Chapter 351

"Please don't be nervous, Ms. Herta. Since we're visiting the space station in this way, we won't use any underhanded methods," Kafka said with a smile. "How about this, you listen to our purpose first, and then make a decision?"

"Speak freely," Black Tower pondered for a moment, then replied, "I'm also very curious as to why anyone would chase after the Cancer of All Worlds."

"Oh, I can't say that. All I can reveal is the purpose of this star core." Kafka smiled and shook her head, then continued, "Ms. Herta, do you believe there's anyone in the world... who could resist the contamination of a star core?"

"Human? Are you kidding me?" Black Tower's eyes widened. "Even planets struggle to withstand the contamination of a star's core, let alone life forms? You're not talking about someone's messenger, are you?"

"Of course not, it's a human," Kafka said with certainty. "A human capable of withstanding the contamination of a star's core...wouldn't you like to see it?"

"Interesting." Black Tower stared at Kafka, then smiled. "Alright, it's just a star core, take it. I want to see what this superhuman is really like!"

She could sense that Kafka was not lying, and the little dwarf next to her had for a moment given her a look that said, "You dare to say this out loud?" This was enough to prove that the Stellaron Hunters was not just talking nonsense.

In that case, the loss of a star core is not a big deal.

"However, there's one more thing I need to make clear beforehand." Having received Black Tower's consent, Kafka didn't rush to demand the Star Core. Instead, she continued, "For some reason, we can't take her...that person. But I hope she can choose the future she wants, instead of being locked up in the space station."

"What do you mean? Are you afraid I'll detain people and enslave them?" Black Tower glanced at Kafka. "You've got a good plan, but what about me? I'll lose a star core, and I might even be accused of harboring Stellaron Hunters, and in the end, I won't get any benefits? Do you really think I'm a charity?"

"How could the all-powerful Ms. Herta possibly be so fixated on a single star core?" Kafka said with a smile. "I believe that whatever choice she makes, the Herta Space Station will always be a place she cherishes, won't it?"

"Hmph," Black Tower let out a cold snort that was hard to decipher, then turned and walked towards the end of the containment area. "Forget it, come with me, let's broaden our horizons first."

If Kafka and Silver Wolf were to search for the exact location of the star core, it would likely require some effort, but Black Tower, as the true master of the space station, would naturally find it incredibly easy.

Soon, a golden energy body, radiating immense power yet bound by sophisticated instruments, appeared before everyone's eyes.

Even now, Silver Wolf still found it hard to believe. "Solved? It was that simple?"

If a simple negotiation could resolve the issue, why go to such lengths in the original plan?

"As a member of the Genius Club, Black Tower values and pursues the unknown, and paying a price for it is nothing to her," Kafka whispered to the other. "However, for Elio, such contact will inevitably have some impact on the future, so he doesn't like doing it."

Kafka knew very well that her actions were merely exploiting human nature, and were nothing compared to Elio's methods—as a "slave to fate," Eriol used fate to achieve his goals, and his methods were far more sophisticated.

Unfortunately, this ability...

"Stop whispering there," Black Tower beckoned to the two men from a short distance away. "Come here quickly, let me see what the Star Hunters are capable of."

"Coming right now," Silver Wolf replied, then walked towards the star core. Her figure had somehow shed its artificial blue hue, revealing a more realistic texture; clearly, her true form had arrived. "Kafka, shall I begin?"

"Okay, let's begin."

Kafka nodded, then reached out and grabbed the golden energy object.

"Oh?" Black Tower raised an eyebrow at the sight. "I didn't know you had this kind of skill."

Grabbing a star core with bare hands is not something an ordinary person can do. Even a brief contact with the star core will instantly transmit its contamination to the person who touches it. Being able to remain unfazed by such contamination is enough to prove Kafka's strength.

"It worked, but it's just a minor trick." Kafka shook her head with a smile, then looked at Silver Wolf, "How is it?"

"It's all taken care of," Silver Wolf stepped back, displaying a virtual screen that had materialized out of thin air in front of Kafka. "As for the remaining choices, Elio said you have to make them yourself."

"Hmm." Kafka looked at the screen and nodded slightly. "This choice will change a lot of things—"

She stretched out her finger and tapped the screen. The selection then transformed into a cube, which Kafka tossed to Silver Wolf.

