Chapter 45 · The Land of First Fracture, The Trial of Fire
Section I · Winds Don't Move, But Hearts Do
To the west of Gray Terrace, a deep rift separates the city from the old military line. The bottom of the gorge is shrouded in mist, littered with ruins and charcoal—piled into makeshift fortifications. This place was once the earliest military outpost on the outskirts of Iron Valley—the now-called "(Skullbone)."
The Skullbone Coalition was originally formed by remnants of the imperial border forces who established their own self-governed militia. They call themselves the "Old Army," upholding traditions through heavy cavalry patrols, rotating sentry duties, flag ceremonies, and martial discipline. Yet just these past two days, a single document—"Old Army Merit Recognition"—has stirred unrest within.
"Who truly embodies the soul of Skullbone?"
A large wall bears spray-painted words below two names:
"General Mishar (formerly of the Northern Third Division)"
"Captain Tang En (formerly of the Luminous Light Auxiliary Squad)"
Both deputies claim to have inherited command under the last wishes of fallen officers. Between watchtowers, whispers spread:
"I saw Tang En save fifty lives that night. Without him, Skullbone would've fallen."
"But Mishar has upheld strict discipline for three years, never firing a shot unnecessarily—not even TRACE dares provoke him."
This battle over legacy isn't fought with weapons, but the people of Skullbone know—this is more dangerous than gunfire.
—
When Jason received the ARGUS intelligence report, he was analyzing control over three supply routes in northwest Iron Valley. He didn't mobilize troops immediately, instead giving Zhao Mingxuan a subtle glance.
"Go to Skullbone." He said simply.
"Under what pretext?"
"Fire inspection."
Zhao Mingxuan smiled. "Are we here to put it out—or light it?"
Jason didn't smile back. He only replied calmly:
"We're not here to start the fire. We're here to let the wind rise. The fire will come from them."
At this moment, the Fuxi system softly displayed a prompt:
[☰ Wind Over Earth – Guan (Observation)
Situation Guidance: What is seen by many eyes is not meant to show others—but to observe momentum; do not act according to external force, but according to inner shift.
Philosophical Insight: The fracture does not begin on the battlefield, but in the struggle over the banner.
—
A three-man team quickly assembled: Zhao Mingxuan, Maria, and a false "fuel merchant" named Eden from the Starfire outer group. Disguised as a supply convoy, they entered the outskirts of Skullbone from the north.
Before entering the checkpoint, Zhao Mingxuan quietly switched his ARGUS terminal to "Fuzzy Consensus Capture Mode," designed to detect murmurs, sentiment flows, and key semantic feedback.
"Don't speak," Maria whispered.
"This land—we are strangers here."
Sure enough, the atmosphere inside the post was heavier than expected.
"Which side are you on?" This was how the Skullbone soldiers greeted them.
"I'm not taking sides," Zhao answered flatly. "I'm just delivering oil."
An older soldier sneered: "Skullbone doesn't burn oil. We burn blood."
Maria noticed a small scratch on his shoulder insignia—a covert signal mark used by the Starfire network. She whispered into her earpiece:
"The target can be provoked. Initiate Old Army Memory Test."
Zhao nodded slightly, turned, and asked the soldier:
"Heard you still use the 'three short, one long' drum rhythm at dawn? That's the Northern Third Division pattern, right?"
The soldier's expression changed: "How do you know that?"
"I used to deliver supplies. You remember things after hearing them enough."
He hesitated for several seconds before stepping aside.
"Mishar is holding drills in the south. Tang En is gathering forces in the north. We all know… this land won't hold much longer."
Zhao Mingxuan replied softly:
"It's not the land that can't hold—it's the hearts of men."
—
Deep within the Skullbone compound, banners still fluttered, but the crowd had already begun to divide—old army glory vs. new fiery ideals; traditional orders vs. autonomous will; passive defense vs. reform.
Jason observed the ARGUS map remotely from the outpost.
"They've already fractured internally."
"Won't you do something?" Wills asked.
"I won't interfere," Jason shook his head. "I want them to say one sentence themselves: 'If we don't stand up, then the fire was never ours.'"
Zhao Mingxuan and his team disappeared into the crowd, becoming the first immovable spark—
And the crowd itself would decide whether to ignite.
