O Silver Carriage, Hasten to the Black Earth 2

"Stelle."

The pink-haired girl gave the Trailblazer a weak smile that looked very forced.

"I'm entrusting my camera to you for safekeeping. You absolutely have to take some amazing photos for me!"

Stelle carefully took the camera from March 7th, nodding. "Don't worry, I will."

"Oh, and one more thing."

March 7th spoke haltingly, as if trying her best to suppress some physical discomfort. She gazed at the Trailblazer, sincerely advising:

"Based on our previous experiences in Jarilo, the Xianzhou Luofu, and Penacony...

The first local we meet is bound to be hiding some earth-shattering secret!

Stelle, Dan Heng, you absolutely have to be careful."

The Trailblazer and Dan Heng exchanged a look.

What March 7th said made perfect sense!

"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her."

"No problem, March!"

March 7th was clearly not doing well, so after a quick glance at each other, everyone decided to let her rest quietly in her room.

Leaving March 7th's room, everyone felt a little uneasy.

March 7th had been perfectly healthy ever since boarding the Express, never even catching a cold.

So why, as soon as they got close to Omphalos...?

Suppressing their questions, the Express Crew, who had originally planned to disembark and explore together, reshuffled their plans.

In the end, it was decided that the Trailblazer and Dan Heng would go ahead and scout things out.

The others would remain on the Express to prepare for the upcoming warp, planning to join up with the ground team once March 7th was feeling better.

"Then we're counting on you two to go first, Pom!"

"The Conductor and Navigator have decided to activate the backup plan, and we're sending a carriage with you.

After all, based on what we've explored so far, Omphalos has no signal.

At the very least, you can use the carriage as a safe house. When you're in an unfamiliar place, it's good to have a base of operations, just in case."

Pom-Pom and Himeko took turns laying out the plan for the Trailblazer and Dan Heng.

Dan Heng remained calm on the surface, nodding with an air of composure.

But the Trailblazer was a completely different story.

She still remembered the first line of the script: she would die!

Though she didn't know how or when.

But the thought of going to Omphalos being like stepping into the jaws of death...

Made the Trailblazer feel a little teary.

She looked at Pom-Pom and Himeko, then turned her gaze to Welt and the others discussing the next steps not far away.

She would hate to leave everyone.

But for the future of the Express Crew...

She would give it her all!

Omphalos, just you wait!

The others saw the Trailblazer's expression change three times in a second, and had no idea what she was thinking, but in the end, she seemed full of enthusiasm and drive.

That was a good thing.

Right up until she boarded the carriage that was about to be launched, the Trailblazer's face was filled with so-called drive.

"Carriage separation sequence initiated. Three, two, one..."

From inside the carriage that Himeko had called a safe house, Pom-Pom's voice rang out, announcing the countdown to the Trailblazer and Dan Heng's landing on Omphalos.

The Trailblazer stood at the window, watching the ever-changing, divine glow of the '8' in the Silver River.

"Launch!"

As the Conductor announced the activation of the carriage's thrusters, the carriage shot towards Omphalos like an arrow released from a bow.

The carriage carrying the ground team sped along at the speed of light.

At the same time...

The Trailblazer mentally tapped Aha.

[Stelle: Okay, where's that script you promised, the one that's full of useful information and no fluff? I'm almost there, you can't keep holding out on me.

Aha: I know, let's do a Q&A then. You tell me the question you're most concerned about, and I'll answer it.]

The Trailblazer immediately posed the question that was weighing most heavily on her mind.

"I want to ask, when am I likely to die? I'd like to prepare myself mentally."

Five.

Stelle's eyes widened. "Five weeks? Or five days? Five days is a bit short, but at least it's a heads-up."

Four.

"What?!"

Stelle jumped up from the chair in a panic.

Three.

"So it's a countdown? Aha, you heartless thing, ambushing your most beloved Emanator like this?!"

Dan Heng glanced at the Trailblazer, who had suddenly jumped up, startled for some unknown reason.

His eyelid twitched violently.

The scenery outside the window continued to rush backward at the speed of light; they were already very close to Omphalos.

It seemed they were directly above Omphalos, and it wouldn't be long before they landed.

Two.

"I galactic profanity you, Aeon of Elation, you galactic profanity can't do this to me!"

In its mind, the Trailblazer cursed at Aha with foul language.

One.

"No, Aha, I don't want to die!"

As Aha's seemingly calm but secretly gleeful voice announced the end of the countdown, the Trailblazer desperately cried out its desire: "I don't want to die!"

The countdown ended.

A spear suddenly flew out of nowhere, piercing through the train car with the force of a thunderbolt!

The attacked car, now out of control, crashed into an unknown location.

Before its consciousness completely faded away, the Trailblazer lay sprawled on the ground, coughing up a mouthful of blood.

It moved its lips, saying something, but no sound came out.

Then, it lost consciousness.

"Aha, you treasured..."

Darkness.

Endless darkness.

Darkness as thick as ink, impossible to dispel.

Stelle opened her eyes.

Everywhere she looked was shrouded in chaotic darkness.

She struggled to get up, but her body felt no pain.

Weren't she and Dan Heng on their way to Omphalos just now, when a spear came out of nowhere and pierced through the car?

How was she now perfectly fine?

Stelle spread her hands in disbelief.

Wasn't she supposed to die?

But she was standing here perfectly well.

Could it be that the first two items on Aha's script had already come true so quickly?

First: She would die.

Second: She would escape unscathed.

Could it be that she was already out of danger?

Stelle: Aha? Aha? Are you still there?

She quietly called out to Aha in her mind.

Unfortunately, Aha did not respond.

"Don't call out."

A soft, approaching footstep sounded behind her.

Along with a familiar voice.

"Aha is very busy right now; He doesn't have time, but I have time to see you."

The Trailblazer turned around.

Only to discover that a faint ray of light was shining from somewhere behind her.

And the person slowly walking towards her in the light was actually—

Trailblazer!

Stelle's eyes widened.

No, calling this person 'Trailblazer' wasn't quite accurate.

To be more precise, it would be more fitting to call the person in front of it the 'Elation Stelle.'

(The following is a Narcissus-themed scenario: 'Trailblazing Stelle' is called 'Trailblazer,' while 'Elation Stelle' is called 'Stelle,' to distinguish between the two.)

Trailblazer was too familiar, too familiar with what kind of person her other self was.

In her past adventures, she had always left the people she couldn't handle to Stelle.

She knew that nothing in this world could shake Stelle's calm and composed expression.

And it was true now as well.

At this moment, Stelle was staring intently at Trailblazer with an amused gaze, as if regarding her as something in the palm of her hand.

"Didn't Aha give you a heads-up already? You knew you were going to die, yet you were just screaming and yelling in fear. What was that all about?"

Stelle's reaction was very calm.

But Trailblazer, who had just been sentenced to death by Aha's five-second countdown, was clearly not calm.

She walked up to Stelle and accused, "Aren't we supposed to be on the same side? Why are you standing with Aha?

Besides, even though I knew I was going to die, I didn't expect to kick the bucket as soon as I set foot on Omphalos...

And besides, who does Aha think it is, only giving me a five-second warning? That's worse than no warning at all."