Moonset, dawn, wind rising, clouds gathering.
Under the overcast sky, a clear yet melancholic song echoed in the desolate and remote Court of Savantae ruins.
"Is this revenge I am seeking, or seeking someone to avenge me?, Stuck in my own paradox, I wanna set myself free."
"Maybe I should chase and find before they'll try to stop it, It won't be long before I'll become a puppet."
Noah softly sang to relieve boredom, his half-lowered eyes profound, unreadable as to what he was thinking.
The person he was waiting for did not come.
No one from Black Shores came.
The implications behind this—he dared not think too much, yet couldn't help thinking more.
The bleak wind blew across Whining Aix's Mire, bringing large swaths of dark clouds, making the already gloomy sky even more oppressive.
A few crows, unable to endure the stifling air, let out hoarse cries in the distance, as if foretelling an unprecedented heavy rain about to fall.
Noah stopped his meaningless singing and fell silent instead.
In an instant, he thought of many things: the Threnodian about to revive, Jinzhou without Rover, Black Shores in unknown condition.
If the destined savior's whereabouts were unknown, where should the hope in people's eyes under the apocalypse turn?
Who would take the mission from the pioneers' hands and rush toward that dawn that would never arrive?
Me?
Makes sense—such things are usually done by transmigrators or reincarnators, but...
Invisible irritability fueled raging anger in Noah's heart, constantly provoking the hidden violence deep within.
Why does it have to be me?
He admitted he had no ambition or courage to be this kind of savior. Even before transmigrating, as a corporate slave, he often thought it would be good if the world ended one day.
No WiFi, no phone, and no Rover—this world oppressed by apocalypse with a messed-up plot, he had long had enough.
Just five days ago, he was an ordinary person, suddenly coming to this world where every moment required fighting.
He feared injury too; he dreaded death. Why did an ordinary person like him have to transmigrate here.
Someone like him, once without cheats, was clearly nothing.
Noah took a deep breath, stepped on the accelerator; the engine roared like a beast, and the car shot forward like an arrow released from the string.
Complaints over—now, time to hit the road.
Sometimes life is like this: even when pressure builds to near collapse, one can only in the dead of night take out one's heart to stitch and mend it.
Then, advance amid collapse.
Even if fierce winds rise, life never surrenders.
Unknowingly, dark clouds densely covered Whining Aix's Mire; the sky gloomy as ink. In the pitch-black Whining Aix's Mire, only a speeding car shone with light.
Wind suddenly rose, shaking the trees; birds frantically flapped wings returning to nests. A few tiny raindrops, as scouts of the storm, fell first, embracing the vast earth.
[Main Quest: To Know the Coming Rain has been completed.]
[Currently possess Radiant Tide *30, Lustrous Tide *35, Astrite *12200, Shell Credits *680000.]
===✧✦✧===
Desorock Highland.
"This rain has finally come."
Jiyan lifted his head, gazing up at the falling raindrops in the gloomy sky.
A soldier approached and reported the camp situation to him:
"Currently 500 combat-ready personnel, all have taken anti-Retroact Rain medication and worn Concealment Bracelets. Hallucinations among team members have significantly decreased; no adverse reactions currently."
"Five hundred?"
Jiyan furrowed his brows tightly, sternly rebuking:
"I clearly remember 128 soldiers were severely injured resisting the Tacet Discord wave in the three days I was absent. You included them too?"
Hearing Jiyan's question, the Midnight Ranger soldier's voice immediately softened, weakly saying:
"General, they said they can fight. We can't lack this force either..."
"...I understand."
Jiyan fell silent for a moment, arms crossed over his chest, gazing far beyond the rain curtain, his voice somewhat muffled:
"Proceed as planned. Heighten vigilance. Report any anomalies immediately. After the rain stops, advance to Norfall Barrens at once."
The soldier saluted and turned to leave.
Endless rain sounds entered his ears, making Jiyan dazed. He couldn't bear those severely injured soldiers fighting, but the Jinzhou he needed to protect behind him allowed no willfulness.
With great battle imminent, he must remain rational at all times.
