Chapter 336

Sitting next to him, the pink-haired girl, March 7th, couldn't help but whisper to the black-haired boy beside her again, "Dan Heng, do you think this gentleman has no idea just how powerful the company's influence is outside...?"

"It's hard to say." Dan Heng looked at the man in front of him, unable to figure out his intentions. "But I think this gentleman is not such a superficial person."

"Mr. Ai Yue, may I assume that you are already planning to become enemies with the Interastral Peace Corporation?" Himeko asked after a brief silence. "Perhaps you are not fully aware of the company's strength, but that fleet just now was merely the force of one of the company's departments."

"Thank you for your concern, but I'm already aware of it." Ai Yue smiled and said frankly, "Besides, I suspect the company isn't entirely monolithic, right?"

"It seems you are not entirely ignorant of the world beyond the tidal zone," Himeko immediately understood Ai Yue's thoughts, but still couldn't help asking, "Could it be that everything that happened today was also part of your plan?"

"Miss Himeko is indeed clever. Oswald Schneider was a target I carefully selected." Ai Yue made no attempt to hide his intentions. "After all, given what he's done, he should have met this end long ago, shouldn't he?"

"I must admit, this is indeed... exhilarating." Himeko nodded, a slight smile appearing on her face. "However, I must remind you that Oswald has a powerful backer to have survived until now and continue committing atrocities."

"Yes, Mr. Ai Yue, you can't let your guard down," March 7th chimed in, "There are a lot of capable people in the company!"

"Excuse my bluntness, Mr. Ai Yue," Dan Heng suddenly asked, "You've chosen a prominent figure in the company as your target, and you intend to spread this matter far and wide... Does this mean you plan to lead your civilization into the starry sea and use this to 'establish your authority'?"

Upon hearing this, the person who reacted the most was Himeko. She looked abruptly at Ai Yue, a look of realization flashing in her eyes.

At first, she thought it was just a defensive counterattack. After all, Oswald's intentions and actions were too obvious, and no one would believe that he came with good intentions.

But she just learned that this whole thing was actually part of Ai Yue's plan from the beginning, which made things a bit complicated.

Without Ai Yue's arrangements, the Stellar Train might not have been able to enter this star system for who knows how long, and Oswald's invasion would not have occurred, nor would there have been any need for a self-defense counterattack. However, interpreting this matter as "eliminating a scourge for the people" seems a bit too idealistic and righteous.

Admittedly, such organizations do exist in the universe, but Himeko doesn't believe that Ai Yue's goals are so simple—after all, from the current perspective, the other party is the leader of a civilization, and a leader needs to take into account the interests of the entire civilization when designing a plan.

Although there are leaders who disregard the overall situation for personal gain, Himeko's intuition tells her that Ai Yue is not that kind of person.

Dan Heng's speculation is clearly more reasonable and more in line with Ai Yue's identity as a leader.

The only question is, what gives this man the confidence to confront the most powerful force in the entire universe?

"Mr. Dan Heng is quite perceptive." Ai Yue glanced at Dan Heng, then smiled. "But are you really prepared to know the answer?"

Dan Heng fell silent immediately, then looked at Himeko.

Ai Yue's implication was not hard to understand: if they got the answer to the question, they would be associated with this matter and might be drawn into the struggle between the two forces.

If it were just Dan Heng alone, it wouldn't matter, but as an anonymous guest, his words and actions represent more than just himself. Moreover, the entire Stellar Train is now under Ai Yue's control, and he cannot risk the safety of those around him.

As the navigator of the Stellar Train, Himeko is clearly the one who can make the real decisions.

"It seems you need to discuss this." Ai Yue naturally understood Dan Heng's thoughts, so he stood up very considerately. "Then, please excuse me for a moment."

Just in time, the new guests should be arriving soon.

After Ai Yue left, the three of them immediately began their discussion.

"What should we do? Should we take this opportunity to run away?" March 7th said nervously. "It feels like neither side is easy to mess with!"

"The company is a powerful organization that worships the Amber Lord, and there are more than one Commander within it," Dan Heng analyzed. "But on the other hand, Mr. Ai Yue's civilization also has more than one Commander, and his own strength is probably even greater than that of the Amber King."

"You mean, the Star God, right?" Himeko bluntly stated Dan Heng's guess, but then shook her head. "But I didn't sense the aura of the Star God from Mr. Ai Yue. Those great beings walk their own destinies, and even if they appear in human form, they would never behave like this."

While the Star God is indeed powerful, he is also bound by his own destiny, just as Amber Lord forges the protective wall day after day, and Aha never stops having fun. If Ai Yue is truly the Star God, then even if the destiny he controls is unknown to others, Himeko and the others can still see some clues from his behavior.

