Fragmentum Spreads

[Natasha Favorability: 82%]

[Seele Favorability: 66%]

[March 7th Favorability: 62%]

[Bronya Favorability: 0%]

[Cocolia Favorability: 0%]

[Favorability Explanation: 60% is the baseline. Above this, the target has a generally positive impression of the host; below this, they do not care for the host. Below 50% indicates hostility, below 40% indicates hatred, and below 30% signifies an irreconcilable blood feud! Above 70% indicates deep admiration, above 80% indicates deep affection that is difficult to voice, and above 90% indicates a successful conquest.]

[Note: Favorability levels are subject to fluctuation.]

[Conquest Completion Rewards: 1. Heart-to-Heart (Telepathy); 2. Target becomes a follower of the host, allowing the host to bestow divine power and elevate them to an Emanator (the host, as an Aeon, can also master the Path abilities developed by the Emanator); 3. Other Path authorities; 4. Special item rewards.]

Jing Yan reviewed the status of his conquest panel and felt quite satisfied.

According to the instructions, once he successfully conquered someone, not only would he and the target gain a special telepathic ability, but he would also receive many more unknown rewards.

However, based on Jing Yan's understanding, the higher the target's favorability toward him, the harder it seemed to progress further. Conversely, if the target's favorability was already below 60%, it would be virtually impossible to make them like him unless he resolved their inner conflicts.

The next morning, the doors of March 7th, Dan Heng, and Stelle were knocked on in succession. The person doing the knocking was none other than Jing Yan.

"What are you doing? I'm so sleepy!" March 7th rubbed her bleary eyes and shouted unhappily.

It seemed her morning grumpiness was quite significant.

The occupants of the two rooms nearby were much the same.

Though they were slightly better off.

Stelle looked a bit dazed, while Dan Heng, despite his lingering sleepiness, quickly forced himself to wake up.

Clearly, he realized the gravity of the situation.

Jing Yan had not come without reason.

"What's wrong? What's going on?"

By now, March 7th, Stelle, and Dan Heng had dressed and stepped out.

[March 7th Favorability decreased: 62% → 61%]

Jing Yan felt speechless as he watched.

Was March 7th actually this petty?

In other words, if he wanted to conquer March 7th, the difficulty was not as simple as he had imagined.

"What's going on? Obviously, the Fragmentum has expanded, and it's no longer safe to stay here."

Jing Yan said casually.

"What? The Fragmentum expanded?" March 7th was shocked.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's run!"

She said this and immediately prepared to bolt downstairs.

"Wait, you aren't lying to me, are you?" March 7th ran a few steps, felt that there was nothing unusual in the surroundings, stopped, turned back, and rubbed her chin as she questioned him.

"How could I be? Look out the window," Jing Yan said nonchalantly.

The three of them arrived at the hotel's reception hall.

Through the glass windows, they indeed saw Silvermane Guards and Fragmentum Monsters fighting below.

"What is going on here..." Dan Heng asked, looking puzzled.

"I already told you, this is a man-made event."

Jing Yan said casually.

"Do you think the Fragmentum is so easily spread into the city? It's only happening because it's being permitted. Furthermore, this is one of Cocolia's goals."

Hearing this, the group believed him a little more.

"Experimental goals?"

"Transformation, assimilation," Jing Yan continued.

"In Cocolia's view, the depletion of Geomarrow is imminent. It won't last long—either their generation or the next. So, the only choice she has is to release the Fragmentum and twist everyone into Fragmentum Monsters. This way, while most people lose most of their memories, a small fraction will still retain them."

"The experiment Cocolia is conducting is exactly this, and there are already results, but..."

"But, not one in a hundred survives," Jing Yan continued.

"Most beings will still turn into walking-corpse-like monsters, with only a select few retaining a sliver of memory."

"Hmm..."

Upon hearing this, March 7th believed him for the most part.

They began to head downstairs toward the hotel lobby.

While on the stairs, Stelle suddenly turned her head and asked, "Then how do you know all this, Mr. Jing Yan?"

"Me?"

Jing Yan chuckled at the question.

"Because I am from the Underworld, or you could understand it as someone who resists the Overworld."

"And as it happens, I possess a bit of special power—you should have seen it earlier—so my presence is not easily detected. Even if I am discovered, I have ways to avoid danger. Naturally, I am able to see and know more things than others."

"Hmm, that is indeed true." Dan Heng nodded.

He knew clearly that everyone carried their own secrets and special abilities; the three of them alone were proof of that.

As for those who hadn't disembarked from the Astral Express, Himeko and Welt Yang possessed skills that were truly unfathomable.

After all, the train had originally been damaged, and it was Himeko who had repaired it.

Since the Jing Yan before them also had a unique background and was not a native of this planet, it was perfectly normal for him to have some secret abilities.

Seeing that they had tentatively believed him without voicing any doubts, Jing Yan felt quite satisfied.

Although he had told a small lie regarding this matter, it could be considered a white lie.

If he said too much—for instance, revealing that he was an existence outside of the Eighteen Aeons, an Aeon of "Eros"—he would instead be viewed as a monster and treated with suspicion.

Such a thing had no record in the entire universe, and the vast majority of people would never believe it.

Furthermore, the appearance of Fragmentum Creatures in the Overworld of Belobog was not without cause.

On one hand, the area where the Fragmentum had invaded due to Cocolia's secret experiments was indeed not far from here; on the other hand, Jing Yan had attempted to further control these Fragmentum Creatures with his divine power and found that he had succeeded.

Thus, he had manipulated a few of the weakest Fragmentum Creatures, the "Frost Crystal Creatures," to distract the Silvermane Guards.

"However, the Frost Wave is approaching, and the Fragmentum Creatures that come with it are far more numerous than the sparse few we have seen. More Fragmentum Monsters are gathered in the Guard Restricted Zone."

Hearing this, the expressions of the three became even more solemn.

"So, what should we do now?"

The three of them looked rather tense.

"Haha, it's fine, relax." Jing Yan said with a smile.

"There's no rush for this moment, and besides, you still have quite a few comrades; everyone is in the Underworld..."

Just then, a group of people hurried over from the distance.

The person leading them had silver-gray hair and a noble temperament, and the silver-blue emblem pinned to her white formal dress signified her extraordinary status.

Her purple-blue earrings revealed a touch of elegance.

The person who had arrived was none other than Bronya.

The look in her eyes was quite hostile.

Even though the Fragmentum Creatures Jing Yan had incited had already distracted the Silvermane Guards, the three outsiders here had still been targeted by Cocolia, leading her to send Bronya to capture them.