"Noah, Jinzhou..."
Under the pouring rain curtain, Yangyang's voice rang from inside a high-speed driving car:
"Jinzhou is under attack by a Tacet Discord wave."
As Yangyang's words fell, a new main quest unlocked.
[Main Quest: Grand Warstorm has been activated.]
[Quest Description: The reverse-flowing rain curtain has already descended. To find answers, you decide to head north, stepping into the smoke of war.]
[Completing the main quest Grand Warstorm will reward: Radiant Tide *20, Lustrous Tide *10, Astrite *1600, Shell Credits *100000.]
"Mm."
Noah responded, raising his terminal and saying coldly:
"I'll take action."
Ending the terminal communication, Noah stepped out of the car. Before him was precisely the north gate of Jinzhou City, with endless Tacet Discords surging forward one after another.
Not far away, Yangyang was anxiously holding her unresponsive terminal. Upon looking up and seeing Noah's figure, she unconsciously broke into a smile.
Seeing this, Noah secretly breathed a sigh of relief inside.
Good—he hadn't arrived too late.
Lifting his head, though it was daytime, a full moon phase appeared on the horizon.
Well-versed in the plot, Noah knew this was the lunar phase caused by Phrolova. The fuller the moon phase, the stronger the Threnodian's power.
The war Threnodian Ovathrax in the Jinzhou region was still just an egg, without awakened subjective consciousness, but its instinct alone was enough to greatly impact Jinzhou.
As a war Threnodian, the longer the war in the Jinzhou area dragged on, the faster it would awaken.
Must end it quickly.
Thinking of this, Noah quickly walked to Yangyang and asked:
"What's the situation in Jinzhou now?"
"Not good."
Yangyang shook her head, her brows seemingly hiding a gloomy dark cloud:
"When Retroact Rain fell just now, border defense immediately activated the protective barrier covering Jinzhou, but at the same time, it was attacked by the Fractsidus."
"The Magistrate's guard Sanhua has already gone to pursue those Fractsidus members."
"Currently, academy personnel are urgently repairing the protective barrier, but according to Baizhi, it will take at least fifty minutes to fix."
"For more details, you can ask the border defense officer Taoqi over there."
Following the direction Yangyang pointed, Noah saw Taoqi not far away, busy beyond measure.
"No need. I roughly know Jinzhou's situation."
He had done this plot segment many times before—no need to ask Taoqi for repeated information.
Besides this Tacet Discord wave invasion matching the original game plot, there was a more urgent matter.
That is—under Retroact Rain, illusions of the past would appear within Jinzhou City; the long-dead Scar would return with his former Fractsidus members.
This was the greatest challenge inside Jinzhou City.
Shifting his gaze to the Tacet Discord wave outside the city, confirming it was still some distance from Jinzhou City, Noah took out his terminal and initiated communication with Jinhsi for the first time.
Almost the instant the communication was sent, it was connected.
"Noah, what can I do for you?" Jinhsi's rational voice carried a hint of urgency.
Knowing Jinhsi was very busy now, Noah got straight to the point:
"I'm preparing to clear the Tacet Discord wave at the north gate then immediately head to the front lines for support. Do you have confidence handling the Scar and Fractsidus produced by Retroact Rain later?"
It was currently the first stage of Retroact Rain—normal rainfall. Unknown how long until entering the second or even third stage.
Only in the third stage, when rainwater flows backward to the sky, would the Threnodian truly exert power, making Tacet Discords in Retroact Rain capable of real damage.
And at this moment, General Jiyan of the Midnight Rangers at the front lines in Norfall Barrens was preparing the final assault on the Threnodian Ovathrax.
But Noah had no patience or time to quietly wait in Jinzhou City for Retroact Rain to enter the third stage.
Staying too long in Jinzhou City could easily cause variables at the front lines.
Jinhsi on the other end of the communication understood this principle as well.
If Noah could go to the front lines to assist Jiyan against the Threnodian, it would absolutely be the best choice.
But directly confronting the Threnodian—extremely risky. This shouldn't be something a guest visiting Jinzhou bears.
Sorting out the key issue, Jinhsi couldn't help advising:
"Noah, this is Jinzhou's matter. As an honored guest, you don't have to..."
Jinhsi's words weren't finished before Noah interrupted:
"Jinhsi, the you I know isn't someone so indecisive."
On the other end of the terminal, Jinhsi briefly fell silent.
She didn't know how Noah, without anyone informing him, decided to head to the front lines.
In her expectations, Noah would definitely think Jinzhou City more important and protect it.
Did this man, after just one day at the front lines, keenly judge that the front lines were the true key to holding Jinzhou City? Truly... a monster.
But regardless, she owed Noah yet another favor.
"...Thank you for the trouble, honored guest. I can handle a Scar."
"You're sure?"
"Very sure."
"Alright."
Ending the communication, Yangyang nearby had already been stunned watching.
"Noah, were you just communicating with the Magistrate?"
Reacting, Yangyang was both shocked and anxious: "What did you mean by going to the front lines just now? Why suddenly decide to go to the front lines?"
Noah turned to look at Yangyang, somewhat realizing.
Since not following the plot, the poster girl Yangyang knew nothing of Jinzhou's current predicament, only thinking it a rare large-scale Tacet Discord wave invasion.
Unaware that the Threnodian's revival was imminent.
No big deal. Noah immediately sent a duo queue invitation to Yangyang:
"Going to fight the Threnodian, save Jinzhou—you come too."
"Me, fight the Threnodian? For real?"
Yangyang dazedly pointed at herself, face full of doubting life.
Noah shook his head:
"No, you're just guiding the way."
Hearing this, Yangyang's expression changed.
Since she's only guiding, who fights the Threnodian? Of course Noah!
Before Yangyang could say anything, she heard someone at the city gate shout "Tacet Discords have breached the defense line." She saw Noah move first, the first to cross the city gate.
That white figure under the rain curtain stomped the ground fiercely, stones splintering underfoot, each step covering several meters.
Noah spun and swung his blade, tracing a half-moon arc of light; three Inquisitor Tacet Discords' bodies were instantly cleaved.
Using the force on a backward-falling Inquisitor, he leaped into the air, legs whipping sideways like lashes, kicking away two Stonewall Bracers—the Stonewall Bracers and their rock shields exploding mid-air.
He backflipped in the air, drawing a blue swift blade and throwing it reverse-handed, piercing straight through four Hoartoises.
He finally landed—right in the center of the dense Tacet Discord wave. Resonance energy already gathered in his right hand vented explosively:
"Moment of resonance.."
Large swaths of Tacet Discords dissipated; those behind also panicked, retreating repeatedly.
Several moves fluid as flowing clouds—highly spectacular. Though describing it took many words, in reality, it took less than three seconds.
Only then did Noah look back at Yuanwu, Chixia, Lingyang (Snow Leopard), Taoqi, and others still stunned at the city gate without stepping out, puzzled:
"What aren't you coming with me?"