"Reinforcements. That's... a complicated ask."
A bitter smile crossed Jinhsi's face. Of course they wanted reinforcements. Every angle of the problem, though, led somewhere agonizing.
The War Threnodian, Ovathrax, grew stronger the bloodier the battle became. The more soldiers who died, the more power it gained. That single trait made it a nightmare unlike any other.
Anywhere else, a city facing annihilation would beg for every last body it could muster. Against Ovathrax, too many bodies meant a stronger enemy.
The Midnight Rangers had restructured years ago because of this. They recruited only battle-hardened Resonators now, veterans to the last.
An elite force, nothing else.
Maximum firepower in the smallest possible package.
Both Rovers had seen the results firsthand. The Rangers' individual combat prowess was staggering, their coordination seamless. A three-person squad could handle dozens of Tacet Discords without breaking stride.
All of it was designed to prevent escalation. Keep numbers low, minimize casualties among rank-and-file soldiers, and starve Ovathrax of the death and despair it fed on.
Reinforcements that only brought numbers? Jinzhou didn't refuse them out of pride. It couldn't afford them.
"Because of Ovathrax's nature, support from the rest of Huanglong has always come as technology, provisions, medicine, anything but troops. No one dares send soldiers lightly. And with the Threnodian's awakening imminent... I've already filed my report upward, but even if reinforcements were dispatched, they likely can't arrive in time."
Jinhsi shook her head. She didn't know how many days remained before the Threnodian stirred, but even an elite Resonator strike force would struggle to reach Jinzhou fast enough.
Rover's expression shifted. A few days?
Jinhsi was being optimistic.
Game and reality were different beasts, he knew that. But some intelligence still held. If the main storyline's timeline was anything to go by, the Threnodian would awaken tomorrow.
"Tomorrow?!" Both Jinhsi and the other Rover said it at the same time, stunned.
They'd known it was urgent. Not this urgent.
Neither doubted him. They both knew he wouldn't joke about something like this. But if he was right, no reinforcements from anywhere in Huanglong could possibly arrive in time.
"Not necessarily."
"What?"
"I know a group of people I can count on. If it's them, they might make it before the crisis hits. Every one of them is formidable in their own right. They'd make a real difference."
He said it with absolute certainty.
Jinhsi's hands clenched, a spark of desperate hope catching in her chest. If reinforcements like that existed...
"I'll try to contact them tonight. The situation is dire, but we should still have a night and half a day to prepare. That's enough time to change a lot."
His tone was grave, but steady. The window was narrow.
Still, it was better than the original timeline, where the Retroact Rain would come hammering down, Tacet Discords would swarm with no warning, and the Midnight Rangers would be left scrambling to mount a desperate, ragged defense.
"But reinforcements alone won't be enough. Jinzhou is missing the decisive piece, the one that tips the scales. Or rather, you have that piece. She's trapped, and she needs to be freed."
"You mean..."
"The Sentinel, Jué. This war needs her power."
His gaze was unwavering. Winning the Threnodian war with the forces at hand might be possible, barely. But he didn't want to win. He wanted to crush Ovathrax so completely it could never return.
To give this land called Jinzhou a lasting peace.
For that, Jué's power wasn't optional. It was essential.
"This crisis is also an opportunity. Jinhsi, I haven't lost my memories the way she has. What I know isn't everything, but I can tell you this: I know how to break the Sentinel free from her current prison. I may even know how to help her surpass her limits."
He paused.
"It's dangerous. There's no getting around that. But are you willing to take the gamble? We bet on Jinzhou's future being an era of peace."
He extended his hand.
This was the plan he'd been building for days, assembling piece by piece from every scrap of foreknowledge he possessed. The one path that might lead to a truly perfect ending.
A perfect ending.
Jinhsi studied him, those clear eyes measuring the Rover before her. Then she reached out and clasped his hand without hesitation.
"Thank you for everything you're doing for Jinzhou. Tell me the details. Whatever you need from me, I'll give it. Everything I have."
If it had been anyone else, she wouldn't have trusted so readily.
But this was different.
He was a Rover, the person Fractsidus was desperate to capture. The hero who had saved Jinzhou time and again across the ages. The one who, if the legends were true, had founded this city alongside the Sentinel herself. He'd earned the kind of trust you stake everything on.
For a fleeting moment, Jinhsi felt as though the dream she'd once had was continuing, unfolding into waking life.
Once he'd laid out the broad strokes of the plan, she departed without delay. There were preparations to make, more than she could count. Orders to relay to the Midnight Rangers stationed at Norfall Barrens.
The Threnodian war was coming.
Jinzhou locked into its highest alert.
All forces, prepare for the final battle.
The two Rovers, meanwhile, set out to contact their "reinforcements."