Another day passed since Belle and Caesar's trip to New Eridu.
On the morning of the new day, the simple parking lot of Wildfire Town was much livelier than usual, even before the thin mist had completely dissipated.
Belle's gaze darted back and forth at a secluded spot outside Wildfire Town, her fingers unconsciously twisting the corner of her clothes, a mix of excitement and a hint of almost imperceptible nervousness.
"Brother, can they really cross over to our side?" Belle couldn't help but ask for the nth time.
Wise's face held its usual composure: "Don't worry, they definitely can. Last time, didn't Lumine and Paimon directly cross into the Hollow to save me? There's no reason it wouldn't work this time."
Belle and Wise had specifically chosen this quiet corner outside the town as their meeting point.
He paused, "They're probably preparing, or looking for a suitable spot. After all, it would be quite alarming if a few people suddenly disappeared from the street after a blue light flashed."
No sooner had he finished speaking than three figures enveloped in pale blue light pillars appeared out of thin air! The light pillars quickly dissipated, revealing the familiar figures of Stelle, March 7th, and Dan Heng.
"Woah! Is this the Outer Ring? Other worlds really are different!" Stelle, like a raccoon just released from its cage, excitedly bounced in place the moment she landed.
Curiously, she looked around, "The air everywhere is sweet! I can barely wait to start my Trailblazing journey right away!"
"Stelle! Watch your image!" March 7th followed closely, first giving Belle and Wise an apologetic smile.
"Belle, Wise, good morning! This one went wild the moment she landed, please excuse her." She said, while vigilantly keeping an eye on Stelle, afraid she would pounce on a suspicious-looking abandoned oil drum nearby any second.
Dan Heng was the last to step out of the light pillar. He quickly and calmly scanned his surroundings, finally resting his gaze on Belle and Wise. He nodded slightly: "We apologize for the disturbance."
"Stelle, March, Dan Heng! You really came!" Belle's eyes instantly lit up, and she jogged over, a wide smile spreading across her face, her previous nervousness completely gone.
"Welcome to Wildfire Town! Uh… though the conditions are a bit simple, that's the charm of the Outer Ring!" Belle greeted them enthusiastically.
Stelle first nodded seriously, then curiously squatted on the ground, examining a strangely shaped rock.
Wise also walked over: "Welcome. Was your journey smooth?"
"Smooth, smooth!" Stelle was finally pulled up by March 7th, and she dusted off her hands.
"We came over in a flash, even faster than a Warp! When we bring back more Trailblaze Energy this time, Pom-Pom will definitely spin around in circles with joy!"
Just as Belle was about to introduce more "features" of Wildfire Town, three more blue light pillars lit up not far away.
As the light faded, the figures of Zhongli, Lumine, and Paimon appeared.
Zhongli stood tall, his amber-like eyes carrying a hint of scrutiny as he slowly surveyed this land, so utterly different from Liyue Harbor, which he had guarded for thousands of years.
The first impression this place gave was desolation, like the deserts of Sumeru, yet it also filled him with an unprecedented sense of novelty.
After all, beyond Teyvat, the Dark Sea was a symbol of void and chaos, but here, it was a tangible, real, and vibrant alien civilization where life and crisis coexisted.
Paimon, meanwhile, flew directly in front of Belle, her small face full of excitement: "Belle! Wise! We're here! Wow, is this Wildfire Town? It feels so… so hardcore!"
She noticed the mountain of discarded parts not far away and stuck out her tongue.
"Mister Zhongli! Lumine! Paimon!" Belle became even happier, quickly calling out, "Welcome, welcome!"
Zhongli slowly walked over, his robes unmoving in the oil-scented breeze, and nodded to Belle and Wise: "I apologize for the intrusion. The landscape here is indeed vastly different from Teyvat, and quite refreshing."
His voice was steady, with a hint of subtle inquiry.
Lumine smiled and greeted them: "Belle, Wise, hello! Paimon was so excited last night she didn't sleep until very late."
"Hehe, no I wasn't!" But her sparkling eyes betrayed her.
Belle spoke at the opportune moment: "Let's go, we'll head into Wildfire Town together, and I'll introduce you to everyone from the Children of Calydon."
As soon as they arrived in Wildfire Town, they ran into Caesar and his group, who were preparing to pack their belongings and head to the race track.
Caesar saw Belle and Wise and asked, "Yo, Belle, where have you been? We're about to set off."
"Eh? And who are these people? Isn't that young Mister Dan Heng? And Lumine and Paimon, hello there."
"Are you here to visit us again? But we might not be able to show you around. Once we're ready, we're heading out to participate in the Hell Ride."
Caesar was as energetic as ever.
Lumine replied: "It's fine, we're mainly here to see Belle and Wise. They invited us to watch your race so we can learn your driving skills. After you finish, we plan to compete in a race too."
Caesar was very pleased to hear this: "Great! Then I'll have to perform even better, befitting the leader of the Children of Calydon. You can look forward to our show. By the way, who are these people next to you?"
Belle quickly introduced them: "This is Mister Zhongli, Lumine and Paimon's companion. These two are Stelle and March 7th, they are Dan Heng's companions from the Astral Express."
Caesar smiled and nodded: "Hello everyone, I'm Caesar, the leader of the Children of Calydon. These are Lucy, Wright, Bernice, and Pai Pai."
After a brief introduction, Caesar brought up the main topic again.
"While I'd love to chat with you all longer, Belle, we're almost ready. Where's ies? We need to leave."
Belle returned to the resting room, found ies charging, woke it up, and handed it over to Caesar.
"Caesar, I wish you all the best and a successful win for the Overlord position."
Caesar returned a confident smile: "Don't worry, just watch us!"
With that, the Children of Calydon started their engines, and amidst a deafening roar, they sped off like arrows from a bow towards the starting line of the race, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The brief silence was broken by a strange yell.
"Oh ho! Wildfire Town exploration begins! Let me see what good stuff is here!"
Stelle, taking advantage of the others' conversation, could no longer contain her urge to explore. Like an unbridled raccoon, she dashed into the town—clearly, in her opinion, the pleasantries were over, and it was time for Trailblazing.
"Stelle! You stop right there! Don't run off! This isn't the Astral Express!" March 7th's expression changed, and she immediately chased after her, "Wise! Belle! I'm so sorry! We'll get her back right away!"
Dan Heng sighed helplessly, said "Please excuse me" to Belle and Wise, and also started walking, following at a leisurely pace, clearly experienced in handling Stelle's sudden "Trailblazing behaviors."
Watching the three chase each other and disappear into the alley, Belle couldn't help but laugh: "Haha, Stelle is still so energetic."
The Hell Ride was about to begin.