Who left their last words here?

Chapter 9 Troy, Troy, wake up...

"..."

Bai Zhou shivered inexplicably, as if a cold wind had blown past him.

Looking around, dozens of mutilated corpses were piled up like a mountain, their dark, empty eye sockets staring angrily at the sky, their expressions ferocious and terrifying.

The words above were all identical:

Let me rest in peace!

The resentment was almost tangible; black smoke was visibly billowing from the tops of these skulls...

The white boat moved away from them, keeping a considerable distance, and cautiously peered out to observe them.

"...Is something wrong?"

Soon, an even more alarming question arose in Bai Zhou's mind.

Looking out over the desolate wilderness, broken swords, shattered knives, broken bows, and fragmented arrowheads were scattered all over the ground like a forest of tombstones.

—But what about the corresponding corpses?

At least, within Bai Zhou's line of sight, he could only see these dozens of ancient corpses in the pit.

The quantities don't match at all!
It can't just be a few dozen people fighting in the wilderness, with countless divine weapons raining down from the sky like firecrackers during the New Year, right?
Did they eventually fight to the point that civilization was wiped out?

Bai Zhou felt a sense of unease.

Despite the horror, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and continue exploring.

They come, the security.

Just as when it was abducted from Wancheng to Blue Star, Bai Zhou's adaptability has become increasingly tenacious.

Bai Zhou remembered that Ya had mentioned that exploring the Reflection Ruins required precise coordinates, and this golden pass should be bound to the teleportation anchor point here.

But the place was desolate and deserted, with only dust and ashes covering the desolate battlefield.

—Who knows which nook or cranny of the Reflection Ruins this ruin is in.

Given the vastness of the Reflection Ruins, it's no wonder the Special Administration has spent so many years just finding the coordinates of Night City...

Bai Zhou even had reason to suspect that no one else might have ever set foot here.

But if that's really the case—

Bai Zhou's expression tightened, and his heart skipped a beat.

If that's the case, then he has the exact coordinates of a great, unknown tomb of a civilization!
If the Special Administration finds out, what will their reaction be?
Even setting aside the colossal city in the sky, this wasteland right now could easily be used as a front for some random digging up of things and bringing them back to the Special Administration Bureau – it might all be a black box operation!
—An unclaimed black box, an unclaimed mysterious item—what does that mean?
An incredible opportunity!
Now, Bai Zhou felt it necessary to re-examine everything about the "last words".

Al's Despicable Lollipop, the Golden Pass... where are its limits?
With a "click",
Bai Zhou moved cautiously on the gravel, glancing nervously around.

The battlefield was littered with ownerless armor and broken blades, and no matter how badly they were broken, they were all basically of the same type.

On a single battlefield, there is only one type of equipment...

So, it was an internal rebellion?

By glimpsing a fragment of the battlefield ruins, we can gain more information about the civilization of that time, which will facilitate the White Boat's subsequent actions.

A scroll of blood and fire slowly unfolded before Bai Zhou.

Ancient images of soldiers clashing and fighting are vividly presented before my eyes.

A lost ancient civilization built a magnificent floating megacity in history, but during a rebellion, the megacity was upside down, and everything was destroyed.

Ultimately, as time passed, all history and secrets were buried.

Everything that died appeared on the far side of the blue planet, which records the end of everything and buries all ruins.

Appearing in this reflected ruins.

……is that so?
But Bai Zhou didn't want to spend the rest of his life in this "dead" world, even though it seemed to be his "hometown".

By the crimson moonlight, he examined the golden pass in his hand, his fingertips tracing the uneven texture on it.

The pass... since we were able to come, there's no reason why we can't go back.

Perhaps it's just missing a certain condition, like an activator such as "spirituality"...

But, what is it?

Bai Zhou believes that the answer to a riddle is often found on the surface of the riddle itself.

—It should be on this battlefield.

