I'm in Mota, and they all want me to confess my feelings!

only……

What kind of dream is she having?

Why can't I stop thinking about the Hot Sea Pear Pizza?

Never mind, let her sleep.

Looking at the girl's innocent and clear sleeping face, Duanmu Yan couldn't help but shake his head gently, then turned and went into the bathroom to wash up quickly.

It's still early.

So what should we do during this time?

Want to go fishing for a while?

By the way, could you also check if there are any boats going to Tranquil Bay?

Okay, that's the decision.

He walked out of the bathroom, put on his coat, left a short note for Phoebe, and quietly pushed open the door.

But as soon as he closed the door and turned around, he encountered an unexpected person in the hallway—

Floro.

The other person seemed to be about to leave as well, and when they saw him, a clear look of surprise flashed across their face.

"That's really...surprising." Floro pursed her lips and said softly as she walked towards Duanmu Yan.

The latter was also slightly taken aback, not expecting to run into Floro here.

"She lives right next door to me?"

"Fate is truly a wonderful thing."

"Good morning," Duanmu Yan greeted him.

Floro nodded slightly, but his gaze fell on the closed door behind him, his tone tinged with amusement: "Going out so early? Aren't you going to rest a little longer with that young priest from the order?"

How did you know Phoebe was in the room?

"Well..." she pretended to think, "it's probably just intuition. So, how was last night?"

Duanmu Yan sensed the teasing in her words and immediately said seriously, "Don't get the wrong idea. Although we share a room, nothing has happened."

"I haven't asked anything yet, why are you in such a hurry to explain?" Floro's smile deepened as she looked him over with interest.

"I... never mind, let's not talk about it anymore." Duanmu Yan changed the subject somewhat helplessly. "Speaking of which, why did you come to the Rijoli Islands? For research? Or for vacation?"

"Want to know?" Floro brushed past him, then turned back after a few steps, a meaningful smile on her face. "What if I told you... my purpose in coming to the Rijoli Islands is the same as yours?"

Duanmu Yan was taken aback upon hearing this: "You've also come for the Whale That Traverses the Sea?"

"Yes and no." Her answer was still shrouded in a thin mist. "We live in the same world, so naturally we are drawn to the same melodies. In the end, we are all the same kind of people, just in different directions."

They've started playing cryptic games again.

Duanmu Yan completely ignored the suggestive part of her sentence: "What do you, a musician, want with the Whale of the Sea?"

"So you want to know?" She raised an eyebrow, turned and started walking. "It's alright, you'll find out soon enough."

Having said that, she said no more and walked straight to the other end of the corridor.

Duanmu Yan hesitated for a moment, then took a step and followed her back.

……

……

The streets were shrouded in thick fog.

Apart from the faint sounds coming from the distant dock, the surroundings were so quiet that it seemed as if the world had not yet awakened.

Floro walked side by side with Duanmu Yan through the deserted streets. She didn't show any aversion or discomfort to his following her; on the contrary, she felt a rare sense of peace in this quiet world interwoven with black and white.

That was the peace she had once longed for, even yearned for.

Unfortunately, it has all turned into the past.

He is no longer himself.

And I am no longer myself.

"I'm a little hungry. Why aren't there any breakfast vendors on the street?" Duanmu Yan muttered to himself as he looked around.

He couldn't really explain why he followed Floro out. It was just that the moment he saw her turn and leave, his feet seemed to have a mind of their own, and before he knew it, he was walking beside her in the fog.

Floro glanced at him sideways and said in a nonchalant tone, "Is eating all you're alive for?"

"You can't say that. When you're hungry, you have to eat; it's only natural." As Duanmu Yan was speaking, his gaze was suddenly drawn to the crowd gathered on the shore—a group of people were making a lot of noise, seemingly engaged in a heated discussion.

He couldn't help but stop and listen intently.

Floro also stopped, wanting to know what had happened.

"I'm not lying! A lot of afterimages suddenly appeared over at Silent Bay!"

"Yes, I saw it too! It's like it appeared out of thin air."

"If we hadn't paddled our gondolas so fast, we probably would have been dragged into the water long ago."

"Don't go to Tranquil Bay for a while. That place is really eerie right now!"

Tranquil Bay? A lingering image?

Duanmu Yan's heart skipped a beat. The innkeeper had clearly said that it was the resting place of the Ocean Whale, so there shouldn't be any trace of it there... Could it be related to the recent abnormalities of the Ocean Whale?

He approached the crowd with a belly full of questions, only to see two fishermen panting heavily and pale-faced, describing their night's ordeal to those around them.

"Tranquil Bay...has a remnant appeared?" Duanmu Yan asked.

“Yes,” a fisherman looked at him, still shaken, “My partner and I were hoping to try our luck in Tranquil Bay early in the morning, hoping to catch a few big ones under the protection of the whales that swim upstream. Who knew that instead of catching any fish, we almost became fish food ourselves!”

"Could you explain what happened in more detail?"

"What, young man, are you planning to go there again?"

Duanmu Yan shook his head: "I'm just curious how the afterimage was formed."

