Dan Heng pondered silently for a moment before speaking in a calm, flat tone.
"Try to take it easy. At least... Mr. Yang's beloved doesn't have a variant and hasn't been taken by him, right?"
It was an objective fact, but it was precisely because it was an objective fact that Welt's hand suddenly trembled, nearly causing the coffee in the cup to spill out.
"You... When you put it like that... I'm even more worried now!"
Welt's expression instantly became even more complicated.
Even though it wasn't actually happening, merely imagining a variant of Tesla acting lovey-dovey with Lucian made him unable to help but feel a chill run down his spine.
In the end, the more he thought about it, the more hopeless the whole situation seemed.
Welt could only stare blankly at the coffee in his hand, feeling that his future in this world was bleak, with not a single ray of light in sight.
'Throughout this life of mine, I have been treading on thin ice...'
Welt sighed and subconsciously took a sip of his coffee.
He had originally only been pretending to feel melancholic to avoid drinking Himeko-made coffee, but after Dan Heng 'comforted' him like that, he truly became melancholic.
And with a mouthful of Himeko's coffee going down his throat, that magma-like burning sensation in his esophagus pushed Welt's homesickness to its peak.
"Don't worry, Mr. Yang. Just go do some trailblazing, chill out a bit. We gotta pick our next destination anyway, right?"
March smiled as she poured the coffee she didn't dare drink into Welt's cup.
Nearby, Stelle was rolling around on the floor, clutching her throat and unable to speak. No one knew what kind of absurd act she was performing this time.
===
A while later, as the Parlor Car's windows reflected a deep, starry river flowing through the cosmos, everyone gathered around the table with a massive astral chart spread out before them.
Upon the astral chart, countless points of light representing known planets flickered softly like distant stars. Between them stretched vast expanses of darkness, silent and uncharted, while those unlit regions marked the places where the Astral Express's star rails had yet to reach—territories that still remained beyond the boundaries of their current journey.
"Hmm, there are way too many places... It's kinda hard to choose..." March lay her chin on the table, her finger idly tracing across patches of starfields. "How about this one? It looks super blue, like some vacation planet!"
"I heard that 92% of its surface is corrosive slime, and the atmosphere is toxic."
Welt pushed his glasses up and spoke calmly.
"Eh, never mind then..." March sighed, then pointed at another one. "What about this red one? Looks kinda lively!"
"It's a lava planet, with an average temperature of eight hundred degrees Celsius."
Dan Heng did not even lift his head as he looked at the data in his hands and spoke with a flat expression.
"Ugh, this is so hard..." March complained with a pout. "Isn't there, like, any planet a cute girl could actually live on?"
"Be patient, March," Himeko said after elegantly taking a sip of her coffee. "Remember, the meaning of Trailblaze lies in discovering the unknown and building connections."
"Um, Mommy Himeko, before this trailblazing thing… can we eat first?" Stelle chimed in, rubbing her stomach as she looked at Himeko. "I haven't eaten yet. I'm hungry..."
As soon as the words 'Mommy Himeko' resounded through the room, Himeko froze on the spot, while the others all turned to look at Stelle in bewilderment.
If she called her that, did that not imply that Himeko had some kind of special relationship with Lucian?
Himeko's thoughts immediately became slightly disordered.
In all her life, she had never even been in a romantic relationship before, so being called 'Mommy' was something she simply could not bear.
Moreover, if outsiders heard it, they might easily assume that she and Lucian were a couple. If rumors like that started spreading, it would be truly awkward, considering that they had only known each other for around two days.
Given that, she definitely could not allow Stelle to call her that so casually.
"Stelle, we are companions—friends, not mother and daughter, so please don't call me that."
Himeko looked at the innocent-looking Stelle and gently reprimanded her with a rather awkward smile.
"Is it because my godfather isn't handsome enough? You don't like my godfather?" Stelle asked with a pitiful expression. "Or maybe you don't like 'Mommy'? Should I just call you 'Mom' then?"
"No... that's not it..."
As Himeko was at a complete loss for words, not knowing how to explain things, she couldn't help but wonder why this girl always spoke so bluntly without thinking.
While Himeko was troubled over how to correct the way Stelle addressed her, everyone else was troubled over their next destination, causing the atmosphere to become strangely difficult to describe—
*Buzz—!*
All the lights inside the Parlor Car suddenly dimmed, before countless tiny blue particles of light appeared out of thin air and rapidly gathered at the center of the car. Soon enough, they outlined a tall, graceful figure with a messy ponytail, a languid expression, and a faint smile at the corner of her lips.
It was none other than Kafka—or more precisely, her holographic projection, yet it was so clear that it seemed as though she had truly arrived.
"Who are you?!"
Dan Heng reacted the fastest, instantly rising to his feet, the Cloud-Piercer already in his hand, its tip aimed directly at Kafka's projection, his gaze sharp.
Welt also stood abruptly, his expression grave.
"A Stellaron Hunter?" Welt said sternly, his gaze sharpening. "Boldly infiltrating the Astral Express—what's your intention?"
March was startled and pulled Stelle three steps back.
Himeko set down her coffee cup, a trace of contempt flashing across her face while she maintained her elegant posture. Although she remained relatively calm, her brows furrowed slightly as she instinctively upheld her composure, ensuring that her presence would not be overshadowed by Kafka's appearance.
