Lucian suddenly asked, "Are you also a robot? But your frequency…"
Shorekeeper: "…"
"To be precise, I am an entity formed from high-purity Remnant energy crystals."
Seeing Lucian lost in thought, Rover asked again, "Can you tell me about my past with the Black Shores?"
Shorekeeper: "…A long, long time ago, when you established the Black Shores on this island, I was merely your assistant, helping you manage this place."
"You once connected this world together here, but later, you left your authority behind and set off alone, wandering far and wide."
Rover scratched her head. "I don't remember any of that…"
Lucian then asked, "What about… anything related to me?"
Shorekeeper met Lucian's gaze. "There is, but regrettably, there are many things I cannot tell you."
Lucian: "?"
Rover's lips curved slightly. "How pitiful, only Lucian is left in the dark."
Lucian asked in confusion, "Why can't you tell me?"
Shorekeeper paused for a moment, then looked toward the horizon. "To be precise, it was you who told me not to tell you."
Lucian frowned upon hearing this. "Me? You mean… the past me?"
Shorekeeper nodded slightly. "Yes."
"But I can tell you this: the past you left a message for the current you."
"'If you can return to this land once more, do not chase or probe into the past.'"
"'Memory is the bridge connecting the present and the past. You can treat it as a reminder.'"
"'Only by walking a completely new path can you avoid repeating the same mistakes.'"
"'The past you left some assistance for the current you. When you step onto this land again, you will receive it.'"
"'Follow the guidance of your heart, trust your own judgment, and everything will fall into place.'"
Lucian fell into thought upon hearing this. Assistance? Could it be referring to the system?
Rover tightly embraced the pensive Lucian, lightly kissing the corner of his mouth. "We really are a match made in heaven!"
"What's the assistance the past you left behind? Have you already obtained it?"
Lucian pushed aside the jumbled thoughts in his mind, kissed her back, and teased, "Isn't my assistance you, Rover?"
Rover rolled her eyes at him. "You're such a sweet talker."
As the two were about to kiss again, Shorekeeper attempted to interrupt. "There are still many things…"
But this couldn't stop the two, who were caught in the depths of their emotions.
Shorekeeper: "…"
A moment later, Shorekeeper turned to Rover. "After you left, on the surface, apart from the Tethys System, the Black Shores had no clear leader."
"Even to this day, many of them have never seen you. And that was your intention… Only this way could you travel freely."
"But this is a place you personally established. All its resources are at your disposal."
Lucian asked, "I heard from KU-Key that both Rover and I have the highest authority?"
Shorekeeper nodded slightly. "Back then, you helped Rover greatly, and you two were always inseparable. However, you left first. But like Rover, you possess the highest authority."
"You both own everything here, but you shouldn't be burdened by its trivial matters. That's why Rover entrusted the management of the Black Shores to the Tethys System."
"And this time, you need to sever all ties completely. This is your first step toward the future."
Lucian asked in confusion, "What's wrong with the Tethys System exactly?"
Shorekeeper pondered for a moment. "The Tethys System… has encountered some malfunctions…"
Lucian mused thoughtfully, "Is it related to the 'Death Star' that Hoda mentioned earlier?"
Shorekeeper glanced at Lucian. "You're as sharp as ever."
"For more information, please go to the depths of the Black Shores yourselves to find out."
"Rest assured, I will always be by your side to assist, just like before."
Shorekeeper pointed to an open area where a previously closed mechanism was now slowly opening, emitting a red glow that looked somewhat peculiar.
"The gate to the underground has been opened. Pass through that star gate, and you will reach the depths of the Black Shores."
"Jinzhou is just the beginning, and the Black Shores lead to everything in Solaris…"
With that, Shorekeeper's figure transformed into butterflies and fluttered away gracefully.
Not far off, Changli, seeing this, approached with a few others.
Aalto exclaimed in surprise, "That was… Shorekeeper, appearing in person. This means…"
Lucian raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "You've never seen her before?"
Aalto shook his head slightly. "Rather, ever since I joined the Black Shores, I've never seen her. I've only heard of her through word of mouth."
Lucian sighed. "How pitiful. Even Camellya has seen her."
Camellya: "?"
"What do you mean, 'even I've seen her'? Is it some big deal that I've seen her?"
"Although Shorekeeper is mysterious, it's not that extreme… It's just that Aalto's level is too low, isn't it?"
Aalto: "?"
Changli gave a charming smile, stepping forward to link arms with Lucian. "As expected, our Jinzhou Intelligence Officer is on a higher level."
Rover, arms crossed, reminded her, "Changli, I advise you to know your place. Lucian and I are bound by love through lifetimes."
Changli laughed nonchalantly. "So what? I don't care what Lucian was like before. As long as we like each other now, isn't that enough?"
Rover said expressionlessly, "You said before that you'd let Lucian stay in Jinzhou after the journey ends. But the journey has just begun, and you're already acting like this. What's it going to be like later?"
"Lucian, don't be fooled by Changli's generous act. Her possessiveness is no less than mine!"
"I'm kindly warning you—watch out for Changli!"
Lucian: "???"
On the side, Aalto whispered to Camellya, "You're not going to end up like Rover, fighting over Lucian out of jealousy, are you?"
Camellya snapped in frustration, "Which eye of yours saw me having any feelings for Lucian? How could I possibly fight over him out of jealousy!"
Aalto, puzzled, responded, "But you were clearly stalking him before. I thought you were just being outwardly disdainful but inwardly honest…"
Camellya said exasperatedly, "I was stalking Rover, okay? It just so happened that Lucian was always by her side!"
"And where did you even learn that phrase? I'll kindly warn you too—watch out for Lucian!"
Aalto: "…"
Rover overheard their conversation word for word. "I think Aalto's right. Camellya is just being outwardly disdainful but inwardly honest!"
"Using the excuse of stalking me to secretly get close to Lucian to achieve her own goals."
"And back when we were splitting into groups, you acted all reluctant, but your body was very honest."
Changli giggled, whispering intimately with Lucian. "Look, Rover's so cute when she's jealous…"
Rover: "?"