On the giant screen, a shadowy figure in white appeared. Only half of his nose was visible, hidden in the dim light. His calm yet sinister voice echoed:
"So, the Ark is about to awaken once more. And the key to its revival… lies in the president of Hiden Intelligence. The one you call—Zero."
---
The Extraordinary Chat Group
As always, the supernatural chat group erupted in a flood of commentary.
Funina: "Wait a second! Is this Blade Wei guy also a spy?!"
March 7th: "Looks like it! I mean, doesn't this feel exactly like what happened with Sa Yu? She pretended to be loyal, but ended up betraying everyone too!"
Firefly: "Mm… you're right. We can't be careless. Something about this feels suspicious."
Keqing: "What a pity. She's so beautiful, and yet… she might be a traitor. Beauty mixed with betrayal is always the cruelest combination."
The chat quieted for a moment, as if everyone was processing the new twist.
---
The Journey Begins
That day, Steve came personally to inspect the tour group. The company had arranged for two guides: Shumajia and Anna.
Anna, ever professional, smiled as she stood at the front of the bus. Her crisp uniform and confident posture made her look like the very image of a guide who knew her work well. She picked up the microphone, her voice clear and pleasant.
"Hello everyone. I'll be your guide for today's journey. My name is Anna. What you are about to see is not merely a tourist site—it is a place of tragedy, a negative example that still casts painful memories across history, even twelve years later."
The passengers on the bus immediately grew quiet. Even the usually lively ones seemed to sense the gravity of her words.
Anna continued, her tone solemn:
"Our destination is Dawn Town, also known as the Experimental City. This was once a joint project between the Japanese government and leading technology companies, including Hiden Intelligence. At the time, it was considered a marvel of progress—the Xumagia Experimental City Plan."
She gestured toward the window as the bus rolled along the road. The outline of ruined structures began to appear in the distance, faint against the horizon.
"In this city," Anna said, "scientists successfully launched a communication satellite, a groundbreaking step in controlling the Xumagia population within the city. Alongside that, numerous developmental projects were underway. Factories, research centers, and living quarters—everything was designed to create a harmonious future between humans and artificial intelligence."
The passengers nodded, listening with rapt attention. Some even took notes, as if this were more than a simple tour.
"But then," Anna's voice lowered, carrying a weight that pressed down on the entire bus, "a sudden explosion rocked the development zone. The power reactors of multiple facilities detonated one after another. Within moments, the entire experimental city was reduced to rubble. An unprecedented disaster was born. That event became known as the Dawn Tragedy."
The passengers grew stiff in their seats. No one spoke.
"Even now, twelve years later," Anna concluded, "travel in and out of this area is strictly regulated. The scars of that accident are not easily erased."
---
Suspicions
Back in the Three Realms, viewers who had been watching the broadcast exchanged uneasy thoughts.
"This wasn't just an accident," one muttered.
"Yes," another agreed. "Just as Fuba Jian once said—this had to be premeditated. There's no way such a massive failure was coincidence."
---
The Question
On the bus, a curious tourist raised his hand. "Excuse me, I have a question. Why exactly did the factory explode? What was the cause?"
Anna answered calmly, though there was a slight hesitation in her eyes. "It is said that the accident resulted from maintenance errors in the Xumagia factories."
The words struck like a spark. Several passengers began to whisper. Some remembered what Fuba Jian had declared in the past—that the Dawn explosion had deeper roots than a simple maintenance error.
Then, a boy in the back, no older than thirteen, spoke up, his voice trembling but loud enough to be heard.
"I… I know this story. The person responsible for the accident… was his father." He pointed toward another boy sitting quietly by the window, his head lowered.
"I heard that his father was the manager of the factory where the explosion began."
Laughter broke out cruelly among a few of the passengers.
"Don't talk nonsense," one man sneered. "But then again, maybe you're right. If his father hadn't been so careless, none of this would've happened."
The boy sitting by the window clenched his fists, his shoulders trembling. He didn't speak.
---
The Explosion
Suddenly—
BOOM!
The bus behind them erupted into a massive explosion. Flames shot into the sky, black smoke rising like a monstrous hand.
"Ahhh!" Passengers screamed. Chaos spread instantly.
