Inside The Black Mist

A hardcover notebook with a deep brown leather cover and silver-white embossed wings. Bronze retro book corners with exquisitely carved patterns flowing like water adorned it.

Tianyang gently opened the cover, and at the bottom left of the title page, "Su Lie" was signed. Obviously, that person ought to be the owner of the diary.

Although he was eager to read the contents, Tianyang put it away and placed it in a handbag graciously given by the storage department.

After he left, a manager hurried back to his office, taking out a slim communication board from a drawer.

The manager entered a message:

[Dear Sir, just now, the item you were interested in was taken away by an Ascender named Tianyang.

I'm sorry, I don't have the authority to know any more information.]

And the message was sent.

Leaving the storage department, Tianyang didn't immediately return to the Lower District. He found a park nearby. Yes, a park, a luxury non-existent in the Lower District, the young man sat on an outdoor chair under the tree shade and flipped through the notebook.

Through the gap in the dense canopy above his head, the warm light fell on the beautiful and powerful handwriting in the diary. Tianyang carefully examined it.

"October 7th, One-hundredth day after I met Nanfei. Lord of War, although I am not your believer, I still want to thank you for letting me know of this girl in your church. I feel that it is necessary to record these beautiful days, so we can savor them in our older days.”

“Maybe by then, Nanfei will laugh at me. After all, I don't look like someone who would write a diary. Well, who cares, haha."

Tianyang found his hands shaking after reading the first entry.

This Su Lie actually knows my mother, and it seems that the two are, or were in a romantic relationship.

Could it be that Su Lie is my...

The young man couldn't wait to read on.

"October 23rd, I just came back from a mission, and I'm exhausted. I’d rather not go to the Inverse Universe if not for the right to establish a clan. It's always dark there, with so many disgusting and ugly things. It's not nearly as good as the sunny and bright fortress, and of course, my favorite girl is here. Nanfei, I'm back."

"October 24th, I just quarreled with my old man. Thinking about it, I haven't argued with him for many years. He's really stubborn. He actually asked me to go on a blind date with the Miss from the Ren family. What a joke, I can't marry the kind of person who only knows how to look pretty, has no aim, and is average-looking. [ED: Look like that is your priority?] I really don't know which part of her the old man likes. Oh, I know, it should be because of the promise made by the Ren family to donate ten thousand contribution points annually."

"November 7th, poor Nanfei fell ill today. However, she had a certain charm when she was sick. Hmm, but I can't tell her that, or she'll think I'm a pervert. Am I? Of course not!"

Basically, this diary recorded trivial things happening during Su Lie's interactions with his mother. This includes Su Lie's father's opposition, arranged marriage, Su Lie leaving home, and finally Su Lie's father's compromise.

From the information in the diary, Su Lie was clearly a member of the upper class in the fortress. Not only was he from the upper class, but he was also an outstanding contributor who could establish a clan.

Unfortunately, Su Lie revealed too little information about his family in the diary to determine what job the man had in the fortress.

But from the tasks mentioned many times, this Su Lie should be serving in one of the three forces, Night Walker, Storm, or the Collection Team.

Looking further down, Su Lie's father died in mid-May of the following year (of the story, of course). In early August, Nanfei got pregnant. Su Lie seemed very excited and happy in the diary, even planning the marriage in secrecy.

"August 27th, there is another mission today. This mission seems to be quite time-exhaustive. This is unfortunate; I was planning to marry Nanfei next month. I have no choice but to let Jingnan prepare for me. I shall marry Nanfei when I come back from this mission. She will definitely be elated!"

"August 28th, it's decided. Let's name the little one in Nanfei's belly, Tianyang! I hope he will have a broad mind like the sky and a brilliant future like the sunshine! Ha, there is still a little ink in my belly as a father, although not much as Jingnan. Hmm, I'll tell Jingnan later and ask for opinions on this name."

This is the last page?

It was not that this was the end; other pages have been torn!

Looking at the uneven fracture, Tianyang's heart was filled with questions.

Why was the diary torn here? What happened afterward that caused my mother to live alone with me in the Lower District?

On the last page, it was confirmed that Su Lie was indeed his father, but why hadn't he appeared for so many years? Did Su Lie grow bored of his mother and abandoned them, or was there another reason?

Tianyang closed the diary and shut his eyes.

At least two people knew the truth so far, his mother, Nanfei, and the other, Jingnan, mentioned in the diary.

His mother never mentioned his father and would probably refuse to say anything, even if he asked. If she found out that he had taken the storage receipt without permission, what would she do?

The young man shook his head. "I can only find the answers from Jingnan!"

But with a population of over a hundred thousand permanent residents in Sky Tower, who knew where Jingnan lived or if he still lived?

Suddenly, he remembered the staff member at the household registration office he had talked to earlier that day. Tianyang slapped his thigh.

"Right, I can ask for his help! The household registration office should be able to find out residents' information."

Tianyang immediately jumped up, ran out of the park, and got on his new motorcycle. He turned on the navigation system and headed straight for the household registration office.

At 3PM, Tianyang was cruising on the road back to the Lower District.

The household registration office promised to help, but even if it was on behalf of the Ascenders, they couldn’t casually disclose resident information. So Tianyang filled out an application form, which the household registration office would submit to the Fortress Information Management Department for approval. Only after the approval could they search for the relevant information.

It would take at least a week.

Tianyang took the diary home and hoped to hide it before his mother came back.

When he returned to the shack and parked the motorcycle, he saw a figure in front of the shack. He was startled, thinking it was his mother who had come back early.

However, it turned out to be a man wearing a Night Walker long coat. Tianyang felt excitement surge in his bones. Was there a new mission?