After Wende's projection concluded, everyone was plunged into deep thought, contemplating the ultimate fate of the universe and how to prevent it from collapsing into the [Finality]. The sheer volume of information was overwhelming, and by the time they surfaced from their reflections, half an hour had slipped by unnoticed.
Wende first sent Himeko back to the Express. If Pom-Pom didn't see her return on time, the conductor would likely dissolve into a tearful panic...
As for the others, after a long discussion in the main hall, they finally reached a momentous conclusion!
---o---
That evening, inside a St. Freya dormitory, Wende stir-fried the ingredients in his wok with a completely numb expression. At his side, Wendy was thoughtfully dabbing at non-existent sweat on his brow, while Stelle rapidly chopped a variety of vegetables... Mei was fighting her own culinary battle in the kitchen, just like Wende.
Outside the kitchen, a group of heartless individuals were casually chatting about this and that...
Yes, the grand conclusion they had reached was to have a meal first. This resolution was jointly proposed by miHoYo's two renowned poster girls, March 7th and Kiana, and passed with a staggering one hundred percent approval rate.
Wende's own protest was declared invalid!
After all... how many people in the entire cosmos could ever enjoy the privilege of having an Aeon personally cook for them?
Regarding the [Finality], to be honest, it wasn't a matter that required their immediate attention. However, now that Wende had informed the Astral Express crew that the [Finality] would arrive ahead of schedule, the significance of their [Trailblazing] mission had grown even heavier.
The Astral Express's mission to [Trailblaze] wasn't just about lifting the veil on uncharted regions of the cosmos; it was also about forging tight-knit connections with all those they encountered. When the [Finality] descended, if the entire universe could unite to confront the legendary [Doomsday]...
...Alright, they probably wouldn't survive anyway. The very term [Finality] implied a grand finale... The impact of those two words was even more striking than [Destruction]. In the face of [Finality], even [Destruction] began to seem mundane.
However, the person whose perspective had shifted the most was Welt.
Initially, he was focused on resolving the so-called "anomaly" before continuing their trailblazing journey. But after entering the Honkai world, he began to wonder what he could do for this world of the past. And now, after that extraordinary meeting, his mind was entirely preoccupied with the concepts of [Finality] and the Aeons.
Perhaps this was the unwavering, grand-scheme perspective that men hold dear until death? After all, some men are born to protect the world.
In any case, Welt's current focus remained on dealing with the problems of the Honkai world. A journey is taken one step at a time, and they couldn't possibly face the [Finality] tomorrow. Before the apocalypse arrives, someone has to make preparations.
They didn't know how the mysterious entity Wende spoke of planned to counter the advent of the [Finality], but mortals have their own mortal methods.
At this moment, Welt felt he understood why the Stellaron Hunters had deliberately maneuvered the Xianzhou and the Astral Express into an alliance. Perhaps the future that the "Prisoner of Fate" had foreseen was far more profound than [Destruction] itself.
"Kid, to be honest, I'm a little envious of you."
Wende, who was engrossed in cooking, was slightly taken aback by the light screen that suddenly materialized before him, but he paid it no mind and continued with his task.
"If I'd had a family like this back then, I probably wouldn't have had to secretly fake my own disappearance. But alas..."
"Aeons are destined to be lonely. They solitarily pursue the Path they believe in, and no one can ever truly understand them."
The Dragon's words were tinged with a deep sigh. It was true... Aeons were destined for solitude. But Wende was different. At the very least, he wasn't an ordinary Aeon. He didn't need to deliberately walk a Path—or rather, he was the Path itself.
Wende didn't reply, or more accurately, he wasn't in the mood to. What kind of self-respecting Aeon had to look after three "kids" and cook for a whole family? Little March was already over there, hawking her massage services. It seemed he'd have to work overtime after finishing dinner... What kind of Aeon could be this pathetic?
Wende suddenly felt that being an Aeon wasn't all that great. He was still doing the same old things, just with the added goal of fighting the [Finality]. It was better than aimlessly wandering around like before, he supposed...
But this new goal was a bit too grand, wasn't it?
With the help of Wendy and Stelle, the two super chefs, Wende and Mei, worked overtime and finally prepared a lavish banquet for this large family. It was a real shame that Fu Hua wasn't present, but as for the current Fu Hua... just how much of her memory had returned?
Although Wende trusted that Brave Warrior Fu wasn't that kind of person, a certain green-clad "madam" would surely think otherwise. In the world of Honkai, he was far more terrifying than Kevin...
But, taking a broader view, Otto wasn't necessarily an impossible partner to cooperate with. There are exceptions to every rule.
After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, it was time to discuss a series of important matters.
Welt had initially been worried that his presence might alter the course of the past, potentially disrupting what was, all things considered, a good ending.
But looking at the situation now, he realized the world's entire plot had already been unconsciously rewritten by a certain Mr. Wen. Therefore, Welt decided to reveal some information about the future to St. Freya Academy and Anti-Entropy.
And so, a certain academy principal found the light draining from her eyes when she learned that every one of her students would become a Herrscher. Looking over at Kiana, who was still carefree and goofing around with Mei and March, she suddenly felt the future had become a great deal darker.
Welt felt quite helpless about this as well. Kiana still had a long road ahead of her. To become a god in the human world... meant shouldering an immense amount of suffering...
Ah, right. Wasn't there another "Aeon" right here? Perhaps he could have Wende mentor Kiana in the future. An exchange between two "gods" might help her avoid many painful detours, couldn't it?
But it was still too early to talk about such things. They had a long time to grow, and in the meantime, the Express's journey would not halt.
That night, Joachim departed first with Einstein and Tesla. What they had gained this time was simply... beyond extraordinary. For the sake of the future, they had much work to do.
After a discussion with Himeko, Welt decided to remain in the Honkai world for a period to stabilize the situation and observe whether the anomalous phenomena would normalize.
As for everyone's living arrangements, Welt and Dan Heng were naturally assigned to Joachim's dormitory. After all, this was St. Freya, and there was only one men's dormitory.
As for Wende... his situation was different, so he and Wendy would continue to live together. And March and Stelle...
They moved into the room right next to Wende's. And so, Wende's life in the Honkai world... seemed to have become even more of a headache...