Logically speaking, the appearance of residual images must have a reason; they would never arise out of thin air.

The fisherman scratched his head, trying to recall: "I can't really explain what happened... I just remember the seawater suddenly turned pitch black, and then those things came out. We were so scared that we ran back without looking back. I advise you not to go there. If something happens, there won't even be anyone to collect the body. I can't take it anymore, I have to go back and rest."

The seawater suddenly...

It turned pitch black?

Volume 1: Chapter 61 Suspected Black Tide

I have this feeling...

This description seems familiar...where have I heard it before?

"The seawater suddenly turned black, and afterimages appeared..." Duanmu Yan murmured softly, stroking his chin.

"Kuroshio".

At this moment, Floro, who had been standing silently beside them, suddenly broke the silence.

She crossed her arms, her expression indifferent, but her gaze naturally met Duanmu Yan's.

The moment those two words were uttered, everyone present was stunned, and then an undisguised fear and unease appeared on their faces.

"Kuroshio?!"

"That can't be... It must have just been an accident?"

"Yes, it's best not to jump to conclusions about these things too early."

The group chatted amongst themselves, as if this could dispel the gloom in their hearts.

But everyone knows that these words are nothing more than a weak and feeble consolation for the cruel reality.

Even Duanmu Yan couldn't help but meet Floro's gaze, a hint of confusion in his eyes. He didn't understand why she was so certain—that this was the Black Tide.

The so-called Kuroshio Current is a catastrophic phenomenon caused by the invasion of the Kuroshio Formation.

In the history of Lina Shita, there have been two Kuroshio Currents.

The first instance occurred several hundred years ago.

Ultimately, the first head of the order, Nabula II, used the power of the Year Lord to forcibly suppress the Black Tide and thus founded the Hidden Sea Order.

The second time happened twenty years ago.

Time has passed, but the influence of the Kuroshio Current on this land—Laguna—has not yet completely dissipated.

"Why are you so sure?" Duanmu Yan asked, staring at her.

Floro shrugged, looking nonchalant: "Just a guess."

She gazed at the distant sea, paused for a moment, and then added softly, "Why don't you go and confirm it for yourself?"

Duanmu Yan remained silent for a while, weighing the pros and cons in his mind. Finally, he nodded solemnly: "Very well. If there are indeed traces left by the Black Tide there... I absolutely cannot ignore it. Otherwise, the entire Laguna—no, the entire Lina Xita—may face the crisis of being swallowed up."

Why go?

The Kuroshio Current is an extremely dangerous entity; once encountered, the chances of survival are slim.

—These principles are perfectly clear to Duanmu Yan.

But I don't know why...

He couldn't bring himself to ignore it.

But I don't know why,

He ultimately couldn't turn around and leave.

Floro tilted his head slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips, as if he already knew his answer.

"Still the same old C-style` ⑸鸠z:⑷9 Dad... Even if we start over a thousand times, you will never be able to let go of that obsession—that obsession that you absolutely must save them."

Duanmu Yan approached the fisherman who had witnessed the strange phenomenon in Tranquil Bay and said, "Uncle, could I borrow your gondola for a while?"

The middle-aged man looked terrified: "Young man, are you out of your mind? You really want to go to a place like that?"

Duanmu Yan nodded solemnly: "This matter is of great importance, and someone has to confirm it. If it's just an ordinary outbreak in the Silent Zone, that's one thing, but if it really is the Black Tide..."

At this point, his expression had become much more serious.

The man opened his mouth, but in the end, he only let out a long sigh: "Fine, fine. If you insist on going, this gondola is yours for now. But be very careful—it's been with me for decades, like an old friend, so make sure you bring it back intact."

"Yes, don't worry. (The rest of the text appears to be nonsensical and unrelated to the initial statement.)"

With lingering unease, the crowd gradually dispersed, leaving only Floro and Duanmu Yan on the dock.

Duanmu Yan walked towards the borrowed gondola, his gaze fixed on the distant, cloud-shrouded tranquil bay: "Before we set off, we still need to make some preparations."

Just then, his terminal rang—it was a communication from Phoebe.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Duanmu, I... I overslept."

"It's okay, if you're still sleepy, you can rest for a while longer."

“No need! I’m already awake. The Lord said that the morning is the most precious time of day! As a priest, I must strictly abide by the precepts.”

"Okay, I'll send you the coordinates. Come meet me here."

"Ok!"

After ending the call, Duanmu Yan turned to look at Floro—she was still standing quietly on the shore with her arms crossed, gazing at the ominous black sea in the distance.

“I’ll come too.” She suddenly turned around, as if she had already sensed his gaze, and walked straight up to him.

"what are you going to do?"

"Nothing to do with you."

"...This is not a picnic."

"Are you really that reluctant to let me come along?" Floro leaned closer, scrutinizing his face. "Or... are you afraid I'll disturb your time with that little priest? Don't forget, you still owe me a favor."

Duanmu Yan, who understood the implication perfectly, raised his eyebrows and his expression became somewhat awkward.

He was certainly not worried about that.