Siesta.
Inside a magnificent and luxurious Victorian-style villa, Ceylon, dressed in a sleeveless summer dress, frowned slightly, her stunningly beautiful face clouded with worry, like a dark cloud appearing in a clear blue sky. Her long, light-pink hair was loosely pinned up, and her orange-yellow eyes were bright and sparkling.
In front of her.
Stood a cat-girl with an incredibly sexy figure, wearing a black silk and leather tube top and hot pants. The long legs exposed were slender, sexy, and powerful. Her beautiful face was serious, as if covered in a thin layer of frost, only revealing a rare, warm smile when facing Ceylon.
"Schwarz, why do you think Father won't listen to me... I really saw shadows of some monsters by the sea a few days ago. Those monsters are terrifying. Some looked like ugly fish, while others looked like flowers, but the pistil in the middle of the flower was a single, huge eye. It was disgusting."
"Sigh..."
Schwarz sighed and comforted Ceylon.
"Miss, please don't dwell on it. The moment you told the Master, he already sent out our Siesta's most elite salvage team into the sea. That team searched the seabed for two full days and nights, even diving to very deep parts of the seabed, but they still didn't find the monsters you described, Miss."
"Although I know you wouldn't lie, Miss, and that everything you do is for Siesta's sake, but... I think you must have seen wrong."
"The city of Siesta has existed since you were very young, Miss. For all these years, the situation underwater has been extremely safe. There has never been a single problem. So, Miss, there's no need to worry so much."
"But..."
Ceylon wanted to refute.
But she was also a rational person and couldn't just throw a tantrum.
She knew, of course, that her father had made the dive team search the seabed for two whole days and nights because of what she'd said.
But...
Ceylon felt that she hadn't seen wrong.
The memory from a few days ago was extremely clear. She had just returned home from Victoria for summer vacation. At the time, since there was still some time before the Obsidian Festival, and although the venue stalls were mostly set up, there weren't many tourists yet. So, Ceylon had taken a rare walk alone on the familiar golden beach, relaxing her heart, which was heavy from her studies, and listening carefully to the sea breeze.
But when she walked to a spot a bit further from the main beach, she saw a very strange-looking large tadpole standing on a reef by the beach...
It had the tail of a small tadpole but had four limbs growing from its body. It was also a translucent deep blue, and she could even clearly see its skull and internal organs. Ceylon had never seen such a strange tadpole, not even in books. She thought she had discovered a new species and subconsciously wanted to take a picture. However, the rather large tadpole immediately *swooshed* into the sea upon seeing her.
When Ceylon walked closer, she was so frightened she almost fainted.
Because...
The originally clear, light-blue water near the shore... was actually crawling with all kinds of monsters. The monsters were overlapping each other, like disgusting lumps of flesh, nearly making Ceylon, who had never seen such a grotesque sight, vomit.
At that time, Ceylon had immediately called her father, and her father had also immediately sent the dive team into the water, but... after several days, they hadn't found a single trace.
Ceylon had also wondered if she had seen wrong.
But...
That scene was too grotesque. Even after several days, Ceylon couldn't forget it, even if she tried. In fact, it was only becoming clearer.
"Sigh..."
Schwarz sighed, a little worried.
"Miss, perhaps you studied too hard in Victoria and are too tired, and the excess of knowledge in your brain is causing hallucinations. I'll have the family psychologist come over this afternoon."
Ceylon didn't object. She knew Schwarz was genuinely worried about her.
However, only Ceylon, the one who had seen it, knew that what she saw couldn't possibly be a hallucination.
Under the sea...
There was definitely something.
————————
"Woohoo!!"
"We've arrived at the world's most awesome seaside city, Siesta!"
Just after getting off the plane, Magallan excitedly shouted the world-famous line.
"What's the next line?"
Lucas asked.
"What next line?"
Magallan didn't know what meme Lucas was referencing this time, finding it baffling.
She had noticed it too. Lucas would often say things, referencing memes she couldn't understand at all. The worst part was, Magallan couldn't even find these memes on the internet.
For example...
When Dusk was playing a game, she frowned and said.
"Hmph, trying to escape!!"
Lucas's expression would gradually turn strange.
When Magallan asked Lucas what deep meaning that sentence had, Lucas would just reply.
