Early the next morning.
Lucian slowly woke up, the bed in complete disarray. He supported his waist as he sat up—last night, he had accepted Rover's passionate affection, and even he found it a bit overwhelming.
Turning his head, he saw Rover curled up like a little black cat, sleeping soundly. Lucian smiled faintly and planted a light kiss on her cheek before quietly slipping out of the residence.
Outside, the morning sun bathed him in warmth, dispelling the chill of Mt. Firmament.
Abby popped out from his Tacet Mark: "Lucian, Lucian, where are we going to play today?"
Lucian pondered for a moment. "The Moon-Chasing Festival is in three days, and there doesn't seem to be much to do in the meantime."
"Changli mentioned yesterday that she'd help Xinyi with the aftermath. Should we go to the mountain gate to see them?"
"Or return to Jinzhou to visit Chixia and Yangyang?"
"Or maybe head to the frontlines to check on Jianxin…"
Abby narrowed his eyes slightly in dissatisfaction. "You're really a playboy—do you even have the stamina for all this?"
"Hey—" Lucian tugged at Abby's ahoge. "I'd like to ask, where did you even learn these kinds of words?"
Abby scoffed. "I, Abby, know everything under the heavens! There's nothing I'm unaware of!"
"Besides, how many pieces are you splitting your day into…?"
Lucian rubbed his temples as he walked forward. "What can I say? Perhaps this is what they call 'with great power comes great responsibility.'"
Abby stomped his foot in exasperation. "Hey! Is that even how you use that phrase?!"
By the waterscreen, Lucian sipped a cup of tea, his eyes narrowed in contentment.
Suddenly, a familiar wolf's howl echoed through the air.
The nearby diners panicked: "Holy shit! A Tacet Discord is attacking!"
The customers immediately scrambled to flee. Lucian took a closer look—it was just Youhu riding back on a Lightcrusher.
Lucian quickly recalled the Lightcrusher, while Youhu excitedly trotted over on her short legs.
"Lucian, Lucian, look what I found!"
Lucian glanced at Youhu's palm, where she held an object resembling a memory stick from his past life.
"What is this?"
Youhu shrugged. "I don't know either."
Lucian: "?"
"You don't know, yet you brought it back anyway?"
Youhu grinned. "This item has no origin or serial number. I suspect it's from the Port City of Guixu!"
Lucian frowned. "Port City of Guixu? Where's that?"
Youhu smiled mysteriously. "Rumor has it, it's a relic of the old era. But I don't know much beyond that. Anyway, hardly anyone from Jinzhou goes there now—it's already overrun by Tacet Discords, and I heard there's even a terrifying one that rides a motorcycle lurking there."
She pocketed the mysterious item and clapped her hands. "Alright, I've got a full haul. Time to head back to Jinzhou."
"I'll research these new treasures with my master."
"Thanks for reeling me in here~! Bye!"
Youhu muttered her thanks as she eagerly packed up and left.
"…"
Abby rubbed his forehead. "What a whirlwind of a girl…"
Just then, the familiar click of high heels reached their ears.
"Lucian."
Turning, Lucian saw Changli approaching.
"I came out for breakfast and didn't expect to run into you."
Lucian asked with concern, "Is the cleanup work going smoothly? Do you need my help?"
Changli chuckled and tapped his lips. "Such trivial matters are hardly worth mentioning."
Lucian playfully nipped at her finger, and Changli scolded lightly, "So naughty."
"Where's Rover?"
Lucian explained, "She's still asleep."
Changli's eyes shimmered with amusement before she smiled. "Then how about you accompany me for a stroll around Mt. Firmament?"
"Since the mountain's stagnation ended, I haven't had the chance to return…"
"So much has happened since I arrived—I haven't even had time to properly take in the sights…"
Lucian agreed. After breakfast, the two headed east.
"Your body…"
Lucian's voice was laced with worry. When he had treated Changli earlier, he noticed that, like Jiao-Jiao, her body bore significant damage.
Changli smiled faintly, appearing unruffled—she didn't seem surprised that Lucian had guessed something was wrong. "You noticed, didn't you?"
Lucian elaborated, "When I was healing you, I realized that using your Resonance abilities doesn't just strain your body—it seems to have some irreversible side effects…"
Changli chuckled softly. "The price of wielding True Sight is… my lifespan."
Lucian frowned. "Lifespan?"
Changli nodded slightly. "But I'm no longer the child who couldn't control her powers. Now, using Resonance doesn't burden my body. You don't need to worry."
Her gaze rested peacefully on Hongzhen at the foot of the mountain.
"You're lying."
Lucian took Changli's delicate hand and led her to a pavilion, where he sat her down and quietly continued his healing.
Changli watched him tenderly, her fingers lightly brushing his cheek.
After a while, Lucian withdrew his hand, exhausted. Like with Jiao-Jiao, his Healing Art was like a drop of water merging into the ocean—barely making a ripple.
Lucian pondered. Jiao-Jiao's lifespan was affected by injuries, while Changli's was eroded by the backlash of her Resonance abilities. No wonder the Healing Art had no effect.
Seeing his somber expression, Changli reassured him, "Don't worry. I've long since come to terms with it."
"That's precisely why we should cherish the present even more… Walk with me."
Lucian nodded slightly, interlacing his fingers with hers as they strolled through Mt. Firmament.
Curious, Lucian asked, "Does Solaris truly hold the secret to immortality?"
Changli smiled. "Likely not."
"I imagine only beings like the Sentinel and Rover could share the heavens' longevity…"
"Looking back now, the 'immortality secret' in the mirage was just embellishments added by that woodcutter who once wandered into the mountain while recounting old tales."
"That mirage was actually a trap set by my master and Rover of the past—using the chessboard as a medium, concealed by the Court of Savantae's temporal mechanism, only revealing itself once Mt. Firmament's temporal flow normalized."
"Even after the Sentinel and Mt. Firmament were freed, the Fractsidus wouldn't give up. The moment they believed the power of time lay within the chessboard, they had already stepped into the trap."
"When the Sentinel fell here, it was damaged. My master foresaw that Mt. Firmament would face a chain of calamities and left this mechanism as a contingency."
"The mirage devours all who dare intrude—unless the entrant has a way to break the game."
Lucian nodded thoughtfully. "To think Rover of the past and your master could plan so far ahead… Could they also possess the ability to foresee the future like the Sentinel? And if so, is the future already within their control?"
Changli's beautiful eyes curved as she hugged his arm and laughed. "Precisely because such a possibility exists that we need someone like you—outside the chessboard—to break everything…"
Their footsteps left prints in the snow, but then a woman's voice rang out from a fir tree ahead:
"Tsk tsk tsk… The stench of love is truly… enviable."