...
"So that's Jinzhou City… It's incredible."
The female Rover couldn't help sighing as she looked at the distant metropolis.
Hearing that, Yangyang and Chixia both smiled at the same time, pride lighting up their faces.
This was their hometown.
"Hehe, right? Not bad, huh?" Chixia grinned.
"Huanglong has six prefectures in total," Yangyang added. "Jinzhou was actually the most recently established of the six. But from the moment it was founded, it took on the responsibility of guarding the frontier and protecting the hundreds of millions of civilians behind it."
"…I see. That's impressive."
Aegon gave a slight nod. He'd known that already, but hearing Yangyang say it out loud stirred something in him. Even after transmigrating, that familiar sense of attachment hadn't faded in the slightest. If anything, his goodwill toward Jinzhou shot up another notch.
Just then, the female Rover's sharp eyes caught something.
"Hm? Look over there. Is that… someone?"
"Who would be out there at a time like this? It's way too dangerous. Oh, wait, that's Baizhi! We finally found her!—Hold on, where is she exactly?!"
Chixia's voice rose halfway through, panic creeping in. Yangyang's expression changed too, worry flashing across her face.
At the foot of Yunling Valley stood a black-haired girl in a qipao-style outfit. She was crouched over a patch of land that looked wrong at first glance, as if she were collecting samples or conducting research.
"Baizhi! Why did she run into a Silent Zone?!"
"I don't know what level this Silent Zone is, but we have to get her out just in case. I've got a bad feeling!"
"A Silent Zone?" the female Rover repeated softly, eyes widening as she looked again.
That stretch of land was completely different from its surroundings. It looked drained of color, washed into gray and white. At its center lay a massive cross-shaped Sound Mark etched into the earth.
Yangyang quickly explained. Silent Zones were high-risk areas that could spawn large numbers of Tacet Discords at once. The longer they brewed, the stronger the Discords that emerged. Every occurrence was considered an emergency.
This wasn't something a small group could handle. They needed to report back to Jinzhou immediately and have the Midnight Rangers deal with it.
Yangyang and Chixia took off at once, intending to pull Baizhi out of the Silent Zone.
Aegon, however, nudged the still-processing female Rover with his elbow.
"Hm? What is it, Aegon?"
"Get ready. Boss fight incoming."
"Eh?"
Aegon knew the storyline well. A beginner tutorial boss called the Crownless would appear here.
They needed to be prepared.
But before he could say more—
Everything changed.
"Baizhi!!" x2
Yangyang and Chixia screamed.
The once-still Silent Zone suddenly erupted with jagged spikes shooting up from the ground. A suffocating pressure surged outward, terrifying even from a distance.
Inside the Silent Zone, Baizhi's expression went pale.
Without hesitation, she bolted toward the edge.
Too late.
The most lethal threat had already arrived.
A white humanoid Tacet Discord materialized. It looked like a knight clad in pale armor, draped in a dark violet cloak. Its head resembled a white skull twisted into a chilling grin. Killing intent rolled off it like smoke.
"Damn it. It appeared early," Aegon muttered, golden eyes widening.
In that instant, he understood again.
This wasn't a game.
In a game, enemies wouldn't spawn unless you triggered the quest point. They would wait patiently, no matter how long you took.
Reality did not wait.
Miss your timing here, and that was it.
And although the Crownless served as a tutorial punching bag in-game, its actual lore described it as a formidable foe. Its danger level was nothing to scoff at.
Baizhi was no match for it.
"This is bad! We're too far from the Silent Zone. Even with Glide, we won't make it in time. At this rate, Baizhi will—"
"If only we had the Flight module!"
Yangyang and Chixia were frantic, sprinting toward the Silent Zone despite knowing they couldn't close the distance fast enough.
They had never imagined Baizhi being in danger.
She was always the calmest and most rational of the three. The most reliable.
And now she was trapped.
Unlike the two girls, however, Aegon and the female Rover remained perfectly calm.
Reality wasn't as forgiving as a game. Things wouldn't unfold conveniently.
But by the same logic, the real world didn't have a game's rigid limitations either.
Their golden eyes met.
They understood instantly.
"Yangyang. You're the only one who can get us there."
"What?"
"It's the only way. Trust us."
She held their gaze. Those identical golden eyes were steady, serious, unwavering.
After a brief pause, Yangyang nodded firmly.
"…Okay. Tell me what to do."
Inside the Silent Zone—
"I'm starting to get bored."
The Discord spoke.
"Tacet Discords… can talk? Cough—"
Baizhi dropped to one knee, clutching her side. Cold mist from her Resonance numbed the pain, but it was only a temporary measure. Healing properly wasn't an option.
This enemy was terrifying.
She wasn't just a researcher, but even if Jinzhou's general from the Midnight Rangers were here, victory wouldn't be guaranteed.
Worse still, she couldn't escape.
A barrier sealed the perimeter of the Silent Zone. Unbreakable. Absolute.
The pale Discord stepped closer, until it stood right before her.
"…Is this the end?"
Watching it raise its clawed fist, Baizhi bit her lip and closed her eyes.
But the expected blow never came.
"What—?"
The Crownless suddenly pulled back, startled.
Baizhi opened her eyes to see two black Swiftblades crossed before her, embedded in the ground in an X shape.
A silent warning.
Then came the sound of shattering.
The barrier broke.
Two dark figures descended from the sky, slamming into the ground hard enough to crack the earth.
"Y-you…?!"
"Heard you patched us up earlier. Thanks for that."
"You did great. Leave the rest to us."
Aegon and the female Rover glanced back at her with identical gentle smiles.
Then they pulled the crossed Swiftblades from the ground.
The moment their eyes locked onto the Crownless, that gentleness vanished, replaced by pure battle intent.
The Silent Zone filled with killing pressure.
Their presence was no weaker than the Crownless itself. Resonance power surged along their blades.
Back at the valley—
"We made it… Thank goodness. Sentinel be praised," Chixia panted, dropping onto the ground in relief.
"Yeah… I can't believe that actually worked," Yangyang breathed, sitting down as well, sweat sliding down her forehead.
When they'd realized normal methods wouldn't get them to Baizhi in time, Aegon and the female Rover had proposed something bold.
Use Yangyang's Resonance to launch them.
Her ability, Feathered Wind's Whisper, didn't just allow her to sense information through the wind. She could also manipulate it to a degree.
The two Rovers had activated Glide and leapt into the air, closing as much distance as possible. Then Yangyang, pushing herself to her limits, commanded the wind to propel them forward.
As for the barrier sealing the Silent Zone—
It was the Crownless's hunting cage. A dueling arena that would not dissipate until its prey was dead.
Ordinary Resonators would have been powerless against it.
Aegon and the female Rover shattered it with a single punch.
Yangyang's full-powered wind had become their wings, carrying them to their companion.
And now—
The rest would be settled by the Swiftblades in their hands.