Firefly: There's Seriously Something Wrong With You, Woman!
The meeting was held in the grand hall of Qlipoth Fort. A long table ran through the center, with stern-faced representatives from every faction seated on either side.
Belobog's Supreme Guardian, Alisa Rand, presided over the conference. She was a resolute woman with tired eyes—weariness and determination interwoven into the same hardened stare.
The Interastral Peace Corporation's delegates—Supervisor Hans included—were far more focused on resource expenditure and strategic return.
The Silvermane Guard commanders, meanwhile, delivered detailed reports about a frontline that was growing tighter by the day.
Wei Qing listened with half-lidded eyes, fighting off sleep. To him, their plans were clumsy, inefficient—like watching people try to bail out an ocean with a spoon.
Firefly forced herself to stay alert, eyes wide as she struggled to follow the discussion. Every so often, she would steal a glance at Wei Qing beside her… then dart a wary look toward Jingliu across the hall.
Jingliu sat at the head of the Xianzhou delegation. From start to finish, she said nothing—seemingly indifferent to everything around her.
But Wei Qing could feel it.
That faint, icy gaze would occasionally pierce through the noise like a needle, landing on him with a pressure so subtle it was almost polite—and yet utterly unforgiving.
The meeting dragged on and on, until it finally crawled toward a close under a series of perfunctory promises: "strengthen cooperation," "weather the storm together," and other hollow phrases that sounded better in official transcripts than they did in a room full of exhausted people.
Alisa Rand rose to her feet. Her eyes swept across the fatigued faces at the table—then settled, solemnly, on the white-haired woman who had remained silent the entire time.
"Lady Jingliu," Alisa said, her voice clear and sincere as it echoed through the hall, "on behalf of Belobog, I must again offer my deepest thanks to the Xianzhou Alliance."
"If not for your repeated intervention—if not for you tearing apart the Anti-Matter Legion's offensives—our outer defensive line would have collapsed long ago. I will never forget this debt."
Her gratitude was genuine.
The IPC's support was already showing signs of impatience and retreat. But Jingliu—this Sword Champion from the Luofu—had been the one to step onto the battlefield time and time again, dragging them back from the brink with sheer personal strength.
And Alisa, truthfully, hoped Jingliu would see it through to the end—help them eradicate the Destruction forces threatening their world.
It wasn't greed. It was desperation.
Based on the trajectory of the war, the Corporation clearly had no intention of continuing to sink resources into Jarilo-VI.
The IPC was profit-driven to its bones, and Jarilo's only truly valuable resource—Geomarrow—was nowhere near enough to justify a high-risk, high-cost operation to resolve a Stellaron crisis.
If things continued as they had been, the IPC would eventually withdraw, and Belobog's fall would become a matter of time.
Alisa had once steeled herself for the most desperate choice—going after the Stellaron personally.
Then reality offered her a miracle.
A woman named Jingliu arrived on Jarilo-VI, and again and again she wiped out entire Anti-Matter Legion operations alone.
Even the IPC people said it openly: this was one of the strongest Pathstriders in the cosmos—someone at the very top tier beneath an Aeon's Emanators.
Alisa had never left Jarilo. She didn't truly understand what "Emanator-level" meant.
But she had seen Jingliu on the battlefield.
As long as Jingliu remained on Jarilo for even a single day, then for that single day, Belobog would not fear Destruction.
And perhaps—just perhaps—because of Jingliu's position back on the Luofu, the Xianzhou might even send a fleet to help suppress the Stellaron, if she willed it.
Jingliu finally opened her eyes. Her crimson gaze was placid, unreadable. She merely gave a slight nod—an acknowledgement of Alisa's thanks, nothing more.
One of the other Xianzhou representatives, an elegant man with a scholarly air, picked up the thread. His tone was mild, but the seriousness in it was unmistakable.
"Supreme Guardian, you need not dwell on thanks. The Xianzhou is also an enemy of Destruction, and aiding suffering worlds is our duty."
His gaze flicked toward Hans—whose expression hadn't changed at all—before he continued.
"However, Jarilo's calamity begins with the Stellaron."
"If we do not remove it or seal it, the Fragmentum will not recede, and the Anti-Matter Legion will continue to pour in without end. Even with Lady Jingliu stationed here, it may become a prolonged siege—one that only drains strength while danger grows."
"Has your side… and the Corporation… made any progress on a plan to deal with the Stellaron?"
The question went straight for the throat. The room's atmosphere tightened at once, and every eye turned toward Alisa and Hans.
"The Stellaron…" Alisa's voice carried a weary helplessness.
"From our current intelligence, it lies deep within the Fragmentum at the heart of Everwinter Hill. The environment there is extremely hostile, the space structure unstable, and Anti-Matter Legion forces gather in large numbers—many of them powerful."
"The Silvermane Guard has attempted to send elite squads in multiple times. The losses were severe, and nothing was gained."
She turned toward Hans, forcing herself to speak the next part.