If we're talking about exploration, in this vast and boundless battlefield, the first thing to do is to look at the ancient corpses in the nearby mass graves.

But those last words were so grotesque and ominous that they sent chills down one's spine, making one instinctively keep one's distance.

Therefore, Shirazuki decided to start exploring other places first.

He didn't dare go too far, so he just wandered around the neighborhood.

Twisted ropes, decaying ancient trees, dried-up ancient wells, crumbling broken walls,
Broken swords and shattered blades, tattered shields and rusty spears, and various fragments of unknown origin.

And all sorts of bottles and jars...

The crimson moonlight silently illuminated the shattered wasteland, and furtive figures cautiously lingered in a corner of this lost ancient battlefield.

He tiptoed around, bending low and looking around nervously, his dark, bright eyes scanning every direction, not missing a single spot.

Broken bows and rusty swords, tattered spears and shattered knives, may look exquisite, but after countless years, they seem to possess no other wonders besides being tough enough.

"what is this?"

"Click-"

Bai Zhou picked up a severed black spear and found a trigger at the bottom.

However, nothing happened after I pressed the button.

Where the spear had severed the limb, there were several tightly wrapped animal tendons, like springs, but unfortunately, they were all broken.

Bai Zhou guessed that, under normal circumstances, the upper half of this spear might be launched using this device.

He also found several mechanical swords with pulley systems and unclear usage, but they were all rusted and unusable.

Bai Zhou even found two round shields that could fire hidden arrows, but they were both empty.

Pressing the mechanism opens the numerous arrow holes on the round shield, instantly turning it into a honeycomb...

Bai Zhou felt a chill run down his spine.

—What a sinister civilization!

Insidious! Despicable!
Is this all they rely on to fight?

The elaborate and insidious traps sent chills down Bai Zhou's spine, making him increasingly cautious in his exploration.

Because this means that there are likely still some traps and mechanisms waiting for him on this shattered battlefield!
I don't know what this civilization was thinking. Despite having an extraordinary level of technology, they chose to focus all their technological advancements on insidious purposes...

After a while, Bai Zhou found some weapons that looked extraordinary, faintly glowing in the dark ashes, their material unknown.

—Is it an extraordinary weapon?

Bai Zhou's eyes lit up.

But when Bai Zhou dug them out, rust quickly covered the entire weapon, dimming its luster and revealing no supernatural properties; it was simply heavy to the touch.

...It can be considered a cultural relic.

Time is truly the most terrifying thing. With the passage of time, history will be buried, civilization will be buried, and knowledge will turn into ashes.

Even extraordinary weapons and exquisitely crafted mechanical weapons will turn into rusty scrap metal.

Bai Zhou was certainly not willing to accept this.

Bai Zhouzai carefully inspected even the bottles and jars.

After a frantic search, Bai Zhou only found some semi-solidified, dark goo inside, which looked disgusting and whose purpose was unknown.

But after thinking about it, Bai Zhou decided to collect them anyway.

What if we take it to modern times and find it useful?
"crunch..."

Stepping on the shattered pottery shards scattered on the ground, Bai Zhou suddenly understood the words Ya had spoken—

A powerful extraordinary person is first and foremost an outstanding archaeologist and a skilled tomb raider.

indeed.

Isn't he currently conducting archaeological research—or rather, tomb raiding?

But wasn't he a bit too shabby as a tomb raider? He couldn't really be called a gold digger; he just ended up with his hands covered in dust.

With a sigh, the diligent Bai Zhou, holding a broken spear he had picked up in one hand and a tattered shield that was still somewhat usable in the other, continued to scrape the ground with great effort.

Unlike the insidious "hornet's nest" mechanism round shield, this half of the giant, dark shield is of unknown material, simple and unadorned, with only one distinctive feature—

Big enough! Hard enough!
Rather than a shield, it's more like a door panel; even half of it allows Bai Zhou to cower behind it, providing him with a very satisfying sense of security.

