Strawberry Milkshake Tower

The person who emerged from the snow was none other than our Uncle Cold Legs—Sampo.

In a way, Star hadn't been entirely wrong; this really was a Belobog wild man.

As soon as Sampo popped out, he couldn't help but complain to them.

"Hey, buddy, isn't this a bit much? Hiding in the snow isn't that big a crime—no need to poke me with the tip of your spear." (￢_￢)

The three of them said nothing, their eyes fixed squarely on him.

Seeing that these three weren't speaking and were just staring at him, Sampo felt a bit awkward.

"Uh, but I can't blame you heroes for that. I showed up too suddenly, so taking that poke was worth it, proper, necessary! How else would I get to meet such good friends? Haha..."

March 7th and the others still stared at him without a word.

What's going on? Why are they still staring at me like that? Why? Did I do something wrong?[?_??]

No good—even though the vibe feels off, I have to keep playing along.?(??ω??)?

To stay in character, Sampo continued his script:

"...Has Commander Gepard arrived yet? I'm pretty familiar with him..."

The three still stared at him, saying nothing.

That's not right—shouldn't they be asking me who Commander Gepard is next?

How am I supposed to keep this act going now? Am I about to blow it? No, no, Sampo, you can do this! Stake your dignity as a Masked Fool—you have to keep this script going.(???????)?

Sampo gave himself a mental pep talk, then looked back at the three in front of him.

Sampo stopped talking too, putting on a fawning expression as he gazed at them.

The atmosphere grew more and more awkward. Finally, under the trio's unwavering stares, Sampo couldn't hold out any longer.

Sampo really had no idea what was so interesting about him that they'd stared for this long, and with such strange looks at that.

"Um... why are you friends staring at me like that?" (′｀;)?

Seeing Sampo ask them, March 7th and the others realized that staring at him so intently probably wasn't polite, so they finally spoke up.

March 7th asked Sampo with a puzzled expression.

"Uh, are you okay?"

Hearing March 7th's question, Sampo grew even more confused. What was wrong with him?

"This friend, Old Sampo, feels just fine! Aside from my butt hurting a bit from that poke just now..." (′-ι_-｀)

Star looked utterly amazed. As a newly born Stellaris Core, Star admitted she still knew far too little about this world.

"Are you really okay?" ⊙(?◇?)?

Sampo found it even stranger that Star was asking him this.

"I'm really fine. Sure, that friend poked me just now, but it's no big deal. After all, no fight, no friendship." (???ω???)

Star's sharp eyes seemed to sparkle like little stars, her face full of excitement.

"That's amazing..." (?ω?)

Seeing Star look at him like that, Sampo felt a bit embarrassed. He touched his hair and gave an awkward laugh.

"Haha, it's nothing..."

Before Sampo could finish, Star continued.

"There's a spear stuck in your butt, and you're bleeding so much, yet you're fine!" (?ω?)

"Haha, it's nothing—after all, I, Old Sampo, am..." ∑(′△｀)?!

Before Sampo could finish, he suddenly realized.

Wait, what did she say? Butt? Spear? Bleeding?

Sampo reached his hand back and carefully felt toward his rear.

Sure enough, he touched something hard and thick.

His face darkening, Sampo carefully pulled the object out.

It was unmistakably Dan Heng's ever-present Cloud-Piercer.

Sampo brought the Cloud-Piercer up to his eyes, looked at the trace of crimson on its tip, then turned his head to glance behind him.

Guess what he saw?

Hehe, a Strawberry Milkshake Tower!

The atmosphere grew awkward again.

After a moment, the most lively and restless March 7th finally couldn't take it anymore and spoke up again.

"Um... are you still alive?"

Sampo didn't answer.

Stelle stepped up and gently poked Sampo's shoulder.

Then Sampo suddenly toppled straight over.

Thud! His head just happened to hit a rock, and visibly, a flesh-colored lump began to grow among his blue hair.

Σ⊙▃⊙川

"I-I-I didn't do anything, I just touched him, you're all witnesses!"

Stelle looked at March 7th and Dan Heng in a panic.

No way? No way? I just got to a planet, and now I've killed someone?

No! My trailblazing journey just started, is it really going to turn into a fugitive run? (*?????)

No! I'm still a baby less than a month old. ??o·(????????????)?o·?

Hey, wait. Thinking about it, I'm still a minor, right! Minors probably don't get wanted! (?˙▽˙?)

Dan Heng quickly propped Sampo up and carefully examined his condition.

"He's fine, just lost too much blood."

Hearing Dan Heng's words, Stelle finally relaxed.

Even though relying on my minor status... no! I mean, being a newborn baby would probably get me protected by the Minor Protection Law. But still, killing someone would weigh on my conscience.

"Phew~ That's good, that's good. I was saying, how could a big guy like him just drop dead from a gentle push by a weak girl like me?"

March 7th looked at Stelle, who was taller than her, and couldn't help but snark:

"A weak girl who knocked a Doomsday Beast flying with a baseball bat?" (￢_￢)

Seeing the two still chatting away, Dan Heng quickly called out to them.

"You two, stop talking and come help!"

After a while...

Finally, with the help of the three (mostly the reliable Dan Heng teacher), Sampo's bleeding was stopped.

Once the bleeding stopped, Sampo quickly woke up thanks to his Pathstrider constitution.

"I... I'm still alive?"

Sampo looked at the three in front of him with a dazed expression.

Seeing Sampo awake, March 7th excitedly leaned in.

"Great, you're finally awake."

Sampo asked them as if he'd lost his memory.

"What happened? Wasn't I hiding in a snowdrift? Why did I suddenly pass out? Did you save me?"

March 7th was baffled by Sampo's reaction. What's going on? Did he forget us?

Dan Heng pulled March 7th and Stelle aside. Lowering his voice, he said to them.

"He might have hit his head on the rock when he fell, so he lost his memory."

Seeing the three whispering over there, Sampo felt a bit at a loss. He instinctively touched his head.

"Ah! My head!"

Sampo's face twisted in pain.

"Ow~ Why is my head swollen with such a big lump?"

Hearing Sampo's cry, Dan Heng and the others immediately ended their discussion and hurried over to tell Sampo the "truth."