Chapter 334
Before he could utter the word "fool," he was interrupted by a shushing gesture. A subtle emotion flickered in the girl's eyes, as if she were somewhat disappointed. "It wouldn't be fun if the mystery were solved so soon, would it?"
As she sighed, the laughter around them abruptly stopped, and everyone stood frozen in place, looking down at the company employee who hadn't yet gotten up.
He instinctively drew his gun and fired—but all that came out of the barrel with the "bang" was ribbons and colorful sequins.
His most relied-upon weapon had somehow turned into a toy gun!
"I... we..." The company employee gritted his teeth and squeezed out a sentence, "We were acting on orders from Schneider's supervisor..."
"Sigh, that's why the people at this company are so boring." The girl shook her head helplessly and took a step back. "Who uses their last resort right from the start? Are we even playing anymore?"
It was only at this point that the company employee finally realized he could stand up, so he quickly got up from the ground, but didn't know what to do next.
The Masked Fools, who worship the Aeon of Joy, are the kind of people the company least wants to mess with—not because they can't afford to, but because there's absolutely no profit to be gained from them.
Most importantly, this group's behavior is unpredictable, making it impossible to find an effective communication template. They also enjoy provoking the company and are always going against it.
So, what should we do now?
"Oh, aren't you leaving yet?" Looking at the people standing there dumbfounded, the girl blinked, a curious expression on her face. "Or do you want to stay and play with me?"
"Let's go!"
These words finally jolted the company employee in front of him awake. He shouted and then ran outside without looking back. The other company employees followed closely behind, their movements perfectly synchronized, looking almost like robots.
"That's more like it." The girl clapped her hands, then looked at the other customers in the tavern and smiled. "The performance is over. Please leave in an orderly fashion—remember to use the back door, okay?"
Influenced by her words, the remaining guests also left the tavern in unison through another exit.
Soon, only the girl and another person who had been ignored remained in the dilapidated tavern.
That was the bartender who stood behind the bar the whole time, yet went completely unnoticed.
"You really made me search so hard," the girl said, walking over and sitting across from the bar, a bright smile on her face. "Vita- neechan?"
The bartender whose name was called looked up and was surprised to see Vita, who had left the Solar System.
"Since it's so much trouble, why bother coming all this way?" She looked at the girl with a helpless smile. "You agree, right, Spark- chan?"
"Wow, you're disgusted with me~" Upon hearing this, Spark immediately started to whine in a sweet, coquettish tone, "But I just helped you sort out a super~ huge problem!"
At this point, she suddenly dropped her tone and looked at the other person with a serious expression. "Those black dogs, they actually came looking for you, right?"
"Aren't you just asking the obvious?" Vita said without changing her expression. "After all, you're the one who led them here, aren't you?"
"Oh dear, I can't hide it from you, Vita- neechan~" Spark smiled again, without a trace of apology. "But, since you're so hard to find, I had no choice but to rely on the company's resources!"
She paused for a moment, then said, "Okay, they've apologized, so shouldn't you thank me now?"
"Thank you so much, Spark- chan, for all the trouble you've caused me." Vita smiled back. "So, may you please leave now?"
"No way! How could I miss something so interesting?" Spark shook her head. "You can't blame me, after all, you're the only person in the world with a clue to the 'Radiant Flow'."
Upon hearing this, Vita could only let out a helpless sigh.
To be honest, she regretted it a little—if she had known earlier that the outside world was making such a fuss over Ai Yue's power, she would have preferred to stay on the Star of Light and work as Ai Yue's cleaner.
Of course, if it's just about coming out, it's not a big problem. After all, Vita has some experience in disguise and is confident that she can hide in such a vast universe.
But the problem lies with the "Star-Crosser"—that enormous robot made entirely of Photon Alloy, once it reveals its true power, is immediately associated with the "Radiant Flow."
Both the Spark company and the corporation are targeting Vita for this very reason.
