Casually shrugging its arms to the side, the mysterious TD began a slow, deliberate walk toward Rover. She advanced as well, steady and composed.
Then, without warning, the creature's pace snapped from strolling to blitzing. Rover was already moving. Her blade met the incoming strike with a precise counter, steel ringing against the creature's hardened shell.
Yangyang regrouped beside her, the two slipping seamlessly into tandem. With each swing of Yangyang's sword, bursts of wind tore through the air, sharp enough to shear stone.
Yet her attacks lacked that sudden, violent snap — that sharp, pressure-breaking crack one would expect from fierce wind gales.
Instead, Yangyang's cuts carried a rising howl, the breath of a gathering storm rather than an explosive report.
Combined with her ability to read streams, it made her Resonance affinity clear — the Aero attribute.
As for Rover, her gaze sharpened as an old sensation crept in. 'My dormant battle senses… they're coming back. I think… it was like this…'
Her Tacet Mark flared to life. Light crawled across her skin in burning lines as her hands tightened around her weapon.
A quiet breath escaped her, steady and absolute. "The end has come."
The words didn't sound like a threat. They sounded like a verdict. And adhering to the voice of the honored one between heaven and earth, the world answered.
Photons surged around the TD, bending inward as though dragged by unseen pressure. The air buckled, space rippled, and a localized gravitational pull formed around it, warping the ground and even the light itself.
The force grew denser, heavier, folding in on itself like a newborn star collapsing under its own impossible weight.
Then came the implosion.
A flash, a crack of collapsing space — yet instead of birthing a singularity, the energy convulsed and held, as if bound by invisible chains.
Her power was diffraction of photons — the Spectro attribute. But her Resonance abilities were so absolute she could bind light tightly enough to distort gravity and space themselves.
The Tacet Discord caught within her field faltered, its flames flickering like a dying candle as its body began to shift.
Wings burst from the creature's skeletal back, unfurling like jagged blades of bone. A spear materialized in its grasp, crackling with warped energy.
Rover didn't give it a chance to act.
She shot forward with a chain of rapid, ruthless strikes. Each blow landed true, her blade carving through the creature's form until its body trembled, glitched, and finally shattered into a dissipating holograph.
The dome imprisoning Rover and Yangyang dissolved with a sharp crack of dispersing light.
Chixia, worried sick, rushed over to check for injuries. Once she saw they were fine, all three turned toward the shimmering projection left behind: the Echo of an Elite-class TD.
Rover, unfamiliar with the sight, asked what it was. Yangyang explained, "Everything in our world is made of frequencies. Every sound leaves a reverberation."
She pointed at the hologram. "These Echoes are the lingering reverberations of Tacet Discords after they disintegrate. We can absorb them into the Data Banks in our Pangu Terminals."
"Oh! By Pangu Terminal, she means the gourd-shaped device every Resonator has, developed by the researchers in Huanglong!" Chixia said, pointing at the gourd-like object on Rover's lower back.
She suggested Rover absorb it. Rover nodded and aimed her terminal at the Echo… but nothing happened, leaving Chixia deflating. "…Oh. So it doesn't work."
Rover checked her Terminal. "It says I'm Level 0."
Chixia waved her hand dismissively. "Don't fret. There are plenty of other Echoes out there."
She glanced around, half expecting another TD to jump out. "There should be some sweet Baby Roseshrooms nearby. Let's go check those out, shall we?"
Baizhi, who had been quiet until now, had other priorities.
"We need to report the unusual phenomena here to the City Hall and the Academy." She turned toward the others. "Let's make our exit."
Everyone agreed, though Chixia pouted a little, and the group finally began heading out. However, as Rover turned to leave, her Tacet Mark flared on its own. Before anyone could react, it absorbed the Echo directly.
The others froze in shock.
"What… what kind of power is that?!" Chixia blurted. She immediately assumed Rover had been hiding her abilities all along, but Yangyang worried instead about possible side effects of absorbing an Echo like that.
She looked to Baizhi, but the medic wore a distant, thoughtful expression. Yangyang's eyes lit up as she suddenly recalled an old legend — a historical figure who could absorb Echoes just like Rover.
