"The fact that KU-Key's speech has turned into electronic tones is likely also caused by anomalous data."
After Lucian finished speaking, KU-Key spoke again in its electronic voice.
Lucian then explained, "It says they are connected to the Tethys System itself and that we can obtain an authorized link from it to reclaim the corrupted data."
"The authorized range has a limited distance—we can't go too far."
"And don't forget, even with reclamation authorization, don't carelessly touch the corrupted data. It's still dangerous."
Once Lucian finished explaining, KU-Key proceeded to inspect the access permissions of both Lucian and Rover.
"Kuku…"
Lucian glanced at KU-Key, puzzled. "Highest clearance?"
"Kuku…"
Lucian: "It says the authorization is complete."
Rover asked, "What highest clearance?"
Lucian mused, "It just granted us authorization and detected that both of us have the highest clearance…"
Rover and Lucian exchanged glances, keeping their speculations to themselves.
Rover frowned. "You said we can't go too far from KU-Key. Doesn't that mean we can't split up?"
Lucian smiled faintly. "No need to rush. I have a solution."
He reached out and placed his hand on KU-Key's head. In the next moment, the robot's body emitted a white glow.
The light gradually split apart, and moments later, when it faded, two identical robots stood before them.
Lucian had used his Copy-Paste Technique on it.
Changli sighed in admiration. "As expected of Lucian, always full of strange and unusual abilities."
Rover sighed. "What a shame."
Lucian: "...The sooner we resolve this, the sooner we can regroup."
The divided KU-Key units each led a team toward the anomalous data stabilization anchors.
Camellya trailed behind Lucian, sighing. "If only I hadn't provoked you back at the Wishing Tree…"
"Restoring the stabilization anchors… What a tedious and troublesome task…"
Lucian glanced at her, puzzled. "Even though you claim you need nothing and want nothing…"
"You're still a member of the Black Shores now. This is a major event concerning the Black Shores—don't you care at all?"
Camellya chuckled. "Of course I care. After all, I still have seeds planted in the greenhouse."
Lucian: "?"
Seeing his bewildered expression, Camellya smirked mischievously. "Hehe… Just kidding."
"As the Bloom Bearer of the Black Shores, naturally, I care. But even if the Black Shores were to vanish entirely, it wouldn't affect me."
"Because what I seek isn't the Black Shores—it's a person…"
Lucian: "A person?"
"Is it Rover? You seem quite concerned about her."
Camellya nodded slightly. "It's… instinct."
Lucian furrowed his brows. "Instinct?"
Camellya gazed at the stabilization anchor above. "No matter how many times, this instinct drives me to search for her. Even I've forgotten why."
Lucian sighed in exasperation. "You Solaris folks really all suffer from amnesia, huh…"
Camellya laughed softly at his words. "'You'?"
"I think you should say 'we'."
Lucian froze, then looked at Camellya's enigmatic smile and grabbed her wrist. "What do you know?"
Camellya seemed to enjoy his desperate curiosity, humming playfully. "Want to know? Beg me…"
Lucian's expression turned solemn. "I beg you."
Camellya: "?"
"Is this how you beg?"
The two arrived before the anomalous data. Lucian directed KU-Key to cleanse the corruption.
A golden electrical current surged from KU-Key, purging the corrupted data.
However, this was only a small section of the stabilization anchor. Much more anomalous data was leaking from above.
Completely cleansing it would still take some effort.
KU-Key praised, "As expected of the man who made KU-Money pay the bill! You're strong!"
"But don't forget, the corruption is still dangerous."
"And the authorization keys are one-time use. Once activated or if you stray too far, they'll expire."
"Kuku… Authorization complete! Proceed forward!"
Following KU-Key's path, the two advanced. Camellya, walking beside Lucian, suddenly grasped his hand and chuckled.
"But I suppose telling you wouldn't hurt. After all, this bit of information is trivial to both of us."
Lucian's probing gaze fixed on her.
Camellya's pale fingers lightly stroked his palm as she smiled. "I remember you."
Lucian was taken aback. "You remember me?"
Camellya nodded slightly. "It's a very vague impression. When I first saw you, you felt… familiar."
"So I suspect that the 'me' from before might have known you."
Lucian frowned. "Knew me? How long ago? Have you also lived for a long time?"
Camellya laughed. "So many questions."
"But unfortunately, I can't answer. Because I don't remember. It's as if my memories were forcibly erased."
"If searching for Rover is my instinct, then for you… there's only a faint, fleeting impression."
"In endless cycles, my memories keep repeating and fading. How vexing… Hehe."
Lucian fell into thought, his brow furrowed. Though Camellya's words were vague, they further confirmed his suspicion—that he had once lived on Solaris.
As they spoke, their hands never stopped working.
Bit by bit, they cleansed the corruption, eventually reaching the very top of the stabilization anchor.
Lucian spread his arms and breathed in the high-altitude air. "We've reached the highest city of the Black Shores—"
Camellya pinched his waist. "This should be the last of the corruption in this anchor. Hurry up and cleanse it."
Lucian directed KU-Key to purge the corruption. But the moment it was cleansed, a series of images flashed through his mind—accompanied by a familiar voice…
"…I'm recording." Rover's voice.
Lucian instinctively called out, "…Rover?"
The image in his mind was of an island formed of Tacetite, black stones arranged in a ring. Birds flew across the sky as the sun rose from the horizon. The scene froze there, but the voice continued.
As if responding to Lucian, the voice—so similar to Rover's—said, "…Look, the geographic coordinates haven't changed. Everything remains as it was. Not even time can wear down Tacetite."
Then another voice spoke, and Lucian's pupils constricted—it was his own.
"Memory is the bridge between past and present. Only by embracing possibilities beyond the known can we break free from the past and forge new paths…"
The next moment, both the images and the voice vanished. Camellya waved her hand in front of his face. "What's wrong with you?"
Lucian stood atop the stabilization anchor, gazing at the distant horizon, and sighed. "…I remember now."
Camellya blinked. "Remember what?"
Lucian murmured, "I am not Lucian. I am not Jinzhou's intelligence officer. Nor am I a guest of the Black Shores…"
"…Turns out… I'm the Riddler!"
Camellya: "???"