Chapter Summaries

After the Astral Express crew bid farewell to Acheron, they returned to the Express, where Pom-Pom broke down after hearing about the Nameless who had once traveled with them. Himeko stayed behind to comfort Pom-Pom while the others reflected on how deeply the Conductor cherished each passenger and journey.

• The Astral Express crew said goodbye to Acheron, who urged the Nameless to continue their journey and believe their choices could give the ending new meaning.
• Jiang Yu returned to the Express and found Pom-Pom crying after the crew told them about their Penacony adventure and the Nameless predecessors.
• Pom-Pom tried to hide their sadness behind complaints about passengers disrupting the Express's schedule, then cried while remembering Misha, Tiernan, and Lazarina.
• Stelle told Jiang Yu that Misha would stay somewhere arranged by a Memokeeper, and Jiang Yu gave no clear explanation for how he had brought Misha out.
• Himeko remained with Pom-Pom to comfort them, while March 7th, Dan Heng, and Old Yang left and reflected on Pom-Pom's attachment to the Nameless.

The Astral Express faced a fuel shortage, and Black Swan proposed traveling to the unknown world of Amphoreus to replenish its power. Meanwhile, Jade freed Sunday and offered him a deal tied to his promise with Robin, leaving him to decide whether to accept.

• Old Yang explained that the Express had only enough fuel for two more warps, so the crew needed to choose their next destination carefully.
• Black Swan appeared aboard the Express and proposed trailblazing to Amphoreus, a world even Akivili had never reached, to restore the Express's energy.
• Jade visited the imprisoned Sunday and said she had come to fulfill Robin's wish by offering him a chance to pursue their shared promise of building a paradise.
• Jade released Sunday and urged him to see the mortal world for himself, while Sunday refused to accept her charity and left the deal unanswered.

After learning the Astral Express had received a 5% stake in Penacony, Stelle went to The Reverie and demanded to take over as lobby manager. Oti Alfalfa granted her a ten-system-hour trial, while Jiang Yu warned him that Aha's Fragmentum Factory employees were already on their way.

• Stelle brought Jiang Yu to The Reverie and tried to convince lobby manager Dennis that she was an owner with authority to replace him, exaggerating the Astral Express's 5% stake into 50%.
• Oti Alfalfa arrived and agreed to let Stelle experience working as lobby manager, seeing it as useful publicity for the Penacony Group.
• Stelle called herself Boss Gway, and Oti declared her The Reverie's sole lobby manager for the next ten system hours.
• Jiang Yu told Oti to inform Robin that the employees of Aha's Fragmentum Factory had already set out.
• Oti grew alarmed at the thought of Fragmentum Monsters in Penacony and hurried off to speak with Robin about accepting the factory's help.

Stelle took over the Reverie's front desk from Dennis and, with Jiang Yu, turned the lobby into a private party instead of serving guests. After inviting others to join them, they waited for the quiet lobby to become lively.

• Dennis left Stelle in charge of the front desk without giving her a handover.
• Stelle disabled the Automated Service Terminal and gave the other lobby staff the day off.
• Stelle and Jiang Yu brought out drinks, desserts, and snacks, decorated the lobby, and began partying.
• After noticing that they were alone, Jiang Yu messaged people to invite them to the party.

Jiang Yu turned Stelle’s attempt to work as The Reverie’s Lobby Manager into a party, then forced Sparkle to take over reception when a Pepeshi guest finally caught his attention. Sparkle eagerly prepared to take out her frustration on the overlooked guest.

• Sparkle arrived uninvited, mocked Jiang Yu’s party, and joined in after deciding he was staging a scheme against The Family.
• Bailu, Hook, Clara, Lynx, Huohuo, Qingque, Little Gui, and Yanqing arrived, and Little Gui and Sparkle bonded over performance techniques.
• Jiang Yu noticed a Pepeshi waiting beneath the counter and realized that Stelle, who was busy chugging SoulGlad, could not handle her Lobby Manager duties.
• Jiang Yu pushed Sparkle into the reception role, and she turned an unfriendly gaze on the Pepeshi guest.
• The Pepeshi reflected that he had waited half a System Hour without being noticed and blamed Jiang Little Fish for his ordeal.

Sparkle carelessly checked guests into the hotel while Jiang Yu hosted a party and managed the front desk. After Stelle collapsed from overeating and drinking, Boothill and Argenti arrived and asked Jiang Yu to extend their stays, leaving Boothill baffled by Jiang Yu’s unusual control of the room system.

