So It Was a Giant Robot. No Wonder

Bai Luoming felt full of energy. He could stay up for ten nights straight without getting tired.

He tried to prop himself up, but the sight before him made him freeze.

The small room at the Goethe Hotel was packed with people.

Nearly half of Belobog's "big names" had squeezed inside.

Himeko, March 7th, and Dan Heng of the Astral Express Crew stood at the front, with Natasha and Seele of Wildfire beside them. Even Bronya, the newly appointed Supreme Guardian, was among them.

Almost everyone's eyes were on him. No one spoke, and the room was unusually quiet.

As Bai Luoming sat up, the silence was instantly drowned out by a chorus of concerned voices.

"Luo Ming! You're awake!"

"How do you feel? Is anything bothering you?"

"His vital signs are stabilizing, but his energy readings are still abnormal."

"You..."

Voices filled the room as several people crowded around him at once.

March 7th rushed to the bedside and grabbed his hand, while Dan Heng and Himeko stood nearby, watching his condition. Seele and Bronya didn't step forward right away, but their eyes never left him. Natasha was even more direct, already preparing to bring out her medical instruments.

The jumble of voices made Bai Luoming's freshly cleared head start buzzing again.

He raised a hand, gesturing for them to stop.

"Stop, hold on." He rubbed his temples. "One at a time, please."

The room fell instantly silent. A pin could have been heard dropping, and everyone's eyes were fixed on him.

Finally, March 7th couldn't hold back and asked the question on everyone's mind. "Luo Ming, how... how do you feel? Is anything bothering you?"

As soon as she finished speaking, everyone turned even more concerned gazes on Bai Luoming.

Bai Luoming slowly swept his gaze over their tense faces. He deliberately stayed silent for a moment before speaking. "I feel terrible. If a pretty girl doesn't hug me right now, I'm going to die."

"You jerk!"

March 7th froze for a moment, then realized he was messing with her. Her cheeks flushed bright red, and she lightly punched him on the shoulder. "How can you joke at a time like this? You scared me to death!"

Despite her words, the smile she couldn't hide at the corners of her eyes revealed how she really felt.

Everyone around them breathed a sigh of relief as well, and the atmosphere in the room immediately lightened.

Seeing their expressions finally relax, Bai Luoming put away his joking manner and seriously explained his condition. "There's nothing wrong with my body. In fact, I've never felt better." To put everyone completely at ease, he even thumped his chest and added lightly, "I'm great. I feel like I could take on ten more Stellarons right now, no problem."

His words succeeded in easing the atmosphere in the room. Even the ever-serious Dan Heng's mouth twitched slightly.

"You can't take that as a medical conclusion." Natasha adjusted her glasses, her tone as rigorous as ever.

Himeko smiled in agreement. "Indeed. You'll still need a full examination later."

After the laughter, order briefly returned to the room.

Dan Heng looked at the energetic Bai Luoming, his expression turning grave again as he asked the question everyone present was most concerned about.

"Speaking of which, where did that Stellaron end up?"

The question was like a stone thrown into a still lake, and the atmosphere, which had just eased, froze again. Everyone's attention returned to Bai Luoming.

The smile faded from Bai Luoming's face, and a complex expression crossed it for an instant.

The image of his future "self" pressing the Stellaron into his chest flashed through his mind.

He closed his eyes and focused inward. Deep in his chest, the source of the calamity that had brought the Eternal Freeze to Belobog was now quietly operating within his body in a stable state.

When he opened his eyes again, he gave an answer that shocked everyone present.

"If nothing went wrong," he said calmly, meeting everyone's gaze, "that Stellaron should be inside my body now."

Before everyone could fully digest the news, Bai Luoming continued:

"It's very stable right now, like an organ in my body." He spread his hands and said in a self-mocking tone, "If I had to put it into words, I guess I've become a Stellaron spirit, just like Stelle."

Natasha carefully observed Bai Luoming. After confirming that there were no signs of the Stellaron immediately going out of control, she still offered her advice. "A Stellaron is no ordinary thing. If possible, I'd recommend a more thorough examination."

Dan Heng also cautioned him, "Stelle might just be a special case. It's best to keep a close eye on the Stellaron's condition. If anything seems wrong, tell us immediately."

"I understand." Bai Luoming nodded, indicating that he would cooperate fully with the examination. Then he changed the subject and joked, "Still, having a Stellaron in my body does feel pretty good. I think I understand why Stelle's always so full of energy now."

"As long as you're all right." Himeko's eyes held a smile. "If Stelle finds out you've fused with a Stellaron, she'll probably be very happy."

Only then did Bai Luoming realize that two people seemed to be missing from the room.

"Speaking of which, where are Stelle and Old Yang?"

"After Uncle Yang checked that you were physically all right, he stayed on the battlefield to study the Engine of Creation," March 7th explained. "He should be discussing the relevant matters with Belobog's technicians right now."

She paused, her expression turning a little strange. "As for Stelle... she should be doing the heavy lifting for Uncle Yang right now, operating the Engine of Creation outside."

So it's a giant robot? No wonder.

At that moment, Bronya, who had been silent all this time, stepped forward.

She gave Bai Luoming and all the members of the Astral Express Crew present a solemn Silvermane Guards salute.

"On behalf of Belobog, I thank you all for helping us resolve the Stellaron crisis. And... thank you, Luo Ming, for stopping the disaster from spreading at the most critical moment."

She lowered her hand, her gaze earnest. "To celebrate our victory and thank you all for your efforts, Belobog will hold a victory banquet tonight. I sincerely invite everyone to attend."

Himeko and Dan Heng remained calm, evidently already aware of the arrangements.

Watching their reactions, Bai Luoming suddenly realized something: he seemed to be the last one to hear about it.

Bronya looked Bai Luoming straight in the eye, waiting for his answer.

"All right, I'll be there." Seeing Bronya's expectant expression, Bai Luoming gave a slight nod of agreement.

Bronya visibly breathed a sigh of relief at his affirmative answer.

She then took her leave, saying she had a great deal of postwar business to attend to.

Seeing Bronya leave, Natasha said that Wildfire also had plenty to deal with. Settling the wounded, distributing supplies, and some further negotiations over resources all required her to return and oversee them.

"Seele, we should go." She looked at Seele, who was still standing where she was.

"I..." Seele clearly didn't want to leave yet. She had finally squeezed her way to the bedside and had only just been about to speak to Bai Luoming.

"What he needs most right now is rest." Natasha's tone was gentle but left no room for refusal. She took Seele by the arm and led her toward the door. "Whatever you want to say can wait until tonight."

"All right..." Seele was clearly still hesitant, but Natasha was unusually strong and dragged her outside.

With Bronya, Natasha, and Seele gone, there were finally fewer people in the room.

March 7th tucked his blanket in, reminded him of a few things several times, and prepared to leave with Dan Heng and Himeko.

As they walked out, the door gently closed behind them.

The room fell completely silent, and the relaxed expression on Bai Luoming's face faded.

He closed his eyes again, sensing the Stellaron in his chest. The entity known to the outside world as the Cancer of All Worlds now rested quietly inside his chest, constantly supplying his body with energy.

As he carefully sensed it, he discovered a message Old Bai had left before departing. Just as he was about to sink into the depths of his consciousness to investigate, footsteps returned outside the door.

The door opened a crack, and Himeko poked her head in.

"Oh, right, Luo Ming," she said, as if she had just remembered. "Ms. Herta called earlier and asked me to pass on a message."

"If you have time later, remember to call her back."

"Okay, I understand, Himeko."