The distant mountains loom faintly, the waters stretch far and wide—
Autumn wanes in the south, yet the grass remains untouched by frost.
The elegance of the mountains resembles the delicate brows of a beauty—distant peaks like painted ink, nearby waters veiled in mist. The layered emerald peaks ripple like waves, while clouds and mist coil between the mountains, dreamlike and illusory. At the summit, the pines and cypresses stand tall and evergreen through all seasons; at the foothills, streams babble, and clear springs flow over stone. Mountain flowers bloom in riotous splendor, birdsong deepens the mountain's tranquility, ancient trees tower into the sky, and in the depths of the forest, deer occasionally appear.
The beauty of these mountains cannot be fully captured in words—only by stepping into this realm can one truly grasp its essence.
Passing through a waterfall, Lucian couldn't help but exclaim:
"Could this be the legendary 'Flower-Fruit Mountain's Water-Curtain Cave'?"
Chixia corrected him: "What 'Flower-Fruit Mountain'? This is the back mountain of Jinzhou—Shade Ridge."
As the group strolled along the mountain path, they suddenly spotted scattered emerald-green lights, like guiding stars.
Following the trail of blossoms, they finally saw Verina standing amidst a sea of flowers, her back turned to them.
Lucian crept forward, his mischievous hands seizing Verina's arms as he lifted her into the air.
Verina let out a startled cry, her fair legs kicking in protest: "Eek—!"
Turning her head to look, she immediately relaxed: "Oh, it's just you, Lucian! I thought you were a Tacet Discord."
Lucian hoisted her overhead before settling her onto his shoulders.
Rover craned her neck upward with a smile: "So you're the 'Starflower?"
Verina blushed slightly: "Starflower? Only Granny Lin usually calls me that…"
Lucian: "This is Verina."
Rover: "Nice to meet you. I'm Rover."
Verina gave a small nod: "Since you're friends with Lucian, Chixia, and Yangyang, then you're my friend too."
"Did you all run into some kind of trouble?"
Yangyang: "That's right. We're searching for a special kind of flower…"
Rover handed the photo to Verina.
Verina pinched her chin, furrowing her brow as she muttered a string of botanical knowledge.
"The petals of Viola philippica have distinct notches at the tips, so we can rule that out…"
"Compared to Cliff Fairy, this black flower's stamens are noticeably longer, and it has an extra petal…"
After dismissing several possibilities, Verina finally concluded: "The traits of this black flower are extremely peculiar. It's almost impossible to find a similar plant in nature."
"For now, I'd judge that it might be an artificially cultivated new species."
"Moreover, its venation forms a cross shape… Upon closer inspection, you can even see faint traces of frequency fluctuations—evidence of Remnant energy leakage."
"So, this is an exceptionally unique Remnant plant. Its formation might be related to Resonance energy."
"But beyond that, I can't make any definitive conclusions based solely on a photo."
Chixia scratched her head: "Seems like our lead's gone cold again…"
Verina was also a Resonator, and her Resonance ability appeared to be connected to plants.
Lucian asked: "Verina, could you use your Resonance ability to replicate this black flower?"
Verina: "If it's just mimicking its appearance, then yes, my Resonance ability can do that."
Lucian: "Then please!"
He set Verina back down on the grass. She lowered her head slightly, clasped her hands together—
A moment later, several soft green lights shimmered before her.
In the next instant, the light dispersed, and four black flowers materialized out of thin air.
Chixia perked up: "No way! That's amazing! They look exactly like the ones in the photo!"
Verina smiled faintly: "I'm glad I could help."
Sunlight spilled over her delicate face, making her look like a little angel.
Lucian took the four black flowers with a grin: "All hail Verina the Great—no further words needed!"
Verina scratched her head sheepishly: "I'm not that incredible…"
But just then, Yangyang glanced behind them with a hint of unease before suddenly walking toward a spot not far away.
Lucian and Rover followed, asking: "Did you find something?"
Yangyang crouched, pointing at petals on the ground: "Rover, Lucian, did you notice?"
"From the start, there have been scattered black petals around us… They don't belong to Miss Verina."
"The flow of the wind has been disturbed too… Someone's following us."
Rover mused: "They might be after me. Let me handle them."
Lucian shot her a worried look, but Rover's expression was resolute.
So he nodded: "Alright, then we'll split up."
"Yangyang and Chixia will take the black flowers into the city to try and identify any Black Shores members. I'll take a black flower and scout the outskirts to widen the search."
Yangyang agreed: "In that case, if you're staying out here alone, be careful. Let's keep in touch via terminal if anything happens."
The three returned to where Verina and Chixia were. Lucian ruffled Verina's hair with a smile: "Alright, little Starblossom, you should head back to the city too. Granny Lin's probably calling you for dinner."
Verina blinked blankly: "Huh? Okay, I'll go pack up my gardening tools…"
...
After parting ways, Lucian wandered aimlessly through the wilderness outside Jinzhou.
"In Jinzhou, there lived a girl named Xiaofang,
Fair and kind, with eyes so bright…
Her big, beautiful eyes,
And her braids, thick and long…"
Lucian hummed the tune, utterly at ease—it was the most relaxed he'd felt since arriving in this world.
"Hm? What's this?"
Lucian read the words on a wooden sign by the roadside: "The Séance Society is recruiting a mechanic…"
Just as he wondered what this "Séance Society" was, he suddenly heard a commotion up ahead.
"…I do apologize for knocking out so many of you, but the Séance Society has no intention of hostility."
"How about this—let Lirong and his daughter go… After all, they're still our people."
A calm, elegant woman's voice rang out. Lucian peeked over and was instantly captivated by a red-haired beauty.
Her waist-length hair was adorned with a plum-blossom hairpin.
She wore a sleek black qipao, the plunging neckline revealing a tantalizing glimpse of her décolletage, making it impossible to look away.
Both of her arms were clad in high-tech combat gauntlets, from which hung two golden chains. The gauntlets extended upward, leaving only her fair shoulders exposed.
The qipao's slit reached her waist, showcasing her long, slender legs to their fullest.
Behind her stood a trembling man shielding a little girl in his arms.
Facing them were two Fractsidus members clad in red, their faces hidden behind masks.
The alluring woman paused before continuing: "You can take the puppets—we'll pretend today never happened."
The taller, lankier Fractsidus member snarled: "You think this is a joke? We'll take the puppets, but you're all dead!"
The red-haired woman scoffed: "Is that really wise? We are supposed to be partners."
The other, portly Fractsidus member sneered: "Partners? To us, you're just lab rats!"