Chapitre 6: 5. Special Mission
The exterior of the steam locomotive was almost indistinguishable from a large, mobile black coffin.
It had a square iron body, four iron-clad wheels, and a front-facing steam boiler that released puffs of white steam with a gurgling sound.
From a traveler's perspective, it resembled a tractor...
After departing from the Korabo Legion Fortress, the steam locomotive entered a desolate area filled with ruins.
Lacking any suspension for the carriage, it moved up and down along the rough terrain.
Noland Lee held onto the edge of a seat to steady himself.
The journey on the steam locomotive lasted much longer than Noland Lee had anticipated.
From the time he boarded until the faint glow of sunset penetrated the cloudy sky, at least four hours had passed.
Just as the setting sun was about to disappear, the steam locomotive finally came to a halt at a temporary campsite.
Such a lengthy journey had completely drained Noland Lee's energy, leaving him weak and famished.
By the time he got off the train on an empty stomach and was led by a soldier into a single-person tent, all light had vanished from the sky, replaced by slowly rolling dark clouds.
...
Inside the single-person tent, a coal lamp in the corner emitted a warm glow.
Noland Lee held a tray and shoved the pasty dinner into his mouth.
"Chief Officer." a soldier outside raised his hand to salute as a person approached.
Noland Lee looked towards the source of the sound, and saw a military officer entering the tent.
Noland Lee immediately put down his tray and stood up, saying:
"Good evening, Chief Officer."
The newcomer took off his cap, revealing short blond hair and handsome features. Although he wasn't as bulky as the Imperial Lieutenant, he stood tall and strong.
He placed the cap on the bedside table and glanced up and down at Noland Lee, seemingly scrutinizing him and also confirming his identity.
Unexpectedly to Noland Lee, the officer's tone was quite gentle, unlike the other cold soldiers.
"You are Noland Lee Jarvis, right? A history assistant teacher from Bowerthain City College."
"Yes, Chief Officer," Noland Lee forced a smile, "but that's all in the past."
The officer extended his hand to Noland Lee as if he was a real history assistant teacher instead of a Sin Soldier.
Noland Lee was somewhat taken aback, and quickly extended his right hand to shake theirs.
"Let's introduce ourselves properly. I'm Lulenna Mars, a sergeant of the Korabo Legion Tomb Cleanup Squad. My duty is to lead my team on reconnaissance missions. I am your current and future superior, and you are the new member of my team."
Corporal Mars squeezed Noland Lee's hand firmly:
"Welcome aboard, Jarvis—I won't call you Sin Soldier No. 888, I've never been good with numbers, and names are easier to remember... Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing how you perform against the undead. Don't disappoint me."
"Good evening, Captain Mars. I'm Noland Lee Jarvis, a Sin Soldier. I will follow orders and give my all."
Noland Lee spoke calmly, but sighed inwardly...
The treatment he received was worlds apart from other Sin Soldiers. His superior—Corporal Mars—was also quite approachable and showed no signs of deliberately making things difficult.
However, every word spoken by Corporal Mars weighed heavily on Noland Lee's heart.
It was well known that reconnaissance teams faced the most danger in war.
This held true even when facing human enemies.
So how much greater was the danger when facing the undead?
"Sit down, let's talk."
Corporal Mars took a seat on a chair opposite the bed and then asked:
"Jarvis, you should know that the war between the Empire and the Undead Cult has been going on for quite some time. From the fall of the Ancient Tatis Dynasty to the rise of the New Empire, the shadow of the Undead Cult has lingered over the Empire, causing fear and unrest. How much do you know about such an enemy?"
Several memory fragments flashed through Noland Lee's mind, all taken from the headlines of Bowerthain City newspapers.
According to news reports, many people were executed by local law enforcement after reading the corrupt documents spread by the Undead Cult within the Empire.
Some went mad after reading the documents, falling into a frenzy of self-mutilation or attacking others, and were killed on the spot by security officers.
