Chapter Summaries

Lin Chen agreed to join the Astral Express after Himeko invited him, but an attack on Herta Space Station interrupted their meeting. As Asta warned that a Doomsday Beast was attacking, Lin Chen looked forward to confronting it.

• Lin Chen told Himeko he was interested in traveling with the Astral Express, and she welcomed him aboard.
• The cabin shook violently, and Himeko contacted Pom-Pom to find out what was happening.
• March 7th and Stelle tumbled into a trash can, but Stelle got up unharmed despite the impact.
• Lin Chen realized Stelle had extraordinary toughness and defense.
• Asta messaged Lin Chen that a Doomsday Beast was attacking Herta Space Station, and Lin Chen anticipated fighting it for conquest points.

After Himeko led Lin Chen and March 7th to Herta Space Station, they found the Doomsday Beast attacking its shield. Lin Chen hesitated to intervene, wondering whether Stelle was meant to confront the beast, while Himeko ordered March 7th to draw it toward them.

• Lin Chen reflected that defeating the Doomsday Beast might earn him more conquest points than killing ordinary Antimatter Legion soldiers.
• Himeko received news of the attack and hurried with Lin Chen and March 7th to the Starrail Platform.
• The group saw the Doomsday Beast battering Herta Space Station's force-field shield, and Lin Chen assessed its defenses while debating whether to let Stelle take the spotlight.
• Himeko suspected Lin Chen was holding back to test the Astral Express and decided the crew should take the lead.
• Himeko told March 7th to draw the Doomsday Beast over, but March 7th nervously suggested Himeko do it instead.

March 7th drew the Doomsday Beast’s attention and attacked it while Stelle tried to protect her. Himeko used Lin Chen’s livestream to promote the Astral Express, and Lin Chen decided he would find a way to get more out of their partnership.

• Stelle stepped in front of March 7th, who told her to move aside before drawing the Doomsday Beast’s attention with a volley of ice arrows.
• The Doomsday Beast roared, broke through the damaged repulsion shield, and charged toward the Starrail Platform as March 7th faced it with confidence.
• Himeko asked Lin Chen to turn the Starstream Livestream Room’s camera toward the Astral Express so its crew could gain publicity.
• Lin Chen shifted the camera to Himeko as she stood calmly before the charging Doomsday Beast.
• Lin Chen realized Himeko was using the livestream to promote the Astral Express and resolved to make sure their partnership benefited him too.

Viewers across the Star Dome watched the four humans face the enormous Doomsday Beast, while Gepard and Duncan discussed what its power would mean for Belobog. Elsewhere, Dan Heng watched the livestream from Mournful Woe's Eternal Joy Ship and felt reassured when he saw Lin Chen with Himeko and March 7th.

• The Doomsday Beast landed beside the Starrail Platform, tearing and denting the walkway as viewers watched in shock.
• Gepard admitted to Duncan that Belobog's forces would likely have to prioritize civilian evacuation if a monster like the Doomsday Beast attacked.
• Duncan said the Starstream Livestream Room had made him more hopeful by showing that humanity survived beyond Belobog and that heroes still rose to face calamities.
• Gepard agreed with Duncan's outlook and imagined that future travelers might one day discover the Silvermane Guards' resistance in Belobog's ruins.
• Aboard Mournful Woe's Eternal Joy Ship, Dan Heng recognized Himeko and March 7th in the livestream and relaxed when he saw Lin Chen with them.
• Dan Heng recalled Lin Chen's extraordinary background and resolved to thank him if they met again.

Himeko led March 7th and Stelle in a coordinated battle against the Doomsday Beast at the Herta Space Station, while Lin Chen watched and chose not to intervene. Himeko exploited the beast’s weakness and struck it with a beam from the Star Dome, apparently destroying it.

• Dan Heng decided he would visit Lin Chen someday to thank him for protecting the Astral Express, then disappeared into the starskiff night market.
• Himeko fought the Doomsday Beast with her suitcase weapons while March 7th and Stelle supported her, impressing Lin Chen with their strength.
• Himeko ordered March 7th to target the beast’s central core and Stelle to attack its flanks, then helped break the armor on its claws.
• Stelle shattered the armor on the Doomsday Beast’s right claw, and March 7th struck its exposed core with a barrage of Six-Phased Ice arrows.
• Himeko summoned a powerful blue beam from the Star Dome that hit the Doomsday Beast and left its enormous body missing from the platform.

