"Let's explore the surroundings first. There seems to be something over there."
Yangyang pointed toward a dilapidated house.
As the group approached, they noticed a pitch-black wooden plaque lying on the ground.
Lucian picked it up—there were still some strange white patterns on it:
"It looks like it's incomplete."
The plaque didn't seem whole; there should have been another half to it.
Yangyang: "It looks like the kind of wooden plaque used in special rituals…"
"Why would it be here? Objects like these are usually placed in ancestral shrines…"
"Besides, this… doesn't quite fit this era…"
Lucian: "Ancestral shrines? Could it have been left behind by former cultists?"
Yangyang nodded: "...Historical records from the past also mention similar incidents. People, driven by some kind of belief, would hold large-scale ancient rituals in villages to pray for blessings."
Rover: "Let's take it with us and check elsewhere."
...
"Huh? This is… a Tacet Discord?"
Lucian spotted a Tacet Discord not far away.
Strangely, it didn't attack them.
"Ji… jiji." The Tacet Discord made such sounds.
Lucian frowned: "That's odd…"
Rover: "What's wrong?"
Lucian shrugged: "I can actually communicate with Tacet Discords, but I can't understand this one's language."
Previously, he had acquired the "Language Mastery" talent, allowing him to communicate effortlessly—whether with the big yellow dog or the Stonewall Bracer he had subdued.
But this "Strange Tacet Discord " was different. Was his talent malfunctioning?
Moreover, this Tacet Discord didn't seem to have any intention of attacking them.
"Ji… brother…"
Lucian brightened: "Huh? I can understand it now!"
Rover: "...I can understand it too."
Lucian: "?"
The Strange Tacet Discord spoke again: "Save… save…"
"It's asking for help? Who's 'brother'?" Lucian wondered.
"Save… brother… save…"
Yangyang mused: "It seems to only repeat these phrases… This isn't an ordinary Tacet Discord."
"The reason Tacet Discords attack is that they need to devour others' frequencies. Their very existence is the result of frequencies being scattered and reassembled."
"This Tacet Discord must have devoured some… human frequencies."
"It turned someone's lingering consciousness into endless, repetitive murmurs… Whose dying voice is this? Or whose bloody creation?"
Yangyang crouched down and placed her hand on the Tacet Discord's head. As she sensed its flow, a sorrowful expression crossed her face.
"I'm sorry."
Lucian asked curiously: "Can you also communicate with Tacet Discords?"
"No, I can't do that. I just sensed some complex emotions from it… intense sorrow and an unusual kind of hope."
Lucian: "Let me try."
Yangyang stepped aside, letting Lucian place his hand on the Strange Tacet Discord's head. He slowly closed his eyes.
"Hmm…"
"Did you sense anything?"
"No!"
"..."
If only there were some kind of memory-reading ability, maybe they could have learned something…
Yangyang: "I have a theory."
"What is it?"
"It seems to be waiting for liberation and salvation, but this hope isn't directed at itself. I hear its lament… no, it's the lament of this village."
"This village is wailing, hoping to be saved from the abyss."
"Something terrible happened here… and the echoes of the victims still linger."
Lucian pondered: "Judging by the traces here and the ruins, it might not have been too long ago. The whispers in the wind haven't yet faded."
Yangyang nodded in agreement: "Maybe it's the influence of the Tacet Field, or maybe someone deliberately concealed it. But this matter hasn't yet been exposed to the light. Still, I believe…"
"Right now, there must still be something we can do. Perhaps the victims are still here. I can sense that those involved are not far away… This place is dangerous."
Yangyang spoke at length:
"I'll report the situation here to Chixia, but before the official investigators arrive, can we stay and investigate first?"
"Sorry, I might be speaking too subjectively… It's just a baseless premonition…"
Lucian said seriously: "No, I believe you."
Rover also nodded: "Didn't Jinhsi's token lead us here?"
Yangyang let out a long sigh: "Thank you, Rover, Lucian. Please stay on high alert."
Lucian placed the Strange Tacet Discord back where it was: "This little thing… let's leave it here for now."
...
The group split up to search for clues.
"This is…" Yangyang found strange marks near a house.
"Lucian, Rover, come here quickly."
"Look, there are many footprints here—these are signs of a struggle…"
Lucian crouched down to examine them closely: "The marks are small but chaotic. It doesn't look like the aftermath of a battle…"
"More like… traces left behind as injured people were dragged away." He stood up, his expression grave. "There was an assault here."
Meanwhile, Yangyang had discovered something: "This is… I see…"
"Did you find something?"
"This is likely the work of the Fractsidus."
"Fractsidus?" Rover asked in confusion.
Lucian recalled Yangyang's earlier words: "I remember Yangyang mentioning before that the Fractsidus consists of people without Resonance abilities who crave power. They've crossed the forbidden boundaries of science."
Yangyang nodded: "Yes, but my understanding of them isn't too deep. It's just that, as an Outrider, I've handled cases related to the Fractsidus."
"That's fine. Just tell us what you know."
Yangyang frowned: "They're extremists obsessed with fusing humans with Tacet Discords. Their organization is vast and has instigated numerous terrorist attacks of varying scales across nations."
"There have also been traces of Fractsidus activity within Jinzhou, but they're mostly fringe members. Within their organization, they're called 'Artificers.'"
"Above the Artificers are the Overseers, who serve as leaders. The Overseers each possess different methods and influence, and the harm they cause is incomparable to that of the Artificers…"
Lucian asked doubtfully: "Overseers? Are these leaders also people without Resonance abilities who fused with Tacet Discords?"
Yangyang: "No. Only the fringe members fuse with Tacet Discords. Most of the Fractsidus' leaders are true Resonators."
Lucian: "I see. Then what is the Fractsidus' goal?"