Bzzzz!
Afterward, Mo Bai and Rover boarded a train bound for the Research Institute high above them.
It traveled steadily along a track that rose at ninety degrees. Mo Bai marveled at whatever powered it.
There was still so much he didn't know about this world. For a moment, he could hardly take it all in.
He had arrived in a strange new world and gained powerful abilities unlike anything he had ever known. Truthfully, Mo Bai felt a little lucky.
Right then, he really did feel like the lucky guy who had won a free ticket to another world.
"Mo Bai."
Rover suddenly called his name on the train.
"Hm?" Mo Bai answered without thinking.
But when he turned to look at her, he found her frowning, as though something was weighing on her mind.
"What's wrong?"
The Rover he knew was either calm and composed or wore a faint, unreadable look of mischief.
Either way, she didn't usually look troubled like this.
Then again, Mo Bai remembered that she had seemed troubled by his Cursed Energy when she spoke with Abu earlier.
Had it reminded her of something bad?
"I think I told you about Threnodians and their emissaries before."
At Rover's words, Mo Bai recalled the explanation she had given him earlier.
Most Threnodians needed time to develop, so they chose emissaries and placed them among the people.
Whether those emissaries acted knowingly or not after being chosen, they all ultimately became tools for the Threnodians' plans.
"You suspect I'm an emissary for one of those Threnodians?" Mo Bai pointed at himself.
Then he looked down at his hands.
That Goddess really was looking more suspicious by the minute. Had she deliberately dropped him into this world because the two were connected?
"Sorry. It's just that you really are unusual compared to everyone else in Solaris."
Rover thought of the Ten Shadows Technique Mo Bai had used earlier.
The ability itself wasn't the issue. What mattered was that Mo Bai had no Resonance Mark.
For Resonators, those marks weren't merely decorative tattoos. They were external organs that helped them adjust frequencies around them.
Yet Mo Bai could adjust the frequencies within shadows without a Resonance Mark's help.
"I don't think I'm one of those emissaries, at least not for now. I don't have anyone whispering at me nonstop in my head."
Mo Bai recalled the traits of Threnodian emissaries Rover had described. The most obvious was the whispering in their minds, urging them on.
That Goddess had said she was only responsible for dropping people into other worlds and having him report back with stories after he died. She hadn't said she would control his life.
Of course, after she had left him high in the sky, where he had nearly fallen to his death, Mo Bai wasn't about to believe everything she said.
"I'll be staying at the Academy. If you have any questions about my abilities or Cursed Energy, ask away. I probably won't be leaving Lahai Luo for quite a while."
Mo Bai had made up his mind.
Even if that Goddess had some grand plan and intended to use him as a pawn, so be it.
If he really was a chess piece, he would just be an ordinary, unimportant pawn.
And if her plan rubbed him the wrong way, he could always mess it up.
"All right. I'll contact you with Abu later."
A slight smile touched Rover's lips when Mo Bai agreed.
Bzzzz—
The train came to a stop. They had arrived.
Ding~
Just then, Rover's Terminal chimed.
The sound felt oddly familiar to Mo Bai, like a message notification.
"It's Lynae," Rover said, glancing at her gourd.
She had probably read the message through frequencies or resonance or something. Mo Bai thought that was pretty convenient.
"She says not to worry. We can just ask one of the senior researchers or students for directions."
After speaking, Rover looked up and saw Mo Bai making hand signs.
"Oh, I didn't see anyone around, so I was thinking of summoning the Divine Dogs to find the way. Ahem."
Embarrassed, Mo Bai immediately lowered his hands and cleared his throat.
Rover merely smiled. Then they went to speak with a senior student who was busy conducting research.
As expected of someone at the Research Institute, he was muttering about Voidmatter Magnetic Storm data before Mo Bai even got close.
Following his directions, Mo Bai and Rover reached an open area resembling a hall.
Bzzzt—
Electronic data appeared beneath their feet. Then projections of many people flickered into view.
"One day, we'll break through the Sky Sea and return to the universe."
"The food at the Cafeteria is great this week. Let's go together..."
"The data's almost ready! Get the students out of here! I'll stay!"
"We failed again."
Voices. Mo Bai and Rover heard so many voices.
Teachers' voices, students' voices. They sounded like echoes from Lahai Luo's past.
"Please stop resonating with them, or you'll overload."
Beep, beep, beep.
A series of electronic button tones sounded, followed by a steady, gentle voice with a hint of coolness from nearby.
Mo Bai's resonance with the voices wasn't deep, so he quickly broke free.
But when he looked at Rover, she seemed far more absorbed than he had been.
They were probably sensitive to frequency vibrations to different degrees. Rover was much more sensitive than he was.
With that thought, Mo Bai vibrated the frequencies of the shadows around Rover to wake her.
Only then did Mo Bai turn toward the source of the voice.
A white-haired, red-eyed young woman sat on a hovering device.
Her appearance startled Mo Bai. Her legs were transparent, and he could even see structures like blood vessels inside them.
Prosthetics?
But something else about her surprised Mo Bai, too...
"Don't be nervous..."
The young woman clenched her fists and whispered to herself before approaching Rover and Mo Bai.
"May I ask who you are?"
Now recovered, Rover looked at Mornye as she approached and asked her in puzzlement.
At Rover's question, Mornye's pupils contracted slightly. Then she regained her composure.
"A pleasure to meet you. I'm Mornye, a researcher at the Research Institute and a professor at Star Torch Academy."
Mo Bai noticed a faint smile on Professor Mornye's face as she introduced herself.
It was completely different from her cool expression a moment ago.
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