Chapter 64 - Sixty-Two: The City That Remembered.

Chapter 64: Chapter Sixty-Two: The City That Remembered.

WELCOME HOME, KEEPER.

Lin Yue stared at the words.

She didn’t move.

She didn’t breathe.

For several seconds, the Golden Space seemed frozen.

Then Shen Rui spoke.

"Lin Yue."

She blinked.

"Yes?"

"You’re staring."

"I know."

"At the same message."

"I know."

"Do you intend to keep staring?"

She finally looked at him.

"I am trying to determine whether this is another magical mystery or simply the Golden Space being dramatic."

Lumi floated beside them.

"It isn’t being dramatic."

Lin Yue raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"That’s disappointing."

Lumi frowned.

"Why?"

"I was hoping we could blame the tree."

Shen Rui laughed.

Even Lumi smiled.

But the laughter faded quickly.

Because the message remained.

WELCOME HOME, KEEPER. The Active Population

Lin Yue pointed at the map.

"Let’s start with the facts."

Shen Rui nodded.

Lumi floated closer.

"The First City is active."

"What does active mean?"

"Someone is living there."

"How many?"

"I don’t know."

"Are they human?"

Lumi hesitated.

"I believe so."

Lin Yue narrowed her eyes.

"Believe?"

"I cannot see inside the city."

"Why not?"

"The connection is too old."

Lin Yue studied the map.

"What else do we know?"

Lumi pointed to the golden symbol.

"The city has access to the original Keeper network."

Lin Yue frowned.

"So they’re connected to the Golden Space?"

"Not exactly."

"Then how did they know my name?"

Lumi went silent.

Lin Yue sighed.

"That’s becoming everyone’s favorite answer."

The First Rule

Lin Yue closed the map.

"We don’t go immediately."

Shen Rui looked surprised.

"You’re not curious?"

"Extremely."

"Then why wait?"

"Because curiosity is not a survival strategy."

He smiled.

"There she is."

Lin Yue continued.

"Before we go anywhere, we need information."

She began writing.

WATER. FOOD. DISTANCE. TERRAIN. WEATHER. POPULATION. GOVERNANCE. TRADE. HEALTH. SECURITY. AGRICULTURAL CAPACITY.

Shen Rui read the list.

"You’re treating the First City like a new settlement."

"It is a new settlement to us."

"It may be an ancient civilization."

"Ancient civilizations still need water."

He nodded.

"Fair."

Preparing the Expedition

The expedition would not be a small group.

Lin Yue refused to repeat the mistakes of the past.

If the Golden Space had taught her anything, it was this:

Never allow one person to carry the entire system.

So she assembled a team.

A farmer.

A forester.

A water specialist.

A healer.

An engineer.

A cartographer.

A merchant.

A teacher.

A translator.

A tracker.

And Shen Rui.

Lin Yue looked at the list.

"That’s enough."

The squirrel raised his paw.

"What about me?"

"No."

He lowered his paw.

"But—"

"No."

"But I know the forest."

"You also ate half our emergency berries."

"They were delicious."

"Exactly why you’re staying."

The squirrel looked betrayed.

A Different Kind of Journey

This time, Lin Yue prepared differently.

They carried:

Seed samples.

Water-testing equipment.

Medical supplies.

Repair tools.

Food.

Maps.

Writing materials.

Measuring instruments.

Emergency shelters.

And several copies of the Practical Farmer’s Guide.

Shen Rui watched as another box was loaded.

"Books?"

"Yes."

"How many?"

"Twenty."

"For an expedition?"

"Knowledge is lightweight compared to equipment."

He smiled.

"You’ve changed."

Lin Yue looked at him.

"How?"

"You used to carry tools first."

She thought about it.

"Now I carry tools and instructions for making more tools."

Shen Rui nodded.

"That’s progress."

The Farewell

Before leaving, Lin Yue gathered the family.

