Author notes:
Since I am not going to work on this story for a while, I might as well post these two chapters I was saving on Patreon.
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Jinzhou's architecture is strange.
Back on Earth, at least in the United States, architecture was fairly standard. Large, boxy buildings rising into the sky, housing businesses, homes, offices, hospitals, and many more. As one moved away from the city, they would come upon suburbs filled with quaint homes in mostly peaceful communities.
Like I said, fairly common architecture.
But that is not the case with Jinzhou.
This border city that supposedly guards Huanglong from TD Outbreaks is designed in layers.
The bottom-most layer has roads leading into and out of the city, with warehouses belonging to Lolo Logistics, the only logistics firm in the city, and a pier for ships to dock at. There are also a few shops here and there, including that lass Koko's Shifang Pharmacy. (I really need to find a way to thank her for showing me the map function on my Terminal and introducing me to the area).
This layer also has the way to the huge theater where plays are held, stories told, and supposedly serves as the main attraction for a lot of the stuff during festivals.
I'll admit, the huge tree behind the theater was breathtaking, and I might have spent more than an hour just admiring it, and the cats and dogs all around it that the children were playing with.
Mainly the cats and dogs. I always did want a pet growing up, but could not get one for obvious reasons. After growing up? Definitely a no, given my career path.
Anyways, above this layer is the middle one that is also the main layer. This one houses the top half of the Nexus Tower, the residential district to the west, the Pioneer Association office that is right down the residential district, very near to the Western Gate, the restaurants and markets to the East, along with the so-called Synthesizer and Weapons Forges further East right by the Academy that Baizhi works at. (still haven't figured out what the hell a Synthesizer even is. I really need to sit down with a book on common sense and the terminology of this world).
After this is the top layer, which leads directly to the City Hall and the hills behind it, which are heavily fortified.
Given its layered structure, combined with the fact that it only has three ways for entry, the western gate, the northern gate, and the pier, with the rest of its borders protected by energy barriers (I don't understand how such ridiculous technology is mixed in with the traditional way these people live. Again, I need that damned book on common sense), the city of Jinzhou lives up to its reputation as the bastion that protects Huanglong on the Eastern shores of this continent.
That being said, because of its nature as a border town smack dab in the middle of TD Outbreak-prone area, there are many people who have left everything behind for greener pastures across the nation of Huanglong, maybe even beyond.
This meant that for those like me who are looking for a good place to rent or buy, depending on the price, it's free real estate.
Case in point? The rather cozy-looking house that I was looking at right now.
Well, cozy looking if you ignore how much of it looked like it needed some serious renovations.
The old man smiled at me as I looked at the interior and the exterior while also using my power to see if there was any part of the house that needed complete replacement instead of just renovation.
"What do you think? Young man?"
"It will take some serious renovations, but I can work with this. What are you asking for it?"
"5 million."
.....That's a ridiculously low amount for a house this size that can easily house three people comfortably and still have room to spare.
For context, the average rent for a house in this city, according to Chixia, is around 10,000 Shell Credits, which means that this man is selling this house at the same cost as four or five years' worth of rent for a small, one-person home in this city.
I was actually prepared to pay double that amount (borrowing the reward money from Rover for it since we would be owning this home together, thanks to our shared circumstances).
The old man must have seen my dubious look since he smiled wryly.
"This house has sat untouched for three years, boy. Given the way people are slowly but surely leaving this city since that disastrous TD Outbreak back then, I would be surprised if I can sell it for a million credits in the next two years or so. Especially since this place is so out of the way, very far from the market or medical facilities, not to mention that it has no access to public transportation."
He gave me a curious look as he continued speaking.
"Speaking of, why are you even interested in this house? As I said, this place is so remote that only those old hermits who want nothing to do with others but still wish to stay inside a city's safety would choose. Given the Terminal on your back, I don't think you are that kind of hermit."
".....I like the peace and quiet."
"Haha! I see. Anyways, what do you think? You going to take it?"
I nodded at his words, making the old man smile.
"Then, I'll process the papers for the registration tomorrow morning and meet you at the City Hall for the registration and payment."
"Alright. But, old man, I got one question."
"Go ahead."
"Why did you say that you wanted to complete the transaction as quickly as possible? You going somewhere?"
The old man held a melancholic smile at my question.
