Inside The Black Mist

The day after returning to the fortress, Tianyang woke up early. He issued a verbal command, and the smart home assistant automatically opened the curtains, revealing a sparse rain falling against the window, creating winding streams of water.

The fortress had entered its rainy season, which meant the upcoming days would be dominated by overcast skies and rain. Occasionally, there might be brief spells of sunshine, but they would last no more than two or three days before the rain and wind returned.

Tianyang recalled that during the rainy season in the Lower District, the water level in the canal behind their shack would rise. The water would often overflow, flooding into their home. At such times, Tianyang would help his mother fill the gaps in their shack with various materials, trying to keep the water out. Despite their efforts, the floor would always end up damp, making life difficult.

Compared to those days, life was much more comfortable now that he lived in an Upper District apartment with all its modern conveniences. Unfortunately, his mother could never enjoy this improved life.

Taking a deep breath, Tianyang got out of bed, deciding to visit the cemetery today and report back to his team tomorrow. The food customization machine prepared a simple breakfast with sufficient calories for him. After eating, Tianyang took a shower and then changed into some old clothes. When he opened his wardrobe, he realized he might need to buy a few sets of casual clothes—after all, it wouldn't be appropriate to always wear his Night Walker uniform, regardless of the occasion.

Before leaving, Tianyang grabbed his Crimson Moon Warblade. After the recent infiltration incident, he couldn't afford to be careless anymore. As for his "Death Knell," its unique design would attract too much attention, so he decided it was best not to use it casually within the fortress.

When he reached the ground floor, the rain had lightened up, though the sound of raindrops striking the fortress dome was still quite loud. Tianyang rode his unicycle out of the apartment and stopped by a nearby flower shop to buy a bouquet of fresh flowers before heading to the cemetery.

Even in the rain, Tianyang saw a procession of about a dozen people marching down an Upper District street. They held banners demanding the reduction of privileges for Ascenders, loudly chanting slogans. Despite the rain hammering on the fortress dome, their voices rang out clearly. The march was led by a few Upper District residents, with the rest of the participants being commoners—united by the fact that they were all ordinary people.

In recent years, voices opposing the dominance of Ascenders over most of the resources had grown louder, and Tianyang had heard about it. However, this was his first time witnessing a protest in person, and he found it quite intriguing.

As he passed through a community square, Tianyang also noticed a gathering organized by the Church of the Lord of War. Several black-robed priests from the church were preaching to the residents of the fortress.

In Tianyang's fortress, as in many other fortress cities, the majority of people were followers of the Lord of War. The church had a long history, having risen to prominence hundreds of years ago with countless adherents.

It was said that a century after the appearance of the Kraft Gate, a great empire once emerged on Earth. Back then, there were no fortress cities, and nearly everyone lived under the empire's rule. Alongside the empire, a church that revered the culture of the Inverse Universe, the Church of the Shining Darkness, also rose to prominence. This church later became the empire's state religion. However, the empire's glory was short-lived, and within a few decades, it fell into decline.

After the empire vanished, a century of chaos ensued, during which the Church of the Shining Darkness also fragmented. Then, a century later, another church quietly emerged—the Church of the Lord of War. It was said that this church, which rose during the Age of Chaos, was the successor to the Church of the Shining Darkness.

Regardless, the Church of the Lord of War has passed down through the ages and has become one of the world's four major religious sects today.

"War is not for slaughter; it is for protection. When you go to the battlefield, never forget what you are fighting for..."

In the square, a priest with their face hidden under a hood was preaching to the crowd. Their voice was soft but full of charisma, sounding like a woman. The priest raised her hand, drawing a line from her forehead to her chest, then lightly tapped her chest three times with a clenched fist: "May the Lord of War protect you..."

As Tianyang passed by, she lifted her head and glanced at him, and for a moment, their eyes met. In that brief instant, Tianyang saw a pair of determined black eyes.

Their gazes crossed for a moment before they looked away. Before long, Tianyang arrived at the fortress cemetery.

The rain might have made the cemetery look particularly quiet. With his warblade slung over his back and flowers in hand, Tianyang walked through the black gates of the cemetery.

Inside, a straight path stretched ahead, lined with solemn black tombstones. There were only a few scattered figures in the cemetery, quietly standing by the graves.

Here, even the wind seemed to carry a heavy sense of longing for the deceased, whispering softly above the cemetery.

Tianyang walked down the path with his head down, holding the bouquet as he headed toward his mother's grave. Suddenly, someone appeared in front of him, making him stop abruptly to avoid a collision.

To his surprise, it was someone he recognized.

The man wore a dark, high-collared long coat. His gray hair was tousled by the wind, and the lines around his mouth were pronounced, yet his eyes were as sharp as those of a young man.

Calm and dignified.

It was none other than Liu Jinglin, a mentor from Tianqing Academy!

"Is it you? Mr. Liu, are you here to pay respects too?" Tianyang raised his voice slightly, his words echoing in the quiet surroundings.

However, the other people in the cemetery were too far away to hear what Tianyang was saying.

