“Do you know who they are? Those are the officers from the ‘Special Bureau for Prisoner Exchange’! “

“Oh my god! ” The armed civilians around gasped in unison, turning their heads to stare through the rain at the indistinct silhouettes standing in the mist.

Suddenly, one person seemed to realize something and blurted out, “Could it be that… agents of the Special Bureau for Prisoner Exchange planned this Miasma Pollution ahead of time because they knew that you, Hero, planned to pass through here?! “

As this startling question broke through the crowd’s stupor, the townspeople erupted in a chorus of furious debate and curses that thundered across the rain.

Yet some still refused to believe it, resisting the notion that a distant spectacle from the papers could possibly entangle their peaceful little town.

Lianna suddenly handed Yang Zicang the navy-style cap, pursed her lips, and gave him a solemn nod with her head—still heartbreakingly adorable even when soaked.

Hesitating for a moment, Yang Zicang placed the cap solemnly on his head.

In an instant, the crowd standing around finally recognized the drenched but distinguished figure before them, matching it to the similarly vague silhouettiess in that newspaper report.

“They’re trying to do him in! “

“God, could this really be… vengeance from those officials who run the prisoner swaps? “

Some suddenly realized the weight of the crisis. “This is dangerous, lads! If the Hero dies dishonored, bearing a tarnished name, what hell awaits us after that! “

The townsfolk shuddered with a chill of dread.

Yang Zicang watched in mute astonishment as the mere exposure of his identity and the donning of this hat instantly flipped the script, transforming the once-hostile villagers’ attitudes on a dime.

Truly incomprehensible—a man who had just sheltered Miasma Pollution before their eyes could not hold a candle to the “hero ” persona gleaned from a newspaper article.

Voluntarily outing himself like this—Yang Zicang mulled it over. What was that guy trying to do?

It suddenly struck him: if he died here, couldn’t they use this miasma attack to tar and feather him with infamy?

“Ben! Are you people from the Prisoner Exchange Bureau planning to take this matter to the international stage and make everyone across the entire continent rethink who I am? “

Yang Zicang deliberately raised his voice, his tone clear and piercing as it cut through the curtain of rain, instantly spreading into the wilderness and woods beyond the barrier:

“Are you trying to bury every last person here with me and cement your smear campaign against me? “

“What?! “

“The Prisoner Exchange… is that from the Special Affairs Division? “

The whole town heard that booming voice. Lianna tilted her head back, staring at him without a blink. Rain poured in strings from the brim of her hat, etching the man’s silhouette deep into her mind in that moment.

“Hey, no way—there are thousands of us here, how dare they— “

“You officials out there… ” People near the barrier pressed fearfully against the transparent energy wall, “You wouldn’t really do something like that, would you? We won’t say a word—please, let us out! “

“Killing us might also unleash the devil’s power—you wouldn’t do something like that, right? “

These people’s legs trembled with fear.

Mr. Ben, beneath his rain cloak, now had an expression of extreme gloom.

“Hmph, trying to scare me with those legends. ” Under the watchful eyes of his surrounding men, Ben put the funnel-shaped loudspeaker to his mouth and said loudly, “At this point, do you think I’d care about that? You’re one of those Fogfolk, aren’t you? Hand over that box and the Holy Sword, and I’ll throw in the Bloodline Statue for you—oh, and of course, the lives of everyone here too! “

As if weights had been set upon a scale.

In that moment, the terrified townspeople confirmed this grim truth: the lives of thousands here had become bargaining chips in this official’s mouth.

“You… you butchers! “

An older man inside the barrier angrily pressed his face against the force field.

“You liars! “

“You’ll rot in hell! “

Ben chuckled twice. “Even if it’s hell, that’s decades away. But if I don’t do this now, I’ll never leave this continent, you fools! “

Instantly, emotions of terror, disgust, and more surfaced in the eyes of the surrounding soldiers.

“Don’t look at me like that, ” Ben turned and said coldly. “Do you really think this world has a future? Let me make it clear to you—this world is on the brink of destruction! But… as for those willing to follow my orders today, I will take them to the continent on the other side of the sea! “

Several confused voices erupted around them. The people in raincoats looked at each other in disarray.

It was at that moment, however, that they suddenly heard the chaotic yet mighty sound of marching footsteps.

Everyone turned to look as a dark mass of troops emerged from the surroundings, holding either pistols or rifles aloft, some also armed with military sabers.

“These armies are…! “

“You people of the Special Affairs Bureau, listen up! ” a commanding voice shouted from within the ranks. “Drop your weapons now! Surrender unconditionally! “

Ben’s face went pale with panic. Then he raised his finger in fury. “Harold! You bastards! “

Bang!

A shot rang out. Ben’s shoulder was blasted apart by a powerful force, causing blood to gush as he howled in agony and fell to the ground. To all signs, Ben had never imagined he would suffer such an injury himself.

