Silent Crown

by Feng Yue

  “But I can’t keep hiding here, right?” Ye Qingxuan pulled down his hat sadly, “Look, I’ve been hiding here for so long. I’ve flipped through so many books, trying to find an explanation, but I still don’t have a solution.

  “I can hide here for ten years—I don’t care. But what about you guys? You and Bai Xi can’t stay here forever, right? We didn’t do anything wrong. Why do we have to run for our lives when we’re just going out to buy something? Someone has to solve this. If I don’t go, who will?”

  Charles did not reply. With a bottle in his hand, he gazed at the youth wordlessly. After a pause, he sighed and downed the bottle with a tilt of his head, “Okay, don’t say that I won’t help you. Follow me.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “The basement.”

  —

  Charles turned on the lights one by one, illuminating the entire basement. He pushed the now-useless piano to one side of the empty basement and walked over to a pile in the corner, covered by a dust cloth. The pile of what looked like broken machines took up a good portion of the basement. When Charles lifted the dust cloth, the smell of oil and rust radiated from it.

  “Senior, what are you looking for?” the youth asked curiously, seeing all of this.

  Charles glanced at him tiredly, “Yezi, this was my workshop. You’ve been here for a month. Have you never wondered what all this was for?”

  “No…” Ye Qingxuan said, a bit embarrassed. “I don’t usually touch people’s things without their permission.”

  “Are you always so polite for such unnecessary things?” Charles tugged at the dust cloth with difficulty, “Come on, give me a hand.” With both of their efforts, the heavy dust cloth was finally lifted and thrown to the corner. The sleeping workshop was finally revealed under the light. Ye looked at all of the unfinished items.

  They seemed to be a giant handicapped iron bat; a machine-powered carriage missing two wheels; an article of leather clothing that could cover the entire body, including the head, with two glass lenses for the eyes. There was also rusted copper full-body armor, but the chest piece was filled with chains…

  “What is this?” The youth reached over to feel the inside of the armor, observing a sequence inside, “This conductive structure is to make it move?”

  “This…I made this when I was thirteen or fourteen.” Charles squatted beside Ye Qingxuan and scratched his head in embarrassment, “I was confident that I could create a mechanic puppet to play with me. I even decided to name it Pinocchio. But sadly, I never succeeded. It’s so hard to get the center of gravity right.”

  “You used all of these parts just to create a machine that can walk?” Ye Qingxuan could not comprehend it.

  “Haha, who knows how kids think? I guess I was just bored…” Charles stared deeply at the puppet’s heart. On it were the words: my friend, Pinocchio.

  “It’s all in the past. I don’t need it anymore.” Charles pulled the dust cloth over the junk, covering the armor. “Come with me. I have something to give you.”

  106 Dungeon Gentleman

  “You designed all this?” Ye Qingxuan glanced around at everything scattered throughout the workshop.

  “Yeah, you know, I’m the nationally recognized failure. Nothing works out no matter how hard I try to be a musician, so to kill time, I just make some weird things.

  “There are a lot of mentions of machines from before the Dark Ages in ancient texts. All of them are so amazing they sound like myths. Apparently, they could shrink people and put them in a small box so you could watch them sing and dance. ‘Till this day, people still believe that people in the past could shake a steel box and create a pretty girl to enjoy the night with. It was such an incredible era…” As Charles spoke, his expression became dazed, but when he realized that he was getting off topic, he coughed and quickly refocused.

  “Anyway, please don’t mind. I just wanted to make some things and maybe make some money, but I actually put a lot of money into this and now I’ve got loan sharks on my back, but I still made some pretty cool stuff.”

  He pointed at the giant bat-like iron structure with a membrane pulled over it, “Look at this one. It’s a flapping aero-machine! I got the inspiration from the Wright Brothers! I jumped off of the Tower Bridge with this and flew for more than a hundred meters!”

  “…Senior, the Tower Bridge is one-hundred meters tall. It would probably be the same as if you had just jumped down directly.”