When I first met him through the online forum and enquired about the house, he had mentioned that he needed to complete this sale as quickly as possible, which made me very curious about why he wanted to get rid of this house so quickly.
If this place has any problems, I will need to know about them as its new owner.
"Yes. I am leaving Jinzhou with my wife in a week or so. We are going back to Mingting."
I could not help but feel surprised at that.
"The Capital? I did not know you were that well-connected."
"It's not about connections. It was our home originally. Besides-"
The pain in his eyes made me stop speaking despite the fake smile he held on his face.
"-There is no point in staying in this city anymore. Especially after my Son and Daughter-in-law lost their lives needlessly because this city chose the wrong general without checking his background back then."
"....I'm sorry for your loss."
The old man patted me on the shoulder.
"Don't worry about it. I have come to terms with it long ago. Besides, they were Midnight Rangers, so they knew what they were walking into when they signed up. The only ones I blame are this city's management and that bastard Geshu Lin."
The ugly sneer on his face when he spoke about this Geshu Lin was really something, but I made sure to note that name in my mind for further research.
"Then, do you blame the Magistrate for what happened?"
He shook his head at my question.
"The Magistrate had not taken full charge just yet in those days, so I cannot blame her. And neither can I blame Lady Changli since she was in Mingting at that time. It is those old fools that called themselves 'The Council' that I blame for that disaster."
"But don't worry, they got their just deserts for their actions when Mingting branded them all traitors to Huanglong and had them either imprisoned or executed. As for the real traitor? That bastard Geshu Lin ran away to parts unknown."
The old man laughed coldly.
"Typical Mingting incompetence. Anyways, enough about those dark days."
He gave me a kind smile with a pat on the back.
"I hope you can give this place a new meaning."
".....This was your son and daughter-in-law's home, wasn't it?"
"....Perceptive brat. Yes. It was."
I nodded at the old man's rueful look.
"I'll meet you tomorrow at the City Hall."
"Alright, Robert."
"Call me Robbie."
"Haha! Young people and their nicknames. Fine then, Robbie. See you tomorrow."
"Good night, Mr. Xin."
I walked the old man to the door as he moved across the street and into the house opposite our newly acquired house.
It was only when I was sure that Mr. Xin had left and locked his door that I closed my own door and moved to the center of the house.
Mr. Xin was right in that this place really had nothing much in the way of conveniences and would be rather uncomfortable for modern folk due to the lack of many modern electronic conveniences and 'smart' features. Hell, it did not even have a proper Terminal network access without using a signal booster. (Which I will have to ask the local network provider about tomorrow).
However, I still insist on taking this place over any other. Not only because of its cheap price, but because of the very land under it which held a priceless treasure that these people seem to be unaware of or unable ot make use of.
Walking to the center of the house, I placed my hand on the ground and went through the familiar ritual as I did at the Nexus Tower and the Resonance Beacon near the Gorge.
Within seconds, an invisible wave of power burst out before condensing within my very soul, giving me another avenue of travel.
Yup. This place had a Leyline right below it. It is the reason why I was so interested in buying this place the moment I detected it after walking into this place with Mr. Xin, going as far as borrowing money from Rover.
With this convenience, I can travel to any other leyline that I've already synchronized with. Best part is, I can take others with me as well, which gives Rover and I a lot of travel options.
"Now, let's see how much material I need to fix this place..."
While I was not a real carpenter, I did learn a little bit about fixing houses from the damage control units of the FBC when they had to work in record time on the field, fixing any and all damages that could be fixed after an Altered World Event to keep their existence a secret from the general public.
From what I can see, this place is in a rather good state and only needs some wood and stone to replace the parts that looked eroded or ill-maintained.
Best part about this is that I can get the wood literally for free. It is an agreement that the city supposedly has with the local manufacturing sector.
Any Resonator that brings wood from the forests outside the city to the North is entitled to get a quarter of the refined planks or their equivalent in money, since those forests are notoriously infested with TDs but also produce really good quality wood.
So all I have to do is bring back that wood from the forests, and I'll have enough wood to fix this place up. The rest of the materials can be bought with money since wood is the major part of the resources I need to fix this place up, and by far the priciest to buy directly.
But all of this will have to wait until tomorrow since it is already night.
Speaking of, I should contact Rover and tell her about our new home.