Through the smoke, the driver emerged. His body was engulfed in fire, yet he walked steadily, unnervingly calm.
In a chilling, mechanical tone, he declared:
"Connection established with Destruction Thunder Station."
"Onikko…"
"Extinction upgrade initiated."
As if those words summoned it, a pair of massive black wings burst forth from his back. The passengers froze in terror.
"Kill all humans!" he roared.
"Run!" someone screamed.
The Onikko magic machine lunged at the fleeing students.
From the sidelines, Xun sat with a cold smile, watching the chaos unfold. "Go. Kill the humans."
---
Heroes Step Forward
Fuba Jian and Ren Wei'a leapt into action, their expressions fierce.
"Transform!"
With a flash of light, they engaged the monstrous machine, clashing violently amidst fire and smoke. Metal rang against metal, sparks flying as their battle shook the ruins.
Meanwhile, the quiet boy—Sakurai Xiang—stood trembling, his voice barely audible above the chaos.
"Why… why does everyone treat me like this? Just because of my father… why?"
---
The Chat Group's Reaction
Back in the extraordinary chat group, everyone watched with heavy hearts.
Funina: "Oh no… it looks like his father was framed!"
March 7th: "Yes! I'm sure of it. This wasn't his father's fault. He's being used as a scapegoat."
Liuying: "Poor boy. He's so pitiful… everyone blames him for something he never did."
Sympathy filled the group, their usual banter replaced by somber silence.
---
The Truth Surfaces
Later, Izzy approached with her tablet in hand.
"According to our company's records," she said gently, "this boy is Sakurai Xiang. His father, Mr. Tuo… died in the explosion twelve years ago."
Sakurai Xiang lowered his head, tears welling in his eyes.
"Everyone says it was my father's fault. They say he made mistakes that caused the Dawn explosion. That everything was destroyed… because of him."
Steve stepped forward, his voice firm, his eyes unwavering.
"No. It wasn't your father's fault. The true culprit behind the Dawn accident… was the killing machine, Xumagia. It was those out-of-control Xumagia who caused the factory to explode."
Sakurai Xiang's fists tightened. His body shook violently, anger and grief battling inside him.
But Anna interjected coldly. "There are no records to support that claim. No evidence has ever been found."
Izzy added, "I am searching the database. According to official records, the explosion in Dawn Town was caused by maintenance errors. That… is the correct history."
The audience across the Three Realms burst into laughter.
"Haha! Izzy is so adorable!"
"Yes, but she doesn't realize that what she calls the 'truth' is just the information others fed her."
"Exactly. The correct history may not be the real truth."
---
Confrontation
Steve frowned. "If the 'correct history' is what people write in records, then how do we ever uncover the truth?"
Determined, he sought out Fukutsu Jun. "Please explain something to me," Steve demanded. "Why did the factory explode on the day of the Dawn accident?"
Fukutsu Jun froze. His face paled. For a moment, he stammered, unable to answer.
"Why… why are you suddenly asking me this?"
"I don't care about your excuses!" Steve's voice thundered. "Answer me! What are you hiding?"
Fukutsu Jun faltered, sweat forming on his brow. "I… I don't remember anything from that time."
"You're lying!" Steve shouted. "You know something—you're deliberately hiding the truth!"
Anna's eyes narrowed, her voice sharp. "Vice President Fukutsu, why did the Xumagia rebellion happen twelve years ago? We searched the archives of Hiden Intelligence, and nothing remains. Why is that?"
Izzy whispered, "Perhaps the truth was deliberately erased."
"I said I don't remember!" Fukutsu Jun's voice cracked. He stood abruptly, his expression guilty and nervous. He made for the door, clearly desperate to leave.
---
The Chat Explodes
Funina: "Haha! Look at him—he's definitely guilty!"
Yae Shenzi: "Yes, he's hiding something. His reaction says it all."
Raiden Ying: "The way he panicked… it's obvious. He knows exactly what happened that day."
Hua Huo: "So, what's the truth he's hiding? This is getting interesting…"
The mystery of Dawn Town deepened. Twelve years of silence, lies, and erased records—what secret was so dangerous that even the Vice President of Hiden Intelligence would risk everything to conceal it?
And most importantly… how did it connect to the Ark's revival?
The shadows of the past were stirring once more.