Click! Click! Click!—
Yevenko held March 7th's camera, furiously snapping photos of Blade's hologram from every angle.
Kafka watched silently for a moment before turning to Silver Wolf, pointing at the three prominent bumps on Blade's head.
"Is this really how Blade looks right now?" she asked calmly. "Are you sure you didn't make a mistake?"
Silver Wolf blew a pink bubble, letting it pop loudly before smoothly pulling it back into her mouth. Her small pink tongue flicked gently over her lips as she replied lazily, "I set the projection according to Blade's current status. It shouldn't be wrong. Maybe someone beat him up in the Shackling Prison?"
Kafka shook her head slightly. "With Blade's physique, even severe injuries heal rapidly—let alone three strange bumps. Besides…"
She scrutinized the hologram again, lips pressed together. "These bumps look ridiculous. Can a person really grow lumps shaped like this naturally?"
Even Kafka couldn't hold back a hint of amusement at Blade's absurd state.
Seeing the three bumps, Yevenko immediately suspected Tom. But he couldn't recall when Tom had attacked Blade.
However, Dan Heng had a thoughtful expression as his gaze drifted toward Tom, who was currently seated in front of the arcade machine. Tom's white-gloved paws were actually inside the screen, holding two Street Fighter characters like shadow puppets and having them battle each other.
Witnessing this surreal scene, Dan Heng felt oddly relieved. Ever since that restless night when he decided to stop questioning reality, life had been much simpler.
If Tom can drag Blade out of my dreams for a beating, then putting his paws into a game seems perfectly reasonable by comparison.
After all the ridiculous encounters with Tom, seeing Blade again actually felt somewhat manageable.
Dan Heng quietly folded his arms, his deep teal eyes turbulent but calm.
Meanwhile, Stelle approached Yevenko eagerly.
"Hey, Yevenko, send me a copy of those photos later!"
Silver Wolf joined them, speaking softly: "Hold on—I'll change the hologram to full color mode. It'll look clearer in your pictures. And…send me a copy, too."
Watching as the hologram refreshed into vivid colors, Yevenko sighed inwardly. The Stellaron Hunters really are ruthless, even with their own people.
Kafka shook her head lightly, approaching Silver Wolf's side. What was supposed to be an elegant negotiation had been completely derailed—first by Silver Wolf slacking off to play games, and now by Blade's humiliating image.
But perhaps that wasn't all bad. The tense atmosphere had noticeably relaxed.
She waved Silver Wolf over, who was blending so seamlessly with Yevenko's group that she almost seemed ready to join the Astral Express crew herself. Kafka spoke quietly, "I've explained the situation clearly. With that, we'll leave now. Here are the coordinates—the rest is up to you."
"Our goals may differ, but all paths among the stars inevitably cross. Farewell."
The moment she finished speaking, Kafka and Silver Wolf vanished from the Astral Express.
Himeko turned to the group. "Well? Shall we adjust our course to the Xianzhou Luofu, or continue toward our original destination? It's your call."
March 7th pursed her lips, crossing her arms thoughtfully. "To be honest, I didn't like Kafka interrupting us. It felt like someone barging into my house uninvited—annoying, right?"
"Still…that other Stellaron Hunter, Silver Wolf? She played games with us, even left the arcade machine as a gift. Maybe Stellaron Hunters aren't so bad after all?"
Dan Heng shook his head slightly, speechless at March's fickle reasoning. Just because Silver Wolf left a "gift," suddenly all sins were forgiven?
He spoke quietly, "If it were any other Xianzhou, perhaps it'd be fine—but not Luofu. I can't go there."
Stelle pondered for a moment. "But if there really is a Stellaron crisis on the Luofu, shouldn't we investigate?"
Welt's calm, deep voice joined in. "We can't fully trust the Stellaron Hunters, but the Luofu is just two jumps away. It's worth checking out. Even if it's a trick, all we lose is a little time."
Understanding their thoughts, Himeko looked to Yevenko, who was busy playing arcade games against Tom—controlling his character normally, while Tom directly manipulated the in-game fighters with its paws.
His chances of winning against Tom were even slimmer than against Silver Wolf earlier.
Yevenko sighed inwardly. I should've had Tom challenge Silver Wolf directly. No matter how skilled Silver Wolf is, she couldn't beat Tom's blatant cheating.
Finally realizing Himeko was asking him something, Yevenko replied simply, "I'm fine with whatever you decide. But I need to step out briefly—just contact me when we've arrived."
