A burst of violent coughing pulled Zane's thoughts back. Looking toward the source of the sound, he saw Rover supporting Cameliya's head on her lap, carefully helping her sit up.
"You're already close to overclocking." Rover looked straight into Cameliya's slightly dim eyes, gently reaching out to brush away the flowers that had grown on her chest because of the overclocking.
"And that medical pod you mentioned earlier… do you often fall into this state?"
Having her awkward side seen by the destined seed made Cameliya feel a bit uncomfortable. She turned her head slightly, avoiding Rover's gaze.
But just a few seconds later, a smile appeared on her face again. Her willow-like brows tightened, then slowly relaxed with a faint tremble.
In just over ten seconds, the red tint in Cameliya's hair gradually faded, revealing its original pure white, like a blooming flower. Her petal-like eyes also returned to their original color.
"Oh? What is it, are you worried about me?"
"Yes."
Rover's immediate answer made Cameliya freeze for a moment. She rarely received this kind of kindness. But she quickly covered it up with a smile.
"…Haha, if you say that, I'll get shy."
Cameliya blinked. The tearing pain in her body was mysteriously disappearing. In the past, this level of overclocking could only recover this quickly with the help of a medical pod.
'...Why?'
Cameliya thought about it for a moment, still unable to understand, but then attributed it to being with the destined seed.
And that also restored a fair bit of her energy. The joy in her smile became more and more obvious.
"I'm very good at dancing on the edge. I won't let myself overclock. Even if something unexpected really happens…" Cameliya paused, then spoke with complete indifference, "then I'll just accept it."
But Cameliya's "open-mindedness" made Rover frown. She could understand it, but she couldn't accept it.
"That's very dangerous. You should know the harm of overclocking."
"Of course I know~" Cameliya shrugged casually. She had almost completely let go of life and death, as if the one on the brink of death wasn't her at all.
"But once severe overclocking shows symptoms, it can't really be fully cured anyway, right?"
As Cameliya spoke, with the lingering pain fading, her body seemed to regain some strength. She curled her legs and wrapped her arms around them, murmuring softly like a girl just awakening to love.
"Right now, compared to all that, I feel happy instead!"
"Happy?"
"Yeah. Competing with you is fun. Watching you stay calm while surrounded by remnants with the Gardener is fun. Watching you hunt data remnants is fun too… isn't this enough?"
"If one day I really overclock and die, then so be it! With the Black Coast around, the hidden danger of generating a silent zone will be dealt with."
An indescribable feeling tugged gently at Rover's heart. As the flower-like girl's smile spread and rose within the cave, it eventually fell heavily to the ground. The heavy air was like a thick fog that couldn't be dispersed, making it hard to breathe.
If it can't be cured, then just enjoy it fully.
That was Cameliya.
"I've always followed my instincts. I've never put effort into things I'm not interested in. Even if I die right now, I wouldn't have any regrets."
Drops of water fell one by one onto the ground, making constant drip, drip sounds. Their conversation echoed through the empty cave.
Just as the atmosphere inside the cave grew heavier, Cameliya suddenly changed the topic. "Did you find anything on your side? I found a cassette tape. To locate the star map, three or four relics should be enough."
Cameliya buried her head in her knees. Having just gone through overclocking, even though she no longer had to endure the tearing pain, that earlier agony had completely drained her body.
Rover looked at the girl in front of her showing a rare moment of vulnerability. The obsessive madness had faded, leaving only softness.
"I found a black flower. It should be the 'Flower Girl's' belonging." As she spoke, Rover took out the black flower and handed it to Cameliya.
"The frequency left on it dates back nearly twenty years. There hasn't been any new addition since then."
"Twenty years ago…" Cameliya gently touched her cheek, a thoughtful look appearing in her eyes.
"That's very close to when that Black Coast leader stopped appearing… The 'Flower Girl' and that leader disappeared around the same time."
There was no doubt that the disappearance of the 'Flower Girl' was closely connected to Rover.
And Rover knew that very well.
"…You said earlier you found a cassette tape? Can it still be played?"
Even after more than twenty years, the tape didn't seem to show any signs of damage. Cameliya took it out and handed it to Rover.
Rover immediately put it into the Pangu Terminal. If nothing went wrong, the Pangu Terminal should be able to play it.
And just as they expected, the tape was intact. Before long, a recording began to play from Cameliya's Pangu Terminal. It sounded like someone was singing.
But that voice sounded extremely familiar, "...Big thief Zane, and little thief Cameliya, a pair of skilled pickpockets lingering at Rover's home. Cameliya's stealing hands are nimble, Zane steals more but his technique is worse.
Big thief and little thief, never afraid of getting caught. Steal steal steal steal steal, in the blink of an eye, Zane gets caught. La… in the blink of an eye, Zane confesses and gives up Cameliya..."
Listening to the music coming from the Pangu Terminal, the singer seemed to be trying hard to adjust their tone, attempting to make the song sound less stiff.
Obviously, the one singing was the Shorekeeper.
When the playback ended, Rover's face darkened, veins bulging faintly on her smooth forehead. The fingers gripping her swift blade turned slightly pale.
This blade sheath had been quiet for a long time. It was time for it to meet someone's butt!
"Hahahaha…" Cameliya clutched her stomach, laughing uncontrollably. She hadn't expected the usually cold and distant Shorekeeper to have such a side.
Or perhaps that cold personality had only formed in the past twenty years?
Rover ground her teeth viciously, the grinding sound audible. She looked like an enraged little wildcat, her golden eyes scanning around as if searching for that familiar and very punchable figure.
Rover, 'I'm definitely beating Zane's butt. Not even the Shorekeeper can save him.'
But after looking around, Rover didn't see Zane anywhere. A hint of surprise appeared as she frowned.
Only then did Cameliya also realize that their group of three was missing one person. She had been too focused on talking with the destined seed to notice when Zane had left.
"Where's Zane?"
Faced with Cameliya's question, Rover's brows furrowed tightly. She let out a long sigh.
After spending so much time together, how could she not understand what Zane was planning?
But the more she understood, the more it felt like something was gripping her heart, making it increasingly suffocating.
"He… went off to play the hero again…"
[🎉 Shoutout to Paulius for joining p@treon. Thank you very much.🤗]