The story flashes back to the first day the Express crew arrived in Belobog.
Ring, ring, ring—
Dan Heng pushed open the bookstore door, quietly weaving through the shelves. After selecting a few books on geology and history, he made a beeline for the "novels" section, ready to pick out his target.
Flip, flip, flip—
Romance novel? Too melodramatic, not my taste, unsuitable for mental storage.
Flip, flip, flip—
Sci-fi novel? Hmm… imaginative plot, but riddled with physics inaccuracies. Not recommended for mental storage.
Flip, flip, flip—
Cultivation… no, divinity novel? Isn't that Xianzhou's thing? …Hm, it's about a hammer-wielding god banished to the mortal realm by a divine king. Feels familiar, not sure, let's take another look.
Finished reading. Good thing there's no Silver Rail connection here, or the company's cease-and-desist letter would've arrived by now.
After half a day of browsing, Dan Heng carried a carefully curated stack of novels to the counter. "Boss, please check me out."
"Hm, that's 210 Winter City Shields in total…"
Pela's gaze suddenly froze. She carefully examined the titles of Dan Heng's chosen novels, a smile curling on her lips. "You've got quite the eye, don't you?"
"You must be a seasoned bookworm. Otherwise, you wouldn't have just happened to pick these masterpieces."
Dan Heng: "I make a habit of skimming before buying. To me, these books aren't as exceptional as you make them out to be, but they're worth a read."
"What?"
Pela raised an eyebrow. She might let other things slide, but in this domain, she was the expert!
Especially since the books Dan Heng picked were her own works. How could she tolerate such a lukewarm review of her creations?
If Stelle were here, she'd probably sigh, "Ah, how did my meticulous, reliable intelligence officer turn into a shut-in otaku like me (no offense)?"
Unfortunately, at this moment, Stelle was busy freeloading a meal.
Pela sneered. "Young man, you clearly don't get it. These books have all won the 'Belobog Most Popular Literature Award.'"
"Awards don't represent everyone's opinions. As an avid reader, I don't think my views are exaggerated."
Pela: "Oh? Now I'm curious. What kind of masterpieces have you read to call these merely 'worth a read'?"
Dan Heng thought for a moment and pulled out a book (from who-knows-where). "This is a novel I wrote. If you're interested, take a look."
Pela snatched it, first glancing at the title. Astral Express? Intriguing.
Author: A Fleeting Dream? Who's that? This guy?
Whatever, let's skim it and check the writing style first!
It was the first book in a series, divided into four major sections: Chaos Reaches the Depths, Vortex at the Center, A Moment of Cosmic Serenity, and Shadows Never Depart… A sci-fi novel? Interesting.
The general plot followed a memory-less protagonist waking up in an unfamiliar space station, meeting new companions, and saving the station.
…It actually feels pretty good?
Hiss—not sure, let's read on.
Wow! This character named Say Cheese is so captivating!
And this Dan Shu character—such a sense of security!
Love it, can't stop reading.
"Boss, how about you ring me up first?" Dan Heng asked.
Pela's eyes never left the book, and she waved dismissively. "Can I trade for this book?"
Dan Heng sighed, pulling out the exact amount in Winter City Shields from his pocket. "Keep the book. I'm leaving."
Pela suddenly looked up, her expression deadly serious. "A Fleeting Dream, I acknowledge your skill for now. But next time we meet, I'll challenge you with my new work."
Dan Heng: Whatever.
…
Back to the present.
"…So I stayed up for days, barely eating or sleeping, racking my brain to write the greatest chapter in novel history!" Pela said excitedly.
"I'll make you understand, 'A Fleeting Dream,' that I, Pela, former Silvermane Guard intelligence officer, now Belobog's top novelist, will definitely, absolutely write a story that surpasses yours. Don't underestimate my resolve!"
Pela was practically in Stelle's face. She leaned back, awkwardly saying, "I-I'm not A Fleeting Dream…"
"…"
"Ahem, that's not important. What matters is, you're carrying his mission, right?" Pela said.
"But my mission is just to pick up some books, that's it…"
"Small matter!"
Pela handed Stelle a manuscript. "Since you don't know anything, take this back to A Fleeting Dream. And make sure to watch his expression when he reads it, okay?"
"Fine, fine, I'll pass it along." Stelle asked, "The books?"
Pela nodded toward a nearby shelf. "Over there."
Only seven or eight books, not too bad… Stelle thought, packing them into a cloth bag and turning to leave.
"Wait, what are you doing? You didn't take them all."
Stelle looked back. "Huh? I cleared that whole row."
"That entire shelf is his."
Stelle: ?
…
On the tram, feeling the strange looks from those around her, Stelle's mouth twitched, too overwhelmed to retort.
A teenage girl carrying a little loli, lugging bags big and small, squeezing onto public transport—she looked exactly like a homeless beggar wandering the streets.
"Sigh, so pitiful. Those two young kids have it rough."
"The gray-haired one must be the older sister, right? I knew it, their parents must be one with white hair and one with black hair."
"Look at those poor kids, don't even have shoes to wear."
"…"
Ding ding—
"Goethe Hotel stop! Passengers getting off, hurry up—"
The driver had just shouted when something felt off. Turning to the window, he saw a humanoid robot staring at him with its camera-like head.
Under the fearful gazes of the other passengers, Stelle and Clara quietly disembarked. Even with Stelle's thick skin, she couldn't help but feel a wave of embarrassment.
Stelle, carrying the heavy bags, approached Svarog and asked, "Number One, why're you out here?"
"To test my latest creation, of course," Welt said, stepping out from behind Svarog. "Stelle, Dan Heng and March say you have a unique perspective on things. So, I'd like you to hear the battle music I designed for Svarog."
Stelle: "…Why add that feature?"
Welt: "Come on, background music during battles is cool, okay?"
Stelle suddenly had a bad feeling.
Svarog's speakers blared a powerful tune: Deng→Deng↓Deng↑Deng→(plays megalovania)
Stelle: …Guess I should be used to this by now.