According to March 7th herself,
she was the strongest fighter aboard the Astral Express after Uncle Yang.
Even Dan Heng, the Express's guard, had lost to her.
Although Lin Chen found that claim a little hard to believe,
right now, March 7th was the only person he had any chance of leaning on for protection.
So Lin Chen hoped March 7th would stay.
That way, he would at least have a powerful ally when danger struck.
"You want me to stay tonight?"
"Y-you... what exactly are you thinking, you jerk?"
"I don't know what tricks you used to steal Himeko's heart."
"But... those tricks won't work on me!"
"That's right! So give up already!"
The pupils in her beautiful pink-and-blue eyes abruptly contracted.
A faint blush seemed to spread across March 7th's fair, flawless face.
She had never imagined that scoundrel Lin Chen would set his sights on her.
Staying overnight together on Herta Space Station? Wouldn't that mean living together?
Absolutely not!
Especially... after discovering Lin Chen and Himeko's secret.
For some reason, March 7th really didn't want to be alone with Lin Chen.
"Ahem... March, you've really misunderstood me."
"Herta Space Station is huge. There are plenty of cabins suitable for living in."
"Just now, I noticed something wasn't right about Herta Space Station."
"There might be some hidden dangers that only someone as incredibly strong as you could handle."
Lin Chen looked thoroughly exasperated, a little stunned by the way March 7th's mind worked.
So he decided not to hide anything and told her his intentions outright.
With a little praise for her strength thrown in, of course.
Knowing March 7th's personality, Lin Chen figured she might get carried away and change her mind.
"Well, you're right about that. I am incredibly strong!"
"But... isn't that lie of yours a little too far-fetched?"
"Herta Space Station belongs to Ms. Herta. What hidden dangers could there possibly be?"
Her rosy lips curved slightly as she regarded Lin Chen with suspicion.
March 7th suddenly felt that Lin Chen had an endless supply of tricks up his sleeve.
He just wanted her to stay, yet he had come up with an excuse not even a ghost would believe.
The station's owner, Ms. Herta, was an extraordinary figure who had met Nous twice.
As an Emanator of Erudition and member number 83 of the Genius Society,
Ms. Herta possessed intelligence and strength beyond imagination.
Not just Herta Space Station-even Azure Star
had avoided numerous disasters over the past century under Ms. Herta's protection.
"Believe me or don't!"
"But if you're willing to stay tonight, March..."
"How about I write off the 7,856 Credits you lost to me playing cards on the Express?"
Seeing that neither persuasion nor pressure worked on March 7th, Lin Chen brought out his trump card.
When it came to cards, March 7th was the type who played badly but couldn't stop.
The more she lost, the harder she tried, until... she had lost every last Credit in her pocket.
Credits had always been March 7th's weak spot.
Lin Chen figured she would finally give his proposal some serious thought this time.
"W-well..."
"So I owe you. I... I never said I'd pay you back."
Her slender fingers twisted tightly together.
March 7th lowered her head, her voice growing fainter and fainter.
Clearly, when it came to shamelessly refusing to pay her debts,
a certain beautiful young warrior of the Astral Express felt a little embarrassed too.
"That's just like you, March!"
"If that's how you want to play it, I'll call Himeko right now."
"The 7,856 Credits you owe me can come out of next month's pay!"
Although the young Trailblazer before him looked
so adorably clueless even while refusing to pay that he couldn't help appreciating the sight,
Lin Chen had no intention of indulging her.
It was time to put March 7th to work. If he didn't milk this opportunity now, when would he?
He didn't care about the Credits themselves.
With the system's help, he would have plenty of ways to make money in the future.
"Don't! Don't call Himeko!"
"I'll do what you say, okay?"
"But we have to agree on this first-you have to keep your distance from me!"
"Even our cabins can't be too close together..."
Her slender, fair hands clenched into fists.
After a fierce internal struggle, March 7th finally gave in for the sake of her Credits.
She was already desperately poor.
If she really had to repay him, it would only make things worse.
Originally, March 7th had been hoping she could get lucky
and hurry this troublesome Lin Chen off the train.
Once the Astral Express departed again, wouldn't she be able to dodge that debt perfectly?
"There we go!"
"Come on! Our tour of Herta Space Station starts now!"
With a hearty laugh, Lin Chen tightened his backpack straps and strode forward.
Herta Space Station might have been eerie and dangerous, but so what?
With March 7th backing him up, those so-called anomalies
would surely be dropping coins for him left and right, wouldn't they?
Unlike the Astral Express, Herta Space Station contained many Realm Anchors.
These floating, crystal-like creations possessed incredible powers.
Wherever the heart wished to go, the body could follow.
By touching a Realm Anchor, one could actually teleport over short distances.
Compared with the jolt of the Astral Express's warp jumps, the effects of a Realm Anchor were negligible.
Under March 7th's guidance,
even a complete beginner like Lin Chen learned how to use this efficient tool.
Before long,
Lin Chen and March 7th arrived in Herta Space Station's Master Control Zone.
Before a holographic wall that offered a view of the entire starry sky,
Lin Chen finally met the close friend March 7th had described as incredibly accomplished.
Under the warm, gentle lights, a beautiful girl with long pink hair sat in a chair.
Her clear, pale blue eyes were like a pristine lake.
She quietly gazed at Lin Chen, who stood right before her.
Across her exposed collarbones and shoulders, her smooth, fair skin gleamed almost dazzlingly white beneath the lights.
Her fitted astronomy uniform dress outlined her tall, poised figure.
The full, graceful curves of her chest complemented the pure white chiffon fabric.
Her innocent appearance held a hint of allure.
The hem of her dress, decorated with intersecting golden rings, was very short.
Her long, fair, shapely legs were slightly crossed, bending the black strap around her thigh and accentuating its fullness and firmness.
In beauty alone, the girl before him was every bit March 7th's equal.
Asta, the acting lead researcher of Herta Space Station.
According to March 7th, Asta was not only a young lady from a distinguished family, but also an outstanding astronomer.
As Ms. Herta's student, she had published papers in the star region's top academic journals at a young age.
The girl before him
was far beyond what the word "accomplished" could describe, no matter how one looked at her.
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