If only my My Lord were here.
As Vita struggled with Spark, she mentally planned her next escape route, and couldn't help but sigh.
Then she heard a voice ring out in her mind.
"What's ready?"
That was Ai Yue's voice.
"My Lord?!" Vita instinctively maintained her fake smile, glancing at Spark to make sure she hadn't heard her voice before replying, "How come you...?"
"Don't speak yet, let me speak first," Ai Yue interrupted Vita's question, and continued, "In short, what I plan to do next is..."
After briefly describing the current state of the Solar System and his own plans, Ai Yue asked, "What's the situation on your end?"
"Me? You've really ruined me," Vita couldn't help but complain. "Do you know how many people outside are coveting your power?"
"To be honest, I really don't know," Ai Yue replied, "But it sounds like you probably have a lot to say about this."
"Yes, in short, the whole world is looking for you," Vita said, pondering. "Under these circumstances, if we rashly establish a connection, the very thing you're worried about might actually happen."
"That's why I'm asking if you have any ideas," Ai Yue said. "After all, you're the one who knows the most about the outer universe right now. From your perspective, perhaps we can find a way to break this deadlock."
"I've been thinking about it," Vita said, "But before that, let me first explain the information I've gathered to you..."
Next, Vita gave a general explanation of the Star Gods, destiny, and the current situation of various forces in the universe.
As Ai Yue recalled, he nodded—although he already knew most of it, he still had to pretend that he was learning it for the first time.
Based on Vita's description, Ai Yue roughly determined the timeline—if his deduction was correct, then the time he had chosen was roughly the time when the Stellar Train would connect to the Solar System in the original timeline.
"In short, it's really dangerous outside," Vita concluded. "Although it maintains a certain order on the surface, it's essentially a chaotic world where the strong prey on the weak."
"If Earth is truly ready to enter this environment, then it must demonstrate its strength."
"That's what I think too, but showcasing your abilities requires a suitable stage." Ai Yue nodded. "It sounds like you already have a plan?"
Vita didn't rush to respond to Ai Yue, but instead looked at the girl in front of her.
She gazed at the other person, then suddenly smiled.
"Sister Vita?" Even the well-informed and easily swayed Masked Fools couldn't help but take a step back when he saw Vita's smile. "Don't do this, I'm scared."
"Don't be afraid, Spark, I just thought of something very interesting."
Vita smiled, then replied in her mind, "My Lord, if an envoy-level powerhouse were to invade the Solar System, are you confident you can defeat him?"
"How many envoys are you talking about?" Ai Yue countered. "Ten or twenty shouldn't be a problem, but any more than that wouldn't be enough. The Solar System wouldn't be able to handle it, and rebuilding it would be a huge hassle."
"I see, then I have a general idea." Vita paused for a moment, then said, "Now, please allow me to formally introduce you to a worthy opponent—"
Its name is Oswald Schneider.
Volume VII: The Light That Illuminates the Universe
Chapter 1 Welcome to the Solar System
Amidst the starry sea, a medium-sized fleet was traversing the area. Its speed was not fast, but it moved smoothly and unimpeded wherever it went. Around it, whether it was a lone spaceship or a large fleet, they all kept their distance, as if they wanted to avoid it at all costs.
The reason they did this was because the flagship of this fleet was shaped like the engine of a train.
Although it sounds strange, there really is a train that can travel through the universe. It is the Stellar Train of the famous Pathfinder Star God "Acheron". It is this train that drives the power of pioneering destiny, opens up the connection between galaxies, and makes the universe so lively and prosperous today.
But "looking like a train" is another matter entirely—because this spaceship bears the logo of the Interastral Peace Corporation.
If it looks like a train and belongs to the Interastral Peace Corporation, then there's only one possibility—this spaceship belongs to Oswald Schneider, the head of the Market Development Department at Interastral Peace Corporation.
