The Lament is the collective term for all catastrophic phenomena on Solaris.
The birth of Tacet Fields, the rise of Tacet Discord tides, falling meteors and heavenly fire, persistent eternal freezing cold, black holes appearing out of nowhere in city centers... all are Lament.
The larger the scale of civilization, the greater the intensity of the Lament.
If civilization is like a ship sailing on the sea, then the Lament is the repeated fierce waves that only stop after completely submering the ship.
No wonder Noah became agitated upon hearing Aalto's intelligence—the number of Lament collected by the Black Shores was simply too astonishing.
If three hundred thousand disasters capable of threatening civilization erupted simultaneously, that force would be enough to effortlessly destroy the entire planet of Solaris.
[Main Quest: Journey to the End of the Shore has been activated.]
[Quest Description: The future is unknown, while the past remains hidden beneath the veil of waves. Now, all clues point to that island concealed in the sea—the Black Shores.]
[Completing the Main Quest Journey to the End of the Shore rewards: Radiant Tide *20, Lustrous Tide *10, Astrite *1600, Shell Credits *100000.]
"You seem a bit excited. Drink some water and calm down."
Amid the rising and falling waves on the deck, Aalto pushed over a cup of hot tea, but Noah had no intention of drinking it.
He struggled to organize his chaotic thoughts, wanting only to quickly understand the current situation.
"Tell me the details about the Black Shores, Aalto."
"These matters involve confidential information..."
"Confidential? Is there any confidential information about the Black Shores that I, the 'Astral Modulator,' can't hear?"
Noah raised his right hand, revealing the Tacet Mark on the back representing Rover.
Seeing Noah finally acknowledge his identity as the Astral Modulator, a trace of joy appeared on Aalto's face, but he quickly shook his head.
"No, you've misunderstood..."
Following Aalto's gaze, Noah turned his head and saw Zhezhi standing nearby, head lowered, twisting her fingers, looking somewhat at a loss.
So the so-called confidentiality was something that couldn't be said in front of Zhezhi.
Indeed, such a matter concerning the survival of all Solaris—letting an outsider hear it would only cause unnecessary anxiety. It was better not to involve Zhezhi.
"Whew..."
Noah let out a long breath, controlling himself to calm down.
Since the event had already occurred, even if he worried more, it wouldn't help the situation at all.
"Like this: you write it down on paper first. I'll send Zhezhi back, then come find you immediately."
The speedboat stirred up white waves, finally docking at the shore.
Aalto organized the ins and outs of the Black Shores, writing as concisely and clearly as possible, while Noah summoned an Inferno Rider and took Zhezhi home.
Along the way, aside from the wind, there was only silence.
"Sorry, you must have been scared today. Even if you might not understand what the Black Shores is, some confidential matters really can't be told to you."
Seeing Zhezhi still looking somewhat dazed after getting off, Noah forced a smile.
"No need to worry. No matter what happens, I'll handle it. I'm the hero who saved Jinzhou three times, after all."
"..."
Zhezhi finally raised her head, meeting Noah's gaze, mustering courage to speak.
"Um... is there anything I can help with? I want to contribute too, even though... even though I might not do anything well."
As if trying hard to show her value, the girl blushed deeply.
"And... and according to the rules, I should still be at your disposal for five days, right?"
As Zhezhi's words fell, a line of small text appeared in Noah's vision.
[Companion Story: True Colors has been activated.]
"There really is one thing I need you to do—it'll take just about five days."
Zhezhi's Companion Story mainly tells of a group of evil forces profiting from a painting she once drew, Xiehua Mountain Residence Map, which is discovered and stopped by Zhezhi and Rover.
Clearly, Noah had no time to accompany Zhezhi through this Companion Story, so he chose to directly spoil it for her.
"In the next few days, there will be rumors like this... actually, there's a villain behind it... when the time comes, you do this first... then that..."
After spoiling the plot, Noah gave her a few secret weapons.
"This is General Jiyan's contact method, and this is the Magistrate of Jinzhou's contact method. If you encounter difficulties, mention my name and seek their help."
"Okay! I remember!"
Zhezhi nodded seriously.
Noah said no more, riding the Inferno Rider and speeding away.
Every minute delayed increased the chance of the Lament erupting at the Black Shores—his time was truly urgent now.
The optimal solution to the Black Shores problem was undoubtedly finding Rover to handle it, after all, Rover was the genuine Astral Modulator.
But—what if Rover couldn't be found? What if the Black Shores crisis erupted during the search for Rover?
With chaotic thoughts, he hadn't gone far when a familiar figure with blue-capped feathered hair appeared on the road.
"Noah, here!"
At Yangyang's call, Noah stopped beside her.
"I was just about to look for you, but then I suddenly received an order from the Magistrate to search all of Jinzhou for people from the Black Shores—didn't expect to run into you here."
Yangyang seemed in a very good mood, taking out an exquisite silver badge from her bosom and handing it over.
The badge was perfectly round, about five centimeters in diameter, with delicate relief patterns along the edges outlining gentle curves, like a silver ring polished by moonlight.
When Noah's fingertips brushed the badge surface, he could feel the handmade polishing marks—the edges smooth without sharp corners, transitions natural.
When he saw the five elegant small letters engraved on the badge, his gaze suddenly trembled.
[Rover]
"You've always mentioned Rover before, praising him highly, saying he's a resilient, just, and incredibly reliable person."
Yangyang spoke gently, her words soft and delicate.
"I don't know what kind of person could earn such evaluation from you, but I guess Rover might not be a name, but an honorary title."
"Like a wandering poet who writes wherever he goes into poetry. Rover is like a drifting seed—wherever it floats, it takes root and blooms there."
"In my eyes, you're already as outstanding and remarkable as the Rover you speak of. So I made this badge with Rover's name to give you—hope you don't mind it."
Listening to Yangyang's words, Noah gripped the silver badge, staring at the five letters [Rover], feeling a heat in his eyes and a dryness in his throat that left him speechless.
Through the badge, he seemed to see a figure desperately running amid the Lament—that figure had made countless desperate efforts, leaving footprints in over three hundred thousand Lament.
The more he looked, the heavier the badge in his hand felt.
"Thank you, Yangyang. I... really like it."
Noah tightly gripped the badge, his gaze gradually becoming resolute.
That figure who had borne the burden of civilization for countless years was perhaps tired now, taking a brief rest in some corner of Solaris.
And until that figure finished resting, the burden of Solaris's civilization would be carried by him!
"Yangyang, I might have to leave Jinzhou for a while."
As the words fell, he saw the smile on the feathered-haired girl's face stiffen.
"You... ran into something very urgent?"
"A small issue. I'll be back soon."
"You're leaving right now?!"
The girl exclaimed, lightly biting her lip. Hidden currents surged in her autumn-water-like eyes; she hesitated several times to speak but ultimately turned it into a soft sigh.
"Noah, you're still like this—when you encounter problems, you won't say them out, afraid we'll worry."
But the world is unpredictable. No matter how capable you are, how long can one person hold out alone?
She unconsciously reached out, thoughtfully straightening Noah's wind-messed collar, just like before the commendation ceremony when she adjusted his formal attire.
"If one day... you're tired of wandering, you can come back to me—I'll take care of you."
"Wishing you... a smooth journey."