After dealing with the group in the courtyard, Stelle deliberately spared one person who was still conscious and demanded sternly, "Who's behind you people? Before I came here, I heard the name 'Luocha' mentioned."
Over the past two days, she had encountered several attacks. Yesterday, it was Bailu who was targeted, and today, it was the Astral Express. On the surface, the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus had been reformed and were even celebrated as a group of righteous vigilantes by the public. But behind the scenes, these pests were still scheming unsavory deeds.
The Ambrosial Arbor had revived, as per the game's storyline. If her guess was correct, this had to be connected to Luocha and the Stellaron he brought with him.
The only remaining thug took a few steps back. "I'll talk, I'll talk. The one behind us is—"
Before he could finish, his eyes suddenly rolled back, and he collapsed without warning, completely motionless.
Stelle: ?
What just happened?
Stelle stepped forward and patted the man's face. "Hey, wake up! I don't remember hitting you! Get up!"
"…"
"That's weird."
No matter how much Stelle called or shook him, the man showed no signs of waking. Just then, a wisp of eerie green flame floated up from his body, gradually fading into nothingness.
"Mirror Sister, you… you didn't beat them to death, did you?"
A soft, timid voice spoke up. The Stellaron cautiously approached, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.
Stelle froze, unsure for a moment how to approach this little one. If she was indeed the Stellaron, was this innocent appearance just a tactic to manipulate people?
Seeing Stelle remain silent, the Stellaron took a few steps back, looking nervous. "If you beat them, please don't beat me, okay?"
"If you don't hit me, I'll do anything you say. Whatever you want me to do."
Stelle's eyes lit up at that. "Really?"
…
On the Astral Express.
Welt had never felt so idle in his life.
Though he was well into his seventies or eighties, Welt didn't consider himself old. On the contrary, when it came to "Trailblazing," he was even more eager than youngsters like Stelle.
Yet during this Xianzhou trip, Himeko wouldn't let him leave the Express. Welt had been brooding over it for a full two days. Add to that Dan Heng locking himself away and the conductor, Pom-Pom, secretly tinkering with who-knows-what every day, and Welt was left feeling incredibly lonely.
Bzz—
As Welt lounged on the sofa, mindlessly scrolling through his phone, a message from Himeko suddenly came through: Welt, please reply if you see this.
Welt: What's up?
Himeko: The Xianzhou's in deep trouble. I can't handle it alone. I need your help.
Welt: Got it.
Welt: I'm heading out now. Don't worry, the protagonist always shows up at the critical moment.
Welt: (Pom-Pom emoji · In the Name of the World)
On the other side, Silver Wolf stared at the screen with a bored expression. "This guy's so easy to fool. 'In the Name of the World'? What kind of nonsense is that?"
Just as Welt was about to pack up and head out, Pom-Pom came running in, looking panicked. "Passenger Welt, bad news, bad news! Passenger Himeko and the others are in danger! It's an emergency! What do we do, pa?!"
Welt gave a confident smile. "So you've heard too, Conductor? Don't worry, with me here, they'll be fine."
Pom-Pom: Pa?
It had only meant to prank Welt, planning to trick him by saying Himeko and the others were in a major crisis (Pom-Pom had swapped Himeko's coffee for raw fish soup). But how had Welt already geared up for a final showdown when it had barely said anything?
Welt patted Pom-Pom's head. "Rest assured, I'll protect our companions, even if it means sacrificing my life again and again."
Before Pom-Pom could explain, Welt turned and strode off, his figure resolute and unwavering, leaving the conductor utterly baffled.
"What's going on, pa?"
Meanwhile, on the Xianzhou, a mysterious blond man who had just emerged from Cloudford suddenly sneezed. "…Achoo! Why do I have a bad feeling?"
…
When Stelle, carrying the Stellaron, reunited with March 7th, the ordinary citizens on the roadside were already abuzz, fervently discussing the rebirth of the Ambrosial Arbor.
"Two… Stelles?" March 7th stared at the big and small duo before her, momentarily dumbfounded. But soon, an unsettling thought crossed her mind. "Stelle, is… is this your child?"
"Child?" Stelle laughed. "Do I look like I've got that married-woman vibe?"
March 7th suddenly understood. "Then this kid is…?"
"She's the Stellaron," Stelle said. "But for now, she's my trusty assistant."
"Assistant?"
Stelle stretched out her hand. "Stellaron, show your Sister March 7th our awesome combo move!"
With that, right in front of March 7th, Stelle pulled a flaming lance from the Stellaron's chest…
Bang!
March 7th landed a swift chop on Stelle's forehead. "Don't treat such a small kid like a toy!"
Stelle shrank back. "…In theory, the Stellaron's been around longer than both of us, right?"
"You and I aren't experts in this field, so we can't handle this kid properly," March 7th shook her head. "It's best to find Himeko or some professionals from the Xianzhou to figure out whether this kid is just a vessel for the Stellaron like you, or if she is the Stellaron itself."
"Until then, don't go too overboard with her."
The Stellaron quietly listened to their conversation, then obediently let out an "Mm." "I'll be good and listen."
March 7th gently patted the little one's head. Perhaps out of affection for Stelle, her attitude softened, devoid of the usual distance she showed strangers. She smiled and said, "Good. Sister likes obedient little Stelles."
"Great! If I'm good and listen, Sister won't hit me, right?"
"Hit you?" March 7th blinked, then looked at Stelle. "What's that about?"
Stelle shrugged. "I wouldn't hit a kid. Probably the people who brought her here did something to her. Tsk tsk, poor thing. But don't worry, I've already avenged her."
"This group with the Stellaron called themselves the 'Ancient Disciples of Sanctus Medicus.' They seem to be the direct opposite of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus we've heard about. Oh, and did you notice that tree in the sky? The Luofu might be in for some big trouble."
"Yeah, I looked into it earlier. The Xianzhou people call it the Ambrosial Arbor…" (expository content omitted)
"In short, this situation has far exceeded our expectations. Right now, Mr. Welt is missing, Himeko's busy negotiating with the Xianzhou for rescue, and it looks like it's just the two of us left to keep looking for Dan Heng," March 7th sighed. "I just hope he's okay."
Stelle rubbed her chin. "But where could Dan Heng be right now? Knowing him, he'd probably be waiting for us somewhere obvious…"
Bzz—
At that moment, her phone received a message from Dan Heng: Sorry, things got urgent, so I didn't reply earlier.
Dan Heng: I'm heading to the Ambrosial Arbor. Stay in a safe area and wait for me.