TDU Chapter 344
Chapter 344 The Lonely Hero
Those small green stones felt strangely off. Qi Xia turned them in his palms, examining them over and over, but couldn't quite explain why.
They were shaped and sized much like teeth. Each stone slightly different, jagged around the edges, yet smooth and luminous. A faint green glow pulsed from within, their clarity unmistakably marking them as genuine pieces of jade.
“{Jade}…?”
Qi Xia paused, then asked, “So you have to collect three thousand six hundred of these {Jade}?”
“Three thousand six hundred…?” Zheng Hero's determined expression faltered, replaced by a faint, bitter smile that didn’t suit someone his age. “If only the goal was that simple… then perhaps we wouldn’t have sunk into ruin.”
Qi Xia hadn’t expected the contrast between the cities to be so stark—not just in the nature of the items to be collected, but also in their number.
“Then this {Jade}… how many do you need to collect?”
“Civilian,” Zheng Hero said solemnly, “the umpire in my room told us: if we want to escape, we must gather fifty-seven thousand six hundred pieces of this {Jade}.”
“Come again?” Qi Xia was taken aback, feeling as if he had misheard.
What kind of strange, oddly specific number was that?
It didn’t sound like it was pulled out of thin air, but the logic behind it was elusive.
"We'd already accepted there was no escape," Zheng Hero continued. "I knew my city was beyond saving. So when I woke up this time, I got hold of a bicycle and pushed myself toward the city border. It took everything in me just to get here."
From the small barred window of his cell, Zheng Hero looked out, his expression tinged with both wistfulness and a vacant sort of daze. “This city is very different from where I was before. You even have display screens here—it shows the powers of the awakened. What we used to call {Fragrance} is what you call {Reverberation} here.”
“W-Wait a moment,” Qi Xia’s mind reeled. “Are you saying the display screens are exclusive to this city?”
“I don’t know if other cities have it,” Zheng Hero answered. “But I’ve never seen one in my city.”
“So it’s impossible for the people of your city to confirm whether a {Reverberation} was triggered or not.” Qi Xia’s eyes narrowed in thought.
If he guessed correctly, this was the very reason why that city fell into ruin.
“Correct…” Zheng Hero lowered his head solemnly. “Being a city’s {hero} didn’t grant me the power to save it.”
Qi Xia stroked his chin, pondering for a moment. He felt he was beginning to grasp faint clues.
This {Giant Bells} and {Display Screens} were not unique creations of {End Point}. They had assumed these were inherent parts of {End Point} simply because they encountered them upon entering.
Since the environment remains static and the only changes lie in its occupants, could it be possible that these {Giant Bells} and {Display Screens} were created by the {participants}?
The purpose behind constructing these devices was straightforward: to demonstrate the existence of {Reverberation}. Once these supernatural abilities could be captured and shown, people here would gradually uncover the rules for survival within {End Point}.
Participants would come to realize through repeated deaths that acquiring {Reverberation} allowed them to retain memories.
And these {Giant Bells} and {Display Screens} would become their best points of reference.
Though the theory was bold, the direction felt right.
If Qi Xia’s guess was correct, the person who built the Giant Bell and Display Screen possessed a {Reverberation} that {Hears Reverberations}, or namely, {Prompt Harken}.
The {Giant Bells} and {Display Screens} were simply concrete, amplified manifestations of this {Prompt Harken} user’s power—allowing everyone in the city to perceive it.
Qi Xia furrowed his brow slowly, feeling a newfound respect for this individual.
Had it not been for this person’s ingenuity in devising such a method and maximizing their own ability, the city could not have survived until now.
Due to the unique nature of {End Point}, those without {Reverberation} cannot retain memories. And this crucial {Reverberation} was a mysterious, intangible force to the city Zheng Hero came from.
Even if someone is lucky enough to retain memories after death, it would be difficult for them to deduce the reason behind it, let alone identify what special ability they possessed simply from the name of their {Reverberation}.
This is likely why Zheng Hero is called a {Hero}.
It seems that in the neighboring city, he indeed holds a pivotal position. He can distinguish whether someone has triggered their {Reverberation} and judge if they can retain memories. Over time, he developed the habit of immediately naming others’ abilities.
But if their city, like Qi Xia’s, had around ten thousand people, how could all those people rely solely on Zheng Hero?
Qi Xia suspected the boy was probably telling the truth. He was very likely the {leader} of that city—or, more pessimistically, their {mascot}.
They called him {Hero}, not because of his strength, but because he could smell their {Reverberation}.
Zheng Hero looked at Qi Xia and said, “Being a hero is tough, but I will protect all of you, civilian.”
Qi Xia nodded thoughtfully, choosing not to press further.
This child’s {Reverberation} seemed very easily triggered. He retained too many memories and no longer seemed like a child, but rather a puerile madman.
Unfortunately, this boy went through all this before his mind had fully matured. Now, to help him return to normal, there was no other way but to erase his memories.
“The day is still young. Let’s rest for a while.” Qi Xia stood up and walked over to the table, pulling out a chair to sit. “You can have the bed. I’ll just sit here,” he said, beckoning to Zheng Hero.
Zheng Hero glanced at the bed, and without hesitation, plopped down on it. “Alright, civilian, I’ll take a nap first.”
Zheng Hero carefully removed the bedsheet cloak from his back, folded it neatly several times, and placed it by his bedside to use as a pillow. Then, he took off his newspaper crown and newspaper short sword, setting them on the table.
Qi Xia sighed and leaned back in his chair.
It had to be said, the prison’s design was more livable than a classroom, though every room required a rather long walk to reach the outside.
Tomorrow at dawn, Qi Xia planned to rely on Nineteen’s ability to have a thorough talk with Qian Five.
Still, Qi Xia felt he was taking a huge risk.
With his current strength and situation, could he really meet Celestial Dragon on the tenth day of this cycle?
Once again, Qi Xia felt lost and uncertain, burdened by too many unanswered questions.
But here, besides Celestial Dragon, who else could possibly solve the mystery of Yu Nian’An?
TL Note: Rant goes here ( •̯́ ₃ •̯̀)
