Chapter 314: The White Man Edward
At the beginning of October, Zhou Ming had already spent more than a month inside the Blue Star Academy Library.
During this period of over a month, relying on the powerful spiritual power and physique gained from advancing to the Transcendent level, he neither ate, drank, nor slept, absorbing knowledge of different Beast Taming systems like a sponge.
After a month, Zhou Ming had finished browsing all advanced knowledge related to the Transcendent level. Only then did he endure his extreme mental exhaustion and leave the Blue Star Academy.
Upon learning that Zhou Ming had departed, Yan Zongqing could not help but sigh with emotion as he commented:
“Zhou Ming was able to advance to a Transcendent Master in his early thirties—such an achievement was definitely not obtained by mere luck.”
Thinking about the students of his own academy, Yan Zongqing suddenly felt that they were still not working hard enough, and immediately decided to increase the intensity of training and assessments.
For a time, many students of the Blue Star Academy experienced firsthand what it meant to be hit by misfortune while doing nothing.
Meanwhile, after returning to the villa, Zhou Ming collapsed and fell straight into sleep. However, before falling asleep, he still released his snake swarm to guard the surroundings.
Lei Yuan still did not know that her cozy little home would eventually turn into something akin to a snake nest.
Three days later, after sleeping continuously for three days and three nights, Zhou Ming finally woke up from his deep slumber.
Feeling a sticky sensation on his body, he quickly washed up, allowing his mind to become much clearer.
“The plan to come to the Alliance Headquarters to meet Lei Yuan has been completed. There’s also no need to worry about the Yang Family making any moves for now. It’s about time to return to the camp and prepare for the auction in the Gloom Domain at the end of the year.”
Wearing a bathrobe, Zhou Ming lazily lay on the sofa, contemplating his next arrangements.
Moreover, during his time in the Blue Star Academy Library, he had gained tremendously, systematically making up for his previous lack of knowledge regarding the Beast Taming system.
He had also gained new insights into the refinement of secret techniques and spells.
However, to fully digest all the knowledge stored in his mind, he would still need time to slowly study it after returning to the camp.
Thoughts flickered continuously through his mind. Zhou Ming did not prepare to leave immediately. Instead, after changing his clothes, he planned to make a trip to the Special Operations Bureau.
He had not forgotten that the Special Operations Bureau still owed him a Vampire research specimen.
Being able to obtain a Pure-blood Vampire without risking a trip to the Alliance Western Front—such a good opportunity was not something one encountered easily.
After changing clothes, Zhou Ming directly activated his talent field and flew in a straight line toward Inner City District One, where the Special Operations Bureau was located—an area housing many governmental departments of the Dawn Base.
Now that he had registered at the Alliance Headquarters, as long as it was not within the Core Area, he could freely fly within other regions of the base.
“This lord, how may I assist you?”
When Zhou Ming descended from the sky and landed in front of the relatively secluded entrance of the Special Operations Bureau, the guard on duty immediately stepped forward to salute and receive him.
“Haha, for Lord Zhou Ming to visit my Special Operations Bureau, it seems you haven’t forgotten the Vampire we kept for you.”
Before Zhou Ming could respond, a figure dropped like a cannonball in front of the bureau’s entrance.
“Director!”
Seeing the suddenly appearing figure, the guard instantly straightened and saluted.
“Director Edward, after helping your Special Operations Bureau once, you wouldn’t be so stingy as to refuse giving up a Pure-blood Vampire, would you?”
Looking at the burly white man before him, Zhou Ming teased the man—Edward—who was also a Transcendent powerhouse and the director of the Special Operations Bureau.
Before the Doomsday Era, when dimensional rifts had yet to appear, Blue Star resembled a parallel version of Earth.
When facing the invasion of foreign races and drastic changes in geography, due to political systems and the weakness of smaller nations, most countries were destroyed and wiped out during that era.
Even the great nations of the East, with highly centralized power, could only preserve a spark of survival, barely enduring that extremely dark Doomsday Era.
After hundreds of years following the establishment of the Alliance, with national systems gone, races had begun to merge. Pure-blood white individuals like Edward had become extremely rare.
And among them, those who could advance to the Transcendent level and hold high-ranking positions within the Alliance were even fewer.
Edward, the director of the Special Operations Bureau, was one of those rare individuals.
Facing Zhou Ming’s teasing, Edward did not mind. He simply dismissed the nearby guard before continuing:
“Lord Zhou Ming, you wound me. Previously, in order not to disturb the sweet time between you and your girlfriend, I specially kept a Vampire for you to collect.”
Hearing this familiar yet somewhat strange manner of speaking, Zhou Ming did not expect that Edward still retained the old style of speech once used by white Westerners.
Unfortunately, if it were not for the inefficient political systems of the West in the past, perhaps there might have been a second Alliance on Blue Star.
After briefly sighing inwardly, Zhou Ming did not dwell further on the matter.
After all, given the current situation of Blue Star, past races, nations, and cultures had all become fleeting memories.
“Director Edward, you’re not planning to have this conversation with me at the entrance of the Special Operations Bureau, are you?”
“Oh, my mistake. Letting a dear friend stand at the entrance is not the behavior of a gentleman.”
Hearing Edward’s way of speaking, Zhou Ming suddenly felt a slight headache.
However, during this period, Zhou Ming had come to understand this director somewhat—he knew Edward wished to restore the old Western culture.
Unfortunately, due to the invasion of foreign races and drastic environmental changes, much of Western culture had already vanished into the river of history.
Even the cultures of the East had suffered severe destruction.
Now, archaeology not only aimed to recover high-end technology from before the Doomsday Era, but also to excavate lost cultures.
The main reason Edward could hold the position of director of the Special Operations Bureau was precisely because he did not align with other factions. The Alliance’s higher-ups did not need to worry about him colluding with external forces.
Under Edward’s personal guidance, Zhou Ming entered the Special Operations Bureau, an organization with a rather poor reputation within the Alliance.
Due to its responsibilities, the bureau not only protected important figures but also investigated crimes committed by officials within the Alliance.
Even more infamous than the Special Operations Bureau was the Intelligence Bureau hidden in the shadows.
After entering, Zhou Ming arrived at Edward’s office, where they began chatting casually about the recent internal changes within the Alliance.
Among them, the Longevity Club—which had infiltrated the Alliance’s upper ranks—was being subjected to extremely harsh suppression.
This turmoil had already spread from the Alliance Headquarters to other regions of the Alliance, involving a considerable number of individuals and forces.
After all, Blue Star being devoured by the Tamu World was an unavoidable outcome. Coupled with the temptation of extended lifespan, some individuals had inevitably begun making plans for their own future.
However, the methods of the Vampire faction currently only attracted ordinary people and Apprentice Beast Tamers, so the situation had not yet deteriorated beyond control.
In this era where Transcendent power had emerged, overwhelming strength was sufficient to suppress all underhanded schemes.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Zhou Ming used his conversation with Edward to gain a general understanding of the current situation within the Alliance, as well as information regarding the Longevity Club. Only then did he shift his attention back to the purpose of his visit.