Can't a guy just farm commissions in peace?

Serval raised an eyebrow slightly at that, then suddenly smiled—a smile with an oddly manic edge, but it vanished in an instant, so much so that Bronya felt she might have imagined it. She rubbed her eyes, and when she opened them again, what greeted her was Serval's bitter grin.

"You know something, don't you?"

"What do you mean?"

"The 'Creation Engine' restart plan has actually been ongoing all along, and... in fact, there have been successful cases already."

"Mother never mentioned this!"

"Of course she wouldn't."

The woman shook her head helplessly, then sighed.

"Even though the repair was successful, it can't be put into direct use. The activation key for the 'Creation Engine' requires the power of 'Preservation,' and Cocolia only drove the 'Creation Engine' once before she slept for several days."

"The power of 'Preservation'..."

As the heir to the Supreme Guardian, Bronya understood the situation of Paths, but limited by textual descriptions, she only knew that at the apex of each Path stood a 'god,' called an 'Aeon,' and at the apex of 'Preservation,' there was an Aeon revered as the 'Amber King,' named Klippers. This god was the one truly recognized and worshipped by the City Builders.

But whether it was Klippers or the City Builders, they were all too distant for her, lacking any real sense of connection, so she couldn't truly grasp what the power of 'Preservation' meant.

Even her own step onto a Path had been an unconscious entry onto the path of 'Harmony.' Even after starting over, she didn't know how to replicate the method of stepping onto her Path.

"Is there really no way?"

Drooping her head in dejection, Bronya didn't even notice the fleeting, delighted smile on the face of the mature woman right in front of her. When she spoke again, her voice was no longer that crisp, mature, and cool tone, but had suddenly become ethereal and far more unhinged.

"There is a way, but... Little Grey Hair, are you mentally prepared to bear the cost?"

"Cost? What cost?!"

She jerked her head up, but in that instant, the golden-haired mature woman right before her vanished without a trace.

"Serval, ma'am... no, she's not..."

Realizing belatedly what had just happened, she shot to her feet, scanning her surroundings, trying to catch a trace of the vanished person.

But there was nothing.

"Was everything that person said true?"

"...And who was she? A City Builder, a Sea Ranger, a Visitor from Beyond, or someone else? What was her intention?"

Chaotic thoughts swirled in Bronya's mind. As she sat back down in her chair, her gaze suddenly caught something new on the table. She picked it up, and in her ears, that sickly, manic, crisp laughter rang out again.

"Want to know the answer, Little Grey Hair? Then go take a look at Everwinter Peak. I've prepared a huge surprise for you!"

"Who are you?!"

She swept her gaze around, but none of the passersby matched the source of that voice. Bronya clenched her fist and demanded loudly, "What is your goal?!"

"Hehehe... Why so tense, Little Grey Hair? Go check out the big surprise I prepared for you first. Otherwise... that button in your hand will replace the surprise on Everwinter Peak. With just a light press, bang, the whole of Belobog will fly up into the sky and turn into a super big firework."

"So, promise me, Little Grey Hair... don't, ever, let me down on the huge surprise I prepared for you."

[PS: We'll be going on sale soon. When that happens, brothers, please give a subscription. Even just the first chapter subscription to support me would give me a chance to get another recommendation spot. If the recommendation spot is good, I'll add ten more chapters. So please, brothers, give a subscription. Thank you.]

Chapter 036: Even a Heaven-Sent Badass Has Limits. (4/4)

"Something dirty?"

Though it was just a whim, for those walking on a Path, such whims were often influenced by 'Imaginary energy' and carried a certain degree of real-world effect.

"Claws of Destruction? Doesn't feel quite right."

"Could it be that Blade snuck in to cause trouble for Dan Heng?"

Shirou Emiya rubbed his chin slightly. But with Kafka around, Blade should be tightly locked down by her Word of Power.

"Still, this faint feeling probably isn't a big problem."

The planet Jarilo-VI wasn't actually small in area, but thanks to the Great Cold, human footprints had been confined to the vicinity of Belobog for centuries. The farthest expansion in history was at the end of Alisa Rand's reign, when a stunning counterattack was launched.

The result of that counterattack was roughly equivalent to, during the Jingkang Incident, a heaven-sent badass suddenly appearing in Bianjing and beating the Jin army all the way back to the vicinity of Taiyuan.

