[Longevity County, Underground Vault]
The residual energy shockwaves from the battle still vibrated in the air. Crushed stones continually rattled down from the damaged dome, striking the floor with crisp sounds.
Caroline crouched down, gently touching the thin, solidified energy membrane on the ground.
This was the Starlight Energy overflow from the fight between Tendo and Enite, which had now crystallized into a translucent film. Stepping on it, one could feel a slight elasticity.
Tendo, on the other side, looked curiously at the broken scales in the center of the vault.
The suspended trays had crashed to the floor, and the broken glass shards of the containers were scattered everywhere. Pale green Life Energy and golden memory light spots darted among the debris like fireflies.
Eventually, they were slowly sucked away by a subspace rift that had abruptly appeared behind the scales.
The appearance of Enite's memory clone was only a small interlude for Caroline and Tendo.
Although this interlude caused quite a commotion, they hadn't forgotten the purpose of their visit here.
That was to find a way to break the Longevity County cycle.
Though they hadn't been here long, they already understood the situation and roughly guessed what would happen next.
"So, Tendo, if we don't leave here within the stipulated time, we will become part of the 'cycle' here?"
Tendo gazed at the mysterious 'scales' that had largely collapsed not far away, and the subspace rift behind them, asking curiously.
The anime's camera followed her gaze.
The scales that had initially appeared in the center of the vault were visibly damaged due to the massive battle between Tendo and Enite's memory clone.
At the same time, a huge subspace rift had appeared behind the scales.
What emerged from that rift was a scene resembling ruins.
Tendo's Dream ability could faintly sense that the energy fluctuation coming from the other side of the rift was distinctly different from all the areas they had encountered before.
It was an aura carrying the temperature of 'reality,' no longer the cold replication of a cyclical time-space.
Hearing Tendo's question, Tendo, who was resting against a broken steel reinforcement bar and cleaning the wound on his right arm, slowly raised his head.
His azure Star Eclipse Heavenly Eye swept over the continuously expanding subspace rift. The vague outline of ruins within the rift became increasingly clear, and they could even see pale purple rose vines entwining the broken walls and remnants.
"Yes, the essence of the cycle is the repetition of spacetime anchor points. Midnight... is the 'intersection point' that can break through reality and illusion."
Hearing this, Tendo's confusion did not lessen; rather, it increased.
"But Tendo, since President Enite and the others came here back then, why didn't they completely destroy this contaminated zone?"
Tendo naturally knew the achievements of President Enite, a living legend of the Star Envoy Association.
Besides being called the 'Strongest Contemporary Star Envoy,' he had another title: 'Contaminated Zone Scavenger.'
This meant that any contaminated zone he set foot in was either completely purified or converted into a new immigration city for the New Federation.
Situations like Longevity Island being 'perfectly preserved' were exceedingly rare, practically unheard of.
Although Longevity Island was somewhat strange, the overall difficulty of its exploration was not high.
The Corpse Vines encountered in the forest were troublesome, but only at the elite-monster level.
The mysterious old man upon landing on the island looked scary, but Tendo easily dealt with him.
Even the so-called 'cycle' rule here could be broken just by finding the key.
Overall, the danger level of Longevity Island as a contaminated zone was not low, but it definitely hadn't reached the level of those 'Death Zones' recorded in the Association's files.
It certainly shouldn't have left Enite 'helpless' against this place.
Unless...
A similar question arose in Caroline's mind.
She pulled out her tactical tablet and rapidly scrolled through the data on various contaminated zones.
"Conventional contaminated zones are divided into 'Fixed Type' and 'Mobile Type.'"
"Fixed Types are usually formed after a Calamity-level Star Beast is bred in a special environment, such as the 'Volcano Hell.'"
"Mobile Types are survival spaces shaped by a Calamity-level Star Beast using its own power, and they change location as the Star Beast moves."
At this point, Caroline looked up at Tendo, her eyes seeking confirmation.
"So... the Longevity Island we are currently in is a 'secondary rebirth' of a Mobile Type contaminated zone?"
"That's right."
Tendo stood up and dusted the dirt off his tactical uniform.
"What Enite destroyed back then was the first Longevity Island, the original survival space shaped by that Calamity-level Star Beast."
"But due to some special reasons, the destruction wasn't complete, allowing the Calamity-level Star Beast of that Longevity Island to survive by luck."
"And after a period of recuperation, it eventually created a new 'Longevity Island' within the New Federation."