• Sparkle registered Royroy Buchbug Badenhower as a guest, nicknamed him Radish, and assigned him room 13588.
• Stelle vomited after overindulging, and Bailu prepared to treat her while she blamed Himeko and Welt Yang for not teaching her self-control.
• Boothill and Argenti arrived together and questioned why Jiang Yu and his friends had taken over the hotel lobby for a party.
• Jiang Yu confirmed that he and his friends were partying while working the front desk, prompting Argenti to praise their generosity and skill.
• Boothill and Argenti asked Jiang Yu to extend their stays, and Jiang Yu used the room system in a way that astonished Boothill.

Jiang Yu handled hotel guests while Argenti and Boothill set off to investigate a dangerous organization on Penacony. After catching Sparkle neglecting her work, he continued the party as Stelle’s first day as Lobby Manager passed without her doing any actual work.

• Boothill told Jiang Yu he and Argenti planned to investigate a dangerous organization on Penacony, though Boothill did not know its name.
• Jiang Yu helped the timid Pepeshi Cheno find his friend Radish in room 13527.
• Jiang Yu caught Sparkle neglecting her duties and intimidated her into kneeling in humiliation.
• Topaz, Aventurine, and Numby checked out and took photos with Jiang Yu and the others, then with Robin.
• The party continued, while Stelle’s first day as Lobby Manager ended with her eating, drinking, and having fun instead of working.

Jiang Yu and his companions visited the Four-Foot Sanctuary, where its leader, Roy Roy, urged them to swear loyalty to its beliefs. Sparkle challenged the Sanctuary by presenting herself as a greater deity, and Jiang Yu’s sudden growth left the worshippers stunned.

• Qingque received an invitation to the Four-Foot Sanctuary, and Jiang Yu, Sparkle, and their companions decided to visit under Sparkle’s disguises.
• Roy Roy demanded that the newcomers recite the Sanctuary’s oath, but Jiang Yu and the others refused to declare that they would stop growing.
• Sanctuary worshippers condemned Jiang Yu for wanting to grow taller and praised their mission to resist the Giant Race.
• Sparkle told the worshippers that her power could help them conquer the Giant Race and asked Jiang Yu to praise her.
• Sparkle removed Jiang Yu’s disguise, making him appear giant-sized to the Pepeshi and leaving Roy Roy and the worshippers speechless.

Sparkle used illusions to convince the Four-Foot Sanctuary that they had grown taller, while Boothill and Argenti arrived and apprehended the Pepeshi. Back at the hotel, Stelle tried to abandon her lobby duties, but Jiang Yu messaged Dennis and left him to deal with the trashed lobby.

• Sparkle made the Pepeshi believe that worshipping her had made them taller, and the Four-Foot Sanctuary members eagerly joined in.
• Qingque and the Xianzhou companions watched the Pepeshi's fanaticism with familiar disbelief.
• Boothill and Argenti arrived at the secret gathering, then apprehended the Four-Foot Sanctuary members for trial.
• Jiang Yu notified Seele that the Pepeshi might be useful workers at the Factory.
• Stelle tried to leave her lobby job, so Jiang Yu sent Dennis a picture of the mess and told him to handle it.

Jing Yuan invited the Astral Express crew to the Xianzhou Luofu’s wardance, and Jiang Yu urged them to join the festival relay. The crew accepted the invitation while Himeko planned to take the others to the Ginnungagap Deep Zone for Ruan Mei’s commission.

• Stelle wondered whether Dennis had kept his job as the Astral Express crew went about their quiet routine without Jiang Yu and his companions.
• Pom-Pom received a message from Jing Yuan, who invited the Astral Express crew to attend the Luofu’s wardance.
• Jiang Yu appeared in Jing Yuan’s projection and encouraged the crew to join the festival relay.
• March 7th worried that another celebration might bring trouble, while Dan Heng and Welt explained why the wardance was different from the events on Penacony.
• Himeko said she and the others would handle Ruan Mei’s commission in the Ginnungagap Deep Zone while March 7th and the younger crew members enjoyed the wardance on the Luofu.

Stelle, Dan Heng, and March 7th arrived at Starskiff Haven and recommended Luofu attractions to two visitors from Penacony. Jiang Yu and Yanqing reunited with the group, and Jiang Yu declared that Yanqing’s growth meant his training load needed to increase.