After Himeko and the others defeated the Doomsday Beast, Lin Chen considered how to win Himeko over. A sudden laser threatened Himeko, but Lin Chen shielded her, saving her life and her chance to continue the Trailblaze.

• Himeko defeated the Doomsday Beast with a satellite orbital cannon, and March 7th praised her and Stelle for their roles in the battle.
• Stelle told March 7th that thinking about protecting someone gave her strength.
• Lin Chen watched the group's reunion and decided his old debt of gratitude to Himeko was largely repaid as he planned to pursue her.
• A cyan-blue laser shot toward Himeko, who instinctively raised her suitcase and prepared for death.
• Lin Chen stepped in front of Himeko and saved her from the laser, leaving her grateful that her Trailblaze journey could continue.

Himeko remembered choosing to leave her homeworld aboard the Astral Express and thanked Lin Chen for saving her from the fate of dying there. Lin Chen blocked the Doomsday Beast's beam, then destroyed the beast with one punch.

• Himeko recalled encountering the Astral Express, leaving her homeworld, and choosing to explore the Star Sea.
• Himeko thanked Lin Chen for changing the fate that had once led to her death.
• Lin Chen blocked the Doomsday Beast's destructive beam with his hand and reminded Himeko that she still owed him a favor.
• Lin Chen crossed the Starrail Platform and shattered the Doomsday Beast with a powerful punch.
• Lin Chen dissolved the beast's fragments and marveled at the strength of the Antimatter Legion Master.

Lin Chen destroyed the Doomsday Beast with one punch, confirming Himeko’s suspicions about his immense strength and leaving Stelle reconsidering whether she needed to protect him. On the Xianzhou Luofu, Tingyun watched the footage before turning back to work, while Yanqing practiced his swordsmanship in the Seat of Divine Foresight.

• Lin Chen blew apart the gravely wounded Doomsday Beast with a single punch and concealed the pain in his hand while the Starstream Livestream Room recorded him.
• Himeko recognized Lin Chen’s Emanator-level power, while Stelle felt glum that she could not protect her brother and decided she could rely on him sometimes.
• March 7th told Stelle that Lin Chen was a famous commander whose strength was only the tip of the iceberg.
• Tingyun watched Lin Chen’s fight from a cargo Starskiff, wondered how he compared with Jing Yuan, and then put away her phone when the ship arrived at Returnstar Port.
• Yanqing trained with his longsword in a courtyard at the Seat of Divine Foresight, sending sword light through the falling flower petals.

Yanqing demonstrated his swordsmanship to Jing Yuan, who was watching a Starstream Livestream Room broadcast of Lin Chen defeating the Doomsday Beast. Jing Yuan judged that Lin Chen’s true strength was difficult to fathom, while the Xianzhou’s political stance toward the Conqueror Legion left an invitation to Lin Chen undecided.

• Yanqing attacked Jing Yuan with his refined sword technique, but Jing Yuan easily blocked the assault while watching his phone.
• Jing Yuan praised Yanqing’s swordsmanship and explained that he had watched Lin Chen kill the Doomsday Beast with a single punch.
• Yanqing claimed Jing Yuan was stronger than Lin Chen, but Jing Yuan speculated that Lin Chen had used a fighting style he was less skilled in and had not revealed his true strength.
• Jing Yuan admitted that even with the Divine Lord, he might not gain the upper hand against a serious Lin Chen, and Yanqing asked to spar with him.
• Jing Yuan said Fu Qing had considered inviting Lin Chen to the Xianzhou, but the Alliance had not settled its position toward the Conqueror Legion.

In Belobog’s Underworld, Clara watched a broadcast of Lin Chen defeating a mechanical monster and wished he could save her world from the Eternal Freeze. Svarog doubted Lin Chen would ever arrive, leaving Clara to pray for his help as Svarog withdrew into the storm.

