Kasantiya, I'm Back!

"Set course slightly left, max power to both wings! Prepare for warp! Destination: Kasantiya!"

Silver Wolf operated the tablet, her fingers tapping nonstop across the screen.

As she spoke, she activated the spatial warp.

Today was Bai Sheng's coming-of-age ceremony.

Which also meant it was time to return to Kasantiya.

Kafka and Blade sat nearby, watching Bai Sheng.

Sam stood atop the ship, monitoring its overall condition.

At that moment, Acheron jumped out from who knew where and said to Bai Sheng:

"Bai Sheng, from now on, you'll have to walk your own path."

Bai Sheng nodded and replied calmly:

"I understand."

According to Acheron's script, Bai Sheng was supposed to leave the Stellaron Hunters after his coming-of-age ceremony and seek out his own path. The Stellaron Hunters had been formed by people pursuing their own goals, and Bai Sheng's goal had already been achieved.

Naturally, he no longer had a role among the Stellaron Hunters.

Over the past year, the Stellaron Hunters had worked like they were cramming at the last minute, doing everything they could to raise Bai Sheng's strength.

Blade was responsible for swordsmanship. As someone from the Xianzhou, Blade's swordsmanship was beyond reproach—provided he wasn't having a mara-struck episode.

Silver Wolf taught him her prized hacking skills. Even he, who had known absolutely nothing about hacking, successfully learned some basic techniques.

Kafka even taught Bai Sheng the Word Charm Technique. By all rights, Kafka's Word Charm Technique should have been impossible for others to learn, but Bai Sheng's Spirit Puppet Talent was simply absurd. By enhancing his five senses, he could forcibly copy other people's moves.

Though he couldn't understand the underlying principles, Bai Sheng still managed to learn the Word Charm Technique well enough.

Sam, meanwhile, simply and directly sparred with Bai Sheng in real combat practice. The Gram Iron Cavalry's training method was to be forged through death—so long as it didn't kill you, they would train you like they were trying to.

It was difficult, but highly efficient. Bai Sheng's combat experience improved tremendously.

They took turns teaching him. If studying the Word Charm Technique left him mentally exhausted today, he would go practice swordsmanship with Blade. If hacking drove him to the brink of collapse tomorrow, he would go get beaten up by Firefly. Everyone had gone to great lengths to improve Bai Sheng's strength. Even Brother Blade had temporarily set aside his grand ambition of killing himself.

No matter what, Bai Sheng's strength had indeed undergone a qualitative leap over the past year.

But Bai Sheng didn't understand why they had waited until this final year to teach him.

He asked Acheron, but Acheron couldn't explain either, as if he were hiding something from him.

When he asked the others, they didn't know either.

He had read the script that belonged to him, yet it made no mention whatsoever of his future.

There were only four words in the entire script:

Go with the flow!!!

That left Bai Sheng feeling a little depressed.

"Boss Acheron, I'm leaving soon. Are you still not going to tell me?"

Bai Sheng asked. Even if Acheron had simply said, "I don't know," that would have been something. But Acheron still gave the same answer:

"Go with the flow."

"Fine."

Bai Sheng no longer expected Acheron to say anything. After all, so many years had passed. At the very least, he truly had found a "home" here.

A home that belonged solely to him—the Stellaron Hunters' "White Ghost."

"Even though you won't be a Stellaron Hunter anymore after you go down there this time, you'll always be welcome to come back. We'll always be family."

Kafka said. She didn't understand why Acheron wanted to leave Bai Sheng alone on Kasantiya either. But Kafka truly regarded every member of the Stellaron Hunters as family.

The gloomy, long-haired, occasionally unhinged madman Brother Blade; the tsundere little wolf who loved gaming and turned on cheats whenever she couldn't win; the lively little brother Bai who loved excitement; the easily teased, thin-skinned little sister Firefly; and herself, the gentle and virtuous Mommy Kafka... along with their somewhat capable pet cat Boss, who never paid wages.

"If you ever get the chance to visit the Xianzhou, remember to pay that general a visit."

Blade said as he handed Bai Sheng a small scythe charm. It seemed that Blade was still perfectly normal as long as he wasn't mara-struck.

"Blade spent over a year studying your Pandora without rest just to make that. For this little gift, Blade even went back to his old trade."

"Kafka! Watch your mouth!"

"Really? I only wanted others to know about Blade's efforts, that's all~"

Kafka gave Blade a flirtatious wink, but Blade didn't appreciate it. After telling Bai Sheng, "Take care," he left.

Sam had to inspect the ship's facilities and could only bid Bai Sheng farewell through the communicator:

"May your journey shine as brilliantly as the rising sun, and dazzle as brightly as a meteor streaking across the sky!"

"Alright, alright, cut out the mushy stuff. It's not like we'll never meet again. Remember, once things here are settled, come play games with me. The new major update's co-op event is waiting for you."

Looking at everyone, Bai Sheng felt his eyes sting. He solemnly bid them farewell:

"Goodbye, my... family..."

After saying that, Bai Sheng looked at the emerald-green planet beneath the ship, took a deep breath, and activated the descent mechanism.

...(PS: I originally wanted to write a bit more, but after thinking about the title, I figured I should fast-forward to the Xianzhou arc. If you guys want to see the Stellaron Hunters arc, I'll write it in a side story.

Divider: Don't take up my speaking spot! (A flying kick)

Author: Ah!)

After a dizzying tumble, Bai Sheng returned to the country that had confined him for over a decade.

"Ow! If I'd known, I would've had Firefly adjust the ship's descent method. That hurt like hell!"

Baring his teeth, Bai Sheng rubbed his sore backside as Sister Pandora materialized in his hand.

"Sister Pandora, tell me—should I kill that bastard first, or wipe out his country before killing him?"

Pandora swung her hilt into Bai Sheng's head, flattening a patch of his fluffy white hair.

"I told you to stop reading villain novels! Do you think you're cut out for that? Just wait obediently! That little kitten said we'd have help, and his prophecies are usually very accurate."

"Oh, I was just thinking that now that I'm back, I should make a big move."

Bai Sheng clutched his head again. Two hands were starting to feel insufficient.

"Enough clowning around. Let's go. Our helper might be about to make their move."

Pandora smiled. She had caught a powerful aura—an aura that radiated [Destruction].

"I think I know who that little kitten meant by 'helper.'"

Bai Sheng was a little confused. So he was the only one who didn't know?

"Sister Pandora, who is it?!"

Bai Sheng was very curious. Bai Sheng desperately wanted to know the answer.

"You'll see soon enough, so don't rush. You're almost fifty; learn to keep your composure. It's not our turn to take the stage yet."

Pandora ended the conversation. Bai Sheng then changed into a new outfit, turning himself into an utterly ordinary interstellar traveler.

"Hello, sir. You look... very much like our Prince, who disappeared many years ago..."