Dinner was tense that night, and Li was afraid to voice the question burning in his mind: Why didn't the Covenant want to catch whoever killed the Karabaw?
The armored cat police duo patrolled the campus alongside the original two guards. According to Master Zhang, they were members of the 3456th Forest Brigade, affiliated with the Wisdom Bank.
The two S-tiers en route were currently a few light-years away, dealing with fugitive system users heading toward an Anti-Covenant stronghold.
Once another S-tier team could replace them, they would abandon the pursuit and redirect to the Wisdom Bank. For now, the police cats—highly trained minute-men—were deemed sufficient for tonight's protection.
The stress seemed to have taken a toll on Master Chef too or maybe it was Li's own stress fogging his taste because the dinner felt a bit underdone, having been steamed fish and some boiled vegetables which were cold.
Many of the disciples had broken into smaller groups, holding quiet discussions ahead of the emergency meeting scheduled for later that evening—after dinner, when, hopefully, the initial shock would subside and a more productive conversation could take place.
Li sat with Assim, Master Zhang, and Moses, along with several of their disciples. They ate in silence. Only Master Zhang managed to eat, and even then, only sparingly. An order had been issued: avoid the outer edges of campus, and remain within the dormitory blocks as much as possible.
As the sun disappeared and the lanterns flickered to life, Li could only pray for a safe night.
Then Master Zhang spoke.
"There's a small weapons stronghold below," he said. "I think we should each grab one—just to be safe."
Assim agreed, and the group rose to follow Zhang into the central study building. A large straw mat had been pulled aside, revealing a hidden staircase beneath.
They descended into a dimly lit stone chamber. A few disciples were already there, whispering among themselves. Li noticed a large rack filled with spears and other melee weapons.
Due to the campus's non-violent philosophy and its emphasis on peace, there were no ranged weapons beyond crossbows and bows.
In fact, many of the masters were so skilled that they had proven capable of taking down ranged fighters with their bare hands. More than a few of them were system users sanctioned by the Covenant and were already capable of defending the campus.
Li reached for the crossbow, but the other disciples seemed more self-serving. They carried two or three spears on their backs, not to mention holsters full of arrows and various other weapons. There appeared to be more than enough for everyone, but Li wanted to be cautious and leave some for the rest.
A group of the most heavily armed disciples had formed a vigilante guard, pledging to protect the campus at night. Still, even they lingered around when the meeting began.
With the Karabaw now dead, the extremely reclusive Grand Scholar finally emerged from seclusion. A towering arachnid from a harsh gas planet, he would have radiated an overwhelmingly discomforting presence—had it not been for the wise and studious aura that surrounded him.
The Headmaster had studied longer than anyone else—nearly 20,000 years—and had witnessed the fall of the Lost World and the rise of the Covenant from afar.
Flanking him were other scholars, typically hidden deep within the off-limits library: the Dreamer and the Eye. Both had nearly as many years of study as the Grand Scholar.
The meeting took place in the central study building. The low tables had been cleared, and they sat in a square formation on the straw-covered floor.
The main sliding door stood open, offering a view of the entire campus below the slightly elevated steps. From this vantage point, they could see nearly the entire Wisdom Bank—a place where many of them had spent most of their lives.
The Headmaster, who had memorized nearly every language in the universe—including the most esoteric—began to speak in Old Tongue, a hybrid of English and words borrowed from countless other languages. Li, fortunately, had learned enough to follow along.
"Lo, the twilight falleth upon an age long endured. The Covenant, whose gleam once touched the farthest bounds of heaven, doth now gutter low, as doth every flame when its season draweth to close. The strength of our adversaries, once distant as a whisper in the dark, now riseth sure as the moon, and the trembling of their coming shall stir the firmament itself.
This eve is but the third-to-last upon which we may convene. Yet I entreat thee—let it be as the final, wherein no moment is wasted, no thought spared, no deed left unmade.
Ere I set forth mine own reckonings, I bid any soul, burdened with thought or voice, to unburden themselves. Let speech be given to those who would break silence, whilst silence yet remains ours to break."
The room fell silent.
"The first matter I would place before thee is this: each among you, in stillness and solitude, must ponder the question of departure from this world. Let it not be spoken lightly, nor in haste, but weighed within the chambers of thine own soul.
Should we come to vote—as it may be—we shall bind ourselves to the will of the greater number. If the greater part choose to remain, then remain we shall, as one. But if the greater part seek passage away, then those who would depart may do so, and none shall be held against their will."
Already, the disciples had begun to murmur, though no one spoke aloud. They turned to their masters and teachers, quietly sharing their thoughts. Each teacher gave the same answer—they would stay.
Still, a silent vote was held. Everyone but the Headmaster kept their eyes open, so no one would feel pressured or influenced.
Li closed his eyes. When the vote began, he raised his hand—to stay.
The Headmaster's voice followed, calm and steady:
"We stay."