Answered a Wake-up Call and Left

"Hello? Uncle Welt? Okay, got it. I'll head back right away."

Stelle pulled out her phone, made a shushing gesture at Gepard, and kept agreeing with whoever was on the other end of the screen. Then she naturally hung up, planted her hands on her hips, and stood before Gepard.

The man still looked as though he had yet to recover, sitting blankly on the bench with his head tilted up at the Trailblazer. His pale blue eyes stared straight into Stelle's heart.

For once, Stelle felt a flicker of guilt.

She had coaxed and tricked him just now, earned a hug from Gepard, and even kissed him before leaving.

Now she was going back to the Star Rail to rest up, and she still had to take Dan Heng to the Xianzhou Luofu. There was no need to mention what stories might unfold along the way.

Poor Gepard, this loyal-dog type of man, would have to wait for her in Belobog like a stone wife-watcher.

Stelle bit her lip. In the end, unable to resist Aha's incessant cries in her mind telling her to hurry back to the train because They were going to reveal the script, she used the alarm she had just answered as an excuse and turned to leave, as though she had made up her mind about something.

Gepard watched the Trailblazer leave. His ears were still terribly red, and the light kiss on the side of his cheek lingered stubbornly.

He watched Stelle go, watched her light footsteps carry her up the station stairs, watched her figure slowly fade from his sight.

The sense of loss in his heart grew increasingly distinct. Only then did Gepard suddenly realize that Stelle had left. She had actually left—just like that!

Only then did he rise to his feet and take two steps forward, wanting to chase after her. Yet he seemed to suddenly realize something, and sank back into the chair dejectedly.

It was too late. He knew how fast the Trailblazer could travel.

Besides, even if he caught up to her, what could he do? Could she stay in Belobog for him? Or could he cast aside the heavy responsibility of a Silvermane Guard and follow her onto the train?

Neither choice was realistic.

So the best thing to do was wait—stay here and wait for the Trailblazer to return to Jarilo and find him after the warp was over.

"Stelle..."

Gepard lowered his head, his fingers slowly brushing over his cheek as the girl's radiant smile surfaced in his mind.

"May your journey go smoothly."

Stelle returned to the Star Rail, yawned, and lay down on the large bed in her room.

They had said they would stay in Belobog for three days, but Stelle had actually already confirmed the itinerary with Aha in her mind. Jarilo no longer had any "targets whose scripts could be obtained once they were conquered," so she could only head back home.

Her body sank into the familiar, soft bed.

It had to be said, a room she had personally decorated really was different.

Stelle rolled over.

The bed at the Goethe Grand Hotel was on an entirely different level from the one in her room. It simply could not compare.

As she drifted hazily into sleep, her body entered a resting state, allowing her mind to float freely within her consciousness and discuss matters concerning the script with Aha.

"Go on, Aha. If your script is just a bunch of nonsense, I'll never listen to you again."

Aha laughed so hard that the clown mask hanging from Their face nearly fell off. They had kept Their word—when They said it was a script, it really was a script. Though Stelle could not make out Aha's exact appearance, she could roughly understand Their body language.

They seemed to rummage through Their pocket very seriously for a while, until dozens of little paper balls filled Their palm. They casually tossed two in front of the Trailblazer, signaling for her to open them.

If you enjoy this book, please remember to add it to your bookshelf so you don't have trouble finding it next time.

"You've got to be kidding. These things that look like scraps of waste paper are the scripts...?"

They looked like the sort of notes bored elementary school students passed around in class, yet they were what she had obtained through all her painstaking romantic chaos—even at the risk of getting caught in the middle.

That's it? That's all?!

Aha seemed to sense Stelle's indignation. "At least open them and take a look."

Hmm, perhaps these little paper balls merely looked unremarkable.

Maybe once she opened them, they would really be filled with useful information.

Stelle nodded along and casually opened one sheet. It read: Trailblazer, your life will be in danger.

She opened the second one: Trailblazer, you will escape danger unharmed.

Wasn't that just nonsense?!

When had her life not been in danger? When had she not escaped unharmed?

Stelle was furious—truly furious. She kneaded the scraps back into unopened paper balls with both hands, then hurled them viciously at Aha in the distance.

Before the paper balls could hit Aha, They chuckled and reached out to catch them.

"Aha, you're messing with me. Stop feeding me this nonsense-literature nonsense. From now on, I'm never listening to you and going to all that effort to conquer this person or that person again. Hurry up and revoke my Emanator status. I'm done with you!"

Her reaction seemed to please Aha. Stelle could even see Their shoulders trembling slightly as They held back laughter.

"So that's what you think of me? Then I'm truly a little sad." Aha laughed for half a minute. When They spoke again, Their voice was already overflowing with undisguised sorrow. "Back then, Akivili and I..."

"Enough. Stop."

Stelle had already guessed that Aha was about to launch into "One Hundred Things Between Akivili and Me That Must Be Told," and hurriedly cut Them off.

"Then what do you expect me to do? Do I need you to tell me this kind of nonsense?"

Aha's voice suddenly turned grave.

"Amphoreus is an eternal land that even the Path of Trailblaze has never visited—a place where the Paths of Erudition, Remembrance, and Destruction converge. This isn't like Jarilo or the Xianzhou Luofu playing around with you, Stelle. You really will die."

Hearing Aha's unusually serious tone, Stelle suddenly shuddered. Especially after being handed a death sentence by the self-proclaimed omniscient and omnipotent Aeon of Elation—she was still an Emanator devoted to Elation. Whether willingly or under duress, she unconditionally obeyed the Aeon's commands. Right now, she was practically treating Aha's words as an imperial decree.

"Will I really... die? But doesn't the script say I'll escape danger unharmed?"

The Trailblazer slept restlessly. She suddenly felt cold, groped around for her blanket, but couldn't find it no matter what. Anxious, she curled into a ball on the bed and hugged herself tightly.

The blanket had long since been kicked off the bed.

"Yes, escape danger unharmed. I've already given you the answer, but the method remains unknown. That requires you to continue carrying out the will of Elation—conquering one character after another, exchanging for scripts from me—so you don't end up taking the wrong path."

So in the end, she still had to keep conquering people...

After groping around for quite a while, Stelle finally found a corner of the blanket by the bedside. She rolled over with effort, wrapping herself up completely, and felt a little more at ease.

While she genuinely did enjoy getting close to handsome men and beautiful women, voluntarily showing off her charm was very different from being forced to do it like a job.

Thinking about how she would have to serve the Aeon of Elation like a beast of burden for the Express Crew's future, Stelle sighed and severed all sensory connections with Aha.

At this point, she might as well sleep first.

Hugging the blanket, she turned over and fell into a deep sleep.

Can't find the book by searching its title? Try searching for the author instead—it may have simply been renamed!