• Clara watched Lin Chen defeat a powerful mechanical monster on her phone and wished she had his strength.
• Clara told Svarog that Lin Chen might save Belobog and let its people live better lives.
• Svarog judged the chance of Lin Chen arriving to be virtually zero and promised to protect Clara until the Eternal Freeze consumed everything.
• Clara prayed to Lin Chen for help and said she would pay any price, while Svarog observed that her faith was a human response to crisis.
• Svarog turned away and disappeared into the wind and snow.

After defeating the Doomsday Beast, Lin Chen reviewed his conquest-point rewards and viewed a fragment of Clara’s devout prayer from Jarilo-VI. He decided to visit the planet and heard Clara describe the disaster threatening her world.

• Lin Chen received 41,000 conquest points, including rewards for the Doomsday Beast’s defeat and recognition from people across the stars.
• Lin Chen learned that Clara’s prayer had produced a fragment he could view, and he asked the system to show it.
• Lin Chen saw Clara standing barefoot in the snow outside an old-fashioned house and resolved to visit Jarilo-VI.
• Lin Chen listened as Clara explained that the Eternal Freeze had killed many people and that hope was fading.

Lin Chen heard Clara's desperate prayers for help and learned Jarilo-VI's coordinates, but he lacked a ship to reach the frozen planet. After he sent Clara a response, her phone rang with a message that left her stunned.

• Lin Chen heard Clara offer her treasures, service, and even to warm his bed in exchange for help saving Jarilo-VI.
• The Starstream Livestream Room detected Clara's communication beacon and asked Lin Chen whether he wanted to respond.
• Lin Chen decided he would visit Jarilo-VI but admitted he still needed transportation and more conquest points.
• Clara doubted her prayers could reach Lin Chen, then froze in shock when her phone received a message.

Clara received Lin Chen’s promise to save her world from the Eternal Freeze and struggled to compose a grateful reply without revealing her feelings. Svarog arrived and revealed that he had read her draft messages, leaving Clara embarrassed.

• Clara read Lin Chen’s messages and rejoiced that he would save her world from the Eternal Freeze.
• Clara imagined life after the freeze and wondered how to respond to Lin Chen’s interest in her.
• Clara repeatedly drafted and deleted replies to Lin Chen, unsure how to express her gratitude without sounding too forward.
• Svarog told Clara he had arrived eight minutes and forty-seven seconds earlier, making her worry he had seen her drafts.
• Svarog said he had scanned nearby electronic devices for safety and warned Clara about naming a future child Link and trusting unknown advertisements.

Clara fled after Svarog questioned her feelings for Lin Chen, then sent Lin Chen a hopeful message about meeting him someday. Lin Chen received her reply at Herta Space Station and decided that visiting Jarilo-VI was now a reason he had to pursue.

• Svarog noticed Clara blushing and asked whether she had romantic feelings for Lin Chen, prompting Clara to panic and leave.
• As she hurried through the snow, Clara reflected on her admiration for Lin Chen and her humble hope of becoming his maid.
• Clara sent Lin Chen a message thanking him for answering her prayer and saying she would keep watching the stars until they met.
• Svarog watched Clara disappear into the blizzard and marked Lin Chen as a target for annihilation in his terminal.
• Lin Chen received Clara's reply at Herta Space Station, resolved to visit Jarilo-VI, and indulged in fantasies about Clara in a maid outfit.

After Lin Chen received the Astral Express’s access key, Stelle chose to join the crew, and the group welcomed her as a new Nameless. Their celebration was interrupted when four Doomsday Beasts appeared near Herta Space Station, leaving Lin Chen as their only hope of stopping the attack.

• Himeko gave Lin Chen the Astral Express’s Train Door Access Key and discussed Stelle’s future with him.
• Lin Chen asked Stelle whether she wanted to travel with the Astral Express or stay at Herta Space Station.
• Stelle chose to follow Lin Chen, and Himeko welcomed her as a new Nameless.
• March 7th, Stelle, Lin Chen, and Himeko celebrated together on the Starrail Platform.
• Four Doomsday Beasts emerged from distorted vortices near Herta Space Station and attacked, while March 7th and Stelle left the fight to Lin Chen.

Lin Chen deployed the Conqueror Legion outside Herta Space Station to face four approaching Doomsday Beasts, promising Himeko a fireworks show. The legion completed its dramatic combat formation as Stelle marveled at its strength, just before the battle began.