"Someone without a hidden power source on their back wouldn't understand."
Magallan: "???"
"Wow...."
Stepping off the plane.
Alina, FrostNova, and the other two were completely stunned, standing rooted to the spot. Besides "prosperous," they couldn't find a second word.
What greeted their eyes was a golden beach and a boundless, azure sea. To the left was a wide, bright road and tall skyscrapers. There were also many stalls at the edge of the beach. It was bustling with excitement.
FrostNova and Alina had grown up in the Ursus countryside. Alina was slightly better off, but FrostNova had been captured and sent to the mines early on. After her last family member passed away, FrostNova happened to be rescued by her now-father, Patriot. From then on, FrostNova gradually grew up under Patriot's care. However, due to her special status, FrostNova had always followed Patriot, wandering the snowfields. Her knowledge of the outside world came from Patriot's descriptions.
After all, Patriot had been to many places back in the day (as in, he *fought* his way there).
As someone from the north.
Seeing the sea for the first time, FrostNova was even a little dazed.
"Oh right, Jessica, I'm switching 'accounts'. The Rhodes Island side is almost here too. In Siesta, I should probably use the Doctor's account the whole time. After all, you need a physical body to enjoy the blend of sun and sea breeze. Being just a spirit here is no different from being at home."
"Yep! Go ahead."
Everyone waved at Lucas. Lucas slipped into the necklace and switched to the Doctor's 'account'.
On the other side.
Amiya was wearing a cute, pink, off-the-shoulder t-shirt, revealing her fair, perfect shoulders. On her lower half, she wore light blue shorts, and her slender legs, which somehow looked long despite not being so, swung back and forth.
Amiya didn't like swimsuits.
According to Amiya's explanation at the time.
She really disliked walking around in a swimsuit in a place with so many people. So, this kind of youthful, energetic, yet slightly mature summer outfit was her first choice. Besides Amiya, there were also Blaze, ACE, Scout, Logos, Misery, Sharp, and a group of other Elite Operators. In addition to the Elite Operators, there were many other ordinary Operators, including interns like Kroos and Hibiscus, who had basically all come.
After all.
Kal'tsit had rarely granted a two-week vacation. Aside from the medical Operators who needed to be on duty, basically all Operators who weren't in essential posts had come. Of course, some who didn't like the beach had paired up and gone to other places. Anyway, the current Siesta... was truly full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers.
It had truly reached a situation where you could walk three steps, call out to a random person, and they might be an Elite Operator.
"Doctor~ what are you looking at? You've been spacing out ever since we got here."
Amiya lightly bumped Lucas with her shoulder, asking sweetly.
"I was just thinking, Siesta is really peaceful."
"Of course!"
After arriving at their destination.
The Rhodes Island Operators didn't stick together. They were all adults, and everyone had completely different preferences, so it was impossible for them to move in a group like children. After arriving in Siesta and getting off the bus, one second there was a large group of Rhodes Island Operators, and the next, they scattered like bees, leaving only Amiya, Lucas, and Closure.
"By the way, Doctor, has Miss Jessica arrived?"
Amiya had heard Lucas say on the bus that Jessica would be coming too.
"Over there."
Lucas pointed to a large group of people in the direction of the beach.
"I'll go say hi first, Doctor. After all... you only went back once in the middle of your time away from Columbia. I feel a bit bad about it. Miss Jessica must have missed you terribly."
*Pfft!!*
Closure, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but almost burst out laughing.
Amiya didn't know the specific situation.
But Closure knew it all too well. If you asked who on Rhodes Island understood Lucas the best, Amiya would definitely say herself, and Kal'tsit would also definitely say herself. In reality, the one who understood Lucas the best was Closure. After all, she knew far too much. But Closure didn't dare say much. After learning Lucas's true strength, Closure was terrified that she would say too much and be silenced by Lucas.
"What are you laughing at, Miss Closure?"
Amiya looked at Closure in confusion. What she had just said didn't seem wrong, right? Strange.
"No... I just thought of something happy."
Closure quickly shook her head.
And Jessica, who already knew Amiya was here, pretended to run into her by chance.
"Ah! Miss Amiya!"
Jessica ran over and shook Amiya's hand, then calmly called out "Mr. Reeve," and Lucas just gave a perfunctory nod.
