Aha: So This Is Trailblazing

Dan Heng corrected him. "Whatever it's made of, it definitely isn't an ice sculpture."

"True. It's actually pretty warm in this city. Hey, it looks like a lot of kids are gathered over there. Shall we go take a closer look?"

The Stellaron Spirit, curious and wanting to touch it, went over to the children.

Fang Jie, however, need not join them. This guy acted like an adult, a child, aloof, and cool—he could sit at Dan Heng's table!

From afar, Fang Jie watched the monument, his gaze both familiar and strange. Beside him, Dan Heng asked the question that even little March could see. "You seem to know a great deal about us. No, not just us—you know this Belobog as well."

Honestly, this went beyond merely being overly familiar. And Mr. Welt, who had always wanted to find his homeland, had yet to do so, only to suddenly encounter a clue...

Fine, it was because the name "Fang Jie" sounded suspiciously like that of a company con artist.

"I've seen things like this in books, but this is my first time seeing it in person."

Fang Jie had nothing much to hide. The galaxy was vast enough to contain anything.

"If I had to put it in gaming terms, I'm a New Game Plus player."

Dan Heng: "?"

He pondered it carefully, then asked tentatively, "A Stellaron Hunter?"

There was evidence that the people behind Stelle were the Stellaron Hunters. Their leader, Elio, was a madman who claimed to see fate and pursued the most dangerous things in the universe.

"No." Fang Jie shook his head. "Though I've read their story too, I'm different from those 'slaves of fate.'"

He did not oppose Destruction, nor had he seen the prophecy of the end.

The proof was that the path he intended to take likely involved the Forbidden Zone Supreme and the Second Honkai eruption.

Honestly, that future made him feel a little guilty, but since he was already here...

"Mm." Dan Heng's expression gave no indication whether he believed him. "I've finished my questions. As for the rest, I trust Mr. Welt will make his own judgment."

"Aren't you going to ask about Belobog's story? This place isn't as peaceful as it looks."

Dan Heng gave him a strange look. The peace in your mouth? We had just entered Belobog, and honestly, Dan Heng would not have been surprised if that somewhat strange Great Guardian suddenly turned hostile.

Even Cocolia's little oddities no longer seemed strange. She needed some defensive strength, after all.

"No need. Trailblazing means exploring the unknown."

"I thought so too."

Fang Jie strongly agreed with Dan Heng's view.

Though this planet suffered from a Stellaron disaster, the Astral Express's observations indicated that no Emanator-level power existed here, so it was not much of a problem for the Astral Express.

They had even arranged for Dan Heng to lead the newcomers on their Trailblazing Journey.

"Explore unknown worlds and blaze trails; understand the local culture and ecology, and become part of it; forge connections with new worlds, sharing their joys and sorrows; link world to world, and tread a path that never ends"—that was the creed of the Nameless.

Even the Stellaron Hunters, who knew so much, had not spoiled anything. They merely arranged certain things at the right moments and let Stelle blaze her own trail.

"You wouldn't mind if I took part in trailblazing this planet too, would you?"

Fang Jie was quite serious. If Dan Heng thought it inappropriate, he would yield and simply trade for their landing pod, then hitch a ride aboard the train.

"The Nameless never mind such things. But forgive me for saying this—your trailblazing..." Dan Heng only dared remind him because those two people at Fang Jie's side were absent.

Don't learn from the company's Market Development Department. That guy had been kicked off the train by Pom-Pom.

Fang Jie understood and smiled. "I can't exactly ignore her, but I'm not good at managing her either. I have neither strength like yours, Dan Heng, nor wisdom like Welt's. I've only just started on this road, and I've already made plenty of messes."

To put it plainly, his foresight only offered a superficial taste and involved no details whatsoever. Faced with a world that truly changed and developed, he was a little lost. Besides, he valued all this too much to act recklessly.

Kevin was still watching from the Sea of Quanta, Kiana Kaslana was still ruling through the ages alone at End Times, and the Astral Express was full of good people. Choose your side already.

