"Bait?"
Phainon uttered the word, his voice devoid of any emotion.
In the games of the Aeons, there are no wasted pieces on the chessboard.
He even recalled the being who had initially impersonated him, planted the antimeme, and was not to be mentioned.
She would never appear only once.
Where would their next meeting be?
Phainon's gaze fell back on Black Swan, his composure making her heart tighten.
"Thank you for the reminder, Ms. Black Swan."
He nodded slightly.
"Now, let us depart for Amphoreus."
— —
A moment later.
Astral Express, Control Room.
Pom-Pom held a small broom, grunting as it swept, cleaning all the way to Phainon's feet.
"Lift your foot, Phainon."
Pom-Pom looked up at him.
"By the way, why aren't you going back to your room, Pom-Pom?"
Phainon's gaze shifted from the Stelle map, his tone calm,
"Running away… because Sister Himeko is looking for me to 'sample' new coffee beans, the freshly ground kind."
"Uh…"
Pom-Pom's small frame trembled, fine cold sweat breaking out on their forehead, and it immediately changed their tone,
"Then you should stay here, Pom-Pom."
The next moment, Pom-Pom seemed to recall some grand mission; it dropped the broom, put their hands on their hips, their expression extremely serious,
"Oh, by the way, while you have time, Phainon, take off your clothes and give them to Pom-Pom."
A hint of surprise flashed in Phainon's eyes: "Why?"
"All Trailblazer uniforms have a special train ticket sewn onto them, Pom-Pom! You still don't have one!"
Phainon was stunned.
He was silent for a moment, his voice very soft, "But I… am about to get off the train."
Pom-Pom shook their head, "No matter what, Pom-Pom will remember every Trailblazer, Pom-Pom!"
"Although, with your usual behavior, you'd probably rank in the top three worst Trailblazers."
Upon hearing this, a hint of a smile appeared on Phainon's cold face.
He took off the black robe, which had endured countless battles, and handed it to Pom-Pom.
Pom-Pom stood on their tiptoes, taking it with effort, and carefully examined it.
"So many holes, Pom-Pom! Looks like Pom-Pom will have to mend it well for you!"
It mumbled earnestly,
"After all, you're returning to your own territory; you can't be dressed in tatters and lose face for our Astral Express, Pom-Pom."
Immediately after, Pom-Pom fumbled in the inner pocket of the black robe, pulled out a folded note and a bullet, and put them back into Phainon's hand.
"Keep your own things safe; Pom-Pom is going to wash clothes."
"You wait here; Pom-Pom will be back soon."
With that, Pom-Pom, hugging the black robe that almost swallowed it, staggered out of the control room.
Phainon gazed at their small back, wondering, could Pom-Pom's hands, which were just spheres, really do that?
He suppressed the urge to complain internally and softly said, "Thank you, Conductor."
A warmth spread in his chest, only to be instantly covered by even more chilling thoughts.
How could he ensure absolute certainty?
On the chessboard of Amphoreus, there were already too many players.
Destruction, Erudition, and Memory… to break the deadlock, he had to draw another Aeon into the game, thoroughly stirring up this stagnant water.
His gaze fell on the bullet in his hand.
The Hunt · Lan.
This was the only powerful variable he could think of, and the most likely to join this game.
But would Lan respond to his call?
No one knew.
But he could not afford to lose.
Phainon unfolded the note in his hand, Elio's script.
The handwriting on it seemed clearer than before.
"You shall tread the void."
Undeniably, the slave of destiny… his script was coming true.
He looked down the writing.
On the last blank line of the paper, a new line of text, as if branded by an invisible pen, slowly emerged.
"Ultimately, you will…"
"…meet 'Me' again."
Phainon's movements paused.
Meet "Me" again?
Elio?
But what did "again" refer to?
No, he had never truly met Elio.
Or did "Me" refer to someone else?
Why was the last sentence of the script like this?
Who was this "Me"?
Just as Phainon was pondering, the door slowly pushed open.
"Pa-Phainon, your clothes, Pom-Pom!"
Pom-Pom returned, clutching a black robe and staggering.
Phainon looked up, surprised it was so fast.
Were Pom-Pom's hands that nimble?
He reached out and took the black robe, feeling it was brand new.
The damage and scorch marks from countless battles had been perfectly mended with fine stitches, and the fabric itself exuded a fresh scent.
His gaze fell on the inner lining of the collar.
A golden train ticket, shimmering with the luster of Stelle rails, was firmly sewn there.
The unique identification of the Astral Express.
A… ticket that would never expire.
Phainon's fingers gently traced the outline of the ticket, and he unconsciously smiled.
"Oh, by the way, Phainon."
Pom-Pom's voice pulled him back to reality.
