"That's right!"
Excitement flashed in Noah's eyes:
"As long as I find Rover, help him defeat the Tacet Discord Crownless, and send him back to Jinzhou, I can complete this main quest."
"I don't even need to intervene—let the game plot develop naturally without deviation, and I can still claim the quest rewards."
The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. A scene even formed in his mind: Rover charging ahead, cutting through obstacles, while he protected from the shadows, only acting when necessary—reaping the benefits without effort.
"This Wuthering Waves is awesome!"
At this thought, Noah felt incredibly exhilarated.
Once Rover arrives, Scar, Tacet Discords, Threnodians—none of them will be a problem!
Do you understand the value of the Emperor of Solaris-3, the Astral Modulator, the Guide of Civilization, the Leader of the Black Shores, the terrifying scythe-wielder!
Once Rover defeats Scar and liberates Jinzhou, he'll be able to settle down safely there.
Rover will be the undisputed MVP, and he'll be the carry-rider.
Though it doesn't sound great, whatever—carry-rider it is, as long as he wins!
He's definitely clinging to Rover's thigh.
With this thought, the world suddenly felt vast and open.
Noah turned back toward Taoyuan Vale, a smile spreading across his face as he hummed a cheerful little tune.
When he spotted a blue-bereted, feather-haired girl in the distance, Noah quickened his pace and greeted her brightly:
"Hey, Yangyang!"
Yangyang slowly turned her head. Seeing who it was, her tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly:
"It's you, Noah. Is something wrong? Or is there somewhere in Taoyuan Vale you're not comfortable with?"
"Nothing's wrong—I'm just happy."
Noah tried to suppress his smile but couldn't hold it back and burst out laughing again.
Yangyang looked at his carefree demeanor, her expression complicated as she sighed softly:
"I'm glad you're happy. I really envy your good mood. I have something to do—I'll head off first."
The unknown situation in Jinzhou City, the Etheric Sea in Cloud Ridge Valley, the impending Tacet Field…
All these things weighed on the girl's heart like invisible mountains, making it hard for her to smile.
She envied Noah's optimistic attitude yet felt heavy-hearted because of Jinzhou's current state.
One person's joy and another's sorrow are not always shared.
Noah called out to her again:
"Yangyang, are you going to Cloud Ridge Valley tomorrow?"
"Yes, with Chixia."
"Count me in—I want to go too."
"No."
The Etheric Sea is about to converge, and a Tacet Field will form soon after. Cloud Ridge Valley will definitely become extremely dangerous—how could an ordinary person venture there?
Yangyang instinctively refused. She looked up and saw a white-clothed young man standing before her, hands pressed together and waving up and down:
"Please, Yangyang—I really want to go. I'm a Resonator now. I have the ability to protect myself and won't cause you trouble."
"Huh?"
The blue-bereted, feather-haired girl stared in shock at the Tacet Mark on the back of Noah's right hand.
He was clearly an ordinary person this afternoon—how had he become a Resonator in the time it took them to hold a meeting?
Even the martial arts novels Chixia loved wouldn't dare write something like this.
"I want to test my ability against a Common-class Tacet Discord—please!"
Faced with Noah's repeated pleading, Yangyang's mind waged an internal battle.
Normally, a new Resonator should be sent to Huaxu Academy in Jinzhou for resonance ability testing and risk assessment.
But with Jinzhou fallen, and the only researcher Baizhi busy teaching others to operate drones, there was clearly no time to handle a newly emerged Resonator like Noah.
A Resonator of unknown risk level—it was better to keep him close and watch him, in case his ability went out of control and harmed the villagers of Taoyuan Vale.
At this moment, Yangyang didn't know that Jianxin had already tested Noah's resonance ability.
In the end, Yangyang made her decision:
"Fine. But tomorrow you must follow our instructions and not run off on your own—otherwise we can't guarantee your safety."
"No problem—I'll find you tomorrow morning."
Having successfully convinced Yangyang, Noah arranged the meeting spot for tomorrow, waved goodbye, and once again hummed a cheerful Wuthering Waves fan remix as he walked away.
"My name is Verina, my main job is healing, why not Baizhi? Because Baizhi isn't upgraded~"
"Rejuvenating Glow is amazing, pick up scraps to complete the set, variation is the signature weapon~"
Halfway there, Noah's gaze shifted. He spotted a red-haired figure hugging their head and crouching in the shadowed corner of a wall. He instinctively greeted:
"Hey, Chi—"
The words were barely out when he realized he had mistaken the person.
But it was still an old acquaintance from the game—the dedicated sub-DPS for Jiyan's team, Mortefi.
Might as well get to know him.
Thinking this, Noah smiled and walked forward familiarly, leaning down to lightly place a hand on Mortefi's shoulder:
"What are you doing here alone?"
"Don't touch me!"
Mortefi roared and flung Noah's hand away. At the same time, a fire dragon whipped out, its blazing flames illuminating the dim corner.
"Whoa, dude."
Noah reflexively stepped back, barely dodging the flame attack. The intense light stung his eyes, forcing him to squint.
The Mortefi in the game was clearly not this savage and impulsive…
Drawing Commando of Conviction to extinguish the fire dragon, Noah's brow furrowed slightly:
"Researcher Mortefi, what's wrong?"
Mortefi did not continue attacking. Instead, he clutched his head fiercely, trembling all over as though enduring unspeakable pain.
"Who am I? Who am I really! Shut up—stop talking! Aaaaaah!"
Mortefi slammed his head and roared, as if trying to drive away the mad whispers in his mind.
In his agony, he uncontrollably flung out several blazing fire dragons, his entire demeanor like a man possessed.
Only then did Noah truly see Mortefi's appearance.
His hair was disheveled, his face and neck covered in bloody scratches from fingernails, his forehead bruised from impacts.
His clothes were caked in dust—far from the refined, meticulous researcher image in the game.
The stark contrast made Noah doubt whether he had the right person.
No—he hadn't mistaken him. As a professional player, he could recognize any game character from the slightest feature.
This was Mortefi, safety division researcher at Jinzhou's Huaxu Academy—but how had he ended up in such a wretched state?
Noah hesitantly put away Commando of Conviction, studying Mortefi before speaking:
"Mortefi, you…"
"Young hero, don't get close to him."
A startled voice came from behind. Noah felt a gentle breeze pass his side.
It was Jianxin.
The young Taoist priestess reached out and dispersed the lingering flames in the air, then without hesitation struck the frenzied Mortefi unconscious with a palm.
Supporting the fainted Mortefi, Jianxin glanced up and down at Noah, confirming he was unharmed before her delicate features relaxed.
"I sensed resonance energy fluctuations here and rushed over immediately. Are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
Noah shook his head, looking at Mortefi with pity before asking:
"Mortefi… what happened to him?"