After hearing Tendo's explanation, not only Tendo but also the dimensional audience on Site 13 understood.
Simply put, the contaminated zone is like a 'dungeon.'
The formation of these 'dungeons' is mostly related to the final Boss within that 'dungeon.'
Eneit did clear the dungeon back then, but he didn't completely kill the final Boss of the Longevity Island dungeon.
This led to the eventual resurgence of Longevity Island.
As for who this final Boss was, Tendo already knew the answer.
And that guy was, in a sense, very special.
Because it was a genuinely 'undying existence.'
Not even Enite could completely kill 'it.'
Tendo's Star Eclipse Heavenly Eye looked through the rift and saw the huge, half-withered rose tree deep in the ruins. A pulsating red core was vaguely visible at the center of the trunk.
The life form of that tree had already surpassed ordinary Calamity-level Star Beasts, no longer relying on a physical body but existing in the form of a 'rule.'
As long as the 'Equivalent Exchange' rule exists, it will never truly die.
"Alright, let's not dwell on this. Midnight is about to pass, and it's time for us to depart."
"Once we cross over there, we can reach... the true Longevity Island."
"Okay."
Led by Tendo, the three quickly passed through the huge subspace rift.
The moment their figures completely entered the rift, the underground vault behind them began to collapse. The scales' remnants were completely buried by crushed stone, and on the other side of the rift, a city in ruins, covered in rose vines, slowly lifted its mysterious veil.
[Fourth Day Morning, Longevity County Inn]
Ding-a-ling!
The bicycle bell rang precisely at the alley entrance, its sound as clear as a set alarm clock.
Chen Kong leaned against the mottled wooden door of the inn, his eyes deep in thought.
This was the third time. The worker in blue overalls, with an aluminum lunch box in his bike basket, had ridden through the alley entrance along the exact same trajectory, even the amplitude of his handlebars wobbling was identical to the previous two days.
"Looks like you've noticed it too."
Mi Yao walked out of the inn and came to Chen Kong's side.
He shook the device in his hand. The screen of his handheld console was still lit, displaying his list of 'Anomalous Events' recorded last night.
The timestamp on the screen showed that for three consecutive mornings at 7:12 AM, the same woman in a floral dress would 'accidentally' spill soy milk in front of the breakfast stall opposite, and even the shape of the spilled milk on the ground was identical each time.
Chen Kong fixed his gaze on the worker until his figure disappeared at the end of the street.
Last night, to test if this was a 'cycle,' he had deliberately placed a warning sign at the alley entrance. But this morning, the sign was gone as if it had never existed, and the worker's bicycle continued along its fixed route, as if his intervention was just an illusion.
When he first arrived at Longevity County, Chen Kong's attention was mainly focused on the 'citizens.'
In most cases, these 'citizens' were indistinguishable from normal people.
But once a certain condition was triggered, these guys would instantly tear off their disguise and turn into terrifying monsters.
For example, when he tried to ask for the way out two days ago, the initially smiling general store owner suddenly rolled his eyes white, and his fingers transformed into corrupting vines that reached for Chen Kong. If Mi Yao hadn't promptly used his Game Star Energy to create a barrier, his arm would have been pierced through.
But after observing for the past few days, Chen Kong discovered other strange things about these people...
"It is a cycle."
Vivian came up to them, her gaze directed toward the intersection not far away.
A pedestrian wearing a baseball cap was slipping on a banana peel, his posture stiff like a puppet on strings. The dull 'thud' sound when he fell was even more muffled than a normal fall.
Looking at that person, Vivian said gravely, "I helped that person up on the first day, but on the second and third days, he fell in the exact same spot, and his words and falling movements were identical to the previous two days."
Hearing Vivian's words, Mi Yao slightly narrowed his eyes and added, "They are like NPCs, constantly looping certain preset actions..."
Mi Yao's tone was very certain, because just as Chen Kong and Vivian deliberately triggered specific events, he had done similar things.
While a similar situation happening once or twice was acceptable, it was completely illogical for it to happen three or four times in a row.
Clearly, the 'people' on Longevity Island were repeating certain events.
Only when an 'accident' occurred would these 'people' break free from their original 'cycle' and enter a new 'event.'
As for what the so-called 'accident' was, it was naturally them, the 'outsiders.'
However, compared to the situation of 'monsters disguised as humans' and 'constantly looping yesterday's scenes,' Chen Kong had discovered other unsettling oddities.
For example, he felt like he had forgotten something.
