Astral Express Crew Wiped Out at the Start

"Mother, I... I wanted to ask you something."

"There's a classmate in my class who wants to come over to our house to hang out and study together. Is that okay?"

Cocolia rubbed her temples.

"A classmate? What kind of classmate is worth you asking me about?"

Bronya lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously poking at each other, her cheeks flushed.

"It's... the one I mentioned to you before, the one who transferred from the Underworld."

"He's very smart. He even ranked higher than me on the last test."

"Oh? Is that so? The one named Jiang..."

Cocolia was about to say the name.

Suddenly, her expression changed, her brow furrowed, and the pain in her forehead seemed to intensify.

She couldn't help but hold her head.

Bronya was immersed in her own shyness and anticipation and didn't fully notice her mother's unusual reaction.

She looked up and noticed something was wrong.

Then she hurried forward, "Mother, are you alright? Should I go get a doctor for you?"

"No need!"

Cocolia interrupted her impatiently, her voice rising a few notches.

But then she realized her loss of composure and softened her tone.

"I just need to rest for a bit. You're talking about... Jiang Mo, right?"

She seemed to be enduring something with great effort.

"Yes! Yes, Mother, it's Jiang Mo. Can he come?"

Bronya looked up at her expectantly.

Cocolia looked at her daughter's rare, pleading gaze.

And she felt the inexplicable stinging and irritability in her mind.

She just wanted to end this conversation as soon as possible.

Cocolia waved her hand impatiently:

"Alright, alright, let him come."

"But remember, Clipper Fort isn't a playground. Tell him to follow the rules and leave before dark."

"Really?! That's great! Thank you, Mother!"

Bronya was overjoyed, her face breaking into a smile.

Chapter 58: Meeting the Parents

The next day, Bronya excitedly told Jiang Mo the good news.

After school, under the envious gazes of countless classmates.

Bronya Rand, the future Supreme Guardian, personally led Jiang Mo.

They walked towards the magnificent fortress that symbolized power and Order—Clipper Fort.

Passing through layers of heavily guarded gates, walking along the wide and cold corridors.

Jiang Mo's face was filled with curiosity and amazement.

But in his heart, he was calmly observing.

At this moment, Jiang Mo's Golden Threads of Fate had already spread out.

The invisible threads, as if alive, quickly attached themselves to the walls, floors, sewers, and even the gaps in the guards' armor.

His pace was slow, and the threads continued to extend.

Building structure, room layout, personnel configuration...

Soon, a three-dimensional and constantly improving map took shape in his mind.

The guards' whispers, the sound of documents flipping in the distant office, everything was clearly transmitted to his ears.

Bronya took Jiang Mo to her living area.

This place was obviously more domestic than the outside, but it was still neat and solemn.

Passing through a courtyard, Bronya stopped in front of a door:

"This is my room."

Jiang Mo immediately suggested that he wanted to see her room.

Bronya's fair cheeks flushed, and she hesitated for a moment.

But in the end, she couldn't resist Jiang Mo's insistence and nodded lightly in agreement.

Pushing open the door, the room's interior was quite different from the maiden's boudoir Jiang Mo had imagined.

There were no toys, no dolls, save for a small Silvermane Guards figurine on the desk.

Everything was in perfect order, almost excessively so.

One wall was a huge bookshelf, filled with all kinds of books, mostly practical and knowledge-based.

On the other side, several exquisite model guns were hanging.

"Bronya, your room is quite unique."

"Mother says that as an heir, I shouldn't indulge in useless decorations,"

Bronya explained.

Her gaze, however, unconsciously drifted to the model guns, showing how much she liked them.

The two chatted casually for a while.

Feeling the time was right, Jiang Mo stood up:

"Excuse me, Bronya, could I use the restroom?"

"Of course," Bronya pointed to the door, "Just turn left outside."

Jiang Mo thanked her and left the room, but he didn't head for the restroom.

Following the guidance of the Golden Threads of Fate, he walked through several corridors and arrived at a large door.

It was the office of the Supreme Guardian, Cocolia.

The Golden Threads told him that Cocolia was inside, alone.

Strangely, she seemed to be talking to "someone."

Jiang Mo's heart stirred, and he focused the perception of the Golden Threads of Fate on the office.

"I know the marrow mines are running out, but there's still time, I'm still trying..."

Cocolia's voice came, full of fatigue and anxiety.

A chaotic and tempting voice sounded:

"Give up resisting... Embrace this new world as soon as possible... Let those foolish Silvermane Guards withdraw... Embrace the blessing of the Eternal Freeze..."

Jiang Mo's heart tightened.

This... was the Stellar Nucleus whispering!

"Please give me some more time!"

"I will make them... make them all accept..."

"Knock, knock, knock."

Suddenly, someone knocked on the office door.

The voices inside stopped abruptly.

The chaotic whisper vanished without a trace.

After a moment of silence, Cocolia's somewhat flustered voice sounded:

"Who is it?... Come in!"

Jiang Mo pushed the door open and entered.

Cocolia was sitting behind a large desk. She saw the black-haired young man who came in, his face handsome, about the same age as her daughter Bronya, and couldn't help but be stunned.

She quickly recognized him:

"Jiang Mo? What are you doing here, child?"

"This is not a place to play around, go find Bronya."

Jiang Mo was slightly surprised, but remained calm.

She knows me?

But then he realized that he and Bronya were so close, it was impossible for Cocolia not to know, given her controlling nature and methods.

His information was probably already on her desk.

Fortunately, this identity was clean; otherwise, she wouldn't have let him into Clipper Fort.

Jiang Mo bowed respectfully and said in a tone of youthful admiration:

"Supreme Guardian, hello."

"Bronya told me your office was here."

He paused, looking at Cocolia with sincere eyes.

"You are Bronya's mother, and also Belobog's greatest Supreme Guardian."

"I... have always admired you very much, so I took the liberty of coming to say hello."

Cocolia looked at the well-mannered and sincere young man in front of her, and the weariness on her face dissipated slightly.

Despite coming from the Underworld, his upbringing showed in his manners; clearly, his new family had educated him well.

"It puts my mind at ease knowing Bronya has a friend like you."

She nodded slightly, accepting Jiang Mo's greeting.

However, at that moment, the intense headache that had been forcibly suppressed earlier struck again, more violently than ever before!

The chaotic whispers had receded, but the mental backlash they left behind made Cocolia's vision go dark.

She clutched her forehead in pain, her body swaying involuntarily.

"Supreme Guardian, what's wrong?!"

Jiang Mo immediately stepped forward, a look of concern on his face.

Cocolia wanted to say "I'm fine," but the pain prevented her from uttering a single word, and she could only wave her hand weakly.

At that moment, Jiang Mo clearly saw wisps of black smoke-like energy constantly emanating from Cocolia's body, especially around her head, where it lingered.

Cocolia herself didn't seem to notice this energy.

But Jiang Mo was all too familiar with it; it was the power of Destruction.

He had seen this scene in the simulations.

It must be due to the [Lord of Ruin] trait that he had developed some kind of affinity with the power of Destruction.

That's why he could see these anomalies that ordinary people couldn't perceive.

In that case, maybe he could try...

Jiang Mo then pretended to be anxious and said:

"Supreme Guardian, your condition looks like a severe migraine caused by excessive mental stress."