Rover asked, "Hoda once called me the Astral Modulator. Is that related to this place?"
Shorekeeper recalled, "The Astral Modulator, the guide of civilizations, the mastermind of the Black Shores…"
"Before you severed ties with your past self, that was indeed one of your many titles."
Lucian, curious, asked from the side, "Rover has so many titles? What titles did I have back then?"
Before Shorekeeper could answer, Rover guessed first, "Since you and I were inseparable back then, your title should be Rover's Husband."
Lucian found this a bit strange. "Were we really as close back then as we are now?"
"From the clues we've gathered along the way, it feels like the past Rover wasn't that interested in romance."
Shorekeeper nodded slightly. "If I had to describe the past Rover in one word, I'd say 'divinity.'"
"However, while she was very serious in front of others, she would let her guard down around Mr. Lucian…"
"…Sorry, did I say too much?"
Lucian chuckled. "As expected of me! So, what titles did I have back then?"
Shorekeeper shook her head slightly. "None. Mr. Lucian rarely appeared in public back then, so most people didn't know you. Only a very few were aware of your existence."
Rover sighed upon hearing this. "If only the current Lucian could be like the past you and stop flirting around."
Lucian: "?"
Before Lucian could retort, a red streak, like a meteor, suddenly shot across the distance, crashing behind a mountain into a research institute, causing a massive tremor.
"What was that?"
Shorekeeper explained, "That's Death Star … or, in old astronomical terms, a 'black hole.'"
"The Tethys System turns data into a starry sky to observe all of Solaris, and discarded data is thrown into Death Star."
Lucian mused thoughtfully, "I heard before that the Tethys System uses the Lament to observe and counter the Lament."
"So, the Bloom Bearer named 'Hoda' was actually formed because the Tethys System gathered the negative emotions of those who vanished due to the Lament into its database."
"And those humans, unable to evacuate in time, are forever trapped in Death Star, which is why they sought Rover's help?"
Shorekeeper nodded slightly. "Your understanding is entirely correct… Their despair, unwillingness, obsessions, anger, and regrets from the Lament… all are collected in the Tethys System's database."
Lucian pondered briefly. In the end, the Tethys System wasn't intelligent enough to understand those emotions, which led to this situation.
Shorekeeper continued, "Bring Death Star back to the Modulation Hall, and I will eliminate its errors."
"Then, the Tethys System will return to normal, and no one will be hurt because of it anymore."
"I only hope… we're still in time."
With that, Shorekeeper transformed into a butterfly again, fluttering to rest quietly on Lucian's head.
Abby popped out from the Tacet Mark. "I smell a lot of strange frequencies… over there!"
Abby pointed into the distance. Lucian looked closely and saw several small robots fiercely battling abnormal Tacet Discords glowing with red light.
They hurried over to help the robots defeat the Tacet Discords. After clearing most of the outer ones, a small robot named KU-Shovel said, "These pesky things are tough, but luckily, we can take them out!"
"I heard everything from KU-Nana. You have important things to do. Leave this place to us."
"The containment staff and Director Beatrice inside are waiting for support."
"We'll ensure the safety out here!"
Lucian left behind a few Tacet Discords draped in red cloaks, reminding the robots they could fight alongside them.
Then, Lucian led Rover to a highly futuristic space. "Containment?"
Lucian was puzzled, but before Shorekeeper could explain, he sensed a request from Rover's Speaker in the system space.
After agreeing, Lucian released Rover's Speaker, which quickly scanned the entire containment facility.
"The orbital shifts of celestial flows symbolize the computation and operation of code. Countless 'star charts' collide, merge, and perish to complete the iteration and evolution of code."
"However, some star charts generate abnormal code during this process. The Black Shores uses specially designed Tacetite containers to restrain these star charts, preventing the spread of the code."
"The Error Cell further analyzes the abnormal data in the star charts and attempts to strip the aberrant code with special probe devices."
Lucian: "???"
Lucian circled Rover's Speaker as if seeing it for the first time. Rover's Speaker, in a very human-like manner, blushed and said shyly, "Did I say something wrong?"
Lucian asked curiously, "Strange, why does it feel like you're even smarter than the Tethys System now?"
Rover's Speaker fluttered up and down humbly. "Thanks to Master's upgrades, this is all Master's credit."
Rover: "?"
"Please don't use my voice to say such things."
Lucian chuckled. "Keep talking, I love hearing it."
Rover's Speaker turned to Rover and explained, "I'm sorry, but according to my analysis, this is the voice Master likes most. I can't change it unless Master requests it."
Rover was stunned. "Lucian's favorite voice?"
Her lips curved slightly. "Fine, I'll let it slide then."
Abby said dazedly, "I actually saw something called 'emotional intelligence' in a robot."
Lucian, lost in thought, wondered if, since the Tethys System couldn't understand emotions, Rover's Speaker could replace it.
But he hesitated, unsure if Rover's Speaker's current capabilities could fully replace the Tethys System…
There were no more items in the system shop to upgrade Rover's Speaker.
Or perhaps there was another possibility—combining Rover's Speaker with the Tethys System? It might work…
Maybe the past Rover and himself left the Black Shores because they discovered the Tethys System's flaws and set out to find a way to make it more intelligent?
After all, when he first learned that the Tethys System used the Lament to predict the Lament, he found it very strange. His past self must have thought the same.
But completely replacing the Tethys System wasn't necessary, as it was still highly intelligent.
It only needed a change in how it used the Lament as its computational core—replacing it with a more 'humanized' core…