Chapter 311: March: You Don't Really Think I'm Stupid, Do You?
March fell silent. The initial rush of adrenaline from pulling a rare blue-tier item evaporated, leaving behind a sobering reality. She stared down at the glowing core resting in her palm. It pulsed with a faint, crystalline light, practically radiating an aura of endless knowledge and infinite possibilities. Then, she thought about her own combat style—a chaotic blend of pure intuition, split-second reflexes, and practical experience. She pictured herself sitting at a desk, buried under mountains of complex theoretical physics textbooks, trying to decipher the complex mechanics of reality just to fire a single arrow.
A visible shudder ran through her frame.
"...Alright, I admit you have a point," March sighed, her shoulders slumping. She didn't even try to be stubborn about it, readily conceding the argument.
"To actually get stronger with this thing, I'd have to cram my brain full of absurdly complex knowledge that I might never even use in my everyday life." She tapped her temple, grimacing. "Just thinking about all those formulas gives me a massive headache. I don't want to do it! This fundamentally clashes with my grand romance of Trailblazing!"
She tossed the Herrscher of Reason core lightly into the air and caught it, her tone brightening as she accepted the situation. "Looks like this core and I just aren't fated to be together. I'll just treat it as a super rare collectible!"
"Or..." She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I'll ask around in the chat group later to see which of our academic friends it actually suits. That way, this precious core can shine in more capable hands and actually be put to good use!"
With a flick of her wrist, she casually stowed the glowing core away into her inventory. The disappointment of it not fitting her playstyle vanished as quickly as it had arrived.
A heartbeat later, a distinctly cunning glint flashed across March's vibrant pink-and-blue eyes. She leaned in close, bumping her shoulder against Stelle's, and offered a theatrical wink.
"But... while that amazing blue core isn't of much use to me, I also happened to pull a little green-tier gadget in that same draw. And it might just be... extremely useful to a certain someone right now, you know?"
Stelle blinked, her chaotic energy momentarily pausing as genuine curiosity took over. "What is it?"
March's grin widened into a triumphant beam. With a flourish of her hands, she materialized an item from her system storage. It was a cardboard box. It looked entirely ordinary, perhaps even a little battered around the edges, like a standard delivery package. Stamped across the side in slightly faded ink was a blurry, motion-streaked logo, accompanied by bold lettering.
[Westwind Express Box] (Green Quality)
[Description: A seemingly ordinary, yet highly magical delivery box imbued with a fraction of spatial and contractual laws. Place the intended item into the box, clearly write the recipient's name on the exterior, and close the lid. The box will immediately activate its automated transmission function, ensuring the item is safely and swiftly delivered to the designated recipient across spatial boundaries.]
[Delivery Time Commitment: Guaranteed delivery no later than the exact same time the following day.]
[Note: Due to force majeure and extreme multiversal distance factors, delivery times may fluctuate slightly, but successful delivery is absolutely guaranteed. It is strictly forbidden to transport any form of dangerous goods, prohibited multiversal contraband, or living organisms. Violators will bear the full consequences of spatial distortion.]
As March finished reading out the detailed functions of this seemingly unremarkable green-tier box, Stelle's posture went completely rigid. Her golden eyes widened, instantly igniting with an unmatched, intense light. She practically stopped breathing, her gaze locked onto the battered cardboard as if it were the most peerless, heaven-defying artifact in existence.
"Fast delivery... designated recipient... no later than the next day?" Stelle muttered, her usually deadpan voice uncharacteristically rushed and breathless. Her hands twitched at her sides. "Doesn't that mean... I can send the Gene Lock cultivation system directly to Firefly right now?!"
The implications crashed over her like a tidal wave.
"I don't have to wait for some uncertain future meeting. I don't need to lie awake worrying if her Entropy Loss Syndrome might suddenly worsen while I'm stuck here... I can just send the cure directly to her?!"
The sudden, miraculous opportunity made Stelle's heart hammer wildly against her ribs.
For days, she had been racking her brain, trying to calculate how and when she could safely deliver the life-saving system to the Stellaron Hunter. The gnawing anxiety of missing the optimal window to save her friend had been a constant weight on her shoulders. Now, the absolute simplest, most direct solution was sitting right in front of her, disguised as cheap corrugated cardboard.
March watched Stelle's barely contained excitement, proudly puffing out her chest and planting her hands firmly on her hips. "That's exactly right! Now you don't have to secretly stress yourself out over the fact that distant water can't quench a nearby fire, do you?"
