Solaris' Strongest Resonator

"Aunt Panhua! The usual a bowl of hand-pulled noodles, extra spicy!"

On the way, Lucian learned that Chixia’s ancestors had migrated to Jinzhou from the Zhongqu Highlands. Many branches of her family had settled here.

Their defining trait? A love for spicy food they could handle heat like no one else.

Lucian wasn’t great with spice. In his view, chili was for seasoning a little kick was fine, but heavy spice was unbearable.

After all, chili burns at both ends!

"Chixia, what do you recommend?"

Being new here, Lucian was overwhelmed by the extensive menu.

"How about Jinzhou stew? It’s the locals’ favorite regional dish a Jinzhou specialty."

While waiting for their food, the two chatted.

"Lucian, where are you from, really?"

"I really am not from this world."

"Then how did you get here?"

"I closed my eyes, opened them, and bam! here I was, in this getup."

"...That’s amazing. Let me tell you about Solaris and Jinzhou!"

Just then, the hand-pulled noodles and Jinzhou stew arrived.

Jinzhou stew was a hearty mix of meat and vegetables, simmered together.

The ingredients were flexible, the method simple it preserved the original flavors of the ingredients perfectly.

It came with a bowl of rice.

The dish was a vibrant medley of colors.

Chixia’s bowl of noodles was fiery red, enough to make anyone’s teeth ache just looking at it.

But she ate with relish, as if the spice didn’t faze her at all.

As they ate, Lucian learned more about this world from Chixia.

This planet was called Solaris, the third planet in its solar system.

The Solaris of the past was nothing like it was now.

From the first sound of The Lament, new phenomena emerged, old laws failed, and unprecedented disasters ravaged the land.

In this world where destruction and rebirth coexisted, people clung to the undying spark of civilization, resisting wave after wave of unknown crises.

The Lament was the collective term for all catastrophic changes on Solaris.

People marked the moment everything changed when the first Lament sounded. And the Lament never ceased.

The waves of destruction never ended; the Lament never faded.

Under the Lament, the destructive waves eroded Solaris.

The anomalies they had seen earlier like the Tacet Fields were collectively called Waveworn Phenomena.

The Tacet Discords Lucian had subdued were quasi-lifeforms born from the chaotic residual frequency energy of Waveworn Phenomena.

Their forms were unstable, but they possessed a unique structure Echoes. The academic term for them was Reverberations.

Jinzhou, as a frontier stronghold of Huanglong, faced the heartland of Tacet Discord surges in the north the front lines of Huanglong’s defense.

Huanglong’s territory was vast, comprising one court and six provinces.

Jinzhou, the youngest of its cities, had borne the responsibility of guarding the borders since its founding. The Midnight Rangers held the northern front, unwavering.

...

"Long story short, this is a world with monsters. Our job is to fight them and protect our home!"

"Got it!"

All the convoluted terms left Lucian’s head spinning. Did scholars in this world really have to make everything sound so complicated?

"Explaining all that was exhausting."

For Chixia’s level of education, saying this much in one go was already overachieving.

"This meal’s on me!" Lucian declared grandly.

"You? You just got here how do you even have money?" Chixia eyed him skeptically.

Lucian smirked. "You’d be surprised!"

Since acquiring the Don’t Bully the Young and Poor talent three hours ago, he’d already amassed over 10,000 Shell Credit.

10,000 Shell Credit should cover a meal, right? No way it’s that expensive! I’m practically a tycoon!

Lucian slapped the table. "Check, please!"

Aunt Panhua walked over. "That’ll be 9,000 Shell Credit total."

Lucian’s hand froze. "How much?!"

"Hand-pulled noodles: 3,000. Jinzhou stew: 6,000. Total: 9,000 Shell Credit." Aunt Panhua smiled sweetly.

"Ah... well, it’s just 9,000 Shell Credit, haha..." Lucian reluctantly paid up.

I had no idea the cost of living here was so high.

He could earn 86,400 Shell Credit a day, meaning a full 24 hours of work only covered 14 bowls of Jinzhou stew?!

Yikes

Lucian sucked in a breath. Actually... that wasn’t too bad?

Chixia laughed. "Why do you look so pained? This is already cheap."

Lucian sighed. People in Jinzhou must be loaded.

He’d have to figure out a way to make more money. If he couldn’t return to Earth, he’d have to live on this planet.

If food was this expensive, how much would housing cost?

In his past life, he couldn’t afford a house. Was he doomed to repeat that here?

No. My fate is mine to command!

He had to find a way to earn more.

With that thought, Lucian wiped a drop of chili oil from Chixia’s lips with a napkin.

Then he ruffled her red hair.

Chixia was already used to his antics.

"Let me think... Where should I take you next?"

Just then, her communicator buzzed.

"Ah, hold on someone’s calling."

She answered. "Yeah? Huh? When did they go missing? It’s fine, don’t panic I’m on my way."

Hanging up, she turned to Lucian apologetically. "Ack—my shift’s starting! I almost forgot—I’m gonna be late!"

"Sorry, Lucian, I’ve got to go on patrol. I’ll come find you right after!"

"How about I come with you?"

"Oh? You wanna join me on patrol?"

Lucian nodded. "If I can’t go back, I’ll need a job anyway. Might as well learn the ropes from you."

Chixia beamed. "Great! After patrol, we’ll go find Rover and the others!"

She grabbed Lucian’s hand and dashed toward the mission location.

On the way, Chixia suddenly asked, "Hey, does your terminal have functional modules? Like a grapple or Levitator?"

Lucian checked and, sure enough, found the modules she mentioned.

Chixia pointed at a distant four-leaf-shaped object. "See that? You can hook onto those with the grappling hook to move around quickly!"

"That’s incredible!" Lucian marveled.

[Option 1: Race Chixia to the destination. Reward: Talent Language Mastery]

[Option 2: Race Chixia and lose. Reward: 50,000 Shell Credit]

[Option 3: Race Chixia to a draw. Reward: One bowl of Jinzhou stew]

"Alright!" Lucian suddenly shouted. "Chixia, let’s race!"

Before she could react, he fired the grappling hook and zipped away.

"H-Hey! I didn’t even tell you where we’re going!"