Herta Space Station, Astral Express.
When Nolan and Stelle arrived at the observation car, it seemed that everyone was already there. Well, almost everyone. Dan Heng had not arrived yet.
"You're here! Are you ready? We're about to head to the next stop!"
March 7th ran over excitedly as she spoke.
"Of course we're ready. By the way, where exactly is the next stop?" A trace of anticipation flashed in Stelle's amber-like eyes.
"I heard from Himeko that it's a world covered in ice and snow."
The pink-haired March 7th pressed a finger against her chin and thought for a moment before answering.
"A world covered in ice and snow? Could it be a planet inhabited by some special race?" Nolan guessed.
"Uh… I'm not really sure about that."
March 7th shook her head.
"Since everyone is here, I'll officially introduce the planet that will be our next destination."
Himeko, who had been sitting on the sofa with her snow-white legs crossed beneath her skirt, stood up as she spoke.
"Dan Heng hasn't come yet," March 7th said while looking around.
"He manages the archive database, so he already knows this information. There's no need to wait for him," Himeko explained briefly before continuing. "Our next destination is called Jarilo-VI. It is a world perpetually covered in ice and snow.
"But it was not always like this. Jarilo-VI is also a human world. Like the company, they believe in Qlipoth, the Aeon of Preservation.
"However, several hundred years ago, a disaster known as the Eternal Freeze swept across the entire planet. Gradually, even the company lost contact with it.
"We cannot even be certain whether humans still survive there."
"Eternal Freeze? Could it be the work of a Stellaron?" Nolan asked curiously.
"There's a high probability it's related to a Stellaron. But whether that's truly the case can only be confirmed once we arrive and check whether the train's tracks are obstructed."
At that moment, Welt also walked over.
"Exploring, understanding, establishing, and connecting. Those are the things we must do every time we arrive at a planet.
"If a Stellaron is indeed blocking the tracks, then recovering the Stellaron and clearing the route will become our primary task.
"If not, then we will explore Jarilo-VI, learn about it, and find a way to reconnect it with the outside world."
Himeko crossed her arms as she spoke slowly.
"That actually sounds pretty interesting." Stelle looked excited.
"Don't get excited too early. If there really is a Stellaron, it'll be very dangerous!" March 7th said with her hands on her hips as she looked at Stelle.
"March is right. No matter what, when we arrive at Jarilo-VI, everyone must prioritize safety," Himeko nodded slightly.
"Attention all passengers! The train is about to depart. Please find a seat and sit down. Do not remain standing or you might fall during the warp, pa!"
Pom-Pom's voice came through the train's broadcast system.
"Alright, we're leaving. Let's find seats," Himeko said after hearing the announcement. She glanced toward the speaker and then sat back down on the sofa.
Welt did the same. Nolan and Stelle sat beside Himeko, while March 7th stood in front of them without any intention of sitting.
She looked at Nolan and Stelle and said,
"This time I definitely won't fall over. But if I do, make sure you catch me."
March 7th was the one Pom-Pom often referred to in the broadcast as the passenger who would fall during warp. This time she was determined to defeat the version of herself that always fell.
"Don't worry. My reflexes are fast." Stelle clenched her fist confidently. Nolan nodded as well.
Not long after March 7th steadied herself, the Astral Express began to move. It first departed from Herta Space Station. Once it reached outer space, it initiated warp.
The entire train shook violently. March 7th swayed like a blade of grass blown by a strong wind, wobbling forward as she struggled to stay upright.
Finally, with a small cry of "Ah!", she toppled forward into Stelle's arms.
Stelle opened her arms and caught her, then said,
"Looks like this challenge ended in failure."
At that moment, the Astral Express stopped shaking. It seemed the warp had already completed.
"Hmph! Next time I'll definitely succeed!" March 7th stood up from Stelle's arms and turned her gaze toward the window. "Is that white planet Jarilo-VI?"
Hearing this, Nolan also stood up and looked out the window.
It was a planet floating in the silent void of space, pure white like a massive block of ice. Just looking at it gave off a biting chill.