"I secretly asked the train conductor before, and he also said it didn't seem like it," March 7th added from the side. "But Pom-Pom also said that Mr. Ai Yue is very capable, almost as capable as Acheron!"

"An existence comparable to a star god, yet not a star god?" Himeko said, glancing up at the window. From here, she could see the blue planet. "What secrets does this civilization hold...?"

Ai Yue was unaware of the conversation between the three train crew members. At that moment, he arrived at another room in the lunar base and saw two Vita there.

Seeing this, Ai Yue couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, then pointed a finger at one of them before they could speak, "Stop pretending, you're fake."

Vita's smiling expression froze for a moment, then burst like a bubble, revealing a disgruntled twin-tailed girl inside. "Tch, how boring."

"I told you you couldn't hide it from me, but you still wouldn't believe me." Vita shook her head helplessly, then stood up and respectfully bowed to Ai Yue, "My Lord, the plan is proceeding smoothly."

"Yes, thank you for your hard work." Ai Yue nodded, then pulled up a chair. "Please sit down. And this is... Spark, right? Thank you."

Looking back at the whole plan, it's not hard to see that Oswald lost too hastily. His entire behavior seemed reckless and mindless, as if he were blinded by madness, and it can be said that he had almost no thought process.

While the allure of Photon Alloy was undeniable, the power of Path of Joy was also undeniable. It could be said that Oswald's excessive excitement allowed the power of Spark to slip through his fingers, leading him into this trap.

Of course, Ai Yue left this part to Vita to work out on her own. In fact, even if Oswald remained cautious and did not choose to take all the credit, but instead called on everyone he could, it would only have given Ai Yue a few more hostages.

Unless a Star God-level power intervenes, or the number of messengers does not exceed twenty, the outcome is unchangeable.

"You're welcome. I'm already very satisfied with participating in such a great show," Spark said with a smile. "However, it seems the wrap-up work isn't quite finished yet. Do you need my help again?"

Clearly, simply capturing Oswald isn't enough; Spark truly wants to see is make this a global spectacle.

The thought of personally instigating a conflict between two powerful forces made Spark unable to contain her smile.

"Of course," Ai Yue said nonchalantly. In fact, Spark's enthusiasm saved him a lot of trouble. "But before that, are there any requirements that need to be met?"

Although Ai Yue was well aware that the Masked Fools were just a bunch of people looking for fun, since they had helped him, he naturally had to give something in return.

Before Hanabi could Spark, Vita quickly stepped between the two. "Wait a minute, Ai Yue, we need to set the conditions beforehand, otherwise this guy will ask for an exorbitant amount!"

"Hey, Vita- neechan, we're like family, why are you siding with outsiders!" Hearing Vita's defensiveness, Spark immediately started acting out a dramatic scene, tears welling up in her eyes. "I even wanted to invite you to join the tavern back then, I'm so heartbroken!"

"It's no fun doing the same thing twice," Vita said, looking at her speechlessly. "Besides, is that tavern really such a nice place? I don't think so."

"How can you say that?" Spark immediately put on an innocent look. "That's our happy hometown! I am..."

"You invited me because we hit it off immediately, right?" Vita quickly and firmly refused, making her stance clear to her real boss, "In short, no way, no matter what it is!"

"There's no need to be so nervous," Ai Yue patted Vita on the shoulder, signaling her to calm down. "Whether the demands are excessive or not, we'll only know after hearing them. If all else fails, we can always bargain, right?"

"That's why you're the real master here, Mr. Ai Yue, you're so magnanimous!" Spark quickly chimed in, not letting Vita interrupt her again. "In that case, I'm sure you won't refuse our request to switch places and play for a few days, right?"

Spark wasn't entirely clear on what kind of person Ai Yue was, but she knew that someone who could win the heart of a cynical person like Vita was definitely not simple.

This made her even more eager to know everything the other person possessed.

"Sure," Ai Yue agreed without batting an eye to such an outrageous request. "Don't even mention a few days. If you can do me another favor, I'd give you my entire position. What's wrong with that?"

"Oh?" Spark feigned interest, but inwardly she was already on guard. "I wonder what kind of help Mr. Ai Yue needs from me?"

Ai Yue smiled and casually said, "I'd like you to help me make a connection so I can meet Aha."

Chapter Four: You, go slap Amber Lord.

As Ai Yue finished speaking, the atmosphere in the room became subtle.

"Sorry, I didn't understand," Spark's smile had completely vanished. She stared at the man before her. "You mean, you want to see the Aeon of Joy, right?"