What, did he want to become a bug?

As long as he got in touch with Welt, everything would get better.

We protagonists fought as a team. He could teach Fang Jie how to roam around the world of Honkai 3 without getting himself killed. Old Yang was a history teacher, after all.

As for this galaxy... the same principle applied. With the Astral Express watching his back, he could avoid a great, great many problems.

Compared to that, Belobog naturally had value too, but not much. And compared to the Overworld, the Underworld was indeed more worth looking forward to.

"My... strength?"

Dan Heng did not want to discuss this topic, nor did he want to know what future Fang Jie knew about him. He had a feeling it would not be anything good.

Still, he finally understood something. No wonder Fang Jie seemed so unlike a Nameless. Perhaps this man unconsciously rejected the unknown deep down. If he could not move past that mindset, he would never be able to truly delve into trailblazing.

Meanwhile, Stelle and March 7th had already blended in with the children, shouting, "Pe~la~ sis~ter~!"

"...Could certain adults please stop casually imitating children!"

How rare. Pela, that little round face of yours really delighted me. So many Silvermane Guards had been urgently mobilized before—why hadn't you come over to get beaten up?

It was fine. He would beat her up next time.

Because they had beaten up too many Silvermane Guards today, Gepard did not recommend the "Eternal Motion" Mechanical House to them. After leisurely touring the city, Fang Jie received a message personally delivered by Gepard: Great Guardian Cocolia would meet with them tomorrow.

"I'm looking forward to it."

Fang Jie smiled. With him acting as a buffer, the Astral Express could enjoy another day instead of immediately having to tense up for negotiations with Cocolia, flee, and get wanted in one convenient package.

"See you tomorrow."

Meanwhile, at Clipper Fort.

Cocolia watched Bronya. "My daughter, you look so dejected. That will not do. As acting Great Guardian, if you do not raise your spirits and maintain an imposing presence, those watching you will also waver."

"Mother, I just..."

Bronya did not conceal her despondency.

"I'm sorry. I've never been able to understand some of your actions, Mother, especially ordering the Guards to charge into the Fragmentum. I feel such sacrifices are meaningless. You can't... I'm truly sorry."

When faced with circumstances beyond their control, people always lamented their own helplessness.

Bronya was the same. It was not that her resolve to protect Belobog and human civilization had wavered. Rather, she did not know how she could overcome one steep obstacle after another if visitors from beyond the skies could so easily destroy Belobog.

What could the Silvermane Guards possibly protect?

They were so weak, without strength.

All of Cocolia's agitation settled at that moment. She looked at Bronya in delighted surprise. "I'm glad you've realized that, my daughter."

All this time, she had suffered from the despair brought by the identity of the Great Guardian.

The eighteenth holder of the title had passed Belobog into her hands, asking her to continue protecting it... but there would be no nineteenth. After seven hundred years of barely clinging on, Cocolia could not hand Belobog over to Bronya when even its reserves of Geomarrow ore could only be counted in days.

Yes, the Geomarrow that sustained Belobog's life was about to run out.

This was only possible because, over a decade ago, she had painfully decided to cut off supplies to the Underworld. What else could she abandon this time?

Soon, Geomarrow supplies would be cut off.

Soon, The Eternal Freeze would become unstoppable.

Soon, Belobog would fall.

Miracles no longer favored Belobog. Even if a Pathstrider... if someone could be born at this critical moment who surpassed even the first Great Guardian, Cocolia would be willing to believe in miracles.

But there was no such person. She was Belobog's strongest, and no one could defeat her, surpass her, and find a better way forward—ultimately, everything would perish.

There would be no exceptions.

No salvation.

No hope.

There was no need to place that pain upon Bronya's shoulders. Cocolia had chosen a new path, one that... no longer relied on Preservation, weakened the power of Preservation, and threw itself into a new world.

"Bronya, if you are truly sad, then take tomorrow off. To welcome these guests from beyond the skies, let Belobog's citizens be happy. Go organize a distribution of supplies, and make it generous."