Others underwent a drastic change in temperament, becoming gloomy and secretive, much like the weather in the Suffering Borderland. They would secretly plot dangerous events, endangering the lives of many.
These people were deeply hidden in society, but eventually, they were rooted out by the Empire's Division Intelligence Unit Two special agents.
What's more, the followers of the Undead Cult scriptures have caused great damage to the Empire through group crimes.
They secretly formed an illegal organization known as the "Death Herald Guild" and have been the primary enemy of Division Intelligence Unit Two.
The various social events jointly sent a warning to Noland Lee:
Never associate oneself with the forbidden writings of the Undead Cult, or severe torture will certainly befall.
Noland Lee's gaze trembled slightly, responding without hesitation:
"My knowledge of the Undead Cult is limited to the education I received at Bowerthain City College, Chief Officer.
"Apart from that, whether it's teaching in the academy or joining local adventure teams to appraise ancient relics, I have never come into contact with any taboo books."
"Relax, Jarvis, I believe you have not read the Undead Cult's teachings on your own accord."
Corporal Mars smiled:
"Otherwise, the person coming to see you would not be an officer like me from Intelligence Department 4, but a special agent from Division Intelligence Unit Two."
Corporal Mars reached into his inner coat pocket, retrieving an envelope from it and held in his hand:
"You must be wondering why you receive treatment that is significantly different from other Sin Soldiers. I will give you the answer, Jarvis.
"On one hand, it is because every person with knowledge is a precious talent to the Empire and should not be treated as a cheap consumable. On the other hand, it's because of this letter in my hand."
Corporal Mars handed the letter to Noland Lee, signaling the latter to open and read it.
After tearing open the beeswax seal and unfolding the letter paper, Noland Lee caught a glimpse of the contents. His pupils contracted sharply as he immediately closed the letter:
"Chief Officer...this letter..."
Corporal Mars said:
"Listen, Jarvis.
"I am now officially granting you the authority to read the teachings of the Undead Cult. You don't have to worry about being interrogated by Division Intelligence Unit Two. I am not a spy from the Death Herald Guild either.
"As an officer of Intelligence Department 4, I now order you to open this letter, read its contents carefully, and remember all the words on the document."
Noland Lee instinctively swallowed his saliva...
Staring into Noland Lee's eyes, Corporal Mars emphasized with a solemn tone:
"Intelligence Department 4 is the Empire's military department responsible for resisting the Undead Cult externally. Recently, Intelligence Department 4 has discovered a possible method to gain the upper hand in this war against the Undead Cult.
"However, whether this method is feasible or not still requires verification.
"A meticulous experimental plan was devised by Intelligence Department 4 for this purpose.
"And you, Noland Lee Jarvis, because of your scholarship, were chosen by Intelligence Department 4. This is a special mission.
"Before the success of this experimental plan, everything related to it, including all personnel and materials, is the highest level secret of the Empire's military intelligence department."
Mars paused, his voice dropping:
"Accept your special mission, Jarvis. It will bring you unparalleled honor and prospects."
Such a special mission should be very tempting for a native of the Tatis Empire, right?
After all, no man can resist the "call of duty."
But Noland Lee is not a local, he is a despicable foreigner, no, a newcomer in a strange land...
His heart doesn't resonate much with what Corporal Mars told him.
Still, it can't be helped, especially since he's a Sin Soldier.
"Yes, Chief Officer, I have no choice."
Corporal Mars pointed to the letter:
"Memorize it, I'll stand guard here. I must remind you, even the punctuation marks must be remembered, and there should not be any mistakes. Otherwise..."
Corporal Mars sighed softly, his voice wavering slightly:
"Otherwise, you'll be torn into pieces by the evil magic of the Undead Cult, and even if the medical team from Division Intelligence Unit Three is right beside you, they won't be able to save you."
Noland Lee pressed his lips together and looked down at the letter.
Now he knows why the Imperial Army needs Sin Soldiers skilled in archaeology.
