[Skill Unlocked: Echoing Orchestra]
[Echoing Orchestra: Gathers Spectro energy to strike a target area. After a brief delay, the area erupts, dealing Spectro damage.]
[Attention! Rover is a growth-type character!]
"Growth-type character? What does that an?"
[Rover is a 'Vessel of Sound,' possessing the power to absorb all voices. Thus, at the appropriate ti, she will gain new Resonance attributes!]
[When that happens, you, the host, will also acquire corresponding new skills!]
Lucian couldn't help but snark inwardly: Isn't this the protagonist? She's practically collecting the seven dragon balls!
Licking his lips, Lucian turned to Rover with gleaming eyes.
She noticed the change in his gaze. "What's with that look?"
"Hm?"
"Like you're about to devour ."
Lucian grinned. "I really do want to devour you."
"Others see you as a pawn, but I want you as my wife!"
Rover's face flushed slightly at his words.
Not far away, Scar grew impatient. "How much longer are you two going to flirt?"
In high spirits, Lucian grabbed Rover's hand. "Let's go. Ti to look for clues."
...
The two arrived at the strange markings they had found earlier. Nearby, they discovered fragnts of a torn picture book page tucked inside a ripped-out diary sheet. The handwriting on the paper was childish.
The picture book depicted a group of white lambs surrounding a figure clad entirely in black, wearing a hood and holding a staff.
Before they could examine the diary page closely, Scar suddenly appeared behind them.
"Look, this is where the story begins…"
"In the village, there was a flock of free and happy lambs. Every day, they worked hard to find food…"
"When evening fell, they returned to their gathering place to hide, protecting each other from the wolves."
Lucian smirked. "You really love telling stories, don't you?"
"Since ancient tis, people have loved drawing lessons and truths from fables."
"Yet the inspiration for these stories often cos, more or less, from the lives of others."
"The sa tale, passed through different mouths, takes on entirely different forms."
"And those caught within them ultimately understand only one version."
Lucian sneered. "So you're aware of that yourself."
"Aren't you also telling this story from your own perspective?"
Scar chuckled. "Of course I am. That's why I'm letting you find the clues yourselves—to hear your interpretation."
"Just like now, we're standing at a pivotal mont in the plot, yet I'm not the one who orchestrated it."
"This village marks the beginning of my ties to Jinzhou…"
For so reason, Scar smiled, though his eyes burned with hatred:
"Heh… The Magistrate luring you here to et —now that's a masterstroke."
Lucian frowned in thought.
He rembered Yangyang ntioning that Jinhsi wasn't very old. Could she really be so cunning?
Or was the real scher her advisor… what was her na again?
The two turned their attention to the diary sheet, which chronicled the daily life of an adopted little girl.
Her original ho had been overrun by Tacet Discords, and she was brought to a new ho by soone she called "Uncle."
But afterward, her parents never ca looking for her.
This new ho was likely Qichi Village.
However, even back then, the village seed to have already been under threat from Tacet Discords.
"Let's check over there."
Rover pointed to a nearby tree, its branches adorned with white slips of paper.
People had written their wishes on the slips and hung them up, almost like a wishing tree.
But it appeared that only one person had written them—each slip represented a different period in ti.
[Will this really work… If it does… I wish I could stand up again…]
[I want money! Enough to last a lifeti!]
[It's a miracle! Thank you, Village Chief! My legs really healed!!!]
[Why… After Mother died, she left
a fortune, but I never wanted to fulfill my wish like this ■■■!? I want Mother back, I want ■■■ back!]
[This is strange… The Village Chief's treatnt made my body strong again, but lately, I've been weakening. My body doesn't feel like mine anymore ■■■ Did I not offer the Chief enough ■■■…?]
[■■■ Please ■■■ I beg you, don't take my wish away. I'll pay any price.]
[This ■■■ really ■■■ Do you all ■■■ want this?]
The notes ended there.
Many words were smudged, but the general aning was clear.
Beneath it lay another picture book fragnt, showing the white lambs following a black figure baring its fangs—also holding a staff.
It was as if the hooded figure from the previous page had revealed its true nature, leading the lambs into the abyss.
Lucian analyzed: "So, the Village Chief grants wishes, but each one cos with a price?"
Rover: "What did they offer the Chief?"
Scar smiled approvingly. "You're sharp."
"One day, a shepherd arrived in the village."
"He brought the lambs food and shelter, fulfilling their every wish. From then on, the flock lived happily and safely…"
Lucian deadpanned. "Skip the irrelevant parts."
Scar: "I'm growing more and more interested in you…"
"He gave these lambs the power to make their wishes co true."
"All they had to do was bow their heads and beg the shepherd, and they would receive more grass, safer shelter."
"Without lifting a finger, they could have endless resources, a perfect life."
"And so, the shepherd beca the flock's 'god.' They worshipped his towering figure, grateful, reverent…"
Beside him, Rover gripped Lucian's arm tightly, her face pale.
Scar noticed. "What's wrong? You look uncomfortable."
"If you were one of those lambs, faced with such temptation and the pressure of others, wouldn't you bow your head and beg your superior?"
Rover shook her head. "People are equals. There are no hierarchies."
Scar burst into laughter. "I didn't expect us to find common ground so quickly."
"You're right. But the world today is far from what you describe. Shepherds still exist, and the lambs have grown accustod to it."
"That ideal world… we'll have to make it a reality ourselves."
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