Chapter 81
ps:
I already mentioned the leave slip a few days ago, but I'd like to repeat it here.
Because I have exams on the 16th and 17th, I need to dedicate a lot of energy to them, so my updates may be a bit inconsistent lately. I hope you can understand, and I'll make up for it as soon as the exams are over.
By the way, I'd like to ask for some monthly votes, the bounty is ending in a couple of days~
Chapter 108 The Authority of "Abundance"
"Stelle is considering joining our train? That's great! I've finally made it to the senior train, hehehe!"
Upon hearing Bai Jun's purpose for coming, the train, which hadn't welcomed a new member in a long time, seemed to be suddenly injected with a fresh vitality. The Astral Express Crew members all smiled, and March 7th couldn't hide her excitement. She quickly ran forward, took Xing's hands, and enthusiastically offered to take her on a tour of the train.
"We'll definitely become the best Trailblaze partners in the future, hehehe. Don't worry, let me, your senior, show you around the train. I'll prepare the biggest room on the entire train for you, big enough to fit a Doomsday Beast!"
The gray-haired girl couldn't resist March 7th's enthusiasm. She kept turning back to look at Bai Jun, only to receive a look of blessing from him. In the end, she had no choice but to give up struggling.
"March 7th, don't get so excited. They're just here for a look around; they didn't say they actually wanted to join the train."
The soft sigh didn't reach March 7th's ears; she was simply immersed in the joy of becoming a senior, and walked towards the train's residential area while holding the gray-haired girl's arm.
"Does Stelle like milk tea? If I had known you were coming, I would have ordered an extra 'Rice Fermented Yogurt Milk Tea,' but it's not too late to order one now, is it?"
"That idiot..."
Dan Heng, who should have been reading on the sofa, silently closed his book. Knowing March 7th's personality well, he sighed, somewhat worried that the silly March 7th would cause some trouble again. So, after nodding to Bai Jun in greeting, he followed in the direction March 7th was going.
Only Welt, Himeko, and Bai Jun remained in the carriage.
"It's rare to have guests visiting, and the kids have all run off to play. How about we go to the 'Party Car' and chat for a while?"
At Himeko's suggestion, the three moved to a more spacious and impressive carriage.
Compared to the previous monotonous meeting room, this carriage is more luxuriously decorated. Under the silent and delicate orange light, deep red fabric seats are arranged in the middle, and rows of lights casually pass through the windows, creating an exceptionally warm atmosphere. The quiet atmosphere gives people the illusion of being in a dream.
In the center of the carriage was a bar counter filled with various drinks. Standing in front of the cocktail glasses was not a human, but an oval-shaped bartending robot.
"Welcome to the 'Party Car,' dear guest. Would you like a drink or something to eat? Oh, my name is 'Shush,' taken from the last words Miss Himeko said to her former owner... Well, whatever you need, please feel free to ask."
Upon seeing the unfamiliar face, the white-clad bartending robot put down the glass it was wiping, bent its arm slightly, and introduced itself in a gentlemanly manner.
The "Party Car" is usually very quiet and you hardly see any people, so when it saw a guest arrive, the Shush creature was incredibly excited. In fact, it really wanted to introduce Bai Jun to all the different kinds of drinks in the carriage.
However, Himeko, standing to the side, calmly shook her head, and the occasional flash of a dangerous light in her gentle eyes forced her to shorten her introductory remarks.
"Would Mr. Bai Jun like something to drink?"
"Anything is fine with me, Mr. Welt. Just bring me the same thing as whatever you'd like to drink."
Bai Jun followed Welt to a dark blue bar stool and sat down, but because of the previous experience with Himeko Coffee, he had no desire to drink anything for the time being.
When Welt heard him say that, he first glanced at Himeko beside him, and seeing that she had nothing to say, he then asked Shush for two low-alcohol cocktails.
"Alright, then please try 'Firewood, Rice, Oil, and Salt,' a beverage renowned throughout the train for Amber Era, with a thick, diesel-like texture and the delicate aroma of rice and the refreshing taste of sea salt..."
The bartending robot skillfully pulled out several bottles of drinks from the counter and began mixing them while talking.
