Chapter 62 – Cognition of the Extraordinary, Aspiration for the Extraordinary, Touching the Extraordinary

[Ancient Language Expert]?!

Lu Yuan was momentarily stunned, a wave of unexpected joy washing over him.

He had always considered picking up a sub-profession but had never decided which field to pursue.

Unexpectedly, he unlocked one today.

But why did it take until now to unlock the [Ancient Language Expert] professional panel?

He hadn’t started learning lesser-known ancient languages just yesterday. Why hadn’t he unlocked it before?

“Could it be that studying ancient languages also requires understanding their origins and the historical legends behind them?”

Thinking it over, Lu Yuan could only come up with this possibility.

Previously, the two lesser-known ancient languages he taught himself were purely for gaining language skill experience. He only learned the grammar and did not delve into other aspects.

Guduoer, one of the common languages of the Ancient Donglunsa Region, was different. To uncover the origins of the Ratman and the Lord of the Cavern, he even skimmed through the history of Ancient Donglunsa.

“Let’s not dwell on this.”

Lu Yuan didn’t ponder the issue for too long and instead began organizing his findings in Guduoer.

“Arka… Ru… Mi!”

He started repeating the phrase he had said before.

The pronunciation techniques of Guduoer were far more complex than any language Lu Yuan had previously studied. Some phonetic sounds were exceptionally tricky.

Initially, Lu Yuan was somewhat clumsy, but with repeated practice, his pronunciation became clearer and more fluent.

As he tried to recall every word the Ratman had spoken in the alley last night, he flipped through his ancient language dictionary.

Finally, he noted down in his notebook:

[Great. Immortal and omnipresent. Rodent-like… gnawing monarch (king, exalted).]

[Grant. Faithful worshiper (kneeling person, follower)]

[Robust (strong, solid) strength (abundant physical energy). Eternal life (immortal, unkillable)]

[Praise.]

A short sentence, yet Lu Yuan’s translation nearly filled an entire page.

Putting it all together, it roughly translated to:

[Great and omnipresent King of Gnawing, please grant your most faithful follower robustness, strength, immortality. I will eternally praise you and offer everything that may bring you joy.]

“Does this look like some kind of prayer or maybe a spell?”

Lu Yuan pondered, lightly twirling the pen between his fingers.

He thought for a moment and then tried translating the first words the Ratman had said to him during their encounter.

It was the first time he had heard the Ratman speak Guduoer, so his memory of it was a bit hazier than the second encounter.

The translation yielded only fragmented words:

[Destroy. Sacrificial offering’s useless servant. Bloody food. Tear you apart! Kill you!]

This sentence seemed more like a verbal threat or trash talk before a fight.

Even so, Lu Yuan’s mind quickly pieced together a rough outline of the situation.

“Old Hei’s gang of hooligans, by chance, encountered the Ratman. It’s also possible that the Ratman was originally one of their members. Under the Ratman’s influence, they kidnapped women as sacrifices for the King of Gnawing or as the Ratman’s food. I accidentally disrupted their plan in the rainy alley that day and even sent the whole gang to the police station. The Ratman lost its minions who provided it with sacrificial offerings and blood food, so it has held a grudge against me ever since, waiting for an opportunity for revenge.”

Lu Yuan’s guess might not be entirely accurate, but it was likely close to the truth.

Lu Yuan also looked up the title “King of Gnawing,” but found nothing.

However, from the information he had previously gathered about the Lord of the Cavern, he noted that legends of the Lord of the Cavern often featured the appearance of rats.

This so-called “King of Gnawing” might be a deity within the ancient Fantu Yasi god system, associated with the Lord of the Cavern.

“In the Ratman’s spell, it prayed to the King of Gnawing for robustness, strength, and immortality.

After the grey aura erupted, its injuries healed instantly, and its strength and speed increased significantly. If ‘immortal’ was also granted, then my punch might indeed not have been enough to kill it.”

Lu Yuan’s expression shifted as he thought about this.

His crane cry punch, born from a moment of inspiration, had nearly blown off half of the Ratman’s head, yet it hadn’t completely killed it.

This extraordinary ability was truly terrifying.

But on second thought, if such a powerful Ratman couldn’t withstand his newly learned crane cry punch, then how much more formidable must Lin Zhiqin, who had truly mastered this killing move, be? And then there was Qin Feng, who was equally strong.

“So martial arts can also touch the extraordinary?

In a sense, with my boxing power now at a professional level, I might already be considered extraordinary in the eyes of ordinary people.”

“Now that I’ve unlocked the new profession of [Ancient Language Expert], leveling up the new profession should be quick.

I can earn skill points to fully unlock the crane cry punch and [Imaginary Enemy], as well as the second core skill of a [Martial Artist] above [Imaginary Enemy].”

A greater desire for effort quickly rose in Lu Yuan’s heart.

Cognition of the extraordinary, aspiration for the extraordinary, touching the extraordinary.

It felt like a door to a new world was slowly opening before him.

“But I still need to be wary of the Ratman.”

Lu Yuan frowned.

Since it was likely the Ratman hadn’t died, with its vengeful nature, it would surely come back for revenge once its injuries healed.

“That creature is too cunning, knowing how to use a giant rat to distract me and then seizing the chance to escape. It’s probably hiding in some sewer now, silently licking its wounds.”

“It’s best to find it and kill it before its injuries heal.”

Relying on Ge Wenjun was clearly not an option. He had to find a way himself.

“I’ll stay home for a few days, guard my parents and grandfather, and take the opportunity to improve my strength.”

Having made up his mind, Lu Yuan picked up his mobile phone and called Lin Zhiqin.

“Coach, something came up at home, so I might not be able to participate in the matches for the next few days.”

“I’m not sure how long it will be. I’ll let you know in advance.”

On the phone, Lin Zhiqin didn’t say much. He just said okay and offered his help if needed, then hung up.

Lu Yuan put down the phone and started thinking about how to guard against the hidden Ratman.

Ordinary rat traps and glue traps definitely wouldn’t work. Should he get more cats?

“Forget it.”

Lu Yuan shook his head.

It would be too much trouble, and who knows who would end up eating whom. Given how fierce the Ratman was, it probably wouldn’t even be afraid of a Tibetan Mastiff.

“Patter”

There was a faint sound of footsteps from the living room.

Lu Yuan checked the time and realized it was already past three, almost four in the afternoon.

It must be Lu Yueping waking up from his nap.

He was about to get up and leave the bedroom when his mobile phone suddenly rang.

It was an unfamiliar local number.