Bring such a blueprint design… into the future?
Yang Zicang, standing by the water, fell silent. He gazed at the pile of materials on the raft, then spoke slowly:
“If something like this were to be mixed into the Scientific Vein, would the science that belongs to us humans still be pure? “
“Pure… or not… ” The two young men on the raft murmured the words quietly.
Muse pondered for a moment with lowered brows. Meanwhile, Long Dara added:
“Oh, sir. Forgive my impertinence, but consider the ability you just used to find these materials—is it the power of science or the power of demonic energy? “
This Central Dispatch Station Chief, perched on the raft, spoke with a tone brimming with reverence for the eerie forces of this era.
“Times have changed. Science has been defeated by demonic power, Mr. Buchen. “
Moonlight leaked through the rift in the sky, reflecting off the seawater-filled pit covered with floating debris.
Amid the dull splashes, these words reverberated in Yang Zicang’s mind. In this world, pure science and technology… were indeed facing a crisis.
“Yes, there’s some truth to what you said, ” Yang Zicang had to admit reluctantly. Even if these blueprints used the bones and corpses of demon fiends as construction material, the essence of the technology was still born from human wisdom.
-｛Distributor Loki Tata Mingqi indicates “arrival. “｝
Splash! A figure leaped down from the high opening in the sky.
“Whoa! ” The group, just deep in debate about science and demonic power, was completely startled.
After sputtering a few coughs, the soaked shadow of a half-grown boy climbed out of the water. “Hey, aren’t you guys going back? “
This drenched kid, about ten years old, scrambled onto a stone pillar and stood next to Yang Zicang.
Long Dara, Muse and the others couldn’t help but look up, measuring the dizzying height from the opening above to the patch of water below.
“Hey hey, don’t look at me like that. I’m just passing through, passing through, understand? ” Tàtǎ Míngqí casually scooped up a handful of seawater, swished it around in his mouth twice, then spat it out, making the people on the raft even more terrified.
“Th-this, is your friend? ” Miusi beside him pointed at him.
The boy turned around, spreading his hands: “With so many people here, it’d be a real loss for me not to set up a stall. “
“I haven’t asked anything yet, ” Yang Zicang said quietly.
“… ” The few of them fell silent in unison.
-｛Distributor Tàtǎ Míngqí radiates an emotion of “helplessness “｝
“You want to come with me? Will that make my moves here… “
“Ah, I told you, I’m just passing through, ” Tàtǎ Míngqí took off his coat, stood on the stone, wrung the water out of his coat, “Well, if we happen to be heading the same way, it won’t count as interfering with you lot. I’ll just walk behind you later. “
……
The chill from deep underground permeated the winding tunnel.
On a section of broken and weathered rock layer lay the cross-section of a ruined building.
The earthquake had exposed this original secret underground research lab to the air. Twisted metal filing cabinets lay toppled. Countless files, soaked through with mud and water, were scattered across them, crushed underfoot into clumps of blackened, rotten pulp.
“Haha, can’t believe we stumbled upon an underground lab! “
A young man with blue hair, wearing a thin blue cotton coat and carrying a broadsword on his back, gazed with fascination at the various-sized turntable metal discs before him, studying them with excitement and curiosity.
“Hurry up! Old coot! Go and open your safe! “
Beside him, Vladroughly shoved the staggering figure ahead. In front of them, a half-collapsed metal rack spilled an array of metal discs across the floor.
Another man following along casually picked up one of the metal discs and coldly hissed at the young, trembling researcher next to him: “Tell me, just what the hell are these things you’ve been studying? “
Around the outer edge of the main plate of this object were engraved frequency symbols, while the inner ring was densely packed with tiny toggle switches and inductive coil adjusters.
It looked like a masterpiece jointly created by a clockmaker and an electrician.
“This is a Harmonic Lock, ” the older researcher, the wizened old man, finally spoke up tiredly. “Don’t mess with him. He’s only just arrived. Through meticulous configuration, it can latch an emitted signal onto a public broadcast or an enemy communication carrier wave, making it extremely hard to detect or jam. “
“Hahaha, this stuff… tch, just some junk from olden toys, ” Vlad said, a hint of annoyance in his voice as he crushing one of the metal discs beneath his boot. Suddenly, he caught a different sound coming from the water below.
