Chapter Ten: Shadows Awaken
Section One: Whispers Beneath the Academy
Six in the morning.
The sky hung heavy with dark gray, like a silent iron coffin.
Jason crossed the north district of the campus,
His steps light yet steady.
On the field, rows of rusted exercise equipment
Wailed with metallic groans in the cold wind.
In this crumbling academy,
Some things—
Forever lurked beyond the reach of light.
[HEX64 Alert: Water Hexagram Synchronization]
→ Current Situation Scan:
Hidden factions within the academy showing initial activity TRACE darknet activity frequency rising Faint signals of covert contact detected
→ Strategic Guidance: Avoid direct confrontation Deep-dive reconnaissance Move like water, silent and pervasive
Eight o'clock, second basement of the library.
Jason, under the pretext of "archival research," descended alone.
The air was damp, thick with the mingled stench of moldy paper and rusted metal.
The light was dim.
Each footstep
Echoed like a tap on an invisible membrane.
As he neared a corner,
Faint voices
Drifted faintly from ahead.
—not student chatter.
—not patrolling guards.
The voices were hushed,
Each word
Slicing the air like a knife.
Jason paused.
He tilted his head slightly,
His ears catching fragmented snippets.
Voice One:
"The new alliance is making too much noise.
We need to intervene early."
Voice Two:
"The administrative council has granted us [Special Observation Authority]."
Voice Three:
"TRACE demands we 'cleanse' unstable elements.
Jason Carter… listed as secondary priority."
Jason's pupils contracted slightly.
He didn't retreat immediately.
Instead, he edged closer to the wall,
Holding his breath, listening.
A deeper voice emerged:
Voice Four (clearly higher-ranking):
"No rash moves.
Carter carries an anomalous marker.
He's not entirely within TRACE's planned assets.
Observe first,
Then decide his fate."
A few words,
Each piercing like a needle.
Jason's heart clenched,
But his face remained calm.
He understood:
The academy wasn't just a broken education system; Beneath the ruins hid a clique styling themselves [Observers], [Selectors], [Manipulators]; They were linked to TRACE but not fully aligned.
The school
Was never merely a proving ground for students.
It was
An experimental arena.
[HEX64 Alert: New Hostile Faction Identified]
→ Academy Internal Covert Faction: [Blackvine Circle]
→ Structural Hypothesis: Peripheral force of the administrative council, executing secret observation and elimination operations
→ Potential Connection: TRACE peripheral observation group
Jason leaned against the wall,
His heart pounding like a drum,
But his eyes
Gleamed with an icy light.
In his mind, he whispered:
"The hunters…
Are finally stepping into the wind."
"But—
Who hunts whom
Remains to be seen."
Minutes later,
The voices ceased.
Footsteps faded into the distance.
Jason waited thirty seconds,
Then retreated silently,
Vanishing into another broken stairwell.
Afternoon.
Jason sat alone atop the library,
Flipping through a tattered book.
Its pages were brittle, the text faded.
The Art of War was barely legible on the yellowed cover.
This was the first fragment of the [Fuxi Wisdom Module] provided by HEX64:
The Art of WarGuiguziHuangshi Gong's Three Strategies
Fragmented,
Awaiting activation.
The system whispered:
[Fuxi Wisdom Module Preliminary Activation]
→ Learning Module One: [Chapter on Momentum: Victory Through Adaptation]
→ Requirement: Active absorption, combined with real-world deduction
→ Reward: Advanced situational deduction authority (local environment causal chain prediction +12%)
Jason took a deep breath.
His gaze fell on the faded page:
The art of war is deception.
Thus, when able, feign inability;
When active, feign inactivity.
When near, appear far;
When far, appear near.
He looked up slowly,
A deeper, more perilous light flickering in his eyes.
The world
Was stirring with undercurrents.
He had to be faster,
Fiercer,
And master—
How to shape the formless
In the abyss.
Section Two: The Fuxi Gate Cracks Open
Night, atop the library.
Moonlight was smothered by thick clouds,
Only faint, pale rays
Spilled through the broken skylight.
Jason sat on a dust-covered old sofa,
Holding the yellowed, tattered volume.
Cracks on the worn cover
Resembled hidden veins,
Linking to wisdom from a thousand years past.
[HEX64 Alert: Wisdom Module Synchronization]
→ Current Learning Progress: 0%
→ Recommended Initial Reading: The Art of War: Chapter on Momentum, Strategy of Water
→ Supplementary Philosophy: Water Hexagram – Fuxi Principles
A line of gilded text shimmered on the screen—
Water is soft yet strong,
Flexible yet unyielding,
Advancing or retreating with the flow,
Yet always aligning with the greater momentum.