"It matches the records. The entire world is covered in ice and snow," Himeko said as she observed it.
Soon, the sound of a door opening came from the right side. Dan Heng stepped out of the passenger car and said to everyone,
"The train's tracks are blocked. Until the obstruction is cleared, we can't continue forward."
"As expected, the reason Jarilo-VI experienced a planet-wide Eternal Freeze is most likely because of a Stellaron," Welt said as he adjusted his glasses.
"If that's the case, then once we successfully recover the Stellaron, the disaster on this planet will disappear too, right?" March 7th asked curiously.
"It won't be that simple," Welt analyzed calmly. "The Eternal Freeze has already completely altered the planet's environment. Even if the Stellaron is removed, it would only reduce the frequency of large-scale snowstorms.
"To completely eliminate the effects of the Eternal Freeze would require planet-level ecological reconstruction. Simply removing the Stellaron won't change much."
"That's really unfortunate." March 7th looked disappointed. Then she turned to Himeko.
"Himeko, I want to go on this Trailblaze mission!"
She had been discovered frozen inside drifting ice in space and rescued by the Astral Express. This planet, Jarilo-VI, was also covered in ice and snow.
Although the possibility was small, perhaps her origins might somehow be related to this place.
"You can," Himeko nodded. "This time, Welt and I will stay behind to guard the train. You and Dan Heng will take the two newcomers to explore. What do you think?"
As she said this, Himeko looked at Nolan and Stelle.
"That's fine with me," Nolan said, and Stelle had no objections either.
Dan Heng, however, let out a faint sigh. Compared to exploring, he preferred staying on the train.
But since things had already come to this point, he had no way to refuse. Dan Heng nodded and said,
"When we first arrived here, I conducted a preliminary scan. I discovered that on the surface of Jarilo-VI, there is one area where the temperature is relatively normal. Humans could barely survive there.
"If we want to determine whether humans still exist on this planet, that area has the highest probability. Even if no humans remain, the fact that it stands out as relatively unusual compared to the rest of the planet's surface suggests the Stellaron is likely located there.
"So I recommend that this Trailblazing expedition begin its investigation there."
"A very solid analysis. We'll follow Dan Heng's suggestion. We'll land in that region shortly. Before the landing begins, prepare anything you might need."
Himeko nodded in agreement.
"Alright, I'd better prepare some extra cold-weather clothes."
March 7th hurried off excitedly toward her room.
Nolan and Stelle, however, had nothing they needed to prepare. If they needed anything, they could simply go back and get it.
While waiting, Nolan casually checked his character panel and noticed that during their earlier interaction, Stelle, March 7th, and Himeko's affection toward him had all increased by several dozen points.
Especially Stelle. She had moved even closer to maximum affection:
[Stelle's Current Affection Level Toward You: Lv.9 (347/900)]
[March 7th's Current Affection Level Toward You: Lv.6 (185/600)]
[Himeko's Current Affection Level Toward You: Lv.7 (355/700)]
Once everyone finished preparing, Dan Heng was about to lead them to the landing compartment, intending to descend to the planet's surface using a landing pod.
Nolan, however, said there was no need for so much trouble. He could simply teleport them there.
As he spoke, the Void Star Sea enveloped the group. They vanished instantly from where they stood, and when they reappeared, they were already on the surface of Jarilo-VI.
A gust of freezing wind carrying snowflakes swept past. March 7th shivered.
"Ah! It's so cold! Good thing we're protected by our Trailblaze power, otherwise that just now might have frozen me into an ice block!"
"That's a bit exaggerated," Nolan said with a smile, shaking his head as he looked at her.
"You've got the nerve to say that! You suddenly teleported us to who-knows-where before we even had time to put on the cold-weather clothes we prepared!" March 7th glared at Nolan with her hands on her hips.
"What do you mean 'who-knows-where'? Look ahead."
Nolan stepped forward and gazed into the distance.
They were currently standing on the side of a mountain cliff. Not far ahead stood a massive city towering amidst the snowstorm. A circular wall surrounded the entire city.
From several directions within the city, elevated bridges extended beyond the walls, with transport vehicles moving along them.
