"So, you went to the space station and almost didn't make it back?"
Dan Heng looked at Mo Wang and March 7th with a curious expression.
"Yeah, Herta was being a total psycho. She really did a number on him," March said with a sigh. "I can't believe the guy who terrorized an entire planet got taken down by Herta."
Dan Heng, however, could see right through Mo Wang's act. He wasn't exhausted from experiments; he was... satisfied. But Dan Heng wasn't one to gossip, so he kept his observations to himself. Mo Wang, noticing his silence, breathed a sigh of relief.
"You're back just in time," Welt said, walking over with Himeko. "We were just about to head to our next destination." They both paused, taking in Mo Wang's disheveled state. "What... happened to you?" Welt wondered if he had run into a succubus.
"Nothing! So, where are we going next?" Mo Wang quickly changed the subject, pulling Welt aside and giving him a look.
"You... sigh, never mind," Welt said, deciding not to ask. "Now that the Jarilo-VI situation is resolved, we're heading to..."
Just then, the lights on the train went out.
"Who turned off the lights?" A holographic projection of Kafka flickered to life in the middle of the carriage.
"A Stellaron Hunter?!" The crew was instantly on high alert. Kafka's wanted posters were plastered across two-thirds of the known universe.
"Wait a minute," Mo Wang said, a strange look on his face. "Does this train have a holographic projection system?"
"Is this really the time to be asking that?" March asked.
"I'm just curious. How do you project a hologram onto a moving train without any equipment? That's some serious black magic."
Kafka, who had been trying to make a dramatic entrance, was starting to get annoyed. What kind of script was Elio writing? How had her precious Mo Wang turned into... this? A dual Emanator of Preservation and Elation? What was that nonsense?
"What do you want?" Welt asked, his eyes narrowed.
The Stellaron Hunters and the Astral Express were, in a way, in the same line of business. The only difference was that the Express crew didn't leave a trail of destruction in their wake.
The Hunters, on the other hand, were a collection of the universe's most wanted criminals.
There was Blade, the immortal swordsman; Silver Wolf, the master hacker; and Sam, the walking weapon of mass destruction.
And me, Mo Wang thought. Technically, I'm still in their group chat. Does that make me a reserve member?
"Relax," Kafka said, a faint smile on her lips. "I'm just here to make a small request. I need you to change your destination."
The crew was not amused.
"Before you say no," she continued, "have you ever heard of the Luofu?"
"One of the six flagships of the Xianzhou Alliance?" Welt replied.
"Oh, I know that place!" Mo Wang's eyes lit up. "The home of the Hunt! And Dan Heng's old stomping grounds!" A classic Chinese-themed world. Foxians, Vidyadhara... what's not to love?
Dan Heng's expression soured. He was not exactly on good terms with his "hometown."
"Just a moment ago," Kafka said, "a Stellaron detonated on the Luofu. For some reason, the blame has been placed on us. And one of our companions, Blade, has been captured by the Cloud Knights. I need you to go there, seal the Stellaron, and clear our name."
The crew was skeptical. "Why should we clean up your mess?"
"You're free to leave," she said. "But if the Stellaron is not dealt with, this entire star system will be quarantined. And at least half the population of the Luofu will die..." It was a classic case of emotional blackmail. She knew they wouldn't be able to turn their backs on so many innocent lives.
But she had forgotten one crucial detail.
"I refuse!" Mo Wang declared, channeling his inner Rohan Kishibe. "I, Mo Wang, love to say 'no' to people who think they can order me around!"
"Wait, Mo Wang! Let's talk about this!" Welt said, but Mo Wang was already trying to get Pom-Pom to change course.
"What's there to talk about? It's obviously a trap!"
"But you were just saying how excited you were to go to the Xianzhou!" March said, confused.
"I was, but then I remembered I'm on their blacklist. Besides, do you really want to let me loose on a place that's already in chaos? I'd probably blow it up."
"You... actually have a point," Welt admitted. Unleashing an Emanator of Elation on the Luofu... the Cloud Knights would have a collective aneurysm. "Maybe... we should just leave."
Kafka's composure began to crack. This was not how the script was supposed to go. They were supposed to be on their way to the Luofu by now. What was this Mo Wang doing?
"So, what do you say we head to Penacony instead?" Mo Wang suggested. "The company just gave me a VIP pass. My treat."
"A luxury hotel?!" March's eyes lit up. "I'm in!"
"What are you talking about?!" Kafka finally snapped. If this continued, the entire script would be ruined. Why wasn't he going to the Luofu?!
Mo Wang: Is it my fault? I didn't even get a copy of the script, and now you're blaming me for not following it? That's not how it works, director.