"Yield!"
Rover commanded, holding her blade over the defeated Scar as his Elysium began to crumble. Yet a faint smirk lingered on Scar's lips, as though he had realized something in that final moment and remained utterly unconcerned by the consequences.
The instant the elusive dimension vanished and both Scar and Rover reappeared within the Grand Library, Scar was immediately restrained in handcuffs. Jinhsi sentenced him to imprisonment for the multiple felonies he had committed across Huanglong.
She quickly stepped toward Rover and asked, "Are you hurt?"
Rover shook her head, recalling the conversation she had shared with the Magistrate earlier that morning...
"It's been three days."
Jinhsi, the Magistrate of Jinzhou, turned toward her. "We both arrived on time," she said with a gentle smile.
Forming a mudra and placing a hand across her torso, she offered a formal salute. "Allow me to properly introduce myself. I am Jinhsi. It brings me great joy to finally meet you, Rover."
"Hello," Rover replied with an amicable nod.
The two exchanged a handshake, completing the formalities, though Rover quickly noticed the stiffness in Jinhsi's arm.
"Are you injured?" she asked.
Jinhsi waved the concern aside. "…It is nothing serious."
She explained that an emergency had forced her to leave her post abruptly, leaving her only enough time to prepare a token for Rover before departing.
"Does this involve the Sentinel?" Rover guessed.
Jinhsi nodded. "Correct."
She then elaborated on the situation, revealing that the Sentinel had been captured by the extremist faction known as the Fractsidus.
The news was urgent—and deeply unfavourable. The Sentinel's absence threatened the stability of the entire region, as Sentinels served as the guiding symbols of civilization itself.
As their conversation continued and information was exchanged, Jinhsi further revealed that the Fractsidus, led by Overseer Scar, sought to resurrect a Threnodian—a catastrophic entity born of collective human suffering—to trigger a "Lament" and usher in a new world order.
Speaking up to that point, Jinhsi proposed an alliance, revealing that she already had a plan to capture Scar.
"I have a strategy to apprehend Scar," she said calmly. "Once we capture him, the Fractsidus will no longer pose a significant threat to you—at least for the time being."
Jinhsi then added, "If you are willing to lend us your assistance, I will personally ensure your safety throughout our cooperation."
Rover did not deliberate for long before agreeing. "Count me in."
An appreciative smile appeared on Jinhsi's face. "Thank you for your trust, Rover."
The two continued their discussion, and Jinhsi soon pointed out that Rover might be connected to one of history's legendary figures—possibly even being that person.
"Speaking of which," Jinhsi noted, "you seem to have already learned quite a lot from the tokens."
Rover shook her head lightly. "Oh, not really. The most I gathered was that the mangosteen symbolized how people endured the wars in Jinzhou."
"The sugar pearl reminded me of old epidemics… disasters people survived through. The leaf was easier—it pointed toward the Fractsidus. As for the sundial…" a faint smile touched her lips, "I did not uncover its meaning because I already knew where I was supposed to meet you."
Jinhsi blinked in surprise. "That's impressive. And the sundial—you already knew?"
Rover nodded slightly. "It was simply a rational guess. Since Jinzhou is a bastion city, and this part of City Hall stands at an elevated, yet grounded segment, I assumed the meeting place where a clear morning view is possible was the obvious choice."
"…But wasn't uncovering your past important to you?" Jinhsi asked, visibly perplexed. "... They may not seem much, but I genuinely hand-picked them to assist you."
"Not to be rude, your Magistrate... But the tokens you gave... They certainly were," Rover answered honestly. "But I believe that when the time is right, my past will eventually find me on its own."
Jinhsi's expression softened into a gentle smile. "That's wonderful."
As the recollection of memories came to an end, Jinhsi turned toward Scar and demanded to know his motives. During the investigation, Rover pressed further, questioning him about the revival of the Threnodian.
Though Scar maintained his defiant demeanor, he answered with an honesty so blunt it almost felt mocking.
He revealed that the Fractsidus had kidnapped the Sentinel, Jué, to remove an obstacle capable of predicting and correcting the future. Their goal was to overthrow a destiny built upon lies.
Furthermore, Scar spoke with near-religious obsession about reviving the Threnodian to trigger what he called the "true Lament." To him, it was not simple destruction, but the birth of salvation and the foundation of a new civilization.
As for why the Fractsidus were so fixated on Rover, and why they had explicitly targeted her, Scar merely grinned before saying: "Our goal has always been the same… We want you. We need you to join us."
"Why me?" Rover asked suspiciously.
Scar snickered, amusement creeping into his expression as he replied, "Forces are battling over you, causing all this strife, and yet you remain unaware of your own worth… Are you truly that naive, or are you just dense?"
He shook his head dismissively. "But whatever. Our interest in you isn't affected by such trivial matters."
Then, unexpectedly, Rover asked, "But what is in it for me?"
Jinhsi and Sanhua's eyes widened.
Scar blinked once in surprise, but soon his smile spread wider, gleeful and almost savage.
"Now we're talking," he rasped in a guttural voice.
"Rover…" Jinhsi called out in alarm.
But Rover merely stated calmly, "Taking help from enemies and forming alliances are also part of strategy."
Scar chuckled in delight. "Well said."
He then began offering promises—answers about her past, a position of authority within the Fractsidus, influence, power, and countless other benefits.
Yet before he could continue, Rover interrupted him. "So why are you hesitating to reveal everything?"
"???" Scar paused, visibly caught off guard.
Rover crossed her arms before pointing out evenly, "I'm not saying joining the Fractsidus wouldn't be beneficial, but… ultimately, your proposition and the one the Magistrate offered me are fundamentally the same. Both of you want my help, yet neither of you fully trusts me as a person. You see me more as a mercenary than an ally."