  “Uh, let’s not worry about specifics. Look at this!” Charles pointed at the mechanic carriage in the corner, “This carriage doesn’t need the power of horses. You can power it just by hand! Isn’t it great? It’s a totally revolutionary innovation!”

  Ye Qingxuan’s face twitched, “Senior, bicycles have existed for a long time. What did you change other than turning the pedal into a bar for hands?”

  “I changed a lot, alright? Look at this! It’s seriously revolutionary!” Suddenly excited, Charles jumped onto the carriage. He lifted a machine the size of a melon and placed it before Ye Qingxuan.

  “Look, an aether engine! I designed an entirely new motor system so it’s powered by the aether! The metal inside is magnetized, creating a magnetic field that produces an electric current. This is just a model but it can…uh, it can kind of work, probably? But unfortunately we’re in a chaotic aether zone and it’s not stable enough. I can’t make it completely soundless.” As he spoke, he stepped onto the motor. He stuck a handle inside and began spinning it furiously. Brought on by the spinning handle, the motor began shaking. As if it was already starting to run, it produced a thunderous and deafening sound!

  Ye Qingxuan was unsure if they had the same definitions for words, “It’s not soundless…it’s practically a freaking explosion!”

  In early times, when man first started researching mechanic power systems, they had thought it would be a revolutionary and world-changing invention. All of humanity would benefit from it. But soon, the natural environment cruelly rejected the power system. It was okay in the safety zone of the mainland, but once the density of aether was raised to a certain point, the activity would multiply exponentially. If the density rose too high, it would create the Dark World, which was the black zone on the map. The aether would react to any sound there. It was a vacuum, entirely void of sound. Even the sound of clothes rustling would lead to unforeseeable changes, not to mention the sounds of multiple power systems activating. The uncontrollable aether would create disastrous results. The most common was…explosion, explosion, explosion!

  “Senior, your inventions will be seen as weapons!”

  Charles face fell under Ye Qingxuan’s heartless criticism, but he became excited again quickly. Pointing at a small thing on the aether engine, he said, “Sh, don’t talk. Use your heart to feel…”

  Ye Qingxuan stared at the glass shade the size of a thumb sitting on the aether engine. Some type of metal thread inside slowly lit up. It flickered with the weak light of a candle, but at least it lit up.

  “What do you think? Isn’t it awesome?” Charles gestured excitedly, “This is an entirely new type of illumination. You can turn the heat of gold thread into light! I experimented with hundreds of materials before I found the best match. Do you want to know? Do you wanna know?” He batted his lashes in anticipation. He seemed to be waiting for a chance to brag, his eyes saying, “All you have to do is ask and I’ll tell you.”

  Ye Qingxuan helplessly looked away, “Am I even allowed to say no?” He could not bear to remind Charles that the ‘masterpiece’ he had worked so hard to light up was not even as powerful as a new student’s rune effect. He could only try changing the subject, “Uh, Senior, didn’t you say you have something for me?”

  “Ah, I almost forgot. Just a second.” Tapping his forehead, Charles began rifling through the pile of random trash. After a bunch of crashes and thuds, he finally cheered, pulling out something rolled into a ball. “Here it is! Try it on?” With that, he shook out the thing in
his hand. “This is the result of all of these years of hard work and research.”

  “For some reason, hearing you say that makes me not want to wear it…” Ye Qingxuan sighed out of habit, but when his gaze fell on the thing in Charles’s hands, he froze and could no longer look away because in his hands was a black robe.

  It seemed to be made of crude and rough leather. Not only had the marks not been wiped away, but there were even some scales still on it. Red scales flashed in contrast with the black leather, covering the left shoulder and arm, making it seem beastly.

  Amateur cuts and skills sewed the leather into a crude robe. The beastliness was forced into the appearance of a gentleman, but rather than seeming civilized, it looked even more menacing. Rather than calling it a robe, it would be better to be called a strange leather vest. Only an explorer of the Dark World would wear something as unfeeling. Every corner was designed with a function in mind. Even the sleeve cuff had a place for a bow, and there were many slots for weapons on the belt.