While similar feelings happened often, the fact that he noticed it, yet consistently couldn't recall what it was, suggested that the thing he forgot must be very important.
But this was very strange.
If it was something 'important,' how could he easily forget it?
"Vivian, have you had any problems with your memory?"
Vivian nodded. The silver-gray mechanical hair ornament flickered with a faint red error light, a signal that her memory module was malfunctioning.
"I have the same feeling."
She raised her hand to touch her temple. The circuits beneath her mechanical skin glowed with a faint blue light.
"My quantum memory bank automatically backed up the landing record, but there is a ten-minute gap in the middle. The system prompted 'tampered with by unknown energy.'"
Chen Kong and Mi Yao exchanged a look, both seeing seriousness in the other's eyes.
Vivian was a mechanical Star Envoy, and a mechanical Star Envoy's memory module was more robust than titanium alloy.
The fact that even Vivian had memory fragmentation indicated that the 'rules' of Longevity Island could penetrate and affect not only flesh-and-blood Star Envoys but also mechanical bodies.
Not to mention that similar situations were simultaneously occurring in all three of them.
"We can't waste any more time."
Mi Yao put away his handheld console, his eyes becoming resolute.
"If we wait any longer, we might even forget who we are."
"Split up."
Chen Kong quickly formulated a plan, pulling out three simple maps from his backpack—they were hand-drawn layouts of Longevity County using a Star Energy pen.
"Mi Yao, you go to the residential area on the east side. Vivian, check the commercial street on the south side. I'll go to the industrial zone on the west side."
"Focus on finding a way to leave, as well as... energy points that are unusually concentrated."
The three exchanged no further words, tucked their maps away, and dispersed.
Chen Kong walked on the gravel path of the industrial zone, quietly expanding his Star Energy perception, only to find that the energy here was like tangled yarn. He could sense the boundary, but he couldn't find the exit.
He tried to walk toward the direction they landed on the island, but didn't get far before hitting a thick white fog. A familiar bicycle bell sound came from the fog, and he found himself circling back to the inn entrance.
As dusk fell, the three converged under the old locust tree in the inn's backyard, each person looking exhausted.
"I tried climbing the tree to see the perimeter, but the fog was so thick I couldn't even see the sun."
Mi Yao placed his dew-covered handheld console on the stone table.
"No matter which direction I walk, I always end up back on the county's main street, as if blocked by an invisible wall."
Vivian pulled up a holographic projection from her mechanical scan. Red prohibition symbols were marked in two locations.
"I hacked into the county's public system and found that two areas are 'authority blind spots': the County Hospital and the bank's backend."
"The hospital is labeled 'Under Renovation,' but the scan detected life energy fluctuations inside; the bank's backend firewall is military-grade, and my intrusion program was bounced back the moment it touched it."
"I asked the old workers in the industrial zone."
Chen Kong added, pulling out a crumpled butterscotch from his pocket that a worker had slipped him.
"They said the hospital has crying sounds at night, and the bank's back door has golden light emerging in the middle of the night—both are 'forbidden places that shouldn't be asked about.'"
The holographic projection on the stone table flickered, the two red symbols particularly glaring on the map. Chen Kong tapped the symbols with his fingertip: "Before Tendo and the others lost contact, they last transmitted a message about 'an anomaly at the bank.' Now it seems these two places are the key to the cycle."
"Operating tonight?"
Mi Yao immediately chimed in, the console screen switching to the night vision parameter interface.
"Although the 'citizens' are numb during the day, there are too many people and eyes. Once a fight breaks out, it's hard to escape."
"Mhm."
A torrent of data flashed in Vivian's eyes, clearly calculating something.
"I checked the weather forecast. It's an overcast night, no moonlight. Suitable for infiltration."
"There's a gap in the hospital's construction fence, and the bank's backend ventilation duct has a diameter wide enough for us to crawl through."
Chen Kong looked up at the darkening sky. The shadow of the old locust tree stretched long, overlapping with the 'citizens' on the street who were beginning to repeat their routes home.
He took a deep breath, then his eyes grew determined: "Then tonight. Mi Yao, you're responsible for using Star Energy to interfere with surveillance. Vivian, you'll crack the electronic locks. I'll infiltrate and handle unexpected situations."
The three exchanged glances, seeing the same determination in each other's eyes.
Outside the inn, the pedestrian who had fallen for three days slipped on the banana peel once more, the dull impact sound exceptionally clear in the twilight.
This cycle must be broken.