March 7th, hands on her hips, responded, "I've been here the whole time, watching you two come back. I was curious about what expressions you'd have when you saw that chair, but I didn't expect this…"
With a mischievous grin on her face, March 7th started playing the video she had recorded.
As the words "Power! My Power loves me!" echoed from the video, both Pei Guang and Stelle's faces immediately turned red.
The two of them didn't care about other people's gaze under normal circumstances, playing however they wanted, but having March 7th record their embarrassing moments and then replay them for everyone?
That was a level of embarrassment even they couldn't bear.
It was one thing to go crazy playing a game with friends, but having a friend, or even a crush, not only not join in the madness but also record and replay all the embarrassing moments?
Even Pei Guang felt a bit shy.
The two of them quickly got up from the ground. Pei Guang looked at March 7th and said, "Ahem! Well, we're a little tired today, so we're heading back to rest. We've got a new map to explore tomorrow."
Stelle: "Yep, that's right!"
Pei Guang: "We're off then! Oh, by the way, send us that video!"
Stelle: "Yep, yep!"
Pei Guang and Stelle quickly turned and ran off.
Watching them leave, March 7th mischievously replayed the video. As the two of them shouted their over-the-top "Power!" in the background, they left the hall and returned to their rooms.
Though embarrassed, Pei Guang decided to keep this precious moment.
As for it spreading? He didn't have to worry. There were no outsiders here, so how could it possibly get out?
Meanwhile, the messenger from the Garden of Recollection thought Pei Guang was absolutely right.
Reflecting on the time she had kneeled before Pei Guang, the messenger felt that was a wise decision. If she hadn't kneeled quickly enough, she wouldn't have become the dedicated liaison and would never have witnessed such an interesting scene.
Pei Guang returned to his room, and as soon as he entered, he received the video from March 7th.
Watching the video of himself and Stelle, Pei Guang nodded in satisfaction.
It was a wonderful moment captured in the game, even though it was a bit embarrassing. But it was all part of the experience.
Pei Guang continued watching the video, not satisfied with just one replay: he had to watch it again. But as he kept watching, an unexpected message popped up from an anonymous user.
"Hello, are you the famous Trailblazer? I heard you recently destroyed the planet where the Duke Inferno, Ifrit, was located. Do you have any personal grudges with him?"
The sudden message caught Pei Guang off guard. As a player, he immediately responded.
"That's right. He's my arch-enemy. I destroyed him. Do you have any information about him?"
Anonymous user: "Yes, I have information on Ifrit, the Duke Inferno..."
The anonymous user sent a video to Pei Guang, who opened it without hesitation.
"The Planet of Festivities, Penacony, the cradle of shattered dreams, the resting place for the weak."
As the voice played, Pei Guang saw the Duke Inferno.
The Duke was standing in the desolate wilderness, giving orders to a few people who had survived the star-crushing attack by Pei Guang's ship.
Pei Guang remembered how he had shattered its home planet with his ship's jump, leaving Duke Inferno with almost nothing. As a result, it was now holding a pre-battle meeting on a barren planet.
"The Family hosts a feast, guests are invited, the blood of destruction will flow, igniting the bodies of nameless guests, using their flesh and blood to offer a grand sacrifice to Him."
Duke Inferno, grinding its teeth, said this.
It knew that this attack came from the nameless guests, but even its best forces couldn't take on the Astral Express. Fortunately, it had heard that the Trailblazers were attending the Penacony Feast.
Duke Inferno figured it was a great opportunity to take them out during the feast.
But as a follower of Nanook, although its purpose of destruction was impure, its goal wasn't just to kill a Trailblazer. It had grander, more ambitious plans in mind.
Watching the first-person perspective of Duke Inferno in the video, Pei Guang felt a heavy sense of oppression. This oppressive force had a definite "wild boss" vibe.
Just from the video, Pei Guang could tell this boss was a red-danger-level monster: one so strong that even a player at his level would struggle to touch it without cheat codes or mods.
This enemy was also quite direct: its plan was to ignite the bodies of the Trailblazers for a sacrifice to Nanook?
Pei Guang stroked his chin, deep in thought. He couldn't shake the feeling that this line was hinting at something.
"Using us as a sacrifice to Nanook? Oh! I get it. Nanook, like Lan, can be worshipped, as long as the offering is worthy. So, what if this boss becomes the sacrifice?"
The more Pei Guang thought about it, the more tempted he became.
After all, he was planning on taking down Duke Inferno anyway. Using its head as a sacrifice for Nanook seemed like a decent idea.
Besides, after defeating the Propagation's Emanator, he had obtained the ability to make enemies drop items upon death, and Pei Guang was curious to see what Duke Inferno would drop.
As Pei Guang continued to think, the 'Grand Duke' in the video started speaking again.
"The children of the flames..."
Upon hearing this, Pei Guang's eyes narrowed.
This single line confirmed that this wild boss likely had several elite minions. How many? Four? Seven? Or even nine?
As Pei Guang pondered this, the video continued.
"This is your rite of passage..."
Pei Guang watched as Duke Inferno had four "children" in the wilderness. It ordered them to go to Penacony and wage war against various factions.
War against Harmony, war against Elation, war against Remembrance, war against Preservation.
Pei Guang couldn't help but comment, "Well, look at this guy! Where did he get the nerve to act so almighty? If he's this strong, why not declare war on everyone? Wait... does this mean we're included in the declaration? And who is this person..."
Pei Guang finished watching the video. Besides Duke Inferno, the other beings only appeared as voices and two shadowy figures, and those two were completely indistinguishable.
After finishing the video, Pei Guang asked the anonymous user, "Are you sending me this video so I can take down Duke Inferno?"
Anonymous User: "That's not it. I just sent you this video. As for how to choose, that's up to you. If you're truly interested in Duke Inferno, I can provide you with its coordinates."
Pei Guang: "Sure! Send me the coordinates, I'll go take a look."
The anonymous user sent the coordinates and then followed up with another message: "Great Nameless One, if you're truly going to wage war against Duke Inferno, please spare its four children."
Pei Guang: "What? Are you one of its four children? Trying to use the 'kill the wolf and catch the tiger' strategy to reap the benefits?"
Anonymous User: "No, it's just that one of those four has done me a favor. Please show mercy, and I can assure you they won't interfere with your actions."
Pei Guang read the message but didn't respond.
He didn't believe a word of the last few sentences, but it didn't matter. Since the other party had provided the coordinates for Duke Inferno, Pei Guang was planning to go check it out and see what this guy was all about.
Even if he couldn't defeat it, marking it first and then sneaking in to give it a little annoyance would still be a good option.