"I've petted cats before, petted dogs too, but petting a butterfly? That's a first." He paused, smile tugging at his lips. "Not bad, though."
After flirting with... no, after spending some quality time with the Shorekeeper in butterfly disguise, Rover decided it was time to head out. As he'd noted earlier, today's to-do list was long.
The butterfly, however, seemed reluctant to part. She circled him in a few lazy loops before finally alighting on his shoulder and going still.
"Hm? Want to tag along?"
Two silent wing-flaps. Agreement.
He stifled a laugh. Of all his stalkers, the others at least had the decency to trail him from a distance. Shorekeeper here wasn't even pretending anymore. Not that he minded.
Heading out with a butterfly on his shoulder.
Novel experience. He kind of liked it.
Rather than going straight to the research institute to meet up with the other Rover, he spent some time wandering Jinzhou first. He needed to stock up on essentials and run a few experiments.
"Abby, can you hear me? How are things on your end?"
"Oh oh! Loud and clear! Everything's great over here. Rover's studying that token thing, and the kinda cold girl said there's a physical checkup later. Even yours truly has to get tested!"
Abby's voice rang directly inside his head.
His transmigration had created two Rovers on Solaris-3, but there was still only one Abby. When she'd left this morning, he'd sent Abby into her Tacet Mark instead.
This was the long-range communication test.
"Good. As long as everything's going smoothly."
He nodded, satisfied. Even with Abby residing in her Tacet Mark, he could still communicate with it freely. If some emergency ever forced him and her apart, they'd be able to check on each other through Abby.
From a certain angle, he and she were the same person. Abby could enter either of their Tacet Marks, and no matter which one it occupied, both of them could speak with it.
So Abby wasn't limited to devouring Tacet Discords anymore.
It could also serve as their private two-way radio.
"Tell her I'll be a bit late. I've got a lot to buy. Ask if she needs me to pick up anything."
"Okay, lemme ask... Rover says whatever you decide is fine! Oh, and can you grab some of those yummy things we had yesterday for yours truly? Breakfast was too small. I don't think I'm full."
"Got it. See you later, then."
After ending the conversation, Rover began searching through Jinzhou based on his game memories. The Pangu Terminal did have a treasure-hunting function, but reality didn't scatter loot chests in random corners, unfortunately.
And games were games. The real Jinzhou dwarfed anything that had fit on a phone screen. It took considerable wandering before he located his target: the Shifang Pharmacy.
"Found it. I need emergency medical supplies, please. A bit of everything."
He addressed the clerk inside. In the game, this shop sold breakthrough materials and basic medicines.
The clerk in the green apron blinked in surprise when she saw him, and her smile brightened a few watts beyond its usual wattage. There was an apologetic note in her voice, though.
"Of course. Please give me a moment. With the current state of affairs, our stock is somewhat limited."
"Understood. Enough healing medicine for two will do."
"That I can manage."
The double supply was in his hands in short order. He tucked one portion into his belt pouch for quick access and stored her share inside his Tacet Mark space.
Confidence in his own strength was one thing, but reality wasn't a game.
Solaris-3 was a dangerous world. Lying awake last night with her in his arms, he'd thought it through clearly.
Everything that could be prepared in advance, should be. Neither he nor she had unlocked Aero abilities yet, which meant no healing skills. And real-world cooking didn't come with the absurd stat buffs the game offered.
Basic medicine, though, could still make a difference.
Too bad these are all entry-level. The good stuff means going to Rinascita, to the Fisalia family... He shook his head, suppressing the urge to sail across the ocean and throw himself into the Matriarch's magnificently welcoming embrace. Getting ahead of myself.
He wandered Jinzhou a while longer.
And happened to run into Chixia mid-patrol.
The moment he described what he was looking for, the energetic girl slapped her red-cloth-wrapped chest and declared it was handled. Minutes later, she'd led him straight to his destination.
Subject Three: Flight Module Practical Examination.
Pass this test and he'd unlock the Pangu Terminal's latest Flight module. A massive upgrade over the Glide module.
"Ahem! Normally there's a Subject One and Subject Two to complete first, but... your situation is special. You only need to pass Subject Three. However, the difficulty will be set to maximum."
The examiner took a deep breath. When Rover had expressed interest in unlocking the Flight module, she'd pulled up his identity records and nearly choked.
Clearance that high meant someone important. Extremely important.
Beside him, Chixia's mouth fell open. Skip Subjects One and Two? For real? That was so unfair!
She wanted to unlock the Flight module and soar through the sky too.
She'd failed Subject One ten times in a row.
The examiner addressed the unspoken question.
"Subjects One and Two are theoretical. Subject Three is practical. Perfect theory scores mean nothing if you can't pass the flight test. Accidents in the air are the most dangerous kind."
So as long as Rover cleared the practical, he could brush up on traffic regulations afterward. Well, there weren't exactly traffic laws for open sky.
"Then can I also..." Chixia started.
"Rules are rules, Ms. Ma Xiaofang. With ten consecutive failures on Subject One, you must pass every stage. A theory test that simple... ten failures in a row is honestly unheard of."
"Oh? Your real name is Ma Xiaofang?" Rover raised an eyebrow at Chixia.
"I... ahem! I forgot, I have somewhere to be!"
He watched Chixia flee in embarrassment and grinned, then turned to sign the Injury and Death Liability Waiver the examiner handed him. He politely declined the optional One Dragon Deluxe Funeral Package add-on and prepared for Subject Three.
"Like the Glide module, the Flight module generates wings that are a type of artificial Echo. But unlike gliding, which only lets you drift downward from a height, this enables true free flight with dramatically improved speed and maneuverability. Are you ready?"
"Ready. Let's go."
He nodded, a thread of tension running through him. He'd ridden in planes in his previous life, but this was real flight on real wings. More than nervousness, though, what surged through him was excitement.
A creature born on the ground...
How could it refuse the call of the sky?
Besides, he trusted his body. Forget falling from a height. He could get sideswiped mid-flight by a speeding motorcycle and walk it off.
"The Flight module is temporarily activated. Final briefing and confirmation: please complete the flight along the designated route. Since you've skipped Subjects One and Two, difficulty is set to maximum."
"No problem."
"Very well, then please..."
The examiner moved to lead him toward an elevated platform. Like the Glide module, Flight required a minimum altitude to activate. But before she could finish her sentence...
The ground cracked beneath him.
One foot drove down. His body launched skyward, clearing ten meters in a single bound while the examiner's jaw dropped. Black wings unfurled from his back.
He shot forward like an arrow loosed from a dark bow, blowing past the first designated checkpoint in the blink of an eye, accelerating still.
"Ha! Now THIS is what I'm talking about! And it's so easy!"
Wind tore across his face. In this moment he'd broken free of gravity itself, and the sheer, absolute freedom ripped a shout of joy from his throat. Nothing else compared.
"No wonder someone once said that flight is the highest form of freedom. They weren't wrong. Not one bit!"