Treasures of the Past

*Sigh*. I should've known. A malignant omen bodes ill... What should I do now...?

E-ENDMIN..?! Wait. This must be the noble helper who'd turn things around... Can this be the will of the heavens? Fate smiles upon me!

Hah! My most sincere apologies! I just didn't expect to meet you here... Your presence will make things a lot easier.

Heheh. I actually dabble in the knowledge of the supernatural... I have a senior who works on Tianshi Pillars. He would plaster special Fulu runes on the auxiliary units every time before he starts a test.

Wait. Does that mean the rune of success I brought actually worked? I did meet you at a critical juncture... That must be it!

It's a long story. I am Luo An and I'm trying to do some field survey, but before I left, a few senior Tianshi asked me to help them out with something —

They want a research paper written ten years ago. It contains a valuable set of early data ... one that's really crucial for the study of the Very Large Rift.

Ahem. I was actually hesitant at first. But when I stepped out of the office, I received an unexpected sign of six fowlbeasts. Six is the number of guaranteed success. I was compelled to accept the task...

I endured every difficulty and used up every detector before I finally picked up a lead — only to realize that the data backup is within the ruins on the other side.

The Blight has totaled every facility at that place. I can't even make it across the first section...

O-Of course, Endmin! I'm syncing you the coordinates of the documents' location right now!

Ugh. That big fat promotion — I mean, my respectable seniors would never get their proper closures...

OH YES IT IS! Endmin, this is indeed the Raw Data Backup I need!

As for the location of Backup 2... Let me see. This is some old school encryption technique. Hardly any labs are still using them.

Fortunately, I love studying legacy tech during my free time! Let me decrypt this, grab the coordinates, and do some more divination...

That is indeed the fastest way... But I should perform a divination.

Hmm... Let me look at the divinogram... WOW! The wind and water flow in my favor!

Endmin! How goes your search? Did you find it?

Wow, it marked out the positions of the other two sets of data backup! It's so helpful! Hold on. Let me decrypt the coordinates...

Hmm. These two sites seem pretty far off. The first is next to that depot I walked past before...

Yeah. A very ordinary cargo depot. It's near the garrison camp.

I haven't been to the second position, though. I think it's deeper inside the exclusion zone.

So that means I'll go to the first site, you head to the other?

I haven't had such a positive omen for quite a while... Fortune smiles on me! Let us split our ways!

I know the depot pretty well. But going deeper into the EZ ... I'm a little worried, Endmin.

Terrain can be really rough. Something bad might happen. It would be bad if the data backup gets damaged...

But you'll be placing yourself in danger... Endmin, maybe I should look for a few Tianshi buddies of mine.

Really...? Okay, then, Endmin. Help me recover data backup 3 from the depths of the exclusion zone. Here, take these runes of success to keep you safe!

Once I retrieve backup 2, I'll come look for you. We'll rendezvous at the place near the location of backup 3. What do you think?

So soon?! Awesome! I just retrieved the raw data backup 2 and I'm on my way to our rendezvous point!

Yeah. The seniors who gave me this task are actually survivors of the research team... Their lead was actually killed by the disaster...

But they got their own work and can't really leave their post. So they decided to assign the task of data recovery to the younger generation...

Welp, couldn't have done it without the Endmin! W-wait ... what the hell?

We're done for, Endmin! A blighted problem just showed up outside —

Finally, my seniors' past efforts are going to bear fruit...

Worst day of my life! I thought I was gonna die here. Thank Talos you arrived on time...

Hah! They're really worth it! I now have the entire data backup for my seniors at the Research Labs. The Endmin even helped me out and saved my life.

I'm gonna tell every colleague about this great adventure once I head back.

It's alright. I might be out of runes, but I still have my jade donut, safety pendant, double coin knot, evil-absorbing gourd...

I'm not that superstitious. I just brought a handful of fortune trinkets and they don't really take up much backpack space!

And I've always carried them around since I was a kid. Well, I did bring a few more since this is a long field mission...

Yeah. I got double-orphaned early ... and my relatives didn't like me. They think I'm jinxed, you see. They only started being nice when I got admitted to the Tianshi Bureau Academy...

I actually prefer the company of my Academy seniors and peers. Many of my trinkets are actually gifts from them...

Words of truth. And so did you, Endmin...

Hah! I like the sound of that! While I'm still on my lucky streak, I should compile these data backups into one complete file, just in case something bad happens...

And speaking of which... Here's a token gift of my gratitude, Endmin! I furnished everything with Fulu runes of success. Don't leave without it!

And I gotta avoid the Fortune Connect-and-Win for a while. Scoring the jackpot might just use up all my lucky qi...

Great! Things are so much easier with your help, Endmin! I'll get it started —

We did it! Look at this! Data integrity is better than my most optimistic expectations! I got a feeling our rift research project will be making major progress!

Heheh. Come on, Endmin. You did all the heavy lifting!

How goes your preparation, Endmin? I'm ready when you are.

Oh, Endmin? You're back already! Are you concerned about me?

I'll be alright. Just go ahead into the EZ. I'll join you once I find data backup 2!

Endmin! How goes your search? Did you find it?

Oh, okay, no rush. I'll just stay here and wait for your good news!