• Stelle, Dan Heng, and March 7th arrived on the Luofu and waited for Jiang Yu to meet them.
• A Pepeshi woman and an Intellitron asked the trio for Luofu attractions, and Stelle recommended several destinations, including Aurum Alley and Fyxestroll Garden.
• A Cloud Knight overheard the recommendations and followed the visitors because some of the suggested places were restricted.
• Jiang Yu and Yanqing arrived, reuniting with the trio and Dan Heng.
• March 7th noticed Yanqing had grown taller, and Stelle tried to pinch his cheek before he dodged her.
• Jiang Yu asked whether he had grown too, then declared that Yanqing needed a heavier training load.

Jiang Yu, Yanqing, and the Astral Express crew discussed the Xianzhou Luofu’s Wardance and the visiting generals as they headed to the Palace of Astrum. Their conversation was interrupted by a Borisin attack in Starskiff Haven, where Jiang Yu and Yanqing quickly overwhelmed the monsters.

• Jiang Yu explained that Jing Yuan had organized the Wardance to restore the Luofu’s standing and lift morale after the Ambrosial Arbor crisis.
• Yanqing described General Feixiao of the Yaoqing Xianzhou and said he and Jiang Yu hoped to meet her.
• Jiang Yu led the group toward the Palace of Astrum to see Jing Yuan, while March 7th and Stelle teased Yanqing.
• A Borisin attack sent the crowd fleeing, and Yanqing ordered the Cloud Knights to protect the civilians.
• Yanqing defeated a Borisin with his flying swords, while Jiang Yu sent others flying with a slap and split one in half with Black Cleave, prompting the remaining Borisin to flee.

A mysterious girl defeated a Borisin attacker and ran off with Jiang Yu’s Black Cleave, while Yanqing began investigating the incident. The inquiry led to a dispute over the detained company cargo and a complicated account involving the Zhuming’s envoys.

• A barefoot girl knocked Yanqing aside, defeated the fleeing Borisin, and took Black Cleave with her.
• Jiang Yu told Yanqing not to worry about Black Cleave, explaining that the sword was difficult to destroy and had once been called Fallen Star.
• Yanqing questioned Stelle and the others about the attack, then saw company personnel arguing with the Cloud Knights over an impounded shipment.
• Yanqing asked the Cloud Knight captain why Borisin prisoners had been brought to Starskiff Haven instead of being taken directly to the Prison of Deep Seclusion.
• Lu Jun explained that Borisin had attacked a company transport near the Luofu and that a Zhuming envoy ship had defeated the raiders and confined them aboard.

Yanqing explained that Borisin prisoners had attacked during a traffic disruption, and the group left the scene after discussing the incident. Jiang Yu then knocked Lu Jun unconscious after hearing him mutter, while Cloud Knights defended Jiang Yu; later, at the Palace of Astrum, a young Demon Sword collector examined a strange, devoted sword and wondered whether it was truly evil.

• Yanqing told the group that Borisin prisoners had attacked after their escort Starskiff could not coordinate with traffic control, and he planned to report the emergency response.
• Jiang Yu identified the wolf-headed attackers as Borisin, and Yanqing explained their history of war with the Xianzhou Alliance.
• After the group left, Jiang Yu struck Lu Jun down for muttering about troublesome people, and March 7th and the others returned to find him badly injured.
• Cloud Knights gathered and insisted that Jiang Yu must have had a reason for attacking Lu Jun and the captain.
• At the Palace of Astrum, Jing Yuan welcomed Elder Yan while a young girl examined Jiang Yu's Demon Sword and struggled to decide whether it was a bad sword.

Yunli struggled to decide what to do with the Demon Sword Black Cleave as Jing Yuan introduced Huaiyan and the Astral Express crew. When Jiang Yu asked to compete in the Wardance, Yunli took his boast that no one could beat him as a challenge.

• Yunli recalled how her father's heliobi-forged swords became Demon Swords and how that tragedy led her to hunt them down.
• Jiang Yu arrived with Jing Yuan and the others, and Huaiyan welcomed them warmly despite Jiang Yu calling him a short old man.
• Jing Yuan introduced Huaiyan as the General Zhuyuan and named Yanqing as the Luofu's prospective defending champion in the Contest of Blades.
• Jiang Yu urged Jing Yuan to let him compete, claiming he would guarantee the Luofu first place, while Jing Yuan hesitated over the effect on the Wardance.
• Yunli heard Jiang Yu's boast, approached the group, and drew Yanqing's attention as Huaiyan introduced her as his grand-disciple.

Jiang Yu reunited with Yunli to ask for Black Cleave, but Yunli provoked him and Yanqing before the sword defended its owner in a bizarre outburst. Jing Yuan and Huaiyan ended the confrontation and arranged for Yanqing to escort the guests, while Yunli chose to visit Lingsha instead.