—————————————————————-
Sanhua watched from a few buildings away using binoculars, keeping an eye on the 'Outsider' that a certain famed individual from Mingting had predicted about through their ability.
And it was not just Robert that she was keeping an eye on, since the Magistrate and Counselor Changli had agreed that it would be best for her to keep an eye on both him and Rover.
Especially since a certain organization had taken an abnormal interest in the two.
Truthfully speaking, Sanhua might have done that even if she had not been explicitly given this mission in the first place, if only to ensure the safety of Jinzhou and to understand the enigmas that these two were.
Rover. A title more than a name, and a fitting one if the secret records that she was allowed to look into were anything to go by.
This woman was the only one, aside from Magistrate Jinhsi, who appeared exactly as they were to her twisted sight that always showed her the worst in everyone.
After their meeting, Sanhua had followed Rover around as she spent time with the Outrider Yangyagn and Junior Patroler Chixia, chasing down leads, trying to understand the Magistrate's, or rather, the Counselor's puzzle, undergoing medical examinations at the Academy, and taking part in the training simulation Sonoro Spheres managed by Yhan.
Sanhua truly felt glad to know that Rover was someone very intelligent when she easily figured out the truth behind the Sugar Pill, the Sundial, and the origin of the black fruit, leading her on the path of Norfall Barrens, which she was set to visit the next day.
If the Counselor's plan truly works just as the Magistrate hopes, then, perhaps she and her kin from the city could truly rely on Rover to help them in the upcoming trials prophesied for Jinzhou, the Sentinel, and the Magistrate.
'Speaking of Prophacy....'
Sanhua could not help but wince as a pulse of unknown energy erupted in her view, a scene that nobody but her could see, from the house that the young man called Robbie had just negotiated from the former ministry member, Mr. Xia, who moved from Mingting to here many decades ago.
If the prophecy about Rover was one of hope, then the prophecy that they received about Robbie was one that made absolutely no sense to any of them.
'Pay heed as an Outsider streaks down from the sky'
'Who knows if he will sink us to the depths or help us fly'
'A burdened heart comes from afar'
'Carrying the strength of a distant Guiding Star'
'If you show him the kindness of light'
'He will stand by your side day and night'
'But if he sees darkness in all.'
'He will be the Harbinger of the Dragon's fall.'
It was a short prophecy that made no sense with its riddle, one that even the Councilor could not decipher. However, the Magistrate believed that it would be a positive one, given the way the prophecy spoke of a guiding star and his supposed loyalty in its verse. A theory that Councillor Changli was not so inclined to trust just yet, given the ominous warnings in the last verses of the prophecy.
Whatever the case may be, it was Sanhua's duty, thanks to her unique power, to look at this Outsider and try to understand if he would be a boon or a threat to the city. A duty that she took on without complaining.
But now, she was sincerely regretting.
Because what she saw from him, it was not something that could be put into words.
If Rover shone brightly in her eyes, her true form being the same as her outer form, like the incorruptable Sun itself, then Robbie was the vast abyss that stares back at you the more you stare at it.
Except, this abyss also held a star just as bright, if not brighter, than the sun itself at its center. its power pushing back the darkness.