"Everyone is having a meeting in the Observation Car to discuss the next itinerary; you should hurry over, Pom-Pom!"
Phainon nodded, putting the black robe back on.
The familiar weight, but with an added warmth called "home."
"Understood, Conductor."
He said softly.
Pom-Pom puffed out their small chest, "Hmph, that's what a Conductor should do, Pom-Pom! Hurry up, don't keep everyone waiting!"
Phainon turned and walked towards the Observation Car… When Phainon pushed the door open, the lively discussion in the car immediately paused.
Everyone's eyes converged on him.
Among them, two gazes were particularly "fiery."
Welt Yang's fingers involuntarily tightened.
He recalled the "Shut Up" performance not long ago, with their almost mentally polluting lines.
And Himeko, opposite him, still maintained her graceful and elegant posture, only a crisp "clink" sounded as her coffee cup landed on the saucer.
The two exchanged a knowing glance.
— — This kid actually dared to show up.
But business was pressing.
Himeko composed herself, cleared her throat, and drew everyone's attention back.
"Alright, now that everyone is here, let's discuss the next arrangements."
Her voice returned to their usual calm and capable tone.
"Our next stop should be Amphoreus. However…"
"Before that, regarding me and Welt. We received a request for help from Ms. Ruan Mei of the Genius Society, who needs to find some ancient beast remains. Therefore, Welt and I will temporarily leave the team."
Phainon's eyelids drooped slightly as he listened quietly.
"Secondly, the Astral Express received a formal invitation from the Xianzhou Alliance. The Loufu is about to hold a grand 'Martial Arts Ceremony' to showcase martial virtue and unite hearts. They hope we can attend as special guests."
March 7th's eyes instantly lit up, "Xianzhou? We must have a good time there!"
Stelle also nodded vigorously, "Exactly, exactly. Last time on the Loufu, we were so busy catching the The Disciples of Sanctus Medicus that we didn't get to properly enjoy the Loufu's cuisine."
However, Himeko's third sentence was directed solely at Phainon.
Her gaze fell on Phainon, her expression becoming incredibly serious,
"The last point, and the most crucial one."
"Phainon, Ms. Herta just sent a communication, specifically asking you to immediately go to Herta Space Station and meet her."
"She said… it concerns a 'key.'"
As the word "key" was uttered, the air in the car instantly became subtle.
March 7th, Stelle, and Himeko were present at the time, so they naturally knew the origin of this so-called "key."
After a brief discussion, everyone reached a consensus.
The Astral Express would temporarily split up.
Stelle, March 7th, and Dan Heng, who had just been unsealed, would represent the Express and go to Xianzhou Loufu.
Himeko and Welt Yang would depart to help Ruan Mei.
As for Phainon, he would go alone to Herta Space Station, as the Chrysos Heirss were still in Penacony.
"If everyone's missions go smoothly, we'll reunite on the Loufu and experience the grand ceremony together," Himeko concluded. "Everyone must pay attention to safety and return safely."
No one had any objections to this arrangement.
Phainon pondered deeply.
He glanced at Stelle beside him, who was enthusiastically discussing their next plans with March 7th, her face full of anticipation.
Dan Heng listened silently, but one could feel his weariness.
As for the Loufu, it was very safe.
The Martial Arts Ceremony would have Jing Yuan, Feixiao, and Huaiyan, three of the Seven Arbiter-Generals, presiding, which was more than enough to deal with a Hoolay.
There was no need to worry about the safety of Stelle and the other two.
On the other side, Welt Yang's combat power was unquestionable; as long as he didn't directly encounter an Emissary-level combatant, he was capable of handling any crisis.
So, the question arose.
Why now?
Why precisely at this juncture, just before departing for Amphoreus?
Herta mentioned information about a "key"?
Phainon recalled his transaction with Herta during their first encounter at the Space Station.
He offered himself as a research subject in exchange for a key to an "Emperor Scepter."
And, the so-called "Emperor Scepter," the essence of Amphoreus, was precisely the most primordial node in Erudition's universe-spanning knowledge network.
A… celestial neuron.
The "prototype" of all Emperor Scepters.
Connecting all the above clues, a clear chessboard unfolded in his mind.
Indeed, at the very beginning, in my conception, to rescue Amphoreus, seizing authority was an unavoidable step.
But, it's different now.
It has been confirmed that Erudition is involved, so nothing is a coincidence.
This is the optimal solution He derived after deduction.
It is the game of "Erudition" that has begun.
He is not paving the way for Himself.
He is luring himself onto a pre-set track.
Phainon slowly raised his head, meeting everyone's concerned gazes, and calmly nodded.
Very good.
The chessboard has been set.
Then, let me see what kind of killing move you have prepared.