However, none of the three people present paid attention to what it was saying. Welt pushed up his glasses and suddenly, as if he had become interested, said, "Speaking of which, Mr. Bai Jun, have you ever heard a story?"
"Story?"
Bai Jun took the cocktail that Shush handed him and gave Welt a questioning look.
"In my hometown, there lived a man who, at a time when the world faced wounds that seemed impossible to heal, made a decision. He wove together all the dreams of men, linking their dreams together, and then carried them on his own shoulders, thus creating a giant, a 'Spiritual Adam'."
Welt then began to slowly recount the story, which was less a spur-of-the-moment decision and more a long-planned scheme.
"From then on, the giant stood between heaven and earth, becoming the pillar for the survival of the entire world. As the price, those who could not move forward, those who could not move forward... would forever lose their future. They slumbered in a dream without disaster or suffering, spending their peaceful lives in the ideal world created by man, while the 'Spiritual Adam' would become indestructible because of their unwillingness to awaken."
"That man was never a loser; like everyone else in that world, he kept the possibilities of humanity in his heart. He rose high, only to reach the Sun, a place no one had ever reached before, where he would melt and fall into the sea, and after that... countless people would pass over his body and fly to even higher skies."
Welt didn't drink the cocktail. Instead, he gently swirled the ice in his glass. The clear glass reflected the orange-yellow liquid, casting a hazy orange light that shone into his weathered yet unwavering brown eyes.
His voice held both nostalgia and deep emotion.
Welt slowly put down his glass, turning his gaze to Bai Jun beside him. The emotion in his brown eyes was hard to describe—it was a mixture of tenderness and relief.
"And Bai Jun, you... are very similar to him, but also quite different in many ways. I'm sorry, this might sound strange to you, but one thing I should be certain of is that you will definitely embark on completely opposite paths."
After saying that, Welt stopped talking and just kept staring at Bai Jun.
However, the strange, unsettling gaze made Bai Jun wonder if there was something wrong with this person's sexual orientation. He looked to Himeko, who was supposed to be sitting to the side, for help, but seeing that the two were chatting happily, she had already quietly gotten up and left with a gentle breeze.
"Oh, by the way, Mr. Bai Jun, your weapon should be called Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire, right?"
"Oh? Right... How did Mr. Welt know?"
Hearing the name of the Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire from someone else for the first time, Bai Jun was surprised, and even raised his voice.
"I've dealt with this weapon several times before, although the Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire I Remembrance might be different from Mr. Bai Jun's Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire. If you don't mind... could I take a closer look?"
Welt slowly revealed his true thoughts. He had always been curious whether the Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire in Bai Jun's possession was the same one that Kaslana had inherited. If it was the same one, how did the Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire end up here?
Or perhaps this Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire only looks similar, and is actually a completely different thing?
After thinking for a moment, Bai Jun felt that Welt should be a trustworthy person. Even if his judgment was wrong, Walter couldn't beat him.
Bai Jun happened to be very interested in the origins of the Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire. If he could get some information from Welt, even just a little, it would be worthwhile. So he put aside his concerns and summoned the Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire's twin guns.
The greatsword form cannot be used easily, otherwise it is easy to accidentally damage the surrounding environment.
Welt cautiously took one of the twin guns. Its construction and appearance seemed no different from the Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire in his Remembrance, and even the scorching heat of the gun itself was unchanged. However, when he examined it more closely, he was surprised to find some differences.
He certainly wouldn't have noticed it before, but now Welt clearly sensed that the energy flowing inside the Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire was not Honkai Energy, but rather Imaginary Energy, which was far more powerful. No wonder it could unleash an impact far exceeding that of the past, and he couldn't find any information about the Herrscher of Flame in it.
In other words, Bai Jun's Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire only retained the structure and form, while its core and energy structure were completely different from the Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire Remembrance...
"It seems that this Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire is not the Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire I know, but even so, the difference between the two Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire is not significant, and it can even be said to be simply an upgraded version or not."
Having figured this out, Welt had no intention of pursuing the matter further and immediately returned the Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire to Bai Jun.