As is widely known, this man, who was just one step away from becoming a board member and the company's top executive, was once an unknown individual. However, after a certain incident, he left Stellar Train and chose to join the company.
Of course, that's not the most important thing. The most important thing is that this Former Nameless quickly began to stand out after joining the Market Development Department and rose all the way to the position of supervisor—at the cost of the destruction of countless planetary civilizations.
Yes, as a department dedicated to developing markets and bringing countless stars into the company's credit map, the Market Development Department's job is to explore those unknown civilizations, assess their value, examine their culture, and ultimately, imprint them with the company's mark.
For Oswald, however, this mark did not necessarily have to be placed on civilization—in his view, people were not important; the resources represented by those planets were what the company needed.
It is precisely because of this that his methods are extremely cruel and ruthless. More than one planet was destroyed by him using various means for refusing to cooperate, which ultimately contributed to his notoriety.
What's most frightening is that although Oswald is now a manager, second only to the board of directors, he is still full of "pioneering spirit." Whenever he encounters a tough problem, he always takes the lead and is the first to charge forward. It is precisely because of this that he has accumulated more blood debts on his hands since becoming a manager.
However, it is precisely because Oswald now has enemies all over the world that he is very secretive about his whereabouts to avoid being targeted by his enemies. This fleet in front of him is probably just one of his many tricks.
Even so, many people couldn't help but speculate about which unlucky civilization had managed to provoke this plague god.
Unfortunately, no one expected that Oswald Schneider himself would actually be sitting inside this spaceship.
Before him stood a thick, transparent wall, revealing the scene in another room in exquisite detail.
The room opposite was simply furnished, with only one chair fixed in the center, and sitting on it was a slender, tall figure— Vita, who had not long ago been running a small tavern on the edge of civilization.
At this moment, she seemed unrestrained, yet she was firmly fixed to the chair by an invisible force field, completely unable to break free.
Looking at the woman before him, even Oswald, who had followed the Pathfinder Star God and traveled to countless planets, couldn't help but blush with excitement.
This is not because of Vita's appearance, but because of the secret she hides—a secret that could overturn the entire world order.
Recalling the first time he saw that mecha, so full of divinity and radiance, Oswald still couldn't help but shudder.
On that occasion, he was "marketing" in a stubborn civilization when he was attacked by the person in front of him. The opponent piloted a huge mech and used power he had never seen before. He single-handedly destroyed his entire fleet.
Fortunately, Oswald was no ordinary man either. He managed to stall until reinforcements arrived and successfully damaged the mech.
He later discovered that the metal used by the mecha was a completely new material never seen before in the entire known universe, and the special power it contained made Oswald even more excited.
It is a mysterious energy that cannot be matched with any known destiny, yet strangely has an extremely high compatibility rate with any destiny. A person who possesses this power can even control the powers of multiple destinies at the same time!
Even setting that aside, this mysterious energy itself is terrifying; it may even point to an unknown star god, or perhaps an even more mysterious being.
Despite the lack of direct evidence, Oswald instinctively believed that this woman was definitely connected to the "Radiant Flow" in some way.
Even if this guess ultimately fails, as long as the woman can be found and the clues can be followed to obtain this magical metal, Oswald will be able to join the board of directors based on this achievement!
He knew this matter couldn't be known to anyone, so he could only continue to secretly search for "Radiant Flow" under that name. Fortunately, this behavior was very consistent with his previous image, so it didn't arouse any suspicion.
And now, that effort has finally paid off.
"Miss Vita, is that right?" Oswald composed himself and smiled. "We're finally meeting. It hasn't been easy finding you."
"If that's the case, why not give up?" Vita also had a fake smile on her face. "Pursuing something relentlessly is unsightly."
"That's because, of course, Miss Vita, you have something I want." Oswald continued without changing his expression, "Where did you hide that mech?"
