Stelle followed the sneaky passerby into a narrow alley, arriving at a desolate courtyard. As she stepped through the gate, the sight before her left her stunned.
The courtyard was filled with several figures, but the most striking among them was a girl dressed exactly like Stelle, casually twirling a flaming lance in her hand.
However… the one difference between her and Stelle was their builds.
Stelle had the physique of a mature, elegant woman—long legs, slim waist, and a height that towered over most women. This "Stelle," on the other hand, had a more petite, almost loli-like build, with a childlike vibe, resembling a little raccoon.
[image]
Overall, though, their similarity was about eighty percent.
Not only was Stelle dumbfounded, but the passerby who brought her here was stunned, the people in the courtyard were stunned, and the lookalike Stelle was stunned too.
"Hm?!"
Both stepped forward simultaneously, eyeing each other suspiciously with eerily synchronized movements. They waved a hand in front of each other's face, circled around for a closer look, pretended to turn away, then whipped back around—it was like looking in a mirror.
But Stelle knew this was definitely not a mirror. What was going on with this "Stelle"? Was this plot getting more absurd by the second?!
She'd heard this "Stelle" was cold and ruthless. What would she do upon seeing someone who looked exactly like her? Would she just raise that flaming lance and stab her in the next second?!
The scene before her shook Stelle's confidence. Just as she was about to say something, the other "Stelle" suddenly reached out—
"Hi~ Hey there, mirror sister."
The "Stelle" waved, flashing a sweet, goofy smile, her voice soft and childlike. "You're so pretty, just like me."
Stelle: ?
Caught off guard by this extreme reversal, Stelle stood frozen. The "Stelle" continued, "My name's 'Stellaron.' What's yours?"
Stelle… Stellaron? The Xianzhou's Stellaron had gained sentience?! It actually turned into a person? But why did it take her appearance?!
"I'm…"
—"Hey, what's going on? Why'd you bring back a bigger one?"
The leader in the courtyard barked, interrupting their conversation. "What's wrong with you? What's the situation? What if outsiders find us?"
Passerby #1 was at a loss. "I-I don't know! They look too alike! How am I supposed to know what's going on? Which one's the fake?!"
The leader frowned and strode up to Stelle. "Hey, do you know who we are?"
Stelle paused to think. The question wasn't difficult. She remembered that when she first arrived on the Xianzhou, she'd been mistaken for a member of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus.
Now, it seemed highly likely that the lookalike who appeared back then was this "Stellaron" standing beside her.
But was the answer really as simple as "Disciples of Sanctus Medicus"? In this world, things often unfolded beyond her expectations. The more logical something seemed, the more likely it was to twist. And the more it twisted, the less reasonable it became.
So, the more logical, the less logical.
Following this logic, the answer opposite to the "new Disciples of Sanctus Medicus" was obvious…
"Hmph~ Of course I know."
Stelle's lips curled into a smirk as she stood tall, brimming with confidence. "We are the legendary believers of the Plagues Author, the spreaders of Abundance, the enemies of the new Disciples of Sanctus Medicus."
"We are… the old Disciples of Sanctus Medicus!"
Everyone: …
The leader sneered. "Hmph, bold imposter! I knew at a glance you're not one of us. Brothers, get her!"
Stelle: "Huh?? Wait a sec, what's going on? Was I wrong?"
Wasn't the opposite of the new Disciples of Sanctus Medicus the old Disciples of Sanctus Medicus?
The leader scoffed. "Hmph, after hearing you ramble on with that long prefix, I almost thought you were one of us. But… 'old Disciples of Sanctus Medicus'? Do you take us for idiots?"
"Our organization's name is clearly the Ancient Disciples of Sanctus Medicus!"
Stelle: "Isn't that the same thing?"
"How is that the same?!" the leader roared. "First, 'Ancient' sounds way better than 'old.' Second, when you say the organization's name, don't forget the pause for emphasis, you jerk!"
"It's inspired by the creativity of the 'woman who's like a mother in the galaxy,' Miss Ruan Mei's name. She's like my mother, so show some respect!"
Stelle: "??? What did you just say about a mother?"
As the surrounding people closed in with weapons drawn, Stelle braced herself, ready to pull out her bat to fight back. Meanwhile, the little Stellaron looked on innocently. "Huh? Are we all fighting again? Which side am I on this time?"
The leader: "Stellaron, come to our side."
Stelle's heart stirred. She grabbed the Stellaron under her arms and hoisted her up. "Don't come any closer! I've got a hostage!"
Stellaron: "But, sister, I'm not a person…"
"That's not the point!" Stelle snapped. "The point is, I'm warning you not to mess with me. With my strength and skills, if you touch me, you're all done for!"
The leader sneered. "Hah, what do I have to fear? The Stellaron's indestructible. If you've got any tricks, go ahead and show them."
Stelle pulled out her phone and made a call in front of everyone. "Hey, March? It's me. Help! I'm surrounded by people with knives…"
Everyone: (furious)
As the group closed in, just as a fight was about to break out, Stelle suddenly raised a hand. "Wait, wait! One last thing—let me at least leave a final message!"
The leader didn't pause for a moment. "No problem. It'll take us a while to kill you anyway. That's plenty of time for your last words—"
Bang!
Stelle swiftly drew her bat and swung it at the leader's face. Caught off guard by the sudden attack, he had no chance to react and collapsed face-up, out cold.
Stelle didn't want to fight, but that didn't mean she couldn't. These people were just a bunch of small-time thugs. Since talking was going nowhere, she decided to skip the chatter and get straight to it!
No deal? Then no need to talk!
Clang clang— (sound of metal pipes hitting the ground)
(Teacher Tom's howling sound effect)
(Mental pollution, private sound effect)
…
The little Stellaron watched the chaotic scene quietly, sitting still like a little raccoon.
"You damn girl, you hit hard! Where are you even aiming?!"
"Everyone, pin her down! I'm gonna break her legs!"
"Who the hell hit me on the head just now? That girl wasn't even near me!"
"…"
Boom—
Just as Stelle was about to clean up the group of thugs with her protagonist-level stats, a deafening roar, as if it could pierce the heavens, echoed through the air. Everyone froze, stopping their actions and looking toward the sky.
There, on the distant horizon, an ancient tree reaching into the clouds seemed to stretch its limbs, radiating vitality.
Ambrosial Arbor?
Stelle snapped her gaze back, taking advantage of the distracted thugs to swing her bat at their vulnerable spots in a sneak attack.