After a brief moment of surprise, Liu Jinglin quickly returned to his usual composure, offering a polite smile as he replied, "Yes, I'm here to visit an old friend."

He paused for a moment before asking, "And you?"

He then laughed at himself. "Listen to me, what nonsense am I saying? Of course, people come here to pay their respects."

Tianyang nodded lightly. "My mother is buried here."

Liu Jinglin's expression gradually became solemn. "I'm very sorry."

Tianyang shook his head, indicating that he didn't mind. He then stepped aside and bowed his head slightly. "I'll be on my way now, Mr. Liu. I'll come by for your lecture next time."

Liu Jinglin gave him a warm smile. "You're welcome to attend anytime. Honestly, young people like you aren't usually interested in Inverse Universe civilization."

Tianyang replied casually, "You might laugh, but at first, I wanted to learn the Inverse Universe script. But when I found out there wasn't such a course, I came across your Civilization History class instead, so I decided to take it."

"I see." Liu Jinglin's eyes flickered as he reached into his pocket and took out a fountain pen. "Here, take this as a keepsake. You can use it to practice your writing. And by that, I mean the Inverse Universe script."

Tianyang looked at the pen. It had a rounded body with a deep, rich color, and the cap was adorned with silver engravings—very elegant.

"This... how could I..."

Tianyang instantly liked the pen, but since he wasn’t particularly close to Liu Jinglin, he felt uneasy accepting it. His mother, Nan Fei, had always taught him not to casually accept gifts from others, so he hesitated.

Liu Jinglin smiled and slipped the pen into Tianyang’s chest pocket. "It's not worth much; don't think too much of it. Also, if you want to learn the Inverse Universe script, feel free to come by the academy. I'll teach you."

"That would be great; thank you so much, Mr. Liu." Tianyang expressed his sincere gratitude.

Although Old Xu had lent him a book on the Inverse Universe script, having someone like Liu Jinglin guide him would definitely make things much easier.

"No need to thank me. Alright, I’ll be off now. Goodbye."

Liu Jinglin lightly patted Tianyang's arm and then turned to leave.

Tianyang glanced at the pen in his pocket, feeling a wave of joy that even lightened his steps.

...

As he left the cemetery, Tianyang received two text messages on his communicator.

The first was a reward notification.

[You have received a mission reward notification.

Reward Category: Gemstone Town Defense Battle.

Reward Content: Contribution Points.

Contribution Points:

Disruption Signal Neutralization: 500 points

Interference Eliminator Kill: 300 points

Camp Defense Assistance: 500 points

Submission of Interference Report: 500 points

Total Contribution Points Earned: 1800 points.

All rewards have been issued. Please check your account.]

1800 points!

It wasn’t a huge amount, but it wasn’t insignificant either. Tianyang hadn’t expected to earn any contribution points from his trip to Gemstone Town.

With this, Tianyang now had a total of 6420 contribution points on hand, not counting the 2000 points he had lent to Yan Bing.

If his mother were still alive, he might have used these contribution points to set up a small shop for her to pass the time. But since she was gone, Tianyang hadn’t decided what to do with them, so he put the matter aside for now.

The second message was from Yan Bing. "Commander, are you back?"

Tianyang replied, letting him know he had returned. He was about to head to his bike when Yan Bing quickly responded. "Commander, are you free tonight? I’ve finished my surgery, and I’d like to buy you a drink."

Tianyang chuckled and readily agreed, setting a time and place with Yan Bing before leaving the cemetery.

| Night Eagle Bar. |

This bar was located on Amber Street in the Upper District, one of the busiest streets in the area. Amber Street was not only home to various shopping centers but also entertainment venues like the Night Eagle Bar.

When Tianyang arrived at the bar's entrance, he looked up to see a sculpture of a soaring eagle above the door.

As he was about to enter, a bar security guard stopped him. "Sorry, no weapons allowed inside."

The guard’s eyes were clearly fixed on the Crimson Moon Warblade strapped to Tianyang’s back.

Tianyang took out his ID card. After verifying his identity, the guard's attitude made a complete turnaround. "Oh, you're a Night Walker officer. Please, go right in."

Inside the bar, the air was thick with the scent of alcohol and perfume.

Tianyang was no stranger to this kind of atmosphere. He had frequented the Volcano Bar in Caddy often enough to be accustomed to such a peculiar mix of smells.

He glanced around, searching for Yan Bing, and soon spotted the officer at the bar not far ahead.

Next to the bar, four or five men were either sitting or standing, chatting with a pretty female bartender behind the counter.

One of the men, who looked under thirty, was handsome with an exaggerated expression. He picked up a glass of wine and handed it to the bartender.

Just then, Yan Bing stood up with a grin, said something to the man, and then took the glass, downing it in one gulp.

Unexpectedly, the man’s face darkened, and he suddenly kicked Yan Bing in the stomach. Amid the startled cries of the female bartender, Yan Bing fell to the ground, vomiting the drink he had just swallowed.

Seeing this, the calm expression on Tianyang’s face gradually turned into a dark scowl...