Thus Chronicled in History

Patter, patter... The uncanny walking corpse advanced slowly out of the mist, appearing to completely disregard the collective warnings. "Wait! Hold your fire!" Someone nearly suffered an accidental discharge, but gasps rang out in succession through the crowd, followed immediately by the rustling clatter of bureau specialists nervously holstering their weapons. They had recognized the newcomer's face— "D-Deputy Director Liu?!" Gone was his former cold, enigmatic bearing. He was black and blue, staggering on unsteady feet. Blood dripped steadily from his nose, leaving him looking as wretched as a beggar. Were it not for the familiar clothes and the faint outline of his features, they would never have dared believe this was the same deputy director who had hovered high in the heavens like a descending god of thunder! —Even if, for certain reasons, this former thunder god might never again wield those rolling heavenly bolts. "Mm." Scanning his surroundings, Deputy Director Liu knitted his brows. He coughed repeatedly, asking in a low, ragged voice, "Where are... cough, cough... where are they?" With just that simple sentence, he lapsed into a fit of coughing, fresh blood smearing across the hand cupping his mouth. "They?" The Extraordinaries blinked, and someone quickly stepped forward to answer. "Do you mean the three titled lords?" "They went down into the crater. They might be back shortly—" *Hum—!* Before the words had finished, the ground beneath their feet began to tremble. The distinct vibrations set the grit dancing frantically across the dirt. "What's going on!" "Stay alert! Fall back from the crater!" "Is it an aftershock? Or... are the three lords making a move?" The bureau specialists turned their focus elsewhere. Yet they were seasoned, well-trained veterans after all. Following a brief commotion, order was swiftly restored. Before long, the three Titled Extraordinaries returned side by side, walking out from the deep crater with expressions of deep exhaustion. Before they could issue new orders to their subordinates, their gazes fell upon the battered figure so glaringly out of place among the crowd, and they couldn't help lingering on him. Once their eyes settled on him, they couldn't pull away. "Deputy—Director Liu?! You're not dead!" Rusted Silver Knight blurted out instinctively. Deputy Director Liu's face darkened. "Ah, no!" Seeing his expression, Rusted Silver Knight waved his hands frantically. "I mean, I'm glad you're alive!" "That's not right either... Ah, Director Liu, I'm clumsy with words, but you know what I mean." The three Titled Extraordinaries were both shocked and overjoyed. On their way up from the bottom of the crater, they had been discussing the matter, reaching a unanimous consensus: *We must find Deputy Director Liu—alive, or his body if dead!* Who would have guessed that the moment they emerged, Deputy Director Liu would already be waiting for them? "Director Liu, are you all right?" Emerald Flame evaluated the deputy director's condition. While he looked frail, battered, and bruised, his injuries were not actually life-threatening. From the look of things, he seemed to be in better shape than Sword of Winter, who had been forcefully driving the Ice Soul Greatsword without uttering a single complaint. "I'm fine." Deputy Director Liu shook his head in silence; clearly, he had taken quite a shock. When he spoke, his voice was exceptionally raspy, his tone wavering slightly before he quickly brought it back under control. "Though not completely fine... The demon's lingering corruption cannot be underestimated. I need to stay focused at all times to purge it." "...How did things go on your end?" As he spoke, he shook his head. His cleared gaze swept across the surrounding area, seeming slightly bewildered by the changes. "..." The three Titled Extraordinaries exchanged glances, communicating through their eyes. Each saw thoughts matching their own reflected in the others. *Could being swatted away by the demon have been part of his plan all along?* *Did he take the opportunity to slip out of the demon's sight and hide, refusing to come out until the demon was dead?