Something Strange in Belobog

The group made their way out from the depths of the Mechanical Settlement. Seele brought up the rear, walking more slowly than she had on the way in.

She glanced back into the depths of the settlement, her lips pressed tightly together. In the end, she turned around and hurried to catch up with the group.

Bai Luoming sensed her suppressed emotions but didn't rush to speak. He deliberately slowed his pace and waited for Seele to catch up.

March 7th, on the other hand, couldn't stand the atmosphere. She went over to comfort her. "Oh, don't be upset, Seele. Svarog's just a robot with a one-track mind. It's perfectly normal that you couldn't reason with him."

Seele shook her head. "I'm fine. I just think that bucket of bolts is a little too stubborn. Even after all that, he still wouldn't help us."

Her voice was low. She had been exhausted for far too long, facing this wall she couldn't reason with.

"If he won't help, forget him," Stelle suddenly chimed in from the side, her tone perfectly serious. "Anyway, I took a look around just now, and the trash cans in his settlement weren't much good either. There was hardly any point in rummaging through them."

Seele's mouth twitched despite herself. That remark punctured all the frustration she'd been holding in; she wanted to be angry, but couldn't manage it.

As they walked, Dan Heng spoke quietly to Bai Luoming. "The information Bronya gave us is detailed enough. The intelligence we're missing from Svarog won't affect the bigger picture."

Bai Luoming nodded, reassured. If Svarog wanted to be stubborn, so be it. They'd manage just fine without him.

"Then comes the crucial part," he replied, lowering his voice as well. "We need to rally the people from Wildfire in the Underworld. The sooner, the better."

As they talked, they reached the area occupied by the group of vagrants they had beaten up earlier.

The vagrants' leader was still moving his underlings somewhere warm. He had an unconscious companion on his back and was supporting another underling, who was limping and grimacing in pain.

He looked up and saw Bai Luoming's group returning. His whole body shrank back; he thought they'd changed their minds and come to silence them.

His facial muscles worked for a long moment before he finally managed a smile uglier than a crying face. Keeping his voice low, he carefully greeted them:

"Sirs... and ladies, p-passing through again?"

Bai Luoming nodded at him expressionlessly in response.

March 7th, however, thought that while his behavior had been despicable, he was quite loyal to his companions, looking after them like that. So she waved at him and called out brightly, "Keep it up!"

The vagrant leader froze on the spot. Looking at March 7th's radiant smile, he couldn't process it for a moment.

Only when the group had almost disappeared around the corner did the limping brother beside him nudge him. "Boss, that pink-haired girl... did she just greet us?"

The leader gritted his teeth, as though encouraging himself and lecturing his underling at the same time. "What the hell do you know? She really can beat you, and she can't be bothered holding it against you!"

The group passed through the streets and alleys of the Underworld and returned to the entrance of Natasha's clinic.

People were still coming and going outside the clinic, and there were still many waiting in line for treatment.

As she had on their previous visit, Seele first greeted the people waiting by the door softly and explained the situation. Only after they expressed their understanding did she lead the others inside.

Natasha was sorting medicine in front of a cabinet. Hearing footsteps at the door, she turned around and took in the group's expressions, forming a judgment.

She put the labeled medicine back on the shelf. The bottom of the bottle made a soft sound as it touched the wood.

"Svarog didn't agree, did he?"

Natasha spoke softly, seemingly unsurprised by their failure.

Seele plopped down on a bench in the clinic and sighed. "That damned robot boss is as stubborn as ever! No matter what we said, he refused to join us and deal with the Stellaron."

Having vented, her chest rose and fell a couple of times. Then, as though remembering something, she looked up at Bai Luoming and changed tack. "But... it's no big deal if Svarog won't agree. With the Nameless' strength added to ours, we should have enough."

Natasha smiled after hearing her out and asked:

"Then when do we leave?"

Seele opened her mouth, only to realize she didn't actually know. She instinctively turned and looked at Bai Luoming.