  Ye Qingxuan’s mind went blank as he glanced at the robe. He walked over subconsciously, feeling it, “What is this?”

  “Last year, I signed up to explore the Dark World but I didn’t get chosen.” Charles shook the robe, “This is what I made when I decided to sign up. It was designed with the trendiest style in mind. I call it the Dungeon Gentleman.” His features danced as he showed Ye Qingxuan his design, “I made the outer layer with dragon skin, and the inside is made from some leftovers from when I made a parachute—it’s fabric from the web of the white copper spider. Its strength is no joke. It can withstand piercings from any regular blade. But just in case, I added steel plates in the vital areas.

  “Because of how complex the Dark World is, this robe is fireproof. It keeps you warm when it’s cold, and is even resistant to acid. To deal with different situations, there’s also some extra buttons and hooks. You can hang or connect other objects. There’s also a slot for chant materials.” Shaking the odd robe, he sighed, “The only downside is that I forgot to measure it. When I finished, I realized it was too small and I couldn’t wear it.” He tossed the Dungeon Gentleman to Ye Qingxuan, “It should be perfect for you. Try it on!”

  The black robe landed in Ye Qingxuan’s hands heavily. It was not as light as its counterparts. After hesitating for a second, Ye Qingxuan took off his jacket and put the beastly robe on. It fit him perfectly as if it were tailored for his body! After he pulled up the zipper and did the buttons one by one, he suddenly heard a light pop from behind him, and his stomach sank.

  Crackle! Pop! An ice-cold steel plate in the lining stuck out as the robe was pulled tight, sticking to his spine. A similar feeling came from his arms, waist and joints, as if something had latched onto his body.

  “What is this?” Ye Qingxuan thought of a myth, but he was not sure.

  Charles smiled mysteriously, “Have you heard of the gospel armor of the Knights Templar?”

  “No way.” Ye Qingxuan refused to believe it. The gospel armor was the biggest military mechanism of the Church, and the weapon of the Knights Templar. The Knights who wore the mechanical armor were blessed with strength from God and fought with extreme power. Whether they were fighting a demon or a monster, the enemy was nothing before these knights!

  “Haha, the formula for the alloy and design of the armor is top secret knowledge. How could I have gotten it? I just got the inspiration from the legends of Knights Templar. I call this Iron Bone.

  “It’s a tight-fitting outer auxiliary bone. I replaced the heavy armor with leather and sacrificed the protection. This iron bone structure can bear the reaction force for you, so your own strength can increase. It’s like having a prosthetic. It’s a total savior when you need to run for your life. I swear on my soul that even a lame man can run faster than a regular person when wearing this!”

  “…Senior, you used all of these fancy terms to describe it just to tell me I can use it to escape?”

  “Hey, you’re lucky to get to wear it. Stop nitpicking!” Charles knelt down with a small wrench and began tightening and loosening various screws, tailoring the robe further. In the end, it was tight as a body suit and fit Ye Qingxuan perfectly.

  “Okay, try jumping!”

  107 I’ll Be Back Soon

  “Okay, now try jumping!”

  Ye Qingxuan obeyed, but then his vision blurred and he almost crashed into the ceiling! Mind going blank, he was a heap on the ground before he could react. The basement ceiling was low but it was at least three meters high, which meant that just by jumping slightly, he had shot up more than one meter! Usually, he would need three layers of the rune Flow to achieve this.

  “Scared?” Charles smiled proudly, “Back in the day, I carved all of the auxiliary runes I knew, just in case. It’s pretty basic as alchemy equipment, but at least you won’t need to use Flow and other weird methods to run.” He walked around the youth in satisfaction and patted his shoulder, “The effect is pretty good. With your physical strength, you can escape from everyone and anything as long as you don’t come face to face with something as crazy as the legendary Butcher.

  “I also have openings and slots for upgrades. If you can find the frame of a complex note armor, you can instantly turn into someone awesome like Knight Templar! Just imagine you punch like usual, but now your fist can go through a steel wall! Then nothing in Avalon would be able to stop you, other than the armor of the Round Table Knights!”

