"Think this through. Everyone here really respects the Supreme Guardian. If we fail... they'll really treat us as wanted criminals."
"You have a point. That won't work." Stelle abandoned the idea. The Stellaron didn't seem to be in Kliperburg, either.
"What we need to do now is conserve our energy. The next few days are bound to be tough."
Dan Heng considered things carefully. "It's still early. Do you want to look around some more?"
"I'll pass. Leave the time to the youngsters." With business taken care of, Ye Yan opted to return to his room and rest. He would never stand when he could sit, or sit when he could lie down.
"Ah, he's back to his old persona." Stelle watched Ye Yan leave. "Then... shall we call it a day?"
"I still want to look around... Stelle, come with me, please?" March 7th hooked her arm through Stelle's, unleashing a whole combo of wheedling and acting cute.
"Protecting a pretty girl's smile is my duty as the Galactic Baseballer! Let's go!"
Stelle took a few breaths of the fragrance drifting from March 7th's hair and instantly felt full of energy. She led March 7th out of the room.
"You haven't unpacked your luggage yet..." In less than a minute, Dan Heng was the only one left.
He watched the two girls leave, then glanced at the old sheet of paper on the table.
At least take the map with you...
Dan Heng sighed helplessly. This was Stelle's room, too. It was her first Trailblaze, after all, so he might as well look after her a little.
Meanwhile, Ye Yan returned to his room, quickly filled out the hotel's survey, and lay down on the soft bed. He had just closed his eyes, ready for a comfortable nap, when...
"How can you sleep at a time like this? Get up and go back to sleep!"
Silver Wolf's virtual projection abruptly took shape in front of Ye Yan. Her figure was translucent yet clearly visible, as though she had crossed over from the digital world.
"Surprised?" Silver Wolf surveyed the room. "More comfortable than the basement I stayed in as a kid. The only thing missing is a game console."
"If all the Stellaron Hunters had as much free time as you, I'd have joined ages ago."
A visitor was a guest. Ye Yan thoughtfully brought over a chair and invited Silver Wolf to sit.
I'd thought Aha would be the one to come chat with me. Didn't expect it to be Silver Wolf.
"Why don't you look surprised at all? That shouldn't be... I watched you guys for ages and picked this exact moment to show up!" Silver Wolf pondered it. Apparently, she had still appeared too early. She should have waited until Ye Yan fell asleep.
Then she could appear out of nowhere and give him a scare.
"Hmm... you'd better stop planting surveillance devices on them."
He couldn't let this kid Silver Wolf pick up bad habits and become paparazzi like Fuli. Wouldn't that leave everyone else with no privacy at all?
"I'm not that free, either. Kafka actually asked me to do it. She's very concerned about Stelle... so I put a nano imaging device on her. It monitors her every move and physical data in real time."
Silver Wolf tried to shift the blame to Kafka. "The [script] is all garbled anyway, and I had nothing else to do... I got tired of gaming, too. Kafka suggested I get out more, so I came to see you."
The corner of Ye Yan's mouth twitched as he listened to Silver Wolf tell him all this through a holographic projection. You still haven't gone out at all!
"Don't sweat the details. You're not going to tell me I'm unwelcome, are you?"
Silver Wolf lay down on the bed. This wasn't an ordinary virtual projection, but a simulated image with real-time sensory feedback added. Aside from eating and drinking, it was no different from being there in person.
"You're always welcome here. I also look forward to the day I see you aboard the Astral Express."
"If I want to board the Express, I'll have to turn off the gravity simulation... otherwise, it'll feel awful."
Accustomed to roaming the network, Silver Wolf actually had trouble adjusting to normal means of transport.
"Ahem! When you're going through the main story, a mysterious character is bound to come looking for you. Their goal is simple: to introduce the teaser for phase two of the main story!"
"Want to guess where your next journey will take you? The Planet of Festivities, Penacony? Or the ocean planet, Lushaka?"
"Or perhaps... one of the galaxy's car washes-Eternity Star Abyss?" (The church's headquarters.)
That's right. Silver Wolf was going to spoil things for Ye Yan before Kafka could! She still knew the script's overall outline.
"Let me guess..." For once, Ye Yan took an interest and played along with Silver Wolf.
"Hmm... surely we're not heading straight to the Xianzhou to deport me back home?"
Only silence followed.
"Damn it, what kind of dumb luck is that? You actually guessed right!"
Silver Wolf couldn't accept it. Did she have to lose even when it came to spoilers?!
Damn that Aeon of [Eternity]! Silver Wolf had no affection for him whatsoever!
"I won't tell you the specific reason yet. Kafka will explain when the time comes."
Silver Wolf began typing code in midair. "Hmm... yes, Belobog's eighteenth Supreme Guardian, Cocolia Rand. Age..."
"Hey, don't dig up all her personal details so quickly."
Ye Yan was astonished by Silver Wolf's hacking. What a shame the church didn't have talent like her.
"So, can you let me have some fun this time?" Silver Wolf sat beside Ye Yan, swinging her legs.
Ye Yan nodded. "Come with me to the Silvermane Guard Restricted Zone after nightfall. I'll let you experience Jarilo Warriors."
"One thing first: don't use aether data to transmit a planet-destroying bomb here," Ye Yan added. This little Jarilo-VI couldn't take that kind of punishment.
Hmm, it seems I'm the Aeon putting it through the most torment. I'll have to keep an eye out for Aha, too.
The Aeon of [Eternity] disliked things he hadn't foreseen-so-called variables.
Poor Ena of [Order]. If only that old friend were still around.
The sky gradually darkened. March 7th and Stelle returned to the hotel, humming little tunes along the way. They had bought some local specialties, too.
"They say it's the thought that counts, not the gift, but ours should count for both! I'm just not sure whether Pom-Pom will like eating them."
"Couldn't help it. There really aren't any unusual local specialties here."
"Still, you spent quite a lot... wait, where did you get all that money?"
March 7th asked the most crucial question. She hadn't noticed anything wrong while shopping with Ye Yan, and only realized it now.
"Seriously, March? We've been together so long... and you still know nothing about my financial strength? I'm so disappointed..."
Stelle lightly rested a hand against her forehead, her brows faintly furrowed, yet a barely perceptible smile lingered on her lips.
"Well... I'm not the greedy type! Of course I wouldn't casually pry into a companion's finances! That's like asking a pretty girl her real age!" March 7th argued.
"Fair point. Actually, most of these Credits were transferred to me by Ye Yan. Back at the space station, he said they were compensation... then transferred eight hundred million to me."
"How much?"
How did you manage to... say something so shocking in such a casual tone?!