Chapter 98: The Remembered

Nicholas pushed open his door. The sky was overcast with dark clouds.

Because his physical constitution was greatly enhanced, Nicholas could basically see clearly even on a moonless night. The young man he had seen that night in the moonlight was surrounded by a group of Pythagorean followers. Despite his fear and cowardice, the young man persisted in saying: “This c is a new number, a new number that is neither an integer nor a fraction!”

“Stop wasting breath on him! Tie him up and throw him into the lake!” the leader said.

A few enraged Pythagorean followers pinned Hippasus down, tied him tightly with rope, and hoisted him toward the lake shore.

Hippasus foresaw his imminent end. In that moment, he shed all his cowardice and roared:

“You are afraid! Afraid of progress! Afraid of change! You bunch of false Pythagoreans! You haven’t taken Pythagoras’s principle of ‘Truth First’ to heart!”

“You murderers, you kidnappers! You can kill me, but you cannot kill mathematics, and you certainly cannot kill those who pursue true knowledge.

Even if I die, others will realize that numbers are not only integers and fractions. This world is not composed only of integers and fractions!”

Nicholas watched the roaring Hippasus. A chord was struck in his heart. He quietly followed the group.

“Use a sock! Stuff his stinking mouth!” the leader ordered.

To Hippasus’s horrified expression, the man with the dirtiest feet in the crowd brutally stuffed a wool sock soaked with sweat into Hippasus’s mouth.

“Mmph… Mmmph…”

Hippasus struggled fiercely, even more violently than when they first tied him up!

“Heh heh. I’ve been wearing this sock for almost two months. He will have plenty to enjoy before he dies.” the man said.

Hearing that, Hippasus struggled even more frantically.

Nicholas watched the crowd bind large stones to Hippasus’s legs. Then, along with the stones, Hippasus was shoved into the lake. The gurgling sounds diminished, and Hippasus’s struggling gradually ceased.

“Let’s go. This heretic is dead for sure!”

“He dared to question a world composed of integers and fractions! The audacity!”

The enraged Pythagorean followers spat into the lake a few times, then left with a malicious air.

Hippasus felt the surroundings grow darker and darker. He tried hard to struggle, but the heavy stones held him firmly to the lake bottom.

“Is everything over? I really wanted to see what the world of the new number was like. Also, this sock stinks so badly. I want to throw up…”

Hippasus’s consciousness grew increasingly hazy. In his daze, he saw a pair of hands that inexplicably and easily cut the ropes binding the heavy stones. The hands grabbed him and swam upward.

Nicholas used the Wind Edge to cut the ropes. He pulled Hippasus ashore. He looked at Hippasus before him and smiled.

“Gagging…”

Hippasus retched up bile, splashing red and yellow onto Nicholas.

Nicholas’s smile immediately froze. He looked at his soiled clothing with disgust, then stripped it off, revealing his muscular body. He punched Hippasus, knocking him unconscious.

Late at night, on the outskirts of Milne City-State.

Hippasus suddenly woke up. He felt his body. He was still alive! He looked around and found he was lying on a thick pile of dry grass, next to a roaring bonfire.

A man was sitting by the bonfire, dressed in standard wilderness Monster Hunter attire, roasting a long animal leg.

“You’re awake. Drink some water. I’ll cut you a piece of meat!”

Hippasus took the leather water-skin the man handed him and gulped down several mouthfuls. He took the meat and took a fierce bite.

He had been thirsty and starved all night.

“Who are you? Did you save me?” Hippasus asked, chewing the meat.

“Look at me. Who do you think I am?” Nicholas quickly moved closer to Hippasus in the firelight.

“Ah! You are the strong man from the academy that day…” Hippasus was startled, and the meat in his hand dropped to the ground.

“What kind of name is that? Let’s introduce ourselves. My name is Nicholas. I am a new Shaman!” Nicholas extended his hand.

“Oh, oh! I’m Hippasus, a mathematics enthusiast. What is a new Shaman?” Hippasus asked, somewhat flustered and curious.

“A new Shaman, you ask? It’s like this!”

Mysterious patterns began to form as Nicholas mentally moved his hands.

Accompanied by the rhythm of Mana, electrical sparks slowly appeared at Nicholas’s fingertips. Then, he thrust his hand forward. An electrical arc flashed, striking and breaking a nearby withered log.

Hippasus stared blankly at the scorched log, then turned and asked, “Are you a Noble?”

“No, I am a new Shaman! A mortal body wielding the power of gods and Heroes. Legend says that Medira, the Goddess of Hope, once stole the primal fire, which led to civilization. I am the torch-bearer of the mysterious world!” Nicholas stood with his hands behind his back, raising them high against the crackling bonfire.

Hippasus stared blankly at Nicholas’s back and murmured, “The mysterious world! Can I possess power like yours?”

Nicholas sharply turned and extended his hand to Hippasus. “Of course! This is our destiny. I need your wisdom. Please lend me your wisdom, and let us explore the mysterious world together!”

The scene changed rapidly. Nicholas and Hippasus researched the mysterious patterns together, quietly sought out like-minded people, and gradually gathered a group of scholars around them.

They secretly called themselves the Torch-Bearer Alliance internally and the Nicholas School externally. The scholars rejected Nicholas’s title of “New Shaman,” unanimously changing it to Scholar. The highest level of the Alliance was called the Arch-Scholar, also referred to as the Arch-Scholar Council.

“Respected Chief Arch-Scholar, His Excellency Nicholas.” A group of scholars bowed as Nicholas entered the secret meeting place.

Boom!

The secret meeting place suddenly shook violently. A group of strangers wearing black clothes, iron masks, and wielding scythes burst in!

“You degenerates who blaspheme the gods! Your evil deeds are known! Accept the judgment of the Punishers!”

The strangers raised their scythes and brutally murdered the scholars. In an instant, corpses were strewn everywhere.

The scholars who managed to react pulled out the Monster hides and man-made Wonders they carried and fought back against the invaders.

It was useless! The fragile scholars were powerless to resist. The invaders were Heroes with strength far surpassing theirs—a group of Nobles with Pseudo-Hero power.

Nicholas reacted quickly, activated the mechanism of the secret meeting place, and led the remaining members of the Arch-Scholar Council in an escape through a secret passage.

“Are we abandoning the other scholars?” Hippasus asked.

“We must abandon them! The enemies’ sudden invasion of the secret meeting place means there must have been an internal leak! We can hardly trust anyone except the Arch-Scholars.” Nicholas replied.

As Ace flipped through the diary, time flew by until the final page.

“1st May, 46th Year of City Founding, Sunny

Today is the Day of Mourning. It is the fifth year.

The Alliance is gradually recovering its vitality. We have secretly developed a new batch of members. One day, we will make the so-called ‘Punishers’ pay their blood debt.

This secluded canyon in the Larr Mountains has an excellent location. Moreover, I recently discovered a great secret!

An underpass in the stone wall on the left side of the canyon leads directly to a ruin thousands of meters underground—it seems to be an abandoned city from the previous civilization. I am going to check it out for any great treasures.

When I retrieve the treasure, I will surely surprise Hippasus. He has been researching that circle-cutting method lately. When I return from the ruin, I hope he will have made some progress. After all, the accuracy of pi is crucial for drawing higher-level patterns.”