Chapter Twenty-One · Broken Song of the Floating City
Chapter Twenty-One · Section One[Crack Initially Appears]
The morning mist had not yet dispersed, The Southern District of the ruined city was still immersed in the grey morning light mixed with broken steel and dust.
Jason Carter leaned alone against the abandoned signal tower, His fingertips lightly tapping the rough, rusty railing, On the HUD interface before his eyes, a stream of densely updated information quietly surfaced.
[Fuxi Prompt]
"World kinetic energy anomaly scanning. Abnormally surging nodes: Northern City ruin zone, Eastern Boundary Industrial Island, Western Ring Autonomous Belt..."
In the data, faintly surfaced—— A sense of turmoil, not yet formed, but already brewing in the dark.
Jason silently gazed at the information stream, Wind blew, stirring the slightly damp hair on his forehead, His figure seemed to merge into a part of this ruin itself.
—
Other end of the city, Northern District. A cluster of scavengers known as the [Blackrock Autonomous Group], Were setting up rough defensive fortifications around an abandoned factory. They had a brief glory—— Using a surprise attack, they seized a batch of low-grade equipment from TRACE peripheral nodes, Proclaiming themselves part of the "Free Reconstruction Zone," refusing tribute, refusing command. They had loudly announced over the ruins' broadcast:
"We do not belong to any old order! Beneath the Blackrock, rebuild freedom!"
In just three weeks, A large number of drifters poured into the Northern District ruins. Transactions, armament, and signs of autonomy spread rapidly. And this, was their final time.
—
Above the Blackrock factory, The first high-altitude drone passed silently. Immediately after, City monitoring cluster TRACE and FSA autonomous army small units, At dawn, pressed in from all sides towards the ruin island like a tide.
No declaration. No dialogue. Only—— Tactical beams precise to the millimeter, And gravity suppression devices falling vertically from high altitude.
The entire Blackrock factory area, Within ten minutes, was reduced to scorched earth. In the firelight, the people who had shouted for freedom, Turned into nameless dust.
The ruins subtly vibrated, black smoke columns shot up into the sky, Burning a huge rift in the broken city's firmament.
—
Southern District. Scavenger vendors in the dilapidated market were quietly exchanging rumors from last night.
"...Heard the Blackrock was completely wiped out?" "Completely wiped out! Didn't even have time to react, even their signal was cut!" "Someone said, the official side directly sent the 'White Spear Detachment'... you know, that's a killer squad specifically for clearing out masterless organizations..."
The conversation was fragmented, like dust scattered in the cold wind. Zhao Mingxuan was hidden at the edge of the crowd, his ears catching these details, His brows unconsciously tightened a few degrees.
Lisa Peng, on the Southern District data nodes, Collected more vague but real rumors:
Eastern Boundary Industrial Island uprising failed, most starved after energy supply was cut. Western Ring Autonomous Belt declared independence for less than a month, its energy core was detonated. The free broadcast station in the old city center was precisely destroyed by orbital weapons last night...
Each piece of news, like a blunt knife cutting flesh, Caused the heart of the ruins to continuously bleed.
Under the faint light of the Southern District, The steps of the drifters became more suppressed and cautious. As if a slightly hurried breath, Would be cut off by the next invisible scissors.
—
Jason quietly closed the HUD interface on his fingertips, Wind blew up the tattered flag behind him, flapping.
[Fuxi Prompt]
"Situation Philosophy Update: ——Those who are above the light will inevitably be targets; ——Those who are before the surge will inevitably be sacrifices."
Jason calmly recited in his heart:
"It's not that one shouldn't rise, But, The time to rise has not yet arrived."
The undercurrent must submerge deep underground. Submerge deep enough, Deep enough that even if the ruins collapse, it cannot be easily shaken.
This world does not tolerate heroes. This era does not believe in light. Only the will hidden in the silent undercurrent, Can truly, on a certain dawn when faint light breaks, Raise its head, Dominate the reborn territory above the ruins.
Jason lowered his head, stepped forward, Disappearing into the depths of the Southern District's dark alleyways.
And above the ruins, All superficiality and arrogance, Were at the cost of blood and fire, Teaching all survivors—— The true tide, Does not come from shouting, It is born from lurking.