Chixia, overhearing, joked, "Wait, don't tell me Rover's like the great-great-great-great-great-granny of all of us?"
Rover nearly coughed blood at that, as Baizhi simply shook her head.
At that moment, three beeps sounded in unison. The signals Chixia, Yangyang, and Baizhi had lost finally returned. When they checked their Terminals, a new message from Jinzhou City Hall appeared — one that immediately caught their attention.
"This is… a holographic message addressed to all of Jinzhou from the City Hall," Yangyang said, intrigued, as the projection resolved into the figure of a silver-haired girl dressed in regal, military-infused attire.
The silver-haired girl stepped forward in the holographic projection, her presence both regal and commanding, yet softened by a warmth that seemed to carry the weight of the city she represented.
"My fellow soldiers and citizens, I apologize for any inconvenience caused," she began, her voice calm and steady, every word measured yet approachable. "I am Jinhsi, the Magistrate of Jinzhou."
She spoke of the upcoming Moon-Chasing Festival, Jinzhou's long-standing role as a bastion against the Tacet Discord, and the enduring spirit of its people.
Pride and gratitude laced her words as she acknowledged the efforts of her soldiers, her tone resolute even in the face of hardship.
Then, her gaze — or at least the gaze of the holographic projection — seemed to focus more personally.
Among all the visitors, there was one she regarded as particularly significant. Jinzhou had awaited their arrival, she said, aware that unusual events might have already surrounded them.
She extended an invitation to City Hall, offering assistance, answers, or permissions they might require, though she admitted candidly that she might not hold all the answers herself.
Also, she made it clear: this was a personal request, not a command. And she called upon all citizens and soldiers of Jinzhou to support the visitor whenever possible, lending strength, guidance, or protection as needed.
The holographic message flickered to an end as Yangyang, Chixia, and Baizhi exchanged glances, suspicion evident in their eyes.
They felt that this mysterious person their Magistrate was referring to was most definitely Rover.
And despite Rover's attempts to deny it, Jinhsi's words had already caught her attention. She found herself heading toward the City Hall, curiosity guiding her steps.
Everything seemed to be going smoothly… until she encountered that man who was holding the elevator door for her and Chixia.
Though her memories were no longer as sharp as they once were, her instincts remained as keen as a blade's edge. The moment she saw the man, her senses snapped to full alert.
This man was an anomaly. It wasn't that he seemed hostile or bad — nothing overtly dangerous — but something about him set her nerves on edge.
She could see the mark of a Resonator on his left arm, and the strength of his Resonance ability was evident by the way he held himself. Yet, an indefinable danger clung to him.
Still, she had come to the City Hall to satisfy her curiosity. She stepped into the elevator. What happened next surprised her. The man reached toward her, then gently pushed her aside with a faint note of annoyance.
"Can you move?" he asked.
Having herself pushed away like that, Rover felt her chest rise and fall, indignation flaring, but she tried to remain civil. "Um… sir, that was very rude."
"Hmm…" The man turned toward her, loosening the fabric around his waist. He draped his white coat over her shoulders and, holding one of her her hand, he reached into his pocket before placing a single shell credit into her palm.
"Perhaps I was. Here, something to cover yourself… and take this. Also, if you don't mind a piece of advice…" He narrowed his eyes. "The City Hall is not a place for a hooker to just show up, miss."
Rover froze. 'D-Did he just call me a hooker?'
The man's tone softened slightly, though still edged with warning. "I understand desperate people show up, but please…"
He gestured toward the tunic he had given her. "Do not assume you can enter easily. That Ice Princess will freeze you alive if she finds you unworthy."
Before she could respond, the elevator reached its floor, and the man stepped out.
"I have business at the City Hall," he said, voice calm but firm. "Use that shell credit wisely. It may not seem like much, but there are people who would risk their lives, even if you offer them one shell credit."
"Also…" he whispered in a voice only he could hear, "…that's a special one."
Rover's hands trembled. "WHAT WAS THAT GUY'S PROBLEM?!" she shouted, throwing the shell credit onto the ground and stomping toward the City Hall, where she had just spotted Yangyang.
Chixia followed closely but paused to pick up the shell credit, muttering to herself, 'Every credit counts…'
To be continued...