Chapter 138: Agreement Signing · Space-Time Immunity

The pen tip glided across the paper, and the final ink streak came to a halt.

Zhao Jianguo didn't release his grip; the pen barrel remained clenched between his fingers, his thumb web tingling. The "Historical Observer Responsibility Letter" bearing the national emblem lay quietly on the stone platform, like a freshly pressed pancake, scorching enough that no one dared to touch it.

The Terminal suddenly shuddered, buzzing tightly against his chest; golden light seeped from the cracks in its body, as if someone had poured molten copper into the fissure. Immediately, a surge of heat streamed along the interface straight to his forehead, plunging his vision into darkness before he snapped back to consciousness.

"In the name of the Space-Time Management Bureau," the Special Forces Captain stood perfectly upright, raised his hand in salute, "granting comrade Zhao Jianguo the qualification of 'Historical Observer', Permission Level 3, effective immediately."

At the moment the words fell, the bronze device on the stone platform rang with a "Dong", like an old pendulum clock striking. A ring of blue light erupted from the interface, spiraling upward, colliding with the rift tearing the night sky above. Brick dust fluttered down, but this time the fragments hovered mid‑air, then drifted back piece by piece, as if someone had played the recording in reverse.

Zhao Jianguo stared at the closing fissure, his throat dry and burning, "Is it… stable now?"

"The agreement has been certified," the Team Leader withdrew his hand, the blue pattern behind his ear flickering slightly, "system upgrade commencing, 'Civilization Witness' officially activated."

"Then can I now access the files left by Old Chen?"

"Yes," the Team Leader nodded, "but I recommend first confirming a core permission—Space-Time Immunity. Otherwise, even if the anchor is fixed, external interference may still penetrate."

Zhao Jianguo lowered his head to look at the Terminal. A line of text popped up at the center of the Screen:

【Please confirm the executor's will—activate 'Space-Time Immunity'? Y/N】

He didn't hesitate, slapping his palm onto it.

The instant his skin made contact, a sting shot through his palm, as if fine needles had pricked it a few times. Blood threads seeped out, sliding along his fingerprints into the interface. The Terminal flared suddenly, its entire body blazing painfully bright.

"Boom—"

The ground trembled lightly, a transparent Barrier rose from the Siheyuan foundation, forming a hemispherical dome that enveloped the entire Courtyard. Several large archaic characters floated in the air, their strokes cut like knives:

**Immunity activated, anchor node: 1978.10.21**

The wind stopped.

The previously howling airflow seemed to have been paused; even the dust floating in the air froze. Roof tiles ceased falling, and the nearly collapsed pillar in the corner creaked, then straightened itself a bit.

Zhao Jianguo exhaled, his legs went weak and he almost knelt, but he clung to the stone platform to steady himself.

"Done?" he asked, panting.

"For now," the Team Leader said, eyes fixed on the energy gauge, "the Immunity domain has been established; within a fifty‑meter radius it is unaffected by external corrective forces. But your body is bearing the system load, so don't move recklessly."

"I'm just holding on," Zhao Jianguo grinned, his face pale as a ghost, "just a little bleeding, like cutting a wrist for a drop of blood, it's fine."

"This isn't ordinary blood," the Team Leader's tone deepened, "it's a life‑contract carrier recognized by the system. Each time a permission layer is activated, it extracts the corresponding life‑resonance frequency."

Zhao Jianguo blinked, "Sounds mystical, meaning the more I use this thing, the more likely I am to die young?"

"Precisely, it accelerates your binding to this space‑time," the Team Leader tucked away the device, "you are no longer merely a traveler; you are the anchor itself. If it collapses, everything around will crumble with it."

"Geez, you make it sound like I'm a utility pole having to hold up the sky," Zhao Jianguo wiped his face, "but seriously, what can I do now? Can I investigate what happened in 1978? Old Chen kept shouting 'watch out for 1978' before he left, and I thought he just misremembered the college‑entrance exam date."

He spoke while raising his hand to pull up the Terminal menu. The new interface was clean and crisp, three options floated:

【Space-Time Anchor Monitoring】

【Historical Trajectory Review (Basic)】

【Immunity Domain Maintenance】

He selected the second.

