Louis Fleming's Expectations

After the performance, the Mournful Actors prepared to leave.

The stage on the gondola in the center of the settlement was half dismantled. The lampshades were removed one by one, the wicks extinguished, and placed in the wooden crates at the bow. The masks were taken off the bulkheads, and with each mask removed, the tall, Mournful Actors would whisper the name of a star.

Jingxing stood by the riverbed and watched. In the end, only the bottom half-finished mask remained on the cabin wall. The tall man took it down and wrapped it in a cloth.

The Water Curtain still stood on the outside, and the Mournful Actors would not stop their tears until they witnessed Jingxing's actions.

"The revelation is urging us on," the tall man said, approaching Jingxing. "So please show your sincerity."

Jingxing nodded. "Give me some time."

He returned to the ship, activated the communication equipment prepared by Dongfang Qixing, first reporting the location and the number on the star map, then continued, "Market Development Department, P47, Jingxing. Currently on this planet called Zeus Tehetra. Only half the planet remains inhabited. A local troupe of Mournful Actors provides protection, and a Propagation Emanator also eyeing the area, with half the planet serving as its incubator. We need manpower to replace the Mournful Actors, who have received revelation from the Aeon of Elation, to protect the native inhabitants."

After sending the message, he sat at the table waiting for a reply.

At first, there was a hissing noise coming from the box, then several other people's phone calls came through, all in incomprehensible, some near and some far, blurry and indistinct.

After the settlement had rung its bell for the third time, a narrow strip of paper emerged from the top of the box.

Your request for support has been received. The first convoy is about to depart. Please hold on for another seven Standard Days.

Jingxing turned the paper strip over. On the back was another line of small writing, the handwriting resembling that of Louis Fleming: "If possible, please use the new power to bring that King Bug down beneath the skies of Zeus Tehetra."

"What did they say over there?" Fu Xuan was pondering a replacement for the Water Curtain Formation used to Mournful Actors, looked up and asked.

"The Interastral Peace Corporation's fleet is already on its way." He handed her the paper strip. "Louis Fleming hopes we'll have a chance to take down that King Bug."

Fu Xuan shook his head after reading it.

"We have less than half a month to prepare to Emanator," she said. "The Water Curtain of Mournful Actors the musicians can last for another twelve days. During this time, we must first construct an alternative Formation before we can devise a plan to deal with it."

"I know nothing about Formations," Jingxing said. "So I can't be of much help. You focus on this; leave the preparations for that insect to me."

Fu Xuan took out a spare star map from a wooden box at the bow of the ship, spread it on the ground, and pressed his finger on the Light Strip.

"Essentially, what we need to do is strengthen the defenses. As long as this perimeter doesn't collapse, the Swarm won't be able to harass the native inhabitants," she said. "Fortunately, we don't need to cover the entire planet, otherwise it would be much more difficult."

"So how do you plan to defend this time?" Jingxing asked. "Let's make it clear first, I'll only contribute physical strength; I can't handle anything that requires brainpower."

"I'll design a uniquely shaped Formation." She pushed her finger from the Light Strip the gray side. "You just need to make sure I'm not disturbed by the Swarm while constructing the Formation."

Jingxing stared at the picture for a while, then suddenly smiled, "Thinking about it this way, if you had enough time, you could actually Destruction or protect a planet."

"Those Pathstrider are capable of doing such things." Fu Xuan lowered his gaze. "Although, according to the chronicles, the Reignbow Arbiter of Destiny had not yet been born at this time, it may be due to this that I feel I can mobilize a considerable amount of Path Energy compared to before."

"..." Jing Jingxing, who had a similar experience when shooting Jidu Mirage, remained silent. In any case, Fu Xuan's condition sounded quite different from his own back then, when he could have succeeded Idrila with just one more step forward.

After Fu Xuan finished drawing, Jingxing took the drawing to find the tall man. The Mournful Actors were distributing things by the stage; some were closing the lids of the mask boxes, while others were counting the lamp wicks according to the boxes.

"I hope you won't all evacuate immediately," Jingxing said. "Reduce the intensity of the Water Curtain formation a little each day. After all, our Formation also needs time to be set up."

The tall man's gaze fell on the drawing, and he looked along the Light Strip before speaking immediately.

"But tears aren't something we can control at will." He shook his head. "If we want to evacuate, we have to withdraw completely at once."

"Then I'll handle it." Jingxing patted his chest. "I'll use my abilities to Temperance your Water Curtain. You just need to relax and watch me operate."

"Alright." The Mournful Actors, completely unconcerned about losing control of his power, nodded readily.

So starting the next day, Jingxing took full control of the Water Curtain operation. Not just the Water Curtain in this settlement, but as long as Jingxing was slightly focused, he could easily connect his energy to the Water Curtain and circle the entire planet.

In the following days, while Fu Xuan slowly constructed the Formation, Jingxing's schedule remained the same—after waking up in the morning, Jingxing would immediately mobilize the Path Energy to repair the Water Curtain, and then Mournful Actors and hold back some of their tears.

After a week, Jingxing was already feeling a bit bored.

Fu Xuan squatted down next to him and brought the bowl full of water to his lips. "Have some water."

"I can do it myself."

"Your hands are shaking so badly," she complained. "My work should be finished by tomorrow."

Jingxing sipped the bowl of water clean, then sighed, "Why hasn't the support from the Interastral Peace Corporation arrived yet?"

That evening, Fu Xuan complained in his notebook, "It seems that the Interastral Peace Corporation didn't have a very good sense of time when it was first established."

After venting his frustrations, he still had to get on with his work. The next morning, Fu Xuan began constructing his Formation in full view of everyone.

Perhaps because the preparations were thorough enough, Fu Xuan didn't seem to have expended much energy. He simply closed his eyes, and after a while, Jingxing felt Fu Xuan's energy replace the nearly dried-up Water Curtain, successfully creating a defensive line across the entire planet that would leave most Swarms in awe.

"Now we just wait for the reinforcements to arrive." Jingxing squinted and silently withdrew the energy he had used to maintain the Water Curtain.

While maintaining the Water Curtain, he also considered how to hunt down the King Bug. But the most important problem now is that after witnessing Jingxing's power, that creature has stopped coming out and is hiding.

If the Swarm's outbreak hadn't continued at the same rate, Jingxing would have suspected that the guy had already run away.