"Life is always full of hardships. It has always been that way."
Verina gently nodded.
"Brother feels that the people of Jinzhou are living in bitterness. This precisely shows that Brother is very kind, full of empathy, and thinks of others."
"If I could solve the Threnodians, I'm sure many problems would be resolved at the same time."
Noah sighed.
"But I can't find a way to completely solve the Threnodians."
After speaking some of the words in his heart, he felt much more comfortable.
"So Brother's worry is the Threnodians—he's troubled because he can't solve them himself."
Verina shook her head vigorously, her pair of golden twin tails swaying behind her.
"The Threnodians are clearly an enemy that everyone in the Solaris civilization must face, yet Brother wants to bear it all alone."
"Although Brother is very strong and knows a lot, the power of one person is ultimately limited."
"Defeating the Threnodians has never been something Brother does alone; it requires the effort of everyone in Solaris."
Verina paused to think for a moment before continuing.
"Just like General Jiyan once said: every bit of strength has its weight."
Listening to Verina's words, Noah felt as if he had grasped something, yet hadn't quite grasped it.
In the next moment, his hand was held by Verina. Following those small white gloves upward, he saw only Verina's sincere gaze.
"Brother, being able to see the essence of the problem and feel anger toward the Threnodians—this in itself is a kind of strength."
"Feeling powerless against the Threnodians is exactly the result the Threnodians desire."
"But true courage begins with 'What can I do?' rather than 'I must save everyone.'"
"Defeating the Threnodians is by no means a battle for one person alone, and you don't need to immediately overturn this turbid world."
Her gentle words were like a seed planted in Noah's heart. His mind shook, as if enlightened by a sudden revelation.
"When you exercise, you feel weaker, but in reality, you are becoming stronger."
"When you study, you feel foolish, but in reality, you are becoming smarter."
"Just as flowers wilt to nourish the growth of larger fruits, when you are becoming stronger, you will first become vulnerable. This is the natural law of progress."
"Overcoming the Threnodians is not something achieved overnight, but you must believe that every action you take is rewriting the outcome of the future."
Boom—
Like a massive rock being split open by a tiny flower seed, a beam of light finally pierced through the darkness and fell upon the delicate sprout.
Noah felt infinitely moved, his eyes flickering as he stared blankly at Verina.
Verina's light green eyes were gentle and clear, a healing smile on her face that felt like a spring breeze.
"Noah, you are not a failure."
"You are everyone's hero."
"You are more than enough."
Three sentences, each one striking deep into his soul.
Noah felt the gloom in his heart vanish completely, as if the clouds had parted to reveal the blue sky.
So what if there is no Rover? So what if there are Threnodians? All things in the world are shaped by people!
Three sentences, each one striking deep into his soul.
Noah felt the gloom in his heart vanish completely, as if the clouds had parted to reveal the blue sky.
So what if there is no Rover? So what if there are Threnodians? All things in the world are shaped by people!
If someone must face the Threnodians head-on, that person doesn't have to be the Rover—it can be him!
Moreover, behind him, he was far from alone.
"Thank you, Nana. I understand now!"
Noah let out a long breath.
A line of small text suddenly appeared in his vision:
[Perilous Expedition Quest: "Elegy of the Other Shore" will unlock in 2 hours.]
[Completing the Perilous Expedition Quest "Elegy of the Other Shore" will reward: Lustrous Tide5, Astrite3200, Shell Credits*80000.]
Whining Aix's Mire, the Perilous Expedition Quest for Mourning Aix, huh? I didn't expect the rewards for Perilous Expedition Quests to be the same as Companion Stories.
It just so happens that my Celestial Light set is missing one main Echo.
Noah thought to himself, setting aside the quest that would unlock in 2 hours for now, and smiled at Verina.
"Verina, your position is Plant Cultivator, right?"
"Yes." Verina nodded.
Receiving confirmation, Noah organized his thoughts a bit before continuing.
"My hometown is in a very distant place. There, a great person developed a product called hybrid rice."
"Hybrid rice?" Verina frowned and couldn't help but explain.
"Brother, rice is a flower-pollinated crop. It doesn't have heterosis."
"In my hometown, everyone used to think that way too." Noah nodded. "But that great man firmly believed that rice had heterosis."
"In the end, through relentless effort, he successfully invented hybrid rice, with a maximum yield of 1251 kilograms per mu. Because of him, a vast nation no longer suffered from hunger."
In an instant, Verina's breathing unconsciously grew heavier.
1251 kilograms! More than ten times the rice yield in Jinzhou!
In good weather years, Jinzhou's crop yields were just barely enough for local people to have full bellies. If the weather changed slightly, the common folk would have to tighten their belts.
If... Jinzhou's crop yields could increase tenfold—no, not even tenfold, even just half that much—there would be more than enough food.
"This... this can't be possible." Verina seemed to be listening to a fairy tale, somewhat dazed.
"If I tell you the breeding method for hybrid rice, Verina, would you be willing to try it?"
"Yes!"
Her answer was resolute and unwavering.
Taking paper and pen from his backpack, Noah wrote swiftly.
"Although I remember the three-line breeding system and seed production process, this is ultimately theoretical knowledge. The actual operation will still depend on you."
"The most critical part of hybrid rice is finding natural male-sterile plants—but this almost entirely depends on luck; it can only be left to chance."
"Verina, give it a try, but don't put pressure on yourself."
Verina carefully accepted the paper as if it were a treasure, thinking to herself.
The key to hybrid rice is finding male-sterile plants.
Perhaps she could use her own resonance ability to induce one.
It would be somewhat difficult, but she decided to try—no, she had to succeed!
Having made up her mind, Verina immediately stood up to say goodbye, not even minding the flower field that Noah had crushed, and hurriedly ran toward the direction of the Jinzhou research institute.
"She acts so mature, but in reality, she's still just a child."
Noah gently shook his head, a faint smile appearing on his face.
Standing up, the relaxed smile on his face was replaced by solemnity.
Releasing the restrictions of the Static Mist bracelet, the full and abundant resonance energy within his body was once again clearly perceived by him.
Switching his role from "Rover" to "Verina," Noah carefully mobilized the resonance energy in his body.
"Photosynthesis Conversion!"
As the resonance power drove it, the frequencies within his body harmonized. Unknowingly, Noah's left hand had already pressed against the Static Mist bracelet.
If there was even the slightest sign of going berserk, he would immediately restrain himself.
One second, two seconds...
The crushed flower clusters trembled as they slowly stood upright again, small flower buds gradually blooming, revealing vibrant vitality.
A faint floral fragrance wafted over, refreshing the spirit.
"Ha—"
Noah smiled, a large amount of resonance energy mobilized within him. The surrounding flower clusters grew rapidly, thousands of colorful flowers blooming proudly and freely in the wind.
He showed no abnormalities!
He had finally untied his heart's knot and become even more at ease!