lndslorepuzzler

[lndslorepuzzler]

Anecdote: Still In Dark

01: Visitor: Georgie, a small boy, thinks Li Shen is the Grim Reaper, after he kills the monster attacking him and his mother. He wears black leather gloves, and has "crystalline pupils (that gleam) with an inorganic luster."

A month later, Georgie has been following Li Shen; he offers him a large jar of wrapped chocolates in exchange for helping him find the person who killed his mother.

Li Shen tells him, "That is something you should ask the police about."

.

02: Mystery: Detective Ivan is on the trail of a serial killer called Dawnbreaker. There are no corpses, only shattered remnants of an unknown element that remind him of protocores.

"Long before Ivan's generation was born, Wanderers had appeared on Earth. And as far back as he can remember, Wanderers roamed the city, prompting people to spend most of their time indoors to avoid them. Many simple tasks were delegated to robots, and people indulged in VR to pass the remaining years."*1.

Using the theory that Dawnbreaker hunts according to the potential of a human to have this substance in their body, Ivan determines who will likely be the next victim. By the time he gets there, he witnesses the old man Dawnbreaker is targeting turn into some kind of monster and attacking him. He uses a shard of ice to kill it; once the creature is dead, Ivan raises his gun and is frozen in place, his communicator destroyed.

The body on the ground turns to black mist.

Ivan decides to use the case of a murdered woman (more specifically, her missing son) to find Dawnbreaker and "bring him to justice."

.

03: Shelter: Despite doing his best to ignore Georgie, the boy still manages to weasel his way in to Li Shen's apartment (he did take a piece of his chocolate, after all, which is as good as accepting payment.) Georgie finds that Li Shen's apartment is bare and dull; but somehow, despite knowing that Li Shen is a killer, he's drawn in by the way he seems to be emotionally invested in the old medical drama he's watching.

All Li Shen has to eat, aside from Georgie's chocolate, is bottles of nutrient solutions. Georgie wonders if "someone who sustains themselves solely on such a liquid (could) be considered 'human.'"

Georgie falls asleep, and wakes to Li Shen caring for a jasmine plant. Li Shen gives no verbal responses to his questions, and despite being frustrated, he continues to follow Li Shen around both his apartment and outside of it. Li Shen buys them each a soda, and freezes his own into an 'Old Popsicle;' Georgie tells him that's strange, but Li Shen doesn't pay him any mind. He just goes to his usual place to read the 'Linkon City Travel Guide;' Georgie wonders why Li Shen is interested in such an old city. Li Shen tells him that he often dreams of it.

.

04: Nightmare:

"Last night, Li Shen dreamed that he and a girl bought all kinds of snacks and even a frozen soda in the shape of a popsicle. Similar dreams visited him almost every night. In these dreams, he's a surgeon. His dreams keep overlapping with scenes of a doctor's life, and a constant reoccurring presence is a girl. He was 12 the first time he had such a dream, but the dreams didn't happen in a particular order. They were fragmented. So, when he was 12, he already knew the doctor in his dreams would meet that girl at 27. With how frequent these dreams are, he slowly thinks that the doctor is him. Or rather, he wants to become the person loved by the girl in his dreams. He records them, hoping to find their traces in the barren city. The place called 'Linkon City' from years ago, the landmarks that can only be found in travel guides, the food, flavors, and plants in his dreams... He wants to experience them as best he can. And if it's possible, he wants his warm dreams to consume him."

Li Shen bathes and re-dresses, paying no mind to. his scarred body. He's watching a medical drama when Georgie wakes up from a nightmare about a monster bursting out of his chest. Li Shen turns the screen from the medical drama to an animated film.

"A long time ago, there was a man named Zhuangzi He dreamt he as a graceful butterfly. When he woke up, that feeling remained. He couldn't tell if he was a butterfly dreaming of being Zhuangzi, or if Zhaungzi dreamt of being a butterfly..."

Georgie wonders if he's just a monster's dream, and asks if Li Shen dreams of being a doctor. He wonders if Li Shen appears in the doctor's dreams, and maybe he is the doctor's nightmare.*2

Li Shen notices that there is a protrusion under Georgie's eye. He has already formed a "blackened ice blade" behind his back when Georgie tells him that if they celebrate his birthday together the next day, he'll leave Li Shen alone.

Li Shen doesn't agree, but he also doesn't allow the alarm on the screen--which indicates a hostile in his immediate vicinity--to go off, either.

.

05: Birthday: The next day, Li Shen takes Georgie out to a dessert place. He orders macarons; he tells Georgie, "I dreamt about it last night." The robots manning the store bring out a cake with 12 candles, happy birthday is sung, and Georgie's wish is to find the person who killed his mother. There is a blue glow under his skin.

Georgie asks when Li Shen's birthday is; Li Shen tells him he doesn't celebrate birthdays.

On Li Shen's 12th birthday, his adoptive father became a monster, and killed his adoptive mother. In his panic and fear, Li Shen used his Evol to kill his adoptive father--"freezing an Abomination, preventing them from turning into Wanderers." He hasn't celebrated a birthday since. "That night, he dreamt of himself in a doctor's white coat, treating a girl./ Dreams have become his only solace ever since."

Georgie promises to bring Li Shen different types of chocolate on his birthday. He talks about how, living in the factory dorm, he's never seen a sunset outside of a VR game.

"Li Shen suddenly asks, "What if you look at the sunset and feel nothing at all one day?" "What's the difference between that and being dead?" Georgie turns, displaying a maturity beyond his years. "Mom used to say that dying with clarity is better than living like a corpse."

Detective Ivan arrives with several armed police officers, and tells Li Shen they can negotiate if he lets Georgie go. Georgie, confused and afraid, is pulled behind Ivan after he tells Georgie that Li Shen is the man that killed his mother. Georgie's entire body begins to warp with black tendrils, and before Ivan can do anything, Li Shen kills the boy.

"Georgie lowers his head, seeing blackened ice bloom like a flower on his chest. He stumbles and falls to the ground, his last sight being Li Shen kneeling beside him. Tears well up in Georgie's eyes. "What happened? Did... the monster wake up?" Li Shen gently closes the boy's eyes. Georgie dissipates into a black mist."

.

06: Cover-Up: Li Shen and Ivan meet at two unmarked tombstones. Li Shen recalls Georgie's mother, who approached him, asking him to kill her. She's seen people turn into monsters, then into Wanderers. She suspects it has something to do with prolonged exposure to protocores, but can't prove it. They fired her when she tried to report it. She knows Li Shen is someone who hunts monsters, and she doesn't want to become one.

Ivan asks Li Shen if he knew from the beginning that Georgie was doomed. Ivan tells Li Shen that his reports of humans being turned into Wanderers have been suppressed, and his family is receiving death threats. He decides to half the investigation on Dawnbreaker and destroy al the records. "That way no one will ever know of (his) existence. Hopefully, this will buy (him) more time to prevent the world from collapsing."

Li Shen says he hopes they don't meet again; Ivan agrees, but if they do, it means he's going to turn into a monster, and he wants Li Shen to kill him. "Justice stands with the Grim Reaper."

"A familiar melody drifts through the darkness. It's... Happy Birthday? "Happy birthday, Doctor Li!" The girl's clear voice rings out, her smile warm like the morning sun. Is he dreaming again? "From now on, I'll always be by your side for your birthday." The girl's sincere yet slightly shy expression makes him unable to resist the urge to caress her cheek. He lowers his head and discovers they're holding hands. He reaches out, but right before touching the girl's cheek, (she) suddenly looks shocked. "You... aren't Doctor Li. Who are you?" Li Shen abruptly wakes up. The alarm resounds, and the holographic screen starts flickering red again. Li Shen takes a deep breath. What did that dream mean? How did the girl see him? It's as if she saw through time and space, through his dreams, to realize he's not the doctor. Li Shen's gaze sweeps over the window sill. The jasmine quietly blooms under the moonlight."

.

.

*1, We can therefore extrapolate that this is some kind of Alternate Universe/parallel timeline, given the difference in how the Wanderers appeared/the state of Earths technology when they did so. *2, See Anecdote: Never Ending Winter.

I can't believe the timing on this; I had this halfway finished when we got the Li Shen main story announcement; of course I blitzed through it, so it could be out in time. I'm still running with my 'the third anecdote is an alternate universe' theory, which you can find referenced via the 'alternate li shen' tag; I can't WAIT for the new story.

Also appalled that I didn't predict something like this coming out after his birthday event. What the heck, the evidence is right there, staring me in the face!

(Also, if you're new here, I use the Chinese names because I'm playing the game in Mandarin, but I wanted this post to reach as many people as possible given the new event! I am here to keep track of information and connect dots, which seems like something we'll be doing a LOT of!)

[lndslorepuzzler]

Anecdote: Never-Ending Winter

01: Night’s Daytime Brightness: Opens with a nightmare. Li Shen sees himself with bloodied hands walking over dozens of bodies to come face-to-face with a child. Just as Li Shen “raises his hand, dark crystals once again forming on his palm—”

Li Shen wakes up on a plane heading towards the Arctic, where he will be going on a rescue mission at Mt. Eternal with the Evol Special Rescue Unit. The unit is stationed on the southern side of Mt. Eternal; before Li Shen can even get to where he’s supposed to be, he gets pulled into a cardiac surgery in a tent. Li Shen performs emergency surgery by way of Open-Chest CPR with his bare hand. The patient stabilizes, and no one but Li Shen notices that the Evol monitor had a sudden spike in activity. 

Li Shen reunites with William, another cardiac surgeon from the same school.*2 They don’t have any time to catch up, since the sound of Wanderer attacks can be heard in the distance, and it’s likely the 

.

02: Deathly Encounter: Li Shen, who can’t remember the last time he slept (and doesn’t even have the energy to have a nightmare if he did,) speaks with Captain Xander outside one of the medical facilities. He is called back inside to attend to a man he discharged the day before. Despite his efforts, the patient dies. 

William comes for the death certificate, and reminds Li Shen that there’s no way they can save them all, but they will do all they can. 

In a nightmare, Li Shen sees a man in a white coat standing in a mess of corpses, with dark crystals forming on his hands. Li Shen sees that the man is himself, and he is waiting to die. 

Li Shen wakes up  and reaches for a notebook under his pillow. “The cover’s indents now form a complete tally mark, one of which is from today./ Since coming here, three patients died under his care./… It’s impossible to save everyone. He knows this better than anyone else. Yet he still insists, persists. The Grim Reaper in his dreams mocks him for his folly, futility, incompetence. It wants to kill his desire to save everyone./ But he’s not planning to give up.*3

.

03: Determination: A Wanderer breaks through into an active surgery; Li Shen dispatches it quickly, and moves the rest of the group to another room. The surgery ends with no complications, but William shows up to check on Li Shen, but their conversation is cut short by Li Shen’s mentor.

The hospital has instructed that Li Shen return, but Li Shen has already been tapped to head up Mt. Eternal and assist the team there. His professor is furious, but Li Shen is confident he’ll come back safe. “If he can’t save everyone, then he’ll go to the root of the problem and eliminate it.”*4

William welcomes Li Shen to the team.

.

04: Through Troubled Times: A week later, 30 members of a special ops team head into Mt. Eternal. While Captain Xander talks about safety, William asks Li Shen who he addressed his will to; Li Shen dodges the question by reflecting it, and William tells him he will introduce them, when they get back. 

“Despite being mentally prepared, Li Shen didn’t expect ‘getting back’ to become an unattainable luxury.”

Getting up Mt. Eternal is a fight in and of itself. Captain Xander decides that they have to destroy the Protofield’s center, in order to stop any more loss of life. 

William attempts to attend to Li Shen, and points out that throwing himself in front of hits meant for other people isn’t a great way to save lives, and asks what’s weighing Li Shen down. Li Shen doesn’t say anything for a long time, but gives in eventually. 

“Years ago,” he says after a long time. “I almost killed someone important.”  William is surprised. “What happened?” Holding the ice-cold air with his right hand, Li Shen lets it go.  “I lost control of my Evol.” That night, the blood in his hands kept dripping onto the ground, dripping into his dreams.  The summer when he was 12 was extraordinarily long. Every little thing—like the ivy climbing up the courtyard wall, the stall that sells popsicles, the swings in the park—is clear in his mind, as if it were yesterday.  A snowstorm ended that summer. It was the first time a black-robed Grim Reaper appeared in his dreams.*5 

.

05: A Long Way Home: Less than half of the original team makes it to the valley. They set up the equipment needed to destroy the Protofield’s center, but the energy fluctuations cause Wanderers to gather. Li Shen uses his Evol to freeze himself in place, “(gripping) his right arm with his left.”*6

The Protofield is destroyed. 

Operations gets in touch with Li Shen, who does his best to communicate the state of everyone around him despite his own injuries. William is also still alive, and he’s heading toward the ruins of the bunker when Li Shen realizes that there is a blue glow on his chest, and crystals are slowly starting to spread out from it. 

.

06: The Nightmare Worsens: William can’t seem to get the crystals off, even using his Evol. Li Shen attempts to approach him when the crystals accumulate and begin to physically break, warp and twist William’s body. Li Shen is thrown back into the snow, and when Li Shen attempts to freeze the crystals in place, it doesn’t work. He gathers himself for another attempt, but the crystals explode out from William. Li Shen continues to try and save William, but “his body begins to fail him.” 

William begs Li Shen to kill him as the crystals essentially consume and contort and wring out his body. Li Shen stubbornly continues to attempt freezing the crystals, until the very last minute. “The figures in Li Shen’s nightmares merge with William. Their expressions are distorted by pain, their bodies twisted into grotesque positions. Unable to speak, their minds gone, their eyes can only beg.” 

Li Shen kills William. His body dissolves into smoke. “The Grim Reaper stands in the distance, watching him on the snowy mountain covered in blood and death.” 

Three years later, Greyson brings Li Shen the Linde Award, which he had mailed to him, since he had an outpatient that day, and couldn’t go. It’s for the initial OC-CPR surgery, but he shoves the award into a drawer, with the award that belongs to William.*7

.

.

*1, It’s absolutely possible that this is a reference to the Li Shen met in Still In Dark. It is a remarkably similar scene, save that instead of a single needle of ice, he produces black crystals instead which, to be fair, is something that Alternate Li Shen would have nightmares about.

*2, See World Underneath: Longly Flame.

*3, Adding to *1, in Still in Dark, the Alternate Li Shen is explicitly called the Grim Reaper. 

*4, Please welcome Li Shen’s Canon Control Issues to the ring.

*5, Alternate Li Shen’s ‘positive’ dreams began when he was 12. 

*6, This is normal for him, see Under Deepspace: Under Twilight.

*7, See World Underneath: Longly Flame. 

[lndslorepuzzler]

Spacepedia: Relevant Information

(Some of these are transcribed word for word, and others (generally less immediately story-relevant) are summarized for ease of reading.)

Lemuria: "An ancient marine civilization recorded in legends. It's unique, advanced technologies are difficult to use. Also, Lemurians had achieved great mastery over many art-related fields, such as music, painting, literature, architecture, and carving. In 2034, the ruins of an underwater city were discovered to the southeast of Linkon City, proving the existence of Lemuria."

Tenebra/Tenebrae: Those who broke the Hunter's Code and engage in illegal activities, like protocore smuggling. They often have ties to secret organizations and carry out covert missions behind the scenes. They are actively pursued by the Hunter's Association.

Lumiere: "In the midst of the 2034 Chronorift Catastrophe, a mysterious hunter emerged, taking down numerous formidable Wanderers and rescuing countless citizens in Linkon City. This enigmatic hunter played a crucial role in resolving the crisis. Their true identity remains shrouded in mystery, and after the catastrophe, they disappeared without a trace. They appeared again in the last two years, with rumors suggesting that they have already transformed into Tenebra."

N109 Zone: "Once a bustling technology hub, it is now one of the most dangerous areas after the catastrophe occurred. Surrounded by other no-hunt zones, it has evolved into lawless land where danger and opportunity coexsist. It is rife with violence and crime. With illicit trade and dangerous research, many of its activities are related to protocores and Wanderers. Its many benefits have driven countless outlaws to risk their lives. **The Origin of the N109 Zone's Name: "The N109 Zone, also known as No-Hunt Zone No. 109, does not belong to the 108 regions resignated officially as no-hunt zones by the Hunters Association. Prolonged energy fluctuations and dangerous Wanderers are characteristics of a no-hunt Zone. The Wanderer threat in the N109 Zone has been suppressed, but its inherent dangers persist due to the complex web of factions and poor living conditions. Consequently, it has earned the reputation of being "No-Hunt Zone No. 109 because it's difficult to enter and even more dangerous than a typical no-hunt Zone."

