Chapter 350

Ai Yue raised an eyebrow, about to look away, but suddenly paused, then glanced in another direction.

This action went unnoticed by anyone, but when Ai Yue looked away, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, as if he had seen something interesting.

At the far end of his gaze, someone was contacting their superior in a calm and gentle voice.

"Yes, the Stellar Train has arrived too."

The woman's voice sounded mature and elegant, with a hint of allure. Just by listening to her voice, one could almost picture a mature woman in purple. However, very few people could discern the unfathomable danger emanating from that voice.

"According to intelligence, the person who could make Black Tower personally appear at the space station and wait for us here is probably on the train... Adding to that the lone traveler who already arrived, I think things have probably gone beyond our plans."

"You must have known about this since the Great Black Tower appeared, right?"

The voice that chimed in from the side, carrying a touch of childishness and nonchalance, easily conjured up the image of a carefree young girl. "To be honest, in this situation, hoping for the Antimatter Legion to appear is a bit too optimistic. Even if they were that stupid, it's not necessarily... tsk!"

Halfway through her sentence, the girl's tone turned irritated. "I failed again... Is this game developer a freak? If this keeps up, don't blame me for being impolite!"

"I agree with Silver Wolf's view. At this point, unless the Great Extinguisher personally intervenes, it will be difficult to create the situation we need," the mature voice continued. "With the prophecy severely disrupted, we can no longer cling to the old ways... Hmm, okay, I understand."

The communication seemed to have ended, and the mature woman's voice fell silent.

"How so?"

"Elio thinks we should look for another opportunity, but we shouldn't miss it... I think we should at least try again."

"Relying on the two of us? Or should we call in reinforcements?"

"Are you sure? In this situation, calling them over means we're going to directly wage war against the Herta Space Station and the Stellar Train?"

"Uh, you're right."

Chapter Twenty-Six: "Quack, I don't want to see!"

Inside the Herta Space Station, a simple yet solemn welcoming ceremony was prepared for the Stellar Train.

The reason it is described as simple is because only two people were present at the welcoming ceremony. However, since one of them was Black Tower, the true owner of the Herta Space Station, it was both contradictory and solemn.

It's important to understand that as a member of the Genius Club, Black Tower's time is extremely valuable. This space station appears to be a very important scientific research organization, but it's just one of her properties. She doesn't even appear here in her real form on a regular basis; instead, she participates in the space station's affairs by transmitting her consciousness to a puppet.

More importantly, Black Tower's personality also fits the stereotype of a "genius." She is indifferent to most things, including her subordinates. If she is faced with something she is not interested in or even hates, she will wear her emotions on her sleeve and not consider the other person's feelings at all.

And this very person not only came in person, but was even willing to wait in advance for the arrival of the Stellar Train. The respect shown by this is enough to make anyone who knows the Black Tower drop their jaw.

In fact, Asta, the actual administrator of the Herta Space Station, was standing not far behind the Black Tower, watching with a subtle gaze, clearly somewhat worried about the Black Tower's unusual behavior.

After all, the Black Tower had been waiting at the space station for far too long for the arrival of the Stellar Train. It was hard for Asta not to suspect that the Black Tower's patience had reached its limit and that it might unleash a shocking outburst of temper at any moment.

However, what she didn't know was that Black Tower was actually in a very good mood.

This can be seen from her conversations with those around her.

"Vita, I have a new idea." Black Tower's face was beaming with a smile, showing no impatience while waiting for someone. "Don't leave later, help me try it out first."

"Still trying?" The woman standing next to Black Tower was Vita, whom Ai Yue had summoned beforehand. A stiff smile played on her lips; clearly, her time at the Herta Space Station hadn't been pleasant. "Please, Black Tower, have mercy on me. After all, it wasn't my fault the Simulated Universe malfunctioned."

"It's your fault for not saying so, but you should at least finish what you started," Black Tower said matter-of-factly. "Since you promised to help me test it, you should at least wait until I'm tired of using it before you say anything, right?"

"Your choice of words is quite blunt, Miss Black Tower." Vita looked exasperated. "But speaking of which, shouldn't you be focusing on someone else right now? Why are you holding onto me like this?"

"I'm a pragmatist after all. If something is useful, I'll naturally grab it first." Black Tower revealed a smug smile. "Besides, these two things don't conflict. Can't I have both?"

"The rumors outside aren't entirely unfounded." Vita shook her head and sighed, then noticed something and quickly changed the subject, "Look, the Stellar Train is here!"