After Silver Wolf's intervention, the body of a gray-haired girl suddenly appeared in the room. The pixelated effects surrounding her made her look like a character straight out of a game.

"Ether editing, that's quite interesting." Black Tower, standing to the side, couldn't help but be drawn to the methods Silver Wolf displayed, but she quickly raised her chin. "However, that's all."

Silver Wolf tried her best to control her emotions, and then secretly made up her mind that once this matter was over, she would definitely find an opportunity to turn this damn space station upside down!

But just as she made up her mind, she suddenly felt a darkness above her head as a figure silently approached, blocking out some of the light.

The girl subconsciously looked up and saw the mysterious man standing next to her, a subtle smile on his face.

"Friendly reminder," a male voice echoed in Silver Wolf's mind, even though the other party hadn't spoken, "Be prepared to lose all your game accounts before taking any action."

What is this, a threat? Or some kind of advice?

Silver Wolf paused for a moment, but the other party had already raised their head and looked towards Kafka's position.

Because at that very moment, Kafka supported the girl's body with one hand, while the other hand simply and roughly grabbed the Star Core—and pressed it directly into the girl's chest!

Such outrageous behavior almost made Black Tower, who was watching from the side, speak up to stop it. After all, she simply couldn't understand how such crude methods could achieve the effect that Kafka had described: using a human body to resist the pollution of the star core.

But this absurd operation actually achieved the desired effect—the moment the star core completely entered the girl's body, the chaotic and massive energy reaction quietly disappeared.

It was as if this flesh and blood body had truly sealed away the power of the star core.

Black Tower remained with her eyes wide open, looking quite adorable. She glanced at the gray-haired girl, who was still unconscious, then at Kafka, who was staring at her. After a moment, she finally uttered a few words:

"This works?"

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Do you know the four methods for sealing the star core?

Black Tower always believed that, apart from the secrets of the Star God, probably nothing could truly shock him.

But during this period, a series of things happened that were beyond my expectations.

First, the Boshizun Master appeared in my dream, revealing the existence of a certain person, seemingly hinting at something. Then, Vita intervened, causing her to input a mysterious power known as the "Power of Light" into the Simulated Universe, ultimately leading to the explosion of the entire Simulated Universe. Now, another guy has appeared who can eat star cores raw...

This is unbelievable! Was the universe ever this crazy before?

Having come into close contact with the star core, the Black Tower was all too aware of its dangers. In fact, the Herta Space Station was ostensibly used to house those strange objects and its followers, but its true purpose was to protect the star core before it.

That's right, the Black Tower specifically built this space station to control the Azure Star in order to prevent this star core from harming it.

But right before her eyes, someone used a human body and accomplished the same thing.

Although no one said it, the Black Tower felt its wisdom had been challenged.

Just then, Kafka, who had been watching the gray-haired girl, looked up at the others and said, "Excuse me, could we have some time alone together?"

Let's figure out whose territory this is, okay?

Heita had intended to say that, but Ai Yue very proactively pulled her out of the room.

"Whose side are you on anyway?" After walking out the door, Black Tower glared at Ai Yue with displeasure. "I've been wanting to ask this since earlier. Why do you seem to favor the Stellaron Hunters? Have you two known each other before?"

"I don't know it, but I'm very interested." Ai Yue smiled. "Aren't you curious about such a mysterious organization?"

"I wasn't particularly curious at first, but now it's hard to say." Black Tower glanced at the room behind him, then shook his head. "Unfortunately, I have a lot of things to worry about right now, so I probably won't be able to deal with these dangerous guys for the time being."

"It's hard to say who's disappointed," Ai Yue smiled. "Speaking of which, I didn't expect you to send the star core away so easily."

"To be honest, this thing is a real nuisance to me. More than half of the design of the entire Herta Space Station is for insurance against it, so it's more of a liability than a benefit," Black Tower shrugged. "But I don't care about that kind of thing, since Asta has to take care of it... But how can I not be curious about someone who can eat star cores raw?"

"Compared to that, a star core is nothing special."

"That's alright then." Ai Yue shrugged. "I was thinking of giving you one as compensation if you were still bothered by it."

"So you really are on the Stellaron Hunters' side," Black Tower said, a subtle look in his eyes. "You're actually willing to help them with compensation... Could it be that you prefer mature women?"