Retroact Rain grew heavier. Jiyan decided to patrol the base once more to avoid mistakes.
Gradually, several soldiers appeared ahead. Even as Jiyan approached, they continued their low-voiced conversation:
"This Tacetite weapon is truly amazing. Even an ordinary person like me can deal decent damage to Tacet Discords with it."
"The core in Tacetite weapons is very unstable. Ordinary people can't endure it long—must discard it before losing control."
"Got it. But how much longer until we finish this fight under General Geshu Lin?"
It was an illusion produced by Retroact Rain.
Back then, when Tacetite weapons that allowed ordinary people to harm Tacet Discords appeared, all ordinary personnel in the army were equipped with them—only later... casualties were tragic.
Jiyan sighed lightly. After learning from Geshu Lin's lesson, he optimized the army structure, making most Resonators in the army, with non-Resonators mainly handling logistics.
This also reduced total front-line numbers.
Continuing forward, several cheerful voices reached Jiyan's ears again:
"Hey, let's go to the next Gulpuff race together."
"What?"
"Hey, you just won first in running—don't think of backing out. We're just missing you."
Another illusion brought by Retroact Rain.
Jiyan lowered his gaze, lost in thought. Since that Battle Beneath the Crescent three years ago, the Gulpuff race hadn't been held for three years.
If this war ended smoothly, perhaps they could restart the competition.
Not lingering long on the illusions, Jiyan continued forward. More conversation voices entered his ears:
"We've been fighting too long."
"This is the last line of defense—we must hold it to the death. Behind us is Jinzhou City; no retreat."
"After several battles, all defeats—the Tacet Discord wave's attacks are endless. Pure defense—we can't hold."
Hoo—
Jiyan closed his eyes, deeply exhaling, striving not to be affected by the illusions.
When he opened his eyes, a long-absent figure appeared before him.
The figure tall and straight, muscles sleek yet powerful, brow peaks like blades, narrow eyes deep as abyss, exuding sharpness and profundity.
Cold, keen—precisely the missing former general of the Midnight Rangers, Geshu Lin.
"Perhaps your idea is right, but this rain is our only chance. The enemy we've always longed to eliminate is now brazenly appearing before us."
Without eliminating the Threnodian, the Tacet Discord wave's assaults would only continue endlessly.
Geshu Lin's voice carried ice:
"And you, Jiyan—a military doctor—because of worry over those so-called ghosts produced by Retroact Rain, advise me to stop?"
Facing the illusion before him, Jiyan remained silent, unsure how to speak.
The Geshu Lin before him didn't know that under the Threnodian's power, those ghostly illusions would turn from illusory to real, doubling enemy numbers.
"When you see your compatriots, family, comrades dying one after another before you, you will never allow your soldiers to miss this golden opportunity to seize the Threnodian's weakness because of mere ghosts."
Geshu Lin's emotions grew more intense, almost roaring at Jiyan:
"Anything attempting to block our path—kill without mercy!"
"I will use my ability to clear the way for everyone."
"This battle, even at greater cost—ten, hundred, thousand... we must win!"
Ten, hundred, thousand... not even "ten thousand," and most of those thousand were ordinary people who took up Tacetite weapons to fight.
It showed how tragically the Midnight Rangers had been reduced under repeated Threnodian assaults back then.
Under Retroact Rain—advance or retreat. But back then, the Midnight Rangers had Jinzhou behind them—how to retreat?
"General Geshu Lin."
Jiyan finally spoke.
"The purpose of battle is to protect everything around us. Our victory should not be built on endless sacrifice."
Amid endless rain sounds, Jiyan drew his waist sword, slowly saying:
"I cannot confirm your choice was wrong, nor guarantee mine is right. But when Jinzhou faces danger, I will draw my blade for my beliefs just like you—"
Geshu Lin's illusion vanished; Jiyan sheathed his sword.
"Never ceasing."
The situation he faced now was just like the Battle Beneath the Crescent three years ago—under Retroact Rain, behind endless Tacet Discords was a wide-open Threnodian.
Three years ago, Geshu Lin didn't wait for Rover.
He, similarly, did not.
(But someone even sneakier than Rover came)