• Himeko decided to fight alongside Lin Chen while March 7th and Stelle relied on him.
• Lin Chen told Himeko to stay behind him and promised to treat her to fireworks as the Doomsday Beasts approached.
• Lin Chen ordered the Conqueror Legion to deploy outside Herta Space Station, intending to test its weapons and impress the Starstream Livestream Room viewers.
• Reynolds ordered the Space Marines, missile defenses, siege tanks, and Storm Viking Fighters into anti-air positions.
• Stelle was astonished by the Conqueror Legion's appearance and felt even more determined to rely on her brother.

Stelle, March 7th, and Himeko watched Lin Chen display the Conqueror Legion, which left them stunned by its strength. At Herta Space Station, Asta grew jealous that Lin Chen had invited Himeko to watch fireworks, while Arlan realized how close Asta and Lin Chen were and decided to keep his distance.

• Lin Chen’s Conqueror Legion assembled around the Starrail Platform, impressing March 7th and Stelle with its vast strength.
• Stelle worried that commanding the legion might exhaust Lin Chen, but March 7th said he was carefree and she was ready to match his pace.
• Himeko understood that Lin Chen meant to show her fireworks by letting the legion blast the Doomsday Beasts.
• Asta watched the Starrail Platform surveillance feed and grew jealous that Lin Chen had invited Himeko to watch fireworks.
• Arlan overheard Asta’s remarks, realized she and Lin Chen were intimately involved, and moved away to avoid provoking her jealousy.

Lin Chen discovered that the Doomsday Beasts attacking Herta Space Station had been enhanced, possibly by the Antimatter Legion or Nanook. He ordered maximum firepower, and the bombardment began slowing and damaging the beasts, though the battle was still underway.

• Lin Chen saw dark-gold patterns beneath the Doomsday Beasts' shattered armor and realized they had been enhanced.
• Himeko warned Lin Chen that the golden patterns might signal Nanook's blessing and that the beasts were stronger than the earlier Doomsday Beast.
• Lin Chen ordered maximum firepower as the enhanced Doomsday Beasts dived toward the Starrail Platform and Herta Space Station's Supply Zone.
• Space Marines and twenty-four surface-to-air missile towers bombarded the Doomsday Beasts, slowing their descent and dimming their patterns.
• Forty-eight Storm Viking Fighters attacked with Lanzer Torpedoes, deforming the beasts' resentment-energy structures.

Lin Chen’s forces destroyed four enhanced Doomsday Beasts attacking Herta Space Station, earning him conquest points while leaving him aware that his army needed stronger advanced units. Himeko watched the victory and grew suspicious that Lin Chen had concealed his true identity and purpose when the Astral Express rescued him.

• The Storm Viking Fighters and final sixteen Punisher Siege Tanks stopped and destroyed the four enhanced Doomsday Beasts before they reached the Starrail Platform.
• Lin Chen received 18,000 conquest points, bringing his balance to 77,000, and decided to save the points rather than expand his army immediately.
• Himeko marveled that Lin Chen’s troops had defeated the monsters without his personal intervention and wondered how powerful he really was.
• Himeko considered whether Lin Chen had deliberately arranged to be rescued by the Astral Express and concealed a purpose from its crew.
• Himeko decided to keep observing Lin Chen without confronting him unless he threatened the Astral Express.

After Lin Chen destroyed the Doomsday Beasts, Stelle fainted under the influence of an external blessing, and he arranged for her to rest aboard the Astral Express. Himeko welcomed Stelle but kept Lin Chen at a careful distance, reaffirming her commitment to the Trailblaze.

• Lin Chen asked Himeko whether she had enjoyed his destruction of the Doomsday Beasts, and she thanked him while remaining guarded.
• March 7th told Lin Chen that Stelle had fainted after the Doomsday Beasts were destroyed.
• Lin Chen checked Stelle with the system, learned that an external blessing had caused her unconsciousness, and carried her to the Astral Express to rest.
• Himeko agreed to let Stelle stay aboard the train, and March 7th volunteered to look after her.
• Lin Chen tried to speak more casually with Himeko, but she maintained formal boundaries and said she had devoted herself to the Trailblaze.