  “But I have to get a complete frame of a complex note armor first, right?” Ye Qingxuan rolled his eyes, “Senior, why don’t you just wish that the Sword in the Stone will accept me as its master, and suddenly get taken to the palace to become the future king of Anglo?”

  “Wow, I didn’t know you had such a good imagination! If you’re the master of the Sword in the Stone, then shouldn’t I be taken to the sacred city to be the pope?”

  “Hey, who was the one that first started fantasizing?”

  “I was just thinking for you!” Cackling, Charles tossed over a jar of something. “Here, rub it on yourself.”

  “What is this?”

  “You don’t want to be discovered as soon as you go out, right?” He pointed at Ye Qingxuan’s hair. “Long-lasting hair dye. Blonde. You can’t get rid of it with water. It only dissolves with Tung oil. With this on, nobody will be able to tell you’re Eastern.”

  “Why didn’t you give this to me earlier?” Ye Qingxuan grabbed the ointment and began rubbing it in carefully. When he was done, Charles brought over the mirror. They were both stunned. The boy in the reflection was purely Western. The long hair was now light blonde, completely different from before.

  Charles took two steps back, giving him a once-over. In the end, he realized that there was still something missing. Charles looked around for a long time before he finally put a hunting hat on Ye Qingxuan’s head. Now, the harmless Eastern kid had disappeared. Instead, there was a gloomy youth, pale face in stark contrast with his black robe.

  Ye Qingxuan smirked, instantly turning eerie. If not for the Dungeon Gentleman’s menacing aura, he would look like a cheap version of Hermes at first glance.

  But Charles was still shoving things at him, like a salesman eager to get the rich customer to spend even more money. “Look at this. Helps you breathe underwater.”

  “Uh, it might be useful?”

  “Hand-cranked lockpicker. It’s totally easy to pick locks now!”

  “I don’t think I’d use that.”

  “This catapult hook is a must for scaling walls!”

  “Do I need it?” Ye Qingxuan asked, at his limit.

  “What about this?” Charles shoved a mask and two steel canisters. “A gas mask and smoke bombs? I put a bunch of pepper into the smoke bombs. No one will be able to breathe after it explodes!”

  “…Sorry, I don’t need that either.”

  When Charles finally could not find anything else wrong with him, his gaze fell on the youth’s fingers. “This one, this weird ring
, take it off. If you want to hide your identity, you can’t leave behind any trace.”

  “No need,” Ye Qingxuan chuckled. His fingers flitted over the ring. The instrument strings wrapped around it suddenly shot out, twanging. “I remember this is…” He thought for a bit, thinking back to the frustration carved into his mind, and began chanting.

  Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!

  Layers of crystals suddenly covered the delicate strings. The aether rested on the surface, and transformed into something smooth like black metal. As a highly expensive adjustable instrument, its appearance was no problem at all—the technology was designed to make large instruments portable. Merely changing the outer appearance was as easy as lifting a finger.

  Under Ye Qingxuan’s careful control, Jiu Xiao Huan Pei slowly changed. Finally, it became a black cane in his hand. Ye Qingxuan gripped the cane and twirled it before tapping it against the floor. Rather than a muted thud, it created a crisp and delicate sound, like jade pearls rolling on a copper plate. It was the sound of an instrument string thrumming.

  “What about now?” Under the shadow of the hat, the youth smiled slyly.

  “This is…an instrument?” Charles moved closer. Before he could say anything, a faint noise sounded in his ears. It was the melody of despair that flowed like a black river. The melody snaked into his ears, burrowing into his soul like a live creature, echoing coldly. As his vision went dark, Charles sat onto the ground subconsciously. Very quickly, the sound dissipated and he could see again. But when he looked at the youth, his eyes were full of shock.

  “The first measure of Black Friday? Since when could you play complex notes? You’ve reached the Rhythm level!”

  “I’m just a fake. Deep down, I’m still just a student.” Ye Qingxuan smiled in self-deprecation, “Most people go into complex notes after they learn all basic notes, but I’m probably the only one who learned how to perform complex notes before I even learned all of the basics, right?”