Splash… Splash…The heavy sound of water rose rhythmically. The group turned to look.
From deep within the tunnel, a low, hollow reverberation echoed out, like a sigh released from the roar of a stirred lion:
“This place… is mine now. “
The voice was calm, utterly devoid of emotion, like a decree.
“Wha… what? ” Flade and the others, inexplicably feeling a pang of fear, looked over.
From the dim, shadowy water within the not-too-deep tunnel, a man emerged. His skin was ragged and peeling, his entire body appearing as if severely scraped and bruised.
After a brief stunned silence, Flade burst into loud laughter. “What the hell are you? Get lost, this… all of this is my loot! ” He raised his rifle.
But before he could finish his sentence, Soldier No.4 had already shot forward, his feet stomping against the ground, exploding through all the ruined walls blocking a direct line through the water.
He struck out with a lightning-quick single hand, precisely grabbing the man by the neck, effortlessly hoisting him off the ground. Flade’s feet kicked wildly, choking gurgles escaping his throat as his rifle clattered to the floor with a clang. The few men around him all retreated a step in fright.
“All the data here is mine now. “
……
Deep underground, Yang Zicang helped the two teams mark a few locations potentially worth searching and rescuing. Tata Mingqi wandered around a few meters behind him.
“This should count as another share-worthy experience, right? ” After locating a building storing medical supplies, Yang Zicang turned his head and smiled at Tata Mingqi.
The boy snorted, raised his hand, and swaggered away a few steps before suddenly turning around. “Are you coming this way later? “
“I might be heading back to rest… “
Rumble! A faint tremor echoed from deep within the tunnel.
Yang Zicang’s eyes flickered. He turned to look at the few people beside him and noticed that these ordinary rescuers didn’t seem to have heard it.
-｛Distributor Loki Tata Mingqi, drawing on his wealth of experience, indicated that I might be at a new node on the cusp of glory.｝
“So that’s where your experience comes from. “
With that, Yang Zicang dashed swiftly and leaped onto the small rubber raft that the rescue team had dispatched from the water’s surface.
“Hey, wait for me! “
Tata Mingqi ran into the water, pulled himself onto the raft in a few quick strokes, and made the thing dip heavily under the added weight.
“That tremor doesn’t sound like a collapse. What could be exploding in there? ” He craned his neck behind Yang Zicang, peering into the winding darkness ahead.
“Can we negotiate something like this? “
“I’m just listening, it’s no big deal. Right now I’m a person, get that straight. “
“About what you mentioned last time—the benefit stuff—you haven’t exactly cleared it up with me yet. “
“We’ll talk about that after you’ve sold me at least five Glory-level experiences. ” Tata Mingqi shifted his weight away a bit, then spat on the ring on his finger a few times.
Yang Zicang shot him a glance, maneuvering the raft along the current. He pondered for a moment, then couldn’t help but ask:
“It was you who took Lena away, right? How is she now? “
“She’s doing great. Now… it’s the end of an era. In theory, Crossing People no longer need to go out into the Fog Sea fishing for victims. After we cross over into the next era’s land, if they fish again, those people will just show up over there, perfectly lucky. “
Tata Mingqi casually stuffed both hands into the pockets of his soaked clothes, quite content.
“The Crossing People basically get a long vacation, kiddo. The girl doesn’t have to work or study now, the only bad part is food and clothes are a bit shabby. What’s there to worry about? “
“Huh…! ” Yang Zicang froze, then jerked his head around to glare at Tata Mingqi.
The boy turned his side face and poked out his tongue, but a scorching light suddenly blazed in the pit of his throat. This burning heat was so intense that even Yang Zicang, surrounded by the bone-chilling cold, could feel furnace-like warmth.
Plop! Sizzle… Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle…
Of his own accord, Tata Mingqi dropped into the water.
