Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Cui Ming naturally knew that Dr. Hart was the Boss of the Thieves Guild, the one who had betrayed him. Patiently listening, the Elder continued to speak.
When the research facility exploded, Mi Xiaobo's father was investigating and happened to arrive at the site. In his quest for any clues, he unexpectedly unearthed a half-decayed corpse near the facility. As he continued searching, he discovered a mass grave. Shocked, Mi Xiaobo's father reported back to the Elder Council, which then dispatched assistance for a secret investigation.
Soon, based on some characteristics of the corpses, they traced the matter back to Dawn Prison and uncovered a shocking secret: over a span of three years, more than two hundred men and women on Death Row had gone missing from the Dawn Empire. Official documents stated that these individuals were sent to the exile location known as Bit Island. However, Bit Island had not received any of these two hundred people. Mi Xiaobo's father learned from a nearby town that on certain nights each month, prisoner transport vehicles headed towards the research facility. This indicated that the Dawn Empire was likely supporting some civilian organization in conducting live human experiments.
Just as he was making these discoveries, Mi Xiaobo's father was suddenly attacked. Relying on his formidable skills in enhancement specialization, he managed to escape with serious injuries, while two ordinary pursuers went missing. When the Elder Council sent more people to investigate again, they found that the area had already been turned into a construction site; the research facility had been demolished and was being replaced by a hospital for Dawn soldiers.
With all evidence lost, the York Clan chose silence; they could not speak out without risking retaliation from the Dawn Empire. However, based on clues gathered by Mi Xiaobo's father and items found among the bones, the Elder Council believed that the Dawn Empire was commissioning some scientist or Magic System practitioner to create Super Soldiers. They were researching a method to enable ordinary adults to quickly adapt to Force and become non-savages or semi-savages. The Yorkians conducted investigations based on this assumption but found nothing.
Now, when Cui Ming mentioned the Breeding Room, the Elder decided to reveal this matter.
Cui Ming said, "In biology and beasts, there is no distinction between savages and non-savages. Force Creatures do not have savage side effects, and they do not require teachers to instruct them in Six Elements. Boldly speculating, could their research direction be towards combining without reproduction? Thus leading to Centaurs and Lion Dogs?"
The Elder smiled and replied, "Young man, anything is possible. You are a clever person; remember that you can boldly hypothesize but should not get stuck in narrow thinking. Once you fixate on something, you will search for what you need like a suspect looking for a stolen axe—sometimes you may find something valuable; other times you may find nothing at all. You should observe things from an outsider's perspective and view them objectively."
Cui Ming asked, "Is it that my speculation is flawed?"
"Yes," said the Elder. "I do believe that the Dawn Empire has been secretly supporting actions against Fire Cult—possibly inciting conflict between Fire Cult and Twilight City. However, I do not think that the Dawn Empire would help Fire Cult develop such powerful Half-Beast practitioners. The Dawn Empire has always been the dominant force in Eternity; if they possessed such technology, why wouldn't they cultivate loyal Half-Beast soldier practitioners for themselves? The reason why the Dawn Empire assists Fire Cult is that Twilight City is growing stronger; so why would they undermine their own foundation to bolster Fire Cult instead of strengthening their own empire?"
Ha! What an obvious truth I had overlooked! Cui Ming stood up and bowed respectfully, saying, "Elder, please forgive my ignorance."
The Elder smiled and said, "No need to be polite. Young people often have some minor issues, especially the clever ones. Clever individuals tend to be suspicious and only trust their own judgments, which can lead them to preconceived notions. In fact, the advantage of a smart person lies in their ability to think; however, every intelligent person has their own limitations. The question just now was quite simple, something that clever people might overlook, while ordinary folks would consider it. So, esteemed guest, before taking action in the future, it would be wise to observe and listen more; never jump to conclusions. I apologize if my words seemed too harsh." The Elder slightly bowed as a gesture of apology.
Cui Ming quickly replied, "No, no, not at all." Was that really considered harsh?
The Elder continued, "I merely believe that you are a remarkable individual among people. That's why I spoke a bit more. Now, let's return to the topic without any more formalities."
Cui Ming nodded and said, "The research will explore any possible connections with the Fire Cult and the Dawn Empire. The Fire Cult practitioners and the Dawn Empire have no relation."
The Elder nodded in agreement. "That's correct; there is certainly no connection with the latter. As for the former, there might be some relation."
Cui Ming asked, "Elder, we are about to head to Silent City. Is there anything we should be aware of?"
"I am not a practitioner and am not familiar with Silent City; even practitioners do not know much about it. Personally speaking, many believe that Silent City is a chaotic gathering place for madmen, but I do not agree."
"Oh?" Cui Ming was surprised.
"A little swan has fallen behind; its beautiful feathers have caught the attention of hunters. How will it survive the winter? The smartest way is to blend in with a flock of wild ducks," the Elder explained. "It is undeniable that Silent City was initially established because Magic System practitioners faced discrimination. However, can a belief last for hundreds of years? Beliefs are worth less than faith or honor. To put it bluntly, beliefs belong to individuals."