* Considering the various "glorious legends" of Director Liu's past, the three had every reason to suspect as much. After all, just moments ago, he had let the three Titled Extraordinaries take the frontline against the principal, holding back until the opportunity was foolproof before deigning to act. —The man had a track record! As expected of a notorious old fox—anyone who played the bow had a heart dark enough! Over the years, memorial services for deputy directors of the Anomaly Investigation Bureau had been held one after another, yet Director Liu stood firm as an evergreen tree, completely unshakable. There had to be a reason for it. Even with the Spirit-Name Secret Treasure, it was the same. Rumor had it that countless beings far stronger than Director Liu had contested for it in the ruins back then, yet in the end, the Thunderous Heavenly Bow had fallen right into his hands. Wait—the Thunderous Heavenly Bow! "Director Liu, your bow..." Emerald Flame cleared her throat twice, looking at Deputy Director Liu as if hesitating to speak. "Bow?" *What bow?* Deputy Director Liu seemed to freeze, failing to react immediately. Yet he soon realized what they were referring to. His bruised, swollen eyes widened at once, and his voice hissed with intense focus: "The Thunderous Heavenly Bow! Did any of you see where my Thunderous Heavenly Bow went?" "I couldn't find it... Is it with you?" His voice carried a frantic edge, his composure slipping in a manner entirely unbecoming of a grand figure. —Though how much of his grand demeanor remained before everyone at this moment was already questionable. "..." Yet faced with Deputy Director Liu's question, the three Titled Extraordinaries fell into an eerie silence. Their eyes darted away, looking left and right, deliberately avoiding Deputy Director Liu's gaze. On the faces of all three, Deputy Director Liu saw exceedingly complicated expressions: hesitation, speechlessness, and even a trace of pity and sympathy. This gave Deputy Director Liu a terrible premonition, a gnawing feeling that something awful had occurred without his knowledge. If Bai Zhou had been there to see Deputy Director Liu's flustered state, he would have instantly thought of a mother hen who had lost her chick, flapping her wings and clucking frantically in distress. "Why aren't you speaking?!" With so many Extraordinaries watching from behind, Deputy Director Liu felt an indignant anger rising within him, feeling provoked by the three Titled Extraordinaries. With a cold snort, he forced down the agitation and unease in his heart. Lowering his voice, he tried to muster whatever authority remained of an Anomaly Investigation Bureau deputy director. "Is there... something you're having trouble telling me?" "Well... actually..." "Director Liu, your body isn't in good shape right now. Please, don't get too worked up." Emerald Flame looked up, her gaze scanning the surrounding crowd. Just as she had guessed, the mysterious Destined youth had already vanished. Yet it went without saying that something else had vanished right alongside that mysterious youth. So, how were they supposed to explain to Deputy Director Liu— that the supreme treasure he took the greatest pride in, the cornerstone of his dominance across Tinghai, his signature Spirit-Name Secret Treasure, had run off with someone else...? Thus, the three Titled Extraordinaries fell completely silent, their faces uniformly solemn, looking as though they were offering their deepest condolences and begging Deputy Director Liu to take care of his health. "What happened? Just tell me—" Deputy Director Liu's patience finally snapped. Just as he straightened up, prepared to say more— *Rumble! Boom!* The distant mist suddenly churned violently, from which came the sound of crisp, disciplined footsteps. It cut off their conversation and drew the eyes of everyone present. A strange military force, armed to the teeth, marched into view, causing the three Titled Extraordinaries' eyes to flicker. Seeing the arrivals, Rusted Silver Knight seemed to stand a little straighter with solemn respect, muttering in a muffled voice, "I really didn't expect them to arrive first." "The battle here is already over, and only now does the first wave of reinforcements drag their feet in!" "You can't be too harsh on them. They must have just pulled back from the frontline of the battlefield..." Emerald Flame's brow twitched slightly. "Still, with even the military reallocating troops to rush over, it's impossible that other grand figures aren't along with them—" Before she could finish. Everyone present, including Deputy Director Liu and the three Titled Extraordinaries, sensed a powerful shockwave. It was a crushing impact that took their breath away, raising goosebumps over their entire bodies and weighing