"The sooner the better," Bai Luoming said. "With something like a Stellaron, the longer we wait, the more uncertainty there is. Since the Overworld and the Underworld have already united, every day sooner we act means one less day of risk."

"Exactly!" Stelle chimed in, rubbing her temples with an irritated look. "Keeping it around means listening to it mutter in my head every night like it's chanting scriptures. It's so noisy I can't even sleep properly."

Natasha's gaze lingered on the group for a moment, and she made her decision.

She turned and called over a volunteer who had been helping out at the clinic, then gave her clear, orderly instructions on the remaining appointments and distribution of medicine for the day.

The young volunteer accepted the prescriptions and asked worriedly, "Sister Natasha, how long will you be gone?"

Natasha simply told her gently, "I'll be back as soon as I can."

She gave no specific time frame, because she couldn't guarantee one herself.

After seeing to everything, Natasha walked over to Seele and said, "Take them to the Upper District first and meet up with Bronya. I need a little time to gather the Wildfire brothers. Once we've assembled, we'll follow you there."

Seele stood up briskly and nodded, but before leaving, she couldn't help adding, "You... come quickly."

Seeing her put on a brave face, Natasha couldn't help smiling. She reached out and gently patted her head.

Seele's face turned red at once. She turned her head away and muttered, "Who said you could just pat people on the head?" Even so, she didn't move away.

After saying goodbye to Natasha, the group and Seele left the clinic and followed the passage they had taken before, riding the elevator back to the Upper District.

The heavy metal elevator rose with a rumble.

When the doors opened with a ding, the sight outside stunned everyone.

Dazzling light poured in without warning.

The group walked out of the passage. March 7th was the first to look up. "Wait... the sky... the sky's cleared up?!"

The heavy clouds that had hung over Belobog were now completely gone.

Sunlight fell on the city that had been frozen for seven hundred years. The white buildings of the Administrative District gleamed in the sun, and residents streamed out of their homes onto the streets.

Some found spots in the square and sat down right on the ground, closing their eyes to feel a warmth they had never known. Children chased patches of light by the roadside, their clear laughter ringing out.

"Wow! It's so beautiful!" March 7th excitedly tugged Bai Luoming's sleeve and pointed at the sky for him to see. "So this is how beautiful Belobog looks on a sunny day!"

Seele was also a little dazed.

It had been a long time since her rebirth that she had seen such brilliant sunshine.

Stelle squinted and basked in the sun for a while, thoroughly enjoying herself, before giving her assessment. "Not bad. There's plenty of sunlight. Soaking it up like this, I feel like the Stellaron in me has more energy."

March 7th rolled her eyes at her.

Bai Luoming stood in the middle of the street, looking up at the clear sky with a frown.

Dan Heng noticed his expression and stepped a little closer. "What's wrong?" he asked quietly.

Bai Luoming was silent for two seconds before lowering his voice. "Something's not right."

"The Eternal Freeze has lasted so long. How could it just disappear like this? Surely the people of the Upper District didn't pull themselves together and destroy the Stellaron while we were away."

Dan Heng's gaze grew grave as well. Following Bai Luoming's line of thought, he continued, "If the Stellaron deliberately withdrew its power and stopped maintaining the Eternal Freeze and the Fragmentum outside—"

He paused and didn't continue.

The two exchanged a glance. The joyful, jubilant atmosphere around them seemed to be shut out in an instant.

March 7th noticed the sudden tension between them. Her smile faded, and she was just about to ask what was wrong.

A familiar figure appeared at the street corner ahead.

It was Gepard.

He was wearing the same armor as before, and his expression was grave as he strode toward them.

He came up to the group and saluted first. His gaze lingered briefly on Seele; he was clearly surprised to see her in the Upper District with the Astral Express Crew, but his good manners kept him from asking further.

He went straight to the point. "Everyone, the Supreme Guardian is waiting for you in her office at Kliperburg. Please come with me."

"Is it because the sky cleared up?" March 7th asked curiously.

Gepard shook his head and said only, "The Supreme Guardian will explain the details to you herself."