Yangyang suggested, "The terminal issued a danger alert when it detected the Tacet Discord earlier. The Tacet Discord's rank must be at least Overlord-class. Maybe Rover could check the Data Bank's level?"
Chixia said carelessly, "No need for such trouble! Why not just have Rover try absorbing it with the terminal?"
Hearing this, Rover nodded slightly and raised the Pangu Terminal in their hand toward the Reverberation left behind by Crownless.
Lucian watched curiously from the side after all, even the process of capturing Pokémon required some learning!
However, strangely, after a few seconds… nothing happened.
Chixia tilted her head in confusion. "Huh? Can't absorb it…?"
Rover checked their Pangu Terminal and said, "My 'gourd' is level zero."
"Step aside and let me handle that Reverberation!"
Lucian used Loud Roar.
Even though the system had already stated that his Pangu Terminal couldn't absorb Tacet Discords defeated by others… what if the system was lying to him?
[System:?]
Everyone turned to look at Lucian.
"Aren't you from another planet? How do you have a Pangu Terminal?" Baizhi eyed him suspiciously.
"Don't worry about that. Just watch me work!"
Lucian raised his "gourd," his gaze sharp as he stared at the Reverberation ahead.
"Crownless! If I call your name, do you dare answer?"
A cold wind blew past.
Nothing happened.
The system did not deceive him!
Chixia scowled at Lucian. "Reverberations can't talk!"
Rover looked over in confusion. "Is your gourd also level zero?"
Lucian lifted his chin slightly. "My gourd was crafted by the Planet Ultra. Ultra technology is guaranteed divine quality!"
Chixia: "That's literally what I just said earlier! And what the heck is Planet Ultra?!"
Lucian offered no further explanation. He clasped his hands behind his back, tilting his head slightly as he gazed at the horizon with a lonely expression, as if lost in memories.
Chixia couldn't take it anymore. "Is this guy mentally okay?"
Rover asked, "What happens if we can't absorb it?"
Baizhi replied, "Before long, the Reverberation will dissipate, and the Skysea will vanish. Once the Skysea disappears, the blocked communication signals will naturally restore. The Tacet Field will then fall into silence, waiting for the next resurgence."
"The anomalies in Cloudridge Valley need to be reported to the City Hall and the Institute. Let's leave this place for now."
Just as everyone prepared to turn and leave, the Tacet Mark on Rover's right hand suddenly glowed.
A voice audible only to Rover echoed:
"Hungry… so hungry…"
Drawn by an overwhelming force, Rover instinctively raised their right hand. A golden light burst from their palm.
Then, the Reverberation of Crownless surged toward the Tacet Mark on Rover's hand.
In an instant, Rover absorbed the Reverberation entirely.
Chixia gasped. "Wha—what kind of power is this?!"
"I've never seen a Resonance ability like this before! What else can you do? Devour Tacet Discords raw? Grill Echoes over charcoal?!"
She leaned in close, staring at Rover with burning curiosity.
Rover looked down at the Tacet Mark on their hand, slightly dazed. That voice just now…
"I… don't know what happened either."
Yangyang speculated, "Could this be related to Rover's lost memories? Can you recall anything now?"
Lucian's eyes widened. "Wait, did you just say 'lost memories'?"
Incredible strength? Amnesia as the starting point? Devouring Reverberations whole?
…Are you the protagonist?!
"Rover, are you feeling alright? Any discomfort?"
"Could it be residual effects from the Tacet Discord? Baizhi, if possible, perhaps Rover could undergo an examination at the Resonance Medical Division of the Huaixu Research Institute…"
Baizhi rested her chin on her hand, deep in thought, and didn't respond immediately.
Then she said, "Absorbing an Echo directly into the body… isn't entirely without precedent."
Hearing this, Yangyang seemed to recall something.
"Absorbing an Echo into the body…? I remember reading about it in the opening passage of the Huanglong chapter in The Universal Chronicles…"
"…Thus did the Celestial descend, holding the cosmos in their grasp, taking Echoes into their form. With a breath, Pangu was born; heaven and earth were overturned, order aligned, and light shone upon the four directions. Thus began the history of Huanglong…"
Lucian raised an eyebrow. Based on his vast knowledge spanning astronomy, geography, the Four Books and Five Classics, and every trope imaginable this Rover had to be the Legendary person mentioned in the Huanglong records!
The others seemed to realize it too, their gazes toward Rover now carrying a subtle weight.
Noticing their looks, Rover blinked. "Wait, am I…?"
But Chixia shook her head.
"The timeline doesn't add up. Even if Rover has a longer lifespan than ordinary people, at most, it'd be measured in centuries. But Huanglong's recorded history spans at least a thousand years…"
"Putting aside whether it's true or not, this would've happened long ago, before Jinzhou was even established. Does that mean Rover is our great-great-great-great-great-grandmother or something?"
Baizhi also shook her head slightly. "Without further data and analysis, we shouldn't jump to conclusions."
As soon as she finished speaking, the Pangu Terminals of everyone except Lucian suddenly lit up.
"Eh? The signal's back!" Chixia exclaimed in delight.
"This is… a holographic message from City Hall, addressed to all of Jinzhou."
Yangyang projected a hologram from her Pangu Terminal.
Flickering blue cubes materialized in the air, forming the image of a young woman.
She had long silver-white hair, tied into two natural twin tails, and rare, clear light-colored eyes.
She wore a black miniskirt with a layered white-and-gold outer robe, exquisitely tailored in a black-and-white color scheme adorned with golden trims and motifs. A golden dragon's tail embroidered from her waist to the hem trailed down the left side of her robe.
"To all soldiers and citizens of Jinzhou, I apologize for the interruption. I am Jinhsi, the current Magistrate of Jinzhou."
Lucian's eyebrow twitched. Magistrate…?
That was no minor position.
In his past life on M78 Nebula…. Wait no wrong planet, on earth—especially on china the Magistrate was the highest official title of the Chu State during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods—the supreme authority in charge of governance and decree.
They wielded the nation's sovereignty, standing above all to lead the people, presiding over domestic affairs and foreign wars, holding both military and political power.
"As the 'Moonchase Festival' approaches, Jinzhou welcomes guests from all directions. This grand festival is eagerly anticipated, and the joy is shared by all myself included."
Moonchase Festival… In his past life, the Mid-Autumn Festival was also known by that name.
"From ancient times to the present, Jinzhou has stood as Huanglong's frontline stronghold against the tides of Tacet Discords a land of peril. Since its founding, it has borne the weight of an unretreatable, unwinnable war."
"It is only through the dedication of Jinzhou's border guards and the passion of its people that this prosperous and peaceful Jinzhou shines so brilliantly before the world."
"We have always faced the surges of war with fearless resolve and welcomed all with open arms. This has been true in the past, and so it shall remain."
"Thus, I have a request for all of you."
"Among our arriving guests is someone of great importance to me, to Jinzhou, and even to Huanglong itself."
"We have waited for this person for a very long time."
"To this guest: Upon your awakening, you must have felt deeply lost."
Lucian: "Lost? Oh, I'm beyond lost!"