• Jiang Yu explained to Huaiyan and Yunli that Yunli had taken Black Cleave after helping with escaped Borisin, then offered to let her study it longer when she refused to return it.
• Yunli insulted the Luofu's swordsmen and accused Jiang Yu of disrespecting Black Cleave, while Yanqing challenged her for taking the sword and insulting his friend.
• Black Cleave flew up and declared that it did not deserve Jiang Yu and enjoyed being treated like garbage, leaving Yunli speechless as Old Iron called it deranged.
• Huaiyan scolded Yunli and urged her to apologize, while Jing Yuan smoothed over the dispute and asked Yanqing to escort the guests to the inn.
• Jing Yuan asked Jiang Yu to stay behind for a while, and Yunli objected before saying she would go see Lingsha instead of visiting the inn.

Yanqing received orders to calm the IPC representatives while Huaiyan warned Jing Yuan that General Tianji of the Yaoqing had come for him. After Jiaoqiu and Moze arrived, Jiang Yu greeted Jiaoqiu as “Uncle Wood” and made dinner plans with him.

• Jing Yuan sent Yanqing to reassure the IPC representatives, and Yanqing agreed to bring Little Fish along for help.
• Huaiyan apologized for Yunli’s behavior and warned Jing Yuan that General Tianji had come for him.
• Jiang Yu told Jing Yuan he would help him if General Tianji attacked without hearing him out.
• Jiaoqiu and Moze arrived and explained that General Tianji had vanished after stepping off the starskiff.
• Jiang Yu recognized Jiaoqiu as Sushang’s “Uncle Wood,” complimented his cooking, and arranged to share a meal with him.

Jiang Yu showed Huaiyan and Jing Yuan that the Luofu could answer his summons, astonishing the generals and their companions. After rejoining the others, Yanqing realized Jing Yuan was facing political pressure over the Ambrosial Arbor crisis and resolved to focus on the task at hand.

• Jiaoqiu explained that Feixiao had gone to admire the scenery at Scalegorge Waterscape before visiting Huaiyan and Jing Yuan in person.
• Jing Yuan asked Jiang Yu to demonstrate the Luofu's self-activation, and the Luofu answered, “At your summons, Little Fish.”
• Jiang Yu told his companions that Huaiyan had apologized on his granddaughter's behalf and that he planned to share a meal with Jiaoqiu.
• Dan Heng and Yanqing recognized that the generals' visit involved accountability for the Ambrosial Arbor crisis, and Yanqing regretted not noticing Jing Yuan's troubles.
• March 7th's attempt to comfort Yanqing made him feel worse, but he resolved to handle the IPC's protest at the Artisanship Commission.

Jiang Yu and Stelle encountered Scott arguing with the Artisanship Commission over a safety inspection of his company’s cargo. Yanqing began investigating the dispute as a test from Jing Yuan, but Stelle interrupted just as Jiang Yu and Yanqing seemed close to persuading Scott.

• Jiang Yu, Stelle, and the others arrived at the Artisanship Commission and recognized Scott arguing with Xikui and Kongqing over the detained cargo.
• Scott recognized Stelle and Jiang Yu, swallowed his anger toward Jiang Yu, and explained that the Cloud Knights had seized the cargo after his ship docked for repairs.
• Xikui and Kongqing explained that scans had found signs of biological tissue in the crates, requiring further inspection under Alliance regulations.
• Yanqing questioned the need to dismantle the cargo, while Jiang Yu warned Scott that he could not leave without the Xianzhou’s approval and offered to obtain the company’s products himself.
• Scott hesitated at Jiang Yu’s offer, and Yanqing noted that Scott remained stubborn; Stelle then stepped forward and declared herself a negotiation expert.

Stelle tried to negotiate with Scott over the Cloud Knights’ inspection of a Corporation transport, but her reckless tactics only made the dispute more chaotic. When Scott threatened the Xianzhou with protests, Jiang Yu urged Yanqing to detain the transport so they could capture Oswaldo Schneider and send him to the Factory.

• Yanqing accepted Stelle’s offer to handle Scott after Little Fish smiled at him.
• Stelle mocked Scott, then threatened to smash the prototype units to bypass the safety inspection, until Yanqing stopped her.
• Scott argued that the cargo belonged to the Genius Society and warned that the transport would leave once its engine was repaired.
• Yanqing vowed that the Cloud Knights would not let the vessel leave, despite Scott’s threats of protests and embarrassment.
• Jiang Yu urged Yanqing to hold the transport so they could capture Oswaldo Schneider and send him to the Factory.