- ｛Distributor February. Di’an is watching my current life experiences with glee.｝
- ｛Distributor Di’an actively lowered the perception of the Distribution Beacon.｝
Yang Zicang turned, walked to the stern of the skiff, and grabbed the limp, heavy body of the bedraggled Tata Mingqi from the water’s surface.
“If we came to this world, and no one ever hauled us out—how long could we sleep in the Fog Sea, at most? “
“Ah… well… sell me a Glory-Gleam, and I’ll tell you. “
-｛Distributor April. Odyssey passionately declared, “I can do it too. “｝
-｛Distributor February. Di’an indicated raising the pre-order price of my current glorious prelude to 120%.｝
-｛Distributor Di’an lowered my pre-order price to 100%.｝
“Twelve months? “
-｛Distributor Taming Mattrick gave me a “Favorable Review. “｝
He turned his head, water dripping from his mouth: “How did you guess? “
Suddenly, he stared at the ring on his hand, stunned for a moment, then spat twice, “Damn it. “
-｛Di’an expressed anticipation for a transaction with me.｝
Yang Zicang’s heart was filled with shock.
It turned out the gap between the old and new fate trajectories was not just a difference of three months.
Rather… he himself had likely been sleeping in the sea of mist for three whole months.
Three whole months—Hong Haocheng could have accomplished so much by now.
He suddenly thought of Bai Yuan’s figure, then shook his head, dispelling the shadow of that man from his mind.
Sure, Bai Yuan had appeared out of nowhere, and indeed, behind him loomed a mysterious full-moon graded angel.
But if it were Hong Haocheng…
That kind of executioner, who schemes to harm those around you to achieve his goals, could hardly be the angelic figure who would hand over the Traveler’s Inn to you on a silver platter.
Speaking of which, in this fate trajectory, he was now under the watchful eyes of two nearly sage-level powerhouses: Serafiel and the mysterious full-moon angel.
His confidence in unraveling the deeper secrets of this world had grown a little more.
“Hey. ” Tataming turned his head, looking at the young man holding him in deep thought. “Could you trouble me by sticking my head underwater again… glug glug glub… “
……
Following the vibration he sensed earlier all the way. Yang Zicang hadn’t expected to have walked this far. When they arrived at a dry pit where the terrain dropped sharply, the two abandoned the raft and switched to hiking.
“So far. That must be over twenty kilometers in a straight line. “
“Sounds echo a lot in a place like this. ” Covered in mud, Tataming said with an air of profound wisdom by Yang Zicang’s side:
“That’s science, get it? Also, your hearing has been strengthened a lot by mental power; you’re just not used to it yet, so it felt close at the time. That’s magic, you get me? “
“Magic? “
“A law is a kind of rule. Both a method and a legal code are observations and formulations of rules. “
“So what about magic? “
“Magic… For someone like you who can’t understand—for instance, take a look at my hand. ” Tataming extended a skeletal palm pitch-black from within his sleeve. “How’s that? Pretty bad-ass, huh. “
Just as Yang Zicang was about to examine it closely, the Boy suddenly lost his footing on a crumbly, slippery stone, plopping down in the mud from the tumble.
“Are you—? “
“…Not good. I think I’ve been observed by the era and am suffering from rejection. “
“……“
Yang Zicang was rendered speechless for a moment.
“There really hasn’t been anything about failing to see the path that made you fall? “
Tata Mingqi, who had climbed up and sat sideways on the ground, twisted his head: “How could I possibly not see the road clearly. It’s just that the changes here are too great, impacted a bit too much by the fate of the vibrating era. “
After finding the earthquake-prone area, Tata Mingqi was stunned by the super pit before him, which looked like it was punched out.
It was as if several tactical missiles had bombarded it collectively, leaving a scar on the tunnel’s broken wall nearly twenty meters in diameter and a pit over six meters deep.
What it had destroyed was likely an underground bunker bearing traces of solid construction.
Yang Zicang leaped up on an assist, searching the area; he could see deformed metal frames and data safes embedded deep in the mud, along with traces of some fragmented skeletons.
“What place is this? “
“Ah, this… “
Yang Zicang collected some of the residue fragments embedded nearby.
