[Companion Story: Wild Heart's Return has been completed.]
[Currently possess Radiant Tide *10, Lustrous Tide *25, asterite *9800, Shell Credits *570000.]
"Hmm? What's going on?"
After watching the lion dance performance, looking at the new small text that popped up in front of him, Noah was completely bewildered, like a monk unable to make heads or tails of it.
"I didn't even do this companion story? How did it suddenly complete?"
Could someone have done it for him?
There's such a good thing!
Noah didn't understand, but it wasn't a big problem; this task module wasn't the first time it had acted so inexplicably.
Anyway, the task rewards were already in hand; whatever.
He had just given the Snow Leopard's Auspicious Lion Troupe one hundred thousand Shell Credits, but unexpectedly, the Snow Leopard immediately returned eighty thousand to him, plus 5 Radiant Tides and 3200 asterite.
Profit! Profit!
"Noah, Chixia, I'm heading back first."
Yangyang waved goodbye to the two, but when looking at Noah, the girl seemed to hesitate as if she wanted to say something.
"Yangyang, do you have something very urgent? If not, come patrol the streets with us."
Hearing Chixia's bold invitation, Yangyang hesitated briefly but still decided to reveal what she had intended to keep hidden:
"Through my flow of breath, I faintly sense an uneasy restlessness hidden in the wind. Jinzhou... might be about to change drastically, so I'm preparing to report this to the academy."
Hearing Yangyang's words, Chixia immediately became serious and no longer tried to keep her.
She knew that her best friend always acted steadily and would never speak without basis.
"In that case, go ahead, but don't worry too much. If the sky falls, there's a tall one to hold it up."
Chixia reverted to her playful grin, elbowing Noah beside her:
"Right? Great hero of Jinzhou."
"Guaranteed! Guaranteed!"
Noah struck a few muscular poses, his face equally grinning playfully:
"See these solid biceps? Any Tacet Discord, any Threnodian—if they dare come, they'll get what's coming to them."
He was only worried about not finding Rover, which might make the Mt. Firmament plot difficult.
As for the Threnodian revival plot in a few days, he wasn't particularly worried.
If it really came to a fight, aside from the Calamity class BOSS Dreamless being a bit troublesome, the other Overlord class Tacet Discords couldn't withstand three shots of Sacred light!.
Although Noah's current character panel hadn't even reached graduation standards yet, he had Rover's combat skills, Jinhsi's high damage output, and familiarity with Dreamless—
One could say, there was pressure, but not much.
Infected by Chixia and Noah's optimistic attitude, the unease on Yangyang's face dissipated, turning into a faint smile.
Having such a powerful and confident partner by her side, it was really hard not to feel secure.
"Alright, I'll go then."
"Wait, Yangyang."
Noah called out to stop Yangyang, took out a swift blade from his backpack, and handed it over with both hands:
"Take a look at this blade."
Yangyang carefully accepted Overture, and just from holding it—the delicate texture that felt chilling yet without any freezing sensation—she judged this blade to be no ordinary item.
Drawing the blade from its sheath, she saw the swift blade was entirely like moonlight condensed through quenching, with liquid-like silver glow flowing on the blade surface, reflecting her delicate cheeks like a mirror.
Holding this blade, she felt her internal energy resonance efficiency significantly improved.
She stepped back slightly and swung a few forms, feeling her movements light and swift.
The blade light leaped, silver radiance like moonlight breaking through clouds, the blade's vibration resembling musical scales ringing out; each move and stance seemed to subtly align with musical score frequencies, playing a gorgeous melody.
"Good blade!" Yangyang couldn't help but praise inwardly, reluctantly sheathing the swift blade and returning it to Noah.
Noah waved his hand and didn't take it back:
"This swift blade is called Overture, created inspired by musical score frequencies. I think it suits you very well."
Perfectly suited—Overture was the four-star weapon most compatible with Yangyang among them, and Yangyang came from a musical family.
From any perspective, the two were extremely fitting.
"Gifting... gifting it to me? A blade like this!"
Yangyang's autumn-water-like eyes widened involuntarily from shock, her hand holding the blade trembling slightly.
"No, this is too valuable."
"If you consider me a friend, don't say such distancing words."
Noah rarely showed a firm side, while also pulling out an Undying Flame and handing it to Chixia beside him.
"I get one too? Aaaah, Noah, you're the best!"
Chixia was overjoyed, taking Undying Flame and fondly playing with this finely crafted handgun.
If it weren't unsuitable to fire guns in the city, she would have wanted to properly test this new weapon right now.
Though she didn't know the power of this gun yet, she had a premonition that it definitely wouldn't be low.
Seeing Chixia's excited appearance, Noah's face also revealed a faint smile:
"This gun is called Undying Flame, crafted to commemorate a Midnight Ranger's selfless sacrifice. Of course, it should be given to Jinzhou's Blazing Dawn."
"Then, just like you said to Yangyang, I won't stand on ceremony with you. In the future, if there's anything in Jinzhou, just shout the name Blazing Dawn—I'll be there whenever called!"
Chixia patted her chest, looking full of confidence.
Yangyang carefully stored Overture and sincerely thanked him:
"Thank you, Noah. I will treasure this blade well."
Noah didn't mind a four-star weapon; anyway, every ten pulls could roughly get one. To him, four-star weapons weren't valuable.
"Don't treasure it too much—just use it casually. Weapons are meant for protecting oneself and friends."
Hearing this, Yangyang felt warmth in her heart, nodded heavily, and secretly pondered:
The purpose of weapons is protection? So that's how Noah thinks—really great, just like her.
As Yangyang left, a burst of static sounded, and Chixia connected the communication on her terminal.
It turned out that Grandma Lin Su from the bonsai shop had lost Verina and commissioned Chixia to help search in the rear mountains.
As the communication ended, a line of task update text appeared before Noah's eyes:
[Main Quest: To Know the Coming Rain has been activated.]
[Task Description: The answer to the riddle has been revealed, yet the answer leads to new riddles. Dark clouds gather, mountain rain is about to come. Following the Magistrate's hint, you decide to search for clues about the "Black Shores" organization.]
[Completing the main quest To Know the Coming Rain will reward: Radiant Tide *20, Lustrous Tide *10, asterite *1600, Shell Credits *100000.]
"Ah!" Chixia let out a wail:
"The rear mountains are so vast; this will take a long time to search. Looks like off-duty is delayed today."
"No problem, I'll help you find her!"
Noah said confidently, heading to the rear mountains with Chixia while beginning to recall the main content of To Know the Coming Rain.
In the game, Rover imprisons the Fractsidus' Scar in the City Hall prison, then, following the Magistrate's hint, wants to explore their own origins by searching for Black Shores.
Rover finds Verina in the rear mountains, counter-tracks and captures Black Shores' Bloom Bearer Camellya, then through Chixia encounters Black Shores' Aalto and Encore in the commercial district.
Aalto exchanges the information he knows, plus Encore's cute act, and Rover agrees to assist them in recovering a data beacon at the Court of Savantae ruins.
After some decryption, defeating the monster created by the Court of Savantae, both sides get what they want.
This segment of the quest helps Rover understand Black Shores and the Court of Savantae, while learning about the concept of Retroact Rain.
However, for Noah now, the greater role of this quest segment is to find Black Shores members Aalto and Encore.