Mythology query, Jiangshi weaknesses?

Mythology Query initiated -> Jiangshi weaknesses

Items that are known vulnerabilities or repellent to jiangshi include mirrors, objects made from peach wood, black dog blood, glutinous rice, and vinegar, among others. Jiangshi can also be temporarily distracted by throwing small objects on the ground as they may be compelled to count them. The most effective method of stopping a jiangshi is to nail an immobilizing counterspell talisman to their forehead. To avoid jiangshi, it is advised to hold one’s breath for as long as possible.

What? Where was I going to get the wood of a peach tree? And how could mirrors or throwing small objects on the ground work if the creature was blind? That didn’t make sense. Then again, who said that mythology was always consistent or made logical sense? I certainly didn’t know how to create Taoist spell talismans. And it would have been really helpful to know about vulnerability to the blood of a black dog earlier, when I was shooting and stabbing several of them.

Well, if these hopping vampires were anything like the other invasive entities I had encountered so far, I was sure they would have to take damage from my revolver and dagger. No mention of vulnerability to fire, unfortunately.

I left the Archives, taking the long elevator ride to the surface, and crossed town to the MAR Station. I paid my 10 Crypt fee and descended to the platform, stopping to study the transit map on the tiled wall.

Elysian Spires… Elysian Spires…

The transit map was laid out in a typical North, South, East, West orientation, although it did not label any of the directions as such. To get to Elysian Spires I would need to ride the Diamond Line ‘north’ until I reached the MAR Master Terminal, which was one stop past New Dresden. Then it looked like I would have to switch trains to the Platinum Line and head the equivalent of ‘west.’

I briefly examined several of the other transit stops displayed on the map. Some I had heard of from previous bounty opportunities or from the mouths of Volunteers. Some were new to me. Eden West. New Dawn. Crystal Coast. Arcadia Harbor. Nova Sakahlin. Metro Central. Little Mecca. Potemkin Villas. There were a lot of locations for the one million Citizens that migrated on the first wave. Maybe not so many considering the next thirty million in waiting.

How large could a metaverse be? Was it limited in some way by the hard boundaries of the laws of physics? Or was it wholly reliant on available computing power? Or was it, like the physical universe, theoretically infinite? Then again, what if the physical universe was simply like a three-dimension pac-man screen? Keep going in one direction far enough for long enough and you end up where you started.

A sharp pain registered in my forehead and I had to pinch the bridge of my unremarkable nose until it abated. I hardly seemed like the ideal recruit to infiltrate a digital world and dispatch invasive entities composed of foreign code, knowing as little as I did about the mechanics of such. But I wasn’t a recruit. I was a Volunteer. Allegedly.

A whooshing sound informed me the bullet train was rapidly approaching, and I boarded. As usual, I was completely alone on the train car. I passed through Royal Heights, The Palisades, Lower Dresden, and New Dresden. The flashes of outside scenery I could see rushing past the windows revealed glimpses of fiery red and amber hued skies. A sunless sunset?

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Now arriving at MAR Master Terminal.

When the doors slid open, I was surprised to see several people in dapper business suits waiting to board the train. This was different. I barely had time to register it as I had to get off before the doors shut and the train sped away toward Upper Dresden.

The surreality continued as I took the stairs from the platform to the main level. I found myself in a large transit concourse. Signs pointed to the different transit lines leading to far-flung locations, spinning off this hub in various trajectories to destinations known and unknown. Overhead, large screens updated the flawless travel timetables, working like clockwork.

A significant number of people, presumably Citizens, moved about in the large space. They were all dressed exquisitely, and many carried fine briefcases or elegant handbags. It wasn’t only Citizens. I saw fellow Volunteers passing through. None had weapons drawn, but I could tell from their motley accoutrement exactly what they were. There were also multiple Polizei bots posing at regular intervals, but they did not seem tense or on edge, merely serving a function.

The Volunteers and Citizens ignored each other, each laser-focused on getting from Point A to Point B. I stopped gawking and strode deeper into the concourse, searching for a sign pointing to the Platinum Line. After walking for a few minutes I noticed multiple Volunteers congregating in one specific area of the Terminal. And to my surprise I saw another large Task Assignment Board right in the middle.

Ah. This confirms it. There are multiple bounty boards. If this is a centralized transit hub, it makes sense to have a board here rather than forcing Volunteers to schlep back and forth from The Commons after every job. One Volunteer appeared to be cashing in a completed Task and receiving payment right then and there. Useful.

Turning around, I noticed a long service counter. Behind it were a series of white metal cubes, stacked on top of one another and running the length of a small wall. Two other Volunteers were accessing these boxes, alternately storing or retrieving something. Each box had a small sensor and a telltale red light.

Storage lockers! Is this for real?

I came closer and saw posted text describing the service.

Temporary Single-Point Data Storage. 500 Metabytes Max. 100 Crypt per Cycle. 10 Cycle Limit.

Oh. Another convenience to use in a pinch. The rest spoke for itself, but I interpreted single-point to mean I wouldn’t be able to access anything stored in one of these lockers remotely or from another access location. Compared to the Repository the starting cost was the same, but with significant size and time limits. A one night stand instead of a long term commitment. But more than enough size for any needs I would have at this point.

I located the Platinum Line and descended to the platform heading in the direction of Elysian Spires. It cost me another 10 Crypt. I was down to 80.

I boarded a train half full of passengers, all of whom studiously avoided me with practiced nonchalance, and hung on a strap toward the rear of the car. The doors slid shut.

Now leaving MAR Master Terminal. Next stop, Elysian Spires, followed by New Dawn.

Advertisements for wares and services I could not hope to afford and news of events in The Collective that meant nothing to me buzzed on the rectangular screens overhead.

As we zoomed out of the orbit of the MAR Master Terminal I glanced again through the windows. The auburn hues of the sky were turning lavender, with hints of indigo nipping at its heels. Soon it would be nightfall in Elysian Spires. The time when vampires come out to play.