Section II · Hidden Lines, Faith Gambits
In the central square of the Skullbone Coalition, the standoff between two deputies continued.
General Mishar stood atop the steps, clad in pristine uniform, reciting the old army oath:
"Loyal until death, never retreating; protect the people without shame, uphold the banner unbroken."
Below stood rows of armored knights—solemn, yet hesitant.
Meanwhile, Captain Tang En wore modified combat gear—stripped of medals, wrapped in a white cloth arm band marked in charcoal: "Fire Justice".
He did not shout. Instead, he walked among the crowd and said quietly:
"Have you seen the fire? It is not in me, nor in him. It is in your hearts."
"A saying passed down," an elder veteran muttered. "But we need orders to fight—not emotions."
Tang En met his gaze calmly:
"But do you remember why those orders were given? To protect the Empire? Or to protect the people beside you?"
The square fell silent.
—
Nearby, in a temporary watchtower window, Zhao Mingxuan sat before a dusty weapon cabinet, recording semantic interactions while operating the ARGUS observation interface.
Maria leaned by the window, watching the flagpole across the square:
"The fire is already on their tongues, but they think it's about swords."
"That's exactly the ARGUS judgment field," Zhao said softly. "When people begin questioning the original order, yet haven't fully grasped the new structure—they aren't listening to who speaks, but judging who speaks like fire."
He lightly tapped a command: [Semantic Memetic Collection]
ARGUS responded instantly:
[Keyword Match]: Old Army Loyalty (64%) × Fire Justice Belief (71%)
[Ignition Factor]: Power Legitimacy + Honor Belonging + Survival Anxiety
[Behavior Prediction]: Emerging "Square Split" × Faith Affiliation Debate × Memetic Replication Tendency
—
On the square, spontaneous debate began to erupt.
Someone shouted:
"The Old Army is dead, but we live. We can't die again!"
"But without Mishar, we couldn't even keep our final military banner!"
" Tang En saved my brother. That's not fire—that's life!"
Emotions flared, but neither side moved first.
Suddenly, a young man yelled:
"Do you know about the 'Dual Fires'? I saw a flyer! 'When the dual fires converge, the Empire falls!'"
All voices ceased.
Mishar turned sharply: "Which unit are you from?"
"I'm not from any unit—I was transferred from logistics."
"What else did you see?" Tang En asked.
"I… I don't know. I just know I don't want to wait for orders anymore. I want to know—who leads the living?"
That sentence became a spark igniting the suppressed tension.
—
Zhao Mingxuan's eyes flickered:
"Was he our planted seed?"
Maria shook her head:
"No. He's the kind that grows on his own."
"Can he survive?"
Maria replied grimly:
"It doesn't matter if he survives. His fire isn't meant to live—it's meant to be seen."
—
Far east in the outpost, Jason listened to the ARGUS audio feed without speaking. He issued one quiet command to the terminal:
[Adjust Parameters: Mark "Fire Justice Speech" as "Ambiguous Signal", default processing method by ARGUS—Silence.]
At that moment, Fuxi surfaced a philosophical insight:
"Zhuangzi·Human World"says: One who nourishes energy through speech is shallow; one who carries truth in silence runs deeper.
[Strategy Prompt]
When participants judge who "speaks like fire," true fire needs no explanation—it only needs to exist.
—
The debate in the square gradually quieted—not because anyone won, but because no one could argue clearly anymore.
An elder veteran finally stepped forward and said softly:
"This banner belongs to whoever can protect it best—not Mishar, not Tang En. Not anymore."
He walked to the flagpole, tore down the old army banner, and wrote one word in charcoal: "Justice."
Then he re-erected it. No one objected.
—
Zhao Mingxuan's eyes flickered with emotion:
"He wasn't our fireseed, but he completed what we came to do."
Maria said quietly:
"You understand now. We weren't teaching them to light fire—we were waiting for them to find it themselves."
Section III · Three Paths Emerge, Real and Illusion Clash
Iron Valley's terrain is rugged, surrounded by the Iron-Break Mountains, sloping low in the south and rising steeply in the north. Skullbone Coalition occupies the western side—the only tactical stronghold leading to the abandoned railway transfer station; the eastern sector is controlled by Mist Market's decentralized district; while the central region remains tense at the border between Refinery Commune and Steel Gate Gang.