The reason he was able to capture her so easily was because the massive mech wasn't near Vita. Otherwise, even if Oswald had staked all his resources, he probably wouldn't have been able to capture Vita.
"If I hand it over to you, will you let me go?" Vita said with a half-smile. "You're far too confident, Mr. Schneider."
"This isn't confidence, it's just routine." Oswald shook his head slightly, showing no emotional fluctuation at Vita's words. "Actually, I don't think you'll be this cooperative either, but the proper etiquette must still be observed."
"Well, you really are a gentleman," Vita said with a sneer. "If I hadn't witnessed your atrocities, I might have been fooled by you, Mr. Butcher."
"I don't intend to explain my beliefs and stance to you, so I don't care what you think." Oswald's expression changed slightly, but he continued, "In comparison, I think you should be more concerned about what happens to you next?"
He snapped his fingers and then unfolded a star map in front of Vita: "Let me introduce you to one of the company's major scientific research achievements—reverse tracking technology."
Then, Vita saw that a route had suddenly appeared on the star map, connecting many points of light representing planets together.
As she watched the lines extend across the star map, her expression suddenly darkened.
"So you've noticed too, haven't you?" Oswald, who had been watching her expression closely, smiled. "With this technology, we can trace every step you take in the universe. We can know exactly which planet you went to, where you were on that planet, and how long you stayed there."
"Under these circumstances, I think we'll be able to find the mech you've hidden very soon."
"So what?" Vita was silent for a moment, then finally said, "Without me, you could never have started it!"
"See, you've misunderstood something again, haven't you?" Seeing that he had the situation under control, Oswald couldn't help but smile. "Actually, we don't need its power, just its materials are enough. Destruction is much simpler than creation, isn't it?"
"Besides, that's not the most important thing." Seeing that Vita still maintained a tough stance, Oswald added, "Our real target is actually your hometown."
"There must be a powerful and prosperous civilization there, right?"
"So that's what you were planning." Hearing this, Vita remained unmoved, instead showing a look of pity. "Unfortunately, even if you do find it, what then?"
Seeing the other party's confident attitude, Oswald couldn't help but feel a little doubtful—could it be that she really had a star god backing her up? But judging from her reactions all along, she didn't seem to have any powerful backing at all.
However, his doubts were soon explained. As the tracing system gradually stopped searching, the end of the path eventually disappeared into chaos.
It was a terrifying energy tide zone, where powerful energy tides formed a natural barrier, hindering everyone's progress.
"So that's what you're relying on?" Having understood the source of Vita's confidence, Oswald breathed a sigh of relief. "For a moment, I was genuinely taken aback by you, Miss Vita."
As long as it's not a Star God, then everything is fine.
"I must say, this is indeed somewhat troublesome, but it's not unsolvable." Looking at Vita's smile, Oswald straightened his collar. "As you can see, Miss Vita, there's a 'Former Nameless' in the bedroom."
"Although I've left the Stellar Train, I still have some connections there." Watching Vita's gradually changing expression, Oswald said calmly, "Do you think this level of obstacle can withstand the power to forge a path?"
"Oswald, how dare you!" Vita, finally realizing the other party's intentions, turned pale and cursed, "You butcher, don't even think about touching my hometown!"
"Don't get excited, Miss Vita." Seeing that she had finally broken down, Oswald felt a surge of relief. He stood up and walked towards the door, no longer glancing at her. "Once we've fully 'explored' your home planet, perhaps you'll have a chance to become its governor."
"Of course, he's only the governor of the 'planet'."
Once the hatch shut out Vita's tirade, Oswald's expression calmed down again. He looked at his loyal subordinate and instructed, "Send a request to the Stellar Train in the name of the 'Business Consolidation Department'... no, the 'Technology Research Department.' Remember, make it seem natural, don't let anyone suspect anything."
As his subordinates left, Oswald returned to his office. Gazing at the most precise star map of the entire universe on the ceiling, he couldn't help but fantasize about his grand future career.