After leaving Qlipoth Fort, March 7th finally couldn't hold back. "Oh my gosh, the atmosphere in there was so tense! I never expected the Supreme Guardian to work with the Stellaron. Thank goodness Xiao Xi caught on early. We were this close to walking right into a trap!"
Stelle nodded in agreement beside her. "Yeah, this world changes so fast. You really never know what's coming."
Dan Heng watched Stelle and March 7th joke around, then turned to me and asked, "Xiao Xi, saving this planet is a huge task. Are you sure you can do it?"
Xiao Xi nodded lightly. "Don't worry, Dan Heng. I wouldn't have made a promise if I couldn't keep it. I may not be much, but as an Emanator of [Hope], I can at least restore life to a planet."
Hearing that, Dan Heng relaxed. "That's good."
"Yeah, yeah! When you were talking to Cocolia just now, Xiao Xi, you somehow gave off the air of a savior."
Stelle asked curiously, "By the way, what do you think Cocolia will do?"
"Reconnecting the upper and lower districts is a given. We can deal with the Stellaron. I just don't know what Cocolia plans to do. But leaving a little suspense isn't so bad, is it?" Xiao Xi said after some thought.
"Anyway, let's enjoy exploring Belobog for now."
A huge monument stood in the middle of Belobog's plaza. March 7th hurried over and waved to everyone. "Come on, come on! Let's take a picture together in front of it."
"Okay, one, two, three—cheese!" The camera clicked, preserving a moment of their Trailblaze journey in March 7th's camera.
March 7th happily took pictures all over the place. Stelle and Xiao Xi also stopped by a flower shop. Blossoms thriving in this icy, snowy environment seemed like a miracle.
"Stelle! Stop rummaging through trash cans!" March 7th said, grabbing Stelle's hand with a conflicted look.
For some reason, Stelle seemed to have developed an obsession with searching through trash cans. This was already the umpteenth time they'd done it along the way.
Watching the same scene play out yet again, Xiao Xi and Dan Heng exchanged a helpless glance and sighed.
As they laughed and joked, the sky gradually darkened. Stelle and the others decided to return to the Goethe Hotel to rest and prepare for the challenges awaiting them the next day.
March 7th yawned, her voice heavy with sleep. "Ugh, I'm so tired. I can't wait to get back to that soft, comfy bed and sleep."
Stelle stretched and agreed. "Yeah, I can't wait to lie down."
"Then let's get some rest. Everyone's had a long day."
After wishing each other good night, the four of them went into their rooms to settle in for a sweet sleep.
The next morning, as the sunlight streamed in, Xiao Xi silently sat up in bed.
[Dan Heng]: Is everyone awake? Let's meet in the Goethe Hotel lobby at 9 a.m. today.
[March 7th]: Got it. By the way, it's only seven, isn't it? You're up early, Dan Heng.
[Stelle]: (Pom-Pom says OK)
[Xiao Xi]: Okay.
Xiao Xi took some time to get ready. By 9 a.m., everyone had gathered downstairs right on time.
"Phew." Stelle rubbed her bleary eyes. "Did you hear any strange sounds last night? I keep feeling like there's a ghost in the hotel."
"Huh? A ghost? Don't scare me, Stelle! I'm terrified of that stuff!" March 7th cried.
"Last night? I didn't notice anything unusual," Dan Heng said, furrowing his brow in thought.
Xiao Xi thought carefully about the night before. "I didn't notice anything either."
"Really? Maybe I was just so tired that I was out of it last night." After hearing us, Stelle relaxed.
"Let's stop thinking about creepy things and head to Qlipoth Fort."
When we returned to Qlipoth Fort, the atmosphere was much better than it had been the last time.
The silver-haired girl we'd met before stood beside Cocolia. "Everyone, this is my daughter, Bronya, the next Supreme Guardian. Given my position, I can't go to the Underworld myself, but my daughter will go in my place."
"I'll make all the necessary preparations for before and after the Stellaron is destroyed. I promise that when you return victorious, you'll find a brand-new Belobog."
Bronya smiled. She seemed to have a pretty good first impression of us. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Nameless. I'll lead you from here on. I hope we can have a wonderful journey together."
On the way to the Underworld, Bronya told us about her mother. "My mother wasn't like this ten-odd years ago. But one day, she suddenly changed into someone I couldn't understand. She cut off the upper and lower districts, leaving the people to suffer..."
"So when I saw how much she'd changed, I was actually glad you came. After you arrived, I felt like I could see a glimpse of the mother she used to be..."
"Ah, let's not talk about that now. Our destination is just ahead—the Wildfire base." Seeing the building up ahead, Bronya put aside her sadness and began explaining things to us seriously.
We walked up to the building with Bronya. The door was opened by a young woman dressed like a medic, who looked to be in her early twenties. "Hello, everyone. You must be Bronya. I'm Natasha, the leader of Wildfire. It's a pleasure to meet you all."
Bronya's expression dimmed. "No, I'm the one who should apologize. We've wronged the people of the Underworld all these years."
Natasha's tone remained gentle. "But things are gradually getting better, aren't they? Reconnecting the upper and lower districts is already in the works. I believe tomorrow will be better. Anyway, please come inside and sit down."
"Information about the Stellaron is all tightly sealed away. If there's anywhere we might still find something, it would be with Svarog, a robot who's been around for hundreds of years," Natasha explained.
"But the Mechanical Settlement is very closed off. You'll need a guide if you want to get in."
Just then, a familiar voice called out. "That's right. You've got me."
March 7th stared at him wide-eyed. "How could it be you, Sampo?!"
"Hey, hey, don't look at me like that. When it comes to the Mechanical Settlement, old Sampo dares say nobody knows it better than me. Relax—I guarantee I'll get you to your destination." Sampo swept a hand through his hair and said confidently.
Stelle regarded him with suspicion. "You'd better not try anything funny."
"Oh, come on. This is a major event that'll determine the fate of the planet. How could I possibly pull anything?"
"Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on him," said a girl in purple, holding a chain blade.
"This is Seele, one of the key members of Wildfire," Natasha introduced her.
Seeing that everything had more or less been settled, Dan Heng said expressionlessly, "In that case, let's get going."
"No problem. I like how decisive you are," Sampo replied with a grin.
Despite its name, the Mechanical Settlement was home to quite a few people. In fact, many vagrants chose to settle there.
"Everyone, leave this to me." Thanks to Sampo's bizarre antics, they actually made it through the gates of the Mechanical Settlement. "See? I told you to leave it to me."
March 7th's mouth twitched. She couldn't help complaining, "Sure, we made it in, but that method was really something else."
Sampo waved a hand. "Aw, as long as we got in, who cares how we did it?"