"On the IPC's side… the drilling equipment and specialized stabilization team you previously promised…"
Hans adjusted his glasses. His tone was flat—like he was reporting quarterly numbers.
"Headquarters assessed that, without absolute certainty of controlling the Stellaron—and with the activity of the surrounding Fragmentum still unknown—using high-energy physical methods such as drilling or traction presents an unacceptable risk of triggering a Stellaron energy surge."
"That risk factor exceeds the threshold the Corporation can accept. Therefore, the previously planned support proposal has been suspended indefinitely."
He paused, then added as if offering a reasonable compromise:
"The IPC's recommendation remains unchanged: prioritize maintaining the current defensive line, gradually clear the Fragmentum edges, and wait for a more stable window… or seek alternative solutions."
The subtext might as well have been a public announcement:
The IPC would not invest more resources into a high-risk attempt. And if things became untenable, they were already prepared to pull out.
Hans didn't have much choice—he was only a branch supervisor.
Jarilo's tragedy might tug at the conscience, but he didn't have the authority to gamble the Corporation's assets on sentiment.
Besides, the Xianzhou's "soft-hearted heroes" were here now. If they wanted to pick up the mess, so much the better.
The Xianzhou representatives frowned. The elegant man spoke again, voice turning heavier.
"Wait? The Fragmentum expands daily. The Stellaron's power continues to grow. Each day we wait, Jarilo becomes more dangerous, and the difficulty of a complete solution increases."
"Supervisor Hans, is the Corporation's risk assessment… perhaps too conservative?"
Hans did not blink.
"The Corporation must answer for its investments. In business terms: an investment with no clear return and excessive risk is not a wise decision."
Silence pressed down on the table—thick with resentment and opposing priorities.
Belobog's side looked indignant but powerless.
The Xianzhou representatives were dissatisfied with the IPC's indifference.
The IPC remained cold, consistent, and profit-first.
Then a clear, cool voice shattered the silence.
"The Stellaron. I will handle it."
Jingliu had stood up.
Her eyes swept across the hall once before settling on Alisa.
"Lady Jingliu, no!" the Xianzhou representatives cried at once. "Everwinter Hill's depths are unknown. Your strength is extraordinary, but going alone is far too dangerous!"
"Yes, Lady Jingliu, please reconsider! We can plan carefully and gather strength—there's no need to decide in haste!"
They pitied Jarilo. They wanted to help.
But the danger of a Stellaron was universally acknowledged. No one wanted their Sword Champion walking into that abyss alone.
Even Alisa froze—hope rising sharply in her chest, followed by immediate fear.
"Lady Jingliu… your safety matters as well. We—"
Jingliu seemed not to hear them. Her tone remained level, but her decision carried the weight of steel.
"No further debate."
"The existence of the Fragmentum and Stellaron is, in itself, a provocation to the Path of the Hunt. Cleansing it is my duty."
Her certainty stunned the room—then eased it.
Of course.
This was Flawless Radiance, the Luofu's Sword Champion.
After the Luofu incident, who didn't know her hatred of Destruction ran even deeper than her hatred of Abundance?
Facing Jarilo's crisis, how could she possibly stand by?
And yes, the Stellaron was dangerous—
But so was she.
To many here, she was a legend in human form.
Perhaps she really could do it.
Hans adjusted his glasses again and gave a slight nod.
"If Lady Jingliu is determined, the IPC will provide the latest environmental scan data for the Everwinter Hill region, as well as Fragmentum fluctuation charts. We hope this will be of assistance."
This was, essentially, the maximum generosity the IPC was willing to show.
Jingliu didn't respond. She had never cared to deal with the IPC any more than necessary.
"The Stellaron's power is not trivial," she said instead. "I will require manpower—and extraction support if needed."
The Xianzhou delegates exchanged looks. The elegant man stepped forward, expression grim.
"Lady Jingliu, this is a perilous mission. Ordinary soldiers cannot manage such a role. We are willing, but our strength is limited—if we accompany you, we may only become a burden…"
He didn't finish the sentence, but everyone understood.
The Xianzhou people present here—diplomats, auxiliaries—were not the kind of force fit to serve as an advance team or emergency support in the heart of Everwinter Hill.
In fact, on Jarilo-VI, there might not be anyone qualified to serve as Jingliu's backup at all.
Jingliu seemed to have anticipated that.
Her gaze did not linger on her fellow Xianzhou.
Instead, she slowly turned, eyes drifting toward the group of IPC employees seated off to the side.
Martha's heart lurched.
A cold premonition crawled up her spine.
Then Jingliu raised a hand—precise, unhesitating—and pointed directly at the two people behind Martha.
"Those two," Jingliu said. "Will do."
Every head in the hall snapped to the same corner.
Wei Qing lifted an eyebrow slightly.
Firefly stiffened at once, like a small animal caught in a predator's sight.
"Me?" Firefly blurted out, stunned, her disbelief spilling straight out of her mouth.
There's something wrong with you, woman. Seriously.
Join here to read ahead.
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