The Ruined Village

"Let's explore the area first. There seems to be something over there."

Yangyang pointed toward the front of a ruined house.

The group approached and found a blackened wooden plaque lying on the ground.

Lu Li picked it up. Some strange white markings remained on its surface.

"It looks incomplete."

The wooden plaque didn't seem to be whole. There should have been another half.

Yangyang said, "It looks like a wooden plaque used in certain special rituals..."

"Why would it be here? Objects like this are usually kept in a family's ancestral shrine..."

"Besides, this looks... a little out of place in this era..."

Lu Li asked, "An ancestral shrine? Could some believers from the past have left it behind?"

Yangyang nodded. "...Historical records mention similar events. Out of religious devotion, people would regularly hold large-scale ancient rituals in their villages to offer prayers."

A Piao said, "Put it away. Let's check elsewhere."

"Huh? Is that... a Remnant?"

Lu Li spotted a Remnant named Wukaka not far away.

However, Wukaka didn't attack them.

"Chir... chir chir." The Remnant made those sounds.

Lu Li frowned. "That's strange..."

A Piao asked, "What is?"

Lu Li spread his hands. "I can actually communicate with Remnants, but I can't understand this one's language."

He had previously acquired the ability Language Proficiency, which had allowed him to communicate freely with both Big Yellow and the Rocksteady Guardian he had subdued.

Yet he couldn't do the same with the Wukaka before him. Was something wrong with his ability?

And this Remnant didn't seem to have any desire to attack them.

"Chir... brother..."

Lu Li brightened. "Huh? I can understand now!"

A Piao said, "...So can I."

Lu Li said, "?"

Wukaka spoke again. "Help... help..."

"Is Wukaka asking for help? Who's this brother?" Lu Li asked in confusion.

"Help... brother... help..."

Yangyang pondered. "Wukaka seems to only repeat these few phrases... This isn't an ordinary Remnant."

"Remnants attack because they need to devour others' frequencies. They're also born from frequencies being scattered and recombined."

"This Remnant must have devoured certain... human frequencies."

"Turning another person's lingering consciousness into endlessly repeated mutterings... Whose dying voice is this? Or whose bloody creation...?"

Yangyang crouched and placed a hand on the Remnant's head. As she sensed the flow, a sorrowful expression crossed her face.

"I'm sorry."

Lu Li asked curiously, "Can you communicate with Remnants too?"

"No, I can't do anything like that. I only sensed some complicated emotions... intense sorrow, and a strange kind of hope."

Lu Li said, "Let me try."

Yangyang stepped aside, and Lu Li placed his hand on Wukaka's head in her stead, slowly closing his eyes.

"Hmm..."

"Did you sense anything?"

"No!"

"..."

If I had some kind of memory-reading ability, maybe I could learn something...

Yangyang said, "I have a theory."

"What is it?"

"Wukaka seems to be waiting for release and salvation, but that hope isn't for Wukaka alone. I heard cries of sorrow... No, they came from this village."

"This village is crying out in sorrow, hoping to be rescued from the abyss."

"Something terrible happened here... Even the victims' echoes still linger."

Lu Li said thoughtfully, "Judging by the traces and ruins here, it might not have happened that long ago. The messages in the wind haven't dispersed yet, either."

Yangyang nodded in agreement. "Perhaps it's because of the Tacet Field, or perhaps someone has been interfering. What happened here still hasn't been brought to light. But I believe..."

"Even now, there must still be something we can do here. Perhaps the victims are still here. I can sense that someone connected to this is nearby... This place is dangerous."

Yangyang said a great deal in one breath.

"I'll inform Chixia of the situation here, but could we stay and investigate until the official investigators arrive?"

"I'm sorry. That probably sounds too subjective... It's only a hunch with no evidence behind it..."

Lu Li said earnestly, "No, I believe you."

A Piao nodded too. "The token Jinhsi gave me also pointed here, didn't it?"

Yangyang let out a long breath. "Thank you, A Piao, Lu Li. Please stay alert."

Lu Li put Wukaka back where he had found the little Remnant. "This little one... Let's leave Wukaka here for now."

The group split up to search the area for clues.

"This is..." Yangyang discovered a strange trace beside a house.

"Lu Li, A Piao, come take a look."

"Look, there are lots of footprints here. These are signs of a struggle..."

Lu Li crouched and examined them closely. "The traces cover a small area, but they're chaotic. They don't look like something left by a battle..."

"They look more like marks left by someone dragging an injured person." Lu Li stood, his expression grave. "Someone was hurt here."

Beside him, Yangyang seemed to have discovered something. "This is... I see..."

"Did you find something?"

"This was very likely the work of the Fractsidus."

"The Fractsidus?" A Piao asked in confusion.

Lu Li recalled what Yangyang had said earlier. "I remember Yangyang saying that the Fractsidus had people who lacked a Resonance Ability but craved power. They crossed forbidden scientific boundaries."

Yangyang nodded. "Yes, but I don't actually know that much about them. I've only encountered cases involving the Fractsidus because I'm a member of Taibai."

"That's all right. Just tell us what you know."

Yangyang frowned. "They're a group of extremists obsessed with fusing humans and Remnants. Their organization is enormous, and they've carried out numerous terrorist attacks of varying scales in different countries."

"There have also been signs of Fractsidus activity within Jinzhou, but those involved were relatively peripheral members. Within their organization, they're called Artificers."

"Above the Artificers are the Overseers, who serve as leaders. Each Overseer generally has distinct methods and influence, and the harm they cause is far beyond anything an Artificer can do..."

Lu Li asked in confusion, "Overseers? Are these leaders also people without a Resonance Ability who fused with Remnants?"

Yangyang said, "No. Only those peripheral members fuse with Remnants. Most of the Fractsidus's leaders are true Resonators."

Lu Li said, "I see. Then what's the Fractsidus's goal?"