Grandmother hugged her.

"Be careful."

"I will."

"Eat properly."

"I will."

"Don’t bring home another magical disaster."

Lin Yue hesitated.

"I’ll try."

Grandmother narrowed her eyes.

"That was not reassuring."

Everyone laughed.

Then she handed Lin Yue a small cloth pouch.

Inside were dried herbs.

"From the farm."

Lin Yue smiled.

"Thank you."

Grandmother looked at Shen Rui.

"And you."

"Yes?"

"Bring her back."

Shen Rui nodded.

"I will."

Lin Yue glanced at him.

Something warm settled in her chest.

The Road West

The journey began at sunrise.

For the first two days—

everything was ordinary.

Fields.

Villages.

Rivers.

Markets.

Then the landscape changed.

The roads became older.

Stone markers appeared beside the trail.

Some were covered in moss.

Others had completely disappeared beneath roots.

The further west they traveled—

the fewer people they encountered.

Lin Yue examined the abandoned fields.

"Look."

Shen Rui stopped.

The field was covered in wild grass.

But underneath—

old irrigation channels remained.

Lin Yue crouched.

"Someone farmed here."

"Long ago."

"Yes."

She touched the soil.

"Very long ago."

The Abandoned Village

On the third day—

they found a village.

Or what remained of one.

Stone foundations.

Collapsed houses.

An old well.

A broken mill.

A small shrine.

The healer examined the well.

"Still water."

Lin Yue tested it.

"Not safe to drink."

"Why?"

"Mineral contamination."

The engineer examined the well structure.

"It was designed to draw from a deep aquifer."

Lin Yue looked around.

"This village didn’t fail because it lacked water."

Shen Rui understood.

"It failed because the water system failed."

"Exactly."

She wrote it down.

OLD VILLAGE — WATER INFRASTRUCTURE FAILURE.

A lesson from the past.

The Stone Road

Beyond the village was a road.

Not a modern road.

A road made from enormous fitted stones.

It stretched toward the horizon.

The engineer stared.

"This must have taken decades."

Lin Yue smiled.

"Probably."

"Why build something this large?"

"Trade."

"Then where did everyone go?"

Lin Yue looked toward the empty road.

"That’s what we’re here to find out."

The First Signal

That evening—

they camped beside the old road.

Lin Yue had just finished recording the day’s observations when Lumi appeared.

Her glow flickered.

"Lin Yue."

"Yes?"

"I found something."

"What?"

"A signal."

"From the city?"

"Yes."

Everyone became alert.

"What does it say?"

Lumi closed her eyes.

A faint golden symbol appeared.

Then words.

WE SEE YOU.

Lin Yue stared.

"That’s..."

She stopped.

The message changed.

YOU HAVE THREE DAYS.

Lin Yue frowned.

"Three days until what?"

No answer.

Then another message appeared.

AFTER THAT, THE GATE CLOSES.

The Decision

The group fell silent.

Shen Rui looked at Lin Yue.

"We have two choices."

"Continue."

"Or turn back."

Lin Yue looked at the road.

Then the map.

Then the message.

"We continue."

The engineer nodded.

The farmer looked nervous.

The healer checked the medical supplies.

Lin Yue turned toward everyone.

"But we don’t rush blindly."

She pointed to the map.

"We follow the river."

"Why?"

"Because ancient cities need water."

The water specialist smiled.

"And if the river leads us somewhere else?"

Lin Yue smiled.

"Then we’ll learn something."

The Three-Day Journey

They traveled quickly.

The first day passed through abandoned farmland.

The second crossed a forest.

The third brought them into a valley.

And there—

they saw it.

A wall.

Massive.

Ancient.

Covered in vines.

It stretched across the valley from mountain to mountain.

At the center stood a gate.

Lin Yue stopped.

"The First City."

Shen Rui stared.

"No."

She looked at him.

"What?"

He pointed.

