The 'Snow-Clad Clarity' user did not reply again.
"Ordinary yet not ordinary—what kind of nonsense is that?"
This person must have seen her before. Excluding Rover, Baizhi, and Aalto, judging by the username, could it be Sanhua?
Lucian continued scrolling.
[Jade Coral Appraiser: So it's him! My master saw him yesterday. Apparently, he has a huge treasure in his possession! I'd love to see it for myself.]
[—Autumn Water Without Ripples replied: Who's your master?]
[—Jade Coral Appraiser: My master is Chenpi! This thread is so lively! If anyone has treasures that need appraising, feel free to seek out this master! Just pay for a meal, and I'll take care of it!]
"Chenpi actually has a disciple…"
That was unexpected, but the username reminded him of an old acquaintance.
Yangyang spoke up: "This should be Youhu. Like her master Chenpi, she's an expert in antiques."
"Though she's young, she's almost never made a mistake in appraising treasures."
Come to think of it… why didn't Chenpi charge me when he appraised 'Comrade's Hammer' yesterday?
Hmm… probably because he saw Chixia and me running around for his sake.
Lucian didn't think it was because he was too handsome—after all, no one would turn down money just for the sake of pride.
Lucian put away his terminal. "I'll settle the score with him later. For now, let's deal with the matter at hand."
After a long journey, fortunately, they encountered no further obstacles. Even when a few Tacet Discords appeared, the Stonewall Bracers took care of them.
The group arrived before a massive fortress. The entire Rearguard Base was shrouded in an oppressive, murderous aura, weighing heavily on them.
Jianxin's expression was grave. Lucian asked with concern, "Jianxin, are you alright?"
She exhaled deeply. "This is my first time on a battlefield. It's completely different from the atmosphere in the city."
Lucian ruffled the unruly hair on her head to comfort her. "Your master is also stepping onto the battlefield for the first time. But don't be afraid. As I've always said, no matter what we—"
Just as Lucian was about to recite some famous words, Yangyang cut him off:
"Ahem, let me give everyone a brief introduction."
"Desorock Highlands—this is the front line of the war against the Tacet Discord tides. Once a fertile river valley, its terrain and landscape have been drastically altered by the Waveworn Phenomenon and the Threnodians."
"Even now, the Tacet Discord tides remain a threat that Desorock Highlands must remain vigilant against. But under the command of the current Midnight Rangers General, Jiyan, Jinzhou has established stable strongholds here."
"And where we stand now is the border between Desorock Highlands and the Central Terrace—the Rearguard Base."
"Every generation of Midnight Rangers knows this is the final line of defense that must never be breached by the Tacet Discord tides. After all, behind us lies Jinzhou City."
"The engineers and the army have built defensive walls and fortifications here, constructing a military camp around the beacon. They continuously reinforce the 'defensive wall' to stall large-scale Tacet Discord invasions."
Lucian: "Maybe I should recall the Stonewall Bracers first?"
People's hatred for Tacet Discords was anything but ordinary—far from the harmonious coexistence between humans and 'Pokémon' that Lucian had imagined.
But Tacet Discords were nothing like Pokémon. Still, Lucian had no intention of changing that.
Even the weakest Tacet Discords were hostile toward humans, and given how many lives they had already destroyed, reconciliation was impossible.
Yangyang nodded. "You should recall them. Otherwise, we might be mistaken for Fractsidus members and attacked."
"Fractsidus? That name again."
"Again?"
Lucian nodded. "Aalto mentioned them yesterday too."
Yangyang explained: "Fractsidus is an organization that preys on those who lack Resonance talent but crave power. They've crossed the forbidden boundaries of science."
"Using special mechanical components, they couple human bodies with Tacet Discord limbs. The distorted frequencies of the Tacet Discords gradually warp the minds of their followers and corrode their flesh."
"Ew—" Lucian grimaced. "That's just inhuman."
Yangyang nodded. "That's why Fractsidus has an extremely poor reputation in Jinzhou."
As they spoke, they finally entered the fortress.
Inside, numerous soldiers bustled about, each face stern with duty.
Though the scene appeared chaotic, there was an underlying order to it.
Seeing that no soldiers approached to question them, the group walked toward someone who appeared to be an officer.
"...I know a batch of supplies arrived today. I've already taken inventory. It's not enough—still not enough. Contact the city again and have them expedite more as soon as possible."
Xiulan spoke rapidly, her expression urgent.
The delivery soldier hesitated. "But the approval process still needs—"
"Tell them to fast-track it! Every second counts here. A single delay could collapse the front line. Don't they understand that? Here, take the list."
Xiulan didn't even give the soldier a chance to respond, shoving the list into his arms.
"If they refuse, have them contact me directly! Go! Hurry!"
The delivery soldier scurried off anxiously, while Xiulan continued barking orders:
"Move faster! Why aren't these supplies unloaded yet?!"
Lucian cleared his throat. "Ahem, hello. We're—"
He had intended to ask about the token and Jianxin's search for someone, but Xiulan didn't give him the chance.
Xiulan turned toward the voice. "More people? Are you reinforcements?"
Without waiting for an answer, she continued, "Wait—you're not Midnight Rangers, are you?"
Lucian pouted and hugged Rover dramatically. "Rover, she's bullying me!"
Rover blinked, then played along with an indignant expression. "How is she bullying you?"
"She's denying me the right to speak!"
"..."
Yangyang ignored their antics and presented her credentials:
"I'm Yangyang, a member of the Midnight Rangers' Outrider. These are—"
Before she could finish, Xiulan was already back to work:
"Sorry, one moment."
She turned to a nearby soldier. "Careful! That crate has medicine inside!"
"If the wounded come down and there's no medicine left, you won't last a day in this camp! Handle it gently!"
Lucian sighed and said to Rover, "See? Even a member of the Midnight Rangers' Outrider doesn't get respect here!"
Xiulan turned back to them. "Outrider? You're reinforcements, right?"
Lucian straightened his collar and put on a serious expression. "Actually, we were sent by the Magistrate. We—"
Beep beep beep— Xiulan's terminal rang.
She interrupted him again. "Sorry, I have to take this call."
"Rover! Even the Magistrate's authority doesn't work here!"
"..."