A new region discovered within The City?
Staring at Texas's letter, Obsidian's mind raced with a flurry of thoughts.
No, "discovered" was indeed the right word rather than "appeared." But what exactly could she have discovered to prompt this kind of urgency?
From Obsidian's memory, most areas within The City shouldn't differ significantly. Unless…
Realizing a certain possibility, Obsidian felt his vision briefly darken.
This isn't good. He had a very bad feeling about this.
The bad feeling quickly spiraled into a deep unease.
The City's population had recently surpassed ten thousand, meaning Don Quixote's awakening was now practically inevitable. And Obsidian had already noticed clear signs of his awakening in Alley One: his fingers twitching occasionally, and sometimes he'd even turn over. In his eyes, this was hardly different from ordinary sleep.
Such shallow slumber meant he could awaken at any moment.
The situation was critical—no mistakes could be tolerated.
So for something new and unexpected to crop up at this very moment… he simply couldn't ignore it.
Lowering his head slightly, Obsidian deliberated for a long moment, then exhaled heavily.
"The Association can keep running on its own… it doesn't need me immediately."
"This unexpected situation needs attention right away. I'll send Hai—he's the best equipped for this in terms of strength."
Decision made, Obsidian quickly had Hai redistribute his current tasks to other Hana Association members. Hai then hastily left the Association, mentioning that he had an urgent commission to handle personally.
---
For quite a while now, Texas had busied herself exploring The City.
On one hand, it was out of curiosity. On the other, Obsidian's relentless workload left her few chances to speak with him or uncover more insider information directly.
Thus, Texas had taken it upon herself to thoroughly investigate The City, honing her own strength in the process.
She was confident that once her power reached a certain level, Obsidian would surely assign her a suitable role.
Just before Pioneer departed, she'd learned through casual conversation that The City would eventually have "Syndicates" established—and at that time, Texas would be a prime candidate for leadership.
With this clear goal in mind, Texas hadn't paused for even a moment.
Besides, she knew very well that within The City, aside from Laurentina—who'd arrived at roughly the same time as herself—Texas was the only other person who truly understood the Fingers.
And indeed, Obsidian had been quietly planning the recreation of the Fingers for some time now. More than once, he'd envisioned replicating them in full detail once The City was ready.
Texas was indeed his prime choice for Thumb leadership.
After all, it was Madness in its purest form—creating the Fingers would hardly be a waste.
Against this backdrop, Texas relentlessly explored The City outskirts, and finally, she'd run into an unexpected discovery.
A few days earlier, she'd stumbled onto a completely new area—unlike anything she'd previously encountered within The City's explored territories.
That discovery had prompted her letter. Now, Texas waited anxiously for Obsidian's reply.
It was at that very moment she heard someone knocking on her door.
Her wolf ears twitched, and Texas swiftly rose, approaching the door with hurried steps. Opening it, she found someone simultaneously unfamiliar yet recognizable:
A man clad in a long white trench coat, a spear strapped to his back. His expression was calm and cool. He lowered his head, meeting Texas's eyes.
Texas had never personally met him, so he was unfamiliar—yet she recognized him immediately.
"…You're Mr. Hai, president of the First Association?"
Looking at the Hana Association's recently renowned president, Texas asked hesitantly.
"That's correct. The City Head passed your commission to the Hana Association. I'm here to investigate the new region you've mentioned."
Hai's tone was cool, as if constantly analyzing everything around him.
Texas exhaled softly, feeling strangely disappointed, but quickly composed herself.
"In that case… shall we head out now?"
She could sense that this Fixer was strong—far stronger than herself, even when she wielded an [IDCard].
"…Let's move."
Hai uttered the single word before turning swiftly to leave. Texas hurriedly caught up and quickly took the lead.
Now she had to retrace her steps and lead him through the route of her earlier exploration.
...
In truth, Food Chain had effectively cleared out most monsters near The City.
As a result, Obsidian had received a relatively safe and quiet City once Food Chain was dealt with.
Admittedly, some resources might've been lost, but that was a minor issue. However, as Hai followed Texas on this exploration, he noted some disturbing signs.
Previously, The City's boundary had extended about sixty kilometers from the central cabin. But now, in previously safe regions, monsters were reappearing—Hai had already spotted Sweepers again, those common pests that should've been long gone.
This could mean only one thing: Monsters from the Outskirts were beginning to encroach upon The City again. Another monster invasion seemed inevitable and probably wouldn't be far off.
We're running out of time. I just hope the new region Texas found isn't what I think it is. Otherwise, things are going to get complicated fast.
Sighing softly, Hai easily dispatched a Sweeper with a swift slash using [Four Trigrams], then quickened his pace, glancing back at Texas.
"We're close now, correct?"
"Just about one kilometer ahead—you'll notice the landscape changing soon," Texas replied.
Hai turned his attention forward, focusing intently.
"When I reached that area, it looked like a beach…" Texas finally had a chance to squeeze in these words, but she stopped abruptly, noticing Hai had frozen in place.
She also went silent. Beneath their feet, the soil had already turned distinctly sandy, and in the distance, Hai could make out the distant horizon blending seamlessly with a vast, shimmering expanse of water…
In that moment, Hai knew that the absolute worst-case scenario he'd imagined was unfolding before his very eyes.
He slowed his pace, continuing forward slowly. Twenty minutes later, facing an immense expanse of water, soft sand beneath his feet, and heaps of trash littering a distant shoreline…
Hai fell utterly silent. Texas saw his reaction and hesitated, unsure whether it was appropriate to speak.
Hai merely closed his eyes briefly.
Fuck… I recognize this place.
This is The Great Lake!!!