"What does this have to do with anything? Why can't it be because I feel sorry for you?" Hearing Heita's words, Ai Yue couldn't help but show a speechless expression. "Stop talking nonsense, just tell me if you want it or not."

"Of course I want it!" Heita immediately stretched out his hand towards Ai Yue, saying matter-of-factly, "Who would complain about having too many collections?"

Ai Yue didn't say much, but simply took out the small golden ball and placed it in Black Tower's hand.

"I see." Black Tower was clearly taken aback when he saw the star core in Ai Yue's hand, before revealing a thoughtful expression. "I was just wondering why you didn't just give the star core to the Stellaron Hunters instead of giving it to me in exchange. Now it seems this thing is useless to the Stellaron Hunters?"

As she spoke, her gaze remained fixed on the small golden ball in her hand.

Before seeing it, Black Tower had many ideas about the star core in Ai Yue's hands. She learned about Ai Yue's deeds from Vita and knew that his abilities would exceed her imagination, but she did not expect this outcome.

The powerful and chaotic energy was cleverly bound and compressed to its extreme. Finally, under the intervention of an unknown force, it transformed into a sphere with a slightly metallic texture. This incredible method was beyond even Black Tower's capabilities, so much so that she was momentarily immersed in comprehending its structure, forgetting everything else.

She could sense that the star core had completely lost all its original functions, and even its purpose as an energy source was gone. If Ai Yue hadn't said that this was the star core, the Black Tower wouldn't have been able to connect it with the Cancer of All Worlds.

In this situation, the star core naturally no longer possesses the qualities required of Stellaron Hunters. After all, those guys couldn't have created someone who was immune to star core contamination just to find a way to seal the star core.

But none of that matters now. For Black Tower, what she wants to do most is to analyze the mysteries within the star core before her. What Stellaron Hunters, what space station, what Simulated Universe... oh, that's still very important.

Ai Yue watched as Heita fell into deep thought, but didn't disturb him. After all, there was nothing for him to be distracted about. He was also curious to know what a genius of Heita's caliber could possibly glean from this.

However, once the Black Tower quiets down, another person who had previously tried to minimize their presence will become more prominent.

"You're acting strangely well-behaved today," Ai Yue said, shifting his attention to the usually quiet Vita. "Did you get into trouble?"

"No, no way, your most considerate assistant, Xiao Wei, has always been so kind and thoughtful," Vita said with a formulaic smile, but her eyes kept wandering. "Besides, even if something goes wrong, strictly speaking, it has little to do with me."

What does that mean? Have you really gotten into trouble?

Ai Yue, who had only intended to trick her, suddenly revealed a subtle expression. However, just as he was about to press further, the door beside him opened at just the right moment.

"All done?" Black Tower, interrupted from his thoughts, looked up at Kafka and Silver Wolf, raising an eyebrow. "Let me guess, you don't have any other random requests, do you?"

"No, this is enough." Kafka shook her head slightly, her expression revealing little emotion. "From now on, she is in your care."

"Easy, I bet someone's already itching to take your place as guardian," Black Tower glanced at Ai Yue, then looked at Kafka. "But I'm still curious, why don't you take her with you? Is this part of the 'script'?"

"I'm sorry, please allow me to remain silent on this part." Kafka did not answer the question, "But in exchange, there is something I need to tell you."

"Wait, Kafka," before Black Tower could even ask a question, Silver Wolf seemed to have already guessed her thoughts, "Are you sure this is okay?"

"It's alright, 'scripts' also have an expiration date. The closer to the time of the event, the lower its binding force and importance will be." Kafka responded meaningfully, then paused before continuing, "The Herta Space Station will be attacked by the 'Antimatter Legion'."

"Oh?" Black Tower raised an eyebrow, but his face didn't show much emotion. "Those lunatics, coming here to cause trouble again? When?"

"That's where the problem lies," Kafka paused, seemingly reluctant to speak, "Theoretically speaking, it should have been a few days ago."

"Huh?" Heita's eyes widened immediately. "Then what's the point of you saying this? It didn't happen at all, did it? Looks like your script really isn't working."

"At least I can be sure that this matter is not wrong." Kafka looked at the Black Tower. "It's just that some changes have interfered with its normal operation."

"You mean, because I'm here?" Black Tower paused, then understood what the other meant. "Wait, it suddenly dawned on me, if what you're saying is true, then your original method of trying to obtain this star core wouldn't be..."

