***
"Step aside,"
One of the guards finally said, voice flat, monotone as if speaking through a void.
"Uh… step aside?"
Zhao Yu echoed, tilting his head.
"For me? Or for the universe to witness my grandeur?"
"...."
The guard blinked once.
Nothing else.
"U... Uhm."
Zhao Yu coughed, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Right… universe can wait. I'm fine with just the door. That's… fine too."
He shuffled forward, trying to appear casual, but his stick hit the cobblestones with a clack-clack that sounded way louder in his head than it probably did.
"Sir,"
The second guard finally spoke.
"Registration. Present your identification."
Zhao Yu froze mid-step.
Identification.
ID.
Right.
That… might be a problem.
"Ohhh, of course,"
He said, fumbling into his pocket like he hadn't just spent the last twenty minutes talking to himself about epic loot and passive skills.
"Identification! Totally normal, I've got that… somewhere… maybe… no, wait…"
He dug frantically through his rags, scattering papers, coins, and a tiny glowing capsule from his inventory onto the cobblestone.
"Relax,"
The first guard said, voice still deadpan.
"Or not. Up to you."
"...."
Zhao Yu froze again, blinking at the guards like they just insulted his very existence.
Then he pointed at the scattered items.
"Uh… is any of this identification? Or… do you accept my sheer charisma as identification?"
"...."
No reaction.
Of course not.
He groaned, crouching to collect his things, muttering under his breath.
"Sheer charisma… level G charm ofc… i know, somehow the city guards are unimpressed. Unbelievable."
Finally, he found a crumpled piece of parchment with his name scribbled in half-legible ink.
"Ah-ha! Victory!"
He said, holding it aloft like a sacred relic.
"Zhao Yu! That's me! Officially! Totally real! I swear on my… uh… inventory list!"
The guards exchanged a glance.
If they had eyes, maybe they'd have rolled them.
"Submit it,"
One said.
Zhao Yu held the parchment out carefully, dramatically, like he was handing over the fate of the world itself.
"Here… here it is! My identity, my future… also possibly cursed by fate but mostly awesome. Enjoy."
The guard took it without emotion, scanned it with a glowing device, then handed it back.
"Registration complete. Proceed to aptitude assessment."
Zhao Yu blinked.
"Wait… done? That's it?"
The guard tilted his head slightly.
"Yes. Move forward."
"Move forward… ohhh, I see,"
Zhao Yu muttered.
"Like… live dangerously forward… level two adventurer style. Got it."
As he started stepping into the hall, he muttered under his breath as he reacted to how the guards act.
"The thing is… in this world... Two worlds... No... Three worlds actually, chaos rewards those who dare to fumble spectacularly while thinking they're a genius. And I? I am spectacular."
He adjusted his stick, which now seemed far more like a legendary staff than a piece of junk.
"Okay… next,"
He whispered.
"Aptitude assessment. Let's see what the system says… whether I'm total trash, slightly above trash, or maybe… just maybe… secretly OP."
A beam of light scanned him as he entered the main hall.
Panels floated in the air, lists of elemental affinities and basic stats ready to greet him.
Zhao Yu squinted at the glowing holographic table in front of him.
"Hmm… not bad. Could be worse. Could be… worse,"
He muttered, tapping the interface.
He leaned back, smirking.
"You know, when Rosswell was out there getting his ass handed to him by giant monsters and absorbing… whatever energy he absorbed, I was sitting here doing this. Talking to myself. Being awesome. Haaaah."
He paused dramatically, whispering just to himself:
"When I was out there, killing… or at least surviving… those monsters, the world probably shivered. And here I am, level two Zhao Yu… minor chaos, major charm… unforgettable."
"Damn Popular Xianxia Author should write a novel on me."
He chuckled, shaking his head.
"Yeah… this is me. Absolute legend. Slightly insane, slightly trash, but definitely legendary."
Then, as he hovered over the system table, a faint flicker of unfamiliar energy pulsed beneath his feet.
Zhao Yu's grin faltered for the first time in a minute.
He crouched slightly, hand hovering over his inventory.
"Hmmm… what is this?"
He muttered, squinting at the strange resonance.
The hall around him was still, guards watching silently, other candidates oblivious.
But Zhao Yu could feel it.
Something had arrived.
Something… different.
He tilted his head.