Onychinus: "A mysterious faction stationed in the N109 Zone. Unlike other shady groups, Onychinus is omnipresent. They have connections everywhere, forming a vast web of sin to control every illegal activity."

The Nest: An information hub moonlighting as an exclusive bar. "A complex network brimming with Intel and secrets unknown to the public."

Characters:

Tara: FMC's colleague and friend. Cute, likes divination, works in the analysis department.

Jenna: Leader of UNICORNS. Manages the FMC's Alpha Team.

Yvonne: A nurse at Akso Hospital. Gets things done with a good attitude.

Caleb: Childhood friend. Fighter pilot for the Deepspace Aviation Administration. Presumed dead.

Nero: A severely socially anxious man on the data analysis team. Very interested in Wanderers, and Lumiere.

Thomas: Qi Yu's friend, and owner of Flux Arts. Takes care of the business end of being an artist.

Talia: A famous soprano. Qi Yu's aunt.

Josephine: FMC's grandmother. Presumed dead.

Greyson: Cardiac surgeon at Akso Hospital. Witty with a good sense of humor. "However, there's a rumor that no one knows his real age..."*1

Dr. Noah: An old acquaintance of Josephine, and Li Shen's teacher. Originally responsible for the treatment of FMC's heart disease and treatment.

Jeremiah: The owner of Philo, a florist. Friends with Shen Xinghui. Has a lot of overy questionable skills, like creating identities and manipulating data.

Luke: Works for Qin Che. One half of a set. Vivacious and unpredictable.

Kieran: Works for Qin Che. One half of a set. Calm and dependable.

Mephisto: Works for Qin Che. A mechanical crow.

.

.

*1, The tin hat is ON, he's one of Shen Xinghiu's people.

[lndslorepuzzler]

Anecdote: Passing By

01: Team 013: Sixteen years ago, the Bloomshore District’s Special Task Force welcomed a new recruit. Arthur is gung-ho about it, despite Team 013 being the bottom of the barrel; despite the teams misfortunes (which include staff-cutting, relocation, and chance of duties) he’s determined to make the best of it. Enter the new recruit: 23 year old Shen Xinghui, who moves to an isolated desk in the corner, and silently settles in.

Shen Xinghui always completes his duties quickly and efficiently. He works until things are done, he is never late but also doesn’t leave early. It turns out he transferred in to read through old Linkon city records. Arthur tells him there are millions of them, and he can’t spend his entire life in the archives, and invites him out to hot pot. 

Shen Xinghui is very enthusiastic about eating. Shen Xinghui tells Arthur that he was injured when trying to rescue someone; he was traumatized by the experience, and applied for a desk job instead.

.

02: An Unspoken Secret: Shen Xinghui keeps to himself, but is easy to get along with; the target of their current case is Lawrence, who sells Evol hallucinogens, and has always managed to evade capture. The entire team knows that this is essentially their last bid for a continued existence, and so Arthur takes it very seriously. 

They know Lawrence is going to be at the Palace Bathhouse next month; after drawing straws and no one being happy with the result, Shen Xinghui is nominated to go.

While the entertainment district is short, bright and crowded, the alley behind it is “narrow and seemingly endless, almost devoid of light.” A group of young men loiters; a man approaches “a lanky young man with silver hair… engrossed in the music from his headphones.” When asked, Shen Xinghui tells the man he’s looking to make some quick cash, and does he know how he can?

The man leads Shen Xinghui into the Palace Bathhouse to meet Roman, the man in charge. He introduces himself as Bob, and is ready to be exposed and execute ‘plan b,’ before Roman tells him that the name is too plain, and they’ll call him Christian, instead. 

The Palace has been open for a month, and all the staff are Shen Xinghui’s age. One of those staff is out, and so Shen Xinghui offers to go deal with the important client; the supervisor expresses regret that it’s a pity the handsome young man is going to deal with Lawrence and their boss “discussing business.”

Shen Xinghui is allowed into the private room after a thorough search; Lawrence is already on the massage table. He proceeds to press on each vertebrae, and by the time Shen Xinghui reaches the seventh, Lawrence realizes he’s being held down. When bodyguards arrive, Shen Xinghui lets him up, and removes his own gloves. In a flash of light, all the men are down, and Shen Xinghui is holding a lightblade to Lawrences neck. 

“By the time Luke arrives as backup, Shen Xinghui stands alone amidst a circle of fallen bodyguardsIn the corner, Lawrence is tied up with bed sheets, his neck at an odd angle.  “Shen Xinghui? Did you take out everyone in this room?!” “No,” Shen Xinghui walks down the corridor, pulling Luke by his collar. “They ran into my sword.”

Luke gets a a commendation for his part in the situation, but tries to explain that Shen Xinghui is the hero. More such incidents happen, with drug addicts turning themselves in, punishing themselves on cameras, etc. 

Members of the team refuse transfers, feeling that Shen Xinghi’s arrival helped them find their fighting spirit; and while no one is sure Shen Xinghui is as simple as he seems, none of them are willing to snitch. 

.

03: A Familiar Face: Shen Xinghui attends New Years festivities under the promise of food. Arthur catches him alone for a talk, telling him that found a file missing from the archive; from an event that happened decades ago. He requested Shen Xinghiu’s personal files from HQ, and notes that they’re impeccable; his portrait also brings up a match in the database, and he offers Shen Xinghui a yellowed photograph: the blurry white silhouette of a man with silver hair. He assures Shen Xinghui he’s not going to say anything, and that he’s glad he’s sticking around. 

Later that night, Shen Xinghui decides that it’s time for him to leave.

.

04: Old Friend: Shen Xinghui puts the ‘missing file’ in his mailbox, and heads upstairs. He has a text thread with Noah, transcribed below.

N: Aren’t you going to ask what I’m going to do with this? SXH: Thats ur business N: I want to use this for a new identity. N: I just want to be an ordinary person in this timeline. N: Are you still there? Do you think it’s funny? I don’t blame you, though. I agree. SXH: I was heating up some food N: … N: Is it that Earth junk food with absolutely zero nutritional value again? I don’t get why you like it. Their convenience stores can’t even be bothered to change the flavors of their chicken cutlet rice bowls! SXH: And what about U SXH: U mentioned how youre not acclimated to the climate, and youre not fond of the food. But U fell in love with some1 here N: … SXH: Theres nothing wrong with that N: Enough about me. Are you really going to wait for that person SXH: Yeah N: How long are you going to wait? 10? 100? Or 1000 years? N: Something messed with the slipspace during the Backtrack. The spaceship couldn’t handle the Deepspace Tunnel fluctuations. N: Both she and the Aether Core vanished without a trace. For all we know, they might already be cosmic dust. SXH: I know N: Even if  you press on, you’re not going to get the outcome you’re hoping for.

Noah is at the intercom; Shen Xinghui tells him the file is in the mailbox, and to leave.  (This next section of dialogue is transcribed directly, as the speakers are unclear.)

“You…!” The young man is startled. He looks from left to right before he composes himself. He focuses on the camera. “Goodbye.” “Wait! I have something to say!”  With a certain resolution set in his heart, he stares at his former friend on the other side of the screen. “Be careful. They’re going to find you.”

.

05: The Road’s End: Shen Xinghui decides to ‘die’ in a fire. He sets the stage, and leaves. He finds a little girl on his way, and tells her to hurry back home, since she lives nearby. The girl asks about whether he ran away from home, and what the shiny thing around his neck is. He tells the girl he’s leaving soon, when a third voice interjects. 

A young man with silver hair is leaning against a sign. 

(The conversation has been edited to be dialogue-only.)

“Long time no see.” “It has been a long time. You followed me all the way here to let me know. It must have been hard.” “I’m curious how you managed to elude us. Hiding in plain sight as an inconspicuous guy. It’s not much different from what I imagined. I thought you’d kill them before leaving. You abandoned them. Just like the Backtrackers. How are you going to cover your tracks this time? Kill me? Or let me—”

Shen Xinghui and the girl disappear in a flash of light. The stranger gives chase. After putting the girl somewhere safe, Shen Xinghui once again encounters the stranger, named Isaiah. They have a confrontation. 

Elsewhere, Arthur is awoken by a phone call, leading him to a factory in the south part of the city. His colleague tells him that Shen Xinghui was trapped inside the burning building, and couldn’t get out. He honorably sacrificed himself during his solo mission to apprehend Gray Hawk in the winter of 2033. He was 23.

Shen Xinghui makes his way home, but he’s exhausted, and ends up “(leaning) against the wall and slowly (sinking) to the ground. After such a long journey, it’s time for a good night’s sleep.”

.

06: The Passing Spring: In the spring of 2045, Shen Xinghui considers the funeral for “ST-1101.” There weren’t many people, but all of them were crying. 

“It’s a peculiar feeling, as if part of his life is buried beneath the tombstone despite it being empty. It’s not the absurdity of ‘being taken by death,’ but rather the unfamiliarity of being remembered for the first time by those who should not remember him. It’s like a traveler, after many years, returning to the place from which he departed, only to discover someone still gazing at the spot where he vanished.”

At the present, in the cemetery, an elderly man calls out to Shen Xinghui; his granddaughter apologizes for his confusion, but Shen Xinghui doesn’t mind it. She asks if she can take a picture of the two of them, so Shen Xinghui wheels the man under a huge old tree. 

“I may be old, but my memory isn’t as frail as you might think. Long time no see.” “Long time no see.” “Don’t worry. I won’t remember you for long. In a few more years, when people ask about Shen Xinghui, I’ll have forgotten about you.”

The granddaughter takes the photo, and while wishing a happy new year, Shen Xinghui ruminates on the fact that he’s “finally (left) a bit of himself in someone else’s story.”

[lndslorepuzzler]

World Underneath: Micro-Universe

01: Art Appreciation and Criticism: Michael, who has been working in the Gaia Research Center, is glad to be out of the building. Back on campus, between his thesis and job applications, there is an elective class to look forward to: Art Appreciation and Criticism. 

Most of the course evaluations make commentary about how handsome the professor is, how nitpicky he is, and how the best way to skip class is to bring a cat “but honestly, who would want to miss this?” 

Michael, who has met Qi Yu before, is amused by all of these comments.

.

02: Lesson One: Michael met Qi Yu as a student; he was late to class, but took notes studiously; as a science student, he valued “clarity and communication,” which made his first conversation with Qi Yu all the more interesting. Instead of being “enigmatic and aloof,” Qi Yu helped Michael get his notes in line, and suggested he sit front and center at the next lecture, mostly so he could use Michael’s excellent notes to get himself back on track after losing his thought mid-lecture. “It (happened) when (his) ideas (got) a little too tangled.”

.

03: True Colors: Michael considered Qi Yu’s class as a break, but found that he truly enjoyed the world of art when Qi Yu brought in one of his own pieces for students to critique; Michael couldn’t connect with their perspectives. When prompted to share his opinions with the class, Michael says the painting looks messy to him, but the colors are strong, and the piece is calming to look at. Qi Yu tells him that his instinct was spot-on, that the piece is the result of venting about Thomas. Michael is “surprised that Qi Yu even remembered his major.” The experience opened the art world for him, and makes his own world feel very small and grey.

.

04: Absurdity & Negative Space: The midterm exams gave Michael a taste of the pressure in the class. The art majors were to get their work critiqued, and the non-art majors were going to learn how to appreciate it. The vibes were decidedly serious and anxious; Qi Yu’s commentary makes them nervous. After class, Michael speaks with one of the art majors about their piece, and the student comments, “No wonder Qi Yu likes you.” Michael is confused, but makes a decision about his final project.

.

05: Field Trip: On a class trip to Verona, Qi Yu is down-to-earth and approachable. He catches Qi Yu in a courtyard, and just as he’s about to leave, Qi Yu tells him to “take that away!” “That” is a cat; Qi Yu thanks him by name for removing it. 

“For a long time, it was the only interaction that put Michael at ease. It somehow even lightened the nine-kilo cat in his arms. After all, back in the lab, he was just “that Linkon intern” or S460602, his staff number.” 

At Qi Yu’s final class of the semester, Michael and the other students engage in conversation about the experiences, critiques and other facets of the class. Michael waits until most of the other students have left before giving Qi Yu his final project: an image of LCMECs, “cells from the lab where he spends most of his days and nights.” He explains that they’re a type of immortalized cell, and that they remind him of Qi Yu’s paintings. 

“The splendid microscopic world, teeming with life under high magnification, has become Michael’s sanctuary in the sterile, grey lab. He steps forward, energized, but his next words are stuck in his throat. Qi Yu wasn’t listening to him. His gaze is fixed, almost glued, to the name of that cell.  Confused by the professor’s intense focus, Michael racks his brain to remember the full name of the cells. LCMECs… Cardiac Microvascular Endothelial Cells. As for the first word, it was Lem-something.”

.

06: LCMECs: Michael is on his way to EVER HQ, three months in. When he asks a familiar face where LCMECs come from, he’s told to keep his curiosity to himself, and having too much knowledge will just get him in trouble. He has a feeling about it, but it’s a wild guess, at best.

Michael remembers the final art appreciation class; when Qi Yu had held the paper up to the window. 

“The setting sun, just like today’s, cast a soft glow through the paper. A gust of wind tapped the window, and the microscopic universe on the paper seemingly came alive. Ting colored blocks transformed into miniature colorful fish, their tails flickering as they danced from Qi Yu’s fingertips into the dusty air. “Professor?” Michael approached him cautiously, unsure if he should interrupt.  “Question. Do you typically extract cells from living subjects? Or are they…” Michael was surprised by Qi Yu’s unexpected inquiry. “It depends honestly. I’m not privy to that information. I’ll have to check with the lab. Next time I’m there, I’ll put in a request.”  “Ah… Don’t worry, I was just curious. But tell me, what do you think of these cells?” 

Michael explains that Qi Yu’s class has helped him to find his passion again, because the LCMECs are the “perfect blend of biology and art.” Qi Yu agrees that “biology is a fascinating subject… a masterpiece painted by nature itself.” 

Qi Yu tells him, “Michael, if you achieve great things in biology, never forget that.”

[lndslorepuzzler]

Anecdote: A Pure White Heart

01: The Legendary Doctor Li: John is doing his internship at Akso Hospital, and ruminating on all the rumors he’s heard about Li Shen. He’s been made out to be a cold, unfriendly person: “a surgical machine without a sliver of humanity,” even if he is the best cardiac surgeon in Linkon. Upon meeting Li Shen, he manages to stumble through his introduction while Li Shen is eating; Li Shen says nothing, cleaning up after himself and is at the door before he tells John that “the next surgery will involve cardiopulmonary bypass. (He should) Observe. Speak up if (he) has any questions,” and leaves.

.

02: Expert Surgeon: John watches the surgery from a distance, and is annoyed that he can’t witness up close and have Li Shen’s guidance, but he’s also very afraid of being told off.

After the surgery, Greyson attempts to draw John into a conversation, and there’s a lively conversation, into which Li Shen interjects a comment. Everybody has the same reaction: tensing up, quieting down, and John “can’t decide if Li Shen is joining in on the fun or reminding everyone that they’re working.”

Regardless, he finds Li Shen terrifying.

.

03: Scarier Than A Demon: Greyson and John are walking around to check on patients. When Greyson points out that John was relatively quiet the day before, John explains that he’s less nervous due to the ease of the task, and Li Shen’s absence. 

They head to Ward 3, where Zack—a man who had heart surgery the week before—is causing a ruckus to the point where the nurses have to restrain him. He has an access card between his teeth; they are worried he’ll swallow it, and so haven’t taken additional actions.

Li Shen arrives, and gets Zack’s attention. After a moment of sulking silence, Zack gives up the access card and immediately starts explaining that he’s bored and lonely. Li Shen tells Zack that he’ll stay with him, which cows Zack into behavior. John thinks Li Shen is even scarier, now.

.

04: Under The Sunlight: John learns that all of Li Shen’s patients act like Zack. When talking to Greyson, “the moment Greyson hears ‘Li Shen the Terrifying,’ he laughs so hard he’s almost sent to psychiatrics.” He explains that he felt the same way when he first met Li Shen, but it’s not hard to get to know him.

Out in the courtyard, John finds Zack playing chess with Li Shen, who is wearing civilian clothes instead of his usual gear. He’s shocked that despite Li Shen’s limited time off, he would choose to be at the hospital, anyway. Li Shen wins the match, and this means Zack has to keep his promise to go and get a checkup tomorrow. Zack says he won’t, and Li Shen reminds him that he doesn’t, he’ll be seeing another doctor. Zack accuses Li Shen of not caring, and Li Shen says he’ll go with him. 

