Aside from Chiori and Navia, whose affection for Nolan had already reached the maximum level, Chevreuse's affection for him had also increased significantly, reaching Level 9 with 452 points.
As for Miss Emilie, whom he had only met today, her affection had unknowingly risen to Level 3 with over 270 points. The speed was astonishing, already reaching the level of a friend.
As evening approached, Nolan returned to the Wonderland Space. Originally, before dinner time arrived, he planned to continue exploring the semi-transparent world bubble within the Sea of Quanta, the one that had already fused with seventy-one other world bubbles.
His main goal was to clear out the calamity within the seventieth world bubble, known as "The Hollow," specifically the "Emanation Husk" monsters inside it. According to his perception, their numbers were simply countless.
If he truly managed to clear them all, his Adventure EXP might reach an astronomical figure.
However, just as he was about to take action, Kafka's voice suddenly echoed in his mind. She informed him that the other Stellaron Hunters had already completed their respective tasks.
Their leader, Elio, would soon gather everyone to assign the next mission.
Upon receiving the news, Nolan felt a hint of excitement. The opportunity had finally arrived. He could now proceed according to his previous plan and bring them all under his control for his own use.
The main reason was that he was worried that his control over Kafka and Silver Wolf might be discovered, which could cause the other Stellaron Hunters to target him.
Although he was not afraid of them and could even defeat them with ease, Nolan had no habit of leaving potential threats unattended. It was far safer to bring them under control directly.
That way, he would no longer need to worry about them acting against him.
Without delay, and to avoid being detected, Nolan first entered an invisible state before teleporting to Kafka's side.
"Where are you right now?"
While invisible, Nolan realized they were on the rooftop of a city building. Silver Wolf leaned her elbows against the railing, holding her phone with both hands as she slightly leaned forward, completely absorbed in her game.
Kafka, on the other hand, stood beside her, leaning against the railing as well, watching her play from the side. Hearing Nolan's voice in her mind, she casually glanced toward where he was hidden and replied mentally:
"This is Durafel, a commercial planet invested in by the IPC, located thirty light-years away from the Herta Space Station. We're using it as a temporary base."
"…Aren't you all wanted criminals by the IPC? Just showing up so openly on their territory like this… what if you get wiped out in one go?"
Nolan asked curiously.
"With Silver Wolf here, as long as no Emanator shows up, the chances of getting caught are basically nonexistent," Kafka replied, clearly trusting her companion.
Just as the two of them chatted casually, a streak of fire flashed across the sky like a fleeting meteor. In the next instant, a tall figure descended from above.
It was a sleek, silver-white humanoid mech. Nolan had already looked into the members of the Stellaron Hunters, so if nothing unexpected had happened, this one should be called Sam.
Also a wanted criminal by the IPC, though the information available online was likely incomplete. So Nolan activated the affection skills he had obtained from Fischl and Yae Miko to take a closer look.
His pupils gradually turned golden, and soon a large amount of information flooded back:
[Level: 146]
[Affection Skill Potential: Gold]
[Firefly: A Pathstrider who walks the Path of "Finality," a warrior from Glamoth, wearing the Firefly-IV mech known as "SAM." She possesses the power to easily destroy stars and is currently a core member of the Stellaron Hunters, searching for a way to cure Entropy Loss Syndrome.]
Oh? Gold-tier affection potential. So the one inside the mech is actually a girl… and incredibly powerful too, already close to the level of an Emanator.
"Welcome back, Sam. You've worked hard. How did the mission go?"
Kafka spoke as usual, her expression flawless, revealing no hint of anything amiss.
Although doing this felt somewhat unfair to everyone, there was no helping it. Nolan was simply too cautious by nature. Only by bringing them all under control could he feel at ease.
The only thing she and Silver Wolf could do was try to persuade things along, doing their best to avoid anyone getting hurt.
"It was boring. Didn't find any clues about a Stellaron, so I just fired a shot at that planet from outer space. There's no normal life left there now."
Sam's voice came out in a synthesized, mechanical tone.
"As expected, these annihilation-type missions suit you best."
Seeing the word "Defeat" displayed on her phone screen, Silver Wolf let out a helpless sigh, put her phone away, and then asked:
"Where are Elio and Blade?"
"They'll be a bit slower."
Inside the Sam mech, Firefly looked outward. The horizon had already begun to reveal a silver-white starry sky.
Still invisible, Nolan did not act just yet. He quietly listened to their casual conversation, patiently waiting.
After about ten minutes, two more people arrived on the rooftop. One was cloaked in black, making it impossible to see their appearance.
The other was a young man with red eyes, giving off an unmistakably difficult-to-approach aura.
Using the affection skills from Fischl and Yae Miko, Nolan confirmed that these two were the leader of the Stellaron Hunters, Elio, and the final member, Blade.
Without hesitation, he activated the affection skill from Lisa, summoning a purple hourglass. Then, in coordination with Raiden Ei's affection skill, just like what he had done back at Qlipoth Fort—
He directly activated a large-scale time-stop domain while remaining invisible.
Everyone nearby froze instantly, like a video paused mid-play. They could not move, could not think, and were utterly incapable of realizing anything was wrong.
At the same time, Nolan swiftly expanded the "Void Star Sea," enveloping everyone to ensure that no one could escape. Only then did he use a mental shock to knock out Elio, Firefly, and Blade.
According to the information feedback from the affection skills, even Elio, as the leader, was only Level 167. Stronger than ordinary Emanators, but still far too inferior compared to Nolan, unable to put up any resistance at all.
Blade was slightly weaker, only a little over Level 120, naturally incapable of resisting either.
Once the time-stop domain was lifted, the three of them collapsed to the ground.
Among them, the girl known as Firefly, who had been wearing the Sam mech, lost consciousness. As a result, the armor around her body dissipated into flames, revealing her true form.
She was a young girl with long silver hair and fair skin. A black headband rested atop her head, and her eyes, when visible, had upper halves of a translucent teal-blue and lower halves of pink.
Blended together, they resembled fireflies dispersing the darkness of night, incredibly beautiful.
However, due to her unconscious state, Nolan only caught a brief glimpse as she collapsed. Her eyes soon closed, leaving them unseen.
Aside from that, Miss Firefly wore a dress. The upper portion was white, while the skirt gradually shifted from light green to a deeper emerald hue. Draped over her shoulders was a short black shawl.
Beneath the hem of her skirt, her legs were clad in dark green thigh-high stockings, giving her an overall impression of a girl next door.
It was impossible to associate her with the tall, imposing, and handsome mech from just moments ago.
...
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