Resonance

Lingyian leaned against the control console, her gaze fixed on the holographic projection of the city, still pulsating with the flow of Resonance. But this time, the display showed more than just the urban map—it replayed footage from their previous battle, the moment they had faced a humanoid monster with an anomalous Obs Resonance.

Jiayi tapped the screen, zooming in on the creature. "This isn't just an ordinary Aberrant."

Meixue crossed her arms, studying the recording. "The Resonance within its body… it doesn't feel natural. As if it doesn't belong to it."

Lingyian nodded, her eyes narrowing at the highlighted glowing points scattered across the monster's form. "I felt it during the fight, too. Normally, Aberrants or any beings mutated by Resonance have a more chaotic, instinct-driven energy pattern. But this one… it was as if something was controlling it."

Rover remained silent, his eyes locked onto a specific section of the footage—the energy core in the monster's chest, where the Obs Resonance pulsed with an unnatural glow.

"This Obs Resonance…" Jiayi magnified the image, revealing a crystalline structure far more complex than that of a typical Aberrant. "Its formation is strange—almost as if it was manufactured rather than naturally developed."

Meixue exhaled slowly. "So, you're saying someone deliberately modified this Resonance?"

Jiayi nodded. "The chances are high. If someone has the capability to manipulate Resonance to this extent, they're not just toying with nature. They're experimenting."

Lingyian clenched her fists. "Then we need to find out who's behind this."

Meixue turned to Jiayi. "Is there a possibility they're in Qinshu?"

Jiayi closed the holographic screen and leaned against the table. "If they're using the city's Resonance system for their experiments… then it's highly likely they're here."

Silence filled the room. Meixue tapped her fingers against the console, her gaze fixed on the pulsating city hologram. "If they are in Qinshu, how likely is it that they've already noticed us?"

Jiayi glanced toward the window, where bird-shaped drones hovered in the sky, circling the district like unseen sentinels. "I'd say… they already know we're onto something."

Lingyian narrowed her eyes. "So we're not just observing them—they're watching us, too."

Meixue sighed. "That means every move we make in this city could already be accounted for."

Rover remained expressionless, but something in his demeanor shifted. He finally spoke, his voice calm. "If they're experimenting with Resonance, there must be traces left behind. Can the city's system track it?"

Jiayi nodded slightly. "Theoretically, yes. Qinshu has one of the most advanced Resonance monitoring systems. If there's a major anomaly, it should be detectable. But…"

Meixue cut in. "But if they're smart enough to experiment with Resonance, they're smart enough to cover their tracks."

Lingyian slammed a fist into her palm. "So, what's our next move? We can sit here analyzing data for days, but if we want answers sooner, we need to be out there."

Jiayi thought for a moment before inputting a command into the holographic interface. "There's one way. The city's monitoring system can be accessed from here, but there's a place where we can get raw data before it's processed by Qinshu's command center."

Meixue's gaze sharpened. "You mean… we go straight to the source?"

Jiayi nodded. "There's a Resonance monitoring hub deep within this district. If there's been any unusual activity in the system, we'll find it there—before they have the chance to erase it."

Rover raised a hand, his expression skeptical. "Why should I go with you?"

Jiayi, still focused on the holographic screen, didn't even turn to face him. "Because you need answers."

Rover's face remained unreadable. "Answers? I don't need answers."

Jiayi paused her typing, then turned to look at him. "Your missing memories?"

Rover scoffed. "I'm fine without them."

Jiayi raised an eyebrow. "Oh? So you're not curious about who you were before this? Why you can fight like this? What happened to you?"

Rover didn't even flinch. "No."

Jiayi stared at him, waiting for a reaction that never came. After a few seconds of silence, she finally let out a low whistle. "Wow. It's rare to meet someone so unbothered by memory loss."

Meixue nudged Lingyian with her elbow. "This is going to take a while."

Lingyian simply nodded, eyes gleaming as she enjoyed the unfolding exchange.

Jiayi leaned back against the table, arms crossed. "If you don't care about answers, then what's your goal right now?"

Rover shrugged. "I'm still alive. That's enough."

Jiayi chuckled. "Interesting response. But not enough for me."

Rover shot her a half-lidded glance. "That's not my problem."

Jiayi leaned in slightly, her expression still relaxed, yet her eyes gleamed with intrigue. "Then why did you come this far with us? You could've gone the other way after the battle was over."

Rover was silent for a moment, glancing at Jiayi, then at Meixue and Lingyian, who were pretending not to listen while clearly keeping their ears sharp.

"Opportunity to fight," he finally said.

Jiayi smirked. "Oh, so you're only here for the fights?"

"More or less," Rover replied, unfazed.

Jiayi pondered for a moment before exhaling. "Alright, I get it. But if you want to keep fighting, wouldn't it be better to know what you're up against? Where they come from? Why they react to Resonance differently?"

Rover narrowed his eyes. "I just need to see them in front of me. That's enough."

Jiayi massaged her temples, as if dealing with the most stubborn student she had ever encountered. "I wonder if you were always like this before you lost your memories."

Rover didn't answer, merely giving her a look that said, You'll never know.

Meixue finally let out a quiet laugh. "Jiayi, I think you just hit a wall that won't budge."

Lingyian stifled a chuckle. "Rover is… unique."

Jiayi sighed in mock defeat, raising her hands. "Alright, alright. I won't push. For now."

Rover gave a small nod, as if he had won this debate.

But Jiayi only grinned. "But you'll come back to me. That, I'm sure of."

Rover stared at her, saying nothing.

Meixue whispered to Lingyian, "I don't think this is over."

Lingyian chuckled. "Definitely not."

Jiayi's smirk deepened, eyes glinting as if she had just found the perfect way to turn the situation around. "Alright then, how about I make you an offer? You can profit from this search while getting something out of it every time you dig into your identity."

Rover, who had been indifferent the whole time, suddenly paused. His eyes slightly narrowed, assessing Jiayi with renewed interest.

Meixue and Lingyian exchanged glances. Meixue smirked. "See? The moment profit was mentioned, he perked up."

Lingyian stifled another laugh. "He responds more to that than any philosophical argument."

Rover finally spoke. "Explain."

Jiayi folded her arms, satisfied that she had finally caught his attention. "You need resources, right? Supplies, weapons, intel—none of that is free. I have access to funding, information, and connections that can make your life easier."

She leaned in slightly. "So, you can keep fighting, uncover your past, and get paid for it. Isn't that more efficient?"

Rover remained silent, eyes unblinking, his expression unreadable. But there was no doubt—he was considering the deal.

Meixue nudged Lingyian again. "I think Jiayi won this round."

Lingyian smile. "Looks like it."

After a few beats of silence, Ro

ver finally nodded. "Fine. I'm in."

Jiayi's smile was one of quiet triumph. "Pleasure doing business with you, Rover."