The Family's territory, beyond Penacony—the Astral Express was currently docked in this stretch of starry space.
Inside one of the train cars, Dan Heng was holding a set of cleaning supplies, methodically tidying up the observation car.
The cloth passed over the polished tabletop, and everything looked calm and orderly.
Conductor Pom-Pom had extremely high standards when it came to the train's cleanliness. And with everyone else away, Dan Heng—the only Nameless left behind—had no choice but to handle the work himself for the time being.
I just hope March and the others are having fun, Dan Heng thought silently.
At that moment, he heard movement behind him.
He did not turn around immediately, only asking out of habit, "...Pom-Pom? Are you still worried about March and the others?"
When no answer came, the motion of his hand paused slightly. Frowning, he turned around.
The one standing behind him was not the small conductor Pom-Pom, but a girl around his age.
"...Miss Kiana, what brings you here all of a sudden?"
That was right—the person before him was Kiana, who had only just arrived at Penacony.
A faint smile rested at the corners of her lips as she looked at him quietly.
"Mr. Dan Heng, didn't you go to the Charmony Festival?"
Dan Heng folded the cleaning cloth neatly and set it on the table before replying in a calm voice, "The train needs someone to stay behind. That's part of a Nameless's duty."
After a pause, he added, "Besides, with Stelle and March already there, the Charmony Festival shouldn't be lacking for liveliness without me."
Then he looked at her. "Rather than that—Miss Kiana, did you come because something happened?"
Kiana nodded. "Yes. I need to borrow the identity of a Nameless from the Astral Express so I can get into Penacony."
Dan Heng's brows drew together. He had caught the unusual gravity in her tone at once.
"Did something happen?"
Kiana nodded again. "Apparently an Emanator of Destruction has invaded the dreamscape. I came because someone asked me to help."
At those words, Dan Heng's expression immediately turned serious. After all, his companions were still inside Penacony.
Come to think of it, he hadn't heard from any of them all day.
At first, he had assumed it was just because of the dreamscape. But now, it seemed much more likely that something had gone wrong.
"Miss Kiana," Dan Heng asked, "your mother, Miss Herta, and Xingxiao... none of them came with you?"
After all, while "an Emanator of Destruction invading" sounded terrifying, the girl standing before him was also, by all accounts, an Emanator of Destruction herself.
And more than that, the people around her all seemed absurdly powerful.
Kiana's answer disappointed him a little.
"Well, Mr. Dan Heng, you know how they are. They worry too much about me. The second I try to do anything on my own, they panic to death."
She spread her hands. "So this time, I didn't tell any of them."
This trip really wasn't suited for a big group anyway.
Hearing that, Dan Heng frowned even more deeply. "Miss Kiana, if you'll forgive me for saying so, that was not a wise decision."
"At the very least, you should have informed Miss Cecilia."
Cecilia, actually, had been informed.
But on the surface, Kiana only waved it off. "Mr. Dan Heng, how come you sound just like them now? I'm not some little kid who needs a guardian following me around every time I do something."
"And besides, I have friends waiting for me in Penacony. I promised I'd come."
That left Dan Heng with little to say.
Because what she said was true. Back on the Luofu, he had already felt that the people around her were a little too overprotective.
Still, under the present circumstances, it was very difficult for him to leave.
At that moment, the door to the observation car opened again, and the small conductor came hopping in.
"Dan Heng Passenger, is today's cleaning finally done, pa—"
Pom-Pom's words cut off abruptly. Their round eyes widened as they stared at the unexpected visitor.
"Huh? Isn't that Passenger Kiana, pa?"
That was right—Pom-Pom knew Kiana.
After the Luofu trip, Kiana had not exactly been idle. She had come aboard the Astral Express for a look around and had become somewhat familiar with Pom-Pom and Himeko.
"Passenger Kiana, are you here to see everyone? March Seven Passenger and the others already left for Penacony yesterday, pa!"
Kiana lowered herself slightly so that her gaze was level with Pom-Pom's, her tone softening.
"Conductor Pom-Pom, it's been a while."
"But I'm sorry, I'm not here to visit everyone. Something's happened on Penacony's side, and I need to use the identity of a Nameless to get in."
"A problem, pa?!" Pom-Pom blinked, their fluffy ears twitching. "Do you need Pom-Pom's help, pa?"
Dan Heng stepped forward and explained calmly, "Miss Kiana says that an Emanator of Destruction has entered the dreamscape."
"An Emanator of Destruction, pa?!" Pom-Pom's voice shot up, and both little paws flew to their mouth. "Th-then March Seven Passenger and the others..."
"That's why I need to get there as soon as possible," Kiana said, straightening and looking from Pom-Pom to Dan Heng. "Mr. Dan Heng, I know the Express has its rules. But the situation is urgent, and I need your trust."
Dan Heng was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded. "There's no need to speak of trust. If Miss Kiana is willing to lend aid, we should be the ones thanking you."
Pom-Pom patted his leg with one tiny paw. "Dan Heng Passenger, if Passenger Kiana wants to use the identity of a Nameless to enter Penacony, then please take her with you to get registered, pa."
Dan Heng looked at Pom-Pom, then hesitated. "But if I leave as well, what about the train?"
"Everyone else has already entered Penacony. At this moment, I'm the only Nameless left to guard the Express. If I also leave, the train's security could become a problem. Pom-Pom can operate the train's basic systems, of course, but if something unexpected happens..."
"Ah, Dan Heng Passenger doesn't need to worry, pa!" Pom-Pom puffed out their chest. "Pom-Pom is a very capable conductor, pa!"
"Besides, the train's defense system is always on, pa. And now that Passenger Kiana is here, she can help too, right?"
