"General, I know you don't want to abandon anyone. But both of us understand—the three of you are the ones with the best chance of defeating the Threnodian directly."
"The opportunity to fulfill this wish is now right in front of me... I don't want to let it slip away."
[Ding! Side quest triggered.]
[Defeat the enemies inside the statue and ensure all four return safely. Completion reward: System Upgrade.]
"The system... still needs upgrading?"
"And is this upgrade a reward for you or for me?"
The system fell silent for a moment.
[...After the upgrade, it will help you become Solaris' strongest Resonator even faster!]
"Well, now I have to upgrade it."
Lucian pondered briefly, but Yangyang's decision made sense. Although his sharpshooter talent allowed him to precisely target specific parts of the statue, he couldn't control the trajectory of the Disruptor's laser after firing.
Lucian released several Echoes he had subdued earlier while protecting the Disruptor and commanded, "Your mission isn't to eliminate the Tacet Discords—it's to protect Yangyang. Understood?"
The Echoes responded in unison: "Roger!"
Yangyang's expression softened. "Lucian... thank you."
Lucian grinned. "No need for thanks. Just marry me."
Rover let out a displeased "Tch," irritated that even now, he couldn't stop flirting.
Then, Lucian and Rover simultaneously focused on a spot at the statue's center—a floating purple crystal.
The two exchanged a glance, recognizing it as the statue's core.
Jiyan: "In that case, prepare to fire."
Yangyang: "I'll hold this position and prevent the Threnodian from drawing more frequencies from these Tacet Discords."
"The battlefield ahead... is yours."
Lucian transformed into Jué and flew down, reaching the Disruptor in seconds. Adjusting its angle, he locked onto the purple crystal.
With a sweep of his hand, Lucian shouted: "FIRE!!"
As the laser shot forth, the purple crystal shattered instantly, sending massive chunks of debris cascading down. Lucian swiftly morphed back into Jué and soared upward.
Rover and Jiyan flicked their wrists, deploying their Grapples to use the falling rubble as footholds, rapidly closing in on the statue.
However, before they could ascend far, a colossal falling rock blocked their path. Rover, mid-air with no room to dodge—
At the critical moment, Lucian arrived just in time, catching her with Jué's massive form before using its enormous claws to snag Jiyan as well. Then, carrying both, he charged toward the statue's breach.
Once Lucian reverted to human form, Rover, still holding onto his neck, landed lightly beside him. Jiyan was set down nearby, gripping his spear as he rose steadily.
Their eyes fell upon the purple core at the center—larger than the one outside the statue, pulsing rhythmically like a heart.
An eerie glow bathed the entire space, radiating ominous energy.
Jiyan's gaze sharpened. "As I thought... the enemy's origin lies hidden within this statue."
"Ahead is our battle with the Threnodian... Rover, Lucian, are you ready?"
Lucian snorted. "Threnodian? I Lucian specializes in beating Threnodians!"
Jiyan gave a slight nod. "Good spirit."
Rover clenched her fists. "Let's end this war."
Together, they stepped toward the core.
Upon entering the core's domain, the trio found themselves in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, where darkness dominated the landscape.
Most striking was the full moon looming ahead—Lucian had never seen it so close before, its craters vividly visible.
But unlike a normal moon, this one was veined with purple ripples, as if corrupted.
Jiyan frowned. "There's actually a 'moon' hidden here... What is this...?"
The next moment, strange undulations seeped from the moon's surface, coalescing before the trio and slowly forming into a Tacet Discord.
The figure turned its head, revealing a familiar, jagged grin.
This Threnodian-reconstructed Crownless had already assumed its second form—wings spread, spear tipped with purple crystal.
Just as tension peaked, a cheerful tune shattered the silence.
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine~ You make me happy, when skies are gray~"
"You'll never know, dear~ How much I love you~"
Rover snapped. "Can you not sing such a happy song in such a serious situation?!"
"And do you have some kind of 'must-tease-Crownless-upon-sighting' disease?!"
Lucian raised the Yamato and pointed it at Crownless, adopting a theatrical tone. "Oh! My God! Old chap, I swear—this time, I shall kick your ass with my size-42 shoes!"
No sooner had he spoken than Lucian feinted left, suddenly whipping out Comrade's Hammer and firing!
The bullet struck Crownless square in the head. But this Crownless was far stronger than the one they'd encountered in the Tacet Field—reforged by the Threnodian's power, its strength neared that of a true Threnodian.
Crownless roared in fury. "Humans... fight... absorb... evolve..."
It raised its spear, charging straight at Lucian—the most insufferable of the three.
But if Crownless wasn't the same as before, neither was Lucian.
In one motion, he parried Crownless' strike with the Yamato.
Then, combining Blood Saber with Cloud-Dancing Butterfly Steps, he dodged every attack while ensuring each slash inflicted exponentially greater pain than the last.
Yet, as a weapon of war, Crownless barely registered the pain. What infuriated it more was failing to even graze Lucian's clothes!
Cloud-Dancing Butterfly Steps was simply too overpowered—its movements unpredictable, each step defying anticipation.
Meanwhile, Rover and Jiyan, undisturbed, kept up relentless assaults, further enraging Crownless.
Under the trio's coordinated assault, Crownless finally knelt, entering a weakened state.
Seizing the moment, Lucian and Rover simultaneously activated Echoing Orchestra.
After a brief delay, the area around Crownless erupted in explosions. Lucian delivered a final kick to its backside, sending it collapsing to the ground. Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs NoveIꜰire.net
But as his excitement faded, Lucian sensed something amiss. "This Threnodian... feels too weak..."
Before he could finish, he realized—Crownless' body hadn't dissolved into golden Reverberation. Instead, it disintegrated into particles, absorbed by the eerie moon.
The trio looked up as the purple ripples on the moon's surface split apart, the fissure widening rapidly.
Then, the moon began to rise—its shell bursting open to reveal a violet core within.