Chapter 12: Resonance "Today is your first full-scale Armament Resonance Training ," said Zhong Lan, pulling down the projection screen at the front of the classroom. "Let's see if you can really hear your weapon's voice."
As her voice fell, the system interface lit up with circles of blue light.
"Remember, strength doesn't come from forcing it to obey. It comes from whether you can—see the memory together."
One by one, the resonance rings activated. Each student's Armament shimmered with a faint glow.
Across the room, Lin Kui stood in silence. The water mirror floated before her, perfectly still, its surface smooth and silent.
She bit her lip and tried again.
"…Are you still not willing?"
The mirror didn't react. On the other side, Nie Shi reached out and gripped his spear.
But this time, instead of blankness, his mind filled with the image of trees, shadowed woods, and the black spear standing alone at the edge of memory.
He didn't hear words, but he felt a call—a pull from the depths of emptiness.
And then, softly, he spoke:
"Your name… is Void."
The system responded immediately. [Binding Confirmed: Void]
[Path Established]
[Initial Sync Rate: 12.4%] A faint glow pulsed along the spear's shaft, like a star flickering into existence in the night.
Zhong Lan stood still, her gaze lingering on the data without a word.
She simply noted it down. After training ended, Lin Kui stayed behind.
The mirror remained unmoved.
She didn't force it. She just stood there and whispered, "It's okay if you don't want to talk. I'll wait."
She gave a small, bitter smile and turned to leave—
Only to hear quiet footsteps behind her.
Nie Shi was there.
He didn't say anything at first. He just walked up and stood beside her.
"…Can you hear it?" he asked.
Lin Kui shook her head.
"I can't hear any voice. No forest. Just… the mirror."
Nie Shi looked at it for a moment.
"Can you hear water?"
Lin Kui paused, then closed her eyes.
A few seconds later, she opened them slowly. "A little."
"That's enough," he said.
He gently placed his hand on hers, guiding it toward the mirror.
The surface rippled. Softly, gently—like an answer.
The system displayed: [Resonance Detected: +2.1%]
[Path not yet constructed / Preliminary sync confirmed] Lin Kui stared, wide-eyed.
"…It responded."
She turned to look at him. Her voice was soft, her smile quieter.
"Thank you."
Nie Shi didn't reply. He just withdrew his hand.
Then, as he walked out of the room, he spoke—his voice barely above a whisper:
"You're already close to it." Late at night.
The lights in the teaching building dimmed one by one.
Meng Yao walked into a deserted side lab and powered up a private terminal. His fingers tapped out a string of encrypted codes. [Connecting…]
[External Node Linked] The screen didn't show a face—only a static-lined voice channel.
"Report. ID: M-9."
Meng Yao spoke calmly:
"Target from E3 class has completed preliminary binding. Name: 'Void.' Sync rate stable. No signs of mental rejection."
"Path type: unknown. Likely self-guided resonance."
Silence.
"What about Lin Kui's Water Mirror?"
Meng Yao replied, "Not yet named, but signs of active response detected. Further confirmation needed."
"Has your cover been compromised?"
"No. All interactions remain natural."
Another short pause. Then the voice returned:
"Continue observation. Await next directive."
The connection ended.
Meng Yao removed his earpiece, stood, adjusted his collar, and stepped outside.
By the time he reentered the hallway, his usual soft smile was already back in place.
No one could tell anything had happened at all.