The page flashed, revealing a blurry clip: a crowd of youths jammed in front of a bulletin board, some standing on tiptoe to see, others copying notes, while a large red slogan blazed on the background wall—"Knowledge Changes Destiny".

Date displayed: October 21, 1978.

In the corner of the frame, a man in a Blue Cloth shirt flickered by, his back turned, clutching a sheet of paper, his shoulders drawn tight.

Zhao Jianguo's pupils narrowed, "That man… looks a bit like my grandfather?"

"Zhao Changhe," the Team Leader said, standing nearby, "the first‑generation Observer. This is the record of his last public appearance. That afternoon he entered a temporary examination office set up by the Education Bureau, and vanished three hours later. The system marked the mission as interrupted."

"So he just… disappeared? No body found?"

"It's not that we can't find it," the Team Leader lowered his voice, "it's that no trace was left at all. Like… being erased by something."

Zhao Jianguo was silent for a few seconds, then laughed, "So my grandfather didn't die of illness, he just vanished through a time jump? Then my grandma's years of crying, all those paper offerings—totally wasted."

"What they remember is another version of history," the Team Leader said, "there's always a gap between reality and memory."

"So have I now filled that gap?"

"You're just re‑nailing the nail," the Team Leader said, looking at him, "but the hammer is in your hand; if you strike off‑center, the whole wall will have to come down."

Zhao Jianguo rolled his eyes, "Can't you just speak plainly? Must you use all these flowery metaphors?"

"I'm not a publicist," the Team Leader said, expression unchanged, "I'm here to remind you that the 1978 incident won't occur on its own; it needs a trigger. And your current location happens to be the coordinates where your grandfather last lingered before disappearing."

"So I'm not inheriting an estate, I'm taking a bomb?"

"I'm the bomb‑defuser."

Zhao Jianguo clicked his tongue, about to retort, when a sudden tightness gripped his chest.

The Terminal automatically popped up a warning:

【High‑energy signal detected approaching, source: East City District direction】

【Distance: 3.2 km】

【Intensity: continuously rising】

Almost simultaneously, a muffled thud rose from the ground.

It wasn't the uniform shaking of an earthquake, but something crawling underground, claws scraping cement pipes, pushing upward with each sound.

"What's happening?" Zhao Jianguo braced against the wall, looking up toward the window.

"Not good," the Team Leader's face changed, quickly opening the communicator, "notify the outer unit, seal off East Street to South Alley immediately! An unregistered energy source is approaching the Immunity domain boundary!"

Before the words finished—

"Boom!!!"

A massive blast erupted from the east, fire shooting skyward.

Both turned their heads simultaneously, seeing an odd plume of smoke rise in the night sky, its shape unlike a mushroom, more like a shattered gear, its charred edges twisted, slowly rotating as it ascended.

A wave of heat slammed into them, even the iron door of the secret room rattled with a clang.

Zhao Jianguo was pushed back two steps by the airflow, his hand instinctively shielding the Terminal. The Screen still flashed:

【Anchor Point Stability: 87%】

【External Interference Enhanced】

【Suggest Activating Emergency Plan】

"This isn't a sudden incident," he stared at that cloud of smoke, his voice turning cold, "Someone acted in advance."

"Not imminent." The Team Leader put away his equipment, turned to face the door, "It has already begun."

"Who did it?" Zhao Jianguo pressed.

"The No. 18 accessor that shouldn't exist." The Team Leader rested his hand on the door handle, glanced at him, "A transmigrator who shouldn't have appeared at this time."

"Wait, what are you saying?" Zhao Jianguo froze, "Anyone else? The system said I was the only certified one, right?"

"Certification can be faked." The Team Leader pulled open the door, "The real trouble has never been who the system recognizes, but someone wanting it to recognize the wrong person."

Outside, the wind picked up, the alarm sounded from far to near.

Zhao Jianguo stood in place, the Terminal pressed to his chest, that string of numbers still hanging in the air, slowly rewinding:

His fingers tightened bit by bit.