Thinking back to his conversation with Greyson, John remembers him talking about how Li Shen often accompanies the elderly to their appointments, since most of them are alone. “For the first time, John doesn’t feel Li Shen’s coldness. It’s almost as if it’s been melted by the same sunlight that blankets the grass beneath them.”

.

05: Once Ice Melts: John goes to drop off a report to Li Shen, who appears to be sleeping; Li Shen asks about the days surgery, and reminds John to check on Jeanne, and call her family to remind them that they have to come to her exam in the morning; if they can’t make it, John is to go with her, instead. John is nervous, since Jeanne doesn’t trust him, and Li Shen tells him that the patients know the people who care. 

John “feels Li Shen’s teachings have been ingrained into him.”

.

06: The Best Doctor: The next morning, an absence means John will be assisting Li Shen in that day's surgery. It’s a heart transplant; the surgery goes well and ends successfully, giving the man on the table a second chance at life. The experience leaves John in awe, but Li Shen doesn’t show any real reaction. Once outside the operating rooms, John asks Li Shen why it was he called him instead of someone else; Li Shen points out that he “needed to write a paper about this subject” without so much as looking up. 

John is reluctant to leave his internship; a student rotating in says they’ve heard that while Li Shen is a great surgeon, he’s also really scary; John feels defensive, and insists that Li Shen isn’t scary, but in fact is “the best doctor (he’s) ever had the pleasure to meet.”

[lndslorepuzzler]

Anecdote: A Unique Vermilion

01: Unfinished Work: Thomas has set up an art exhibition, but Qi Yu’s final piece is not ready.  Upon searching for Qi Yu, Thomas finds him in a storage room, building a fortress of fish bones. Qi Yu says he can’t paint, and Thomas suggests they use the fortress as installation art, since people will pay to see his work either way. Qi Yu points out that it’s 2000 pieces, so there’s not much chance of that. Since Qi Yu is decidedly unhelpful, Thomas goes to see what else he’s been up to. The piece currently in the studio is lovely but according to a distressed Qi Yu, it is “missing a color.” When Qi Yu threatens to burn the painting if Thomas tries to move or show the unfinished piece, Thomas gives him three days to finish it.

.

02: Missing Color: Thomas is under pressure to guarantee that Qi Yu has a piece set up for the exhibition, but reminds the sponsor that according to Qi Yu’s usual temper, no one can see his work until the exhibition opens. Upon being asked if the painting is finished, Qi Yu is visibly frustrated. Thomas’s offer to go to a friend’s pigment factory is immediately rejected. Thomas knew that would probably be the response, and allows himself to recall a time “when he was still passionate about art.”

.

03: Passionate Colors: Thomas and Qi Yu have pieces showing at the same charity event; despite his own usual confidence, he can see that Qi Yu’s work is more unique, though he can’t quite tell why. After having his ego sufficiently busted, he “(lets) himself visit Qi Yu.”

.

04: Carefree Painter: Thomas meets with Qi Yu, but Qi Yu doesn’t appear to understand what Thomas means by ‘brands’ and instead asks if he wants to learn from him. But Thomas wants to know what’s going on, so he offers to make Qi Yu even more famous; Qi Yu tells him, “I don’t paint for fame.”

Back in the present, Thomas waxes somewhat lyrical about how he decided to switch to study business so he could be Qi Yu’s manager, that he was stunned with his work, and believed in his talent, but even as he walks Qi Yu is walking away down the beach.

.

05: Drastic Measures: With two days left, Thomas tries to sneak into Qi Yu’s studio to effectively steal the painting; Qi Yu informs him that if “that painting moves even one centimeter, (he) will light it on fire.” 

Qi Yu has apparently been sleeping on a board in the studio; he’s decided that a conch will be able to provide the color he’s missing, though it will take at least three days to get the paint out. Thomas, distressed, has to move on with the exhibition; he has a plan, but it’s not great.

.

06: A Unique Legend: Three days after the exhibition, Thomas sits in the studio and watches him paint. At the event, he hung a frame on the wall and named it and called it a day. Getting closer, Thomas tells Qi Yu that he can’t tell the difference between the ‘claret violet’ from a factory and the color Qi Yu has extracted from ten thousand conches: ‘Tyrian purple,’ used only by ancient royal families.

He tells Qi Yu that technology can create that same color; Qi Yu asks if he remembers looking for the vermilion he was once searching for. Thomas reminds him that he gave up looking for it, and “besides, no matter how much (he tries, he) could never mix a color as great as (Qi Yu’s.)” He wonders how a unique vermilion could even exist, now, and Qi Yu explains that it isn’t just about the ingredients and the labor cost. 

“No matter how much these people mix or tweak their pigments, they will always be confined to a set of rules. The color they make no longer comes from a unique bug. Just like how claret violet doesn’t come from a unique conch.”

Thomas considers how old paintings are considered priceless because of scarcity; no one can reproduce the works, and so they are unique. “There’s nothing more precious than being one of a kind in this world. The same goes for color.” 

A few months later, at another exhibition, a young artist says that there’s no difference between Qi Yu’s paint and his own. Thomas explains that “Qi Yu extracted (the) singularly unique color from ten thousand conches, completely different from the manufactured one in (his) painting. That’s what makes (the) shade fantastical, and that’s one of the reasons why Qi Yu is legendary.”

[lndslorepuzzler]

World Underneath: With Light

01: A More important Matter: Tara has taken on a bet with her supervisor, Andrew, that she can get notoriously asocial Nero go to go a team-building event. She's pretty sure she's got him convinced, when his "unwavering worship of Lumiere, the legendary hunter," manages to ruin her chances.

.

02: Sleepless Friday Night: Nero takes his dedication to Lumiere very seriously, to the point where he is the head of a Lumiere fansite. There's a poll to determine the top ten hunters in Linkon, and someone is trying to destroy Lumiere's chances of being at the top of the list. At the top of the site is a bad photo of 'Lumiere,' along with an article with a very inflammatory headline. There's a declaration that "the first sin is deception," along with video footage of a flash of light outside a florist; the man who appears there has "a face etched with wrinkles."

Nero takes his role as a 'Lightchaser' very seriously, and is thus determined to see what is actually going on. He ends up using some questionably legal techniques to access the raw footage from the security camera, and proceeds to post a breakdown of the evidence that proves the person in the video is not Lumiere: build, movement, and Evol particle readings.

.

03: The Introvert Bites Back: The next section of the article is about how "the second sin is pride," and uses the example of Lumiere not appearing at an event; Nero finds evidence that the rumor was spread in hopes of forcing Lumiere to make an appearance; he posts that information and proof.

In his youth, Nero had sent a message that he wanted to meet Lumiere, and received the response, "Instead of looking up to the light, why not become a light that illuminates the world for others?" This is what inspired him to become a hunter.

The next section declares "the third sin is sloth: shocking! Lumiere actually sleeps with Wanderers!"*1 There is a photo of Lumiere napping with a Herte Knave, an Intelligentia type Wanderer. Nero points out that the Wanderer is wearing light cuffs, and that its blade isn't shining, "indicating its Protocore Energy has been depleted."

The next three days last forever, and the negative evidence provided against Lumiere "(crumbles) under scrutiny." Lumiere is accused of hoarding and auctioning Protocores, in addition to hacking hunting leaderboards. The subway attack with the Tezcatlipoca was an elaborate hoax, etc.

During all of these shenanigans, Nero finds that the only common thread he can find is the involvement of one Shen Xinghui.

.

04: Has The Light Vanished? : The last section of the article contains a few documents (directly transcribed below.)

"...Light Evol has been detected. Evolver's Evol limit cannot be defined. Ant attempts to probe its limit triggers a special neck suppressor, which prevents the Evolver from using their full power. The techies can't explain it. No physical form detected, no scars, and the energy suppression field acts like a Protofield anomaly. After conducting a series of experiments in the lab, the techies finally unraveled the suppressor's mechanism. They boosted its threshold and got a basic understanding of some of its mechanisms."

Immediately following this is a "close-up of someone's throat, the Evol suppressor pulsating as a vicious, constrictive red ring of light. And then, there's a bit of silver in the corner. It's a tassel earring." Nero is so genuinely distressed that his Hunters Watch keeps beeping a health warning.

Shen Xinghui walks into the office and finds Nero; upon asking if he's alright, Nero shows him the photo of the captured Lumiere and announces that Lumiere could be dead. Shen Xinghui suggests he go home, but Nero's Hunter's Watch moves from beeping to giving off an alarm; Shen Xinghui gives him a paper bag to breathe in, and says that Lumiere is probably okay now, but Nero is despondent.

.

05: A Little Chat: Nero's online persona has been voted onto the 'Top Ten Hunters' leaderboards.

Nero finds Shen Xinghui and tells him that he "figured out one of (his) secrets." Despite Shen Xinghui's obvious confusion, Nero tells him with great confidence that Shen Xinghui is clearly Lumiere's biggest fan. Shen Xinghui doesn't say much in response, but Nero assumes he's right, anyway.

"Pinned by QuantumSocialite Lumiere is a beacon in the darkness, guiding us to forge ahead. And I believe, with unwavering certainty, that his light will continue to shine in the future. Because there's light everywhere."

.

.

*1, ....I thought I had words but I really honestly don't.

I really like Nero as a character; a sincere nerd is always nice to see. I also resonate with his reaction to the images and notes about the collar; I, too, was Extremely Distressed to find out that my assumptions/guesses about the collar were correct.

[lndslorepuzzler]

Anecdote: Land of Lost

01: High Alert: At Dri-Lar-404, Feathers Star, the Captain and Deputy of a ship have to move through several checkpoints to bring gifts for the Overlord's birthday, due to the sighting of one Qin Che, the "most wanted criminal in Philos's history. The only (person) to ever escape the space-time prison." The Deputy notes they're not at Philos, so he won't be a big deal. He is immediately proven wrong as Qin Che removes their guns with his Evol and proceeds to 'encourage' them through the next set of checkpoints, though the Deputy has no sense and tells Qin Che he's walking into a trap. Qin Che points out "that depends on whether or not his trap can handle the weight of a spaceship." He proceeds to puppet the two men--who die in the process--into forcing the ship to fall through the atmosphere.

.

02: Absolute Suppression: In the armory, hidden in the depths of the Overlord's fortress, the Overlord attempts to calm himself by reminding himself of past victories, even as chaos erupts outside the door. A black-red mist wraps around and drags the overlord towards the door, and it opens with his confirmed biometric data. Qin Che walks in like he owns the place, and the Overlord immediately begins to attempt bargaining. When asked what he wants, Qin Che's right eye glows, and he says, "What I want is the whole planet. Is that okay?" The Overlord says yes.*1

.

03: Mysterious Visitor: A change in the Overlord's behavior has been noted by people, but they don't question it, given his well known greed. There are rumors he's "tied up with a mystery guest." Which he is. He plays chess with Qin Che, held to his throne by Qin Che's Evol. He offers some kind of animal (located in the artificial garden just outside) to Qin Che, who tells him "A cage is no place for beasts."*2 At the banquet, Qin Che pulls a 'Masque of the Red Death,' closing all the doors and windows, locking the attendees inside. He proceeds to terrorize the Overlord and his guests: he's blown up the armory with a candle, 'happy birthday,' and "The Overlord's life is a storage's worth of treasures from 100 ships. Anyone who brings less might not taste the birthday cake today."

.

04: Out of Reach: Smash cut to Myer, an Enforcer whose dream is to arrest Qin Che. His boss told him, "it's good to dream." At the capital of Philos, Qin Che moved through traps and Enforcers like he owned the place. The crimes he commits across the galaxies "somehow never affect the space citizens' lives. Many have become legends, in fact." There's word of Qin Che being spotted near Feathers Star, but no one is keen on pursuing the issue. So Myer goes by himself. All ships in the port are declared to be under martial law by the Overlord's say.

.

05: Judgement of Fate: Starwipe back to Qin Che, who has been using a lot of power for a long time, though "an invisible tether within him holds him back from tapping into more power," and no one seems to notice. At Qin Che's suggestion, one of the High Lords offers information on another, and a whole lot of betraying happens, none of which Qin Che really cares about. He fiddles with a brooch until someone mentions the Aether Core. The Overlord has the "Eye of Aether" stashed away in a vault elsewhere.

"He relishes those absurd yet enthralling twists of fate, just like now, when the elusive echo in the cosmic void he's relentlessly pursued unveils itself unexpectedly... Whenever the stars align perfectly, Qin Che finds himself entertaining thoughts of destiny."

Qin Che shoots out the glass between the banquet hall and the artificial garden. He lets the beasts have their way with the Overlord and High Lords, and leaves. The night of carnage at Feathers Star is called the 'Night of Blood' by the Enforcers, when all the tyrants were murdered by the beasts, and several hundred ships disappeared into the horizon. Myers announces that Qin Che did it, using the holographically reproduced brooch as evidence, though the other Enforcers point out the metal used to make the brooch is centuries old and been use in countless artifacts. They are also skeptical that a single person could loot an entire planet.

.

06: Journey Begins: In a spaceship. Qin Che listens to classical music and drinks coffee. He also gets a communication that all the treasures he took from Feathers Star were reclassified and returned to their rightful owners. After confirming the other party got paid, Qin Che warns him that he'd best quit while he's ahead, because he's not going to be sharing whatever it is. On a huge map of the interstellar galaxies, the little orb he's been watching breaks apart, then comes back together in a different location. The map zooms into a location, and Qin Che directs the ship's AI to find a suitable place (presumably to land.) The AI finds a place: "The area is currently experiencing substantial protofield disturbances, creating a massive vortex of magnetic fields. This twists and refracts light, rendering direct entry impossible. It is forever shrouded in darkness." The ship switches to autopilot, and off they go.

A man attempts to mug Qin Che; it's the thirteenth time, so clearly he's "not blending in." He obtains the information he needs about "fashion" from a local. The section ends with, "The N109 Zone is about to meet its new ruler."

.

.

*1, The indication here is that Qin Che is using his Evol to force/coerce this behavior, and the rest of the anecdote confirms that. *2, It's amazing how often Qin Che says things like this, actually. It's more than I thought.

I'm not sure of when exactly this event is meant to take place, though between this and the dialogue in Long Awaited Revelry: Breakthrough we can infer that Qin Che must have arrived during/after the Chronorift Catastrophe, given that N109 was already a disaster area. Maybe. He seems to know how it became like that.

[lndslorepuzzler]

World Underneath: Sealed In Dust

Part 01: Whispers

A young man in a duckbill hat and an older man in a raincoat exchange verbal barbs and a briefcase that still smells like an explosion; the older man (who has been watching EVER) is careful not to touch it with his bare hands as he opens it to expose 4 pieces of yellowed paper.

.

Part 02: "Unicorn"

Subject Anomalies Record (directly transcribed) Recorder: Josephine, Gaia Research Center, Unicorn Team, Researcher/Team Leader Date: Observation No.5, Day 42 Anomalies: Subject 001 regained vital signs after death. Details: Subject 001: Female, Evol: Anhaunsen Class Day 41 of Observation: 2:00AM For reasons unknown (suspected to be a researcher's mishandling of the subject,) the subject's energy values rapidly increased and peaked at 2:39AM. It resulted in a powerful energy burst within her body (no casualties or equipment was damaged.) All vital signs disappeared after the explosion. Day 42 of Observation (Today): 4:00PM Vital sign monitors suddenly restarted and slowly transmitted data again. Heart rate, breathing, and brain activity resumed. Not only did Subject 001 appear to be alive again, but energy values also returned to normal. A comprehensive physical examination revealed a newly created, unidentified substance in her heart.

Experiment Notes (summary): Josephine is of mixed emotions about the event; if the thing in the subject's heart is an unknown element, "then what kind of existence is she?" The group collectively decide to tall the element Aether, and thus the object in the subject's heart is called an "Aether Core." It is quietly determined that the only way to study the subject's 'resurrection' is to kill her again, to see if the subject wakes up. She calls the subject a "unicorn." Josephine finds herself unable to give a vote of approval for the process, despite believing that Subject 001 "holds too many secrets that are worth researching and carries an unpredictable amount of energy;" she "still can't ignore that (Subject 001) is a child."

.

Part 03: Observation Log (summary)

Observer: Josephine Entry No. 1 They have taken to calling the girl Unicorn. After her 'resurrection,' all memories and cognition of her previous 'life' was erased; though she is able to pick up, absorb, and understand information far above the capabilities of her peers. Entry No. 2 The girl uses the Resonance Evol unconsciously. Entry No. 3 The voting results result in the beginning of experiments to kill Unicorn in an observation unit. The energy is agitated to the point where it burst, and Unicorn 'dies.' She wakes up again, and the energy of the Aether Core is even stronger than it already was. Josephine is begins to struggle with emotional attachment to the subject.

