Anomaly

Within the Linax Federation camp, the steady, rhythmic clatter of machine guns echoed along the perimeter, holding back the creatures fleeing before the encroaching insect quicksand and keeping them from overwhelming the compound. Major Zephiro, adjutant to Major General Therbil, sat outside a military tent, using the remaining daylight to rapidly thumb through and inspect a stack of documents. An officer hurried over, barked a crisp "Report!" and, upon being granted permission to approach, snapped a salute. "Major, the insect quicksand is drawing near. The men are asking when we can evacuate." Without looking up, Major Zephiro replied, "We cannot leave. The general ordered us to hold our ground here." "Sir, most of the men in camp are unwilling to stay any longer..." Mid-sentence, a commotion erupted along the outer perimeter. Several workers constructing ritual installations suddenly threw down their shovels and bolted for the perimeter. Two gunshots cracked in quick succession. The two men in the lead took bullets in the back and crashed face-first into the dirt, lying motionless where they fell. A hush fell over the crowd. The workers trailing behind halted in terror and looked back, only to see Major Zephiro standing with an expression of icy detachment, his handgun leveled straight at them. Major Zephiro gestured with the muzzle toward the work site, signaling them to return. The men exchanged terrified glances and, daring not disobey, crept back trembling to resume their labor. Major Zephiro knew that if a single runner succeeded now, everyone would break and run, sparking a rout that no one could contain. Such unrest had to be crushed with an iron fist. Fortunately, aside from the laborers, most personnel here had military backgrounds and possessed strict discipline and obedience. As long as their commander's resolve held firm, order could be maintained. Furthermore, the outer perimeter was guarded by the Gigaguards equipped with external implants—warriors whose loyalty to their duty was absolute. He checked his wristwatch and summoned the overseer in charge of the ritual construction. "How much longer until it can be activated?" The overseer answered cautiously, "Another day, sir." "Can it not be done any faster?" Helplessness washed over the overseer's face. "This is already the absolute fastest. Our original estimate was three days. Then the general compressed it to two. One day is the bare minimum, the lowest possible threshold... A ritual apparatus requires sufficient preparation time to ensure a reasonable chance of success..." The underlying message was clear: if the timeline were compressed any further, even if the device could be powered on, the likelihood of a successful outcome would be practically nonexistent. Major Zephiro said, "Then I will give you one more day." He waved the overseer away, then turned to the officer beside him and said calmly: "Take a detachment outside and dig several trenches along the perimeter. Retain only two days' worth of fuel and haul all the rest outside. Starting now, I want bonfires and smoke maintained twenty-four hours without interruption." The officer understood immediately. They were going to use fire and dense smoke to create a wide barrier. If retreat was off the table, this was likely their only viable course of action. He acknowledged the order, went outside, and blew a whistle. Once he had gathered enough men, they charged out. All the personnel dispatched were fighters, allowing them to work at remarkable speed. In less than half an hour, smoke and flames were billowing outside the camp. As the thick smoke rose into the sky, the men strapped on protective respirators, feeling an instinctive sense of relief. The barrier gave them a measure of psychological comfort, dampening their mounting anxiety. Yet they had vastly underestimated the momentum of the insect quicksand. An hour later, dense, writhing swarms of insects poured in from the distance. The deep trenches were filled and leveled in no time at all, and the vanguard plunged straight into the fires. Before long, scores slipped through the flames, biting any living creature on sight. Seen from a distance, the bugs had seemed unremarkable in size, but up close, each was at least as large as a human head, with gaping mandibles and spiny, barbed limbs, looking exceptionally ferocious. Major Zephiro realized things were going south. He immediately sought out the overseer. "Is the foundational framework complete?" Drenched in sweat and gasping for breath, the overseer stammered, "Y-yesterday. It was finished yesterday." Major Zephiro said, "I order you to activate the apparatus immediately." The overseer blanched. "Th-this... this could lead to failure!" Major Zephiro said, "If we do not activate it now, there won't be another chance. Activating it now carries a risk of failure, but doesn't it also leave a chance of success?" The overseer hesitated. "Should we wait for the general to return...?" Major Zephiro said in a chilling voice, "The general is not here. I am in command. Carry out the order at once." "Y-yes, sir..." Daring not argue, the overseer rendered a haphazard salute and scurried off. Major Zephiro's face remained grim. The scale of the insect quicksand far exceeded his projections. Holding out for another day as originally planned was no longer feasible. Their only hope now lay in the ritual apparatus; if it succeeded, it might buy them a way out of this immediate peril. *** Meanwhile, on the other side, through the urgent efforts of Xu Chan and the others, a wide perimeter had finally been staked out before nightfall, with bonfires lit at every corner. By now, the vanguard of the insect quicksand had reached the base of their position. Wherever the swarm swept past, any creature