Only cheap life like archaeology Sin Soldiers can undertake such a special mission with potential life-threatening risks involved.
Chapitre 7: 6. Forbidden Readings
There are two languages on the letter.
One is the Undead Runes, which is the common language within the Undead Cult.
In the rumors of the Tatis Empire, Undead Runes were also considered as the language for channeling death energy and casting death-related spells.
The Undead Runes on the letter are just forgeries from Intelligence Department 4, not the original text with magical effects.
When Noland Lee released the Deconstruction Technique on the Undead Runes from the document, the System treated them as ordinary characters without any special explanation.
The second language on the letter is the ancient language of Tatis.
The content written in Undead Runes is the original text of the Undead Cult doctrine.
The content written in the ancient Tatis language is the translation.
Setting aside the mission carried by the letter, the letter's text quality is quite high.
It was clear that the person who wrote this letter has deep knowledge in Undead Runes and the ancient Tatis language.
The only pity is that the letter was typed with a typewriter instead of handwritten, so Noland didn't know whether the sender is male or female.
In front of Sergeant Mars, Noland Lee read through the bilingual document several times, with only one thought in his mind:
The content of the document is filled with filthy information that lures the living to despise life, hate life, and exalt death.
No wonder the doctrines of the Undead Cult were regarded as forbidden texts in the Empire, as they indeed caused severe mental pollution.
Such texts, not to mention the common people of the original world, even Noland, a foreigner, found it utterly disgusting.
The title of this document is The Grudge Teachings.
With the theme of "how mankind can be free from hatred", it forms an evil paper persuading the living to join the ranks of the Lost Souls.
Noland have played many games, watched many movies and read many novels before his transmigration.
Fantasy, magic, mystery, science fiction, and so on, he has seen all sorts of themes and genres.
This translated document called The Grudge Teachings, although not serious and filled with vulgar language, for Noland as a transmigrator, its impact is just similar to a cheesy Necromancer-themed web novel, not a classic literary work.
However, this is for the experienced transmigrator.
If this document were to be disseminated and widely circulated among the common people of the Tatis Empire, it might indeed cause some extremely pessimistic incidents.
After all, the average "Spirit" attribute of the Empire's common people is only 5 points, and their ability to resist the contamination of mysteries is extremely limited.
Don't expect them to read any good mental literature.
Their mental world is not as colorful as Noland's.
Even a slightly misleading and internally logical document may drive the Empire's people's thoughts off track.
No wonder the Empire has always made it a top priority to eliminate the filth of the Undead Cult.
Noland shook his head, discarding his stray thoughts, and focused on reciting the translation.
Wait, shouldn't I have to recite the content myself?
Noland muttered to himself, aiming at the document and casting the Deconstruction Technique.
The system informed him that it would only take 1 point of Energy to deconstruct the document with a 100% success rate.
Currently, Noland had 4 Energy Points, which was still sufficient.
He directly used 1 point of Energy to deconstruct the translated document.
After a brief moment of daze, the System sent him feedback as promised:
[System Message: Deconstruction Success.]
[The degree of deconstruction of the original text and translation of The Grudge Teachings has reached 100%.]
[You have obtained the following Deconstruction Results:]
[1. The System has recorded the document in your mind. You can access and retrieve it at any time.]
[As a result, you have acquired a new Scholarly Skill: Undead Rune Studies, currently at Level 1.]
[2. Based on the knowledge of Tatis history and archaeology you have mastered, you have deconstructed three translation errors in this document, and the System has marked the error points for you.]
Noland looked at the System Message, raising his eyebrows...
The gains from deconstructing the document were greater than he had anticipated.
First, after a 100% deconstruction, the document will be recorded in his mind.
Both the original text written in Undead Runes and the translations written in the ancient Tatis language are the same.
This actual effect of the deconstruction result is much better than Noland memorizing the entire document himself.
Every letter, every punctuation mark, and every twisted Undead Rune on the document are deeply engraved in his mind, as if it would never fade with time.