Jason stood before an unfolded map, his finger lightly tapping three red circles:
"We've got initial beacon reactions—West: Skullbone has shifted; Central: Refinery Commune sent out an urgent chemical supply request; East: Mist Market is circulating a strange rumor."
"What kind of rumor?" Zhao Mingxuan asked.
"Someone whispered into the ear of the Mist Market leader: *'The fire has already placed its bet.'*" Jason said calmly. "But who placed it? How? No one dares say."
"Did we place it?" Maria raised an eyebrow.
"We just scattered some bones," Jason replied, eyes lowering as he observed the Fuxi system generating a structural chart:
[Three-Path Strategy Simulation Loading]
☰ Hexagram: Earth Over Heaven – Tai (Harmony)
''Hexagram Meaning:'' Communication flows smoothly between high and low; favorable for internal and external coordination.
''Suggestion:'' Open up situational guidance, use "uncertainty of signals" to create cognitive anxiety, then employ "symbolic ownership struggle" to provoke physical confrontation.
He closed his eyes, murmuring:
"The fire doesn't come first—it is recognized later; not passed down, but seized."
—
In the central Refinery Commune—a semi-autonomous body formed from factory self-defense units—military strength is weak, but they control the only stable waste refining furnace in Iron Valley.
ARGUS feedback showed:
''[Signal Anomaly]:'' Increased material dispatch frequency × Internal signal interference × Unauthorized broadcast content appearing on node maps.
"Signs of internal conflict?" Lisa asked.
"No," Zhao Mingxuan corrected gently, "it's faith spreading. That declaration isn't ours, but the content… feels familiar."
Jason nodded: "This shows that 'faith resonance' has exceeded system control. We only need to do one thing—make them believe it was each other influencing each other."
Maria quickly pulled up the ARGUS feedback chain:
"So who will feel threatened first?"
"The Steel Gate Gang," Jason answered. "They have force, resources—but no faith. To them, fire is both poison and bargaining chip."
"So they'll strike first," Wills said slowly.
"At whom?"
"At whoever moves too fast."
—
Meanwhile, in the eastern Mist Market.
Inside an underground fighting arena, a match titled "Flame War" was quietly heating up. The crowd roared below, while deeper inside the monitoring room, a woman silently stared at the projection screen.
Her name was Erin, intelligence officer under the Mist Market leader—and the one who heard 'The fire has already placed its bet.'
"You think?" the market leader asked slowly.
"The fire placing a bet doesn't matter," Erin replied coolly. "What matters is whether we're willing to be used as chips."
"You don't think we are?"
"We always were—we just know it now."
—
System data synchronized back to Jason's terminal:
[Three-path fuse stabilized × Local Faith Infection Level: B]
He spoke softly:
"Mingxuan, relay orders to Starfire outer nodes—activate the 'Virtual Claim Protocol.'"
Zhao Mingxuan understood immediately:
"You mean simultaneous appearance of 'unverified Luminous Legion representatives' across regions?"
"Exactly," Jason said calmly. "Let every place see fire rising, but let none confirm if it's truly us."
"That could invite suspicion," Maria warned.
"Suspicion itself," Jason said gravely, "is the sharpest flame. We don't need to prove who we are—we only need them to argue who *isn't.*"
—
Fuxi displayed another insight:
[The image of fire lies not in burning, but in contention. Where the battle leads, belief follows.]
---
Section IV · Storm Rising at Steel Gate, Testing the Blade
The Steel Gate Gang was the most powerful among Iron Valley's nine factions. Born from a mining revolt, they wielded modified heavy firearms and controlled nearly thirty resource nodes. Their logic was simple: touch our mine, we break your head.
That evening, atop the mining pit's highest point, Steel Gate leader **Log Kaine** stood watching a wisp of black smoke rise in the distance. His right hand gripped an automatic short-barrel nail hammer, his left shoulder draped with carbon-fiber bulletproof cloth—a war god risen from molten steel.
"They say it came from the 'Fire Seed Meeting,'" his aide whispered beside him.
"Which *they*?" Log growled.