that had failed to escape in time tumbled into the living tide, vanishing in the blink of an eye. Upon reaching the edges of the perimeter, insects began scrambling up the ming earthworm's massive body. Soon, a carpet of pitch-black vermin could be seen crawling up its thick prolegs. Yet changes stirred across the ming earthworm's hide. Layers of viscous fluid began secreting from its skin. Every insect hit by the discharge became glued together, tumbling down in massive, congealed clumps. Near the folds where the creature's prolegs joined its underbelly lived countless flat, moth-like parasites resembling withered grey leaves. At this moment, their wings snapped upright, and they took to the air with furious flapping, preying ravenously upon the invading bugs until the air was thick with flitting grey shadows. Just then, the ground rumbled beneath everyone's feet as the ming earthworm began to stir sluggishly. The tentacles extending from its massive head swept and coiled outward, then tilted back slightly, scooping an entire swath of beetles straight into the gaping chasm of its colossal maw. In that single motion, a massive void was torn into the sprawling insect tide, as if a chunk had been gouged out of the earth. Seeing this astounding sight, Captain Hu marvelled, "Every creature really does have its natural predator." Witnessing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Exactly as Chen Chuan had said, this creature served as a natural rampart against the insect quicksand. Chen Chuan glanced up at the darkening sky and said, "Night is falling. Don't linger out here, everyone; return to your tents. Old Xu, stay behind for a moment." "Understood!" After everything that had transpired, everyone held heartfelt respect and reverence for Chen Chuan, obeying his orders without hesitation. Snapping a salute, they dispersed to their respective pitched tents. Once only Xu Chan remained, Chen Chuan said, "It seems we will need to remain here for a while. The supplies reported earlier should be enough to keep us going for some time. "We don't need to worry about the ground for now, but the skies are hard to predict. Tomorrow, we should dig a bit deeper. It's best if we all take shelter underneath." Xu Chan nodded. "Supervisor Chen, I will see to the arrangements tomorrow." Chen Chuan acknowledged this with a nod, then continued, "The glow from the relic hasn't dissipated, and it can be seen from across this entire section of the Jibei Dao Confluence. While we no longer need to worry about the Combine or the Linax Federation for now, our greatest enemy in the Confluence has always been the former imperial house. "When I came over, they were launching an attack on our rear camp, and we still don't know the outcome. "Regardless of whether our camp fell, if they want the relic, they will certainly find a way to seek us out—especially if the relic shows no movement for days. They will come. "Besides, they know the Confluence far better than we do. The insect quicksand might not hold them back completely, so we must make preparations in advance." Xu Chan gave a solemn nod. Chen Chuan conversed with Xu Chan for a short while longer. Seeing that it was nearly six o'clock, he brought the conversation to a close, and both men returned to their respective tents. The tent Chen Chuan occupied had been brought by the Linax Federation expedition and was remarkably spacious, easily capable of accommodating more than a dozen people. Once inside, he tapped on the fluorescent lamps, sat down upon the laid carpet, and examined his condition. From slaying a succession of formidable foes, his greatest reward was the growth of his second self, which had now drawn considerably closer to his current self. He had an inkling that once the two reached complete alignment, and the timing felt right, he could bring about their second convergence. When that time came, he could make an attempt on the next threshold with an unprecedentedly solid foundation. Outside, the daylight abruptly died away, signaling that night had fallen over the Confluence. He immediately unsheathed the Xuejun Saber, carving open a long, narrow fissure with a single stroke, and began his night's cultivation. Yet after several hours of cultivation, he noticed something peculiar: not a single thing had crossed through the fissure this time. In fact, there were not even faint traces of anything appearing. Such an occurrence was profoundly anomalous within the Confluence. Indeed, even back in Center City, such a complete absence was virtually unheard of. Moreover, the tent remained utterly quiet. Under normal circumstances, the air outside would have long been filled with myriad disturbances by this hour. Reflecting for a moment, an idea struck him. He stood up, went to the entrance of the tent, and placed a hand against the fabric. After sensing the surroundings for a few seconds, he flipped open the flap. Looking out, he was met by the night of the Confluence, but what met his eyes was identical to the daytime scenery; the surroundings merely seemed slightly dimmer. No—the true difference lay in the brilliant glow of the relic still suspended high in the heavens. Under its radiance, the night-time abnormalities of the Confluence appeared not to have manifested at all. After taking another look, he stepped outside and confirmed his deduction. Furthermore, he saw that the swarming beetles and creeping beasts were still surging forward relentlessly beneath the night sky. After lingering for a moment, he did not stay outside, turning back into the tent. He had no need to unravel the precise reason. He only knew that without the interference of those anomalies, he could cultivate tonight with far greater focus. He needed to make the absolute most of this precious window of time.