From the sudden reinforcement, a handsome young man on horseback emerged through the passage cleared by the massed soldiers—he was the one who had fired the shot.

“Your report to our garrison claims there are mutineers here. But the intelligence we’ve gathered tells a different story. You’re just using that excuse to hide your own dirty dealings, aren’t you?! “

“It’s the Hydrapower City garrison! “

At the echo of the gunshot, the townspeople burst into a deafening cheer.

“You—What are you doing?!Do you realize who I am! “

Lying wounded on the ground, Ben soon realized with terror that the young man’s menacing rifle barrel was now trained on him yet again—this time, seemingly aimed squarely at his head.

Ben glared at the officer on horseback with pent-up fury, his face a mask of intense and bitter unwillingness.

“This deployment is by order of the Grand Duke’s heir, ” Harald said coldly from atop his horse. “What you’ve done here has been discovered and reported. You’re nothing but a piece of shit trying to ruin our nation’s reputation! “

A stunned Ben was seized by several charging officers, his bloodstained body dragged away to the side.

Harald rode his horse to the front of the force field, looked at the fallen bodies on the ground. With a slight change in expression and a grave tone, he spoke to the faces inside that were staring at him with anticipation and tension.

“Everyone, forgive us. We, the 2nd Garrison of Hydrapower City, have arrived late. “

The few people gathered around Yang Zicang in the town finally let out a long sigh of relief.

And then, just like that, the matter was resolved at the very last moment.

-｛Distributor Loki Tata Mingqi indicates: “Cozy Cover. “｝

After about ten minutes, the heavy rain began to gradually subside. At that moment, Yang Zicang was wrapped in a woolen blanket by the campfire, drinking ginger soup. He looked up into the clouds in the sky and vaguely saw a colossal object slowly drifting toward the north.

“That’s an airship, ” Qiao Bing said, astonished.

“Can the technology of this world even build such a flying thing? Won’t it mutate? “

“It’s manageable. In our world, airships were invented around the 1850s. Just like in the previous Track of Fate, where our clothes, shoes, hats, and leather cases always took longer to mutate into nightmares compared to things like cars and phones—the same principle applies. Based on the intelligence my friend and I have gathered, in the current world, as long as the technology doesn’t exceed the mid-20th century, you basically won’t run into nightmare issues.“

Yang Zicang paused briefly, “Mid-20th century… the World War II era?“

“You could say so.“

“Is there some kind of connection?” Yang Zicang keenly sensed something different.

“Speaking of connections, according to the info-sharing sessions my friend attended before, the main suspect everyone zeroed in on is war’s own impact on the times.“

“What do you mean?” Yang Zicang looked at him, holding his water cup.

Qiao Bing shrugged, “It’s pretty ironic, really. Because of war, the world erupts in a leaping forward development. It’s like… war kills the previous era at the same time.“

Ebiser, and the others, who had changed their clothes, walked out from the next-door stranger’s room. The middle-aged gentleman was now dressed in ordinary townsfolk attire, while Lianna wore an extremely sweet-looking white dress, making her look graceful and strikingly lovely.

“It’s a dress from a sister who can no longer wear it. Pretty good, huh?” Lianna spun around beside Yang Zicang, the white skirt billowing out.

“It’s very beautiful.” Yang Zicang said with a smile.

Right at that moment, the faint energy field surrounding the entire town suddenly fluctuated and vanished.

-｛Distributor May Valkyrie expressed with rich experience that the glorious prelude I am nurturing had come to fruition.｝

The isolated presence of Musing Night spread instantaneously for several kilometers, and all the surrounding scenes abruptly appeared in his mind.

The stalwart figure riding horseback approached from the edge of the town, splashing through puddles.

Arriving ahead of him was a silken thread.

｛Yao Xiaoqin wants to make an active investment for me.｝

｛Yao Xiaoqin invested 1N for me.｝

In the sensory projection, a figure she felt somewhat unfamiliar appeared; now she looked every bit a noblewoman, dressed in a silky green gown, the corset beneath highlighting her already statuesque figure with even more allure.

{President, I finally managed to reach you! Thank goodness you didn’t cut off the model’s connection—are you hurt?! }

The graceful figure on the other side spoke urgently.

Yang Zicang, slightly startled by this unexpected connection, quickly steadied his emotions.

｛I was just trying to raise funds, but I didn’t expect this barrier to block even that. Hmm, how did you find out?｝

Yang Zicang shot a glance at Liana, who was looking at him with a smile, her hands lightly pinching her skirt.