"Skullbone says it's Mist Market. Mist Market blames Refinery. Refinery says it's our own people."
Log didn't respond, only staring at the smoke rising precisely at the neutral zone where all three territories met.
"Aid," he finally said, "you ever hear this saying—'Fire finds its own fuel'?"
His aid lowered his voice: "Isn't there too much fuel now?"
Log chuckled darkly: "No—it's too damp. Needs drying before it'll burn."
He turned sharply:
"Assemble Third Squad, bring five shield-breakers. Let's go test that smoke field."
"Test who?"
"Whoever comes out—gets unlucky."
—
At the same time, the ARGUS system had already detected Steel Gate's movement.
Maria reported urgently to Jason:
"They've mobilized frontline 'Hookbreaker' tanks, arriving at the beacon zone in five minutes."
"Who's at that location?" Jason pressed.
"No major forces, but… we did set up a speech node."
"Whose?"
"Outer Node F-6: Silver Rock Squad, a three-person independent group. They claim Luminous affiliation… not officially registered."
"Do they know it's a trial?"
"They don't," Maria said quietly. "But they volunteered to stay—said they wanted to be real 'signals.'"
Jason fell silent for a long moment.
Finally, he said:
"We gave them one instruction—'Don't act too convincing, but don't fear if they actually believe you are the fire.' Now looks like—they acted convincing enough."
—
On the wasteland, the makeshift stage of the Silver Rock Squad hosted three figures addressing a dozen displaced civilians.
"You don't need to wait for orders, nor listen to what we say. If you want to live more like humans, you must decide when to light the fire yourself," one of them declared.
Then came the sound of metal tracks grinding against gravel—the Steel Gate tanks arrived.
Crowd began scattering, someone cursing: "Damn, so it really *was* the fire… we're done."
The three didn't move.
Their leader simply set down the megaphone and said:
"If we die today—remember one line."
He pointed at the wooden sign beneath their feet:
"We didn't light the fire. You just had the fuel."
—
Gunshots rang out.
—
When Jason received the news, the ARGUS memetic resonance graph spiked violently.
[Resonance Index: 0.83]
[Memetic Spread Accelerated × Self-identification Behavior Enhanced]
Zhao Mingxuan whispered:
"This… faster than expected."
Jason's gaze remained cold:
"Because they did something we wouldn't dare."
Maria bit her lip:
"We can't let this sacrifice be in vain."
"It won't," Jason said deeply. "Steel Gate struck the first blade. Now—let's see which other factions dare draw the second."
—
[Fuxi Philosophy]
"Zuo Zhuan·Xuanguan 3rd Year"says: Small trust fails to earn loyalty; great trust invites deception. Minor righteousness struggles to act; grand righteousness risks peril.
[Strategic Guidance]
Not everyone should stand on the pyre, but sometimes someone must light the first bundle of sticks. Before the Luminous arrives, the fire has already taken root in hearts.
---
Section V · Rumors Through Streets, Fire Without Form
After the "Trial by Fire" incident at Steel Gate, rumors surged across Iron Valley.
No one directly stated what happened, yet nearly everyone had heard of the three "Luminous speakers" shot down in the wastelands—some versions claimed they shouted freedom until death, others said they merely watched the sky.
In alleyways and markets, whispers spread: "They were Luminous soldiers." No one truly knew what Luminous soldiers looked like.
—
In the southern workshop of the Refinery Commune, an old technician named ''Gur'' shook his head:
"The fire isn't those shouting far away—it's those willing to be mistakenly killed beside you."
A young worker trembled: "So what should we do? Should we… take action?"
"Still waiting for orders?" Gur countered.
"I…" the youth hesitated.
Gur looked out the window at sparks flying from welding tools:
"You think they waited for orders? They just welded their own beliefs."
—
Meanwhile, in the Mist Market, an emergency council convened.
Market Leader ''Tak'' sat expressionless, scanning the dozen or so commanders before him:
"Who still thinks we can remain neutral?"
Silence.
He held up a photo—the last blurred image of one of the Silver Rock members falling. He pointed:
"This is today's wager. Not money, not victory—but where the fire truly lies."
"Someone has already placed their bet on us," Erin said quietly.
"I know," Tak nodded. "Now—we either become the ones placing bets… or the pawns that ''were'' bet upon."
