Celestial Human Diagram

Half an hour later, Chen Chuan, Yuan Qiuyuan, and Qin Qingque boarded a train. Accompanying them was a twenty-two-man tactical squad assigned to their command.

Their role was to provide coordinated fire, as well as handle logistics, communications, transport, and other support tasks.

Also with them was a tactical advisor named Rao, who was familiar with the local situation. Ding Mou had specifically assigned him to help them formulate battle plans, considering they had just arrived and were unfamiliar with the area.

Because they had departed in a hurry, it wasn’t until the train was moving that Advisor Rao began to brief them on the mission.

"Iron Demon. He’s our target for this operation." He placed a file before the three of them. When they opened it, the first thing they saw was a large color photograph.

Chen Chuan examined it. The so-called "Iron Demon" was a man wearing a ferocious, crimson iron mask and an old-fashioned suit of Armor and helmet. He brandished a Long Spear decorated with a white, feathered tassel, and sat astride a large horse with a black coat and blood-red markings.

The horse was similarly clad in old-era Armor, its eyes a solid blood-red. Judging by the reference objects in the photograph, the steed’s shoulder height was at least two meters. Its frame was exceptionally powerful, yet it still conveyed an impression of fierce agility.

Advisor Rao said, "We’ve received intel from the front. This man is leading a fifty-man squad and plans to take advantage of most of our forces being reassigned to the front lines. His goal is to raid and disrupt our rear areas."

Yuan Qiuyuan studied the photo. Stroking his chin, he said, "I thought this was going to be some monster from the Merging Land. But based on what you’re saying, Advisor Rao, and the way this fellow looks... he’s just a man, isn’t he? Raiding us? Is he part of some hostile faction?"

Advisor Rao replied, "He is, in fact, from the Merging Land."

He looked up. "But you all should know that throughout history, whenever the two worlds drew near, there have been multiple Periods of Change. When the two worlds approach one another, contact, exchange, and even conflict are inevitable.

Therefore, the Merging Land already existed back in the era of the Old Dynasty.

In the past, understanding of the Merging Land was limited, and the Rifts between the two worlds were scattered all over. As a result, many people fled here seeking refuge. For a time, it was even used as a place of exile for disgraced officials and political losers.

More recently, after the world’s great Empires were overthrown, many members of the Imperial Family, along with old Noble Relatives and high-ranking officials, fled here. They went on to establish their own independent dynasties and harbor a deep-seated animosity toward us.

Furthermore, by using secret Rifts and personal connections once controlled by the Imperial Family, they have maintained contact with our world, collaborated with corporations, and even acquired some Lost Objects. Consequently, they are not technologically behind. And because of their long-term presence in the Merging Land, they have also adopted some unique methods.

Currently, aside from the entities behind the World Ring, these remnants of the Old Dynasty are our main enemies in this place."

Chen Chuan asked another question and finally understood. The stronghold they had established was situated right on the self-proclaimed border of the Old Dynasty.

As the military fortress expanded, it naturally began to encroach on their territory. From their perspective, this was a clear sign of another attempt to annihilate them, which has led to the intense conflicts we see today.

Advisor Rao pointed to the photograph. "This leader, the ’Iron Demon,’ is one of the Old Imperial Family’s Dedicated Elite Warriors. He commands a troop of Cavalry Warriors. They often take advantage of moments when our frontline defenses are strained to launch raids."

Chen Chuan picked up the accompanying dossier. "Samurai" was simply the old-era term for a Fighter. A Duty Samurai, however, was different. The "duty" part signified service to the Imperial Family; they were Fighters who had been granted an official title and rank.

And any Fighter granted a title by the Imperial Family must have reached the Third Limit.

The dossier explained that because the Merging Land was vast and sparsely populated, these Duty Samurai all had their own territories or fiefdoms, which typically took the form of Wubo Manors. Each Duty Samurai, in turn, commanded a troop of Cavalry Warriors who fought at their behest.

’It’s a rather archaic system,’ he thought, ’but it seems well-suited to a place like this.’

Advisor Rao continued, "In the past, this ’Iron Demon’ has repeatedly sabotaged our railways, dismantled our communication hubs, and attacked our patrols. We even have records of him assaulting our garrisons.

They use vehicles, but their usual mounts are specially bred Dragon-nosed Horses. Some of these horses, like the one in the photo, have even undergone Implant modifications.

These horses are powerful, fearless, and possess extreme endurance and load-bearing capacity. In the wild, they can match the speed of an all-terrain vehicle at a simple trot and can run for a full day without needing to eat.

Relying on these mounts, their raids cover a wide area and are executed with swift, sudden strikes. The moment we mobilize a large force, they retreat and relocate."

Qin Qingque found this odd. "Advisor Rao," she asked, puzzled, "even if their mobility is that strong, we have more advanced equipment, convenient communications, and powerful weaponry. How can we have no way to deal with them?"