A Darkness that was-
rebellions, strange, dangerous, c̵̿ͅȏ̷̫r̶̩̾r̴̞͗ṵ̸̔ṗ̴̖t̴͔̾i̸͓̿v̸̫͐e̸͈͐, u̴̢̜͌n̶͓̟͇͆s̸̰͈͍̎t̷̨̛͉o̵̻̹͓̊͋͘p̷̥̍̈́p̸̞̑ą̷̭̍̔b̴͇͚͙͒͗l̶͖͉̊ȅ̴̠̃̓, ḭ̴̪̞̽͗ṋ̴̺͓̂́̔̌̔̾͒̊ě̷̖̞͚́s̶͖͕̣͇̖̭̓͗̃͐c̵̹̽̆̂́͊͝à̵̟p̴̱̦̞̐̈̑̉͌̆͋͒a̷̹̩̺̫̼̒̓͜͜ͅb̶̡̗̰͎͒̏̿̾l̶͓̙̲͉̠̟̖̐́̏́̄͋̊̈́͠é̷͓̤̜̾͜, i̴̹̠̹͓͙̳͛͑̾͑͝ņ̴͇͔̹̯͕̮̻̓͐͂̊́̈́̌̽͋̀̓͑e̴̛͖͉͓̳̹̠̓̃͂͛̈́̓̔͌ś̶̼̓͂̄́̚̕͝c̶̢̺͉͙̦̠̩̽̽́̔̓͑́̏́̏͘͠á̸̳̩̖̬̤͎̥̔́̅p̷̳͇͇̰̖̙̺̞͔̠̈́͑̊̽͑͌̕͜ą̶͖̜͗̃͗̃͗͠b̶̨̨̬̱̹̝̑͑̀̓́͋͘ͅḷ̵̨̤̺̱͖̇̓̉̓̉̈́̊̈́̆͠͝ĕ̶̱͆͋̄̅͂͊̈̃̍̑, ś̵̝̰̭̗̦͇̞̯̱̏͐͛̊͐͆̃̾̌̀̉̇̓̔̑̏̐̕̕͝ͅͅủ̶̦̯̮͙͎͚͙̐̒̅͋̈́͊̓́̕b̴̼̩̲͕̤̦͔͍͔̳͇̝̳̰̤͎̜̗̰̺̙̔̑̄͗̌̋̓͌͆̍͜͝m̴͍̣̫̲͕̦̗̦̟̩̜̼͋̾̌̀͐̽͗̚ĭ̶̢̢̲̗̼̯̩̣̥̝̠̤̦̝͒̓͌͑͊̌́̀̆͐̍̒̍́͐̂̊̕͘͜͝͝t̶̠̗̮͉͇̓̈́̂ ̴̨̧̫̦̹̲͈̫̞̝̖͋̾̇͊̆̉̎͆̉̓͂̃́̒̋̓͗̀̚͜t̴̢̨̡͕͈͇̲͈̬̳̥̫̜̺̖̂̄͗̊̓̎̋̈͛͌̑̽̊͌͋̿̈́̆͛͜ọ̶̢̢̥̝̣̰͐̎̇̈́̋̃͗̇̄̈́̕͝ͅ ̶̡̞̝͚͍̱͇̦͈͍̥̞̥̰̺̹̯͉̘̝̞̖̒̊̈̈́̆̎͝ͅͅͅi̴̧̧̡̡̨̨̟̪͎͍͎͍͍̤̗̦͇͖̘͙̱͖̗̞̭̖͋̂̂̍͊͋̓̒͒͜͝ť̸̡̢̰̲̹̖̖̬̟̪̦̣͚̩̖͑̒,̸̧̻̞̱͖̰̫̞̺̪͗̌͑̂̈́͆̉̓́̚̕͜͝͝ ̶̡̢̛̛͔͉̬͖̤͓̥̯͕͚̞͎͎̦̳̳̬͉̞̠̀͆̎̌̈́̏̔͒̄͐̾̀͗̋̈́͒̀͗̔̓̽̀̀͜͠ͅm̴̛̛͍͕̤̹̫̼͕̪̰̄̽̿̉̃̎̌͋̔̀͝å̷̦̮̾̅̌̋̄͒̎̐̏͆k̴̢͈͓̱̦͍̤͚͔̗̰̥̫̤͇̻̬̰͙͎͚̂̎ͅḗ̵̼̣͍͙̟͎̲̹́̓̎̈́̓ ̷̧̨̥̞̩͍͖̯͚͔̼̖͕͙͙̼͗̈́͆̀̑̚͜ͅḏ̷̡̧̛͍͚͖̩̼̝͈̫̺̗͎̺̣̾̀̈́̍̈͑r̵̢͇͈̺̥̩̗̬͎̲̯͓͚̲̗̫͕̙̳̈́̀͌̆̈̒̀̂͒̋̊̒ͅẹ̸̡̯̺̠̆͊͊̐̇͐́̓͗̋̉̀̒̀̿̄̂͒͊͊͌̕͝ą̵̺̳͈̲͊̐͂̊̀͂̊͘͝͝m̴̧̨̩͔̺̮̙̰̣̙͇̲͚͆̅̊̇̍̆̈́̿͌͒͆̈̈́̓̀̇̀́̓̕͘͘͠s̸̢̢̥̮̳̳̤̬̙̜̺̜͇̹̥͙͎̓͑̽́̒̍͋͌̇͆̇͋͗̎̏͐͑̆͒̂̐̌̍͒̕̚͜͝ͅ ̵͕̩͖̩̥͎̤͍̜͈̥̫̦̋̊̅̐̎̽͊̓̓̀̌͊̈́̃̆̇̄̈̍̒̍͘̕͝r̶̡̨̨̜̯͍͈̗͕͇͇̘̞͍͔̬̝̬̗̃̊͛̃̓͗̎̿̍̈́̕͜͝e̸̩̩͇͍̓͋͐a̷̜̯̹͔̙̪͖̫̹̲̰̖̝͕̦̩̩̩̲̒͋l̵̛͇̰̜̱͉̼͈͍̱͔̣̮̦͈̿̔͛̀́̎̂̓͒̌͆͜͝-̸̡̻̬͔̼͆̂̚
With a deep breath, Sanhua got rid of those thoughts and concentrated back on reality.
