Jinzhou.
"Cough, cough cough."
Another white handkerchief was stained red.
This was the third handkerchief Jinhsi had replaced since returning from Mt. Firmament.
Jinhsi's hand trembled as she clenched the document in her hand, looking at the woman opposite her who was as gorgeous as the morning glow.
"Teacher, Jinhsi has decided to go to Mt. Firmament. From now on, Jinzhou will trouble you to take care of it."
"Jinhsi..."
Changli took the document while holding Jinhsi's hand, only to feel it frighteningly cold, like a walking corpse.
She quickly circulated her ability, wanting to pass over a trace of warmth, but it instead caused several more coughs from the other side.
"Are you really going to enter the forbidden land of Mt. Firmament? The flow of time there is chaotic—perhaps half a day inside for you, but ten or a hundred days may pass in Jinzhou outside..."
"Teacher, there is no need to say more. I can feel that the Sentinel is growing weaker. As Her Resonator, I must go to Mt. Firmament."
Jinhsi shook her head, her face full of bitterness.
"Moreover, my body's deterioration is far faster than imagined. Lingering in Jinzhou is not my wish, nor is simply dying an easy death."
Her simple words caused Changli deep heartache.
Once upon a time, as the Sentinel's Resonator, Jinhsi's resonance ability was of the same origin as the Sentinel, extremely stable.
Yet ever since she borrowed the Sentinel's creation to stop time for three days last time, and then forcibly urged the Sentinel's creation to retroact Jinzhou, this Sentinel Resonator's body had become riddled with holes.
She was becoming more prone to Overclocking; even without using her resonance ability, her body endured tearing pain at all times.
"Jinhsi, I will accompany you to Mt. Firmament—"
"No!"
Changli's words were not yet finished before Jinhsi firmly rejected them.
"Please do not mention such things again, Teacher."
"...Yes." Changli was silent for a long time, wanting to speak several times but forcibly holding back.
Finally, Changli bowed deeply, her eyes red: "I wish Magistrate Jinhsi a smooth journey and a safe return."
Would she really be able to return safely?
She did not hear Jinhsi's response, only the sound of faint footsteps gradually fading away.
A wisp of scorching black smoke rose from the document in Changli's hand titled "Commendation Plan for Jinzhou Soldiers and Volunteer Personnel."
Only then did she realize her ability had gone out of control and hurriedly extinguished the Molten Rift flames rising from the document.
But the topmost and most extensive reward information in the document had become incomplete due to that brief flame.
On the other side.
[Perilous Expedition Quest: "Elegy of the Other Shore" will unlock in 0.1 hours.]
On the way to Whining Aix's Mire, Noah reviewed the quest list, his mind rapidly recalling this Perilous Expedition Quest.
This Perilous Expedition Quest was one of the rare love-related quests, mainly telling the story of two bird-type Tacet Discords, Mourning Aix.
Unlike other Tacet Discords, these two Mourning Aix were neutral and peaceful, never attacking humans. Every day, they lived like divine companions, in perfect harmony, carefree and content.
Until after one Tacet Discord outbreak, one of the Mourning Aix was killed by other Tacet Discords.
From then on, the remaining Mourning Aix became vicious and cruel, filling the entire Whining Aix's Mire with painful wails all day long, while also creating large expanses of mist to plague the area.
When doing this quest, players would follow clues from the Remnant of the deceased Mourning Aix to learn about a Tacet Discord love bound by life and death.
The first time he did this main storyline, Noah was deeply moved by the love between the two Tacet Discords, but now—
Sorry, this Mourning Aix had already made it to the top of his kill list.
His Celestial Light set was just missing one 4-cost Echo, but the 4-cost Echo for the Celestial Light set could only drop from Mourning Aix or the Sentinel Jué.
He couldn't exactly go farm the Sentinel's Echo— he might not even be able to beat her!
Although both the Sentinel and Dreamless were Calamity class, the gap between one Calamity class and another was like a chasm.
A burst of static sounded, and Noah connected the call.
"I'm sorry, Noah. I didn't expect that old man would upset you. Are you okay?"
Yangyang's concerned voice came through the terminal.
"Are you angry? Earlier, you suddenly walked away, and afterward, you didn't answer when I called."
"It's fine, Yangyang. That was my issue just now. I'm okay now, but I caused trouble for you instead."
Noah held up the terminal and asked.
"By the way, did anything happen afterward?"
He remembered that his daily quest was only four-fifths complete; logically, it should still need one more person to finish.
On the other end, Yangyang hesitated, wanting to tell the truth but worried about upsetting Noah again, so she vaguely glossed over it.
"Um... it's nothing. I handled it all. Magistrate's Guard Sanhua came to console everyone in Taoyuan Vale, saying that the Magistrate would fund help to rebuild their homes."
As Yangyang's words fell, another line of small text appeared before Noah's eyes.
[Daily Quest "You Live in the Light" has been completed.]
[Current possessions: Radiant Tide20, Lustrous Tide0, Astrite23400, Shell Credits910000.]
In an instant, Noah's eyes widened as a bold guess formed in his mind.
Could it be that some quests can be delegated to others to complete? Like that snow leopard Companion Story that inexplicably got finished last time.
Noah decided to test it.
"Yangyang, can I trouble you with something?"
"Yes, I have time right now." The voice on the terminal carried a note of delight.
It seemed that being able to help Noah was something very joyful for Yangyang.
[Chronicle Quest: "Listening to the Voice of Animals - Lizard Language Translation" (unlocks in three hours)]
Noah opened the quest list, his gaze fixed on the only blue Chronicle Quest.
"I promised a researcher named Xuanyin to cooperate with her on animal language translation. Can I trouble you to do this for me?"
"Okay, leave it to me!"
After chatting a bit more, Noah ended the call and sent the Chronicle Quest's time and location to Yangyang.
At the same time, the Perilous Expedition Quest "Elegy of the Other Shore" successfully began.
[Perilous Expedition Quest: "Elegy of the Other Shore" has started.]
[Skip]
Noah skipped through the plot all the way, cleared the sludge containing abnormal energy in Whining Aix's Mire, harvested more than ten common Echoes, and successfully dispersed the mist over Whining Aix's Mire.
[Perilous Expedition Quest: "Elegy of the Other Shore" has been completed.]
[Current possessions: Radiant Tide20, Lustrous Tide5, Astrite26600, Shell Credits990000.]
Following the original Wuthering Waves plot exactly, he gave the two Mourning Aix separated by life and death one final hour to reunite.
It could be considered the highest tribute to the love of the two Tacet Discords.
Timing it precisely to one hour, Noah followed his [Perception]in pursuit.
When he arrived at the corresponding location, he found only one lifeless carcass and a golden Mourning Aix Echo.
After the Remnant of its mate completely dissipated, the surviving Mourning Aix had actually chosen to die together with it.
Noah's expression was complicated as he threw out his gourd to collect this Mourning Aix Echo, somewhat puzzled.
For existences like Tacet Discords, born with the instinct to plunder frequencies to aid their own survival, it could be said that Tacet Discords could never have the idea of suicide.
So, just how profound a feeling must it be to make a Tacet Discord willingly go against its instinct, defy its nature, and abandon the right to survive.
Love, it seemed, was far more noble than he had imagined.