.

Part 04: Post-Catastrophe Journal (summary)

Day 49, Post-Chronorift Catastrophe, Sunny The Gaia Research Center was destroyed, and Subject 001 was lost. Josephine found her in a shelter, and the girl called her 'Grandma,' though she'd never learned the term, and didn't appear to recognize her. Josephine brings her home. Day 75, Post-Chronorift Catastrophe, Sunny The little girl is still with Josephine. "Her memory is like a faint signal, intermittent and sometimes wavering." She continues to take care of her. *1

.

Part 05: Journal Entry 4 (summary)

Day 134, Post-Chronorift Catastrophe, Sunny Josephine has been unable to get into contact with any of the researchers she worked with. She wonders about the intents behind EVER's research and investment. The only person she's found is Dr. Noah, and the data after the girls checkup shows her energy at half of what it used to be. The girl doesn't communicate anything about her experience in the Chronorift Catastrophe; she was alone the whole time. Josephine thinks that "maybe forgetting isn't such a bad thing for (the girl.)"

.

Part 06: Dust (summary)

Duckbill feels Raincoat has more than enough information to "confirm her identity and role." Raincoat commends Duckbill for "(silencing) Josephine," and gives Duckbill a vial of some kind of drug. Raincoat gives the briefcase back, and tells Duckbill to watch the smell; Duckbill tells him to watch his handkerchief, since he'll be implicated, too. He asks when Raincoat's people intend to make their move, and Raincoat tells him there's no rush.

Conversation: (Edited as dialogue-only)

"Your Prince Shen Xinghui has been glued to her side watching over her, right? I've been curious for a while. Do people still practice feudalism where you're from? Isn't that regression in a sense?" "Hmph, Shen Xinghui can only guard her for so long. He's too busy dealing with his own issues... Don't say I didn't warn you. It's not just EVER who wants her. Strike first to gain an advantage." "The one who strikes first is helping her cultivation. If you can get rid of Shen Xinghui in the process, you'd be doing us a big favor. Isn't internal struggle your specialty? Kill Shen Xinghui and let EVER crown you as a prince. Haha--" "I can't kill Shen Xinghui, but I can do more than deal with a two-legged, carbon-based monkey like you." "You... Kill me, then. But how long can you survive in this era?" "Tell your masters they better get their hands on her fast. Based on my experience, her existence isn't as simple as the observation records suggest. If you keep stalling, EVER will end up losing more than they bargained for once she develops."

Raincoat ruminates that the drug Duckbill just took has an additional substance in it, used to "control" him. The goal is to "control" Shen Xinghui: his Evol is feeding into Unicorn's, using his love for her to EVER's advantage.

"Letting his lightblade serve her and becoming the strongest weapon in her hands is something the Resonance Evol can easily achieve. Shen Xinghui will surely give her every bit of himself... Love truly is a wonderful thing."

.

.

*1, The text reads, "It's always just been me at home. But with her and... /Things have started to change." That ellipsis haunts my dreams. *2, Unsure if this is the same backtracker Shen Xinghui merc'd in Galactic Sunset: Desecrated Soil.

I'm not sure if this is the same Raincoat as World Underneath: Long Lost Treasures, though I'm pretty sure it's not.

This section also confirms that Shen Xinghui/Backtrackers are from the future (though not necessarily the same 'timeline.')

And, for anyone wondering, 'anhaunsen' is essentially a root word for 'enhance.'

[lndslorepuzzler]

Myth: Li Shen, Tower of Secrets

Part 01:

Opens with:

It is explained that the Foreseer lives in the Tower of Thorns, and has done so for as long as anyone can remember; he acts as Astra's divine emissary, and wields His power. Every hundred years, an envoy is sent to hear the Foreseers prophecies, though none of them have ever returned. The rumor is that the Foreseer is "perpetually frozen in an icy tomb," so time means nothing, even as people come to the tower over and over again for thousands of years. But our Heroine is not here for a prophecy; she is there to take the Creatio protocore, which is the only thing that can save her life.

"Under Astra's command may the Foreseer deliver His will,

for that is his fate."

(Philos: Tome of the Forseer)

Upon entering the main chamber, she finds the man she assumes is the Foreseer--seeming to be asleep or dead, and all but shackled to the throne with ice and thorns; when she attempts to take the protocore from his staff, he wakes up and calls her "impudent." The thorns dissolve, and he remarks that apparently she knows nothing about manners.

He still doesn't move, so she gives him a few good pokes (getting the responses, "Your actions are testing my patience," "It seems you do not know what true horror is," and a little exhalation followed by "do you know what happens when fools disrespect the Foreseer?") and when she points out that he's frozen, and she had higher expectations, he says "Winter punishes every wrongdoing in due time," which is true and also terrifying.

Our Heroine, who can't take a hint, gets into the Foreseer's personal space to inspect the ice, which is more like crystal; when she asks what it is, he tells her that she has "wild curiosity and a brazen tongue," to which she responds, that "(his) tongue is like winter's loveless embrace." Despite her goading, he is stoic and disinterested, save that he gasps in surprise/pain every time she makes physical contact with him.

She tries to take the protocore again and is flung back from the throne; the Foreseer stands, informing her that "(he's) played enough of (her) little games," and that "(she forgets herself,) testing the limits of (his) benevolence." This choice of words is extremely interesting, since the Foreseer is essentially Astra's mouthpiece, so it's unclear if it's the Foreseer speaking, or Astra speaking through him.

As he raises his staff, she says she's His Majesty's envoy, and he tells her that "an honest death is not a suitable punishment for every pretender." Instead of killing her, the Foreseer begins to freeze her in place, not bothering to stay in her field of vision while asking if she knows what happens to people who try to steal the protocore. The ice moves up her neck and face; the next time she opens her eyes, there's sunlight coming in through the windows of the throne room.

The Foreseer is on the throne, reading as "the sun's glow casts an illusion of softness on his cold demeanor." Our Heroine tries to initiate conversation, but the Foreseer is having none of it. Her attempts at lightheartedness are met with dry, unimpressed tones. When she says she's hungry, he tells her that a human can live for seven days without food and "given (her) stubborn character, (she) should live for an extra two days."

Upon the threat of being left frozen to the floor for nine days, our Heroine admits she was lying, and that she came to ask for a prophecy, since everyone she's spoken to so far has said she has three years to live, and she doesn't want to believe that. He finally looks up from his book, and informs her that yes, they're wrong, because she definitely has less than three years. She tries to protest, and he freezes her mouth closed, going back to his book.

Our Heroine is left over night, and realizes "it is nigh impossible to warm the heart of a demigod who lives in these rime-kissed lands."

In the middle of the night, our Heroine is woken up by the glow of words--magic from the book the Foreseer is reading. It's a gardening manual, and while he doesn't believe her at first, her insistence that she used to be a gardener eventually causes him to melt the ice she's wrapped in. She hits the floor, and he tells her to follow him.

She follows him to the top of the tower. She notices a little white flower bud, and asks why there is jasmine growing in a place like this. She realizes there is something wrong with it and it probably won't bloom. The Foreseer asks if she'll be able to care for it, and she says yes, though she's not very confident about it. He informs her that if the jasmine blooms, she will be able to leave the tower in one piece.

.

Part 02:

We learn the next morning that our Heroine is suffering from Cryoriasis, a disease that causes the afflicted to lose consciousness and freeze solid. The Creatio protocore is the only thing that can cure it. She's determined to befriend the Foreseer so he lets down his guard enough for her to steal the protocore. She wonders why he even cares about the jasmine anyway, before heading out to explore the tower and its decorations which, despite being very beautiful, lack character. "They possess the same aloofness as the Foreseer himself. It appears they are trying to frighten strangers."

She makes her way up the tower to the jasmine, where the Foreseer is looking out over the landscape. After a sharp exchange regarding her confidence in her ability to tend the jasmine, she waters the plant and focuses on the dark spots of people walking on the path towards them. When she points them out, the Foreseer makes symbols in the air, and summons a blizzard to keep the people from coming.

When asked if he's trying to kill them, the Foreseer tells our Heroine that he's guaranteeing their survival, and since humans can't change fate no matter how hard they try, it's better for them to not know the future at all.

After several days, our Heroine has a routine for taking care of the jasmine. The Foreseer seems annoyed by her attempts to make conversation, especially this morning beneath the clear sky. A flock of birds--arcticyons--fly towards the tower. One lands on the Foreseer's hand, chirping away. They pass the tower every year during migration, he tells her. She notes that his expression is "full of the warmth one would greet an old friend with."

He takes her hand in his (warmer and gentler than she expected) and the bird hops from his hand to hers. She expresses surprise that he doesn't sit inside and read all day, and tells the Foreseer that she's curious about him, since he's only referred to as 'Astra's tool' in texts, and that doesn't seem to be an accurate description. He's not merciless: he cares about the jasmine, and the birds. He tells her she is "not (there) to study (his) behavior," and that "(her) wild curiosity almost led to (her) demise."

.

Part 03:

Our Heroine decides she has to work harder to get closer to the Foreseer; she passes the throne room on her way back from tending the jasmine, and tries to engage the Foreseer in conversation. He shuts her down at every opportunity, and when she asks about a traditional practice for Wisshen Day, he tells her he "(doesn't) do such things." She is frustrated by the way he "knows how to silence (her) with a single sentence."

She goes up to the top of the tower anyway, deciding he wouldn't join her anyway, seeing as he's a prophet and has no need to pray. She lights her candle and prays to Astra that she doesn't want to turn to ice, there are places the wants to visit, things she wants to do, she doesn't want to die yet. She lets the candle float away but "when it reaches a person's height, it breaks, flutters, and falls to the ground.'' She takes that to mean Astra has denied her wish, though she picks up the pieces anyway.

The Foreseer arrives on the rooftop, and she tries to smile, telling him that "even Astra thinks (her) wish (is) ridiculous," but he just says she should use sturdier materials, and creates an ice lantern. He tells her only the strength of her hope can light it.

It does light up. She notes that the fire makes the Foreseer look less frigid. He uses magic to lift the lantern up and away. When she asks why he's there, he tells her "it just so happens a few lights are needed tonight," which is a Very Likely Story, though he does create countless lit ice lanterns that float over the tower. He goes to leave and, when she asks him to stay and make a wish, he says "there is nothing for (him) to wish from Astra" before heading downstairs without another word or glance.

Our Heroine decides that the Foreseer is not so cold as he seems to be, though she doesn't know if he would be so kind of he knew about her plans to take the Creatio protocore.

.

Part 04:

The jasmine bud is growing, and should bloom in less than a week, so our Heroine is running out of time. She decides to follow the Foreseer into one of the places he frequents, hidden by an ordinary door in the basement.

What she finds is a huge library, with shelves that "stretch as far as the eye can see." She begins to mumble to herself, and the noise causes ice to appear and carry her up, so she could reach higher bookshelves. The ice stays in place and she picks up Philos: Floral Inquiry. The pages about jasmine are the most worn, and on the title pages is the name "Li Shen."

While wondering who 'Li Shen' is, the Foreseer informs her that it's the person she's looking for, aka him. He hovers on an ice platform nearby, and our Heroine tells him she didn't mean to intrude, and that the ice kidnapped her. She backs up, falls off the ice she's standing on, and the Foreseer catches her, and tells her that "expressing (her) regret does not require theatrics." She asks if he's mocking her, but once they're back on the ground, she looks at the floor.

As it turns out, the ice that brought her up to the higher shelves was in fact a phantasm and while she wants to remain incredulous, she's seen too much magic to think any of it is false. She apologizes for lying, explains that she wanted to know what he did in here, and since the ice heard her talking to herself, it carried her up. It is an enthusiastic thing, and she names it Jas.

Standing on an ice platform to meet his height, she asks if she can call the Foreseer 'Li Shen,' since "a name defines a person," and she feels that's important. He tells her to do what she must.

Later, our Heroine thinks about Li Shen, wondering why he didn't kick her out of the library, even though it's his personal space. She looks at the marks on her chest, sliding further up her body, and resolves to see if she can use Jas to take her to the Creatio protocore, since it brought her to the Foreseer in the library.

Upon asking, Jas envelops her and takes her somewhere; she sees the Creatio protocore but upon reaching for it, realizes she is in fact standing in Li Shen's personal quarters and he is freshly out of a bath, and it would be a good idea to leave. She doesn't get to leave, of course, and when he turns around she tries to explain that Jas brought her there, so it isn't like she walked in the front door or anything, and she hadn't meant to disturb him.

He seems nonplussed; he curls his finger, and "the steam around (them) turns into a white cloth that hangs around his waist." He uses magic to pull her close to him, and asks what brings her there. Being so close means she can't avert her eyes anywhere, and she starts blushing. But she also notices that he's covered in scars before she closes her eyes.

He moves away to dress, and notes that Jas is very loyal to her, though he expected that, since it only knows the two of them. She asks if he's going to punish Jas, and he asks if he should punish her, instead. She makes an excuse about the jasmine, and when he tells her there's a punishment awaiting if it dies, she asks if he's going to kill her once it blooms. He asks if "a horrible death (is) the only consequence (she) can think of," and says he has no interest in killing anyone.

He then uses magic to push her out of his bedchamber.

.

Part 05:

Our Heroine is very curious about Li Shen: his scars, which look like stab wounds, and who could have possibly injured him at all, seeing as he's blessed by Astra. She doesn't expect she'll ever get an answer.

She goes to the library and finds Philos: Floral Inquiry. She reads the note Li Shen has left in the margins out loud ("Once again, jasmine appears...") and is magically transported into the book, into a field of jasmine buds. Nearby is an image of Li Shen, who seems confused and doesn't know her. He asks how she got here, and she asks if she's in the book. He tells her, "(she stands) in an illusion crafted by words and words alone." He is a wraith, who plants the jasmine.

She asks if they're phantasms, but when she touches one, she sees the image of Li Shen lowering his head to kiss the jasmine. They are the "jasmines in (his) memories," each of them representing his life from another time/incarnation. It's all he can ever remember, and since nothing comes after that, the jasmine never blooms. When asked, the wraith tells our Heroine that the Foreseer can see the fate of anyone in the world, but he is unable to see his own fate, "as is Astra's will."

She leaves the library and thinks about the illusion; when she reaches the top of the tower, Li Shen is looking at the jasmine in the moonlight. She realizes "he's pinning his desire to remember onto the flower bud."

He tells her that she's not forbidden from the library, but she can't come and go as she likes. She asks if he's ever thought about leaving, and he wonders how she came up with that kind of question. She asks if he's ever thought about leaving the tower, and starts to speak about the jasmine representing something when Li Shen grabs her by the throat and tells her that "(her) insolence reveals itself, (and she will allow him) to remind (her) of (her) place."

The Creatio protocore starts to glow, and Li Shen pushes her away, telling her to stay back as thorns and brambles start moving towards him. They wrap around his entire body, digging in; it's exactly like their first meeting. Our Heroine puts together that the thorns are what's keeping Li Shen in place, keeping him from leaving. He tells her the Foreseer cannot step foot outside the tower.

Our Heroine realizes that the mere thought of leaving caused these restraints to materialize. Li Shen tells her this is a warning from Astra, but she believe no one but Astra could freeze Li Shen in place, and the Creatio protocore is a surveillance tool. She asks if he's tried to leave before; he has no memory of doing so.

She apologizes, and he tells her that "(she's) begged enough for forgiveness," that "destiny's guiding hand may have brought (her) here, but it is time to abandon (her) curiosity." He says there will be an eclipse tomorrow, and she is not to climb the tower for any reason.

"Astra gifted one of His eyes to the Foreseer. By walking the winding path of time did the Foreseer understand its passing. This is the power of a god."

(Philos: Tome of the Foreseer)

.

Following that excerpt is this:

The moon masks the sun, and only a golden ring remains. A beam of light strikes the Creatio protocore.

Light reflects off it, forming chaos and patterns of disorder, which is brought into the hands of the Foreseer.

Ancient symbols gradually appear as he pieces together a puzzle.

Astra's will has presented itself, and the Foreseer's indifferent facade reveals a hint of indignation as he too is imprisoned by the prophecy.

Astra has spoken. Those who defy fate are sinners and shall be punished by Him.

Part 06:

Our Heroine wakes on the floor of her bedroom, only remembering a "strange feeling at dawn," and wondering if she slept the whole day. The marks of her sickness have reached her neck. She wonders what would happen if she takes the Creatio protocore, and what would happen to Li Shen; that maybe she should tell him the full extent of her illness and maybe come up with a plan to keep her from dying.