But unfortunately...

The Antimatter Legion's strength was too terrifying, and the Abyss rifts brought by the Stellaron gradually eroded the environment and even living beings. Many elemental creatures, natural flora and fauna, and even intelligent machines were corrupted by the Abyss, becoming enemies.

Under such circumstances, Jarilo-VI was practically fighting with its back to the wall. Alisa Rand, the first Supreme Guardian, might not have been a Li Erfeng in Jarilo's history, but she was at least a Li Longji cutting off his later years. Unfortunately, the enemy's strength and reinforcement capabilities exceeded her limits—or rather, the entire planet was facing an enemy it couldn't match.

After that great battle, though Belobog achieved victory, it had no strength to expand its gains. The army retreated back into the fortress. Later... the influence of the Great Cold made it impossible for the army to leave Belobog for large-scale operations. Jarilo's history thus met its end, leaving only the people struggling to survive in the last fortress.

Then, after the reigns of the second and third Supreme Guardians, people gradually even forgot the name Jarilo-VI.

"The Antimatter Legion's numbers are indeed considerable."

Along the way, he had traveled at least several thousand kilometers from Belobog. On Earth, that would be crossing a province; in a smaller country, it would count as leaving the country.

Within that range of several thousand kilometers, the total number of 'Antimatter Legion' forces he could detect was around a hundred thousand, from small particle monsters to various Void Trotters.

"The number of Abyss rifts is also much higher."

"Even without Cocolia, that Stellaron would eventually devour this planet completely."

"In the end, it's a deal with the devil."

"It's a bit pitiful, really. Cocolia is somewhat similar to Emperor Chongzhen."

It wasn't that she lacked diligence in governance—just that she had the will to slay the bandits but lacked the power to turn the tide. Though this Cocolia died cleanly enough, unlike that grating Cocolia from Honkai Impact 3rd.

After inspecting the Antimatter Legion's situation, Emiya calculated the forces needed to deal with them. Given Belobog's current military strength, if the Great Cold thawed, they'd barely last two days. Though few footprints marked this place, Belobog's exploration teams should have tallied the nearby Antimatter Legion numbers.

"No wonder she despaired. Add the Stellaron's corruption, and it's hard for an ordinary person to bear that pressure."

Still, understanding didn't erase the mistakes made. He had no right to forgive on behalf of the victims.

Having finished his count of the Antimatter Legion, he started heading back. Just as Belobog's outline came into view, a snow ridge blocked his path. Not bothering to go around, he conjured a flying device and ascended to the peak. From above, the ridge wasn't large, but it was littered with unevenly scattered Abyss rifts.

"Could this be Everwinter Peak?"

Emiya muttered to himself, then leaped down from the sky. If it really was Everwinter Peak, he might as well grab the Stellaron while he was at it.

The moment he landed, Abyss monsters swarmed him. Before he could act, a figure burst from beneath a snowdrift, drawing a gun and firing rapidly at the creatures.

Dozens of gunshots rang out. The surrounding Abyss monsters shattered into dust in an instant. These beings, eroded by the Abyss, had long lost their original flesh. Their remaining forms were merely "memory-like" constructs akin to shape-memory alloys, their essence reduced to particles.

"Come here quickly!"

The young girl who emerged from the snow called out to Emiya. He stood still, sizing her up, a peculiar expression crossing his face.

[Why is she here?]

Her features were far from unfamiliar to him. He'd spent days holed up in a room gaming with Silver Wolf, and that face was practically stamped from the same mold.

But Miss Silver Wolf definitely wouldn't be in Belobog right now. That left only one possibility...

Belobog's local Bronya—Bronya Rand.

Still, this girl shouldn't be out in the wilderness. Her duty was to be Cocolia's good daughter, serving as a spiritual idol within the city.

Yet here she was, suddenly spawning in the desolate wilds.

Emiya raised an eyebrow, his eyes narrowing. Such an anomaly meant the original script had hit a snag.

The Iron Tomb's sudden appearance at Herta Space Station was a precedent.

Now Bronya's odd behavior might herald another shift.

But...

If the journey held only known things, it would be dull.