With that, he placed Tom on his shoulder, passed through the gilded door, and disappeared. Raiden Ei silently followed after him.
Watching them go, Himeko nodded, turning back to the others. "We'll treat Yevenko as abstaining. Let's vote."
...
Yevenko returned to his own Astral Express, carefully tucking away the mysterious photo as Himeko had advised.
He knew the group would almost certainly pick the Luofu as their next destination. Compared to Jarilo-VI, Luofu was far more dangerous. Jarilo-VI's biggest threat had been the Swarm Mother—near-Emanator level at worst. But on Luofu, the real danger was an actual Lord Ravager.
Logically, after beating up even an Aeon (sort of), facing an Emanator should be trivial—at least while transformed into Tom. Without the Transformation Stone, though, he'd be dangerously vulnerable.
I must boost my strength!
Thanks to the abundant [Exploration Value] gained from IX, Yevenko had enough for a guaranteed summon.
"Before drawing cards, I'd better refill the Transformation Stone."
Yevenko took out the empty [Transformation Stone], now amber-colored but blank inside.
[Transformation Stone (Empty)]
The Tom and Jerry universe offered many incredible transformations. Even becoming a goldfish could be hilariously advantageous.
"Inject! Pour everything in!"
[Exploration Value] drained rapidly. A small figure appeared, becoming clearer—
A mouse. A small gray-and-white mouse.
"Tuffy?!"
Yevenko's eyes widened. Though not as powerful as Spike, Tuffy was still far better than some random human or goldfish. If he'd drawn Jerry, he could've teased Tom endlessly.
Speaking of Jerry… I wonder what that ten-day Jerry I summoned before is up to now? Hopefully not causing too much chaos.
To be fair, Jerry alone was relatively harmless—unless hungry or chased by Tom. Only then did worlds fall apart.
Satisfied, Yevenko stored the [Transformation Stone (Tuffy)]. Although refilling the stone had consumed quite a lot, he had no regrets—this was his ultimate lifesaver.
Now came the main event—drawing characters.
"Give me a beautiful, soft-bodied girl with overwhelming power!"
Raiden Ei, quietly eating a peach, paused momentarily at his enthusiasm. Then, with unusual firmness, she bit down harder.
Drawing multiple times in succession, Yevenko's surroundings filled with milk bottles, and his hand held four peaches.
[Peach: From "Sanguosha"]
Without looking back, he kept one and tossed the others behind him.
"Ei, I noticed you've been eating peaches lately. Here, take some more."
Ei caught them, slightly startled. A faint smile formed. She had relied on a peach's power for so long, resisting Nihility's erosion—but it was nearly depleted. Eating peaches now was merely nostalgic.
Opening more draws, Yevenko obtained a brilliant rod.
[Divine Light Stick: Transform into a being of pure light!]
Pleased, he stored it carefully. Finally, reaching his guaranteed summon, golden light burst forth dramatically.
He eagerly anticipated the beautiful, unstoppable heroine of his dreams.
Instead, a small, energetic girl with short black hair, an orange hoodie, and navy-blue pants stepped out. She glanced around, then ran over and hugged Yevenko's leg tightly, chattering endlessly:
"Uncle Yevenko! Is this your home? Is that your girlfriend? She's so pretty! And your cat walks upright! Cool—wait, is that the galaxy outside? That's awesome!!"
Yevenko's mind buzzed at the constant chirping.
A notification popped up:
[Jade Chan: From "Jackie Chan Adventures"]
Yevenko sighed heavily. Had he unintentionally summoned an entire family now?
"Jade, stand straight!" he ordered.
She immediately jumped down, standing at attention cheerfully.
"Yes, Uncle Yevenko! Top member of Team Yevenko, awaiting orders!"
He nodded approvingly. At least Jade seemed obedient enough—far better than under Jackie's loose discipline.
"Good. And please stop calling me uncle. Just call me big brother."
"No problem, Uncle Yevenko!" Jade replied brightly.
Yevenko sighed deeply.
Poor Jackie…I understand your pain now.
Just then, he felt the train jump. Quickly, he sat everyone down.
"The warp has started."
After a flash of blue light, he stood, guiding Jade gently.
"Remember, Jade: no wandering off. Listen carefully."
She gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up. "Don't worry, Uncle Yevenko—I always listen!"
As she skipped obliviously toward the door, clearly having ignored him, Yevenko sighed again wearily.
"What terrible, terrible luck…"
He followed, hoping at least this trip to the Luofu wouldn't be another disaster.