The Stellaron Hunters were an infamous villainous organization in interstellar society.
While they couldn't be compared to absolute villains like the Antimatter Legion, they were at least an unorthodox faction not accepted by legitimate organizations.
The Stellaron Hunters' fearsome reputation stemmed from many sources, including slander, but the most significant reason was their objective: hunting Stellarons.
These items, known as the "Cancer of All Worlds," were often considered calamities that brought disaster and conflict, leading planets to their doom, all because they attracted the attention of Nanook the Destruction.
An organization that actively pursued these calamities was naturally suspected of having ulterior motives.
Furthermore, the members of the Stellaron Hunters were no pushovers. The bounties placed on their heads by the Interastral Peace Corporation started at several billion credits, and they certainly possessed the strength to match their price tags.
Therefore, the simultaneous appearance of the Stellaron Hunters and the Antimatter Legion felt, to Asta, like dealing with an invasion and a bandit raid at the same time. Even if the two weren't colluding, it was still a tremendous problem.
Even more terrifying was the purpose of the Stellaron Hunters' visit.
Just from their name, one could guess their target. And as the station director, Asta happened to know something crucial.
There really was a Stellaron hidden in this space station.
If the Stellaron Hunters managed to seize it, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"No, we have to stop them!"
Asta clenched her fists. She looked up, ready to make a request, only to find that Su Mo was already gone.
"Don't worry, Lord Su Mo already went over with Schwi!" March 7th said with a wave of her hand, an eager look on her face. "Himeko, let's go too! I've never seen a Stellaron Hunter before!"
"Be careful… on second thought, with Mr. Su there, we don't need to worry. But don't run off on your own!"
Himeko was about to offer a word of caution, but remembering Su Mo's power, she decided it was unnecessary.
"Don't worry! With the gift Lord Su Mo gave me, I'm super strong now! Leave clearing the path to me!"
March 7th confidently puffed out her chest before immediately dashing out of the Express.
Watching her cheerful, rabbit-like figure bound away, the others exchanged helpless glances and followed after her.
---||---
Inside the Seclusion Zone, the Herta Space Station's containment sector.
This was a room that originally only Herta herself had clearance to enter. Now, however, it was occupied by several others.
"Hey, Kafka, did Elio's script mention anything like this?"
Staring at the dozens of Ex-Machina that had them completely surrounded, Silver Wolf was surprised enough that she even stopped chewing her gum.
"No."
The chic, urban woman in a deep purple coat shook her head, looking equally astonished.
"I thought Elio was never wrong, but it seems even he can make mistakes."
Elio, the leader of the Stellaron Hunters, was a man who could see the script of destiny. The scripts he provided had never once deviated from their course. No matter what unexpected events occurred, no matter how impossible they seemed, if they were written in the script, they would inevitably happen.
Both Silver Wolf and Kafka had absolute faith in this. They never imagined that one day a plan would go off the rails, and so completely at that.
According to Elio's script, all they had to do was take advantage of the Antimatter Legion's invasion to grab the Stellaron.
But now, all they had seen on their way here were the corpses of Legion soldiers and these beings who were never mentioned in the script.
"If Elio wasn't wrong, then maybe the problem is with these guys."
Faced with this unknown and dangerous situation, Silver Wolf felt a slight tension, but her eyes shone more with excitement.
She had personally witnessed the combat prowess of these Ex-Machina. They were a clear step above the Antimatter Legion's Voidrangers, and their strength multiplied when they worked together.
However, a situation like this only ignited her desire for a challenge.
For any true gamer, a smooth-sailing experience wasn't fun. A game with a high difficulty was far more interesting.
"Hey, what do you want with us? You've got us surrounded, but you're not attacking or leaving. Are you trying to capture us alive?"
In response to Silver Wolf's question, the Ex-Machina gave a mechanical reply.
"Assessment: Suspicious individuals possess a high threat level but have shown no hostile intent. Temporarily designated as non-purge targets. Please comply with the directive and proceed to the main control sector for shelter."
Until they received new orders from Su Mo, they had no intention of revealing their Master God's presence, nor would they let their targets leave.
"That voice… are they actually sentient machines?"
After keenly identifying the Ex-Machina's nature, Silver Wolf was quite surprised.