heavily on their shoulders. Weaker Extraordinaries, like the trio of Explorers, found their legs nearly buckling beneath them, feeling as though a small mountain had been dropped onto their backs. This was not a gale, nor a physical change in the air's mass. What washed over them was pure coercion. In that moment, "coercion" was no longer an intangible concept found only in novels and fables, but a tangible, physical reality. Yet no one could see where the coercion originated—until Deputy Director Liu and the three Titled Extraordinaries looked up with awe. Three individuals in distinct attire were already standing in the sky. Their tattered garments could not conceal their surging auras as they looked down at the colossal crater with cold indifference, resembling gods gazing from above. Perhaps extraordinary individuals possessed extraordinary traits; the trio—an old man, a middle-aged man, and a young woman—wore garments spanning three eras: ancient, early modern, and contemporary. "An imitation of the Lesser Heaven-Sealing Earth-Locking Ritual?" A bald elder holding a murky crystal ball shook the hissing, corrosive marks on his hand. His gaze swept over the invisible ritual sealing the deep crater, his eyes lighting up as he nodded in satisfaction. "A commendable countermeasure! You did well!" "Leave the rest to us." Judging by their words and actions, these three grand figures were fully cautious and acutely vigilant regarding the demon in the crater, each on high alert. Yet the pride in their tone remained unmistakable, betraying their extraordinary origins. "It's actually them!" Emerald Flame looked shaken. The other two Titled Extraordinaries wore similar expressions, clearly recognizing the arrivals. Rusted Silver Knight muttered under his breath. "It seems the demon's appearance really did flush out a few legends..." Emerald Flame's gaze remained fixed on the elder holding the crystal ball. "Never would I have thought he was still alive..." "Many thought he had passed away long ago..." "Indeed," Rusted Silver Knight murmured in agreement. "The former first deputy director of the Armory. A founding elder who built the Armory from scratch alongside the former director!" "—And one of the rare, true masters of magic runes and rituals in Tinghai City!" "If people found out he was still among the living, the Armory's standing would receive quite a boost, and they wouldn't be looked down upon by other departments." To the other side, Sword of Winter's eyes were fixed on the valiant young woman dressed in a black combat uniform. Beneath his cold gaze lingered a faint, almost imperceptible excitement, much like... a fan laying eyes on his idol. "What is this ice block staring at?" Noticing Sword of Winter's change in expression, Rusted Silver Knight blinked with curiosity, leaning close to whisper, "Could that be your idol, the legendary Grand Instructor of the Special Control Bureau's Swordbearer Legion?" The Grand Instructor of the Swordbearers! She, too, was an elusive figure, typically seen only in fleeting glimpses—one of the top three power players in the Special Control Bureau, and one of the very few standing at the pinnacle of Tinghai City. As for the tall, middle-aged man standing beside them, clad in a vintage robe—even the three Titled Extraordinaries failed to recognize him. Who knew from which ancient tomb the authorities had recently dug up this retro-garbed old monster... Yet it was glaringly evident—the emergence of the demon had truly breached the heavens. Normally, Tier 6 Titled figures were the pinnacle of the extraordinary world. But when Tinghai City faced a cataclysmic crisis, these hidden grand figures were bound to take the stage one after another. They were the true foundation that allowed Extraordinaries to protect Tinghai City and keep it securely standing on the surface of the Blue Star. —And these three were only the first batch hastily mobilized. If more time passed, it wouldn't be surprising if the director of the Special Control Bureau rushed over from who-knew-where, carrying a terrifying Black Box capable of leveling all of Tinghai City. "Who killed the demon?" The capable young woman, suspected to be the Grand Instructor of the Swordbearers, scanned the crater below and asked in a low voice. Observing the lingering traces of lightning still crackling across the surface, she raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Lightning? Liu Jia... could all this have been your doing?" With