"Yes," Ai Yue said calmly, seemingly oblivious to the change in atmosphere. "Is there a problem?"

"No, of course not!" Spark smiled again, but this time she looked somewhat manic. "Vita- neechan, your guy is really funny!"

But then she calmed down instantly, looking somewhat strange. "Unfortunately, it seems I won't get this position."

"Looks like you can't help me." Ai Yue sighed helplessly. "I thought that a more frivolous star god like Aha would have a better chance of getting in touch with the others."

"Theoretically speaking, that's true." Spark's expression relaxed considerably. "But the Aeon of Joy is still a Star God, and she won't appear just because we, the travelers of destiny, raise our arms."

"So it didn't work after all?" Ai Yue rubbed his chin. "I thought that as long as I told Him, 'There's some fun to see here,' he would come running over on his own."

"What do you take the Star God for... I really want to say this, but I have to admit, there's some truth to your thinking." Spark paused, then laughed. "But you have to understand, not just any kind of fun can attract you, haha."

"The kind of fun you just had might attract someone of my level, but if you really want to see him, you'll probably have to find a way to fight a Star God."

Spark had only mentioned it casually, but seeing Ai Yue actually looking thoughtful, she was taken aback. "Hey, you're not really considering this, are you?"

"Otherwise what?" Ai Yue pondered as he replied, "Which Star God is the weakest right now?"

"Uh, how would I know?" Spark blinked, finally avoiding the topic. "Besides, even if you could really determine who the weakest one is, you'd still need to find them first."

"Wait, wait a minute," Vita finally snapped out of the shock of Ai Yue's words, waving her arms exaggeratedly as she joined the conversation, "Ai Yue, are you serious? You really want to make contact with the Star God?"

As the only "returnee" in the entire Solar System, Vita believed that she understood the situation of the universe better than anyone else in the Solar System. It was precisely because of this that she understood that the real Star God was definitely not as easygoing and friendly as Ai Yue.

The Star Gods walk their own destinies, both masters and prisoners of their own destinies. Just as the Amber Lord endlessly builds walls and Aha laughs forever, their actions are always closely related to their own destinies. It is precisely because of this that the Star Gods cannot be contacted through normal means.

If a conflict arises during contact, how should Ai Yue confront the power of the Star God?

Although Ai Yue's current strength can be described as unfathomable, after hearing so many stories about the Star Gods, Vita couldn't help but worry about whether he could contend with them.

"Of course." In front of Spark, Ai Yue didn't intend to go into too much detail, he just nodded, "After all, in this sea of stars, the only ones who can interest me are those guys."

"Looks like we've really run into someone extraordinary this time." Before Vita could say anything, Spark suddenly laughed, "Alright, I've decided, I'm changing my request!"

"Really?" Ai Yue didn't react much on the surface, but felt a little helpless inside. "It's not that I'm bragging, but I'm considered a supreme being in this star system, you know? Don't you want to experience it?"

"While having some fun seems like a good idea, my gut feeling tells me it would be a bad deal." Spark gave a sly smile, clearly not easily swayed by Ai Yue. "After all, if we miss this opportunity, we might never have another chance, right?"

Upon hearing this, Ai Yue could only shake his head helplessly.

His thinking was simple: if Spark wanted to use this favor as an excuse to cause trouble on Earth, no matter how big the trouble was, it would ultimately just be amusement. Being able to repay a favor from a Masked Fools in this way was a great deal for Ai Yue.

However, if the other party realizes the value of this favor and uses it to ask Ai Yue to do something else, then Ai Yue will obviously suffer a great loss.

After all, given his personality, he would never go back on his word.

As expected, after confirming that Ai Yue was indeed incredibly capable, Spark chose the option that maximized her benefits. "I want to exchange this favor for one of your promises... no, two!"

As we all know, a promise may sound like an empty check, but as long as Ai Yue approves of it, it's equivalent to a magic wish that can produce unimaginable results.

Vita, standing to the side, understood this principle best, because her wish was fulfilled in this way— Ai Yue even sacrificed an incredibly powerful mecha for it, but this was far from the limit of what this promise could bring.

So she obediently remained quiet at this moment, afraid that her reaction would give Spark away and cause Ai Yue to suffer another loss.

"No, there can only be one." Ai Yue knew the Masked Fools's penchant for amusement, and to avoid his power being abused, he naturally had to bargain. "I admit you contributed a lot to this plan, but you can't ask for an exorbitant price, can you?"

"Wow, you're so stingy!" Spark pouted, feigning anger. "I'll still help you spread the word about this, so it's not too much to consider it a promise, right?"

Ai Yue remained unmoved. "Then you can simply remain silent. I can handle this through other channels."