Chapter Twenty-One · Section Two[Beneath the Flames]
[Northern District Ruins · Blackrock Factory Defense Line · -04:30 AM]
Steel ruins piled up in the morning mist in silence, Broken vehicle bodies, fractured floor slabs, rusted frames, Piecing together a rough but determined outer defense line.
Ian Baker, the young commander wearing damaged goggles, stood at a high point, His hand tightly gripping a semi-automatic rifle, his throat dry with tension. Beside him, Squad leader Sora closely watched the simple terminal in his hand, The screen marked weak but approaching kinetic energy echoes.
"Have they arrived...?" Ian murmured, his voice so low it was almost carried away by the morning wind.
Sora pursed his lips, whispering: "Only detected six kinetic energy units... if it's a reconnaissance team, we still have time."
"It won't just be a reconnaissance team." Ian gave a hoarse laugh, There was no joy in his laugh, only cold despair. ——Freedom, is never cheap.
Just then, a slight tremor came from high above the outer edge of the ruins. As if some massive entity was pressing down on the air, slowly descending.
Sora's face suddenly turned pale: "...It's White Spear!"
Before he finished speaking, High in the sky, a miniature suppression missile cut through the mist, Precisely hitting the old power tower in the center of the ruins.
Boom——!!!
A short and crisp explosion, No raging flames, Only a powerful shockwave, Tearing the simple defensive line of the Blackrock factory periphery into fragments.
Ian was thrown back, stumbling, his eardrums ringing painfully. He forced himself to stand firm, gritting his teeth and roaring:
"Second layer of defense——assemble! Everyone——Heart of Freedom, undying!!"
His shout pierced through the ruins, Pulling the scattered scavenger fighters back to the rear of the defense line. Some ran over, leaning on still smoking metal pipes; Some with blood at the corner of their mouths, but tightly gripping short knives; Some with fear in their eyes, but still pulling out their old submachine guns.
This scattered, pieced-together team, At the edge of the world, In the most humble yet most tenacious posture, faced the unknown butcher's knife.
—
[Blackrock Factory · Inner Area]
Inside the command core room, A black-haired girl, about sixteen or seventeen years old, Bit her lower lip tightly, desperately operating the rudimentary communication console.
"Voice of Blackrock, Voice of Blackrock!" "Requesting support, requesting support! We are the free zone——! We... we——"
Before she finished speaking, An electromagnetic interference wave abruptly severed communication. The power system of the entire factory area, Instantly went dark.
In the darkness, the girl's fingers still clung tightly to the keyboard, Unaware that her fingernails had broken. Tears rolled down her stained cheeks, But her voice did not tremble:
"——Even without a response, We will not kneel."
—
[Periphery · Ruin Conflict Line]
The White Spear Detachment arrived. They wore streamlined tactical armor, The gaze beneath their masks was as cold as dead water.
Silent advance. No warning.
High-energy shockwave guns precisely destroyed cover, Miniature landmines sealed escape paths, Trajectory tracking nets locked onto all biological kinetic energy sources within five seconds.
Ian charged at the front, Raising his gun to retaliate, but only managed to fire three bullets, When he was hit in the right shoulder by a silent beam of light, Half of his body instantly lost sensation.
The moment he fell, He saw Sora lunging towards him, Trying to drag him back to cover.
"Freedom, shouldn't end like this..."
Blood spilled from the corner of Ian's mouth, In his blurry vision, He saw youths still desperately resisting deep within the ruins, He heard intermittent shouts:
"We are still here!!" "Freedom is still here!!"
—
[Control Tower · High Altitude]
The commander of the White Spear Detachment quietly overlooked the area below. He spoke, his voice cold and mechanical:
"Seventh target point, cleared. Report to headquarters—— No signs of controllable kinetic energy organization found. Rebellion source eliminated. City structure stabilized."
The operator beside him asked blandly:
"Confirm total obliteration?"
The commander nodded. The operator pressed a small guided missile terminal.
Boom boom boom boom——
The entire Blackrock factory ruin area, In deafening chain explosions, Slowly collapsed into scorched wasteland.
No life remained.