Thus, warfare has no fixed form,
As water has no fixed shape;
Those who adapt to the enemy's changes and seize victory are called divine.
Jason stared at the words,
His eyes reflecting faint light in the dark.
Each word
Was a razor-sharp ice blade,
Cutting open unawakened parts of him.
He repeated softly:
"Do not resist the current,
But glide with its flow;
Strategy is like water,
Embracing, infiltrating,
And ultimately—overwhelming."
The world wasn't forged of steel.
The world was a vast current.
You could fight against it,
But only those who mastered flowing with the tide
Could command the waves.
Jason closed his eyes.
In his mind, he saw the academy's dilapidated corridors,
The lurking Blackvine Circle members,
TRACE's faint commands flickering in the darknet.
All of it—
Like rocks, reefs, and whirlpools in a river.
Don't clash head-on.
Don't charge directly.
Instead—
Bypass, infiltrate, erode, and overwhelm.
[HEX64 Alert: Preliminary Water Strategy Deduction Initiated]
→ Small-Scale Situational Simulation Task Issued:
Objective: Without alerting the administration, subtly erode the north district's club influence and establish three micro-strongholds within three days.
Jason opened his eyes.
His gaze was deep, like a silent undercurrent in the night.
He whispered:
"Water
Wears through stone silently.
It topples mountains without form."
"I'm not here to knock on doors.
I'm here—
To seep through everything."
The next morning,
Jason moved swiftly and discreetly:
Using the cover of "library archive volunteer," he accessed unmanaged lower levels; Covertly pushed the north district's minor club [Scavenger Guild] to reorganize, inserting his own nodes; Established a "resource sharing point" at the textbook recycling station as a micro-liaison hub; Set up a temporary "training group" behind the old lab building, disguised as an interest class.
Each step
Was unremarkable.
Each step
Was like water seeping into stone cracks,
Silent,
Irreversible.
Forty-eight hours later,
Jason stood atop the dilapidated lecture hall,
Overlooking the ant-like bustle of students below.
The breeze tugged at his uniform,
He didn't smile,
But calmly summarized in his mind:
"The rigid break;
The flexible endure."
"The mightiest force
Rises from the softest path."
[HEX64 Alert: Small-Scale Deduction Successful]
→ North district micro-strongholds established: 3
→ TRACE interference detection: Not triggered
→ Node affiliation trust increased (+6%)
Jason turned quietly.
He stepped into the dim corridor,
Like a drop of water
Sliding silently into deeper strata,
Awaiting
The next, greater surge.
Section Three: TRACE Core Group Moves
North district, underground of the abandoned lab building.
A hidden room lit only by a single, flickering red warning light.
A massive metal door stood sealed, the wall bearing a defaced FSA emblem.
A crude but efficient data wall
Scrolled with node signal flows, affiliation dynamics, and anomaly logs.
In the dim red glow,
Several figures in black lightweight armor sat,
Wearing communication headsets,
Their eyes locked on a set of codenames refreshing at the screen's center—
[Scavenger Stronghold]
[Resource Sharing Point]
[Training Interest Class]
The central figure, voice low and chilling, spoke:
"Jason Carter.
This kid's layouts are too covert.
Almost every move has a legitimate cover."
Another sneered:
"On his own?
Impossible.
There's got to be a high-level system guiding him."
A few words
Confirmed—
Jason was backed by a hidden force (HEX64's faint traces faintly perceived).
At the room's center,
A figure shrouded in shadow
Spoke, calm and ruthless:
"Disrupt him.
Don't eliminate directly.
Let him collapse on his own."
[TRACE Core Group Task Issued]
→ Operation Methods:
Infiltrate peripheral minor nodes Spread false resource intelligence Create internal trust fractures Induce low-tier node defections
Objective: Without alerting the academy's leadership, tear apart his peripheral structure at minimal cost.
Meanwhile,
In the main teaching building's underground lecture hall,
An official lecture titled [Free Competition Mechanism: New Semester Special] was underway.
On stage,
A middle-aged man in a crisp uniform, wearing a school badge,
Spoke with gravitas, exuding a cold intent:
"The FSA's new education model emphasizes—
Survival first, order second."
"Resource competition, organizational expansion, node rivalries
Are all tacitly permitted within reasonable bounds."