Amidst Tata Mingqi’s meaningless replies, like muddled muttering, the two glanced around a while and eventually exited to the surface.
The few ordinary red-brick buildings had already collapsed, and the area had been completely destroyed as well.
Looking at the surface, which had been almost torn up, Yang Zicang crouched down solemnly, feeling the ground.
There was no lingering power of the Stellar Yuan.
A flicker crossed his eyes; could it be that guy… Has he not yet left in the midst of the Full Moon Angel’s clone’s attack!?
“This seems like some kind of research base, torn to pieces by someone, ” came Tata Mingqi’s voice, “Need me to give you a heads-up about something? “
Yang Zicang turned his head and spoke to the boy clinging to the edge of the pit with his head poking out.
“Stop joking around. We need to head back quickly. Someone truly powerful has been here. “
……
In the pitch-black night, Zorro and Dereiano had been waiting by the train for a long time. Finally, they spotted Yang Zicang’s figure approaching from the distant ground, with a mud-covered boy of about ten following beside him.
“You’re finally back, ” Dereiano said as he walked up. Through recalling the details in his memory, he knew the design sketches he had documented were far too precious.
“Hello there, ” Tatan Ming greeted them.
Yang Zicang shook hands with Dereiano, who then pulled him into a bold shoulder hug. “Brother, you really made this operation happen. ” He then shifted his gaze to the boy beside him.
“And who is this little friend? “
Zorro had assumed the boy was just some kid Yang Zicang had picked up on the way, but he was surprised to hear his Chinese was so fluent.
“This is a Distributor. He’s from the first layer of the Lunar Realm. “
“He’s a Distributor, you know. ” Tatan Ming raised his fist, pointing a thumb at Yang Zicang, who had an arm around his shoulder.
“Wow, so you’re the boss. ” Dereiano also extended his hand for a handshake.
“Many Distributors have rushed over tonight, all gathering at the far end of the square. By the way, Brother Yang, your Distributor hasn’t signed the contract yet, has he? “
“Sounds like tonight might be a great opportunity, ” Yang Zicang remarked.
Zorro nodded, “Indeed. But we also need to be careful. Some distributors have different experiences with acquisitions, so the same radiance of glory might have quite different prices at different distributors. “
“And, Mr. Distributors, there are those who are generous and those who are very particular. ” Dereiano added beside him, as if jesting.
Tatamingqi sighed helplessly, feeling that his identity did not seem to receive much respect.
The Rescue Committee had already been formed, and the person in charge had prepared a room for Yang Zicang nearby, but he declined it.
He found a tent and pitched it next to the demon train.
Zorro, along with the others and Tatamingqi, helped set up the tent. They would stay here for tonight.
After settling down, Dereiano used expanding Stellar Yuan to muffle the sounds within the tent.
Listening to the quieted noise, Zorro continued, “A few of my distributors have already reminded me that the previous design blueprint is leading into a new realm beyond glorious. “
“Does that mean something flashing? “
“No, it means we might have touched upon a ‘flash’ that is still being conceived. ” Dereiano whispered.
“As for what it involves, there’s no need for me to elaborate further. But right now, countries are hastily preparing for the ceremonial councils of this epoch’s land within the Six Sacred Veins of Science. At such a time… “
Yang Zicang watched the expressions of the two men.
There was no need to explain Zorro further—his inability to reach ‘Little Red Horse’ even now already showed that the simple companion demon beast, which had already lost its former master, might now be terribly doomed.
In the warm yellow light of the portable lamp on the ground, Dereiano continued beside them:
“The latest news. All nations are now selecting trustworthy Mistfolk to protect the councils they intend to establish. “
“What does that mean? ” Yang Zicang looked puzzled. “Can every country set up its own council? “
“No, it’s said there have been some changes to the council process this time. ” Zorro shook his head.
“The Secret Boxes passed down from the last continental epoch have mostly been damaged. To minimize such losses, someone proposed Flash Investments starting from the council’s preparatory stage. “
Pausing, Dereiano looked at Zorro with some concern:
“This is a critical period for the council preparations… I think Little Red Horse would want you to pull yourself together. “
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