Seeing the girl named Camellya leaning on her blade, her face flushed with embarrassment and anger as she glared at him,
Lucian couldn't help but cough lightly. "My apologies, it's my first time using this skill—I didn't quite get the angle right."
"But putting the result aside, don't you think you share some of the blame?"
Camellya: "???"
Abby suddenly popped out from Rover's Tacet Mark. "This Echo has never seen someone so shameless!"
Camellya sheathed her crimson blade and snapped, "Rover, you saw it too, didn't you? This guy was about to kiss you—and then Counselor Changli!"
"A man so fickle is definitely not the right match for you."
Rover was baffled. She had only met this girl named Camellya once, so why was she so intent on driving a wedge between her and Lucian?
After a brief moment of thought, Rover came up with a possibility: "Are you jealous?"
Camellya: "?"
Lucian looked shocked, then sighed dramatically. "It seems no matter where I go, I become the dream of nine hundred million girls."
Camellya fumed. "Who would ever dream of you?!"
Rover, slightly impatient, said, "What exactly are you trying to say? My feelings for Lucian won't change just because of a few words from you."
"Besides, I've only met you once. Even if you're from the Black Shores, you can't just meddle like this, can you?"
Camellya was so furious she couldn't speak. "I—"
She let out a cold snort, shot Lucian a glare, and uttered the classic villain line: "You just wait!"
With that, she leaped onto a tree branch and, like a monkey from Benji bananas, swung away using the red threads in her hand.
Lucian finally exhaled in relief. "She's finally gone."
He had no idea what this Black Shores member was even here for. Still, he'd gotten two rewards, one of which could extend his lifespan, so his mood improved considerably.
But before he could celebrate, Rover pinched his ear. "How dare you kiss Changli right in front of me?"
Lucian winced in pain and instinctively replied, "So… it's fine if I do it behind your back?"
Rover: "?"
Rover bared her teeth and delivered a chop to the back of Lucian's neck though it didn't knock him out.
Abby shook his head slightly. "Lucian has gone completely off the deep end. There's no saving him now."
Changli smiled faintly and gently removed Rover's hand from Lucian's ear. "This trip to the mountains has been wonderfully relaxing, something I haven't experienced in a long time."
"Lucian, Rover, we've seen everything we came for. Let's return to Hongzhen."
The group returned to Hongzhen, where Jiao-Jiao was already waiting by the waterscreen.
"You're back?"
As everyone took their seats, Jiao-Jiao asked curiously, "Lucian, why didn't you treat me this morning?"
Lucian explained that he had rescheduled the treatment for the evening. Jiao-Jiao nodded in understanding. "Fine, but make sure you save enough energy for me."
Changli tapped the table lightly with her delicate fingers. "About that Camellya we just met… When do you plan to seek out the Black Shores?"
Rover pondered for a moment. "Let's wait until after the Moon-Chasing Festival. So far, we don't have much information about them."
"How much do you know about the Black Shores?"
Changli smiled. "Not much, but I'll share what I do know."
"The Black Shores are a hidden archipelago within the stormy seas of Solaris."
"The Tacetite that forms the islands constantly emits massive Reverberation energy, creating an eerie 'mist' that shrouds the Black Shores."
"This mist interferes with communication devices and human perception, which is why the Black Shores remain so elusive."
"Only those recognized or invited by the Black Shores can reach it."
Lucian fell into thought. Shorekeeper had entered his dreams before, gifting him the Blake Bloom a symbol of the Black Shores and revealing Rover's connection to them.
He had also heard from Jinhsi that the Black Shores had ties to multiple nations.
No wonder they could collaborate with Solaris's countries while remaining hidden—it was all because of the mist.
"But Rover already has the Blake Bloom. When will we actually get to go there?"
Changli smiled. "I believe the right opportunity will present itself, and a member of the Black Shores will appear when the time comes."
After the meal, Rover poked Lucian's side. "Let's go soak in the hot springs."
Lucian chuckled and pinched her cute little nose. "That fond of the Lingsha Springs, are you?"
Rover nodded, then wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder.
"Carry me."
Lucian laughed. "Since when did you get so lazy?"
He glanced at Changli. "Coming along? You must be exhausted after these past few days."
Changli agreed readily, and Lucian led the group toward the Lingsha Springs in high spirits.
In the springs, Abby was happily splashing around, while Jiao-Jiao floated with only her head above water, yawning sleepily.
Meanwhile, Changli and Rover each held one of Lucian's arms.
Lucian pulled out the Legendary Fishing Rod and began fishing in the springs again.
Rover, curious, asked, "You're not going to reel in Youhu again, are you?"
Lucian laughed. "She just got back to Jinzhou. If I drag her out again, she'll have to make another trip."
Changli looked puzzled. "Reel her in?"
No sooner had she spoken than the fishing line twitched.
…
"You—"
At a Fractsidus camp, a masked follower stared in horror at the red-haired woman before him.
He turned and tried to flee.
The woman scoffed. "Don't waste your energy."
Her strings shot out, and a surge of electricity sent the follower into convulsions.
With his dying breath, he gasped, "Infiltrator…"
Then he collapsed, lifeless.
Yinlin surveyed the area, satisfied that all the Fractsidus followers had been silenced, and retracted her strings.
But as they coiled back toward her, an almost imperceptible white thread drifted down—landing right on her marionette.
The strings suddenly jerked upward as if pulled by an unseen force.
Yinlin, still gripping the threads tightly, froze. "Who—?!"
Before she could finish, both the strings and Yinlin vanished from the Fractsidus camp.
…
"It's coming! I can feel it… It's a big one!"
Everyone stopped what they were doing, eyes fixed on the fishing line.
Then a flash of purple light erupted from the water!
Jiao-Jiao reacted instantly, darting to the shore, but the others weren't so lucky, still caught up in anticipation of a "big catch."
A surge of purple electricity coursed through the hot springs, sending them all into spasms.
Lucian's lips twitched as he struggled to focus his gaze on the red-haired newcomer, who was also trembling violently.
"Yin… lin… too… much… elec… tric…"