"If both of you want my alliance, then that means there is a very delicate balance at play… and my choice matters." Rover turned toward Jinhsi before declaring firmly, "I will keep my end of the deal with Madam Magistrate."
A faint smile appeared on Jinhsi's face at those words.
Scar clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Tch."
"It seems we'll be forced to kill you by any means necessary…" he said lightly, though the threat beneath his tone was unmistakable. Then, for one final time, he asked, "Are you sure you're unwilling to join us?"
Rover remained silent, and that was enough for an answer.
"You kidnapped Jué and revived the Threnodian, accelerating the next Lament. This alone is proof enough that you are enemies of Jinzhou and of all humanity," Jinhsi declared adamantly.
Then, with unwavering resolve, she added, "Stop dreaming. You will never force Rover to join you. She is our honored guest, and I will not allow any harm to come her way."
Yet despite her conviction, Scar merely laughed openly at the city's fragile condition. "Ha! How confident you sound. As the Threnodian's resurrection approaches, Jinzhou is barely holding itself together. Tell me, how much longer do you think you can maintain this facade?"
Jinhsi ignored the mockery and instead asked sharply, "Is there another Overseer besides you?"
Scar sneered.
That expression alone was answer enough.
Then he gestured for Jinhsi to come closer, lowering his voice as though offering some forbidden revelation. "You seem convinced we caused Jué's disappearance… What if I told you there was more to it? Wouldn't you be curious?"
Jinhsi's eyes narrowed. "About Jué… what else do you know?"
"Come closer, and I'll tell you, Madam Magistrate…" Scar said with a provocative grin. "It's a secret meant only for your ears."
Sanhua immediately flared with anger. "How dare you! Madam Magistrate, I—"
Jinhsi gestured for her to remain back before calmly approaching Scar herself.
Then, with the precision of a final psychological strike, Scar leaned in and whispered something into her ear.
Jinhsi stepped back instantly, disbelief breaking across her composed expression."No… it can't be."
Scar merely shrugged, completely unbothered. "It was prophesied long ago."
Before the guards could drag him away to prison, Scar flicked a card toward Rover's feet. Then he burst into manic laughter.
"Once you learn the truth of your past," he declared, eyes gleaming with fanatic certainty, "you'll come to us willingly."
Following Scar's interrogation, Rover asked Jinhsi what he had whispered to her. But she met the question with silence.
Rover lowered her gaze slightly before murmuring, "No need to answer."
"I'm sorry, Rover," Jinhsi said after a pause. "I have to verify these matters first before I can tell you anything."
She then explained that Jué was Jinzhou's omniscient guardian—an entity whose flawless prophecies had always guided the city's leadership. But she also promised that she would personally track down the missing Sentinel to uncover the truth.
Jinhsi went on to relay a cryptic prophecy left by Jué: Rover was to seek out General Jiyan in the Norfall Barrens when "raindrops fall upstream."
To aid Rover in her search for her lost identity, Jinhsi introduced the Black Shores—an elusive but benevolent global organization that monitored Threnodian activity. She presented a Black Bloom photograph as their symbol.
The moment Rover touched it, a vision surged through her mind: herself, bearing the same symbol.
Seeing her reaction, Jinhsi urged Rover to seek out the Black Shores as potential allies.
Satisfied and with a new agenda, Rover took her leave.
Jinhsi prepared to depart as well.
However, before leaving on a temporary mission to locate Jué, she entrusted the local authority to her guard, Sanhua, instructing her to stop shadowing Rover so she could learn to stand against future threats independently.
"As you command," Sanhua replied calmly.
She departed shortly after.
At that moment, both of their terminals flared to life.
Jinhsi glanced at her device to find her mentor calling, while Sanhua simultaneously received a message from the Norfall Barrens.
As Jinhsi answered her terminal, she greeted softly, "Greetings, teacher."
Meanwhile, Sanhua hurried back, offering a brief apology as she entered. "Apologies for my impudence, Your Magistrate, but there seems to have been a problem in the Norfall Barrens."
Jinhsi and her mentor's expressions subtly tensed as Sanhua relayed the message: "The contract between Sir Kuriana and Jinzhou might be terminated."
To be continued...
***
A/N: Okay, I'm back with my daily updates, and I have an exciting announcement regarding the novel I've been planning!
Initially, I was torn between writing a fanfiction and writing a fully original novel. Ultimately, I've decided to proceed with an original work.
To be transparent from the start, this novel takes meaningful inspiration from some of the strongest web novels in the genre. While certain structural or thematic elements might feel familiar, this is not an attempt at imitation.
Those influences are being reinterpreted into a story with its own narrative expression, resolution, and core meaning.
The core worldbuilding is already established, and I've mapped out the main story progression for about half the book, though I'm still refining the power system.
The foundation of this world is something I've developed over a long time, and I genuinely love how it's shaping up.
Speaking of the power system, it is heavily inspired by Lord of the Mysteries (since this project originally started as a fanfic idea for the goated novel).
I deeply respect and appreciate the power system, and I'm using a similar structural framework but adapting it with my own variations, internal logic, and thematic direction. I also plan to weave in cultural and pop-culture influences I grew up with to shape specific plotlines.
As for the release schedule, I'll be dropping two chapters every Saturday and Sunday. To kick things off, the first three chapters will drop tomorrow!
Thank you all for your support, and I hope you're excited for the journey ahead! Also, I am not abandoning this fanfic; I will write up to 142 chapters. Yeah, that covers all I had to say.