’This isn’t the old era anymore. No matter how mobile the Dragon-nosed Horses are, an all-terrain vehicle with enough fuel could eventually run them down. Besides, we’re operating on interior lines where logistics and communications are easy. We even have Airships. If the higher-ups were truly determined, they could just dispatch a capable force and annihilate them.’

Advisor Rao replied, "These people are not ignorant of technology; they’re fully aware of our advantages. Moreover, they have informants in our ranks. They only strike when our personnel have been diverted to the front, and they conduct repeated probes beforehand to confirm we lack the strength to make another deep push.

They also have an advantage we don’t: the anomalies in the wilderness... Hmm, the instructors probably haven’t had a chance to tell you about the need to avoid spending the night in the wild."

His expression turned grave. "Nighttime is when these anomalies are most frequent. All sorts of bizarre situations and unimaginable events occur.

Inside the fortress, we’re kept safe by extensive fortifications and protective barriers. The same can’t be said for the wild. We learned that the hard way, suffering heavy losses in the early days.

The Iron Demon and his men, however, have some method that allows them to operate at night. They often carry out their raids under the cover of darkness, then lie low or withdraw from the area entirely during the day. This makes it incredibly difficult for us to stage a targeted counterattack."

As Rao spoke, Chen Chuan checked everyone’s Activity Index. Likely due to being out in the wild, his two teammates’ indexes were drifting upward, already reaching around seven or eight. The numbers were still rising with time. If this kept up, they would have to use their Breathing Technique to bring them back down.

After observing this, he asked, "Since those men operate in the wild for extended periods, how do they combat and overcome Activation?"

The advisor replied, "There are a few possibilities. One is that through generations of living here—a process of survival of the fittest—the ones who remain have developed a natural resistance. Another is that they have faith in some entity, which in turn grants them a certain immunity.

It’s also possible they use the same methods we do, relying on medication and Breathing Techniques. And finally..." His voice grew solemn. "A portion of them are already fully-realized beings post-Activation."

Yuan Qiuyuan was taken aback. "They’re not even human at that point, are they? And their side still dares to use them?"

Advisor Rao said, "They may not be human, but their thought processes aren’t necessarily inhuman. The Old Imperial Family seems to have a way of identifying and controlling them, so a significant portion of the Old Dynasty’s forces are comprised of such beings.

We’ve encountered situations where, after an enemy was killed, its brain or a limb would scuttle away. It might even possess the personnel tasked with examining the body. If you encounter one, you must obliterate every last piece of it. They are a horde made up of old noble Samurai, mixed with the Demon Ghosts and monsters of the Merging Land!"

He added a warning, "This ’Iron Demon’ is said to be named Qu Mohe. He is fond of wearing a Ghost Mask when he travels, which has led many to suspect that he is a Demon Ghost himself!"

Yuan Qiuyuan mulled this over for a moment before an idea seemed to strike him. "Oh, right. Advisor Rao, you mentioned faith earlier, correct? Can faith really prevent Activation?"

Advisor Rao seemed hesitant to discuss the topic. After a moment’s pause, he answered vaguely, "They may worship some of the Overlimit entities that exist in the Merging Land.

Those entities are concentrated in the fore-section of the Merging Land. Rumor has it they are hostile to certain entities on the other side. I don’t know much about the specifics. Besides, we have regulations forbidding casual discussion of these matters, so it’s best to avoid the topic from now on."

"Understood," Yuan Qiuyuan said, clenching his fists until his knuckles cracked. "So, to put it simply, our job is to take down this guy they call the Iron Demon, correct?"

Advisor Rao nodded. "Yes. The mission assigned to us is to drive his squad out, or at the very least, keep them pinned down and prevent them from causing any more damage."

Chen Chuan asked, "Just drive them out or pin them down?"

Advisor Rao looked at the three of them, choosing his words with care. "Frankly, even accomplishing that much would be commendable. Your team was just formed, and you don’t fully grasp the situation yet. This Qu Mohe isn’t just a Duty Samurai; he has been granted the rank of Captain by the Imperial Family."

Yuan Qiuyuan grunted in surprise. "That’s a military rank from the old era, isn’t it? My grandpa used to say that if it were back in his day, a man of his skill would’ve been granted a rank like that for sure."

Advisor Rao confirmed, "That’s right. In theory, all Duty Samurai are the Emperor’s personal guard, but they’re still just soldiers. Being granted an official rank is another matter entirely. That makes him a Military Officer with the authority to command troops."

He added emphatically, "And those who receive a formal commission are the true elite among Samurai. You might not grasp the full meaning of that, so let me put it another way. According to our superiors’ assessment, this man is likely a Fighter on the verge of polishing his spirit and body to a state of absolute perfection."

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