Chapter 99: The Script Keeps Tearing Up
Pom-Pom planted their little boots firmly on the carpet, paws resting on their hips as they panted heavily. The Conductor's fluffy face was flushed a deep pink from sprinting all the way down the corridor.
"Pom-Pom felt it! Pom-Pom felt it, Pom-Pom!" The small creature pointed an accusatory, trembling paw at the floorboards before bouncing straight up into the air. "The Astral Express! The Express is excited! Trailblaze energy! A massive surge of Trailblaze energy just poured right into the engine! Even more than last time, Pom-Pom!"
Excitement gleamed in Pom-Pom's oversized eyes, practically sparkling with unshed tears of joy. "Pom-Pom knew it! It had to be you three coming back from that far, far away world, Pom-Pom! How are you? Are you hurt? Are you tired? Do you need Pom-Pom to brew a fresh pot of calming tea, Pom-Pom?"
The Conductor's little mouth chattered incessantly, their long ears drooping and perking up with every anxious question, genuine concern woven into every rapid-fire syllable.
Watching the Conductor fuss over them, Stelle's innate theatrical flair flared to life. She simply couldn't resist a captive audience.
Clearing her throat with dramatic gravity, she immediately launched into a highly embellished retelling of her Fire Dance Whirlwind: Golden Light Demon Subduing technique. She painted a vivid picture of the devastating shockwave produced by her single, majestic sword strike. She mimed the brilliant, blinding prowess of her own heroic stance, even going so far as to contort her face into a twisted, agonizing grimace to mimic the Abyssal monsters turning to ash against their will.
"Wow! Passenger Stelle is amazing, Pom-Pom!" The Conductor clapped their small paws together, completely enraptured by the performance and playing along perfectly.
Sitting nearby, Himeko covered her mouth, a soft, elegant laugh escaping her lips. Her amber eyes curved with gentle amusement. "Indeed, it sounds quite remarkable, Stelle."
Welt Yang set aside the half-assembled mech model and the velvet polishing cloth in his hands. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, the parlor lights catching the lenses in a sharp glint. A barely perceptible, knowing smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he cooperatively offered a slow, dignified round of applause. "Well done, Stelle."
Basking in the combined, validating praise of the Express's unofficial parent figures and the Conductor, Stelle tilted her chin so high it practically pointed at the ceiling. She wriggled triumphantly on the plush sofa cushions. If she had a tail, it would be wagging so fast it would break the sound barrier.
Once Stelle finally exhausted her supply of dramatic poses, Dan Heng took the floor. His voice was calm, cutting through the chaotic energy with his usual cool, objective precision.
"Our expedition was to assist a chat group member, Lumine. The objective was to extract her apprentice from a sealed dimension known as the Night Kingdom."
He crossed his arms, his expression serious. "During the extraction, we were intercepted by a hostile force native to that world, referred to as the Abyss. The situation forced us to split into three separate squads. We each encountered significant resistance, but fortunately, all obstacles were neutralized without major casualties."
"Following the mission's conclusion," Dan Heng continued, "and with the explicit consent of Mavuika, the Pyro Archon and reigning leader of the nation of Natlan, we established a new Domain Anchor. It is situated near the Stadium of the Sacred Flame in the center of Natlan."
He paused, shifting his gaze down to the still-bouncing Conductor. "The significant spike in Trailblaze energy you detected should be the direct result of that new anchor point successfully connecting to the Express."
"Actually..." Himeko gently interjected, resting her chin against her hand with a thoughtful expression.
"While the anchor point is a factor, I suspect the true cause lies elsewhere. You three are constantly practicing the will of the Trailblaze. You actively seek out those in need and help them overcome seemingly impossible crises. That pure, unadulterated alignment with Akivili's path is likely why you've drawn in such an exceptionally large influx of Trailblaze energy. You've all done incredibly well."
Dan Heng's stoic expression didn't waver. "It was the right thing to do. Nothing more."
March 7th, however, rubbed the back of her neck, her cheeks dusting with a faint, embarrassed pink at Himeko's earnest praise. Stelle, on the other hand, puffed out her chest and absorbed the compliments like a sponge, practically leaning forward to silently demand a few more words of validation.
At this moment, Pom-Pom chimed back in, nodding their large head. "Himeko is right! Your Trailblazing will played a massive role, Pom-Pom!"
Then, the Conductor's long ears twitched, their tone shifting to something more perplexed. "But that new anchor point is also very strange. Pom-Pom can faintly feel its presence in the void, but there's absolutely no way to pinpoint its exact coordinates, Pom-Pom."
"It's like it only exists as a phantom within Pom-Pom's senses, Pom-Pom."
The Conductor's observation sent a ripple of surprise through the parlor. Could it be that the world called Teyvat was actually situated in close proximity to their own universe? Was that why Pom-Pom could sense the connection so clearly?
Dan Heng frowned slightly. He had personally planted a Domain Anchor in Belle's world previously, yet Pom-Pom hadn't felt a single whisper of its existence.