Li Shen is not in the library, so she and Jas move through the books. She wonders what Li Shen does when he's upset, but figures he probably frowns regardless of his mood. After a while, unmelting snow starts falling around her. She wonders out it out loud, and Li Shen (who has appeared out of nowhere on the floor of the library) points out that she was the one asking about what he does when he's upset.

She asks about the prophecy, and he tells her it doesn't matter, since only a true envoy can deliver it. She accuses him of mocking her, and he magicks the ice to slide her down to him. He asks what she does when she's upset. She tells him that she dances. He expresses surprise, since he thought dance only happened when humans are happy, but the more upset our Heroine is, the more she tries to move.

Li Shen offers his hand, and she asks if he's asking her to dance. He says they'll both feel better if they dance under the snow. They waltz beneath the snow in the Tower's library. She asks who taught him how to dance, since he's been here alone the whole time, and he tells her that his body might remember past movements.

Our Heroine begins to hum, since all dancing is better with music, and Li Shen points out that its the melody she sings while tending the jasmine; he asks him to sing for her:

"Are you referring to your other lives?"

"The Foreseer cannot truly die, so your description isn't right."

"What is it like to remember things from another era?"

"It is no different than being in a never-ending snowstorm."

"To the afterglow cries cosmic demise, Our world in a deceptive amber paradise, In these sands of time, My frozen bouquet awaits, With your gaze so full of wonder, I hold four jasmines asunder, His secrets revealed, Hark the bard, O legends unfold, This distant tale they sing to you, Unspoken desires, sincere and true, A jasmine in time's embrace, A fragrant aria, a moment's grace."

.

Part 07:

Our Heroine wakes Li Shen from sleep; he is looking at her like she is a stranger to him but she's too excited to care, so she grabs him by the sleeve and drags him along to the top of the Tower, where the jasmine is slowly blooming. When she looks to see his reaction, she's confused to see an intensity to his features as he looks at the jasmine, and at her. She asks "Am I not a skilled gardener?" and he tells her that she was late.

"Li Shen cannot recall the first time the jasmine appeared.

Ever since he took upon the mantle of Foreseer, the Tower of Thorns had always been home to the jasmine that never bloomed.

It is like a riddle forever waiting to be solved, or maybe it's a metaphor for his fragmented memories.

The jasmine's existence is an unremovable thorn--a reminder of his past, of his failure to remember who he is.

Li Shen dreams the same dream. It is one he has dreamt of many, many times. He kisses the jasmine bud, and then his entire being sinks into darkness.

"Li Shen. Li Shen."

Yet he hears her, her voice cutting through the shadows.

Why does her voice sound as if it's from the jasmine itself and from the distant past?

Li Shen waits for the darkness to swallow him once more, yet when he opens his eyes, the jasmine he kissed in his dreams has turned into the face of a girl."

She tells him he needed more than a skilled gardener, and he says "hence why it only bloomed in (her) presence." She brushes off his praise, as it makes the whole situation "sound like this was bound to happen."

After a moment, she asks if she offended him, and he looks down to her hand, still holding his sleeve. But when she tries to let go, he holds on, and tells her "this is not mere coincidence," that no one else who has ever stepped foot into the tower has been able to make the jasmine bloom. He asks if he can take her to another place; she reminds him that he said she could leave once the jasmine bloomed, and he asks if she wants to leave.

"Do I? Do I want to steal the Creatio protocore, make Li Shen lose his power, and leave him imprisoned in the Tower forevermore? No... I don't want him to be 'perpetually frozen' anymore. But... I will die, won't I?"

She is surprised when Li Shen takes her to the jasmine field she'd previously visited. He seems like himself, but also like the wraith she met in this place. She's unsure if he's real or not. When she asks why they're there, Li Shen tells her he wants to confirm something and when she asks what, he holds her cheek and looks at her for a long time before responding: "That... I won't lose you again."

A blinding indigo light and overwhelming pressure makes our Heroine faint.

.

Part 08:

Our Heroine wakes up to find herself in her bedroom. The last thing she remembers is the indigo light, and the concern on Li Shen's face. She struggles to get up, but manages, and searches every part of the tower. She doesn't find Li Shen. She does find a hidden staircase with a door at the end of the climb. There are noises coming from behind it.

"Cradled in Li Shen's arms, the girl lies still, her cold warmth lingering. The body he's holding cannot be considered one that belongs to a mortal.

Under her clothes, blue lines manifest at an alarming rate. Astra warns the Foreseer in the form of an eerie indigo gleam from the Creatio protocore on his scepter.

The Foreseer is forbidden from peeking into his own destiny.

Or else Astra shall give unto him the sweetness of Death's embrace.

Even so, the Foreseer must see the future of this girl whose fate is so deeply intertwined with his.

Following destiny's golden thread, he unveils truths hidden in an enigmatic mist.

Along his long journey, he has met this girl time and time again. He falls in love with her, becomes a witness to her changing fate, and watches her die.

Astra's tools can never fall in love.

And so Astra manipulates his memories of her, plunging them into an incomprehensible mystery: a jasmine bud that never blooms and is out of reach."

She forces the door open, and finds Li Shen shackled up to a wall. There is black ice all over the room, moving like a living animal. When she tries to call out to Li Shen, his eyes are red and his face is expressionless.

"His hand emits a white glow, and as he clenches it, the black ice suddenly elongates and stabs his body." She asks why he's hurting himself, and he manages to tell her that it's a punishment from Astra. Our Heroine realizes that Li Shen's body is moving on its own, not through his conscious will; she remembers seeing the scars all over his body when Jas took her to his room, and wonders if "those were a result of his "self-inflicted" injuries."

Moving closer, and realizing that a huge spear of ice has been driven through his chest, she tries to think of what she can do, while he tries to tell her to leave, because his body isn't fully under his control. He tells her he can't die, that he's been through this before. She stays close and continues her search despite his wishes and warnings.

She manages to force out the large chunk of ice in his chest; Li Shen all but begs her to leave, but she won't. She hugs him instead; he manages to tell her that she is "truly the most audacious" to ever trespass into the tower.

The ice has stopped moving, but the prison itself is still freezing; our Heroine manages to unshackle his bloodied wrists and apologizes for lying about her intentions--he tells her that he already knew, since he divined her fate while she was unconscious. She asks why Astra was punishing him for that, and he explains that it's because their fates are intertwined, and he is not allowed to defy his own fate.

He asks her to come with him.

.

Part 09:

At the top of the Tower, the two of them watch the jasmine wilt one petal at a time. Li Shen says that she was "willing to defy Astra to free him." She tells him that she made her choice after seeing him being tortured in that prison; he tells her that he made a choice, too.

Li Shen summons the scepter, and explains that the Creatio protocore grows stronger by leeching away her life, and that her fate after meeting him should have been to die. He takes the core out of the scepter, and tells her that "the power of Astra can curse destiny itself. And it can be used to ruin His plans." He presses the protocore into her chest. Frost begins to form on his face, and the tower starts to crumble.

Li Shen embraces our Heroine, and shields her from the ice lunging for them. When she asks why, he tells her that "(her) destiny is not written in stone." The ice is stabbing into Li Shen's back, but he tells her that "(he) won't forget (her.) Not this time."

In the bright light of a space between, where nothing but she and Li Shen exists, Li Shen tells her that Astra's power is now hers, existing inside her, and that he's only here to say goodbye. She asks him not to go, telling him that she wants to stay. His usually stoic expression softens when she starts to cry. She tells him he said he didn't want to lose her again, and he says "I will never lose you as long as you are alive and well."*1

Li Shen wipes away our Heroine's tears as he tells her that he will never forget her. He asks her if he can "end it on (his) own terms."

"He slowly smiles. It's like watching the first sprout break through melting snow. Li Shen leans down and kisses me for the first and last time. Light washes over me akin to waves lapping the shore. I try to reach out to him, but he smiles and slips away like sand falling between my fingers."

Our Heroine comes to, and sits up in a field of jasmines in full bloom. An old woman asks if she's all right, and when she says she needs to visit the Tower of Thorns, the old woman tells her that there's been a raging storm and all paths to the mountain are blocked.*2

The old woman tells her that not even the Foreseer can defy Astra, and she might as well let go of any hope of getting there. The tower is barely visible from where she is, and when she starts to cry, Li Shen's voice asks her not to. She sees "a sphere of soft, white light," and hears Li Shen's voice: "Promise me you won't cry anymore."

Petals from the withered jasmine at the Tower of Thorns appear in her hand. They "merge into a single jasmine flower. Ice envelops it, making it as lovely as the day it bloomed." Li Shen's voice comes again, "Now they shall never wilt. With this, I will not forget my answer."

.

"A howling blizzard never seen before seals all paths leading to the Tower of Thorns. There's no telling if the snowstorm will ever disappear.

The mountain and its Lord have fallen into an eternal slumber.

No one can venture into the Tower. No one has ever met the Foreseer since.

The legend rests in fathomless rime and snow...

Forgotten."

.

*1, See Memoria: Li Shen, Hidden Motive (link when completed.)

*2, Check side-by-side references to Mt. Eternal, see tag.

[lndslorepuzzler]

Long-Awaited Revelry: Breakthrough, pt 1-12

01: Alone: The little girl leads FMC to an 'establishment' called Elysium; she asks the woman at the bar for information on who is going to be at the protocore auction and a map of the venue. FMC balks at the hefty cost of 50k per word of information. The woman offers a 5% discount because FMC is "new and pretty," but ultimately opens a door to what sounds like a casino, where people are talking about the auction: that it's happening at Solon Hotel, that if one wants to get in then they should ask/barter with Qin Che, though he's been gone for a while, and leadership in Onychinus seems to have changed in that time.

When the door closes, FMC asks the shopkeeper for information on Onychinus specifically (presumably to get more information on Qin Che and the organizations structure,) she is told to not "pry into things (she) shouldn't know."

In the casino, FMC eavesdrops on conversations: Qin Che hasn't been around in a long time, and he's been presumed missing or dead. Someone named Sherman is making moves in his absence, with his people becoming arrogant and audacious in the meantime. She determines that Onychinus's problems extend beyond any protocore dealing, and that if Qin Che was really going to die he would probably drag the entire N109 Zone with him: "That's just how he is."

The little girl brings FMC a black flower, and when prompted, tells FMC that Qin Che is a monster with huge wings and horns that never dies, and that if she misbehaves, Qin Che will "find (her) and feed (her) to his man-eating birdie." FMC considers this information/perspective: that everyone is afraid of Qin Che, but willing to make deals with him*1 and given that he'd extended the offer of a deal to her instead of vise versa, her Evol can probably be used against him.

Her thoughts are interrupted by a group of armed men breaking the door down in search of "Onychinus's important guest (who) got lost." One of them asks "everyone to cooperate with (their) search... Shut the door and search the room. Everyone's about to be entertained."*2

.

02: Night Raid: FMC and the little girl are inside a hidden utility room; there is a 'secret window' facing the lobby. The leader of the Sherman's men--who has a "broken, wire-bound jaw"--demands the shopkeeper tell him where FMC is; he tells his goons to start forcing people to talk. The shopkeeper tells FMC to stay put, and that she has no intention of handing her over under these circumstances. FMC wonders who Sherman is ("Isn't Qin Che the leader of Onychinus? Who's Mr. Sherman...") and remains in place.

Mephisto makes himself known, giving FMC the chance to make a break for it, but she gets pulled back. She points her gun at Qin Che, who is less than impressed; she watches as "several bullets graze him only to dissipate into dust. The people who fired the shots are strangled by something. They slump to the ground, dead." She tells him his underlings are disobedient; when the leader hears Qin Che's voice, he calls for backup.*3

Qin Che holds FMC back-to-chest before aiming and firing her gun.

.

03: COMBAT

.

04: The First Deal: FMC and Qin Che disagree on methods of ending the conflict; she thinks they should retreat, as Wanderers keep spawning, and 'retreat' isn't a word in Qin Che's vocabulary. There's an interesting exchange: "Oh, so you like being a freeloader, Qin Che? Didn't you see me fighting for my life earlier?" to which he responds, "Since when was I required to investigate the files the Hunter's Association had on you?" thus implying that he could have done it without much effort, had he chosen to do so.

Qin Che tells FMC to consider this entire situation a training practice, and warns her she won't get any help, before he uses her gun to blow out an electrical box. They have another interesting exchange in the dark while he puts a communicator in her ear.

"Let's make a deal." "Aren't you going to leave? I can't resonate with you." "If you'd like to attend the auction tomorrow, stand your ground for five minutes. And should you have the audacity to die on me, you will actually meet your end."*4

While FMC is pondering her next move, Qin Che informs her that "(he) didn't turn off the lights to force (her) into combat. (They're) stalling for time." Mephisto makes himself useful by becoming target in the dark, but no matter how many Wanderers FMC kills, the number of opponents doesn't go down at all. Once she realizes her contact with Qin Che has been cut off, she uses a few barrels of alcohol, and starts a huge fire.

The figures don't stop moving, and they don't make any sounds. "Amidst the blue firelight, (she) sees their faces-- Under the corroded, crystallized skin, they seem to have human faces... They resemble humans more than Wanderers."*5

.

05: Nightmare Finale: Outside Elysium, a man runs to a heavy iron door and shoves it open. Inside, a dark stone platform lights up, then dims. The Flux Nexus is still there, but while he's having a maniacal laugh about it, "deadly black-red mist rolls in from all directions. The nightmarish shadow slowly approaches from behind." He gets out half a plea ("S-spare me... Qin--") immediately followed by "crimson particles (landing) in the waste water."

The Flux Nexus glows even brighter, but Qin Che lets his Evol flow into it, and blows it apart from the inside.

Inside Elysium, the monsters all drop. FMC inspects one near her, "with a tattoo-like mark on its chest," and realizes that the crystals all over it look like protocores. As the lights come back on, she takes a small sample of the crystal and hides it on her person. Qin Che comes back, and FMC is not surprised that he's not saying anything about where he went or what he did while she 'stalled for time.'

As they move to leave, the shopkeeper slips a storage device into FMC's pocket, and tells her to be careful out there.

As soon as they get back to Qin Che's base, he leaves FMC on her own to converse with Mephisto, who is apparently agitated that she shot him. Qin Che reappears with a glass of wine, and asks if FMC has learned to speak bird in the last few hours. She does feel bad about injuring Mephisto; Qin Che redirects the conversation by asking if "anything strange (happened) before they attacked." FMC tells him he should ask Mephisto, seeing as he was following her on his order, and Qin Che is very casual about it ("True," he says, like that's not weird at all.)

He points out that as long as she's in the N109 Zone, there's no way she could be outside of his influence, even if she's not directly with him. She accuses him of trying to get her to dislike him less so they can resonate, and he shows no signs of being angry about being provoked.

The two of them head up in an elevator after a short and sassy exchange about why he's treating her like a bar (telling her to get him another drink) while he says a bar is more obedient than she is.

.

06: Agreement: In a separate room, FMC looks at the data from the storage device: a hologram map of the Solon Hotel, and a list of attendees, including the false identity prepared by Jeremiah. She tries to draw Qin Che into conversation by asking about Sherman; he wants to know "why (she's) interested in a dead person." FMC recalls that the first shop owner said something about two explosions, and shameless people making Qin Che their scapegoat. She wonders if the explosions could have had something to do with Sherman, and not Qin Che, even though either way, the conflict involves her due to the Aether Core.

FMC surmises that Qin Che left her at the shop as bait, while Mephisto "lets out a defiant wail." FMC informs Mephisto that she didn't mean to shoot him and even if she had, he would have deserved it for stalking her earlier. Qin Che, audibly amused, tells FMC that "(she) can scold him directly, if (she wants.)"

"Under the hazy light, Qin Che reveals a gentle look completely uncharacteristic of him. I compose myself, realizing I've been unreasonably angry with him. Regardless of whether he wanted to clean up or not, those people were after me, I had to face them sooner or later."

FMC changes the topic, deciding to focus on what Qin Che said about them being the same, and supposes that he also has an Aether Core in his body: that hers is in her heart, and his is in his right eye. He tells her she can think of it like that. FMC notes that her Aether Core seems fairly 'normal' by protocore standards, while his is definitely not. He tells her "it helps (him) see what people want the most. It exposes the desires that they refuse to admit."*6 She wonders if those whispers and visions at the dining table were the work of his Aether Core.

