Inside Dan Heng's room.
Dan Heng stared at the messages in the group chat "One Big Happy Family," momentarily stunned. The train's next stop was… the Luofu?
Wait, what exactly had happened in such a short amount of time?
Dan Heng scrolled through the group chat messages one by one, finally letting out a helpless sigh, feeling a headache coming on.
His "special period" hadn't even ended yet, and now the train's next destination was the Luofu. After some thought, he sent a message in the group chat: Sorry, due to certain reasons, I can't join this Trailblazing journey. Stelle, March, take care of yourselves.
Bang bang bang—
Just as he sent the message, the next second, there was a knock at the door. Dan Heng tried to peek through the peephole to see who it was, but his current height was too short. Hesitantly, he asked, "Who is it?"
"Passenger Dan Heng, it's your conductor, Pom-Pom, pa!"
Dan Heng decisively locked the door, pulled the blanket over himself, and played dead.
…
After the train underwent two jumps, an immense, boundless spaceship appeared outside the window, its full scope impossible to discern. The closest point to them was a massive gate rippling with spatial fluctuations—the "Jade Gate."
Only those granted permission to pass through here could enter the interior of the Xianzhou Luofu.
"Let's assign the team for this mission first," Himeko said, resting her chin in her hand as she calmly analyzed. "Since the situation on the Luofu is still unclear, I suggest we reduce the Trailblazing team by one member for now, leaving two people to stay on the train."
Welt nodded. "Alright, then I'll take Stelle and March—"
"No, for safety's sake, I'll personally take charge this time. I'll bring Stelle and March with me off the train. Welt, you stay on board and be ready to provide support at any moment," Himeko said, shooting Welt a glance.
Nearby, Stelle quietly nudged March 7th and whispered, "March, who's stronger—Uncle Yang or Himeko?"
March 7th thought for a moment. "When we were Trailblazing on other planets, Himeko's moves were usually very straightforward—either using that suitcase drone or directly summoning an orbital cannon. She rarely got involved herself."
"But this time, our destination is the Luofu, so Himeko probably can't use her orbital cannon freely. It's hard to judge her combat strength, but one thing I'm certain of—"
March 7th said seriously, "Himeko is the Navigator of the train. She must have the strength to match that role."
Stelle nodded thoughtfully. Well, that makes sense. In this world, anything's possible.
Hearing Himeko was sidelining him, Welt's face fell. "But, for safety's sake, wouldn't it be better to bring me along? How about letting March or Stelle stay behind, and we two seniors take one of them?"
"Stelle needs to gain experience, but March doesn't, right? She's been on plenty of Trailblazing missions already. Let her take a break this time."
Hearing Welt trying to separate her from Stelle, March 7th said calmly, "Himeko, I'm snitching. Yesterday, when Uncle Yang ate the barbecue rice you made, he opened a black hole in his mouth and didn't actually eat a single bite. It all went to waste."
A bead of cold sweat slowly trickled down the back of Welt's head. …Busted!
"Welt, is that why you always bring your cane to meals?" Himeko ground her teeth, her smile growing increasingly dangerous. "You're not allowed to do that anymore, got it?"
Welt quietly adjusted his glasses to mask his flustered emotions. After a few seconds, still unwilling to give up, he asked again, "Can't you really bring me along?"
"No," Himeko rejected without hesitation. "We need someone on the train who can calmly handle sudden situations."
"Isn't that Dan Heng?"
Himeko clenched her fists, the sound of her knuckles cracking faintly audible, though her face still carried a gentle smile. "…Hahaha, Welt, you're not young anymore. Stop messing around with the youngsters. Listen to me—stay on the train, okay?"
Welt raised his hands in surrender. "…Fine."
What a pity. He had wanted to see the Luofu's Aurumaton.
"Then it's settled, nice and easy?" Himeko smiled brightly at the two pink-and-gray-haired girls sitting together. "Any issues?"
Both shook their heads quickly.
"Great. I'll go apply for entry to the Luofu now. You two, get ready."
…
About half a system hour later.
Feeling the solid ground beneath her feet, Stelle stretched lazily. She was familiar with the upcoming plot: clear out some small fry at Scalegorge Waterscape, find Tingyun (who's actually Phantylia in disguise), and head to the Sky-Faring Commission… Though the process might take some unexpected twists, it should generally be fine.
Just like in Belobog, hadn't they gone through an "up-down-up" cycle, running back and forth?
The environment here matched her memories: towering stacks of containers, winding pathways, and an eerie, silent atmosphere…
"Logically, after passing through the Jade Gate, shouldn't customer service guide us to the Stargazer Navalia?" Himeko frowned slightly. "Why are we back here? Stelle, March, stay behind me and be careful."
Without thinking, Stelle blurted out, "March, you stand in the middle. If something sneaks up from behind, I'll cover you."
March 7th chuckled and flicked Stelle's forehead. "Alright, enough. With your little frame, what could you block? Just stay safe, and I'll be at ease."
Seeing this, Himeko sighed helplessly. She placed a hand on each of their shoulders. "Stop thinking about useless things. With me here, no one will touch a single hair on your heads."
Tap, tap, tap—
At that moment, heavy footsteps echoed from nearby. The group looked toward the sound and saw, at the corner of a container stack, a group of humanoid monsters covered in apricot-yellow branches and leaves staggering into view.
The next second, as if sensing their presence, the monsters turned their gazes toward them, their eyes filled with madness and a desire for destruction.
Oh? A bunch of Mara-Struck? Interesting. But just these few? Even if it's just me and March, we can handle them easily… Stelle thought to herself.
Tap, tap, tap—
However, before Stelle could act, more footsteps began converging toward them—one, two, three… More and more Mara-Struck monsters arrived, drawn by the noise, their numbers dense and overwhelming, at least a hundred strong.
Okay, maybe not that easy… Stelle thought silently.
"Roar roar roar—!"
The tense atmosphere lasted a few seconds until the first Mara-Struck let out a roar and charged forward, leading the rest to follow, determined to tear the trio to shreds!
If only Uncle Yang were here. His noble AOE wouldn't care about their numbers… Stelle took a step back, pulling out her bat, ready to fight to the death.
"It's too dangerous here. You two, fall back."
When the monsters were about fifty meters away, Himeko suddenly raised a hand to stop them, signaling for them to retreat. "Leave this to me."
"What? Himeko, this isn't a joke. There are too many monsters—!"
Crack—
Before Stelle could finish, the ground beneath Himeko's feet suddenly split open. She transformed into a blurred shadow, instantly charging into the midst of the monster horde!
(Stelle: I didn't see a thing! Is she a superhero?! This is way too invincible!)
"Ora ora ora ora ora—!"
Splatter.
A drop of golden blood splattered onto Stelle's face from somewhere, its warm, tangible sensation reminding her—this was no dream.
Himeko was… truly invincible.