It wasn't that he wasn't curious, but it was too hot to handle, and if he didn't return it soon, he might burn his palm.
"Upgrade version?"
"That's right, it's no exaggeration to say that Mr. Bai Jun's Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire is an upgraded version. By the way, where did Mr. Bai Jun obtain this Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire? This is just a optional question; you can refuse at any time if it's inconvenient for you, and I can apologize if you feel I've offended you."
Welt blew a few breaths of cold air into his palm and asked curiously.
"Uh, I'm not really sure about this... It seems like one morning, it just inexplicably appeared in my hand."
Bai Jun couldn't give a proper explanation for this topic, so he could only give a hasty response that was half true and half false, since the system did indeed appear inexplicably one morning.
Welt nodded thoughtfully, seemingly believing Bai Jun's words. Seriously, how could he believe something like this? What had he been through in the past?
"Mr. Welt seems to know a lot about the Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire. Could you tell me the specific details?"
"It's probably hard to explain in a short time, but I do have some short animations adapted from stories of my hometown, which include the origins of the Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire. You can borrow them if you're interested."
"Excuse me for disturbing you both, Mr. Bai Jun, if you have nothing else to do at noon today, why don't you stay on the train for lunch?"
Upon hearing Himeko's voice, the two who were chatting happily turned around at the same time. Himeko, who had returned, was now wearing a red apron, holding a shovel in her left hand, her smile exceptionally gentle, and her delicate red lips outlining a faint hint of confidence.
"So today, I'll personally cook a creative lunch for all of you passengers!"
Upon hearing this news, Welt, who was sitting next to Bai Jun, trembled slightly. His smile instantly became somewhat stiff, and Bai Jun wondered if it was just his imagination, but cold sweat seemed to be slowly sliding down his forehead.
"Ahem... I'll go get you the animation disc, Mr. Bai Jun. Please stay here and don't move. I'll be right back. Don't wander off!"
In the blink of an eye, Welt had already run to the carriage door. After signaling to Bai Jun that everything was safe, he ran off without looking back.
--Something's not right. This reaction is definitely not right, and Bai Jun has a feeling that once Welt leaves, he definitely won't come back.
Having learned from his previous disastrous experience with coffee, Bai Jun immediately realized something, a somewhat awkward smile appearing on his face. He tentatively asked the eager Himeko, "Um... Ms. Himeko, would you mind telling me what we're having for lunch?"
"Bai Jun, you don't need to call me 'Ms.' anymore. We've been friends for a long time, haven't we? As for what to eat... um, curry fries, Stargazing Pie, bubble tea, some fruity soup, and for dessert, black pudding and olive pizza!"
Himeko smiled as she introduced her creative recipes, unaware that Bai Jun's smile was trembling slightly.
"Sorry, it happened suddenly. The Herta called me over, so I need to go see Mr. Welt first, get the anime, and then I have to leave right away. But Himeko, your cooking is sure to be delicious. Make sure Hoshino eats plenty; I'm sure she'll love your food!"
Bai Jun pretended to pick up his phone, then used the Herta as an excuse to Buli, leaving Himeko standing there dumbfounded. She pressed her slender white fingers against her cheek and sighed softly with a helpless expression.
"Seriously, is it really that much of a hassle to eat my cooking?"
"Oh, please don't worry, dear Ms. Himeko. Everyone sees your good intentions, and besides, the emotions inherent in the food itself are what truly matter, just as the Toc people of Tidore say..."
"Shush."
Having obtained the animated film from Welt, Bai Jun quickly left the train and walked alone in the quiet corridor.
What he said to Himeko earlier was true; he did indeed have something he wanted to discuss with the Herta. Bai Jun needed to get to the bottom of what she had told him about his Path that morning, and at least understand his current physical condition.
"Abundance"...
He slowly extended his left hand and used the long knife to cut a gruesome wound on his arm. However, this time, before the blood could even flow, the wound instantly boiled and evaporated like steam as the blade was withdrawn.
The damaged flesh and blood repaired itself at an almost absurd speed, enough to create the illusion that it had not been harmed at all. The "Abundance" in Bai Jun's body had indeed become outrageously full. In this respect alone, Bai Jun was not much different from those powerful Abominations of Abundance.