Robbie was tainted by some kind of corruption. That much she could tell. She did not know the details since she did not ask, and neither could she guess, since the corruptive frequency was so overwhelmingly powerful that she doubted if even a Threnodian could hold a candle to that dangerous power. (not like she knew what a Threnodian's influence would look like, but she could speculate based on her experience with former General Geshu Lin).
However, this corruption had no hold on Robbie. The reason was that, within him, she saw another frequency. A power just as great as the corruptive one, pushing back the corruption and protecting Robbie's soul. (and what a soul it was. Paradoxical in a way she had never seen. Brighter than the Sun itself, yet darker than any abyss she had ever seen. Mangled and scarred beyond belief, but still holding on through sheer rage, will, and spite)
Aside from this dangerous game of push and pull going on within his soul, she could also tell that Robbie was telling the truth when he said he was not of this world.
His biology was completely identical to the humans of this world, but on a metaphysical level, he was completely different.
Unlike the humans of this world, his metaphysical form was not made of Frequencies. It was made of strange energies that made her heart go cold due to the sheer density of their presence and the metaphysical weight behind these energies.
As if that was not proof enough, the world behaved differently around him.
Gravity exerted itself on him slightly differently, a bit harder, barely noticeable for a regular civilian, much less a Resonator, but the change was there. The atmosphere distorted around him just enough to be barely noticeable, but not enough to be openly visible, the atmospheric pressure acting barely a few decimals differently around him than anywhere else.
The oxygen he drew in was nearly double that of a regular human, and the carbon dioxide he released was just as dense and purer. His bone density was much higher than that of a regular person or even a low-level Resonator, but there were no signs of any negative effects on his body.
His eyes worked more efficiently, his ears could hear further than the natives, his sense of taste was far better, and there was no need to speak about his physical capabilities.
The Academy made a whole report based on the tests they conducted on him, and all of this was just the cliffnotes of the vast hundred-page report.
Again, biologically, he was no different from a human from this world. And yet, he was better than a regular human in every single way possible. As if someone had taken a human and enhanced everything about them to an absurd degree.
A superhuman, as it were. More so than a Resonator.
The terrifying thing was, Sanhua and the scientists at the academy did not know if this was the baseline for his branch of humanity on his planet or if he was the exception, given that he was just as confused by the differences as they were, which he simply chalked up to being from a different world. A conclusion that they were forced to accept for now due to a lack of any alternative theories at the moment.
It was because of so many differences that Sanhua had no problem in identifying him as the 'Outsider' that the prophecy spoke of.
Because what else could you call someone who looked exactly like them but was so much different under the hood? Someone who is literally outside this world's norm?
And on top of all of this were his bizarre powers.
Telepathy, Telekinesis, the ability to manipulate the strange energies that reside within his soul, and the way he expertly wields these powers in such creative ways. All of these things already put him on par with powerful Resonators like General Jiyan or even the Magistrate herself.
It was one of the reasons why she was standing so far away from him.
Thanks to her eyes, she could see the extremely large range in which his energies were spread, probably some kind of telepathic field that kept him alert and allowed him to track anyone in the vicinity.
'A very paranoid individual, but his paranoia is justified.'
Suddenly, her Terminal rang, making her look at the ID and the message attached to it.
[Return to the City Hall. We have new information that we need to go over regarding your mission.]
Sanhua gave one last look at Robbie's home and jumped away, heading back to the Hall.
'Hopefully, the Magistrate is right. Because if he turns out to be our enemy, this might prove to be one of the darkest times for Jinzhou.'