Amiya: "???"
Amiya's little head was filled with big questions.
That shouldn't be right...
That shouldn't be right...
You two... haven't seen each other in so long. Shouldn't you be a little more enthusiastic now that you've finally met? Why are you acting like strangers?
Hsss...
Amiya even suspected, had they been separated for too long, and the relationship between Jessica and Lucas had gradually faded? That was indeed possible. Thinking of this, Amiya felt a little guilty. It was all because of her...
As for Closure, she was forcibly holding back her laughter, her face bright red, looking like she was about to suffer internal injuries from holding it in.
"?"
"Miss Closure, what are you laughing at again?"
Amiya asked in confusion.
"No... I just thought of something funny again."
"?"
After some simple pleasantries.
The group left together. Because of Lucas, Amiya also decided to tag along with Jessica's group. As for Closure, she ran off to chat with Nian and Dusk.
The group chatted as they walked, heading straight to the hotel they were staying at.
This hotel was the most luxurious hotel in all of Siesta, bar none, and one of the few five-star hotels on all of Terra. Even though the price was exorbitant, Terra was different from Earth. Those who could afford to travel, especially those who traveled abroad like this, were all true elites, without exception....
Although the five-star hotel was expensive, these true elites could afford it.
Jessica had long ago booked the most expensive imperial suite on the top floor of this hotel. The price for one suite was 360,000 Lungmen Dollars per night. This suite was very special—it was huge, occupying the entire top floor of the hotel. Inside, besides a large living room, there were 8 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, and a huge sky garden, which even had a swimming pool. Its level of luxury was in no way inferior to the villa Jessica lived in.
There were quite a few people on this trip. Including Lucas, a total of twenty people had come together.
Two people to a room, while Ceobe and the other 'children' would sleep in one room, it was basically enough space.
The 360,000-a-night price tag also deterred a large number of ordinarily wealthy people. After all, the Obsidian Festival lasted for half a month, and coming early meant they would definitely be staying for 20 days. The cost of accommodation alone would be 7.2 million, and that wasn't counting other expenses.
Of course.
Terra didn't lack for truly rich people. To them, a mere 7.5 million was no different from 75 bucks. This suite had actually been booked long ago by a Columbia boss worth tens of billions. However, after "coincidentally" hearing that the heiress of Raythean Industries wanted to take a group of friends to Siesta for fun, and that she particularly liked this top-floor room but it was unfortunately booked, so she could only settle for a step down...
This boss was so scared he immediately canceled his reservation and switched to a slightly lower-tier room.
In any case, he didn't have that many people; he couldn't even fill all eight rooms. He had initially booked it purely because he liked the most expensive one. But knowing the Raythean Industries heiress also liked it, he immediately canceled, terrified of offending her. Of course, when Jessica found out the other party had actually given up the room for her, she even made a special call to thank him personally. Naturally, this purely thankful call had also scared the boss half to death, thinking Jessica was being sarcastic.
Of course, the hotel couldn't possibly house all the crowds of tourists.
Nearly all the residents in Siesta would turn their homes into temporary inns during these few days, leaving their best rooms for tourists. Of course, the price wasn't cheap. Basically, a whole house with several rooms could be rented for several thousand a day. Over twenty days, that was an income of over a hundred thousand, already comparable to the annual income of many well-paid, ordinary office workers in Lungmen.
And precisely because they had money.
The local residents of Siesta lived extremely comfortable lives. It was once rated by the Columbian media as one of Terra's best cities for retirement.
"This is great."
Since they were in Siesta, they couldn't possibly keep wearing their everyday clothes. The girls were all in their rooms changing into new clothes. As for Lucas, the sole designated male, he just changed into a pair of summer trunks and a t-shirt, and he was done. Men's summer clothing wasn't nearly as fussy.
Suddenly.
A familiar feeling welled up in his heart.
"Hm?"
A soul fragment had awakened?
Lucas was a bit surprised.
It seemed like a long time had passed since the last soul fragment awakened. He hadn't expected one to be in Siesta. Lucas debated whether to go check it out. At first, Lucas was against it, but after thinking for a moment, seeing that everyone was still changing, he decided to go take a look for a moment, just to observe, not to speak.