At the edge of her vision, the Stellar Train was approaching with its whistle, its dazzling headlights illuminating their faces and making their expressions exceptionally clear.

"It's finally here," Black Tower let out a sigh of relief, then pulled something out of his pocket. "I was ready—everyone does it this way, right?"

So when the nameless passengers disembarked from the train, they were greeted by... the sound of a handheld ceremonial cannon.

With a "bang," countless ribbons shot into the sky and landed on everyone.

"Where did you learn that from?" Vita was stunned by Black Tower's behavior before she could even greet Ai Yue. "Is this how you use it?"

"I learned it from Luo Si. He said that small props can enhance the atmosphere during a welcoming ceremony, right?" Hei Ta glanced at her and then focused his gaze precisely on Ai Yue. "Hello, Mr. Ai Yue, I've been waiting for you for a long time."

She extended her hand directly, her gaze sweeping over the others. "And Himeko, March 7th, Dan Heng... Oh, is this also a newcomer? Anyway, hello everyone."

"That's quite a perfunctory greeting," Himeko said with a smile. "However, a greeting from a genius is formal enough in itself."

"Hello, Miss Heita." Ai Yue didn't hesitate much before shaking Heita's hand, glancing at Vita beside her at the same time, "This guy shouldn't have caused you any trouble, right?"

Looking at the girl in front of him, wearing a wizard's hat and Rita, he couldn't help but think to himself again—she looked more like a sorceress than a scientist.

Combined with the various hints in the game regarding the analysis of the Black Tower, Ai Yue had a feeling that the other party might actually possess some kind of magic.

Although actual magic can also be considered a part of science.

"Wow, that's really hurtful!" Before Heita could reply, Vita complained, "I've been working diligently and conscientiously to complete the task you assigned me, okay?"

After a pause, she turned her head away with a subtle expression. "The result was slightly off."

"You'd better be..." Ai Yue shook his head slightly, then tried to withdraw his hand—but found that Hei Ta's hand was gripping him tightly, clearly not intending to let go. "Miss Hei Ta?"

"Mr. Ai Yue, time is precious. I think we should discard some useless formalities." Ignoring the doubt in Ai Yue's eyes, Hei Ta said, "So, please follow me."

After saying that, she pulled Ai Yue into the space station, clearly having no intention of responding to him.

Although Ai Yue felt somewhat helpless, he did not intend to put up a fight. After all, he had come here specifically for the Black Tower. Whether it was the Simulated Universe project that could simulate the Star God or the tool that could communicate with the Boshizun, both were things that Ai Yue was interested in.

Vita, who was standing nearby, sensibly made way for Ai Yue, and smiled as she watched him leave.

That was her original plan—until Ai Yue grabbed the back of her collar.

Hmph, trying to escape?

March 7th watched as the group disappeared from his sight in such a strange way before turning to Himeko and Dan Heng beside him. "Uh, I mean, is it alright to just leave them like this?"

"Let me remind you, the person you just saw is the actual owner of the Herta Space Station," Dan Heng said from the side. "You're on their turf, trying to interfere with them?"

"No need to worry, I think they'll get along very well," Himeko said with a smile. "So, let's take this opportunity to rest and recuperate."

As the group was talking, Ai Yue, having confirmed that Ai Yue did not intend to break free, released her grip and walked around the space station with a relatively dignified demeanor—after all, these were people who admired her, and she needed to be mindful of her image.

"As you can see, this is my space station. Although it's just the tip of the iceberg of my businesses, the people here are quite hardworking, and I actually quite like it here." As they walked, Black Tower began to introduce the space station. "Before we get down to business, is there anything else you'd like to know?"

"I've heard you have quite a collection?" Ai Yue gave his prepared answer. "Would I be so kind as to take a look?"

"Of course, no problem. But the collection here is just the tip of the iceberg. It's probably nothing for you to worry about, right?" Black Tower nodded, then changed direction. "This way."

"The difference in treatment is truly stark," Vita muttered softly. "I've told you so many times, but you've never taken me to the collectors' section."

Black Tower stared straight ahead, pretending not to hear.

After passing through the bustling core area, the three took an elevator and quickly arrived at the heavily guarded collection room. Numerous transparent display cases were arranged in front of them according to a certain pattern, and each display case contained a unique artifact.

Some are precious natural creations with extremely high value; others are souvenirs with hidden legendary stories and special significance; still others are man-made items that Black Tower finds interesting and amusing; and the rest are things that Black Tower hasn't yet figured out.