She tilted her head high, striking a flawless, picture-perfect pose. "Go on! Hurry up and offer your utmost gratitude to the great, generous, incredibly lucky, and infinitely wise Ms. March 7th!"
Stelle blinked, her chaotic mind rapidly shifting gears. Having spent a considerable amount of time dealing with Herta back at the Space Station, the Trailblazer had accumulated a wealth of highly practical experience in how to appropriately flatter a superior who was clearly in a fantastic mood after providing immense assistance.
Stelle immediately cleared her throat and snapped her posture into a rigid, military-straight line. She plastered an exaggeratedly bright, intensely sincere smile across her face. Then, pitching her voice into an almost operatic, theatrical cadence, she smoothly recited her lines.
"Ms. March's beauty is so deep it would make fish sink to the ocean floor and geese fall from the sky! Ms. March's wisdom is utterly unmatched across the cosmos! Ms. March is truly peerless in all the worlds!"
The overly rehearsed, distinctly Herta-esque style of corporate bootlicking naturally failed to fool her sharp-witted companion for even a second.
March immediately threw up her hands in a frantic time-out gesture. "Stop, stop, stop! Hold it right there!"
She glared at Stelle, her expression caught somewhere between deep annoyance and bubbling amusement. "Don't you dare try to fool me with that nonsense! Don't think for a second I can't tell that this is the exact same standard template you used to kiss up to Herta back at the Space Station!"
March crossed her arms, tapping her foot. "You literally just swapped out her name for mine! Do you honestly think I'm so stupid that I wouldn't notice?!"
Realizing her calculated flattery had spectacularly backfired, Stelle's exaggerated, plastic smile instantly stiffened. She quickly waved her hands in the air, her deadpan facade cracking as she scrambled to salvage the situation.
"No, no, no! I had absolutely no intention of fooling you!" Stelle insisted, her mind racing for an excuse. "I just think... I just think that the current Ms. March, in terms of sheer generosity and helpfulness, has reached a revered, god-like height! It is exactly equivalent to Herta's absolute prowess in her professional scientific field!"
Stelle nodded vigorously, pointing a finger in the air. "Yes, exactly that! This is absolutely, one hundred percent my heartfelt praise!"
She widened her golden eyes, desperately trying to make them look incredibly sincere and innocent, even though her rapid-fire explanation still sounded painfully forced.
March stared at the Trailblazer's eager, slightly panicked attempts to justify herself for a long moment before she finally broke. She burst out laughing, the bright sound echoing in the room, deciding not to press the issue any further. Still giggling, she shoved the seemingly ordinary Westwind Express Box directly into Stelle's chest.
"Alright, alright, I believe you!" March wiped a tear of mirth from her eye. "Here, take this. Hurry up and send that system to Firefly so she can start getting better. That's the real priority right now."
Stelle gripped the delivery box. Her fingers brushed against the rough texture of the cheap cardboard, yet in her hands, it felt as heavy as a thousand pounds of solid gold. It carried a crucial, life-saving hope for Firefly.
She nodded solemnly, her chaotic demeanor entirely replaced by sharp focus. She was ready to activate the box immediately, but then, as if a sudden thought had struck her, her movements abruptly paused.
She looked back up at March. A soft, genuine smile of deep gratitude finally graced the Trailblazer's features. Reaching into her own system inventory, Stelle retrieved the Outfit Changing Camera she had pulled earlier and offered it forward with both hands.
"To express my actual, sincere, entirely non-templated gratitude... this is for you," Stelle said softly, her tone warm. "May the great Ms. March always have endless beautiful photos to take, and endless new clothes to wear, forever remaining the most beautiful scenery across all the realms."
March's eyes instantly lit up like a supernova as she gazed at the wondrous, magical camera being offered to her. She didn't even try to politely decline. Snatching it up with a radiant, happy smile, she immediately began fiddling with the dials and lenses, admiring its sleek design.
Without looking up, she reached out and gently punched Stelle on the shoulder.
"Stop with the sweet talk! You're giving me goosebumps!" March teased, her cheeks slightly flushed with delight. "But... I suppose I'll reluctantly accept this wonderful gift! Now go take care of your business, don't just stand there dawdling!"
Stelle chuckled, the sound low and amused. Turning away, she completely refocused her intense attention back onto the cardboard delivery box, ready to send a miracle across the stars.
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