"Don't worry, this time I'll put the storage card in with it. Even if it fails, at least we won't have the same problem as before."
Sylvia grinned at Acheron, a longsword gripped firmly in her hand.
The storage card's sealing ability was excellent, completely locking away the Stellaron's power. She wondered if her Herrscher core would still be able to draw energy from the Stellaron once it was stuffed inside.
But at the very least, what just happened wouldn't occur again.
Though, in Acheron's eyes, Sylvia's current appearance screamed 'unreliable'.
Acheron hesitated for a moment, then finally gave a reluctant nod.
Things had already come this far—she couldn't very well stop Sylvia now.
Anyway, the worst case was just a repeat of what happened earlier. Might as well let her learn her lesson.
But this time...
The card cover shifted into a slot, and Sylvia smoothly slid the card into the greatsword.
As the cover snapped shut, flames once again ignited along the blade, swiftly crawling up to envelop Sylvia herself.
A familiar power surged relentlessly from her Herrscher core, flooding through every limb and pore.
The Stellaron's energy still carried that same wild, frantic nature, but now, suppressed by the storage card, it couldn't all rush out at once.
This allowed the Herrscher core ample capacity to convert the violent energy as it drew it in.
Whatever couldn't be transformed remained trapped within the storage card, unable to escape. Only the portion that the Herrscher core could fully control was channeled outward.
By the time it reached Sylvia, it felt more like the Stellaron's energy had been filtered through a decay process within the Herrscher core.
So, while to Sylvia it still felt a bit unruly...
It was now firmly within manageable levels.
Sylvia, controlling the endless stream of energy filling her Herrscher core, recklessly summoned a cluster of flames and set off a firework display right before her and Acheron.
"Acheron, look! I told you it would work, haha~ This way, I can use the flames as much as I want!"
"Mm, congratulations."
Hearing Sylvia's bright laughter, Acheron couldn't help but smile too.
Even though she'd long grown accustomed to Sylvia's extraordinary nature...
Utilizing a Stellaron's energy directly like this, and with no visible side effects? She doubted there was anyone else in the entire universe who could pull that off.
Acheron felt happy for Sylvia, but a thread of worry wove through that happiness.
Whether it was that ritual that somehow granted power, or the ring that could suppress the Nihility...
Or the cards that could directly store a Stellaron and carry it around, or this greatsword that could directly harness the Stellaron's power...
Sylvia possessed far too many things that defied this universe's common sense.
Who could guarantee that no one would set their sights on Sylvia because of it?
Acheron tightened her grip on her blade and said to Sylvia, who was still happily playing with fire, "Sylvia, after we leave... your cards, and the matter of the Stellaron... don't reveal them to others easily."
Sylvia turned at the sound of Acheron's admonition, lightly waving a hand to disperse the flames between them. "Yeah, I'll remember, Acheron. Thank you for your concern."
"It's nothing."
Seeing that Sylvia had taken it to heart, Acheron gave a satisfied nod, then turned and started walking towards the exit of the launch silo.
"Now that the Stellaron's blockage is resolved, if we want to leave soon, we still need to find a spacecraft. Let's hope there's something usable here."
Seeing this, Sylvia quickly jogged a couple of steps to catch up, her white ponytail swaying as she fell into step beside Acheron with a smile.
"Speaking of which, for a planet that's completely deserted like this, after the Stellaron is dealt with, what usually happens to it?"
"These kinds? Worlds like this are usually a mess even after the Stellaron is resolved. The best-case scenario is if the Interastral Peace Corporation sees value in the planet and takes over. Otherwise, it's hard to say."
For a planet like this one, practically overrun with Fragmentum creatures, just waiting for the Fragmentum phenomenon to dissipate would take a long time. And then the planetary environmental restructuring and monster cleansing are massive projects too.
Not every major power is willing to make that level of initial investment. If this planet's civilization had offshoots elsewhere, there would probably be endless squabbling about it too.
"...I see."
Sylvia fell silent, her eyes sweeping over the surrounding ruins, momentarily at a loss for words.
"What's wrong?"
"Just feeling a bit sentimental. A whole civilization died quietly in this corner of the universe, with hardly anyone even remembering it existed."
Hearing this, Acheron couldn't help but turn and stare blankly at Sylvia, reminded of her own homeland, which had vanished without even a trace left in the records.
"Scenes like this are everywhere in the universe. You get used to it after seeing enough."
Sylvia nodded silently, recalling the PV she'd seen. Acheron's hometown seemed to be the same, even the existence of Izumo was unverifiable, with only a few fragmentary records remaining.
The two walked on in silence for a while, Sylvia still responsible for clearing out any monsters along the way.
"By the way, Acheron, I haven't asked where you plan to go next. Straight to Penacony?"
"Should be, barring any surprises. And you? I'd recommend you go somewhere like the Xianzhou or The Blue. They're relatively bustling and stable, good places for you to learn about this starry sea." Acheron suggested a few places to Sylvia.
As much as she wanted Sylvia to stay by her side, Acheron could tell that Sylvia wasn't the type to content herself with being a burden. So she didn't voice the thought in her heart.
"The Xianzhou, huh, The Blue..." Both were places that had appeared in the game.
Though The Blue didn't have an actual map yet, it was just part of the backdrop. But judging from the Herta Space Station, The Blue was probably a pretty prosperous and sci-fi planet. It was, after all, Herta's home.
The Xianzhou Luofu... Sylvia quite wanted to see that too. People like Bailu and Qingque seemed easy to befriend.
Not necessarily to form deep bonds, but becoming card-playing buddies or meal companions, maybe even scoring a green card... that should be doable.
Oh, and that little fox, Tingyun. She wondered if, at this point in time, Tingyun was still... herself.
After all, the news of Herta Space Station being attacked by the Antimatter Legion hadn't broken yet, which meant it was still early before the main story began.
"What? Want to go to all of them?" Acheron asked, prying open a wall with her bare hands as she explored sealed warehouses, searching for a usable spacecraft while making conversation.
"Yeah, yeah! I want to travel around the universe, and then when we get to Penacony, I'll tell you all my stories." Sylvia nodded cheerfully.
But Acheron's whole body froze for a second.
Turned away from Sylvia, a stunning, captivating smile bloomed on her face.
"Alright. When we get to Penacony, you'll tell me your stories, and I'll buy you a drink. There's a wine I like called 'Wake the Heck Up.' If my memory holds until then... let's taste what 'Wake the Heck Up' is like, together."
Sylvia was stunned.
The anticipation in Acheron's words somehow made Sylvia feel sad.
By the time they reached Penacony, would Acheron even remember her?
She didn't know. No one did.
'If only Acheron could forget the memory of our wedding ceremony.'
The thought surfaced, and immediately Sylvia felt terribly guilty for thinking it.
"Yeah. It's a promise."
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.