What's even more interesting is that, contrary to Herta's speculation, He neither clashed with the "Sun" nor had any negative effects on His body.
"Abundance" is not just a mere decoration; Bai Jun can even sense that the power of "Abundance" is controllable... In other words, if Bai Jun is willing, he can do anything that the Emanator of Abundance can do.
"Am I already the Emanator of Abundance...?"
Bai Jun accepted his current power, pondered deeply, and let his thoughts drift to certain things.
Feeling the wind blowing through the corridor and between the stairs, Bai Jun pondered for a moment before slowly turning his head back.
He sensed the presence of two people and heard their footsteps.
Two visitors came from behind, coming up the stairs leading to the main Master Control Zone.
Screwllum and Ruan Mei came up the stairs.
Chapter 109: The impending brutal battleground? (6k)
"If we assume that thought always precedes language, then no words can define this joy. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Bai Jun."
With his left hand on his right chest and his right hand removing his hat, Screwllum bowed slightly forward while nodding, his posture of holding his hat to his chest in a deep bow making him look like a nobleman.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Screwllum, and Ruan Mei."
Bai Jun readjusted his posture, straightened up, and looked at the two of them, taking the initiative to ask, "Are you two going to the Herta to discuss the Simulated Universe?"
"Indeed, that's exactly why we've come. And what about Mr. Bai Jun?"
"Ah, I also wanted to go to the Herta to confirm some things..."
"As fate would have it, if Mr. Bai Jun doesn't mind, I think we could travel together for a while."
Screwllum put his top hat back on and politely extended the invitation. Bai Jun naturally had no reason to refuse. Sandwiched between Screwllum and Ruan Mei, the three of them chatted as they walked unhurriedly toward the Herta office.
"Did Mr. Screwllum and the Herta already suspect my situation?"
Bai Jun blinked in surprise, as this was the first time he had heard of this.
"That's right, but at the time we only had a vague guess. We knew that this matter was mostly related to the Emanator, or even the Aeon. This sense of incongruity persisted throughout, but no one dared to draw any conclusions on this topic. So it wasn't until Mr. Bai Jun fully revealed that attitude that we came to a conclusion."
Screwllum turned to look at Bai Jun, his mechanical eyes seeming to hold a human smile.
"The journey of organic life is always full of variables, which fascinates me. For example, Mr. Bai Jun, your growth rate is truly astonishing. I have been paying attention to you for a while, and after witnessing your battle yesterday, seeing that miraculous light and flame, emotionally speaking, I have completely become your supporter (fan)."
"You flatter me too much..."
Screwllum sometimes praised, sometimes teased, and sometimes joked. He was more skilled at conversation than anyone Bai Jun had ever met, and his emotional intelligence was exceptionally high.
"What does it feel like to have a completely new Path within you? I hope we'll have enough time to get to know each other and find the answer to this question... Oh, by the way, does the 'Abundance' within you show any signs of rejection or conflict?"
"No, rather, the two are incredibly compatible, almost like they're one. You can switch between them whenever you want."
As he spoke, Bai Jun slowly extended his palm, and a unique emerald green flame suddenly rose up, bringing with it a surge of gentle energy and vibrant life. A cool sensation flowed through his body, and even Ruan Mei, who had been silent to the side, widened her eyes and stared blankly at the emerald-like flame.
There was no Destruction force, no intense heat enough to melt everything; the flame lay quietly in the palm of your hand, constantly bringing a soothing warmth and comfort. Just looking at it made the fatigue accumulated over the past few days disappear without a trace.
"This is really..."
The Aeon found it hard to fathom, Screwllum had been puzzled for the past two days about the purpose of the power the Yaoshi had projected into Bai Jun's body.
Current research suggests that the trajectory of one's Path follows only two paths: one is for a broad Path to absorb a narrow Path, and the other is for Path to collide, where a strong Path eliminates a weak Path.
The current situation is indeed somewhat difficult to understand...
"Mr. Screwllum, I've heard about the matters of Path, but I'm curious, when this force grows stronger and becomes a true Path, will I still be 'Bai Jun'?"