"Only the fittest
Will ultimately step onto the true path forward."
Below,
Students listened expressionlessly.
No one questioned.
No one resisted.
They were long accustomed.
This was the world's rule.
Jason sat quietly in the back row,
His fingers tapping the desk silently.
His gaze was deep, calm.
In his mind,
The Fuxi system synced an analysis:
[HEX64 Alert: Academy Free Competition Mechanism]
→ Permits non-official node organization activities
→ Tolerates resource shadow wars and small-scale infighting
→ Prohibits overt killing and large-scale unrest
→ Protects a pseudo-order for true selection
Jason lowered his head slightly,
A faint smirk tugging at his lips:
"Freedom?
Hah.
This is—
A carefully designed slaughterhouse."
As the lecture ended,
Students dispersed in twos and threes.
A new notice appeared on the distant club bulletin board:
[Scavenger Guild]: Micro-resource site activity anomalies, under investigation.
[Resource Sharing Point]: Some access point signals abnormally disrupted.
[Training Interest Class]: Participant roster showing abnormal fluctuations.
Zhao Mingxuan hurried to Jason's side,
Whispering:
"Trouble.
Someone's targeting our periphery."
Jason narrowed his eyes.
Wind slipped through the cracked window,
Carrying decayed dust.
[HEX64 Alert: Peripheral Node Anomaly Detection]
Trust chain fracture index rising (+8%) Rumor spread rate (+13%) Resource node signal interference source being traced
Jason issued a calm command:
"No rush."
"Let them think they've succeeded."
Zhao Mingxuan blinked:
"No counterattack?"
Jason's eyes glinted coldly:
"Of course we counterattack."
"But—
Not directly."
"We'll let them,
In the moment they think they've torn a gap,
Step straight into
The abyss we've already dug."
Section Four: Blade Hidden in Water
Under the night,
Before the dilapidated resource sharing point,
The wind howled, as if something were about to break through the earth.
Jason stood quietly at the corner of the abandoned building,
Back against the peeling, mottled wall,
Hands in pockets,
His gaze cold as a blade in the dark.
Behind him, Zhao Mingxuan, Lisa Peng, and John Wells gathered silently.
Each carried a suppressed edge in their eyes.
[HEX64 Alert: Risk Prediction Model]
→ TRACE external interference fluctuations: High risk
→ Peripheral node fracturing tendency: Critical
→ Counterattack window: Open
Recommended Tactics:
Move with the flow Use feigned exposure to lure the enemy Soften the rigid, counter-pressure core nodes Conclude with a blitz "water assault" to reshuffle the shadow war
A streak of deep green electricity flashed in Jason's eyes.
He whispered the Fuxi hexagram principle:
Water is soft yet strong,
Flexible yet unyielding,
Advancing or retreating with the flow,
Yet always aligning with the greater momentum.
He instructed Zhao Mingxuan softly:
"Withdraw some peripheral resources,
Deliberately create gaps.
Leak word
That the north district Scavenger warehouse will secretly transport a batch of 'rare communication chips.'"
Zhao Mingxuan hesitated:
"We… don't have any chips."
Jason said flatly:
"Doesn't matter.
Whether TRACE believes it
Is irrelevant."
"As long as they believe
Someone will fight for it,
That's enough."
Simultaneously,
The system pushed new deduction support:
[Fuxi Wisdom Deduction: Blade Hidden in Water Mode]
Make the false real, blend truth and illusion Guide the enemy's momentum, lure them into the trap Attack their resolve, exhaust their strength Strike upstream in the faint light
Two in the morning.
Outside the north district's old warehouse,
Dozens of peripheral node groups lurked, scattered.
They were the ones TRACE had provoked, enticed, or threatened.
Unaware they were being used,
They only knew—
Tonight,
Seizing those "communication chips"
Could reverse their disadvantage in the scoring system.
Perhaps even
Propel them into the core circle.
In the deeper darkness,
TRACE's pseudo-signal sources silently logged every move.
It waited.
For the nodes to tear each other apart,
For Jason's defenses to crumble.
But—
What came
Wasn't collapse.
It was—
A precise, ferocious hunt.
Three-fifteen in the morning.
A high-frequency alarm erupted at the warehouse's center!
Blinding white beams swept from hidden spotlights,
Piercing the eyes of every lurker.
Simultaneously,
A silent signal chain activated:
Jason's meticulously coordinated core team closed the net from all sides—
Mini-EMP grenades disabled temporary communication devices Concealed jammers blocked makeshift darknet signals Ambush teams used alley crossfires to swiftly lock targets
Ten minutes.