that, the woman looked suspiciously toward Deputy Director Liu. Liu Jia—a rather delicate name, yet it belonged to this bruised, battered, and thoroughly silent deputy director. Those above Tier 6 were untouchable legends in the eyes of others, but within their own circle, there were naturally ranks and distinctions. Even Liu Jia wasn't particularly remarkable in their presence. Thus, the young woman in the black combat uniform could address Deputy Director Liu directly by name, making no effort to conceal her skepticism. "We saw it from outside just now—a massive thunder knight stood across the sky and brought down the demon. Was that you?" The other two figures said nothing, but the look they cast toward Deputy Director Liu carried the very same doubt. The spectacle of that thunder knight had been far too terrifying; it didn't look like anything Liu Jia could produce. Yet among those present, who else could be the strongest Extraordinary capable of commanding lightning, if not Deputy Director Liu? "Was... was it me?" Yet Deputy Director Liu merely wore a look of utter bewilderment, doubting himself even more than they did. His memory was truly hazy. All he remembered was firing the pinnacle thunder arrow of his life, getting swatted away before he could see what followed. By the time he regained consciousness, the school had fallen into an eerie quiet. What knight giant? What lightning and thunder...? *Did I do that?* *How should I know?!* "Um..." Finally, Emerald Flame couldn't help speaking up. "The one who did this was actually someone else, but he is no longer here." "As for why it was lightning—" Under Deputy Director Liu's baffling, perplexed stare, Emerald Flame glanced at him hesitantly, her eyes carrying a hint of encouragement, as if urging him to stay strong. Then, she said, "Because the weapon that person used when fighting the demon was the Thunderous Heavenly Bow..." Deputy Director Liu froze on the spot: "???" ... Setting aside the shock that this "Senior Zhou"—who had departed quietly without leaving his name—brought to the three tardy grand figures, and the blow he dealt to Deputy Director Liu... The subsequent cleanup of the battlefield and the disposal of the demon's corpse were equally critical. The newly arrived military took over the scene, waging a new, silent battle. —An Extraordinary predecessor had once remarked that in the mystical world, post-battle containment and sweeping the floor were practically no less important than the battle itself. Moving briskly, the soldiers donned uniform protective suits and masks, cleaning the battlefield with swift, professional efficiency. No one spoke. There was only the faint hum of machinery operating and the rustle of protective gear. They worked in silence like highly efficient cleaning machines, periodically spraying specialized purifying mist into the surroundings. Searchlights were mounted high, cutting through the pale crimson fog shrouding the demon's crater; various bizarre instruments clicked and beeped, scanning and testing every corner. "What! Liu Yisheng is dead?" While counting the casualties on the battlefield, Commander Han caught wind of the news and couldn't help staring wide-eyed at his secretary. "How did he die?" The secretary nodded, giving a confirmed reply: "When the flesh building crashed down alongside the demon, Supervisor Liu seemed to be standing nearby... He was likely crushed to death. We couldn't even recover the body." "That's trouble..." Commander Han clicked his tongue. "With an executive of that level dying so suddenly, the Zijing Group will certainly demand an explanation from the bureau... Someone back at the office is going to have a headache." Thinking this, Commander Han shook his head again, wearing a weary, defeated look. "Still, I'll leave that to the higher-ups. Old and bleary-eyed as I am, it's time for me to step back to the second line..." Just as he was muttering, Rusted Silver Knight passed by and waved to him. "Old Han, time to go—we're evacuating back to regroup!" With the newly arrived personnel taking over the scene, it was naturally time for them to make an orderly withdrawal. After a while, the physically and mentally exhausted Extraordinaries passed through layers of mist and finally spotted the school gates. Many of them perked up at the sight. They could finally leave this godforsaken place. Heaven only knew what they had endured over the past twelve hours. —Never again in this lifetime would they set foot