There's another vision of a small red 'energy pulse,' and the words "Devour... It's your..." When FMC comes back to herself, Qin Che is very close, and she "(presses) down on the area around his eye."*7 He doesn't break eye contact with her, and both eyes remain open. He asks if she's "gone mad," and she either:

---tells him that he can push her away, though he makes a (exasperated? frustrated?) sigh, and doesn't.

or

---apologizes, telling him that she wanted to get a closer look at the Aether Core. He doesn't move away from her.

Regardless of the option chosen, FMC asks if he likes it when people do that (look into his eyes;) she continues to stare and asks if he wants to try to resonate again, grabbing his hand without waiting for an answer. The background music gets very gentle, and she offers to "use both hands this time," (which is a cute image.) He sighs, but she keeps thinking that he's good at fighting, and that he looks good; Qin Che informs her that he can hear her talking to which she replies, "Enjoy it. This is one of the two good things (she) can think about (him.)" They still don't manage to resonate, but FMC decides that even if they can't rush it, she's not going to stop trying.

FMC decides to try a different tack and communicate properly with Qin Che; she says she has an idea she doesn't know if the should say, and he tells her not to. She boldly continues and tells him if they can't resonate because she's rejecting him on a subconscious level, then they should work on changing her feelings. It will be difficult, but not impossible, and the easy solution is for him to agree to help her get the Aether Core and get her out of the N109 Zone safely and in exchange, she'll be his bait to clean up the traitors and general mess in his organization. Qin Che is amused that FMC seems to think she'd be doing him a huge favor, but she's telling the truth rather than bluffing because she wouldn't be able to fool him, anyway.

Qin Che tells FMC that her deal isn't good enough, and offers a compromise: if she can take a jeweled brooch from his possession within 24 hours, he'll agree to her terms, since "only when you have a bargaining chip can you make a deal." He tells her she can use her own methods, and that she should be grateful the goal is clear 'this time.' *8

.

07: Roleplay: FMC gets ready to go to the auction with Qin Che, wearing "an expensive dress and dazzling jewelry;" he tells her it suits her, and that no one can keep their guard up with a pretty girl walking around. They head out.

There is a brief interlude, with text reading: "In the sky, the stars are devoured by an endless darkness./ The Deepspace Tunnel is silent, seemingly frozen in time. Suddenly, there's a thud, a pulse resembling a heartbeat./ Cosmic dust fills the air. Something penetrates the invisible barrier.../ And slowly opens its eyes."

Qin Che and FMC are quasi-antagonistic toward one another even as they walk into the auction; Qin Che is greeted by a member of staff and, upon leaving FMC on her own, gives her a black credit card and tells her that "(he assumes she already knows) how to act as good bait." FMC proceeds to be an exemplary brat, drawing attention to herself in the way she's meant to: spending Qin Che's money.

.

08: Undercurrents: In a separate room, Qin Che has a confrontation with Sherman; he wastes no time, strangling Sherman until the man tells him what he wants to know, claiming that "the people who said they'd help (him) replace (Qin Che) must have made an offer only an idiot would refuse," but after giving Sherman a look with his right eye, Qin Che is disappointed that the method to buy Sherman was "as old-school and uncreative as ever." Sherman says that Qin Che "won't be cocky for long (with them around,)" and Qin Che shrugs him off, saying, "Since you chose betrayal... My only option is to make you pay in advance."

Back in the main hall, FMC is approached by a man asking to buy her brooch; she tells him no but he is persistent, offering ten Hightowers in exchange before asking her to dance.

Qin Che reappears, tells FMC that a Hightower is a weapon made with a high-grade protocore, and that "a single Hightower (could) obliterate (the) entire hotel." He tells the stranger that the brooch was a gift, and asks FMC is she was going to sell it; she plays coy, claiming she had no idea if he was coming back or not, but the stranger was going to spend a fortune to dance with her, so, shouldn't Qin Che do the same?

Qin Che offers her the Aether Core's location in exchange for a dance. When FMC asks why Qin Che thinks she will listen to him, he says she can "refuse (him) all (she) wants." They do start their dance, however.

.

09: Rising Curtains: Qin Che and FMC dance while speaking about their plans; she doubts such vital information would be leaked unless it was a trap, which Qin Che agrees to. She asks if he is going to throw himself into the trap, and he tells her to "be content with (her) role" and to not "scare away the fish that already bit the hook." FMC notes that there are eight Evol bombs and fifteen high-frequency guns in the room, and tells Qin Che he's made a lot of enemies. Qin Che is nonplussed, and tells her "this isn't the first time it's happened."

FMC asks if Qin Che has a plan, because "even if (he) has a death wish, (she doesn't) intend to die here with (him,)" and he tells her not to worry, because she "won't die that easily." There is then, of course, an explosion...

That Qin Che set off, because "the vermin were taking their sweet time (and he) was getting impatient." Due to the sudden Metaflux increase, Wanderers appear, and Qin Che gives FMC a replacement, gun, telling her to not to waste her effort with an outdated weapon.

After the Wanderers are defeated, FMC is in the middle of interrogating a henchman with the muzzle of her gun pressed into the back of his head. He tells her that they haven't won, because their backup plan is terrifying, and not even Qin Che--- (he chokes out as Qin Che kills him. He tells FMC that "violence should be used strategically."

The Metaflux fluctuations are still manifesting, though, and Qin Che grabs FMC and pulls her along with him, "to the place that has what (she) wants."

.

10: Abandoned Memory: They take an elevator up so high that the ground is hidden by clouds. They end up on the roof, which is covered in debris that seems like it came from a laboratory. Qin Che tells her that's exactly what it is, and that it was abandoned by EVER "a while back."

EVER is "the most prestigious international business group," and "it basically supports the whole Linkon City." FMC has no idea how it could be involved with the N109 Zone; though she "heard that before the Chronorift Catastrophe, the N109 Zone was the most prosperous tech hub. So... It makes sense that EVER used it as a research base."

Qin Che tells her that she "really (is) a naive Linkon citizen," and that "many locations were affected by that catastrophe, yet only the N109 Zone turned into a wasteland," so "why does (she) think that is?" FMC knows she's heard rumors, but can't put anything together at the moment.

The two of them arrive just beneath the Deepspace Tunnel, where "slow vibrations resembling heartbeats pulsate in the sky." She moves to the Flux Nexus on the rooftop, exactly like the one she saw with Shen Xinghui in the no-hunt zone; Qin Che says she should know what's inside it, then.

He tells her to "think about it first. Once (she takes) it out, there's no going back." FMC wonders why she should give up since she's already there, and resonates with the Flux Nexus. The Aether Core appears, and a huge Wanderer appears from out of the Deepspace Tunnel. Qin Che says, "(they) finally got something presentable."

11: COMBAT

12: Resonance's Power: FMC has what appears to be a flash back. There is blood everywhere, and Qin Che's voice telling her "(she) must press on because if (she doesn't) there's no going back." During this, there is an extremely blurry video of what appears to be FMC's hand being given, then wrapped around, a weapon before being guided by another hand to stab an organic life form while she calls out for Qin Che.*9

Coming back to the present, Qin Che tells her "(she) must press on," and "that life (she) owes (him)--now is not the time to repay it." He offers out his hand. There seems to be a shadow above him. FMC takes his hand; "unprecedented power swells between (their) intertwined fingers," and FMC feels a change in her heart and veins. The Aether Core lets out "countless rays of golden light that seep into (her) heart. The warm, familiar power continues to surge."

She comes back to herself with no idea of how much time has passed. The Aether Core cracks in her grip, and Qin Che tells her that "its power belongs to (her) now. Naturally, the vessel will break as a result." He tries to walk away, but FMC is dragged along behind him: a pair of Evol cuffs has linked them together.

There is a long section reading as follows:

"Qin Che doesn't respond, and the powerful tremor that shook the Deepspace Tunnel ignites a chain reaction within the N109 Zone. Those shadows who believed they controlled Onychinus are eliminated from fate's tapestry. Unable to see the undercurrents beneath the water's surface, I can only smell the scent of smoke becoming more poignant as it's carried by the wind. Structures crumble and collapse, and Mephisto's wings pierce through the boundless darkness. He's accompanied by the distant tolling of a bell. It's almost like an announcement, as if the world is saying... The true leader of Onychinus has returned. However, Qin Che, amidst the raging storm, remains nonchalant as he sits next to me. Our racing vehicle leaves our enemies behind while the intermittent light seeps through the window to obscure his silhouette and goals. I never held onto the naive notion that Qin Che assisted me in acquiring the Aether Core just so he could clean house. This kind of deal would result in him suffering a major loss, and it's clear he's anything but an ignorant businessman. What are his true motives? For a moment, his expression as he gazed at the Deepspace Tunnel resurfaces in my mind. Then, I feel a sensation in my palm. I'm still clutching the fragmented protocore. It's as if I'm subconsciously grasping onto an answer that has yet to be revealed. The linkage between my hand and Qin Che's suddenly flickers, seemingly sensing the swirling thoughts in my head."

The next scene opens again with FMC on the phone with Luke, who says they heard about what happened, and Kieran congratulates them on destroying the Aether Core "together." Luke tells her they're calling to let her know there shouldn't be any more issues at The Nest, and that Qin Che told them to do it, because "while he looks mean, he's actually--" at which point Qin Che informs the twins that they will see him later, and the call ends.

FMC asks Qin Che what his plan is to get rid of the Evol linkage, and Qin Che tells her he's obviously going to cut her hand off; or that she can chill in the N109 Zone, since they have "more than enough time to solve this problem (together.)" FMC declines the offer, and Qin Che offers to destroy her Aether Core, to which she asks why they don't destroy his, instead. Audibly exhausted, he tells her that the linkage won't last long with her current level of resonance anyway.

FMC tells Qin Che she had a strange vision when they started to resonate; he tells her "it's not a big deal. From now on, (she'll) be seeing more things like that." She asks if it was real and he counters that "if (he) says yes, will (she) give (him) a sincere apology?" He tells her the world is very different from her perceptions, and that he's not in the mood to tell stories.

He gives her the brooch, and tells her she should think about the next steps, since the world outside the N109 Zone is a lot more dangerous than it was before she came; and that until their resonance issue is fixed, they'll be seeing one another more often. And, he tells her not to forget their deal.

The end card for the section reads as follows:

"So I left the N109 Zone. The dust settled. But the deal with Qin Che lingered, like a silent yet turbulent mist. I found myself falling into an abyss in the blink of an eye. The doors of memory swung open. And something began to stir. It is... another world I had once glimpsed. At the confluence of the entwined timelines, I heard it. A faint yet distinct heartbeat, echoing through the stillness of eternity."

.

.

*1, Aah yes, we're making deals with the devil. *2, Not sure how he intends to shut the door seeing as he just kicked it off its hinges but alright, whatever. *3, Apparently we're not talking about the whys or hows of this guy summoning Wanderers just yet. *4, The choice of words is really interesting, 'the audacity to die' versus 'actually meet your end.' Since Qin Che is functionally immortal (as far as we know at this time,) there's a weird implication that he might have the ability to use the differences between those two 'states of being.' *5, Remember that project the guy was talking to Qin Che about in Ambiguous Chaos, the Fountain of Atei? Probably a connection here. *6, This is fundamentally different than Qi Yu's paintings; he was talking about how his paintings could show people what they wanted/their dreams at one point. Find that reference and link back. *7, I'm not sure if this means she's covering his eye, or just touching his eye, but if he's in front of her and she's using her right hand, it means she's reaching across their bodies to do so. So I'm really not sure of what's physically happening. *8, Immediately following this section is Qin Che: Bond: Midnight Stealth, link back when complete. *9, There is a lot of speculation (and incredible fanart) revolving around this, but seeing as I don't have access to the video in such a manner that I can enhance it/play it in slow motion, this is what I've decided to write until such time as I can clarify it further.

.

Holy Carp that was a lot of directly transcribed text! I hope it was readable. I'll be moving into myths/anecdotes/bonds/memoria/etc now! There will be a lot of 'link back when complete' notes for a while, please bear with me!

[lndslorepuzzler]

World Underneath: Long Lost Treasures

01: Submerged Rock: Raincoat has Tony, a film director, unconscious and tied up in the trunk of his car. He takes Tony's phone, unlocks it, and goes through the audio files.

.

02: Audio File No.1: Mo Art Studio: Tony converses with Qi Yu about how he plans to use Lemuria as a setting for his new film, and how he was directed to Qi Yu by the Deepspace Academy, since Qi Yu is "an expert in Lemuria, and (he) just returned from a trip." Qi Yu brushes him off, and tells him to ask the archaeological team that was sent to find the ruins of Lemuria, even if they don't tell him much, since "(he) heard things didn't go too well for them."

.

03: Audio File No.2: Disappearance: Tony meets with the handyman from the expedition team sent by the Deepspace Academy: the other four members being Sean, Yennifer, Eleanor, and Fred. He explains how their submersible disappeared for a week, and that Eleanor and Fred both quit from the DA after an argument. Shortly after, another member of the crew, Yennifer, disappeared. The handyman found her camera, which had a deleted video clip on it. He tried to contact her with no success, and when he tried to contact the others, only Sean answered, and "sounded weird, not energetic at all. And as soon as (he) mentioned archaeology, he hung up."

---New Audio Clip: Memo 1: Tony talks about how making a Lemurian mystery might be better, seeing as he hasn't been able to contact anyone: that Eleanor, Fred and Yennifer have practically vanished from the face of the earth. He wants to talk to Sean as soon as possible.

04: Audio File No.3: Blue Fish: Tony meets with Sean, who is packed up for a trip. As soon as Tony mentions Lemuria, Sean tries to avoid the subject. Tony insists he's just looking for material for his film script, and Sean eventually explains that his "sense of reality changed because of (his) time in Lemuria." He tells Tony about how after the submersible malfunctioned in the middle of a whirlpool, a school of blue fish appeared, and guided the team to the ruins. Tony asks if they might have been Lemurian machines, and Sean insists they were real fish, "with their own thoughts and feelings."

Sean also tells Tony that they saw a person "dressed just like (them)" in Lemuria, but has nothing more to say. Tony asks how the submersible could have malfunctioned, seeing as it was in contact with the main ship the whole time, and Sean sees him out.

---New Audio Clip: Memo 2: Tony considers what Sean told him, and concludes that something must have happened, and that at least the video is being restored.

.

05: Audio File No.4: Shadow Underneath: One of Tony's associates gives him the phone with one frame of the video and the call history restored.

---New Audio Clip: Memo 3: Tony finds that the image is of a skeleton in human dress wielding a protocore weapon of some kind. He wonders if the city didn't sink naturally as was previously assumed. He picks up Fred's phone, and starts going through the call logs.

.

06: Audio File No.5: Conflict: In a voice message to Eleanor, Fred tells her that he's leaving, and that someone has been stalking them since they got back from Lemuria. He tells her that nothing to do with Lemuria ever ends well, and that the protocore weapons they saw/found implicate the Ever Group. He tells her that Sean and Yennifer "are naive to think it's Lemuria's God." Fred tells Eleanor that by continuing to research Lemuria, she's putting them all in danger, and that she should leave the DA and forget everything related to Lemuria.

---New Audio Clip: Memo 4: Tony finds it strange that Fred thought the Ever Group would be spying on a group of scientists who went to Lemuria, though he wonders if Fred "(disappeared) on his own? Or did Ever" Group have something to do with it. The audio file ends with someone (presumably Raincoat) approaching Tony, and Tony panicking/screaming.

Raincoat decides it's no wonder Tony is on Ever Group's execution list, since he knew someone had dug up a protocore weapon in the ruins. He starts to toss the phone back into the trunk, but a manifested flame destroys it in the palm of his hand, followed by a voice saying, "Niiice. I got both the person and the evidence in one go."

Qi Yu appears from the far end of the dock, and Raincoat realizes there's nowhere he could have come from, save the sea directly behind him. They have a short conversation about how it's dangerous for Raincoat to know too much, and he might be next on Ever Group's hit list. Raincoat knows that Qi Yu's appearance isn't a casual drop-in.

Qi Yu notes that anyone on Ever Group's execution list dies or disappears. He offers to let Raincoat work for him, in exchange for any information about "a girl." He says, "If her name's on the list, then give everything about her to me," though Raincoat knows only "that person" has access to the full list, but Qi Yu obviously knows he's not the trading partner.

He gives Qi Yu the address of The Nest, and tells him that tomorrow night, whether or not Qi Yu gets the list "depends on his negotiation skills." Qi Yu says the lights there are "blinding," and that the person behind Raincoat must feel the same.