—
As night fell, the ARGUS data board lit up with multiple anomalies.
Maria monitored closely:
"The system detects spontaneous memetic amplification nodes… People are beginning to construct their own 'logic of fire.'"
"What logic?" Jason approached.
"Luminous Army is no longer an organization—it's a myth; fire needs no proof, only emotion; enemies are uncertain, even friends more so."
"Perfect," Jason nodded.
Lisa suddenly asked: "Won't you fear losing control?"
"I do," Jason admitted. "But I fear disbelief more."
"So what now?" Zhao Mingxuan asked.
Jason's gaze sharpened:
"We shift to Phase Two: Generate ambiguous action signals—make every location believe they are the center."
His fingers tapped the map:
"To Refinery Commune—drop a flyer claiming *'True Luminous Army has moved in.'
To Mist Market—stage a 'Trial by Fire' fight gamble.
To Steel Gate—engrave Silver Rock's final words onto their mine walls."
—
All three actions launched simultaneously.
The city's night was illuminated by lights belonging to no empire.
—
[Fuxi Prompt]
''☰ Wind Over Fire – Family of Flame''
''Guidance:''Fire spreads with wind; family unites in heart. Faith needs no flag—only direction.
→ True control isn't suppressing information, but guiding it when it runs wild.
---
Section VI · Proof of "Fire"—Need Not Be Lit
TRACE West Sector Surveillance Station, Division VII.
"How many people are now spreading 'Luminous Army' stories?" The intelligence officer handed a projection chart to Commander Hermann.
Hermann glanced briefly, sneering:
"More than those we've captured as fire carriers."
"They aren't fire," the aide added softly. "They're just… storytellers."
"But that's where fire becomes cunning," Hermann walked toward the screen. "They no longer try proving who they are—instead, they make everyone question whether ''they themselves'' are."
He swiped the screen, switching to dozens of civilian profiles marked *"Memetic Infection Pending."
"You understand?" Hermann turned back. "This isn't war—it's a mass psychological test. Those who pass… become fire."
—
In the east street of Mist Market, the gambling match "Trial by Fire" officially opened.
Fighters were no longer mere brawlers, but assigned roles as "faith representatives." Before each match, the host recited a story—some claimed the fighter belonged to a destroyed small group, others said they saved lives in a mine collapse, some said they were exiled for refusing imperial registration.
Truth indistinguishable, but passion genuine.
Tak sat at the top box, eyes icy.
Erin beside him softly asked:
"Do you know which one is the real fire?"
Tak shook his head:
"No need to know. What we need isn't who they are—but who the audience sees."
"What if the audience believes wrongly?"
"Then we help them 'believe correctly.'"
He let slip a flyer from his hand, bearing the words:
"Next Luminous Army Appearance: Northern Mine Line District 3."
—
Meanwhile, miners in Northern Mine Line District 3 stared at newly carved words on a wall overnight:
"You don't fear the Empire. The Empire fears you might stop fearing it."
An old miner traced the letters, face complex.
A younger one asked: "You believe this is real fire work?"
The elder shook his head:
"Truth doesn't matter. This sentence shouldn't only be spoken by fire."
"Then who speaks it?"
The old man lifted his head, gazing across the entire mine pit:
"We do."
—
The ARGUS signal distribution map expanded steadily on Jason's terminal, forming a star-shaped pattern, the core labeled: GrayFlare Index: 0.92.
[GrayFlare Index]—Measures collective belief behavior without direct organizational confirmation but possessing memetic activity. Higher index means fire no longer requires command, but ignites autonomously.
Zhao Mingxuan watched the chart:
"This index is rising too fast. If it keeps climbing, we'll lose control."
Jason remained calm:
"It's not about control anymore—it's time to release."
"But we just started deploying strategy—now it's… flying."
"Let it fly," Jason said softly. "The fire doesn't need us proving its existence—it exists because it chose to."
—
Under the lamp post, Maria recorded a passage:
[Fuxi Philosophy]:"Han Feizi·External Storage Left I"says: Truth lies beyond right and wrong; things exist beyond profit and harm. The wise don't chase names, but fulfill substance.
→ Fire is not believed because of its name, but because of its effect.