Beneath the inverted giant city,
The light of the red moon illuminated the figure of Bai Zhou, who was bent over, picking and selecting diligently.

As Bai Zhou had predicted.

There are indeed many traps here that haven't been triggered yet. Animal traps are commonplace, inconspicuous bushes can unleash poison arrows, and roadside weeds can spray corrosive liquid.

Even things that look like bird nests by the roadside will suddenly release hypnotic gas when people pass by.

They finally spotted a roadside statue and thought it might be valuable, but as soon as they got a little closer, the statue's demonic head opened its mouth and spewed fire at Bai Zhou.

Fortunately, Bai Zhou was cautious enough and stayed hidden behind the large shield the whole time.

—What exactly is this civilization for? Why does it reek of crooked and evil practices from top to bottom?
Bai Zhou gritted his teeth, staring at the large shield riddled with arrows and patches of black and green, cursing under his breath.

Fortunately, the moonlight did not disappoint the traveler, and the search for the ever-present white boat was not in vain.

In some ways, it could even be said that they returned with a full harvest.

A glowing broken sword, a rusty sword that inexplicably bleeds on its own, and a broken bow that inexplicably whistles as the wind blows through it;
There are also scattered arrows, which still retain their sharpness even as time passes.

A broken spear with a catapult mechanism, a broken knife that could fire hidden arrows, a bronze crossbow made of rotten rope and rusty gears, and a narrow cylindrical barrel with a spring embedded in it for an unknown purpose...

They were all carried back one trip after another by Bai Zhou and piled up together.

Bai Zhou didn't even spare those bottles and jars containing unknown, dark, and murky things; he brought them all back.

Standing in front of the pile of weapons, looking at the fruits of his labor over the past half day, Bai Zhou felt a pang of doubt.

That's it?

What happened to the plan to raid tombs and conduct archaeological research in the Reflection Ruins?
It looks more like they're scavenging or collecting scraps.
Would these things really be useful in the modern era...?

Despite his complaints, Bai Zhou still sorted and organized them, making this place his temporary base in the ruins.

Don't be fooled by their decaying state; they might actually be salvageable after some repairs.

What if hidden among these seemingly useless "junk" is a hidden gem that he hasn't yet identified?

Bai Zhou is content with what he has and finds joy in it.

After all, even the worst antique is valuable. I just wonder how many bags of coffee beans or how many packs of Four Delicacies Noodles it can be exchanged for.

...and so, after several rounds,
Aside from the mass grave, Bai Zhou quickly explored the surrounding area.

If you keep going, you'll find the winding path that leads straight to the cliff.

The ruins near the path are more numerous, and there are visibly more finds to be made, but the path is also more difficult to traverse, with fallen towering trees, piles of black ash, and shattered buildings everywhere.
On the cliff, a few balls of fire occasionally fall from the inverted giant city that looms over the sky, rolling silently into the abyss.

Standing before the path, Bai Zhou looked up at the inverted sky city, gazing at the massive, collapsed gear, and couldn't help but recall the fairy tales he had heard in the evening city...

The story goes that a cowherd discovered a magnificent castle while tending his cattle, and inside the castle lived a sleeping beauty who looked like a princess and loved to snore.

The cowherd fell in love with Sleeping Beauty at first sight, kissed her awake, and was then accused of burglary and indecent assault by her and reported to the Black Robe Enforcement Team.

So the cowherd was taken to the city square and burned to ashes.

"..."

Looking up at the sky, Bai Zhou let his thoughts wander freely.

Perhaps, on the ruins of this upside-down giant city, there is a sleeping beauty?

But his intuition told him that now was not the time to explore the trails, and he felt there were many new traps ahead.

Having learned enough lessons, Bai Zhou's thinking gradually began to align with that of this insidious civilization.

If a boulder rolls over this kind of path, it becomes difficult to even run...

Let's find out about the surrounding area first!

