Chapter 162: Chapter 162

Wasting no time, Jenkins did as he had before, first seeking out several books on mysticism that were nearly impossible to find in the outside world. Papa Oliver had once given him a long list of titles he couldn't provide himself, books Jenkins would have to read in the library personally.

Papa Oliver's own collection was extensive, but it paled in comparison to the Church's.

Fortunately, he now possessed the Book of Memories, which could imprint any knowledge devoid of mystical power onto its pages with a single glance. He wouldn't be telling anyone about this, however; an ability like that bordered on stealing knowledge from the library.

Though the contract he had signed upon joining did ensure that Jenkins Williams could not leak the Church's secrets to outsiders.

The library's second floor lacked the convenient compiled catalog of the first. Here, all the books were grouped by category, and the Church's classification system was so complex that mastering it would take a great deal of time. It could practically be considered a new field of study in itself.

The long, stone-paved corridor seemed to stretch on without end, making it impossible to even guess how many books were housed here.

He hadn't found what he was looking for in the first-floor catalog, so his hopes now rested on this level.

There weren't many books on linguistics; countless obscure languages had been lost to history. Only a few hundred deemed valuable enough had been collected by the Church, but he couldn't find a single mention of the "Rochian Tongue." It was a language that inherently contained power, which probably meant he would have to search the next floor of the library to find anything about it.

Jenkins was confident that his spiritual strength and mental resistance surpassed most Enchanters of his level, but he couldn't exactly declare that to the Keeper of Secrets guarding the Gate of All Things.

"Sin Coins. There are seventeen types in total, numbered from A-01-0-5001 to A-01-0-5017. Their physical properties, such as size and weight, are identical; only the patterns on their faces and their materials differ. They are currently extremely rare, with most discovered in ruins from previous epochs. By holding a Sin Coin, infusing it with one's spirit, blowing gently across its surface, and then holding it to the ear, one can obtain certain terrible knowledge."

And that was it. The entry didn't even mention the names or specific appearances of the seventeen types of coins.

What was even stranger was that this was the first time Jenkins had ever seen an item with a danger level of "0." What did that signify?

He didn't dare ask anyone about it. There couldn't be many items with a danger level of "0," and a casual inquiry might immediately expose his purpose for being here.

Glancing around with his peripheral vision, Jenkins abandoned the thought of taking out the Sin Coin to test it here. It was better to be cautious.

Chocolate scampered past.

"The Heart of the Ocean is tainted? That's imposs—"

Returning the book to its proper place, Jenkins walked out of the bronze doorway, lost in thought. He looked up to see Papa Oliver speaking with Mr. Smith.

"Should I make myself scarce?"

He shrugged, a gesture to show he hadn't meant to eavesdrop on their conversation.

Papa Oliver shook his head and tossed Jenkins the cane he had left leaning against the wall, then turned back to Mr. Smith.

"It's probably true, but once one Heart of the Ocean is destroyed, another will quickly regenerate. The one Femishue holds is already showing signs of becoming a Cursed Item. God only knows what kind of Mysterious Realm he's been through, or what he might have fused with it. There's some information I can only access from behind the Gate. The application for special clearance should be approved next week." Fresh chapters posted on NoveI-Fire.ɴet

"That's terrible. Even the other Pirate Kings despise a madman like Femishue. It just goes to show, an Enchanter must always maintain a humble attitude. The acquisition of power must..."

He didn't finish the sentence. Instead, he simply nodded at Jenkins and stepped forward to close the Gate of All Things. Jenkins wisely pretended he hadn't heard a word of their conversation.

He followed Papa Oliver outside, where a carriage was waiting by the church's rear entrance. When they climbed aboard, Professor Burns was already inside waiting for them. At some point, Chocolate had also managed to slip in.

The professor looked somewhat weary.

"Is everything settled?"

The carriage ambled forward, and Jenkins waited until they were two blocks away from the church before asking in a low voice.

"The Arrogant Shield has been turned in. We can't keep something like that."

Papa Oliver shook his head, gazing out the window at the pedestrians hurrying by. A little boy with a cigarette box hanging from his neck limped toward them. Jenkins shook his head at the boy but tossed him a copper coin.

"That thing really isn't something we can hold onto. I was talking about the two stone tablets in the underground chamber..."

"They've been left there for now."

The professor sighed and adjusted his spectacles. "Although the Church doesn't confiscate items Scribes find on their own expeditions, anything from before this epoch is always taboo. Oliver helped appraise them. The script on the tablets is from a lost language, but it's not impossible to translate. It seems they don't contain what we were hoping for, but they still have research value. Once things quiet down, I'll go back and retrieve them."

So, the professor wasn't lamenting having his find confiscated, but rather that the inscriptions weren't as valuable as he had hoped.

"But at the very least, this expedition confirmed your research isn't misguided. The ancient records truly do contain the locations of real underground ruins... Perhaps in the future, we could..."

"Don't say another word."

Papa Oliver cut Jenkins off, his expression severe. "Do you think ancient ruins are treasure rooms? Any structure that can survive the end of an epoch is guaranteed to be dangerous. You were very lucky this time, encountering nothing strange besides that plant. But luck doesn't last forever—even the followers of the Hermits of Destiny know that. If the professor is fortunate enough to find another site , he must report it to the Church. This isn't something one person can handle, not unless you're level eight or higher. Of course, it's not unheard of. The Church will return a certain percentage of the expedition's profits to the discoverer. You won't be short-changed!"

Jenkins and Professor Burns both rubbed their noses and exchanged a glance.

"Those two solid gold chests will have to stay there for a while longer. Once we retrieve them, we'll divide your share. Mr. Oliver said their purity isn't very high, so he can help us sell them."

The professor only remembered this when the topic of profits came up.

It was only then that Jenkins realized he had a stake in this as well. He had been so preoccupied with the tablets and the ruins that it had completely slipped his mind.