After the first and second Emperor Wars, the survival of sentient machines like Intellitron in the interstellar world had become precarious; they were nearly driven to extinction by the Interastral Peace Corporation.
If Screwllum hadn't been noticed by Nous the Erudition and invited to join the Genius Society, the machine race might not even exist anymore.
High-level machine lifeforms like these were now a rare sight in the cosmos.
Having identified her opponents, she lowered her hands with a hint of disappointment.
"Kafka, what's the plan? The machine network is interconnected. If we attack them, the legion outside won't let us go."
Even she knew you couldn't be reckless when fighting mobs with special mechanics.
If they forced a neutral faction to become hostile, they might just get wiped out this time.
"There's not much we can do. My Spirit Whisper might work on them, but it won't escape the network's detection. We'll still be classified as a hostile faction," Kafka said, shaking her head helplessly. Her hands were tied.
For someone who specialized in Domination through her Spirit Whisper, enemies connected to a remote network were the most troublesome type. Even if she could control one, it would be discovered immediately.
Rather than making a rash move, it was better to wait.
"What about the mission?" Silver Wolf glanced at the Stellaron in Kafka's hand. "We went through all this trouble to get it. Are we going to continue?"
"…"
Kafka didn't answer, her gaze wavering.
"If we follow the script, that child will have a brand-new future. She'll learn so many things, form countless bonds, and walk her own path with courage."
"But now, the script has failed… Can Elio's promise still be trusted?"
If she had looked like a dangerous panther just a moment ago, she now seemed to be filled with a mother's worry.
Seeing Kafka's conflict, Silver Wolf shrugged helplessly.
"So we head back and you keep her with you? But didn't you say that wasn't good for her either?"
"These machines don't seem malicious anyway. Maybe they're just some new security team Herta cooked up. Broadly speaking, it's still similar to the script. Are you going to bet on it succeeding, or take her back and come up with a new plan?"
"By the way, just a reminder, don't make me babysit again when we get back!" Silver Wolf started complaining.
How did she, a girl who looked barely in her teens, end up as the designated babysitter? Was that a job for an infamous Stellaron Hunter?
Hearing her, something clicked in Kafka's mind.
Don't misunderstand; it wasn't because she found babysitting troublesome. She had just realized something.
Given Herta's character, as merciless as she could be, she wouldn't harm an ordinary person, even if they had a Stellaron stuffed inside them.
Elio had confirmed this multiple times; there shouldn't be a problem on that front.
And with Herta's three-minute attention span, she wouldn't stay interested in a Stellaron's vessel for long.
The Astral Express had already arrived. Given the crew's way of doing things, even with this deviation from the script, the child would most likely join them as a Trailblazer, just as planned.
Thinking about it that way, the child wouldn't be in any danger.
It was better to take the gamble and see if she could step onto the path of that destiny they dreamed of for her.
With that thought, her hesitation vanished.
"Let's do it."
"Alright!"
Silver Wolf smoothly initiated her Aether Editing, rewriting the data of the space around them to summon a beautiful, gray-haired girl out of thin air.
The gray-haired girl, who had appeared from nothing, slowly opened her eyes, seemingly in a state between sleep and wakefulness.
"Ka…fka?" the girl murmured in confusion, as if recognizing the name.
At that moment, Kafka caught the falling girl in an embrace. With her other hand, she plunged the Stellaron—the Cancer of All Worlds, feared throughout the galaxy—deep into the gray-haired girl's chest.
"Shh! Just sleep."
Kafka gazed at the girl in her arms with exceptional gentleness. She laid her down on the floor, leaning her against a wall to let her rest.
When the girl woke up, she would have forgotten everything and would hopefully have a new family.
But that was fine. As long as she could reach that ending.
"I don't believe in gods, but I still pray that one might watch over you, and that you reach that ending by your own will!"
Kafka gently caressed the girl's soft cheek with her warm palm, whispering a prayer. Then she stood up, ready to turn and leave.
Since these machines hadn't stopped her just now, they probably wouldn't stop them from leaving either.
Just as she was thinking this, an unfamiliar voice spoke from behind them.
"Your prayer is quite sincere, but your wish is rather vague. Even if a god were to hear it, they would have a hard time granting it."
"Who's there?!"
Kafka and Silver Wolf immediately went on high alert.