So he decided to stop on the path for the time being and turn back the way he came.

On the way back carrying the broken spear, Bai Zhou remained highly focused on scraping the ground.

—No, this is called the craftsman's spirit of paying attention to detail!

He studied in the Black Robe Training Corps.

"Clang! Clang!"

Passing by a low, broken wall, Bai Zhou brandished the broken spear he had just picked up and smashed the earthenware pot hidden in the corner.

Broken pottery shards were scattered all over the ground, and on the broken pottery jar base, something crawling inside was visible.

"what?"

Bai Zhou's hair stood on end. He clutched the broken spear tightly, took two steps back, and hid behind his shield, peeking out cautiously only from the edge of the shield.

—It turned out to be a half-rotten wooden horse covered in colorful paint.

It has clearly defined elbows, a majestic big head, and its cheeks are carefully painted with lovely pink blush, like two ripe apples.

It has a striking wind-up mechanism on its back, a round and large belly, like a giant pistachio shell painted with colorful paint, and a majestic red velvet cloak draped over its back.

The round eyes, painted with the brightest black paint, were full of kindness and curiosity, as if to say—

It's so nice to see you!

Perhaps, a long, long time ago,

This rocking horse was a carefully prepared gift from a couple to their child.

It will have a cute name, such as "Polly" or "Kaka", to accompany a child as they grow up.

However, before it could be taken out of the sealed earthenware jar, a war suddenly broke out.

It wasn't until many years later, when the white boat arrived here, that it saw the light of day again.

But these are just Bai Zhou's guesses.

...In the long river of history, some people have left a brilliant and colorful mark.

But many more ordinary people disappeared without a trace.

It wasn't until countless years later, when later generations set foot here, that they witnessed the traces of their existence on earth.

Although these later generations are merely standing before the door of history, peeking through the crack to catch a glimpse of the bustling scene behind it, they are futile attempts to recreate the vibrant tapestry of history.

But perhaps that's precisely the charm of excavating and exploring ancient ruins.

……

However, with the passage of time, the Trojan horse is no longer as impressive as it once was.

The wood was long rotten, faded, and full of cracks; the spring was rusty, and the red velvet cloak had become a tattered, dirty rag.

Bathed in the crimson moonlight, its cuteness and childlike innocence seemed out of place and incongruous with the surrounding ruins.

There was even a wisp of black mist faintly swirling around it.

...Black mist?
Bai Zhou suddenly froze.

Where did the black aura come from?
The black mist, like thin threads, clung to the face of the wooden horse, barely perceptible.

Whether it was a misperception or not, Bai Zhou suddenly felt that the wooden horse's facial features had inexplicably become lifelike...

It looks alive.

"...No offense intended."

Feeling a little uneasy under the stare of the wooden horse, Bai Zhou turned to leave.

Just then, a "click" sounded from the mechanism, and the spring in the ponytail started to spin automatically.

The rocking horse's belly opened, revealing a gear mechanism resembling a music box, which slowly rotated.

"Pitter-patter, pestle, pestle..."

The Trojan horse moved.

It swayed back and forth, raised its head, and stared straight at the white boat with its dark eyes.

Its mouth slowly opened, revealing a sinister smile.

Black mist slowly seeped out from the holes in the eyes and mouth.

The innocent and childlike nursery rhyme was sung by the slowly wound-up rocking horse as it swayed.

Bai Zhou couldn't understand that language, but a slight stirring of his spirituality made him inexplicably understand the meaning of the nursery rhyme.

The distorted sound was a bit harsh, but the lyrics were quite childlike and fun.

"Troy, Troy, wake up!"

"Troy, Troy, wake up!"

"..."

　July 22nd, sunny, the Great Heat, remember to eat ice cream.

　　I really enjoy the feeling of having ice cream in my stomach; I think I must have been a refrigerator in my past life.

　　By the way, could you please support me with your monthly votes?

　　If not, I'll come again next time.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)