"T-This is a human city! It's so magnificent!" March 7th widened her eyes.
"It really is incredible!"
Standing beside her, Stelle expressed the same amazement.
"It seems this is the region where the temperature is relatively higher. As expected, humans have survived here," Dan Heng said with a calm expression, as if he had already anticipated it.
"Exactly."
Nolan nodded.
Back when he was aboard the Astral Express in outer space, he had already scanned Jarilo-VI with his spiritual power and discovered that this was the only city on the entire planet.
"In that case, let's head into the city and investigate. With a civilization still existing here, it should be much easier to learn what happened on this planet!" March 7th said excitedly.
At the same time, she lifted the camera hanging from her waist and began taking photos of the magnificent city.
"Alright. Let's go ask at the city gate how to enter," Dan Heng suggested after thinking for a moment.
No one objected, so they found a path leading down toward the city and began walking.
The reason they did not teleport was mainly because the distance was short. Walking there would also allow them to observe the snowfield along the way.
For the first ten or so minutes, all they saw was an endless expanse of white snow with nothing unusual.
However, a few minutes later, they spotted two figures ahead, one blue and one red, each holding a weapon.
"Huh? Are those humans patrolling nearby? Should we go say hello?" March 7th blinked and made a suggestion.
Stelle nodded slightly, agreeing with her proposal.
"Wait a moment. In such extreme cold, having only two people on patrol is dangerous. It's a bit unusual. Let's observe the situation first," Dan Heng signaled for them not to act recklessly.
"Hold on, let me take a look."
Nolan approved of Dan Heng's caution. His eyes gradually turned golden as he activated the affection skills from Fischl and Yae Miko examining the two figures.
[Level: 67]
[Silvermane Soldier: A phantom wandering out of the Fragmentum after the Eternal Freeze descended. They distortively mimic the forms of the Silvermane Guards. Their armor is just as orderly as that of Belobog's soldiers, but their bodies are constructed from ice crystals. They attack any creature that approaches them.]
[Level: 68]
[Silvermane Lieutenant: A phantom wandering out of the Fragmentum after the Eternal Freeze descended. They distortively mimic the forms of the Silvermane Guards. Their armor is just as orderly as that of Belobog's soldiers, but their bodies are replaced with burning embers. They attack any creature that approaches them.]
After reading the information returned by the two affection skills, Nolan summarized it simply.
They were not humans. They were Fragmentum monsters imitating a group known as the Silvermane Guards.
And the Silvermane Guards were likely the soldiers of the city ahead. As for the city itself, it seemed to be called Belobog.
Nolan explained the information he had gathered to everyone.
"They're actually Fragmentum monsters!" March 7th exclaimed in surprise after hearing his explanation.
"The Fragmentum is a spatial distortion phenomenon that appears alongside a Stellaron. It constantly erodes reality. If monsters are coming out of it, that means the Fragmentum's erosion of reality has already become quite serious," Dan Heng said after thinking for a moment.
"If the Fragmentum is near this city, doesn't that mean the Stellaron probably exists nearby? Maybe even inside the city itself?" Stelle said, supporting her chin with her hand as she thought aloud.
"That's very likely," Dan Heng confirmed.
"Looks like we're pretty lucky. We obtained such important information the moment we arrived."
Nolan smiled.
This was the importance of possessing abilities that could directly gather intelligence. It allowed him to obtain crucial information very conveniently, saving a great deal of effort.
Otherwise, under normal circumstances, they would probably have needed to reach the city and ask about these monsters before learning they came from the Fragmentum.
After all, since they appeared so close to the city, the people living there must already know about them.
"Hmph! In that case, I'll quickly deal with these two monsters so we can get into the city and find the Stellaron!"
March 7th said enthusiastically as she somehow produced a rather futuristic-looking bow.
"Alright, I'll leave it to you, March," Dan Heng nodded.
Just as Nolan was about to watch March 7th demonstrate her abilities, a group of people suddenly rushed out from ahead, wearing armor very similar to the Fragmentum monsters.
(End of Chapter)
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