"I wonder how things are going over at Guixu Port City…"
Zane patted Rover on the shoulder, then raised his hand and gently rubbed away the worry that wouldn't fade from her eyes.
"Don't worry. Since we're all fine, they're probably safe too."
His gentle voice reached her ears and lightly tugged at her heartstrings. Rover tilted her head up and saw the sunlight that belonged to her…
"So, do you know where I can find red berries?"
———
'Alright, now it's a solar eclipse.'
'But…'
Rover lifted her face and looked at the silly smile on Zane's face. For no clear reason, the tension in her chest eased. Even the uneasiness from arriving in an unfamiliar place faded away.
As long as she was with him, it felt like she didn't need to think about anything.
Wherever he was, she wouldn't have to wander again.
Zane, of course, had no idea what Rover was thinking. Looking ahead, there were continuous mountain ranges, and behind them was the sea glowing faintly with a deep blue light.
The ground beneath their feet stretched forward between blue coral-like plants on both sides, leading all the way to a deep, dark cave.
"Let's go. Staying here isn't going to solve anything.", As he spoke, Zane took the lead and walked toward the cave not far ahead.
Rover and the others followed behind him, heading toward the cave.
But after only a few steps, Zane, who was in front, suddenly stopped. As if he had seen something unbelievable, his body even trembled slightly.
Seeing this, frost gathered in Rover's eyes. The blade in her hand rang sharply, reflecting the faint killing intent leaking out.
Anything that could move Zane like this definitely wasn't something trivial.
Flames wrapped around the spear, and her golden eyes revealed a rising fighting spirit.
The Doctor's reaction wasn't as intense as Rover's or Stelle's, but a dark golden stone was already floating in her hand. Faint traces of destructive light could be seen.
"What happened? Is there an enemy!?"
Seeing Zane still frozen in place, Stelle couldn't hold back anymore and rushed forward with her spear, standing in front of him.
'Surely the enemy must be...'
"Hm?"
After seeing the scene in front of her, Stelle paused. Then she turned to look at Zane's indignant face, and then at the warning sign standing at the cave entrance, completely confused.
With curiosity, Rover and the Doctor also walked past Zane and saw the warning sign at the cave entrance.
"Do not touch the flowers and plants inside the cave!"
"Stop looking! This is for you, Zane!"
And beneath those two messages, there was a third line written in completely different handwriting, "…Please do not randomly catch the blue butterflies."
Facing the three strange gazes, Zane braced himself and loudly accused, "Slander! That's slander!"
Zane couldn't understand it. He had clearly never been to this place before, so why was his name on the warning sign…
"Same name, right! It has to be someone with the same name."
Unfortunately, no matter how much Zane tried to defend himself, he couldn't escape the blade-like gazes of the three girls.
"Rover, don't you think Zane has been flirting with someone else again? The handwriting on that sign is delicate. It's obviously written by a girl."
"I think your analysis is correct." Rover nodded, a cruel smile appearing on her delicate face.
"Looks like we were unnecessary again this time. I just wonder what kind of beauty we'll meet this time."
Even Stelle, who was just watching the show, showed a regretful smile.
"Looks like we came at the wrong time."
Being stared at by three pairs of eyes, Zane's breathing stalled. He froze in place, feeling a chill run from head to toe.
If looks could kill, he would have already been chopped into mince by now.
"No, ladies, listen to me. I really don't know why my name is here!"
Just at this critical moment, a voice Zane didn't expect suddenly appeared.
"Zane? And Rover? Why are you here?"
The group turned toward the voice and saw a familiar figure.
"Aalto!?"
The person who arrived was none other than Aalto, whom they had already met once in Jinzhou.
"Aalto!" Seeing him, Zane's face lit up, and he immediately called out for help. "I admit the Pure Beauty Goddess Idrila is unparalleled in beauty! Aalto, come save me!"
Doctor: 'What is he talking about?'
Rover: 'Don't ask me, I don't know either.'
Stelle: 'The Pure Beauty Goddess Idrila is unparalleled in beauty!'
Doctor/Rover: 'Why are you joining in!'
After the brief interruption, they finally learned from Aalto where they were.
"Welcome to the Black Shores, my friends."
"This… is the Black Shores?"
"That's right." Facing Zane's surprise, Aalto snapped his fingers and waved at them. "Follow me. Once we pass through this cave, you'll truly step onto the land of the Black Shores."
With that, Aalto took the initiative to act as their guide. After all, he was the one who gave the black flower to the Rover.
As a senior, he naturally had reason to… lead the newcomers around to appreciate the scenery of the Black Shores.
As Zane walked through the cave, looking at the glowing blue plants everywhere, his hands started itching.
So many plant materials… how many Astrite could these be exchanged for?
Thinking that, Zane casually plucked a small blue flower and threw it into the system.
As expected, it successfully exchanged for 1 Astrite.
Looking at the system's response, a bright and cheerful smile appeared on Zane's face.
He had already looted Jinzhou. Next up was the Black Shores. It was time to show the strength of a Fourth Calamity player…
As he thought this, Zane let out a sinister laugh.
But the next second, a soft little hand took advantage of his lack of attention and quietly grabbed his ear.
"Didn't I already tell you! Don't touch the flowers and plants in the cave! Do you know how long it took me to grow these flowers… huh?"
Rover suddenly stopped mid-sentence, her expression filled with disbelief as she processed what she had just said instinctively.
'...Could it be that I was the one who left those words?'
While Rover was still in a daze, the group moved forward a bit more, and the space suddenly opened up.
Looking at the scene before them, their eyes couldn't hide their amazement.
Under the night sky, a mansion with a metallic texture quietly hovered above dark, ink-like mountains.
The brilliant starry river in the sky and the artificial lights on the ground reflected each other, weaving light and shadow together, as if they had stepped into a dream.
Blue-purple trees could be seen everywhere, decorating the structure and adding a touch of life to the metallic giant.
Rover's lips parted slightly as a sense of familiarity spread from deep within her.
After drifting for so long, she had finally returned here, bringing Zane back home with her.
Speaking of Zane, Rover suddenly realized that she was still holding someone's ear.