—
[Southern District]
Night, in the corner of the small market, Someone quietly recounted this war that disappeared soundlessly. The speaker's voice was hoarse, The listeners' faces were pale.
No one discussed it loudly, No one expressed sorrow or grief. Only a chillingly oppressive cold wind, Passing between the ruins. As if the entire city was whispering:
——He who shows his head will surely perish. ——He who resists will surely be annihilated.
Zhao Mingxuan stood in the corner, listening quietly, His heart was cold, but his resolve was firmer.
Lisa Peng lowered her head, recording intelligence, Her fingertips trembled slightly, but she suppressed all fluctuations.
Jason stood further away, His gaze like the sharpness that had never been broken deep in the night.
[Fuxi Prompt]
"Remember the words of the ruins: The tide is not yet full, do not sing against the wind."
Jason slowly contained all his emotions in his heart, Whispering:
"If it does not sing, so be it, Once it sings, It will shake the ruins for three thousand miles."
Chapter Twenty-One · Section Three[Rumors from the Ashes]
[Southeast District Two · Slum Market · Night]
Night wind passed through the dilapidated alleyways, Rolling up broken newspapers and old plastic bags from the ground, Like invisible hands, quietly turning the pages of this city's secrets.
At the end of the market, a bonfire barely sustained a weak light. More than ten people sat around old oil barrels, Their clothes ragged, expressions wary, Yet in this ruined world, they squeezed out a little warm space.
Among them, sitting on the outermost ring, was a youth of eighteen or nineteen, named Saen. His skin was tanned dark brown, with an old scar below his right eye. He held a rusted hunting rifle, his gaze stubborn and calm.
In the bonfire, an old scavenger with a face full of wrinkles quietly recounted the day's news.
"...The Blackrock factory is gone." The old man exhaled smoke, his voice dry as grinding sand.
The crowd suddenly fell silent. A young girl——Sara, hunched her neck, asking in a low voice:
"...How could that be...? Didn't they have arms? Didn't they have——have broadcasts, have an alliance?"
The old man looked up, there was no anger in his eyes, Only a kind of dead stillness born from countless failures. He said softly:
"...Arms? Alliance? Broadcasts? What are those? In their eyes, just... just a bunch of wild dogs barking."
The bonfire crackled, As if applauding this cruel verdict.
Saen tightened his grip on the rifle in his arms, His jawline taut like wire. He asked in a low voice:
"...Completely wiped out?"
The old man nodded. The firelight reflected in his deep-set eye sockets, As if he had already foreseen the end of every young person.
"Heard even their last communication machine was precisely destroyed by orbital cannon." "Heard they called for help, but unfortunately... no one responded." "Heard finally someone shouted 'Long live freedom,' Then, there was nothing left."
Silence. Suffocating silence.
Sara hugged her knees, burying her head in her arms, her shoulders trembling slightly. No one cried, no one shouted. In this world, crying was a luxury. Tears would not bring food, nor a chance to live.
Saen looked up, his gaze passing through the faint light of the bonfire, As if penetrating every broken wall and fissure in this ruined city. He spoke in a low, hoarse voice, yet clear:
"——If it were us, Would it be the same?"
No one answered. Wind blew through the empty alleyway, Bringing the creaking sound of a distant broken iron tower, As if the entire city was whispering in response: Yes, the same.
The old man exhaled the last puff of smoke, Crushed the cigarette butt, Was silent for a long time, then slowly said:
"...Not 'if'." "It's——sooner or later."
The bonfire dimmed, scattered sparks drifting with the wind. The air seemed to be pressed down lower and heavier by an invisible hand.
Saen gritted his teeth, his knuckles white. His shoulders were trembling slightly, But the unextinguished fire in his eyes burned more intensely.
He slowly rose, Looking around at this group of people, equally broken yet still alive. His voice was low and stubborn, Word by word, like carving a path to life in the ruins:
"I don't want to die like this. Nor do I want, like Blackrock... to not even leave a name behind."
No one moved. But everyone was breathing—— Heavy, rapid, like suppressed flames, restless deep in their hearts.
Sara looked up, her eyes red-rimmed, asking hoarsely:
"...Then what do we do?"
