Amber Lord Support Team

"We still need to be frugal; there's always danger in the Swarm Disaster," Fu Xuan reminded them.

"I know," Jingxing shrugged. "This kind of exertion will be fine after a short rest."

As soon as he finished speaking, Jingxing raised his hand and unleashed another burst of energy, causing the Swarm to visibly dwindle even further.

As the sun began to set, the Swarm retreated completely—or rather, they finally learned to take a detour. They had devoured everything they could find outside, and the carcasses in the ditches and on the riverbanks would keep them occupied for a while, so they left the area, departing like the receding tide.

Just then, a group of people whose style was completely out of place with the locals arrived outside the town.

They wore heavy armor of a dark color, the edges of the plates polished to a shine, the color like transparent amber. The one leading the way was clearly a woman, carrying a heavy-looking lamp, inside which was sealed something that didn't let in much light—only upon closer inspection could one see that it contained a piece of insect wings.

The convoy they were following was very long, about twenty or so carts, with deep ruts, seemingly piled with stones, sacks of grain, and boxes of lamp oil.

The woman leading the way walked outside the town and first looked at the place where the invisible wall had once stood—the insect corpses in the ditch were still in the position of being blocked, layer upon layer.

Then she turned her head, walked past the townspeople kneeling on the ground, and looked straight at Jingxing.

"Gentlemen, it's a pleasure to meet you both," she said, pounding her chest as she spoke, "Everything is dedicated to the Amber Lord!"

Fu Xuan's shoulders tensed. The words sounded all too familiar, and the other party's identity was quite clear.

"Amber will remember everything that has ever existed," she said. "The people of Priva II will also remember your kind assistance. On behalf of Amber Lord Support Team, I Jenny, thank you both for helping us fight the locust plague today. May I ask where you two are from?"

Fu Xuan glanced at Jingxing.

"We come from a very far place," Jingxing replied.

"Who hasn't come here from a faraway place?" Jenny picked up the lamp. "We're all from the Amber Lord Support Team. We answered the Amber Lord's call and came from the Xideli System. We originally planned to go to the Yamazaki-Stella Cluster, but we encountered some problems on the way and could only repair ourselves here. Unexpectedly, Priva II has also been hit by Swarm Disaster, so we simply decided to make preparations on the spot and help the natives here."

As she spoke, she looked at the indigenous people. "Although we don't speak the same language, goodwill between people is still easily conveyed. Now, the indigenous settlements rely on us to transport various resources between them."

As she spoke, the people behind her began to move: some poured water down the ditch, while others squatted by the ditch and used iron hooks to throw the insect carcasses out, piling them up in preparation for burning them.

"But... I can actually understand what you two are saying," Jenny noticed. "That's amazing."

Fu Xuan and Jingxing exchanged bewildered glances. This was a strange place—they had Synesthesia Beacons, but Jenny didn't, yet their communication was completely unaffected.

"What are you planning to do after you're all ready?" Fu Xuan asked, skipping over the previous question.

"Go help the Amber Lord build the wall," Jenny said. "The Aeon of Propagation has ascended to the throne, and the Swarm are spreading rampantly, disturbing half the universe. The great Amber Lord is building a wall to defend against the danger, and we, who are not fit to be Builders, will be responsible for carrying the materials."

She was looking at the indigenous people when she said these words.

Jingxing followed her gaze. She was looking at the ditch outside the town, at the splinters stuck crookedly in the ditch, and at the green sap that hadn't been wiped off the railings.

He turned to look at Fu Xuan, the short Diviner standing beside him, the wind making her clothes flutter.

"The Xianzhou once worshipped the Amber Lord." Fu Xuan tugged at Jingxing's sleeve and said with a laugh, "We called Him the Heaven-Mending Lord. He was a being who shone brightly during the Swarm Disaster, but the Xianzhou did not set sail during the Swarm Disaster, so I originally wanted to see His walls on this trip. Maybe it could supplement our historical records."

"So, I think we can help them."

"Then I'll help," Jingxing said.

Jenny nodded, as if she had expected this answer. She tapped her nail plate, and the team behind her dispersed to begin taking care of the wounded in the town.

After Jenny made sure everyone was busy, she turned around and asked, "What are your names?"

"Jingxing."

When it was Fu Xuan's turn, she paused for a moment.

To utter her name was the first step in existing here, the first step in being recognized by this timeline. She looked at the amber lamp and finally said, "Fu Xuan."

"I've got it," Jenny said. "We're heading west tomorrow at dawn, so please don't forget."

Fires were lit outside the town at night.

The Amber Lord Support Team didn't enter the town; instead, they set up camp outside the moat, their vehicles forming a semi-circle. The amber lamp hung on the vehicle in the very center, its light shining far enough that everyone could see the ground at their feet.

Some people received dry rations, which were rock hard and impossible to swallow without soaking them in water. A young boy carried a bucket of water and walked around in circles, going to anyone who waved to him.

Many people were also curious about Jingxing and Fu Xuan's backgrounds, and the two, who had prepared their stories in advance, managed to cover it up.

After seeing these people off, Fu Xuan sat on a rock by the fire, took the notebook he had traded with Jenny, and wrote his first line of diary by the firelight.

"On our first day here, Priva II, we witnessed firsthand the Swarm Disaster."

Jingxing sat down next to her, turning his palm over to look at his right hand. There was still some green sap on his fingers that hadn't been wiped off; it felt sticky and uncomfortable when the wind blew.

He tried pinching his thumb and forefinger together, like pinching a pen, but it felt hollow.

"Luckily, I've studied Finger Ink," he said, "Otherwise it would have been very uncomfortable."

Jenny came over from the car, squatted down by the fire, and casually took off her gloves and placed them on her knees.

"By the time we get back to base camp, preparations should be complete, as expected," she said. "You two can come along if you wish, but there will definitely be Swarm wherever we go."

"That's great," Jingxing said. "That's exactly what we wanted to learn from."

Jenny glanced at him, shook her head with a wry smile, seemingly thinking his words were a bit exaggerated, but Jenny didn't say anything and simply left.

A yawn appeared over the fire, one after another, quickly forming a continuous yawning chorus.

The night wind still whistled softly, without stopping.

"Shall we go and pay our respects to the Amber Lord?" he asked Fu Xuan.