March 7th on the bed just unconsciously smacked her lips, rolled over, and continued her deep slumber.
But Xing, who was lying next to her, suddenly opened her eyes!
Perhaps it was the enhanced perception of a Stellaron Host, or perhaps some kind of combat instinct, but the moment Xing woke up, before her consciousness was fully clear, her gaze precisely captured the abnormality in the room—three blurry figures!
Especially the figure extremely close to March 7th, whose hand was still hovering over her forehead!
Danger!
Xing's pupils suddenly contracted, her sleepiness vanished completely, and she subconsciously prepared to shout while tensing her body, ready to leap up—
However, before her voice could escape her throat and her movement had just begun, a small figure had silently appeared beside her bed, standing at the headboard.
It was the system puppet.
It had stealthily arrived, holding a miniature hammer that looked completely harmless.
The hammer seemed harmless, but the moment Xing opened her eyes to cry out, it struck her head with incredibly precise calculation and just the right amount of force—hitting the exact spot where the previous large bump had been.
"Bang!"
A sound like a cork popping.
"Hic..."
Xing only managed to let out a short gasp; the strength she had just gathered instantly dissipated. Her eyelids fluttered, her head tilted, and she fell back into a slumber, even "deeper" than before.
The entire process was silent and swift as lightning.
Black Herta's hand, which had been hovering over March 7th's forehead, now slowly retracted, the strand of purplish-black data flow quietly vanishing.
She turned her head, her purplish-black eyes lightly glancing at Baiheng, who was frozen in place, afraid to breathe, and then at the expressionless system puppet holding the small hammer.
There was no reprimand, no dissatisfaction; Black Herta simply nodded slightly, acknowledging the system puppet's timely reaction.
She then glanced over Xing, who was "peacefully asleep" again, and March 7th, who was sleeping soundly through the whole thing, before turning around gracefully.
"Data acquisition complete. Proceed to the next target," she said softly, her voice like the night wind brushing against the window frame, and she led the way out the door.
The system puppet silently put away the small hammer and followed.
Baiheng patted her chest, letting out a long sigh, relieved that no disaster had occurred. She quickly followed, but before leaving, she couldn't help but look back at Xing, who had been "dealt with," and silently shed a tear of sympathy for her.
[The Next Day - Astral Express Observation Car]
Xing woke up amidst a familiar dull pain.
She groggily sat up and instinctively reached for the painful spot—her fingertips clearly felt a new, round, and sizable bump proclaiming its existence on the left side of her head.
"Hiss..." She gasped, and most of her sleepiness instantly evaporated.
"Good morning, Xing!"
March 7th's energetic voice came from beside her. She had already changed into her casual clothes and was tidying her pink and blue hair in front of the mirror.
However, when she turned around and saw the bump on Xing's forehead, which was as conspicuous as a small planet, she was so startled that she nearly dropped the hairpin in her hand.
"Waaah! Xing! Your head! It's swollen again?! And in a different spot?!"
March 7th rushed to the bedside, cupped Xing's face, looking her over and over, her eyes full of shock. "It's even bigger than the one yesterday! What kind of strange physique do you have? Do you automatically grow bumps when you sleep?"
Xing looked bewildered, trying hard to recall last night's experience: "I... think I had a dream? I dreamed of... three dark figures... and a... small hammer?"
The memory was hazy, as if viewed through a thick fog, but the momentary pain was exceptionally clear.
"Dark figures? Small hammer?"
Just then, Danheng walked past, carrying a cup of hot water. Hearing this, he glanced at the bump on Xing's head, frowning slightly: "Two consecutive instances of external injury with unknown causes. I suggest reporting this to Ms. Himeko or Mr. Welt for a detailed examination. It could also be some unknown cosmic radiation or microbial infection."
Soon, Himeko and the others arrived.
Himeko carefully examined Xing's forehead, a hint of confusion appearing on her elegant face. "Hmm... it looks like a purely physical impact injury. Strange, the Astral Express has a high safety rating; this shouldn't happen."
Welt adjusted his glasses, the lenses reflecting the light of wisdom: "Based on the shape of the injury, it certainly looks like it was caused by being struck by a small object. Xing, did you feel anything unusual after falling asleep last night? Or... were you sleepwalking?"
Xing thought hard, but eventually shook her head.
Sleepwalking?
How long has she been sleepwalking, and March 7th didn't notice anything either?
After a serious discussion, and in the interest of protecting the safety of the passenger (and her head), Himeko offered a suggestion: "Xing, why don't you rest in my room tonight? We can observe the situation then."
Xing nodded gratefully.
[However, the matter was not over]
The next day, when Xing woke up from the comfortable bed in Himeko's room, she almost reflexively touched her forehead.
The familiar sensation, the familiar dull pain.
Only this time, the location of the bump had shifted to the rear right side.
She silently walked to the mirror, looked at the two perfectly symmetrical bumps on her head in the reflection, and fell into a long silence.
"Tsk."
Perspective shift.
When the system puppet presented the short message on the light screen, the slight solemnity that had been lingering between Madam Herta's eyebrows finally melted away like snow in the spring breeze.
[Stellaron Hunters Communication: Cargo is ready, coordinates locked. Delivery can be made at any time. —Kafka]
"Finally..."
An almost inaudible sigh, carrying the relief of having a heavy burden lifted.
A Stellaron means that the power of the clone A-Xing will be fundamentally completed, and it also means she gains a crucial trump card.
She lightly tapped her finger, sent the command to agree, and instructed the other party to select a safe handover location.
Her gaze shifted, falling upon Baiheng, who was lying on the sofa, listlessly swinging her snow-white fox Tail.
Since she no longer has to worry constantly, this one has become increasingly relaxed, but with all that excess energy, she needs something to do.
"Baiheng."
"Here!" Baiheng immediately sprang up, her ears straight, thinking there was a mission.
"I have a task for you," Black Herta said in a flat tone. "Go to a place and retrieve an item."
"Retrieve something? Go where? Retrieve what?" Baiheng looked confused.
"The system will send you the coordinates of the location. As for the item..." A hint of deep meaning flashed in Black Herta's purplish-black eyes. "It is a'Stellaron'."
"A Stellaron?!"
Baiheng's voice instantly rose, her azure eyes filled with shock. "That thing... the Cancer of All Worlds? The Stellaron that can cause planetary disasters? You want me to retrieve it?"
She felt the fur on her Tail stand on end.
"Don't worry, it's just a handover."
Black Herta then briefly summarized the mission content: travel to the specified coordinates, receive a specialized sealed container from two distinct women, and return once confirmed.
After understanding, Baiheng relaxed slightly, but still felt immense pressure.
That's a Stellaron!
Will it explode if I hold it?
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