Raincoat asks if the girl is Qi Yu's enemy, and Qi Yu tells him that she's his lover. He asks if Qi Yu knows that he's also on the list, ranked sixth.; Qi Yu frowns and wonders why he's not first. *1

Raincoat considers the "sea monster murders" that occurred in other cities, the outsiders the Ever Group called "research samples" that he and other Raincoats have dealt with. He asks if he's on Qi Yu's list; Qi Yu informs him that he's not, not yet, and tells him to let Tony go, since it's better if he has less blood on his hands.

Qi Yu does refuse a handshake, and starts to walk away before turning around and telling Raincoat that his outfit doesn't suit him.

.

.

*1, See Main Story Under Deepspace: Moonlight Under Sea.

A side note: Qi Yu's bounty is 24,071,300; 'Lumiere's' bounty is top, 100mil.

[lndslorepuzzler]

Long-Awaited Revelry: Ambiguous Chaos, pt 1-08

*1

01: Cage: FMC wakes up handcuffed in the back of a car; her kidnapper is on the phone, first demanding a higher reward for this troubles, then complaining that the car broke down in the middle of nowhere. While he's in the process of trying to find the Aether Core somewhere on FMC, someone else shows up to claim that "kidnapping Onychinus's prey without letting (them) know... That's not exactly polite. She's ours, by the way. We called dibs a long time ago." This is where we are introduced to Luke and Kieran, though we see hints of Qin Che's Evol before that. The kidnapper whips out a gun and aims it for FMC.

.

02: Alike: Qin Che makes quick work of the kidnapper, while Luke and Kieran leave things to him, and take off. Qin Che appears on the top of a destroyed building/doorframe like the edgelord he is, and makes his entrance. FMC asks if he's there for the core, to which he replies, "Even if you wanted to sell your soul, you still have to find someone who can pay the price." FMC notes she's heard his voice before, and Qin Che lifts her face to make her look him in the eyes. His right eye glows, and FMC has a 'flash' of her bloodied hands. She attempts to stab him, but only manages a scrape, which he immediately heals.

He says, "I guess you don't remember anything. Allow me to jog your memory," before picking FMC up by the throat. He immediately follows with, "From your past to your future... To even all the crimes you'll inevitably commit. After all, you and I... We're the same. True kindred spirits." FMC passes out.

.

03: Cornered Beast: It's been three days; FMC and Qin Che have been/still are incapable of resonance, which he finds "disappointing." When FMC asks what he wants, Qin Che says he needs to be a good host, since she came all this way; while attempting resonance, FMC 'hears a voice in her head' *2 telling her to "devour (Qin Che...) He's yours... He's right there. Before your very eyes..."*3

After another failed attempt at resonance, Qin Che says "it's a shame (FMC's) Evol has deteriorated into its current state." FMC accuses Qin Che of being responsible for her family's death, to which he responds, "Family? The people closest to you might be the ones who want to kill you the most." FMC says she wants to kill Qin Che herself, and he says, "Do you think your Evol will help you in a fight against me? Your courage is admirable. You're lucky. I don't like picking on the weak, kitten."*4

He 'summons' a gun, and loads it. When FMC asks what he's doing, he asks, "didn't you want to kill me? Or do your words ring hollow." He puts the gun in FMC's hand. She points it at his head, "Do you think I won't do it?" to which he replies, "Now that's much better... Though you do owe me a curtain call grander than death itself." Qin Che positions the tip of the barrel over his heart. When she hesitates, he asks if she wants help; she says no, but he uses his grip on her hands and the gun as leverage, pressing his thumb against her finger on the trigger. The gun goes off.

.

04: Into Danger: This section opens with a brief 'monologue' that reads as follows: "With all senses gone, only the abdominal cavity spasms and contracts. It were as if the body had a hole. Water, food, or something else... Anything to fill this emptiness would be good."*5

This is immediately followed by more of the 'voices,' telling FMC to "devour him... It's your...power." FMC is woken up by Luke and Kieran discussing how best to wake her, since she's been asleep for one day. After making it clear she's awake, FMC sees through Luke and Kieran's attempts at fooling her.*6

FMC flashes back to the end of the previous section, just after the gun went off. She ask Qin Che if he's crazy, and he tells her, "You wanted to take my life. And so you've taken it. Now what? Have you already figured out how you'll pay me back?" He tosses the gun aside. She tells him he can't die, and puts both hands over the chest wound. Qin Che's Evol starts to gather, and he asks "Why? Are you worried about me? Save that for the day you actually succeed in killing me." Qin Che's blood dissolves. *7

Back in the present, Kieran and Luke make a very.... Sincere? Attempt to talk FMC into staying in place, but FMC is having none of it, and tricks them into letting her out of the room by threatening Luke, though Kieran points out that it's not like they told her she couldn't leave.

.

05: Desire: Kieran and Luke make bets on how far FMC will make it. FMC heads out into the pseudo-gothic/victorian place, and finds a crow, and follows it, since she'll have to go through the door it flew through, anyway. There is classical music coming from the door, in sharp contrast to the brutal conversation: someone is telling Qin Che about someone elses intentions to implant protocores into human hearts, then insert the human consciousness into Wanderers, in a project called the Fountain of Atei. Qin Che says he's not interested in other people's business, he knows the man isn't telling him everything, he's thrown away his last chance, and besides that, he has "to entertain a more important guest." The man's voice is abruptly cut off, and Qin Che asks if the FMC is coming in.

FMC enters the room and is surprised there's no bloody mess all over the place*8 before realizing that she's hungry again, for no reason she can discern. She grabs a knife from the table while Qin Che pours her a glass of wine and puts "a familiar gun"*9 on the table, telling her it "will be useful for defending (herself) in the N109 Zone."

There is a conversation that essentially boils down to Qin Che offering to make a deal, FMC saying she doesn't intend to work with Onychinus' MO, and Qin Che reminding her that as long as anyone wants something, there will always be deals to be made. He says "(she) should know (her) own desires by now," and that "only (he) can give (her) what she wants. And (she) will agree to (his) terms."*10 During this entire conversation, FMC is hungry and thirsty, drinking too much wine and feeling like there's "a black hole trying to swallow everything."

FMC says she'll take the deal, since all he wants is to resonate, and grabs his hand in a move to forcibly do so. Qin Che tells her "(she) can't do that just yet," but she attempts anyway. She sees "a complex, incomprehensible struggle (appearing) in his gaze," and wonders why the power in his right eye is so familiar. They fail to resonate, and she moves away. He doesn't let go of her hand. He says, "maybe (he's) been too nice to (her)... After all that arrogance, it seems like (she) can't even control (her) own Evol." She replies that, "at the very least it doesn't want to be activated in front of (him,)" which prompts a blank gaze and a slow release of her hand.

Qin Che finally decides "(she's) too weak," tells her to eat her fill, and meet him out front in ten minutes. FMC wonders where Qin Che gets off saying something like that with so much confidence, and Qin Che says "(she) better hope (their) deal is successful. Otherwise, (she should) consider this (her) last meal."

.

06: Resonance and Shackles: FMC heads outside, and Qin Che is leaning against his motorcycle dressed in black leather like the edgelord he is. He puts the helmet on FMC, we get a truly spectacular view of him mounting up on the motorcycle*11 before he makes the point that "(she's) not yet qualified (to bargain with him.)"

They arrive at their destination; Qin Che warns FMC not to make any trouble. Once inside, the shopkeeper is surprised to see Qin Che, who doesn't usually just drop in unannounced; Qin Che says FMC is a test subject for the 'Evol Linkage Alteration' project. *12 FMC tries to bargain with the shopkeeper, who tells her that "no one can change Qin Che's mind."

The shopkeeper and Qin Che have a brief exchange about a group of people ('they') who orchestrated two explosions, "doing shameless things and making a mess," and they want to use Qin Che as their scapegoat. FMC asks if someone else made the explosions happen, and Qin Che replies, "Oh dear, you look disappointed. Instead of searching for the truth, you'd rather swallow a lie that makes you feel better."*13

The shopkeeper determines that FMC's Evol Linkage is normal, though the strength has been suppressed; he also decides the suppression is not physical. Naturally this goes over Very Well, and Qin Che essentially throws FMC to the mercy of whatever creature he's been having the shopkeeper alter, claiming that "she just needs a little stimulation then."

.

07: COMBAT (of course he thinks that scaring her to death will work.)

.

08: Hesitation: Qin Che does not, in fact, let the monster kill her; the shopkeeper proposes that the reason FMC and Qin Che can't resonate is that her Evol, which "utilizes the waves generated by the human brain's magnetic field," is rejecting Qin Che due to fear, repulsion, or some other negative emotion, and even if she was to undergo any alteration, she might not be able to resonate with him anyway, since their relationship is hostile. He also tells Qin Che that "if the alteration fails, she will be completely ruined. (They) need to address the cause first." Qin Che says this "means there's something wrong with her."*14

The Shopkeeper points out that he has an Evol stabilizer, and takes FMC to another room. Once they're alone, he advises her to stay calm, and that staying with Qin Che is the safest option, since the N109 Zone is in a state of turmoil. FMC says Qin Che is heartless, and the shopkeeper tells her that "sometimes, those with hearts are even crueler than those without." She recognizes his concerns, and tells him she'll weigh her options. He tells her there;s nothing wrong with her Evol, that the energy in the Aether Core is stable.

FMC also asks him how he knew she has an Aether Core; he tells her is used to be his job to recognize protocurves, and FMC puts together that this man used to work with her grandmother.*15 He tells her that if everything goes well for FMC, then he "can say (he's) repaid Ms. Josephine's kindness.)

She considers the information she has: that her assumptions about Onychinus's actions and intentions may be wrong, and that the shopkeeper "is seeking Qin Che's protection." By the time she gets back downstairs, Qin Che is gone, and his motorcycle is nowhere to be seen.

Despite being incredulous over the fact that Qin Che essentially just ditched her ("Maybe after confirming her couldn't resonate with me, he lost his patience and interest.") FMC is able to move around independently now. She hears a thud from an unlit alley and thinks nothing of it; a little girl approaches and asks if she'd like to buy a flower: followed by offering guns, bullets, and protocores. FMC asks for Intel, the little girl starts to lead her off, and "the sound of flapping wings can be heard in the distance."*16

The section ends on the image of a crow on a streetlight, with several dead rats beneath it; "mixed with their flesh and blood are broken pieces of monitoring equipment."

.

.

*1, Just wanted to note that this part opens with the bare-bones summary of recent events, and FMC asserting her assumption that Onychinus wants the Aether Core in her heart/they're targeting her, specifically. She reiterates that she decided to "get closer to Onychinus in an attempt to find answers. It doesn't matter if they're about the Aether Core in (her) heart or that incident," and that "everything is going according to plan." *2, I'm using this terminology since it's not clear if the 'voice' is truly internal (as in, hers from a different time/place) or if it's someone/something else. *3, Thus begins our (metaphorical?)cannibalism!lite theme. There's a lot of imagery/words implying that Qin Che is, effectively, a meal of some kind from this point onward. *4, If anyone knows exactly what 'kitten' is standing in for, please let me know? I keep thinking I'm hearing 'gao' or 'yao,' but I'm not fluent, so I can't be sure. *5, I'm honestly not sure if this is meant to be FMC's pov, or Qin Che's pov, or both. *6, Kieran and Luke claim the kidnapper is an "ungrateful traitor." *7, Into something that looks distinctly like miscolored Metaflux. *8, Not sure why she's surprised, seeing as she's watched Qin Che kill someone. *9, Not sure if this means HER gun, like a Hunter's gun, or the gun she used to shoot him, or some mix of both. *10, I wonder if this is meant to imply that he expects her to remember something about their previous interactions or not? *11, I am not wrong. *12, There's been no mention of 'evol alteration' that I've found (yet.) If references pop up, they will be linked to the tag. *13, The man is not wrong. As annoying as that is. *14, Though we have no idea what his basis for this information actually IS, as of now. *15, Remember when we heard from (Someone?) that one of the scientists had fled into the N109 Zone? *16, We can presume this is Mephisto.

.

A note on Qin Che in general, he (like all the other love interests) seems to have knowledge about FMC from 'a period in time' that she doesn't know/has forgotten about, the difference being that he seems to have information about her adult/future self instead of/in addition to her past self/self from another time line/I'm still trying to work out what theory I'm going with, here. But it definitely helps to explain his attitude towards her, which is disdainful/disappointed/disgusted to varying degrees.

[lndslorepuzzler]

Under Deepspace: Galactic Sunset, pt 1-10

01: Bonfire: FMC wakes up to herself and Qi Yu beside a bonfire. Qi Yu chastises FMC, "The line between being kind and being dumb is very thin. A small, smart fish swims away while it still can when the big fish are hunting." She points out that he was swimming directly into a whirlpool, which he has no response for. He claims that saving FMC was just his act of kindness for the day, and asks how long the "malicious creature will keep an eye on (them...)" after which comes the best exchange in the main story.*1

Then, discussing animals in general, Qi Yu says, "Animals that are fond of humans usually have a tragic end... One moment you're cute and cuddly, the next they toss you aside. You're forgotten, left behind. ...And you? Wasn't there something important you forgot about?"

He informs FMC that he's keeping the protocore from the Wanderer, but gives her an invitation to 'Hunting Day' at The Nest. FMC says he must be a regular, which Qi Yu gives a flippant response to; then he makes a point that she'd best wear a disguise to get in, pick up some local lingo and stop flashing the Hunter's Watch. He says he'll cover for her when it matters, but points out that one "(has) to pay a very high price for obscure information. Especially for stuff involving-... Mysterious protocores."*2

.

02: Desecrated Soil: In a dark alley, Shen Xinghui is confronted by a stranger, while the Astronomy Channel talks about a dead planet, -P0159, recently discovered by the DAA. The stranger says he can't believe that Shen Xinghui was involved in Isaiah's death, that he would never attack their comrades. "As you can see, I'm a monster now... You don't want to end up like me, right? But sooner or later, you'll be walking down this path as well. Only she can save us. You, of all people, should know!" He says he's seen "that thing" with her.

Shen Xinghui cuts him off, saying "Until that day comes, no one should even think about getting close to her. The same goes for me." The stranger accuses Shen Xinghui of being a traitor, forgetting about his home. Shen Xinghui kills him; he "transforms into specks of light soon corroded by black particles. They dissolve into the cracks of the road." Shen Xinghui leaves, and the narration notes "Cleanup isn't necessary. No one would notice there being one less person of their kind. Besides, this city is riddled with filth."

The next scene brings Shen Xinghui to The Nest, where he tosses the bartender a blood-smeared, damaged protocore. The bartender notes that he always takes bounties but never rewards, and Shen Xinghui points out that he might be on the bounty list, too. He says he won't be coming to Hunting Day, and the bartender gives him a dark-colored envelope.

Shen Xinghui notes that "someone deliberately stirred up trouble in The Nest today. But he doesn't have the patience for it... There are three pairs (of eyes watching him.) It's likely his actions in the alley caught their attention. After all, birds of a feather flock together. If he makes his move here, he'll have another bounty on his head. He needs to be more careful in Linkon from now on." FMC walks into The Nest, and Shen Xinghui catches her by the arm and pulls her outside.*3

03: Luminous Veil: Now in Azure Square, FMC and Shen Xinghui have a chance to talk; FMC figures that Shen Xinghui's dodging of her questions means that something bigger is going on, but he turns the conversation toward her intentions to enter the N109 Zone. She thinks about how they've reached an understanding, in that neither of them asks the other any questions. Shen Xinghui points out that it's not the getting in, but the surviving/getting out that's going to be tricky, and tells FMC about the protocore auction. He explains that Onychinus is likely going to auction off a high-grade protocore to the highest bidder due to their earlier business transactions being ruined by Lumiere destroying a large number of protocores.

Before they can get any deeper into the conversation, FMC notices that a bunch of the patrol robots are hovering/watching them, and asks/tells Shen Xinghui that the people trying to capture him have decided to make a move. She notes to herself that they always find themselves in this kind of situation, and it's more likely a threat to Shen Xinghui than it is a coincidence. Shen Xinghui and FMC resonate to allow Shen Xinghui's Evol to destroy the patrol robots. They leave the scene.*4

.

04: COMBAT

.

05: Philo: Shen Xinghui and FMC show up at Jeremiah's flower shop, Philo, in a flash of light; he's startled enough to chastise Shen Xinghui until FMC peeks around his shoulder, at which point he freezes up. FMC doesn't know what to do with Jeremiah's surprise, while Shen Xinghui just reaches to water the laurel Jeremiah is holding, and tells FMC that "he's not young anymore, so he's a bit slow on the uptake now." Jeremiah starts to say 'long time no see'*5 but stops himself, and does something to the glass that makes them 'out of sight,' so they can talk. Jeremiah brings up the no-hunt zone, but Shen Xinghui explains that he needs an identity for FMC to get into the N109 Zone safely. Jeremiah agrees to help, and creates a false identity for FMC to take on once at the protore auction/inside the N109 Zone. Jeremiah tries to measure FMC for clothes; Shen Xinghui gives him a good shot with the spray bottle, and tells him she can do it herself.*6

.