A faint smile tugged at Emiya's lips. Things were getting interesting. Across from him, Bronya saw him standing there grinning foolishly and frowned. She scanned their surroundings, holstered her semi-automatic rifle, and strode over to look him up and down before speaking with certainty, "You're a Visitor from Beyond too, aren't you."

"Those who visited Belobog before called themselves City Builders and Sea Rangers. What faction are you from?"

"A Nameless."

Dan Heng and March 7th needed to hide their identities, but Emiya didn't bother. He introduced himself directly, "I'm from the Astral Express, a passenger on the Aeon of Preservation Aevium's train. Across the universe, we're known as Trailblazers."

Another new faction...

Why were so many Visitors from Beyond appearing all at once?

Could it be that the Great Cold was truly receding, and these outsiders had sensed it?

Though confused by the situation, Bronya quickly pushed aside her stray thoughts. She glanced warily around, then suddenly grabbed Emiya's wrist and said briskly, "I'm Bronya Rand, Silvermane Guard Commander of Belobog. This isn't the place to talk. Follow me."

"I have many questions about you Visitors from Beyond, and I need answers from you."

Chapter 037: The Meaning Behind Aeons and Their Factions (1/4)

"According to historical records, Belobog hasn't seen a new Visitor from Beyond in at least four or five hundred years."

Inside a cave on the snow ridge, Bronya and Emiya sat on the ground. The current leader of the Silvermane Guard had too many questions about the changing situation and needed someone to answer them.

"So?"

Leaning against the cave wall, Emiya's expression was utterly calm.

"You want to know why I'm here?"

"Yes. Before you, someone calling themselves a City Builder and two claiming to be Sea Rangers visited Belobog. I don't understand why you outsiders are flocking here all at once."

"Tourist season?"

Emiya chuckled, gesturing at the icy wasteland outside.

"A full snow-covered planet like this is pretty rare. Great for sightseeing and photo ops."

"What do I need to give to get answers from you?"

Sensing his attitude, Bronya cut straight to the point.

"Belobog can't offer much in the way of rewards right now, but if it's within my power, I'll do my best to fulfill it."

"Fair enough. Write up a formal commission and sign it, then."

"Agreed."

Bronya produced a notebook from somewhere and quickly scribbled lines of text. Mr. Emiya, having received the commission, nodded and began explaining to her.

"A thousand years ago, the Aeon of Preservation, Aevium, visited Jarilo-VI and connected it to the Galactic Star Rail. From then on, Jarilo-VI officially stepped into the ranks of true cosmic civilization."

"However, with Aevium's sudden disappearance, a calamity known as the 'Stellaron' appeared across various regions of the universe. The Rift Energy they release erodes spatial stability, causing space to collapse and descend into other dimensional layers. The Star Rail lost its connectivity as a result."

"A few years ago, the current Navigator of the Astral Express, Himeko, obtained Aevium's legacy in a remote star system and reactivated the long-dormant 'Astral Express.' We are now retracing the old Star Rail routes and repairing them."

"By now, you should understand the reason for my appearance on your planet, shouldn't you?"

...Stellaron.

Bronya's mind finally pieced together some coherent clues and threads. Before, she truly couldn't understand what a destitute place like Belobog, huddled within a tiny fortress, had to offer that would draw other Visitors from Beyond here one after another.

Now...

She vaguely sensed it.

Belobog might not matter, nor even Jarilo itself. What mattered was that the Astral Express's Star Rail would be reconnected here.

Occupying a high position in Belobog, she naturally understood the geographical advantages of key transit routes. If even a place as insignificant as Belobog had such value, then magnified across the entire starry cosmos, as a station on a revived interstellar route, the future profits and risks were self-evident.

The good news was that if this gentleman calling himself a Nameless could truly resolve the Stellaron issue, then as one of the future cosmic route's stations, Belobog's path to revival would be much smoother.

But the bad news was equally clear: with no small number of Visitors from Beyond already appearing, those who would covet Belobog's 'geographical position' in the future were likely numerous. How to deal with those wolves and tigers would be a major challenge.

"City Builders, Sea Rangers, Nameless... I want to know, in this universe, what do these names truly represent?"

"Hmm, to put it plainly, they're like civil servants under superpower nations?"

If the dozens of Aeons in the universe were compared to superpower nations, then the organizations backing them were the civil servants with official positions. Groups like the Xianzhou and the Sea Rangers could basically be seen as separate branches of power.