Camellya chuckled lightly, "Let's start with Counselor Changli. As Jinzhou's Counselor, she excels at strategizing and enjoys delving into human nature, using it to lure enemies into traps. Her mind is incredibly cunning… She's not a good match for you."
Lucian: "???"
Camellya continued, "Then there's Magistrate Jinhsi, the leader of Jinzhou. She holds supreme authority but also bears the heavy responsibility of leading Jinzhou's revival. Your path won't end in Jinzhou, so… she's not suitable for you either."
Lucian: "???"
Camellya went on, listing them like she knew them by heart, "And Zhezhi, just a little painter—laughable, not even worth mentioning."
"Then there's Yinlin. Her secretive status forces her to stay in the shadows. How could she compare to a renowned hero like you?"
"As for Chixia, a mere Patroller. The gap between you two is like heaven and earth—not even in the same league."
"The only one close to your strength is Rover… but she's consumed with recovering her memories, traveling far and wide. How could you follow her forever? So, Rover's out too!"
"After all this, it seems I'm the only one who's truly compatible with you."
Lucian: "???"
"Think about it. I may have lost my memories too, but unlike Rover, I'm not obsessed with it. I don't care what the world becomes. As long as you're by my side, I'd follow you to the ends of the earth…"
Lucian was silent for a moment, "I just want to know how you know so much about them."
Camellya smiled lightly, "Know your friends and foes, and you'll never lose a battle."
Lucian thought for a moment and shook his head, "By your logic, I'd end up alone forever."
Camellya: "Didn't I just say you and I are a perfect match?"
Lucian shook his head, "You also said you're always stuck in a medical pod. How's that going to work?"
Camellya: "…"
Pouting unhappily, she said, "I don't care. You did that to me, so you have to take responsibility, or else…"
"Or else what?" Lucian asked curiously.
Camellya said fiercely, "Or else I'll cling to you forever, and you'll never get away from me!"
Lucian looked puzzled, "But if I take responsibility, doesn't that mean I can't get away from you either?"
Camellya nodded with a smile, "Exactly. Either way, you're not escaping me, you flirtatious guy… And all those women around you? I'm going to drive them all away!"
Lucian: "?"
…
"There's a frequency of prey vibrating deep inside. A lot of them…" Camellya warned.
Lucian, carrying Camellya, arrived at the entrance of a cave. The cave wasn't dark; the ground was covered with glowing grass, giving the entire space an ethereal, fantastical feel.
Shortly after entering, they encountered a large number of Tacet Discords ahead, their bodies emitting an eerie red glow.
Lucian gently set Camellya down, motioning for her to stay behind him.
He raised his Comrade's Hammer in his left hand and gripped his Yamato in his right, charging forward.
However, to his surprise, Camellya stepped up beside him, wielding her Red Spring to fight alongside him.
"Are you trying to protect me? Heh heh heh…"
Camellya laughed with a hint of mania, her white hair gradually turning a vivid crimson.
Vines and flowers sprouted and bloomed wildly on her body.
"I'm touched that you're looking out for me, but I don't want you to underestimate me…"
Lucian hadn't intended for her to fight, especially since, during their battle in Taoyuan Vale, he'd noticed her unstable frequency.
Combined with her mention of frequent stays in medical pods, it must be quite painful.
Lucian didn't stop her. After a fierce battle, they reached the deepest part of the cave, where a peculiar pale blue tree stood at the center of the small space.
But the tree didn't hold Lucian's attention. What caught his eye was a Blake Bloom, symbolizing a Black Shores identity, lying beneath it.
After wiping out all the surrounding Tacet Discords, Camellya sighed and collapsed onto the grass, exhausted.
Closing her eyes, she savored the recent battle, "The way you fight… it really gets my heart racing…"
Lucian put away his weapons and walked over with a half-smile, "More than when we kissed?"
As soon as he spoke, Camellya controlled her vines to pull him down.
She tightly hugged his head and kissed him deeply.
After a long, lingering kiss, her crimson hair gradually returned to its original color.
A moment later, Camellya gripped Lucian's collar tightly, "I really want to keep you tied to me like this forever…"
"To keep drawing in this vibrant, life-filled essence…"
"Or even to die together in this state—I wouldn't have any regrets. Isn't that like being bound in life and death?"
Lucian: "…"
You might not have regrets, but I sure would!
Having crossed over to this world, how could he just pass away like that?
Lucian began to think of ways to prevent Camellya from overclocking.
After all, you can't walk by the river without getting wet eventually.
But he couldn't keep feeding her the 'Leg-Stretching, Eye-Popping Pill,' could he?
While the drug could prevent her from entering a dangerous overclocking state, it was only temporary. He couldn't have her popping pills every day.
Not to mention, the drug had a side effect: it made her smile constantly…
Magistrate Jinhsi couldn't take such a drug regularly, as it would undermine her dignified authority.
For Camellya, though, the side effect didn't seem like a big deal… She was always smiling anyway, albeit a bit maniacally…
Still, Lucian wanted to find another solution. Relying on drugs wasn't a real fix—it only treated the symptoms, not the cause.
Camellya reached out, smoothing Lucian's furrowed brow, "Are you thinking about my overclocking?"
Lucian pinched her cheek, "…It's dangerous."
Camellya smiled brightly, "I'm an expert at dancing on the edge. I won't let myself overclock."
"Even if something does happen… I'll just accept it."
"Hey… if I ever do have an accident, would you…"
Lucian gently pressed a finger to her soft lips, "That day will never come."
Camellya hugged him contentedly, "Hearing you say that makes me happy!"
"Even if you're just comforting me, I'm happy!"
"Lying here with you like this, with only each other in our eyes, makes me even happier!"
"Live in the moment, enjoy the now… follow your instincts, don't worry about things that don't interest you. Even if I died right now, I'd have no regrets."
Camellya felt their warm breaths in the quiet space.
She chuckled softly, "But that was my old way of thinking…"
"Lying here with you now, leaning on each other, I don't know why, but it's made me a little greedy."
"I want to keep basking in this warmth with you, to keep this going forever…"
Camellya slowly closed her eyes, her breathing steady as if she'd fallen asleep, but her arms around Lucian never loosened…