"The subject of this selection is Resonators."
"As you know, the Pioneer Association is full of talented individuals who travel across nations and possess vast knowledge, so their selections have always garnered significant attention."
"And the content of this selection is 'the strongest Resonator within Huanglong's borders.'"
"This has nothing to do with nationality—any Resonator currently within Huanglong's territory is a candidate."
"Of course, for most people, everyone already has their own idea of who the strongest Resonator is, so this selection is just for fun. There's no need to take it too seriously."
After this explanation from the helpful citizen, the group finally understood the reason.
Lucian immediately became interested. After all, he still had an ultimate main quest: "Become Solaris's strongest Resonator."
Now, through the Pioneer Association's selection, he could find out who they deemed the strongest. This was a good opportunity, especially since Lucian hadn't completed his quest yet.
It just went to show that there was always someone stronger. If the Pioneer Association's pick was truly that powerful, he could challenge them in the future.
Of course, the selection was only for Huanglong, and Solaris was much bigger than just Huanglong. But as the saying goes, you can't become fat in one bite—progress had to be made step by step.
However…
"You just said it's just for fun, so why are those people up ahead arguing so fiercely?"
The helpful citizen looked forward and saw several men red-faced in heated debate.
"Listen, General Jiyan is the strongest Resonator in Huanglong! He's defended Jinzhou's borders and repelled Tacet Discords—if he's not the strongest, then who is?"
"Bullshit! General Jiyan is strong, but in my opinion, he's no match for Magistrate Jinhsi! Sure, she might not look as imposing as the general, but I've heard she wields the Sentinel's authority. Otherwise, why would she be appointed Magistrate? So the strongest has to be Magistrate Jinhsi!"
Another man sneered. "Have you forgotten? The strongest Resonators are definitely Intelligence Officer Lucian and Rover! Their arrival was what truly drove back the Threnodians. Even Jinzhou's higher-ups rely on them—so the strongest must be either Lucian or Rover!"
Lucian paused. "Wait, I'm involved in this?"
A nearby amused onlooker chuckled. "Of course! Both you and Rover are household names in Jinzhou now. It's only natural you'd be recognized."
Lucian found it strange. "But the people they're mentioning are all well-known figures in Jinzhou. Have past selections ever included Resonators the citizens didn't know?"
The man nodded slightly. "Of course. Huanglong has one Court and six regions—there are plenty of areas besides Jinzhou. It's normal for there to be Resonators people haven't heard of."
"That said… a lot of citizens have complained about it. Some say they've never even heard of the names brought up, and others accuse the selection of being rigged."
"But in my opinion, there's no need to take it so seriously. Everyone has their own pick for the strongest, and everyone has their own preferences. I don't think we need validation from these so-called selections—after all, they're decided by people, so there's bound to be personal bias or other unknown factors involved."
"In short, it's all just for fun."
Lucian nodded slightly. "Got it."
Curious, he asked, "Then who do you think is the strongest Resonator?"
The man scratched his head sheepishly. "In my heart, it's General Jiyan. Though you and Rover are also strong, General Jiyan has protected us for years, so I have immense respect for him."
Lucian understood. "That's fair. In my opinion, General Jiyan is indeed formidable."
The man brightened. "I'm glad you think so too, Mr. Lucian."
Rover also asked curiously, "And in your heart, aside from yourself, who's the strongest?"
Without hesitation, Lucian flattered, "Of course, my Rover is the strongest."
Rover immediately planted a loud kiss on Lucian's cheek in satisfaction. "Well said."
Abby, however, interjected provocatively, "Not the strongest."
"If we're talking about the strongest, it has to be me, Abby."
Lucian: "?"
Rover: "?"
As time passed, the crowd ahead shifted from arguing amongst themselves to uniting against outsiders. As long as the chosen Resonator was someone from Jinzhou, they could accept it.
"Please, please, let it be General Jiyan!"
"If it's Magistrate Jinhsi, that's fine too."
"Intelligence Officer Lucian or Rover would also work! They've done so much for Jinzhou…"
"Could it be Counselor Changli? Her reputation among the people isn't great, but she was personally appointed as an advisor by Magistrate Jinhsi—her abilities are undeniable!"
After a moment, the citizens at the front suddenly exclaimed, "It's here, it's here!"
The crowd behind them instantly fell silent, afraid of missing the results.
The next second, as the words appeared on the announcement board, the frontmost citizens squinted—then gasped in shock:
"Holy shit, bro—who the hell is Calcharo?!"
The crowd erupted into chaos. Not a single person in the square had ever heard that name.
Someone sighed. "Another Resonator we don't know?"
Another scoffed. "I'm not even sure this 'Calcharo' exists in Huanglong."
Yet another declared bluntly, "I say the Pioneer Association should just shut down. Bros, I propose letting the Jinzhou Daily handle the strongest Resonator selection instead!"
The suggestion was met with immediate agreement.
"Yeah, yeah! The Pioneer Association's selection is a joke!"
"If we're doing a real selection, it should be handled by a Jinzhou organization!"
Lucian: "…"
"Come to think of it, the Pioneer Association isn't specifically a Jinzhou organization."
Rover recalled, "Youning mentioned before that the Pioneer Association has branches in all six regions of Huanglong."
Lucian rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Calcharo…?"
"I've genuinely never heard that name before."
He had originally thought that if it was someone he knew, he could challenge them. But this was a complete unknown.
Just then, Jinhsi suddenly appeared beside them. "Calcharo is recorded in Jinzhou's archives."
"Jinhsi?" Lucian's eyes lit up. "He's been to Jinzhou before?"
Jinhsi smiled faintly and nodded. "If you want to learn more, you can ask General Jiyan. He even knows him personally."