Having just dealt with the Tacet Discord that had driven him to the brink, Mohai propped himself up against the ground, sitting on the dirt and gasping heavily.
Even though his physical attributes had just been enhanced, his body still struggled to adapt to the skill he had just unleashed.
Suddenly, his vision went black, and he lost consciousness.
…
A cool, damp sensation touched his forehead, accompanied by the faint scent of fresh grass.
Immediately after, a gentle female voice filled with uncertainty and concern sounded near his ear.
“Are…
are you awake?” Mohai forced his eyes open with great effort.
What met his vision was a lush canopy of trees, sunlight filtering through the gaps between leaves to cast dappled spots of light.
He was still alive.
He slowly turned his stiff neck and spotted the source of the voice.
It was a girl who looked to be around sixteen or seventeen years old.
Her eyes were as clear as lake water, radiating gentleness and tranquility.
Flowing, smooth black hair with tips as clean as lark feathers gave her an added touch of vitality.
Her smile was warm and healing, seemingly capable of dispelling any gloom.
She wore a blue-and-black outfit paired with a blue hat, decorated with star-like ornaments.
Her overall appearance was elegant yet brimming with energy.
Seeing him open his eyes, she visibly breathed a sigh of relief, a friendly smile gracing her face.
“Wonderful, you’re finally awake.
You were unconscious just now, I almost thought…” However, Mohai’s attention wasn’t on her words at all.
He was still sifting through his own memories.
He remembered growing up alongside a girl named Jinhsi during that simulation.
That endless yearning for her remained clearly branded into his very soul.
Right at that moment, a hearty and energetic voice approached from the distance.
“Yangyang!
How are things on your end?
Is that guy of unknown origin awake yet?
I’m done scouting my side—no sign of Tacet Discords around, it’s totally safe!” A girl with a high red ponytail, dressed in tight martial attire and radiating a fiery enthusiasm, ran over briskly while carrying a massive gunblade on her back.
Another figure followed closely behind her.
That person had a sharp, clean face with a cool, distant sharpness in their eyes.
Medium-length black hair was casually tied back, with loose strands hanging beside their cheeks to add a hint of wild free-spiritedness.
They wore dark techwear with crisp lines outlining a lithe frame, and worn tactical accessories hung at their waist.
Seeing Mohai sitting up, they immediately adopted a cautious stance.
“Hey, you’re awake!
Perfect, saves us the trouble of dragging you back,” the red-haired girl said.
She sized Mohai up from head to toe, asking bluntly, “Hey, who are you?
What’s your name?
Why were you passed out all alone out in the wilderness like this?” The gentle girl named Yangyang hurriedly tugged at her.
“Chixia, don’t be so aggressive.
He just woke up.” She then turned back to Mohai, speaking in as soft a tone as possible.
“Do you remember what your name is?” His name?
Mohai’s lips twitched.
That familiar name was right at the tip of his tongue, yet he couldn’t bring himself to say it.
He was weighing whether he should give his real name, because he had used his actual name in the simulation.
However, they were most likely heading back to Jinzhou soon.
If the Magistrate found out, things could get very complicated very quickly.
Seeing him hesitate with a complex expression that didn’t look fake, the red-haired girl named Chixia frowned.
“What?
Did you even forget your own name?
Amnesia?
Isn’t that trope a bit too cliché?” Mohai merely shook his head, feigning exhaustion, without offering an explanation.
Looking at his confused and conflicted eyes, the kind-hearted Yangyang came to his rescue.
“If you can’t remember or if it’s inconvenient to say, don’t force it for now.” She thought for a moment before speaking gently, “Judging by your condition, did you run into a Tacet Discord attack?” “Yes…
I barely managed to defeat it after using everything I had.” “Ah, I see!
Well then, lost traveler, would you like to come back to Jinzhou City with us?” Her words reminded Mohai of a term.
The person standing beside them was likely the Rover…
so could he be considered a traveler?
Mohai made a quiet self-deprecating comment in his mind.
Still, this was fine.
At least it served as a plausible explanation.
He had to admit, Yangyang was quite good at filling in the blanks.
He nodded, accepting the invitation.
“Alright, now that you’re awake, get up quickly.
I can’t wait to get moving!” Chixia lowered her guard, slinging her gunblade over her shoulder with boundless energy.
“We’re still pretty far from Jinzhou.
We need to make it back to the city before nightfall.” “Which way should we head now?” Mohai supported himself against a nearby tree trunk, slowly standing up as he asked.
“This is the Gorge of Spirits, so we still have quite a way to go.
Don’t worry, just follow us!” Chixia added enthusiastically.
For the rest of the journey, Mohai couldn’t stop thinking.
In this real Jinzhou…
was there still that Magistrate who would open her heart to him over a single stick of candied hawthorns?