"Ohhhh, this isn't just a normal quest. Not even close…"
***
Rosswell's fingers tingled.
That faint, persistent thread of blue light, the one no one else could see, hovered just at the edge of his vision.
He frowned, crouching slightly, squinting as if the world had suddenly gained a hidden layer.
'What is this...?'
His mind circled the sensation cautiously.
'Not qi. Not residual energy. Something else. Reactive. Measuring… responding… I can feel it, but it isn't mine. Not yet. Strange… unfamiliar.'
He flexed his fingers slowly, testing the thread, letting it shimmer along his skin.
It pulsed faintly with each beat of his heart.
'Like it wants attention… like it's waiting for me to acknowledge it. But acknowledge it as what? A tool? A trap? Or… an opportunity?'
Lost in thought, Rosswell barely noticed Rang Rang's voice carrying from behind.
"Hey! Dozing off again? Snap out of it, genius!"
He blinked.
"Huh…?"
"Don't tell me that little sparkle has got you daydreaming. We're walking, remember?"
Rang Rang called again, exasperated but amused
Rosswell rubbed the back of his neck.
"Not daydreaming… observing."
Yang Yi glanced at him with a faint smirk.
"Observing, yes. Just… try not to get eaten by your own curiosity this time."
The three of them, Mei Mei, Rang Rang, Yang Yi, moved steadily through the remnants of Husk Field, Rosswell keeping his attention partially on the strange thread at the corner of his vision.
Time passed, the jagged plains fading gradually, and the air lightened.
.
.
.
.
Hours later, or perhaps what felt like hours, Xinzhi City emerged on the horizon.
Streets gleamed under the rising sun; merchants shouted prices; civilians moved gracefully, subtle qi weaving around them.
Husk Field was far behind, but Rosswell's mind remained half-focused on the blue thread, still pulsing faintly.
"City,"
Rang Rang murmured, stretching her legs.
"Finally. I'm going straight for breakfast. You guys can… figure your things out."
Mei Mei nodded.
"I have work at the Union. Luo Yi expects reports by mid-morning. Don't wait for me."
Yang Yi glanced at Rosswell.
"Okay, I'll be your guide them Rosswell."
Rosswell's gaze flicked from the bustling streets to her.
"Yes… someone should explain the rules and how this town works."
They walked together, Rosswell silent, mentally cataloging the energy flows of the city and the subtle patterns in the streets.
Yang Yi began explaining quietly as they approached the registration office:
"Alright, here's the sequence. First, you register your name, age, and… basic affiliation. That gives you official recognition. Then comes the aptitude assessment. Panels scan latent energy, reflexes, compatibility with professions and skills. After that, you get assigned a class or profession, and, depending on your qi signature, you're recommended for training or missions."
Rosswell listened intently, fingers brushing slightly against the unseen pulse at his corner of vision.
'Compatibility… assessment… latent energy… This thread must be connected. It reacts, measures, but why? For what purpose?'
"The Union keeps it streamlined, but…"
Yang Yi continued,
"Most people get anxious. It's… a lot of subtle tests disguised as formalities. Don't overthink, just focus on the flow."
Rosswell nodded slowly.
'Flow… instinct… adaptation… All lessons Husk Field taught me are relevant here, but something in me senses more. That thread, this… unknown variable, might be the real test.'
They reached the registration desk.
Papers were signed, names checked, qi lightly scanned.
Rosswell observed everything silently, the pulse of the thread intensifying slightly as he completed the registration.
Yang Yi leaned closer as they stepped aside.
"Next, the aptitude assessment. Panels will measure reactions, energy output, compatibility. Just move naturally. Don't force it."
Rosswell's thoughts drifted again.
'Compatibility with what, exactly? This thread… it watches, records, responds… I am not sure if it's judging me, or preparing me. Perhaps both. Either way, awareness is the first step toward control.'
The three separated briefly: Mei Mei heading to her Union duties, Rang Rang disappearing into a nearby tavern to grab breakfast, leaving Rosswell alone with Yang Yi as they approached the assessment panels.
Rosswell's eyes narrowed slightly.
'Every action here… every breath, every pulse of qi… measured. Husk Field taught me about survival. This… is adaptation. Observation remains vital.'
And then, faintly, a tingle running down his spine.
Something was there. Something… different.
He tilted his head and saw a boy sitting, staring at him in the same way he was staring.
***