Ai Yue strolled among the dazzling array of artifacts, his gaze sweeping over each and every piece, yet lingering almost without pause.

"You don't seem to be here for sightseeing; you seem more like you're looking for something," Black Tower, who had been watching Ai Yue's every move, couldn't help but ask when he saw his strange reaction. "Perhaps you have something you want and are trying your luck here?"

"No, quite the opposite." After examining all the items on display, Ai Yue smiled and shook his head. "There's one item I absolutely do not want to see here."

He remembered clearly that in the game, a broken, crimson sword tip was displayed in the most conspicuous place in the Black Tower's collection room.

But now, that position has been taken by another unfamiliar piece of art.

This makes sense, since in the current timeline, the "The Last Lesson" that allowed Kiana to transform did not actually happen. The crimson greatsword is still intact in Schicksal's exhibition hall, so naturally there would be no broken sword tip in this place.

Ai Yue also found it difficult to explain his motivation for searching for this item, but in any case, he was very satisfied with the result.

"So mysterious, even stranger than me." Black Tower shook her head slightly. With her intelligence, she couldn't possibly miss the meaning behind Ai Yue's words, but she didn't intend to press further, since this matter had nothing to do with her. "Let's not talk about this. Is there anything here that catches your eye? If so, I can give it to you."

"Really?" Ai Yue raised an eyebrow, then looked at the sealed door at the far end of the collection room. "You're quite generous, aren't you?"

He clearly remembered that a star core was hidden inside, but in the original storyline, that thing soon ceased to belong to the Black Tower.

"Uh, well, that won't do," Heita quickly took two steps forward, blocking Ai Yue's view with his body. "It's not that I'm stingy, it's just that the things inside are too dangerous, and it's not good to move them around."

"Just kidding, do I look like such a greedy person?" Ai Yue chuckled, then looked away and pointed to a display case in the corner. "This one will do, it looks quite interesting."

In the display case he pointed to was a pair of outstretched wings, which looked as if they could grant people the ability to fly.

In the game, this thing called "Wind Glider" appeared here as just an Easter egg, but now that it's here, its significance is completely different.

"No problem." Hei Ta breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, then took it out and handed it to Ai Yue. "But I thought you would be more interested in those natural wonders."

It must be said that Heita is indeed a very perceptive person. Even though Ai Yue did not show any particular interest in a certain collection, she still managed to analyze his preferences from Ai Yue reaction.

Although this tendency did not stem from Ai Yue's own hobby, but rather from the system's need to analyze various materials to advance research progress, Black Tower obviously could not possibly know this.

"Speaking of which, haven't you tried this?" Vita had been silent until now, suddenly pointed to the other side. "Come on, Ai Yue, let this guy give you a rating!"

Where she was pointing, a yellow-painted pistol-shaped object was quietly floating. The description on the display case said that this was a peculiar object that could score the person it was aiming at, and each person's score was different, but no one had been able to guess what its scoring criteria were.

"No, thank you," the voice that refused wasn't Ai Yue's, but Hei Ta's. She shook her head and gestured for Ai Yue to stay away from the thing. "This little thing is quite unique; I don't want Ai Yue to break it."

Clearly, Black Tower knew that for someone like Ai Yue, even a single glance from the Score-Scoring Gun would be annihilation.

"You don't need to worry about that," Ai Yue said with a smile, shaking his head. "If it sees through me, how am I supposed to survive?"

That being said, he really didn't intend to go over there.

"In any case, now that we're done shopping, let's get to the office," Black Tower said, having finished the last bit of what could be called social etiquette. He had clearly lost interest in continuing to stroll around. "I still have a bunch of troublesome things to deal with."

But Ai Yue didn't move. Instead, he looked back at the gate he had come from. "I think you might have to wait a little longer."

In his field of vision, he could see two distinctive figures approaching.

"Because other guests have come in."

Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Same Operation as Putting an Elephant in a Refrigerator

"I said, is this really okay?"

A purple-haired woman, dressed in a way that clashed with the Herta Space Station crew, strolled casually through the station. She was so eye-catching, yet no one paid her any attention, not even for a second, as if she didn't exist.

But those words didn't come from her, because the voice sounded lively and cheerful, clearly belonging to someone younger than the purple-haired woman.

"Are we really going to go straight to that Black Tower?" Seeing that her question went unanswered, the lively voice pressed on, "Are you sure that unpredictable guy won't just hand us over to the company, Kafka? This space station is even intricately connected to the company!"