Kiana answered calmly, "Leave the train's safety to me."
The moment she said it, brilliant golden light bloomed into existence, wrapping around the Astral Express and encircling the entire train.
Dan Heng focused his eyes and looked closely. The Destruction-aligned energy within that radiance was far more condensed than he had imagined.
Even from other Emanators like Jing Yuan or Herta, he had never felt anything quite like this.
At that point, he had to admit that his worries about Kiana had indeed been unnecessary.
Pom-Pom's eyes widened. "So amazing, pa!"
Kiana said flatly, "With this barrier in place, even another Emanator won't be able to break in easily."
Dan Heng fell silent for a moment. The last of his reservations finally vanished.
Bringing his hands together in a proper salute, he bowed slightly, this time with genuine admiration. "Miss Kiana's methods are extraordinary. It was I who worried too much. In that case, shall we head to Penacony now?"
"Let's go." Kiana nodded, glancing toward the gorgeous star system beyond the window. "I've been curious about this Charmony Festival for a while now."
Pom-Pom waved both paws. "Passenger Kiana, Passenger Dan Heng, have fun in Penacony, pa! And help Pom-Pom keep an eye on March Seven Passenger and Stelle Passenger, so they don't cause trouble, pa!"
Dan Heng smiled faintly and left the train with Kiana, heading toward the exit passage.
Penacony—the famed planet of grand celebrations.
But unlike what Kiana had originally expected, there seemed to be a small problem inside the Reverie Hotel.
"Welcome to the Reverie Hotel. How may I assist you?"
One of the hotel staff members addressed Kiana and Dan Heng politely.
"Hello," Dan Heng replied. "We're Nameless from the Astral Express. We're here to register our stay."
"The Astral Express?" The staff member looked puzzled. "But weren't all of you already registered earlier?"
"...Yes," Dan Heng said patiently. "Our companions checked in before us. My name is Dan Heng. My personal information should already be in your system."
"Ah, I see."
The worker nodded, then added, "But according to your companions, your itinerary had changed and you would no longer be staying here."
He looked toward Kiana. "And this young lady is...?"
"I'm a new Nameless who just joined the Astral Express," Kiana answered in an even tone. "My name is Kiana."
Dan Heng continued at once, "She's one of our companions. We responded to the Family's invitation before she officially boarded the train."
"So her information probably isn't in the system yet. Is there any chance you could make an exception?"
The staff member looked a little surprised. "Oh! Among the Nameless who already checked in, there was someone else in a similar situation."
"Looks like more and more people are stepping onto the Path of Trailblaze these days."
After a short pause, he added, "In principle, that should be fine. Please wait a moment while I contact your companions."
A short while later—
"...Um, I'm terribly sorry. It seems I can't reach the Astral Express guests."
"What do you mean, can't reach them?" Dan Heng asked, genuinely taken aback.
"I'm sorry—I've never encountered this situation before either. But according to the system, your companions are still in the dreamscape."
Kiana immediately sensed that something was off.
With this sort of setup, surely the next step wasn't going to be—
"How about this?" she suggested. "Just give us a room number and we'll go check on them ourselves."
"I'm afraid I can't do that," the worker said apologetically. "I can only disclose a guest's personal information after confirming your identities."
As expected—they were refused.
The Family's own error, yet somehow they were the ones paying the price?
Kiana was almost speechless.
"Hey, kid, isn't your Family getting a little too arrogant here?"
"If you don't have the authority to solve this, can't you call someone who does?"
The staff member forced an embarrassed smile. "Please calm down."
"I remember that when the Astral Express checked in, it was Miss Kallen of the Iris Family who came to act as their guarantor. Please wait a moment—I'll contact her right away."
With that, the employee hurried off, leaving Kiana and Dan Heng standing there staring at each other.
"Judging from this, are we about to get stood up?" Kiana asked first.
After all, that worker had just said he was going to contact Kallen.
Whether Kallen could be reached or not—she knew the answer to that better than anyone.
Dan Heng sighed faintly. "She probably isn't trying to make things difficult for us on purpose. She may genuinely not know what to do."
"So we're just going to stand here and wait?" Kiana asked. "Mr. Dan Heng, if that guy really does blow us off, why don't you go Dragon Sovereign mode and we storm the place together?"
"Miss Kiana," Dan Heng said immediately, trying to stop her.
"Even if the situation is troublesome, I still recommend that we prioritize communication."
"Relax, Mr. Dan Heng. I'm not the kind of person who flips the table at the first disagreement." Kiana blinked at him.
"And besides, I said if. We're not there yet."
For once, that much was true.
Her current identity was still spotless.
Unless absolutely necessary, she fully intended to keep a low profile here.
But just as the two of them found themselves at an impasse, a cool female voice—slightly trembling—came from behind them.
"...Kiana?"
Kiana and Dan Heng turned.
The person who had appeared was Acheron.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
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Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 155)
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TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
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I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter230)
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Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 200
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
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From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/5
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 230
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 220
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume4/30
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 120
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 135
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 110
I Can Copy Unique Skills 100
Summoning an Evil God, but the 70
Supernatural Multiverse 100
My Harem Is Indescribable 90
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 95
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 68
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 105
Still playing traditional Honk 69
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 80
What Should I Do After Switchi - Volume2/3
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 70
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 55
Transmigrated as Sukuna 75
Checking In in Demon Slayer 80
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 85
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 70
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 65
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel 70
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 70
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MYGO Beauties 65
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 55
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 65
Honkai's Otherworld? Wait—Who Are You People?! 45
Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 45
The Uma Musume Who Became 40
I'm Definitely Not the King of 45
After Maxing Out Every Class 45
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