He knew very well that for someone like Spark, not being able to participate in this fun would be worse than killing her. So even if he didn't give her any benefits, she would help him promote the show for free. If he was even a little less shameless, he could even get Spark to pay him to do the work.

However, Ai Yue didn't go that far, so Spark, sensing the atmosphere, chose to stop while she was ahead. "Alright, alright, you really don't want to suffer any loss. This time, I'll just Spark it's because I'm in a good mood, so I'm helping you for free!"

"I've lost so much money I'm practically on the bus!" Ai Yue couldn't help but roll her eyes. "If it weren't for the fact that we really couldn't find a more reliable partner, you would never have gotten this opportunity."

The price to pay for fulfilling a promise depends largely on the kind of person the contract is with. If it were a disciplined organization like the Immortal Ship, Ai Yue might be invited to participate in the siege of the Destruction Envoy. If it were a civilization like the Belobog, perhaps all that would be needed is material aid.

But now it is in the hands of Masked Fools who acts unpredictably and does everything for his own amusement. Ai Yue has no idea what the other party is capable of doing for his own amusement.

He now strongly suspects that Spark might use this promise to pressure him into attacking Amber Lord just for fun.

"Don't worry, I may not have any bottom line, but I'm not completely insane, okay?" Spark seemed to sense Ai Yue's slight worry and said, "Even if it's just to prevent you from holding a grudge later, I won't use this promise to ask you to do anything too outrageous."

After saying this, without waiting for Ai Yue's response, she adjusted her mask and vanished before them, transforming into swirling sequins and ribbons. "I'm going to... Earth for a few days. I'll leave when I'm done, don't worry!"

Ai Yue shook his head slightly, then looked at Vita: "What's the difference between trusting her and deceiving yourself?"

"That's true." Vita couldn't help but smile, subconsciously brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "So, I'll keep an eye on her for you."

"That would be wonderful." Ai Yue shrugged and smiled. "I haven't had a chance to ask yet, how was the interstellar travel?"

Although the two were able to communicate telepathically over long distances thanks to their connection through the Power of Light, they had been working on perfecting their plan to lure the other into a trap, so it wasn't until now that they finally had time to sit down and have a proper chat.

"It's really great, this universe is truly amazing." Vita recalled her series of experiences and couldn't help but smile brightly. "I really love this kind of world!"

After a moment, she composed herself slightly and began to get down to business. "Regarding the Star God, could it be that your agreement to attack Oswald was also in order to get closer to the Amber Lord?"

After realizing that Ai Yue's goal was to make contact with the Star God, Vita immediately understood Oswald's brilliance—he was not only a stepping stone for Earth's civilization to make a name for itself among the stars, but also an excellent bargaining chip that could be used to make a deal with the company.

With proper management and given Ai Yue's current capabilities, there's a possibility that he could get close to Amber Lord through the company.

However, the thought that Oswald, who should have been torn to pieces, could escape this fate again made Vita feel uneasy.

This might be the best chance to kill him. If he escapes again, the terrified Oswald might never leave Belobog again.

However, for the sake of Ai Yue's plan, Vita ultimately did not reveal her own thoughts.

"Don't overthink it. It's just contact with the Amber Lord; it's not worth crossing my bottom line." Ai Yue glanced at Vita and guessed her thoughts, so he reassured her, "Oswald is doomed. Even if the Amber Lord himself came, he couldn't save him. I'm telling you."

Vita paused for a moment, then laughed, "I thought so too, but what about the company?"

"Once they truly understand the power of the Solar System, they will make a wise choice." Ai Yue smiled. "Do you think the company would risk antagonizing a force with several Commander-level personnel just for the sake of a mere Market Development Department head?"

"Speaking of which, I really can't believe it," Vita said with a somewhat subtle expression. "Do they really all have the power of an Envoy?"

In the legends of the star sea, the messengers of the star god are an extremely exaggerated concept. Some messengers can easily destroy an entire star system, while others possess conceptual-level powers, and some can even withstand the erosion of the star god's power... But no matter how diverse their abilities are, one thing is certain.

That means the envoy is very strong, extremely strong.

This makes it difficult for Vita to connect this concept with Kevin and the others—because in her mind, these guys were all easy targets, and the victory over the Honkai was entirely due to Ai Yue alone. If they were all Commanders, wouldn't that mean Ai Yue was truly a Star God?

But where in the world is there such a star god...?

Ai Yue countered with a question, "Leaving aside them, don't you possess the same power yourself?"

"Star-Crosser need to overload to unleash their Envoy-level combat power, and the side effects are severe, okay?" Vita rolled her eyes and added in a low voice, "Besides, I thought I was special."