{Because Bai Yuan contacted me and told me to think of a way to spread the news about what’s happening here. So I… uh, anyway, you better thank me this time! }

-｛Distributor May Valkyrie expressed with rich experience that I am nurturing a fresh glorious prelude.｝

-｛Distributor February. Di’an indicates that the glorious prelude I am nurturing should have birthed a new node.｝

-｛Distributor Loki. Tata Mingqi exclaims, “Wow! “｝

The noblewoman across from him made a playful expression and said:

{It’s such a relief to know you’re safe. I’ll report to you in detail, President, after I get back to the hotel. }

Yang Zicang hadn’t even snapped out of his daze before the connection cut off.

“Hello, Mr. Buchen. “

The man on the horse dismounted, trudged through the mud, and stood under the modest campfire. He extended his hand to Yang Zicang, and they shook.

Harald smiled at Ebiser, and after they introduced each other, he said, “Honorable noble sir, I hope this didn’t startle you too much. “

“It’s fine, thankfully thanks to the ‘hero,’ and of course, to you, Commander. “

“Hmm… So you’re leaving our country heading west across the continent, correct? “

Yang Zicang stared at the man.

“Yes… that’s right. We are indeed planning to head west. “

Harald nodded, glanced around at the people present, then turned his gaze primarily to Yang Zicang. “Gentlemen, because the inevitable day is drawing nearer, there have been multiple incidents of people seizing Secret Boxes across the continent recently. “

Seeing the look of resignation on Ebiser and the others’ faces, the officer offered words of comfort:

“Don’t worry too much. The Fog Folk Enclave has already received these reports, so they’ve begun deploying skilled personnel to deal with these sneaky matters. After all, they’re nothing but shady deeds that can’t stand the light. I believe Hydrapower City is equally prepared for this. “

A few soldiers ran over to report on their investigation of the town, along with a survey and tally of the survivors throughout the entire settlement.

Upon hearing the report, the officer nodded in acknowledgment, dismissed the soldiers, and then turned back to say:

“From here on out, specialists will handle the local situation. Mr. Ebiser, I suggest you change your identities for the journey ahead and stop using that flashy carriage. Also… “

He paused in thought before adding, “Sir Hero has only just earned the statue. I’m afraid he’s hardly ready to tackle the dangers that may arise along the road. I advise you to seek out the auxiliary forces that Hydrapower City’s Fog Folk Enclave has been recruiting specifically to address incidents like these. “

“Why do you say that? ” Yang Zicang shot back without hesitation.

Harald apologized, saying, “Well, the truth is, the Special Affairs Bureau does have a formidable warrior there—someone with a Four-Cycle Bloodline. But he’s been trapped at that intelligence outpost. “

Yang Zicang and Qiao Bing both lifted their heads in shock.

“If someone of that caliber were to join the battle, the final outcome might be up in the air. “

Everyone could sense the quiet confidence in Harald’s words, as if he were genuinely trying to prove to this ‘Hero’ that his nation’s people were no pushovers either.

“This… ” Ebiser was truly reluctant to part with Yang Zicang from the bottom of his heart, but he knew that Yang Zicang’s escort mission this time was only meant to go as far as Hydrapower City anyway. The man’s main task was to see Mr. He onto the train heading abroad, so traveling together was actually incidental for both of them.

Lianna glared angrily at the officer, huffing with annoyance.

The hero can definitely win,she thought stubbornly to herself, refusing to accept otherwise.

“Mr. Ebiser, since I have already accepted the Grand Duke’s orders to protect you, I considered your subsequent safety issues on the way here. This is how I plan to proceed. “

He took out a map and a written order.

“In Hydrapower City, there are some courtyards that can shield against intrusions from a certain ghostly space. There, you need not fear exposing yourselves in the darkness. You have the option to return to the city with us, or proceed to those courtyards under the ‘Hero’s’ protection, and choose any vacant one to occupy. “

Is it a place that can hide real-world projections within the sub-etheric force field?Yang Zicang cast his gaze toward the written order.

“This mobilization order allows a squad of about fifteen city guards to assist in protecting your safety next. You may accept it or not—it matters little; these are primarily commands from the Grand Duke’s office, so you can rest assured. “

Upon hearing this title, which he otherwise felt indifferent toward, Yang Zicang let out a long sigh of relief.

“We are truly grateful to His Benevolent Highness, the Crown Prince.” Ebiser said with a polite smile, then tugged at the pouting Lianna’s clothes. The girl let out an “Oh,” and added, “Thank you, Crown Prince, and thank you, Uncle.“

Harald’s smile stiffened, and he responded with a dry chuckle and a nod at the girl.

Yang Zicang, meanwhile, glanced at the man in front of him, then looked toward the distant, now-disarmed posse surrounding the town. In his mind, he recalled a brief conversation he’d once had with “Bai Yuxian” about that very matter…

How could every one of these people know about the continent’s approaching doom? Isn’t that kind of knowledge supposed to be exclusive to those who’ve harbored cursed blood or transformed into Crossing People?