Cui Ming humbly sought guidance: "What does the Elder think…"
"Of course there are many madmen who freely summon Otherworldly Creatures, but Silent City also has rules: one cannot attack members of Silent City or those under its protection. Why? If all the wild ducks are gone, then the little swan will be exposed to the hunters' guns. On the contrary, look at now; dark powers and Blood Magic—these Forbidden Techniques exist reasonably within the Eternal Sphere, and the Force Alliance cannot eradicate them. This means that for a little swan studying Forbidden Techniques, not only are there wild ducks providing protection, but there is also freedom because little swans are smarter than wild ducks."
Cui Ming understood the implication: certain individuals were rallying a group of madmen to protect themselves from being targeted by the Force Alliance due to their actions.
The Elder said, "In any case, Little Swan is relatively rare and won't stir up too much trouble. Little Swan doesn't intend to cause waves either, as he understands the principle of the bird that sticks its head out gets shot. The Force Alliance has many wise individuals who recognize this and have not specifically targeted Silent City. Therefore, my advice to you is to avoid the wild ducks and find Little Swan as soon as possible. However, before you find Little Swan, you must know whether he will greet you kindly or incite the wild ducks to attack you, leading to your doom."
Although the Elder was not a practitioner, he was a wise elder with considerable political experience. Politics is filled with deception and is one of the dirtiest fields; countless elites use various means for their own purposes, methods that even Cui Ming cannot fathom. As an elder and a senior elder, the survival and development of the York Clan are in his hands, so he must possess the ability to see through political schemes. Once he has this ability, there are no tricks left in the world. Based on what Mi Xiaonan had previously introduced and some things mentioned by Cui Ming, he quickly understood what kind of person Cui Ming was, what he thought, and what he wanted. Thus, he offered appropriate advice and guidance; although it did not provide substantial help, it greatly benefited Cui Ming.
The Elder pointed out a path: Silent City is both terrifying and not terrifying, mainly depending on your entry point. If you can first find the kind Little Swan, then there will be no problem. If you first encounter the bad Little Swan, then it will be dangerous. The more likely scenario is that you will have to face the wild ducks; you must drive away some of them before you can discover Little Swan. Before finding the kind Little Swan, you must ensure your safe retreat because Silent City is indeed frightening.
...
When Silent City was first established years ago, it was an organization opposing the Alliance's discrimination against the Magic System and did not have any actual territory. However, after multiple conflicts with the Alliance of Three Continents, Silent City wisely decided to retreat to the sea. Eventually, they found a base for Silent City in the vast waters between the Eastern Continent and Western Continent, which are even broader than those of Three Continents.
Relatively speaking, Silent City is closer to the Western Continent and is located further south. According to records and oral accounts, Cui Ming and others still knew about the general situation of Silent City.
Silent City is a large island that reveals seven small islands and one main island during high tide; at low tide, these roads connect back together. The outer perimeter of Silent City is referred to by the media as Devil's Delta. One reason is that Silent City has a triangular shape; another reason is that within a hundred nautical miles of this area are countless reefs and turbulent currents. Many ships have met with misfortune here every year, including both civilian and military vessels. Five hundred years ago, the Dawn Empire intended to build a Navy base here but ultimately abandoned it due to the numerous reefs resembling cactus thorns.
Silent City has several characteristics. The first characteristic is that in the Northern region and Northern seas, it rains only a few days each year; meanwhile, in the Southern region and Southern seas, it rains for about two hundred days annually due to monsoon effects. This has led to desertification in the North while lush jungles thrive in the South. The main island sits atop mountains that divide north from south. The second characteristic involves scientists studying Devil's Delta who believe that magnetic interference disrupts compasses, causing ships to enter Devil's Delta mistakenly. Practitioners view this as being caused by powerful magical elements present in Silent City.
In earlier years within Critical Zone, due to mages gathering and frequently using magic, magical elements accumulated which led to more mages gathering to study stronger magic—a cycle that could result in disastrous consequences: collapse. In just ten years, Silent City has experienced three earthquakes. Despite this, it appears that Silent City can sustain itself for a long time yet. Conversely, the abundant magical elements on Silent City make it a holy land for practitioners of Magic System; here their magic almost never depletes.
The third characteristic of Silent City is its disorderliness juxtaposed with orderliness. The island's residents come from various backgrounds; most are practitioners of Magic System dedicated to studying magic while a small portion are protected individuals. They all bear magical marks from elders; one function allows elders to know their locations at all times while another serves as identification. There are only three rules on the island: do not attack those with magical marks; otherwise, you will be executed. The second rule states that elders and city lords can demand anyone assist in attacking non-residents of the island; defiance will lead to execution. The third rule prohibits mages from approaching the only road on the island. (To be continued.)
Comment 0 Comment Count