"The city is behind us."

Lin Yue turned.

Her eyes widened.

The valley behind them contained no city.

Only ruins.

The wall they had seen—

was not a city wall.

It was a reservoir.

The Hidden Reservoir

The enormous stone structure held water.

Millions of gallons.

The reservoir was still functioning.

A complex network of channels carried water through the mountains.

The engineer stared in disbelief.

"This system is ancient."

The water specialist shook his head.

"And still working."

Lin Yue walked along the structure.

She examined the channels.

Then smiled.

"They designed it to repair itself."

"How?"

She pointed.

"When sediment builds up here, overflow redirects it."

"That’s brilliant."

"They didn’t build a perfect machine."

She touched the stone.

"They built a system that could tolerate failure."

Shen Rui smiled.

"Your favorite kind."

"Exactly."

The Door Beneath the Water

At the center of the reservoir—

Lin Yue noticed something strange.

A stone platform.

She walked toward it.

There was a symbol.

A seed.

She touched it.

The water moved.

The reservoir opened.

Not completely.

Just enough to reveal—

a staircase descending beneath the water.

Everyone stared.

The healer whispered:

"That can’t be safe."

Lin Yue looked at Lumi.

"Is it?"

Lumi nodded.

"Probably."

Lin Yue sighed.

"You’ve become terrible at reassurance."

Beneath the Reservoir

The staircase led downward.

The deeper they went—

the warmer the air became.

Eventually—

they reached a tunnel.

The walls were covered in ancient writing.

Lin Yue recognized some symbols.

Others were unfamiliar.

The translator examined them.

"These aren’t ordinary words."

"What are they?"

"Instructions."

"For what?"

The translator read slowly.

"Water release."

Lin Yue’s eyes widened.

"This reservoir isn’t just storage."

She looked ahead.

"It controls the entire valley."

The City Below

The tunnel opened.

And there it was.

The First City.

Not above ground.

Below it.

An enormous underground civilization.

Buildings rose from the cavern floor.

Bridges crossed glowing rivers.

Gardens grew beneath artificial sunlight.

Water flowed through channels.

Wind moved through ventilation towers.

Workshops operated.

Markets existed.

People walked through the streets.

Lin Yue stood speechless.

Shen Rui whispered:

"They survived."

Lin Yue nodded.

"Yes."

The People Who Stayed

The inhabitants looked human.

They wore practical clothes.

Many carried tools.

Some pushed carts.

Children played near gardens.

Farmers worked underground fields.

Engineers maintained water systems.

Teachers gathered groups of children.

The city wasn’t frozen.

It was alive.

But something was strange.

Everyone looked upward.

As if waiting.

Then—

an elderly man approached.

He wore a simple brown coat.

He stopped before Lin Yue.

And bowed.

"Keeper."

Lin Yue hesitated.

"You know me."

"Yes."

"How?"

The man smiled.

"We’ve been waiting for you."

The City Elder

The elder introduced himself as Arven.

He was the current caretaker of the First City.

Lin Yue asked:

"How many people live here?"

"Twenty-three thousand."

The entire group fell silent.

Twenty-three thousand.

A hidden civilization.

Alive beneath the earth.

For generations.

Lin Yue looked around.

"How did you survive?"

Arven smiled.

"We followed the old rules."

"Which rules?"

He counted on his fingers.

"Protect the water."

"Protect the soil."

"Preserve seeds."

"Teach every child."

"Repair what breaks."

"Share during shortage."

"And?"

He looked directly at Lin Yue.

"Never let one person control everything."

Lin Yue smiled.

"They learned."

Arven nodded.

"Because we remembered what happened."

The Problem

But Arven’s expression changed.

"We have a problem."

Lin Yue immediately became serious.

"What kind?"

"Our city is running out of space."

She looked around.

"Population pressure?"

"Yes."

"How fast?"

"Faster than our food systems can adapt."

Lin Yue frowned.