The manipulated peripheral nodes
Were partly captured,
Partly disarmed and surrendered,
Partly scattered in chaotic retreat.
Silent severance,
Silent reaping.
TRACE's hidden probe systems registered sudden anomalous tremors.
They realized—
The tide
Had turned against them.
But it was too late.
Jason stood atop a ruined wall in the north district,
Calmly overlooking the scene.
In his earpiece, Zhao Mingxuan's voice was clear, excited:
"North district periphery cleared!
Estimated hostile infiltration node removal rate: 74%!
The remaining 26%
Have lost effective organization!"
Jason's lips curved slightly,
He murmured:
"Water has no fixed form,
Defeating the enemy without form."
[HEX64 Alert: Small-Scale Counter-Infiltration Operation Successful]
Peripheral trust index increased (+9%) TRACE peripheral misdirection task failure rate (+41%) Mainline influence increased (+7%)
In the ruins, the wind roared.
A tattered school flag fluttered in the air.
Jason turned slowly.
Each step
Trod upon tides woven of darkness.
This wasn't mere victory.
It was a declaration—
The true empire,
In the shadows,
Had silently sprouted.
Section Five: Seeds Sown in Barren Ground
Four in the morning, north district abandoned theater.
Once the academy's grand lecture hall,
Now a dilapidated shell,
Its roof half-collapsed,
A broken crystal chandelier dangling like a dying beast.
Rubble, dust, rust
Formed this barren, silent ground.
Jason stood at the ruin's center.
Beneath his feet, a makeshift conference table of scavenged desks.
Behind him, Zhao Mingxuan, Lisa Peng, and John Wells took their seats,
Their gazes resolute, silent, focused.
These three
Were his first vetted "near-shore trusted."
Zhao Mingxuan: Former blacknet data analyst, razor-sharp logic, swift reactions, adept at decryption and intelligence flow control.
Lisa Peng: Former second-in-command of a wasteland scavenger group, skilled in resource consolidation and rapid mobilization, a master of small-scale tactics.
John Wells: Exiled black-market operative, formidable in combat, versed in underground survival and shadow warfare.
Each one
Bore blood, fire, and bone.
Not idealists.
Survivors of the ruins.
Jason spoke slowly, his voice low:
"From now on,
We're no longer just defending."
"We—
Will sow true seeds in the ruins."
"A seed—
That will one day devour the entire system."
Zhao Mingxuan looked up, his gaze sharp as a blade:
"The plan?"
Lisa Peng's knuckles rapped the table, her voice crisp:
"Resources? People? Channels?"
John Wells grinned, sly yet defiant:
"And… the target?
Just survival?
Or—
The whole school?"
Jason met their eyes.
Each word deliberate,
His voice cold, like a hammer on stone:
"All of it."
"Not just the school."
"The—
Entire world."
A brief silence,
Then Zhao Mingxuan laughed—
A cold, restrained laugh.
Lisa Peng's brow arched,
A long-dormant edge gleaming in her eyes.
John bit his lip,
Nodding fiercely.
In the ruins, the wind stirred.
The chandelier swayed faintly,
Its glass shards chiming softly.
[HEX64 Alert: Preliminary Brain Trust Node Formed]
Current core members: 3 Role allocation: Fluid collaboration Organization name: Unrevealed (Gray Spiral Phase) Node trust assessment: High stability (78%)
Jason drew a metal ring from his pocket.
Etched with faint sixty-four-line patterns—
The primal mark of the Fuxi hexagram.
He tossed it onto the table.
The ring spun gently,
Humming faintly on the battered surface.
Jason declared calmly:
"This isn't faith.
This is a covenant."
"A war
With no retreat."
Zhao Mingxuan reached out,
His fingers touching the ring without hesitation.
"Intelligence chains, I'll forge."
Lisa Peng followed,
Her knuckles grazing the ring's edge.
"Resource flows, I'll clear."
John was last,
His palm pressing heavily on the metal.
"Security web, I'll weave."
In this silent, rotting ruin,
In the depths of a night no one would hear,
A true [Foundational Empire Covenant]
Was sealed in silence.
The wind
Swept through broken walls.
The distant, tattered school flag
Fluttered silently in the moonlight,
As if bearing witness
To this dark sowing ceremony.
Jason whispered to himself:
"In barren ground,
The hardiest seeds take root."
"And those seeds
Will tear through all decay."