"Calm down, Silver Wolf." After being pressed for answers, Kafka finally responded. She stopped at the crossroads, smiled, and asked in return, "As the universe's strongest hacker, are you afraid of being caught?"

"Of course not... turn left here." Silver Wolf paused, then snorted coldly, "What a joke, even if she came in person, I could leave whenever I wanted—but the problem is, what about you?"

"Don't worry, although there will certainly be some risks, I don't think it will turn out the extreme situation you're thinking of." Kafka smiled and took another step. "Of course, if it really does develop to that point, I'll have to trouble you to create some chaos to cover for me."

"That's easy to explain, but you still haven't said why you're so confident," Silver Wolf sighed softly, her tone almost conveying a sense of helplessness. "Don't tell me it's because of the 'script'... The script has completely exploded; literally, it's just unreliable snippets left. This kind of thing can't be used as a strategy guide... Take the elevator to the first floor of the atrium."

"That's exactly why I feel a bit nostalgic about this mission," Kafka said with a smile. "Before becoming Stellaron Hunters, this was the kind of life I lived—no script, no strategy, just relying on myself."

"So it's for thrills? Go straight ahead." Silver Wolf said thoughtfully, then dismissed the idea, "Come on, you think you can fool me? In the end, isn't it all for that guy?"

"Since you already know, why do you still want to get to the bottom of it?" Kafka's smile faded slightly. "This isn't like you."

"What style do I have? My style is just to do things differently," Silver Wolf said casually, accompanied by the sound of a bubble bursting. "Okay, I confess, I just want to hear you admit it yourself, so please don't use any spells on me, thank you."

"You know I wouldn't do that," Kafka said with a smile. "In short, everything is as you think. For her, I'm willing to take some risks."

"Wow, it actually sounds surprisingly cheesy coming from you." Silver Wolf made a strange sound. "Oh well, we're colleagues after all. Let's go, turn right up ahead, that's the last door."

"Thank you, Bao." Kafka smiled again, but suddenly stopped. "It seems our master is ready to entertain guests."

"Hopefully there aren't five hundred axemen lying in ambush, otherwise I'll only be able to share half the burden with you." As she spoke, a petite and slender figure suddenly "condensed" beside Kafka. Her body was coated with a semi-transparent blue, and she didn't seem to be the real Kafka. "Let's go. We've come this far, we can't just back down, can we?"

"Of course not." Kafka paused for a moment, then stepped forward. "I'm ready."

The next second, the automatically sensing hatch opened in front of the two of them.

"These are the guests you were talking about?" The black tower behind the door sized up the two uninvited guests, then turned to Ai Yue beside him. "Stellaron Hunters... are these cosmic fugitives, wanted by the company at any cost, considered guests in your company?"

"Greetings, Ms. Herta of the Genius Club #83," Kafka said, bowing with one hand on her chest. "Please believe me, we have come here with no ill intentions."

"You'd better really not mean any harm, after all, it won't do you any good," Black Tower slightly raised his chin, his gaze fixed on the virtual projection beside him. "But why does this little dwarf seem to have a lot of opinions about me?"

"Who are you calling a shorty!" Silver Wolf instinctively wanted to retort, but considering that she needed their help, she ultimately chose to remain silent. "Never mind, Kafka, you can do it yourself."

"Thank you, Silver Wolf." Kafka naturally knew that Silver Wolf had made concessions because of her, so she smiled and looked at Black Tower and the others again, "These two over here must be guests from the mysterious civilization 'Terran Alliance'?"

"The Stellaron Hunters knows quite a lot." Ai Yue was genuinely surprised this time, because the other party didn't mention that he came from the Stellar Train, but directly pointed out the Terran Alliance, which meant that the Stellaron Hunters knew more than he thought. "Is this also written in the script?"

"Of course not. Thanks to you, there probably won't be any more scripts." Kafka gave a meaningful smile, clearly having an extraordinary understanding of Ai Yue. "However, for now, this might be a good thing."

"That's enough small talk," Black Tower said impatiently. "Stellaron Hunters, state your purpose, or I'll have to notify the company."

"To put it simply, we've come to ask you for something," Kafka said bluntly. "In your collection room, there's a star core, isn't there?"

"As expected of the infamous Stellaron Hunters, you immediately ask for my most valuable possession in the Herta Space Station," Black Tower frowned upon hearing the other party's target, even changing the prefix of his address to a derogatory term. "Yes, I do have one, but so what? Why should I give it to you?"