Saen was silent for a long time, Then, gritting his teeth, pulled out a polished iron plate from his worn backpack. Three simple letters were carved on it—— [N.O.V]. Novus Ordo Vitae. ——New Order of Life.
This was the name of the small self-defense group they had once fantasized about forming. But no one had ever taken it seriously.
The old man frowned, speaking hoarsely:
"Child, stop dreaming. Here, there is no new order. Here——only old iron and old blood."
Saen looked up, his gaze sharp enough to pierce hearts. He did not refute the old man. Just like completing some fated ritual, He solemnly placed that iron plate on a stone by the bonfire. Then, turned and left the bonfire circle, Stepping into the deep night of the ruins.
His back was straight, Yet so thin, it could be blown away by the wind at any moment.
No one called out to him. No one tried to stop him. Because they all knew, In this city that had long since rotted, Every person who yearned for new life, Was walking towards their own destruction.
By the bonfire, only the old man's low sigh remained, And Sara, tightly clutching her knees, sobbing and softly murmuring:
"...At least... At least someone, tried..."
Night deepened further. Unknown to anyone, In the distance of the ruins, That youth, holding a broken gun, alone traversed broken walls and alleys, While quietly muttering to himself:
"...Even if fated to die, I will make this broken land, Remember, That we once, Wanted light."
[HEX64]Chapter Twenty-One · Section Four[Wisdom of the Undercurrent]
[Southern District · A Corner of the Ruins · Early Morning]
The grey of the sky gradually faded, A cold moon hung between the broken buildings, Like the last lingering light in the ruins.
Jason Carter did not stay long on this wasteland, He stood at the edge of a collapsed building, Calmly overlooking the mist-shrouded area in the distance, Calculating the next step's kinetic energy changes in his mind.
At this moment, inside a building in the distance, Zhao Mingxuan was leading a few loyalists in tactical drills, His command movements were swift and precise. Lisa Peng stood beside him, Her finger lightly brushing over her terminal device, As her fingertip touched, Her brow furrowed slightly.
[Distant Ruins · Central Distribution Point]
A group of young people wearing worn clothes, Were preparing to leave the Southern District peripheral market. Their bodies were thin, their eyes filled with unease and anxiety, Like scraps of paper in the wind, they could be lifted at any moment.
A tall, thin young man named Vic, He stopped, Gazing at the instruction document from the outer district in his hand, His heart was full of doubt.
"Do you believe this order?" He asked his companion Allen softly.
Allen lowered his head silently, His lips moved slightly, clearly hesitating, Finally, he spoke:
"Can we choose? These instructions that came down, there's almost no way to resist. ...Looks like, we have to accept."
Vic's doubts were not resolved, But he ultimately stuffed the document into his backpack, Letting it silently disappear into the air of these ruins.
[Southern District · Wasteland Edge]
Jason slowly turned, Stepping one by one through the dilapidated alleyways, His eyes still holding calm determination. He had always known, These organizations, these people struggling like Vic and Allen, Would ultimately end up being surrounded. And he, Was still silently shaping his own strength, Encircling everything through these invisible undercurrent lines.
If these youths and teams couldn't understand, that was normal—— They only saw the storm in front of them, but had never seen the accumulation behind the storm.
[Fuxi Prompt]
"The tide is never in a hurry, True wisdom is weaving a long-term trend in forbearance."
Jason's thought quietly surfaced, He lowered his head, looking at the intelligence data being transmitted, Each subtle kinetic energy fluctuation, Was slowly converging under his control.
The world's game, Is not a simple violent confrontation. It is—— With deep wisdom, To build an invisible network, Allowing every trend to quietly flow towards the goal he has set.
—
[Northern District · Scorched Earth Embers]
The White Spear Detachment had just left the Northern District, A dead silence enveloped this area that had once shone. From afar, a few scavengers emerged from the corners of the ruins, Cautiously approaching, They did not dare to speak loudly, Only whispered to each other, Much like animals cautiously probing in the wilderness.
One elderly scavenger, Took a deep breath, Pointing to the ruins in the distance, said:
"The former free zone, Now only wasteland remains."
Another companion responded in a low voice:
"If you had ever seen those dead children with your own eyes, You would understand, These people were fated not to survive." "Freedom, In this world, is a luxury."