here! However... Arriving at the school gates, where the mist lingered on the verge of dispersing... Two mysterious figures stood quietly in the haze. "Who's that...?" The three Extraordinaries were drawn to look. Past the two cloaked figures, Extraordinaries hurried along, and weary bureau specialists focused entirely on their march. Everyone seemed utterly blind to the cloaked figures, as if they couldn't see them at all. Only the eyes of the three Extraordinaries flickered, their gazes seemingly glued to the pair. Both figures wore black cloaks stitched with silver thread, their hoods concealing their faces entirely. One of them held an ancient, heavy tome in both hands. The other kept their head bowed, holding a bizarrely shaped quill aloft in both hands. Facing the gazes of the three Titled Extraordinaries, they merely stood there in silence, an aloof aura keeping everyone at arm's length, showing no intention of interacting. After a moment, the figure holding the tome raised a hand. At once, the quill-holder presented the quill with both hands. The book-holder slowly opened the ancient volume. The tip of the quill began to move, seeming to record something with utmost care and an air of profound mystery. Ash-gray mist surged around them, rendering their silhouettes all the more ethereal. "It's... the Ashen Relic Archive!" Rusted Silver Knight's spirits lifted. "I knew they'd come!" "I just wonder which archivist it is." "It really is them." Emerald Flame looked at their figures as well. Yet she soon withdrew her gaze, having no intention of speaking to them. Her conflicted expression carried a touch of awe and yearning. "What Extraordinary wouldn't want to be recorded into history by the Ashen Relic Archive, becoming part of an epic for future generations to look upon?" With that, she let out a soft sigh. "I just never imagined the first time in my life meeting an archivist from the Archive would be like this..." "As mere bystanders in the crowd." "That person..." Finally able to stow away the Ice Soul Greatsword, Sword of Winter's pale, sickly complexion was slowly recovering. He gazed at the newcomers, deep in thought, the image of that young Destined once again surfacing in his mind. Then, the usually reticent man simply shook his head, speaking in a dry voice: "There's nothing more to say." "He is worthy." *["On the night of September 4th, in the year 2030 of the Common Era, heavy fog rose over Yuanmeng Middle School, and a demon emerged."]* *["The gathered heroes sought to stem the tide, but suffered crushing defeat."]* *["At that hour, there was the Destined 'Zhou', passing through the Ruin Realm. Standing alone above the abyss, clad in a school uniform and wielding a divine bow, he gathered spirituality and forged a keen edge."]* *["With the first draw, crimson lightning pierced the sky, and the demon wailed long—with the second draw, radiant clouds draped the expanse, lightning turned to blade, and a fifty-foot giant fought the demon across the heavens."]* *["In this battle, half of Tinghai heard the roaring thunder, and streets for ten li beheld the silhouette, until a falling star swept across the sky, and the demonic scourge was quelled."]* *["Before the smoke and dust could clear, 'Zhou' caressed the bow and departed, leaving no name, vanishing without a trace."]* *["No canon can adequately sing his name, no common street can fully illuminate his deeds. Though myth is distant, the epic continues—the heroes of old were none other than this!"]* *["—Thus history is chronicled, for the perusal of generations to come."]* The shimmering tip of the quill traced line after line of neat, meticulous characters across the yellowed pages of the ancient tome. Every stroke, every mark, bore an ethereal, indescribable wonder, as though infused with an uncanny, mystical power. *["—September 4th, 2030, Archivist No. 006 of the Ashen Relic Archive."]* *["Recorded at Reflected Tinghai, Wusong Street, Yuanmeng Middle School."]* With the final stroke set down, the quill lifted with a gentle flourish, and the radiance faded. The writing was complete. That night, countless Extraordinaries tossed and turned, unable to find sleep. That night, someone remained unaware that he had already been inscribed into a chapter of "history"—or rather, an epic. And it was also on that night, because of the demon, and even more because of this mysterious Destined who had been etched into history— all of Tinghai was swept into a tempest, shaken to its very core!