"Long time no see, Trailblazers… I am Kafka."
Kafka slightly raised her head, completely ignoring the spear pointed at her and the wary gazes fixed upon her as her eyes slowly swept across the crowd. Her gaze seemed to linger on Stelle for two seconds, whether intentionally or not, before she calmly walked through the group.
As Kafka passed by Himeko, Himeko turned her head aside, deliberately refusing to meet Kafka's eyes.
"No need for introductions. The bounty issued by the IPC already contains detailed profiles on you and your group—especially your leader..." Himeko paused briefly before continuing in a cold tone. "A lunatic who claims to see destiny, leading a group of fellow lunatics in pursuit of the most dangerous things in the cosmos."
Hearing that, Kafka glanced at Himeko and revealed a faintly provocative smile.
"Hmm, Himeko, right? I barely remember you."
Just as Kafka was about to continue provoking Himeko, Stelle suddenly placed her hands on her hips and spoke loudly.
"Mom, who's she?" Stelle asked, glancing at Himeko before looking back at Kafka. "Why's she acting so cocky? Want me to call my godfather to deal with her?"
Upon hearing that, Kafka was stunned.
Mom?
Call her godfather to deal with her?
What kind of absurd words were those?
More importantly, why would Stelle call Himeko 'Mom'?
On what basis?
And who exactly was this so-called godfather?
It had only been two days since they had last met, yet somehow things had already become this bizarre.
What exactly had happened in between?
No matter how much she thought about it, Kafka simply could not understand.
"Himeko, huh... Very well..."
Kafka gazed sharply at Himeko, the # mark on her forehead practically announcing her irritation.
Seeing that the child she had only sent to the Astral Express two days ago was already calling someone else Mom, she felt genuinely annoyed.
Noticing Kafka's concealed anger, Himeko had no idea what this Stellaron Hunter was even upset about.
"If you have something to say, then say it. Otherwise, I'll contact the IPC."
Himeko smiled faintly, calmly provoking Kafka.
Remembering the purpose of her visit, Kafka forced herself to calm down before speaking again.
"I came to point you toward a clear path."
"A clear path? Hmph..." Welt rolled his eyes before letting out a cold snort. "Words from a Stellaron Hunter—can they even be trusted?"
Kafka responded with a light laugh.
"I will tell you what the future holds. If you do not go to Jarilo-VI, the Stellaron there will run rampant, the cold wave will sweep across the land, the entire world will freeze over, and the flame of civilization... will soon be extinguished."
"Believe me. By the next time you arrive there, humanity will already be completely extinct."
"Knowing this, the brave and fearless Trailblazers, the benevolent Nameless, would never stand by and do nothing, right?"
"Besides, isn't saving the world precisely the purpose of the Astral Express?"
As she spoke those final words, Kafka's smile deepened.
"Huh? Just because you say we should go, we're supposed to go?" March said, blinking as she looked at Kafka as though she were looking at an idiot. "Who even knows if you're lying?"
Kafka seemed to hear something amusing and chuckled softly.
"Heh, the destiny seen by Elio... has never been wrong..."
As she said that, no one noticed that the final four words were spoken a little more gently, sounding noticeably less confident than before.
"If... I lied to you, then let Silver Wolf lose every game for an entire month. Believe me, that's a very vicious oath."
Kafka continued with a faint smile before pointing at a specific location on the astral chart resting on the table.
"Anyway, the coordinates are here. Well then, the rest is up to you."
Right after pointing to a certain spot on the astral chart, Kafka glanced at Stelle for a moment before her holographic projection began to break apart and gradually faded away.
Everyone in the Parlor Car blinked before looking at one another.
"Although there is some risk involved, if we truly miss the timing, it could lead to the deaths of people who should have been saved, so..." Himeko said seriously as she picked up the astral chart. "Let's go to Jarilo-VI. It was already scheduled for two stops later anyway. Moving it forward shouldn't be a problem."
However, when she pointed toward the outdated coordinates of Jarilo-VI on the astral chart, she noticed that they were still illuminated.
"Hm? Jarilo-VI hasn't lost contact yet? Perhaps the situation isn't as bad as we thought?" Himeko muttered in confusion. "I remember the data bank stating that thousands of years ago, it was a lush and vibrant planet. If it has truly been affected by a Stellaron, it should be in ruins by now..."
In the end, after a brief discussion, everyone agreed to go and save the planet known as Jarilo-VI.
As a result, the Astral Express set course for Jarilo-VI, a planet that should have already been ravaged by a Stellaron.
===
"KAFKAAAAAAA—!!!"
Inside a spaceship a million light-years away from the Astral Express, Silver Wolf's angry shout resounded throughout the vessel, echoing through every cabin.
At this moment, her gaze was no longer on the portable game console in her hand, but on Kafka, who was leaning against a nearby wall, calmly sipping her wine.
"What did you just say?!"
Silver Wolf exclaimed, her small face flushed with anger.
"You really bet on me losing every game for an entire month?!"
"Are you nuts?! What if Elio's script is wrong again?! You tryna ruin my life?!"
However, the one who responded to Silver Wolf's furious outburst was not Kafka, but the holographic projection of Elio in his black cat form.
"Don't worry, Silver Wolf. My eyes are the measure. Without Lucian's interference, the destiny I see will not be wrong. Definitely."
===
[A bonus chapter for every 300 Power Stones.]
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