06: Unconventional Advice: While Jeremiah goes to start taking care of the details of the false identity, Shen Xinghui and FMC have a conversation about how exactly to act convincingly in front of the people she'll be trying to deceive. FMC points out that there's no way this was a spur of the moment thing, and that Jeremiah is too helpful, and wonders why Jeremiah isn't helping Shen Xinghui, instead. He reminds her that he's 'just a normal Deepspace Hunter,' and what follows is a demonstration of all the things Shen Xinghui is telling her; she's too polite, she needs to believe she's always right, and that she shouldn't "provoke people who have yet to show their hand."*7 Jeremiah comes back then immediately leaves after glancing over them, claiming he entered the wrong room.

.

07: Stellar Guidance: Jeremiah gives FMC a box of supplies to aid her in her deception; she's curious about who he is, given how quickly he put all of this together, and how sincere he is about being glad to help her, despite never thinking he would be able to do so. Shen Xinghui inserts himself between the two of them, and FMC heads home, since Shen Xinghui "(has) plans today." Before he goes, he gives FMC a transmitter presumably pierced into her ear; "Even if you're somewhere in the N109 Zone with no signal, we can still track your location." He also gives her an inhibitor (which will make her "temporarily immune to 98.7% of neurotoxins") and a self-defense needle. FMC asks if he has a magic pocket or something, and Shen Xinghui gives her a bouquet of flowers ("They just happened to blossom. So, I sincerely hope you'll accept them.")

After FMC leaves Philo, Jeremiah and Shen Xinghui talk. Jeremiah wants to know if Shen Xinghui managed to stay calm when he saw her the first time, and if he really doesn't care about the Nonintervention Principle. Shen Xinghui points out that some have already stopped caring about it, or else many of the bad things happening wouldn't have happened in the first place. He also notes that the N109 Zone will be safer than Linkon in a few days.

Jeremiah says he can't remember all the faces of the Backtrackers, and agrees that the Nonintervention Principle is useless "for (those) whose presence here was always a mistake... And mistakes are bound to be corrected sooner or later. Maybe we're slowly being erased as we speak." Shen Xinghui asks about the condition of the Traceback 2, and Jeremiah wonders if there's even anyone on the other side of the Deepspace Tunnel who could respond to them. Shen Xinghui promises that Jeremiah will return, while Jeremiah points out that "having Evol doesn't make you invincible... And you're... This isn't Philos. And we, you know, aren't truly immortal. Our kind, I mean."

This passage closes out the section:

08: COMBAT (Challenge)

.

09: Into Deep*8: FMC takes in the information that she's learned from Li Shen (that Onychinus may already have protocores in their possession,) advice from Shen Xinghui (that a powerful reputation will keep people from messing with you,) and Qi Yu (that her best bet for getting what she wants is to make herself the bait) and decides she's ready to go. She calls Qi Yu and tells him to "meet (her) at The Nest. Show (her) how to fish."*9

.

Qi Yu does meet FMC; he walks her through the process of 'setting up a deal.' He stops her just before she completes the last step, reminding her that if the deal "doesn't go smoothly, (she) will be the payment, instead." FMC decides the risk is worth the reward and finishes the transaction. Qi Yu walks away, saying "Since you've made up your mind, I won't stop you. I hope you find the answer you seek."

.

10: Trap: It's Hunting Day at The Nest, and FMC is the target. The red eye is back, this time as a physical object; FMC is injected with C-003 neurotoxin, and falls unconscious. Up in a side room Qi Yu speaks with an unknown man*10 about how the situation is getting more dangerous; Qi Yu points out that things are still up in the air, and asks for/is given a small black box. When asked if he's "fine with handling over a fresh catch just like that," he asks, "Do you really think they can handle the prey I caught?"

There is then an ending sequence showing the (presumed) locations of Shen Xinghui, Li Shen, and Qi Yu; at Traceback 2, in the Arctic, and in front of/disappearing from the large painting in his studio. The text reads as follows:

Traceback 2 will reach the edge of the Deepspace Tunnel's umbra within one day.

Our journey through the Deepspace Tunnel begins.

Destination is in the Orion arm of the Milky Way--

Once the home of humanity: Earth.

Activating Course Correction Engine.

The final countdown has been initiated...

When P0159's light shines through the Deepspace Tunnel, illuminating Linkon Tower's pinnacle... The closest we've been to it in last 4.6 billion years.

This galaxy's name is derived from the Greek word, "philo." It is the most exquisite gem in Deepspace.

Philos.*11

Humanity remains shackled to time.

Fortunately, there are other lives in this boundless (unreadable)

Tonight's weather, clear sky with winds around 7 miles/hour.

Everything is serene inside the Deepspace Tunnel.

Goodnight, Linkon City.

May you rest in the Milky Way's embrace, drifting in a realm of long and happy dreams.

.

.

*1, Bar none, this is still the best thing I've ever seen. I also enjoy the implication that Qi Yu can talk to ALL animals, not just fish/oceanic creatures.

*2, Obviously, Qi Yu knows more than he lets on, as we find out later in World Underneath: Long Lost Treasures.

*3, This entire section is heavy on the Shen Xinghui lore, and seems to be painting him in the role of the classic, amoral bounty hunter. The fact that his supposed ex-companion dissipates the same way Wanderers do (in a fizzle like Metaflux) is interesting; even more interesting is that Shen Xinghui has absolutely no hesitation in killing him. Isaiah is mentioned; he has his own tag, seen below. With all of these clues, we can safely extrapolate that Shen Xinghui just killed someone who was on the same mission as he was aboard the Traceback 2, and that his physical state was deteriorating for as-of-now unknown reasons.

*4, Worth noting that at the beginning, a newscaster talks about how the Deepspace Aviation Administration found traces of organisms that once lived on P0159.

*5, Connections to life before the Traceback 2 mission, see Shen Xinghui: Myth: ()

*6, See above, with specific attention to Shen Xinghui's canon jealousy/possessiveness/abandonment issues.

*7, Refer back to *3, and the general understanding that Shen Xinghui never reveals his cards until he's absolutely sure he's on the same page as the person he's with. The FMC also mentions the feeling of danger and weight; that she is not in control of the situation despite being the one standing up.

*8, I love that this can be taken as 'into deep,' as in 'into a deep place' or 'in too deep,' as in, 'in over your head.' I feel like both interpretations work.

*9, This occurs the day after Shen Xinghui pulls her out of The Nest.

*10, He is wearing this crest, is, in fact, the EVER Group symbol.

*11, In case any of us were wondering, 'philos' is in fact the ancient Greek word for love.

[lndslorepuzzler]

Under Deepspace 07: Moonlight Under Sea, pt 1-11

01: Investigation: Using the high-level access, FMC manages to find a news article from two years ago; a man shot and killed in his apartment, with no evidence about anything. After listening to the recording*1 and viewing the video, she gets an offer to take a bounty: the bounty on Qi Yu's head.

.

02: Canvas Enigmas: FMC heads to Qi Yu's place, where she finds him on the floor. Luckily he's not dead, only asleep. All over the floor are sketches, each labeled with 'Lemuria.' When Qi Yu wakes up, he asked FMC to help him up; if she chooses to, Qi Yu yanks her to the floor, and they go out to eat. While at lunch with Qi Yu, FMC lets him know there's a bounty on his head in/from the N109 Zone, which he is already aware of.*2 He also notes that someone has been following them, and the two of them make plans to give the pursuer the slip.

.

03: Secret Tracking: As it turns out, their follower is a reporter, looking for gossip re: Qi Yu's possible involvement in Raymond's death by drowning, as his painting vanished from Raymond's room without anyone else being in or out. There were also rumors that Raymond had cut up the skin of his arms and legs to look like fish scales. After some sufficient threatening, Qi Yu lets the reporter go with the suggestion that he make up for his reckless behavior by finding out who exactly has been spreading the rumors/trying to cover up information in the first place.

.

04: Under the Waves: FMC and Qi Yu have a quiet moment in a sky garden; Qi Yu mentions that he daydreams in his studio all the time, and has difficulty remembering what the real world is actually like. He thanks FMC for "bringing (him) out of his dreams today." When FMC begins to leave, Qi Yu reminds her that they still haven't gone to find a replacement for the coral stones for his paintings. FMC is less than enthused, until Qi Yu offers his help to get her into N109. He says, "when you see the big picture, you need to use some bait... Trade intel for intel, gamble to make gambles with higher stakes. But whether or not you can play the game is up to you." He tells her that if she decides she wants to go through with it, she can meet him at Whitesand Bay the next day. She goes, of course; as it turns out, and according to Thomas, Qi Yu has rented a rowboat "for a date."

.

05: Set Sail: Qi Yu and FMC head for Hat Island*3 while conversing about how Qi Yu is going to try and obtain a protocore to make paint. There's some exasperated banter, and just after making a comment about how he'd rather swim, the trip is interrupted by a very sudden incoming wave. The two of them arrive at Hat Island somewhat worse for wear. Interestingly, FMC says she's the reason they made it to shore in the first place, while Qi Yu announces that "(he'd) rather float in the sea than be on land."

.

06: Spring Excursion: On the island, FMC explains field trips to Qi Yu, and he suggests that FMC resonate with the coral to see if she can pick up any Metaflux fluctuations; he stops her from accidentally breaking it, and assists her in resonating; he says, "Everything in this world has a unique, unmatchable frequency. That's why each life is isolated. But your Evol allows you to change your frequency. You can resonate with others. If you open your heart, you can establish a connection. And share your power."*4 It works, which visibly startles Qi Yu, and some Wanderers show themselves.

.

07: COMBAT

.

08: Weak Fiends: Qi Yu gives FMC the protocore they obtained. FMC is surprised that her resonating with the coral had any effect at all; she and Qi Yu decide to camp for the night. A cat with a metaflux injury makes itself known. Qi Yu is extremely upset about it.

.

09: Withstanding the Storm: FMC drags Qi Yu to find the cat, which scratches him. Almost immediately, a 'Deluge Wyrmlord' arrives. It attacks, and Qi Yu splits the water with his Evol. He says, "Guess you like my blood a lot more, huh? Sorry to break it to you, but my fire can never be extinguished."*5

.

10: COMBAT

.

11: Indomitable Spirit: After defeating the Wanderer, FMC and QI Yu are dragged out into the ocean; seeing Qi Yu in the water, FMC tries to head toward him. After a brief exchange (and a flashback scene where Qi Yu says, "It's settled then. If you don't return, I'll... I'll chase you to the ends of the Earth.") FMC starts to sink, and Qi Yu is going to let her. He only hesitates because he 'hears' FMC ask him not to go. A little red fish appears over his heart. He reaches her, and says, "You forgot everything. Yet, you still insist... All right... This is your choice." His eyes flash completely blue, instead of their usual blue-pink, and we are given a glimpse of his 'real' Lemurian body as he heads towards the surface.

.

.

*1, In hindsight, we will recognize this voice as Qin Che. It's likely that the two people with him are Luke and Kieran. *2, See World Underneath: Long Lost Treasures. *3, The MERMAN is taking his (probably) Long Lost Love out on a goddamn ROWBOAT. Just so we're all on the same page. *4, I believe this is the cleanest explanation of what exactly FMC's Evol is truly capable of, so far. *5, It can be universally agreed that it's a bit strange for the mermaid to have fire Evol, though that doesn't explain why the Wanderer appears after Qi Yu's blood, specifically. There may be some background lore happening there; also, I'm not entirely sure the English translation is 100% accurate.

[lndslorepuzzler]

Under Deepspace 06: Endless Night, pt 1-11

01: Legendary Lumiere: The next day*1 FMC tries to look up information on Onychinus and the N109 Zone to no avail. Tara arrives, and the conversation turns to the current state of the place: in complete disarray, thanks to Lumiere; an urban legend, he was the first person to kill a Wanderer in the incident 14 years ago and, according to Nero, is the only person who could come-and-go from N109 whenever he pleases, and was apparently 'destroying protocores like he was setting off fireworks.' FMC is familiar with Lumiere, and believes that it might have been him that saved her during the destruction of the city. The mention of destroying protocores also reminds her of...

.

02: Late Night Encounter: After failing to find any recent news on Lumiere, FMC boards a train at West Garden Station, and manages to stop Shen Xinghui's head from cracking into one of the seat handles once she does. He tells her it's been a while.*2

.

03: Next Stop: FMC notes that a lot has happened since the last time she saw Shen Xinghui, and asks him to make sure they're not about to stumble into a crisis, since they always seem to encounter disasters when they meet by chance. Shen Xinghui informs her that the crisis is how he's hungry, but no store is open. Shen Xinghui teases her with an urban legend about an empty train dragging people into the depths of the abyss, claiming that he doesn't lie, and that weird things happen all the time. She realizes that the train is stopped at the same place she got on, and it's not a ghost, it's a Wanderer.

.

04: Loop of Mirrors: FMC realizes the Wanderer is hiding in the window glass. She sees it attack her, but suffers no damage. Shen Xinghui informs her that Wanderers can travel between mirrors and glass, and they're trapped in a loop. Shen Xinghui's collar makes another appearance, and he proceeds to shatter all the glass in/on the train car.

.

05: COMBAT :: Shen Xinghui, Tezcatilpoca.

.

06: Falling Asleep Again: After defeating the wanderer, FMC points out that all the windows on the train car are broken,*3 and Shen Xinghui apologizes about the consequences of his bad plan, 'but he was exhausted.' He proceeds to literally fall asleep standing up, and his collar lights up again, just barely.

07: At Midnight: FMC learns that the only other time that particular type of Wanderer was around, it was defeated by Lumiere. FMC asks Shen Xinghui if HE is Lumiere, which he artfully dodges by pointing out that if he'd been killing Wanderers back then, he'd be in his 40s now, and that he's probably a Tenebra by now.*4 Shen Xinghui asks why FMC wants to meet Lumiere, anyway

.

08: Evening Breeze: FMC and Shen Xinghui are walking, discussing Lumiere and the N109 Zone. While Shen Xinghui dismisses the rumors about Lumiere coming and going from N109 unscathed, and wiping out whole factions overnight, but still seems to know more than he wants to share: and he does notice that FMC wants to know more about N109 and Onychinus, not necessarily Lumiere. He tells her it's dangerous, that one mistake will forfeit your life, and "if (she) really wants to go... Then (she) either needs to have strength, or (she) has to blend in." He mentions how N109 a melting pot, and everyone knows where everyone else's loyalties lie. They arrive at the apartment building, and discover that they're neighbors.

.

09: Your Distance: Shen Xinghui informs FMC that he moved into the building over 6 months ago, so she's the suspicious one here, but agrees to meet with her tomorrow to talk more about the N109 Zone.

.

10: First Visit: FMC waits until noon to go to Shen Xinghui's apartment; she notes that he looks "almost harmless in his white sweater." FMC points out that Lumiere and Shen Xinghui are definitely connected; that he destroys protocores when other hunters wouldn't, that he's stronger than a group of hunters on his own, and he knows too much about the N109 Zone. She suggests that his search for something may align with her goals, as well as those of Onychinus. To break the stalemate, Shen Xinghui asks her if she knows why the protocore they found in the no-hunt zone has a red protocurve. She realizes he's not going to tell her anything until they're on the same page, and says it's because the protocore is an Aether Core.

.

11: Highest Level Access: Shen Xinghui tells FMC that the protocores at both the no-hunt zone and the abandoned research base have energy from an Aether Core. When asked, Shen Xinghui tells FMC that the Hunters Association doesn't have the technology to analyze such things, and they won't, for a long while. FMC says that while she and Shen Xinghui aren't enemies right now, they might be in the future, and makes note of his obvious distress at the implication. He takes her Hunter's Watch and synchronizes their access privilege, giving her access to the highest level information available, the best weapons available, and the best training grounds available. Shen Xinghui asks if FMC trusts him, and tells her that the privileges only last for 24 hours.

.

.

*1, The day after returning from Snowcrest, see Main Story: Eternal Aurora.

*2, There's no 'record' of either of them seeing one another in the six months between the Bloomshore explosion, and the meeting with Dr. Noah, though she notes she hasn't seen him 'in over a month.'

*3 This is probably what happens right before ______

*4, See relevant tag for Spacepedia.