This sudden revelation plunged the archivist back into deep contemplation. What kind of existence is this chat group... What underlying laws govern the worlds it connects?
Despite his analytical mind spinning in circles, Dan Heng ultimately conceded that the mechanics at play far exceeded the established boundaries of their universe. After all, the magical tools and systems provided by the chat group defied all known logic, yet functioned flawlessly.
Still, the mystery only fueled his growing curiosity regarding the true origins of the multiversal network.
As the artificial night cycle deepened across the Express, Stelle snuck back to her private quarters. She bypassed her usual trash can inspection, flopping face-first onto her soft mattress. Rolling onto her back, she immediately whipped out her smartphone and tapped open her pinned chat box with Firefly.
[Image: A selfie of Stelle striking a dramatic, sword-wielding pose. A highly exaggerated, poorly cropped inferno of golden flames had been hastily photoshopped into the background.]
[Stelle: Look! Fire Dance Whirlwind Sword Art: Golden Light Demon Subduing! One sword strike cleaved the Abyss in half! It was absolutely awesome! I'll definitely teach you how to do it next time we meet!]
[Stelle: It's perfect since we both play with fire and swords now. You can be my very first little apprentice!]
The phone vibrated almost instantly in her palms. Firefly's profile picture popped up, accompanied by a flurry of typing indicators.
[Firefly: Wow! Stelle! This move... is amazing! It's shimmering with golden light, like a shooting star cutting straight through the darkness! It looks so incredibly powerful! The enemies of the Abyss must have been terrified, right?]
Firefly's text practically radiated sincere admiration and a heavy dose of starry-eyed adoration. Even if the Stellaron Hunter had absolutely no idea what the Abyss was, it didn't stop her from showering Stelle with unconditional praise.
[Firefly: Stelle is truly the best Trailblazer! I absolutely have to see it with my own eyes next time! But... you weren't hurt, were you? Such an intense battle must have been dangerous...]
Reading the reply, especially the undisguised use of the word best and the genuine concern for her well-being, Stelle felt a warm glow in her chest. Firefly truly understood her greatness. Her thumbs flew across the digital keyboard in a blur.
[Stelle: Haha, of course not! This young hero now possesses peerless divine power! I didn't suffer a single scratch! Don't worry~ Next time we meet, I guarantee you'll be the very first to experience Master Stelle's exclusive, hands-on teaching!]
Still buzzing with unspent adrenaline and a desperate need for more validation, Stelle backed out of the chat and opened her direct messages with Kafka and Silver Wolf.
[Stelle: Look at me, look at me! This young hero now possesses peerless divine power!]
She attached the exact same heavily edited selfie, copy-pasting the passionate, dramatic text description right below it.
Kafka's elegant avatar quickly popped up, her reply practically dripping with her signature languid indulgence.
[Kafka: Hehe, Stelle is truly wonderful~ This sword light, this aura... it very much carries the style of a great hero. It seems you've had another thrilling adventure, and grown quite a lot.]
Kafka followed the text with a custom emoji of a cartoon cat receiving a gentle head-pat.
A few moments later, Silver Wolf's reply slowly floated onto the screen, accompanied by a pixel-art emoji of a chibi girl aggressively chewing on a lollipop.
[Silver Wolf: Hmm, nice post-processing effects. But looking at your description, isn't the skill's wind-up animation way too long? Didn't those so-called Abyssal mobs take the opportunity to interrupt your cast bar? That's just unprofessional gameplay.]
[Silver Wolf: Next time, remember to bring a taunt tank to pull aggro, or at least learn some animation-canceling quick-cast techniques. Otherwise, I'm worried you'll get wiped before you can even pop your ultimate.]
Her tone carried the dry, technical banter and utter nonchalance typical of a hardcore gaming enthusiast. It was glaringly obvious that Silver Wolf didn't buy a single word of the story, likely assuming Stelle was just rambling about some bizarre dream she had while napping on the couch.
Staring at Silver Wolf's brutally perfunctory critique, Stelle puffed out her cheeks in indignation. The joy of showing off instantly evaporated, leaving a sour, tasteless feeling behind.
"Hmph! Absolutely zero appreciation for the arts! I'm going to bed!"
She grumbled to the empty room, tossing her smartphone onto the nightstand. Snatching a large, plush pillow printed with Pom-Pom's oversized face, she hugged it tightly to her chest, squeezed her eyes shut in feigned anger, and quickly let the gentle hum of the Express lull her into a deep, dreamless sleep.
However, while the Stellaron Hunters enjoyed their respective peace and quiet across the cosmos, their elusive leader was currently experiencing a deep existential crisis.
In a dimly lit room far away, Elio was pacing frantically. The Destiny's Slave felt a cold sweat forming beneath his fur. He could no longer grasp the threads of fate. The grand design was unraveling faster than he could read it.
Could someone, anyone, please explain to this poor little cat why the script kept tearing itself apart and changing?!
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