Noland only needs to think, and the document will appear before his eyes, completely saving the effort of memorizing the document himself.
Additionally, the system marked the translation errors in the document, saving him the effort of proofreading it himself.
At this moment, Noland Lee couldn't help but feel grateful for one thing:
If it weren't for the Deconstruction Core System at hand, this ordeal of memorizing and correcting errors would probably have taken him until late at night and been quite torturous.
Noland Lee stared at the errors for two seconds, then raised his head to look at Corporal Mars:
"Chief Officer, I would like to report something."
Corporal Mars was holding a small marching iron kettle in his hands, leisurely drinking water.
As soon as he heard Noland's words, he immediately tightened the kettle lid and became serious:
"What's the matter? Jarvis."
"I have discovered three errors in the translated text. Of course, this could be due to my lack of knowledge and causing misunderstandings. If possible, I would like you to help me pass a message to the writer of the document, asking him to verify the original text and translation on the letter."
"Translation errors? ...It shouldn't be..." Corporal Mars seemed to know the writer of the document, his tone was somewhat indecisive:
"Mark the wrong places with a pencil. I'll ask him right now."
"Yes, Chief Officer."
Noland took a pencil from the bedside table and quickly drew three circles on the letter.
Corporal Mars told Noland not to move, then left with the folded letter.
About three minutes later, Corporal Mars returned from outside.
He walked into the tent and immediately cast an admiring and somewhat impressed gaze at Noland Lee:
"You truly deserve to be a top talent from Bowerthain City. No wonder you could become an Assistant Lecturer at the Academy at such a young age. The three places you pointed out do indeed have translation errors. I've brought the writer's response for you."
Corporal Mars handed the letter to Noland Lee:
"Here, take a look. She wrote some words for you."
"She?" Noland raised his eyebrows slightly, not expecting that a researcher in Undead Rune Studies would be a woman.
Corporal Mars didn't elaborate further, waved his hand to change the topic, clearly due to military orders and confidentiality requirements, he couldn't say more.
Noland opened the letter paper.
Next to the three errors he had marked, there were now three large paragraphs of handwritten text.
The general idea was to express an apology for the negligence in her work and to affirm Sin Soldier No. 888's erudition.
The three paragraphs were written with elegant and graceful handwriting, with no traces of correction, clearly written by a competent woman.
Noland pondered for half a second, feeling somewhat curious.
If he were to use the Deconstruction Technique on the handwritten text, what result would he get?
Would he directly receive the writer's personal information?
Wouldn't that make the Deconstruction Technique too powerful, a great weapon for tracking and killing enemies, and investigating mysteries?
No time to lose.
"Initiate the Deconstruction Technique. Deconstruct these three paragraphs of handwriting."
[System Message: You are about to initiate the Deconstruction Technique on the "handwritten text." It is predicted to consume 2 Energy Points and raise the degree of deconstruction to 100%. You currently have 3 Energy Points. Do you confirm to proceed with deconstruction?]
"It's just 2 Energy Points after all, I can afford it. Let me see who wrote this letter... Confirm to proceed with deconstruction."
After a brief moment of disorientation, Noland obtained the deconstruction results.
[System Message: Deconstruction successful.]
[Degree of deconstruction raised to 100%.]
[You have obtained the following information:]
[1. The writer is estimated to be 19 years old, a female, right-handed, height between 1.70-1.77 meters, of a normal build, slightly plump.]
[2. The system predicts that 100% deconstruction of the writer requires 3,000 Energy Points.]
Noland nodded to himself.
He figured that he had met a lieutenant or captain hiding behind the scenes, and a young woman with extraordinary abilities, who could stand firm in the Army full of men.
With the age of 19, she had achieved such accomplishments, it was estimated that the background of this unnamed woman was extraordinary.
But then again...
Is your Deconstruction Core System serious?
How did you know through deconstructing her handwriting that she had a tall and slightly voluptuous figure?
Hmm? Speak up, System.
Cadeaux
-- Cadeau
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