Chapter 335 - 309: The Origin of Twist, Part 2

Chapter 335: Chapter 309: The Origin of Twist, Part 2

So, the key to the apocalypse must lie in why knowledge became dangerous—why it started causing Spiritual Contamination.

After all, how can something as conceptual as ’knowledge’ detach itself from any recorded medium, inexplicably propagate itself, run rampant, and even actively burrow into people’s minds? Nothing like this ever happened during the Era of Brilliance...

Lloyd’s train of thought had barely reached this point when his mind erupted with the sound of gongs and drums, warning him that the banquet was about to be served.

And this time, even his inspiration had joined in, hopping about with glee.

This meant the danger of this question wasn’t just limited to matters of ancient history.

’Ugh... I won’t think about it, I won’t think about it. My mistake, my mistake...’

He shook his head vigorously, then looked up at the formless Professor Hazled.

"Finished reading? What do you think?"

"It was fine. Though it raised some questions I don’t dare to dwell on..." 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

"That’s the Book of Truth protecting you. Don’t fight it."

Professor Hazled advised, before returning to the main topic.

"The origin of the Twist is not as simple as what’s on that summary page. It’s just that much of the content has been lost, leaving an already incomplete system even more fragmented."

"Um... those lost parts, will they... come looking for me on their own?"

Lloyd asked, steeling himself.

"I hope you never have to encounter something like that. I also hope Hildina can help you fend it off."

"The Saints... they really have it rough..."

"That is their choice, their responsibility, their sacrifice. That is also what makes them great."

Professor Hazled said in a very solemn tone.

Since the topic had shifted to the Saints, Lloyd decided to bring up something else.

"Oh, speaking of Saints, I once met a very cute girl. She didn’t seem to have any power, but people called her a Saint?"

He remembered the clerk at the antique shop saying that if he wanted to know about Elolo, he had to ask at Mizkatoke. He figured he might as well see if Professor Hazled knew anything.

And as it turned out, the professor didn’t disappoint him.

"Oh? You mean 0-266? I heard about that in a letter from Hildina. I didn’t think you had it in you, kid. You almost spirited her away. Luckily, Hildina stepped in before it could become a major disaster."

"She specifically mentioned that I should keep a close eye on you and make sure you don’t go chasing girls around the academy..."

Professor Hazled had been speaking seriously, but he suddenly let out a mischievous laugh and changed his tune.

"Heh heh... but I’m not going to listen to her. If you take a fancy to any of the upperclassmen, or any of the new first-years, just let me know. I can get you the information on all the girls!"

’To think a respected professor like you has this kind of ’side hustle’?’

’But then again, my ’Childhood Sweetheart’ got the Chief Judge to recommend me for admission, and she also recommended me to her own former teacher. So why won’t she get involved herself?’

’It couldn’t be because of some ’maidenly modesty and shyness,’ could it?’

As Lloyd’s thoughts were running wild, he heard the professor continue.

"But... that cute girl? You’d better forget about her. She’s not human, so she can’t have children..."

"Er... I really wasn’t thinking that far ahead. I just want to understand what’s going on with her."

Lloyd explained hastily.

And Professor Hazled, like a veritable ’search engine,’ rattled off the answer as if it were common knowledge:

"Well... you can think of her as a kind of Artificial Saint, created using cutting-edge technology from the past. She possesses some of the same abilities as Hildina and the others, and can similarly resist the corrosion of knowledge and Spiritual Contamination to a certain degree, acting like a ’filter.’"

"But whether it’s 0-266 or the derivative 0-006, they both have too many imperfections. After all, they were created when humanity was living in a precarious age, so there were inevitably numerous uncertainties."

"Even now, I believe the risks are far too great. If something were to go wrong, every Extraordinary Being under that system could fall. I dare not imagine the consequences. It would likely be far worse than the mere Destruction of the City of Joy..."

Hearing this, Lloyd thought for a moment and quickly asked:

"This 0-006 you mentioned, could it be..."

"Yes, exactly what you’re thinking. People on the outside call it the Sanctuary Saint. Though it’s weak in many respects and carries numerous risks, it’s tentatively operating normally and maintaining the City of Joy."

"And your cute little 0-266 serves as a kind of ’operational insurance’ for it. So now you see how dangerous it was for you to spirit her away, don’t you?"

"Ah... I wasn’t thinking that far ahead at the time. I just found out someone was abusing her, using her for some kind of evil experiment, so I..."

"Hmm? Wait... Someone was experimenting on 0-266?"

"Yes."

Lloyd then recounted everything he knew about Elolo’s ordeal.

"But luckily, with the help of a few friends, I rescued her. After she was sent back, it seems her life went back to normal."

"Wait a moment. Let me confirm this."

Professor Hazled seemed completely unconcerned with how Lloyd had managed the rescue. Instead, he showed clear agitation. His invisible form vanished into thin air, only to reappear nearly half an hour later.

"I’ve confirmed it. Those madmen on the outside actually did something like that... This just makes me... makes me... Sigh..."

He didn’t finish, as if the topic was too heavy to continue. He changed the subject.

"You and Hildina handled this matter very well. Otherwise, it would have truly ended in tragedy..."

"As for 0-006 and 0-266, I must implement more oversight to prevent such dangerous actions from happening again."

"You said... oversight?"

"Yes. They both originated from Mizkatoke. Though we have little contact with the outside world, that doesn’t mean we can stand aside and do nothing."

Professor Hazled explained.

But he had missed the point—

’From his tense reaction, Lloyd guessed that these two "0-series" Artificial Saints were connected to the academy.’

’What he was truly curious about was why a professor from the Twisted System would be concerned with, and have jurisdiction over, such matters.’

’Furthermore, his ’Childhood Sweetheart’ was the Veto Saint and was also highly skilled in Manifestation. So why was she the student of a professor from the Twisted System?’

’Is he really a professor of the Twisted System?’

As Lloyd was pondering these questions, he noticed the professor point toward the dead, apocalyptic world beyond the rooftop.

"Our Twisted System wasn’t always like this. But we needed a Saint of our own, so we conducted a dangerous experiment... which led to the scene you see now."

"Luckily, this is Mizkatoke, where we could handle the situation and react in a timely manner... That’s why I never approved of activating the unstable 0-006 in the outside world. Hildina felt the same."

"It was only because Astra insisted, and convinced the other three, that the City of Joy project was launched."

"Um... And he is...?"

"Hm? Hasn’t Hildina told you about him?"

Professor Hazled asked, a hint of surprise in his voice, before explaining casually:

"He’s the Redemption Saint."