"Mother?!"

Bronya could scarcely believe Cocolia would say such a thing. Belobog's heating and supply provisions had always been held to a single line—the subsistence line.

There were only so many supplies. Hunger and cold were the norm.

Cocolia's expression was gentle. "Go do it, my daughter. Tomorrow, I still have matters to discuss with the outsiders. Afterward, I'll give you a surprise—one that will leave you no longer confused, one that will leave none of us confused."

There was no time left. If she continued to hesitate, even the Stellaron would be taken by the outsiders.

She had made her decision.

Ahha: That's How Trailblazing Is

Goethe Hotel.

After an entire day of sightseeing, Stelle felt that she completely understood the culture here. She was probably only one number drawn at the Administrative Department away from becoming a citizen of Belobog.

Everyone returned to the Goethe Hotel. Its warm Geomarrow lights and the fragrant tea scent in the air made them feel at ease.

Before officially washing up and resting, they still had time to wander around the hotel. March 7th and Dan Heng seemed to want to chat with her here too...

What? Fang Jie?

"Sleep, sleep!!"

He hurried back to his room without listening to March 7th's suggestion of having a pillow fight, nor did he have any intention of joining the Astral Express team meeting.

He was still sharing a room with that sleeping beauty... wow~

Stelle understood just how wonderful that was. She also sometimes went to March 7th's room on the train to sleep there. It was very comfortable.

Unaware that his reputation had been slandered, Fang Jie finally got his precious second sleep in a long while, so he slept like the dead.

When he woke from his dream, he found himself posed in a strange position, with someone having scrawled nonsense all over him...

"Huh?"

He was shocked. He was stunned. Then he flew into a humiliated rage—who was so despicable?! If they were going to sneak attack him at night, they should at least wake him up!

"Taking advantage of someone's weakness is a phrase I dislike."

His loud condemnation received no response. The culprit was entirely self-righteous, like Shinobu Oshino, except she did not eat donuts.

Wait, why were there three kinds of handwriting?

"Ah!"

What was wrong with the Nameless? How had things become like this?

Helplessly, Fang Jie stripped himself naked and headed for the bathroom. After cleaning himself up, he confirmed there were at least three kinds of handwriting. Aside from the crooked baseball bat pattern shoved right in his face, there was also a strange Pom-Pom drawing on the other side of his face. The composition was incredibly rough, and someone might even have taken pictures.

"I'll remember this grudge."

The time Gepard had arranged for the meeting was noon, so there was still time. Fang Jie pushed open the window and looked out over the increasingly lively Belobog. It was already late; he had slept in.

The Astral Express team was no longer in the hotel either. March 7th and the Stellaron Spirit had definitely fled the scene to play after committing their crime. Dan Heng was perhaps in the library.

And the streets were bustling.

"Is it a holiday?"

It really was lively. Everywhere he looked, streets and alleys were filled with people gathered around Geomarrow heaters and talking to one another. Long lines had formed outside places that seemed to be shops but were guarded by Silvermane Guards. More people wore smiles on their faces.

Even citizens whose homes had been swallowed by the Fragmentum—the Fragmentum phenomenon in Belobog had already spread into the city—looked far calmer and more resolute than they had yesterday, when some had been utterly panicked and desperate after losing all their possessions.

The supplies they received had relieved their immediate needs. Once they had eaten their fill, they would have the strength to enter the Fragmentum and reclaim everything.

???

He was not afraid of death. Having nothing left was no different from being dead.

The Silvermane Guards blocking off the Fragmentum were no longer so insistent either, because...

For certain reasons, the city's defenses were badly understaffed. They could not hold the line.

"So it's already 'tomorrow.' Looks like they're not planning to keep living."

Watching the festival-like atmosphere of celebration, Fang Jie could only think that.

He raised his head and saw a brilliant starry sky. Neither the gloom nor the sun could obscure it. This was Belobog's starry sky from seven hundred years ago, and he faced that same sky alongside the people here.

After centuries of hardship, the people here were digging their own graves.