"What about expanding upward?"

"We cannot."

"Why?"

Arven pointed toward the ceiling.

"The surface is unstable."

"Mining?"

"Dangerous."

"New tunnels?"

"Too expensive."

"Trade?"

"Limited."

Lin Yue thought.

"What do you need?"

Arven looked at her.

"Knowledge."

The Missing Knowledge

The First City had preserved ancient technology.

But not all knowledge had survived.

They had forgotten:

Certain crop rotations.

Some medicinal plants.

Advanced water-treatment methods.

Some mechanical designs.

Several printing techniques.

And—

most importantly—

how to safely reconnect with the surface.

Lin Yue slowly understood.

"You didn’t send the request because you wanted resources."

Arven smiled.

"No."

"You wanted information."

"Yes."

"And the Golden Space sent you to me."

Arven bowed.

"We hoped it would."

The Exchange

Lin Yue opened her pack.

She took out the Practical Farmer’s Guide.

Arven stared.

"What is that?"

"A beginning."

He opened it.

His eyes widened.

"This is written for ordinary farmers."

"Yes."

"Not scholars?"

"No."

"Why?"

Lin Yue smiled.

"Because knowledge should survive even when scholars don’t."

Arven looked at her for a long moment.

Then—

he laughed.

"You really are the Keeper."

The First Agreement

The First City offered something in return.

Knowledge.

Maps.

Seeds.

Engineering designs.

Historical records.

Medical information.

And access to their underground water systems.

Lin Yue offered:

Modernized farming methods.

Forest-management techniques.

Watershed planning.

Printing.

Education systems.

Accounting.

Sanitation.

And practical manuals.

Neither side would control the other.

They would exchange knowledge.

Lin Yue wrote the principle into the agreement:

NO KNOWLEDGE OWNED BY ONE PERSON. NO SYSTEM DEPENDENT ON ONE CITY. NO RESOURCE CONTROLLED WITHOUT ACCOUNTABILITY.

Arven signed.

Then Shen Rui.

Then Lin Yue.

The agreement was sealed.

The First City Library

Before leaving—

Arven showed Lin Yue their library.

It was enormous.

Thousands of books.

But one shelf caught her attention.

It contained books marked:

HUNGER STUDIES.

She reached for one.

Arven stopped her.

"Not yet."

Lin Yue frowned.

"Why?"

"Because there is something you should see first."

"What?"

Arven pointed toward the deepest part of the library.

A locked door stood there.

On it was a symbol Lin Yue had never seen.

Not the seed.

Not the tree.

Not the moon.

A black circle.

Inside it—

a tiny golden dot.

Lumi suddenly became terrified.

"No."

Lin Yue looked at her.

"You recognize it."

Lumi backed away.

"No." 𝘧𝓇ℯℴ𝓂

"Lumi."

"I thought it was destroyed."

Arven looked at Lumi.

"You know what it is?"

Lumi whispered:

"The original Hunger."

The Door Opens

Before anyone could speak—

the door unlocked itself.

Click.

Lin Yue stared.

Another click.

The door opened slightly.

Cold air escaped.

Inside—

something moved.

A voice whispered:

Keeper.

Lin Yue froze.

The same voice from the Golden Space.

But this time—

it sounded closer.

You brought the city back to me.

Arven stepped backward.

His face turned pale.

"That isn’t possible."

The voice laughed.

You remembered the wrong lesson.

The lights throughout the city went out.

One by one.

Darkness spread.

Children cried.

People shouted.

The underground river began to glow black.

Lin Yue grabbed Shen Rui’s hand.

"Everyone stay together!"

The city alarm sounded.

Then—

a message appeared across every wall.

THE HUNGER HAS FOUND A HOME.

Lin Yue stared at it.

And finally understood.

The Hunger hadn’t been trapped beneath the Golden Space.

It had been waiting—

inside the First City.

To be continued...