The Foundry.
"Uncle Wei, I brought a friend to buy a weapon."
"Oh?" Uncle Wei adjusted his glasses and scrutinized Lucian. "You're not a Resonator, are you?"
"Nope."
"I only sell Tacetite weapons here. Can you even handle them?" Uncle Wei said smugly.
Tch, this old man. I can wield Comrade's Hammer just fine—what's a Tacetite weapon to me?
But…
"What's a Tacetite weapon?"
Yangyang explained, "Tacetite weapons are specialized arms designed to counter Tacet Discords, exclusive to Resonators. They're named for their Tacetite core modules."
Uncle Wei pushed his glasses up. "Exactly. This young lady's a Resonator, right? She knows her stuff."
Yangyang covered her mouth with a light laugh. "Uncle Wei, sell him a Sword. My friend here might not be a Resonator, but he's no ordinary person either."
Uncle Wei gave Lucian another look. "Fine."
So he's a tsundere old man.
Uncle Wei turned and pulled out a Training Sword from a crate.
"Here." He tossed the blade over.
Lucian caught it smoothly and examined the weapon. The blade was pure black, adorned with yellow embellishments.
Uncle Wei added, "Though the Sword is the most common and straightforward weapon, it's also the hardest to master. The simplest things are often the most profound."
"Not bad."
Lucian was quite satisfied with the blade and paid 60,000 Shell Credits for it.
"Alright, let's get ready to leave the city. Hopefully, we'll find some useful leads."
...
On the Road.
Yangyang gazed toward the city gates with concern. "The guards and defenses at the gate have been reinforced. It wasn't like this when we returned yesterday…"
Lucian, munching on two egg pancakes, mumbled, "Does that mean the frontline situation is getting worse?"
"Most likely. But General Jiyan is holding the line at Norfall Valley. In theory, nothing too major should go wrong for now."
"General Jiyan?"
"General Jiyan leads the Midnight Rangers and is also a Resonator. A single man who can hold off an entire army."
"Yangyang thinks that highly of him?"
"General Jiyan truly has that capability."
As they spoke, the three arrived at the city gates.
A woman dressed like a Taoist practitioner was pleading with two soldiers.
"This humble Daoist is a Resonator, trained in martial arts since childhood. I have the means to protect myself and wish to leave the city to search for someone."
"I promised the missing person's grandfather I'd bring him back. I beg your leniency."
One of the soldiers replied impassively, "Even if you're a Resonator, we can't let you pass right now. Please understand."
[Ding! Option triggered!]
[Option 1: Beat up the soldiers and take Jianxin out of the city. Reward: 50,000 Shell Credits, -100 Jinzhou faction reputation.]
[Option 2: Use the travel pass to take Jianxin out of the city. Reward: B-rank skill—Blood Saber Technique.]
[Option 3: Bribe the Noctis Army soldiers to take Jianxin out of the city. Reward: 10-day stay in Jinzhou Prison.]
The Taoist, Jianxin, said, "If the city's functioning normally, has the frontline situation really gotten this dire?"
"Precisely because we want the citizens to live in peace that we must take these measures."
The two soldiers remained stern. "Besides, General Jiyan is stationed with his troops at Norfall Barrens base. The battlefield is dangerous, but with him there, he'll ensure every soldier's safety."
"We've already reported your situation. You can wait comfortably in the city for updates—no need to stand here in the wind and rain, pleading with us."
Though the soldiers tried to persuade her, Jianxin was determined to leave. She sighed.
"This humble Daoist has already filed a report with the patrol office and tried every method. A promise must be kept."
"I do not wish to trouble you. If my presence here is an inconvenience, I can withdraw beyond five miles, even a hundred miles away. Though at a thousand miles, my vision would barely suffice…"
Lucian and the others listened quietly.
'A thousand miles and still barely able to see…'
Is that telescopic vision? Are you Second Brother from Calabash Brothers?
That's a great skill. Wonder if the system offers it as a reward…
The two soldiers remained unmoved, strictly enforcing their orders.
"Military movements are swift and unpredictable. Even if you wait here, there's no guarantee the soldiers will return—and even if they do, the person you're looking for might not be among them."
"The frontline is dangerous, and the journey is long. If you're waiting for a chance to leave, a travel pass won't just fall from the sky—"
Lucian, growing impatient, waved his terminal in front of the soldiers.
The soldier mid-sentence froze and turned to look.
"..." Are you just here to undermine me?
Though internally complaining, protocol had to be followed. He stepped forward to verify the travel pass's authorization level.
"...Authorization confirmed. Three-person passage, correct?"
Lucian nodded. "Yep."
"Honorable sir, wait!"
Lucian turned to Jianxin.
"Honorable sir, this humble Daoist is Jianxin. I have a request."
"I wish to leave the city to search for someone but lack authorization. If it's not too much trouble, may I accompany your group?"
Jianxin was dressed in Taoist robes, her black-and-white hair flowing gracefully. A single white cowlick swayed slightly in the breeze atop her head.
"From what I heard earlier, you're a righteous person…"
Jianxin nodded eagerly, her eyes pleading.
"But let me be clear—I'm a businessman, so…"
Lucian rubbed his fingers together, the same gesture he'd used when swindling—ahem, earning money from Aalto.
Jianxin blinked, then nodded in understanding. "This humble Daoist has thirty-four Shell Credits, and a Cloud-Patterned Evil-Warding Mirror. I offer them all to you, honorable sir."
"..."
How much? Thirty-four Shell Credits?
That's not even enough for a sip of Jinzhou stew, is it?
Lucian retracted his earlier belief that Jinzhou folks were wealthy.
"...Never mind."
Jianxin brightened. "Thank you, honorable—"
Before she could finish, Lucian cut her off with a wave. "Hold on. Let me ask you—that 'seeing a thousand miles' thing you mentioned earlier… is it real?"
"Of course. This humble Daoist does not lie."
"Then here's the deal. Teach me that, and I'll take you out of the city."
Jianxin hesitated. "Though it's not some secret technique, achieving such vision requires innate talent…"
"Talent? That's the one thing I'm not lacking in!"
Lucian declared proudly. "An old man once told me my bones are exceptional, my spirit soars through my crown—I'm a one-in-ten-thousand martial prodigy!"