A flash of white light passed through Lucian's eyes, as if he had fallen into some kind of slumber.
The crystal in his arms glowed faintly, merging into his body, causing the Tacet Mark on his back to shine brilliantly.
[Option 1 completed, S-rank lottery opportunity acquired.]
[Shorekeeper intimacy achieved, reward obtained: New World Meteor (Sonoro Sphere)]
[New World Meteor: A portable Sonoro Sphere, where the internal style can be freely altered as desired. Others can be invited to enter.]
The process didn't last long, and soon, Lucian's vision cleared.
He quickly realized he was seated at a piano, with Shorekeeper sitting on his lap, her arms around his neck, gazing at him intently.
This was the 'Wanderer's Endpoint.'
Lucian instinctively wrapped his arms around Shorekeeper's waist: "Is it over?"
Shorekeeper smiled faintly: "Yes, it's all over."
"I've finally understood… my feelings."
With that, Shorekeeper leaned into Lucian's embrace, holding him tighter.
Lucian smiled: "Is that so… Then our promise?"
Shorekeeper looked up with a sweet smile, and without hesitation, pressed her lips to his.
…
After a long while, in the flower room.
"What's the status of the Tethys System?"
Shorekeeper smiled faintly: "The Tethys System has now been compiled into Rover's Speaker's module."
"Everything is as usual, no need to worry. With the Möbius loop broken, under a more advanced system, the Black Shores should be able to better predict the Lament."
Lucian rubbed his chin thoughtfully: "Hmm… The Tethys System had a name, and now that Rover's Speaker has become the new system, it should have a name too…"
"How about… the Tai-Ku-La System?"
"—I object!" Before Lucian could revel in his creativity, a voice came from behind.
Rover and Rover's Speaker approached, the voice coming from Rover's Speaker.
"That's too tacky! It'd be better to call it the Cosmic Invincible Super Thunder Rover's Speaker System."
Rover said exasperatedly: "Your naming skills are on par with Lucian's."
Lucian asked curiously: "Why are you out here? As the new system, shouldn't you be working hard?"
Rover's Speaker scoffed: "I told you, I'm using a processor beyond your comprehension. Calculating the Lament for this planet is practically a waste!"
"So I need to move around more to keep my processor running at high frequency."
"Besides, there's something else…"
Under everyone's puzzled gazes, Rover's Speaker flew to Lucian and Rover's Pangu Terminals. With a flash of white light, both terminals transformed into chibi versions of each other.
Lucian picked up the Rover-shaped terminal at his waist: "You modified my terminal without permission? That's just gilding the lily!"
Rover pinched Lucian's ear: "What, you don't like this design?"
Rover's Speaker explained nonchalantly: "I upgraded your terminals. Now you can contact each other anytime, anywhere, without interference."
"And I've implanted some of my data into them, meaning, aside from my main body here at the Black Shores, you can treat your terminals as my avatars."
"In short, your future journeys will definitely need the Cosmic Invincible Super Thunder Rover's Speaker System to assist you!"
Shorekeeper asked with concern: "By the way, have you decided where you're headed next?"
Lucian pondered for a moment: "Well, it depends on where Rover wants to go."
"I remember Rover once said that when she woke up in the Etheric Sea, several golden light particles flew out of her body."
"We now know that one of those golden light particles is in Norfall Barrens."
"Rover has already retrieved it, turning it into her Havoc ability."
"So, besides collecting the golden light particles, we also need to uncover Rover and Abby's origins…"
"That's also why we came to the Black Shores…"
Shorekeeper nodded slightly: "After everything you've been through, you must already know."
"Rover established the Black Shores here, connecting Solaris together. From that time, the Tethys System came into existence as well."
"Rover discovered that it used the Lament itself as its core to observe the world. Without the Lament, it would lose its effectiveness."
"Using the Lament to observe the Lament created a cycle, like an endless Möbius loop."
"Later, Rover began trying to change it. Over centuries, we worked together, but we never found a way."
"Then, one by one, you left this shore to build anew and seek new answers."
At this, Shorekeeper's eyes dimmed slightly.
Back then, the answer was right beside them.
As a 'tool,' Shorekeeper was the perfect choice for the Tethys System's core.
Seeing this, Lucian gently patted her head to comfort her: "In any case, we've now found the best solution."
"And isn't it great now? We're all reunited, like… family."
Shorekeeper nodded firmly: "Yes, I'll continue managing the Black Shores, always watching over you from here."
At this, Lucian took out the crystal: "Speaking of which, this crystal is…"
This crystal was left behind when Shorekeeper was taken by the Tethys System.
But now, according to the system's prompt, it was a Sonoro Sphere, the portable residence Lucian had always dreamed of.
Shorekeeper smiled: "Didn't you say before that having residences scattered around the world was troublesome?"
"This crystal is a small part of my body. Hold it tightly, and you can enter a Sonoro Sphere tailored for you."
"There, everything will manifest and change according to your wishes."
"I can't truly give you everything you want, but at the very least, I can give you a beautiful dream, a place to rest without worries."
Lucian frowned: "Does it affect your body?"
Shorekeeper shook her head slightly: "It won't."
"The endlessly repeating Lament allowed me to strip away the faded parts of myself and capture new Echoes, so you don't need to worry."
Lucian pulled Shorekeeper into his arms: "Thank you."
Shorekeeper nuzzled into Lucian's embrace like a kitten: "I'm happy to be able to help you."
Rover: "?"
Lucian gripped the crystal tightly: "In that case, shall we go inside and take a look?"
He recalled the system mentioning that others could be invited into it.
Shorekeeper nodded slightly: "Yes."
Rover grabbed Lucian's arm with a sinister tone: "Lucian, this Sonoro Sphere is so convenient…"
"Who knows how many people can go inside?"
Lucian: "…"