"That's all we have to say, everyone." Kafka decisively took two steps back, a slight smile appearing on her face. "May we meet again someday."

After saying this, Kafka and Silver Wolf disappeared from the spot with a very old-fashioned pixel effect. It was unclear whether this was just an illusion or if they had really left.

"You!" Black Tower only had time to raise her hand before she saw the two people vanish into thin air. Enraged, she stomped her foot. "Damn it, I hate riddle-telling guys the most!"

"Riddlers are indeed annoying," Ai Yue nodded in agreement. "However, you shouldn't be too stumped by what they're trying to say, right?"

"Isn't what you're trying to say is that I wouldn't normally be here at this time?" Black Tower said casually. "Rather than implying something to me, it's more like you're telling me, right? After all, if it weren't for you, I really wouldn't be at the space station at this time."

Black Tower could certainly understand Kafka's hint, and she even deduced more from the other's few words.

If the Antimatter Legion's invasion is real, then the only person who can stop them from carrying out their plan is the Black Tower itself, and possibly Vita as well—with the two of them in charge, unless the Antimatter Legion truly has Great Extinguisher in charge, they would never come here to court death at this time.

The reason why Black Tower appeared at the space station at this time was naturally because of Ai Yue. Combined with Kafka's statement that "the script has been broken," it made her think that the factor that caused the script to break was very likely the seemingly gentle man in front of her.

In this way, Kafka's attitude towards Ai Yue can be reasonably explained. The real managers behind the Stellaron Hunters must have obtained some information from the script, which gave them a general understanding of Ai Yue's existence and even allowed them to judge that Ai Yue was someone they could approach, which led to their subsequent actions.

From this perspective, the Stellaron Hunters are indeed a very interesting organization. Perhaps we can use that gray-haired guy as a clue to "study" them properly in the future.

A jumble of thoughts flashed through her mind, then she gathered them up. The arrogant genius raised her head and looked at Ai Yue again. "Mr. Ai Yue, what are your thoughts?"

"I suspect these guys from the legion won't let this place go easily," Ai Yue said calmly. "As the saying goes, it's not the thief you should fear, but the one who's eyeing you. The best way to eliminate this threat is to lure them out and take them all out."

As he spoke, his gaze fell upon the door to the side. "If everything goes smoothly, this will also be a good opportunity to study her, don't you think?"

"This is indeed a reasonable solution." Black Tower nodded, then suddenly looked at Vita beside him, "However, before that, there is something we need to resolve."

"What's wrong?" Ai Yue followed Hei Ta's gaze and locked onto Vita as well. "You haven't really gotten into trouble, have you?"

"Ah, well..." Vita instinctively gave a polite smile, "Strictly speaking, it's really not my fault."

"That's true. Strictly speaking, it's not her fault." Heita nodded, then looked at Ai Yue again. "The real problem actually lies with you."

"I?"

After an unknown amount of time, the girl finally opened her eyes.

Before she could even take in her surroundings, a light and cheerful voice reached her ears. "Dan Heng, look, she's awake!"

"Keep your voice down. We don't know her mental state yet, so we should avoid overstimulating her."

Another, relatively calm voice came close along with a face. "Are you alright? Do you know who you are?"

"I..." The gray-haired girl sat up, scratched her head, and didn't know how to reply, "My mind feels... empty."

"Why do you look so silly?" Another youthful face came closer to her. The pink-haired girl blinked and continued, "You should at least remember something, right? Like... your own name?"

The girl blinked blankly, and in a daze, she seemed to see that familiar purple figure again, but in the end, it was just a lingering illusion.

She lowered her head in silence, then raised it again. "Star."

"Star? Is that your name?" The pink-haired girl paused for a moment, then smiled brightly. "It's okay, you don't remember anyway, so let's just call it your name!"

As she spoke, she patted the girl's shoulder, revealing a knowing look. "This is based on my experience, you know? By the way, my name is March 7th, you can call me whatever you like!"

"My name is Dan Heng, but let's not share any experiences now," Dan Heng said from the side. "This isn't the place to talk. Let's go find Himeko or Asta first."

"That's true. Speaking of which, A Xing, are you actually from the space station? If so, why did Brother Yue send us to find you?" March 7th pulled Xing up from the ground, a curious expression on his face. "Besides, this place seems to be a very important area, so why are you sleeping here?"