[Ruins · Silent Tide]
Jason stood beneath a broken wall, His black trench coat gently lifted by the wind, He knew deeply, These examples, from the "Blackrock factory" to the "free zone" and then to the "silent burial," Were only a part of the many stories in this world.
His mind was still working, Verifying his predetermined assumptions over and over. Every rise, every destruction behind violence, Was step by step building an irresistible logic.
Deep within these ruins, The undercurrent Jason was weaving, Still in unknown corners, Quietly converging, Making the deepest preparations, For the tide he was about to lead.
[Fuxi Prompt]
"The storm has not yet formed, The covert flow is already visible; The active have not yet revealed themselves, The wise have already controlled."
Jason sighed softly in his heart, Containing all his emotions, Turning and walking towards the distance. He knew, This was not a battle of light, But an accumulation in the darkness. He was not in a hurry. He was not flustered. What he wanted was—— In these ruins, With the subtlest power, To trigger the strongest storm.
Chapter Twenty-One · Section Five[Tide Heart Awakening]
[Ruins Market · Night]
As night fell, The Southern District market became bustling again. Vendors pushed dilapidated carts, the sounds of shouting and bargaining intertwined into chaos. Even so, an atmosphere of loneliness still permeated the air, as if this city, after experiencing a great disaster, Had never truly recovered.
Jason Carter stood in a corner of the market, Holding a crumpled piece of paper in his hand, This was intelligence he had obtained from a drifter——news about a batch of drifters being forced to find new living space after the collapse of the Northern District.
He was not in a hurry to act, but quietly observed, His gaze like a hook, sweeping over every detail. The pedestrians around him, hurried figures, Some nameless minor characters, their behavior and faces, Allowed him to clearly perceive the movements of this world.
Jason was not anxious, he knew, Now, what was truly important was not to react immediately, But to——bury his ideas, his philosophy beneath the surface of these turbulent waters, Allowing them to quietly spread.
He walked to the center of the market, Stopping in a corner where a group of young people were gathered.
"Would you be willing to listen to a sentence from me?" His voice was not loud, even carrying a hint of calmness and peace, but it was enough to attract a few bystanders in the noisy market. A few young drifters looked up at him. Their eyes were filled with suspicion and vigilance, But one young man, couldn't help but walk closer.
Jason was not in a hurry to speak, but slowly took out a wrinkled piece of paper, A few lines were written on it: "The tide, comes quietly; only by lurking, can one ride the wind and waves."
"Do you believe there are forces in the world that do not show their capabilities?" Jason continued speaking, his voice unhurried, His eyes seemed to penetrate the thoughts of these young people, directly seeing the confusion and anger in their hearts.
"The reason you are confused, Is because you only see the destruction of violence, but do not see the hidden accumulation."
He lowered his head, looked at the paper in his hand, and smiled slightly, "Strength is never limited to visible conflict, True strength is the tide you cannot see."
The few youths fell silent. One of the most visibly agitated young men, Suddenly frowned, and asked in a low voice:
"What exactly are you trying to say? We're suffocated by this world, what you're saying, Does it have anything to do with us?"
Jason was not in a hurry to retort, but slowly walked closer to him, His pace did not quicken, but the air around them suddenly became oppressive.
"What you see is violence, what you hear is conflict, But you have never perceived that deep strength, It quietly accumulates in the darkness, like a tide, without visible movement."
He moved a few steps closer, his gaze fixed on the young man's eyes, His tone was low and magnetic:
"I'm not telling you to welcome the storm, but to—— Tell you how to become the existence that is not blown away in the storm."
As his words fell, The young man and his companions fell silent. The transmitted information slowly settled in the air, As if it had already quietly sown seeds in their hearts.
Jason did not say more, just smiled slightly, Then turned, and slowly left the market, Leaving his transmitted ideas to the people who were still confused.
[Southern District · Distant Ruins]
Jason knew that this small step of dissemination would not immediately change anything, However, these people and their kinetic energy would converge into powerful forces in the future. Countless such undercurrents would ultimately converge into a huge tide.
"The tide, not yet visible, has already begun to accumulate." He murmured to himself, Stepping forward, entering deeper into the ruins.