiyuan picked up the cup from his desk, but instead of pouring it on the book, he took a sip himself.

He knew how valuable this evil book was, but he felt no pity for it. If it burned away completely, then so be it.

As it burned, the flames finally began to subside.

Half of the pages were charred black, and the cover and back were heavily creased, but overall, it had survived.

It was truly resilient, a thing steeped in malevolence.

The young man thought of a new way to use the book.

He could use it to test divine will in reverse.

The contest between him and the 'questioner' wouldn't be limited to the Fourth Wave; it would likely continue indefinitely. So, whenever he had a new idea, he could use this book for further divination, to see if it burned.

He reached out and flipped through the pages. Half were burnt black, but many of the remaining pages were only smoke-stained yellow.

Even if it could never be fully restored, it could at least burn one more time.

As for restoring it?

That was impossible, utterly impossible.

With such an evil artifact, it was best to simply extract its value. One must never make a deal with it, because every moment of self-satisfaction could lead one right into the book's schemes.

When conversing with a devil, one doesn't bring a scale; one brings a whip.

After re-sealing it, he tucked it under his bed.

Li Zhuiyuan picked up a cloth, wiped his desk, and refilled his cup with hot water.

After thinking for a moment, he opened a drawer, took out an empty soda can, and placed it on his desk.

He hesitated about labeling the can with a piece of paper, but decided it wasn't suitable. Instead, he tore off two pieces of paper, folded them into a square, recessed paper box, placed it in a corner of the desk, put the can inside, and then took a fountain pen from his pen holder and placed it in the box as well.

This way, he wouldn't have to explain it, and Tan Wenbin and Lin Shuyou wouldn't mistake it for trash and throw it away.

He reached up and touched his face.

The reason he didn't want to explain was that he felt somewhat embarrassed about it.

Did he already have such emotions now?

His former self would likely have found this idea—no, this act of collecting cans—very childish and foolish.

Unfortunately, this matter was still tied to A-Li. He had long known that when he was with A-Li, his condition would improve, and his 'human skin' would grow.

He just didn't know when these emotions would extend beyond A-Li, spreading to others or radiating outwards from himself.

This didn't mean the young man wanted to separate from A-Li. Rather, only by venturing out more boldly himself could he hold the girl's hand, lead her, and move forward more effectively.

Putting his thoughts aside, Li Zhuiyuan began to draft a more detailed plan, based on Tan Wenbin's earlier implementation suggestions.

While plans often don't keep up with changes, this didn't mean planning was useless. At the very least, it would allow his companions to clearly understand the objective and provide them with a direction for their thinking. This way, even if unexpected changes occurred and the plan became obsolete, his companions would know where to exercise their initiative, preventing them from becoming disoriented.

Li Zhuiyuan continued writing until dusk. He had anticipated many possible accidents and incorporated much of his own thought.

Lin Shuyou returned from class. Opening the dorm room door, he saw Brother Xiaoyuan writing. Not daring to disturb him, he quietly sat at Tan Wenbin's desk and began to review his own studies.

However, having Brother Xiaoyuan sitting nearby was like having an invigilator standing next to you during an exam, watching your every move.

Seeing that it was almost time, Lin Shuyou simply grabbed his things and fled to the evening study room as if escaping.

That evening, Tan Wenbin returned. Li Zhuiyuan was still writing. Tan Wenbin stood by and watched for a while before sitting