Seeing the grotesque monsters wandering not far beyond the door, March 7th throws up her hands.
"…Are you all surprised? I'm not surprised one bit."
Stelle says nothing, just shrugs.
Welt adjusts his glasses, remaining silent.
Only Qingque's eyes twitch, filled with shock.
"This… Mara-Struck? Everyone in the Divination Commission gets regular checks for it. How could a dozen Mara-Struck appear out of nowhere?"
"Could something big really have gone wrong in the Divination Commission?"
Stelle: "Maybe some thief snuck in while Master Diviner was away and caused havoc?"
"We've encountered plenty of Mara-Struck outside the Divination Commission too. It feels premeditated."
Welt mentioned earlier that Xianzhou natives rarely fall to Mara before 500 years old.
Now Qingque says the Divination Commission has thorough Mara-Struck prevention measures.
So—
Those Mara-Struck not far away seem highly abnormal.
Someone must be behind this.
"Could a traitor have infiltrated the Divination Commission, using some unknown method to trigger Mara-Struck transformations?"
Stelle offers her own theory.
Qingque frowns, deep in thought.
"No way. The only person who's come to the Divination Commission recently is…"
"He's from Master Diviner's hometown, with family ties. There's no reason he'd be a traitor."
Besides, he's her close friend!
Birds of a feather flock together. Someone who shares her love for the middle path and living like a salted fish—how could they be a traitor?
…
Leon sneezes for the third time.
He's almost at the hidden entrance to the Alchemy Commission's pocket dimension, ready to dive deeper into the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus.
Who keeps thinking about him?
Could it be… those in the Divination Commission who fell victim to the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus' traitor?
Based on the intel found on Green Willow and the others, it's not hard to piece together their plan to sabotage the Matrix of Prescience Ultima.
It's straightforward: target certain people to trigger Mara-Struck transformations and cause chaos.
The plan has already succeeded, with over a hundred people affected.
They were just waiting for Bai Xiao, sent by Zigui, to arrive and execute it.
By now, those affected should be succumbing one by one.
With urgent matters at hand, Leon has no time to worry about their fates, or he'll miss a golden opportunity.
…
March 7th: "What if it really is the case?"
Stelle wants to cover March 7th's mouth, but it's too late.
She can only silently pray it's not what she's thinking.
Not far off, the Mara-Struck notice the commotion and quickly close in.
Welt: "Get ready to fight."
March 7th pulls out her longbow, sighing: "Can we have a more creative encounter next time?"
Stelle slings her bat over her shoulder, casually suggesting an alternative.
"How about the 'turn a corner and find love' type?"
"Uh… no thanks. I'm timid, I'd get scared."
Qingque: "Be careful, everyone. Those who fall to Mara have incredible vitality and destructive power!"
Stelle: "No big deal. We've fought plenty of Mara-Struck and can handle them like pros."
"Mr. Welt, you don't need to step in for these small fries. Leave them to me and March."
"Come on, March, give me a shield."
March 7th: "…Blessing granted. Go for it!"
The screen cracks into battle, and players nearly crack their mouths laughing.
Old Bear is having a blast.
"Not gonna lie, I just realized the Astral Express crew's Paths align perfectly with their roles in the story."
"The Trailblazer with the bat is in Destruction mode, main DPS, getting a shield from March, who's in Preservation mode."
"Old Yang's Nihility, stronger, so he doesn't need to act."
"In Jarilo-VI, Dan Heng was the train's guard, no question. Himeko's the navigator, rarely stepping in."
"Leon's the doctor, fitting his Path. He usually joins the Trailblaze missions but stayed back this time to recover."
"But thinking about it… Leon's role isn't just limited to doctor. He's also a strategist."
[Even the crew's insurance is handled by Leon.]
[No problem there. Abundance is similar to Preservation, and the doctor role is clear, with actions centered on protecting teammates. Makes sense.]
The two waves of enemies aren't many, and the turn-based battle ends quickly.
"These Mara-Struck reviving is a bit annoying. Pela's E can only dispel them one by one."
"It'd be great if we got a character with group dispel."
Old Bear doesn't realize that when a group dispel character does arrive, they'll be great against Mara-Struck.
But—
When teaming with Jing Yuan, he'd miss Leon's warm, reliable support even more.
After all… teaming with Leon, the main carry doesn't have to worry about getting elbowed.
Reflect, reflect, reflect—hard crowd control gets bounced right back.
Qingque: "You all have some serious skills!"
Tingyun: ?
Sounds like someone's stealing her lines.
Stelle flicks her bangs, smirking like a dragon king.
"Compared to mountain-sized robots or fallen madwomen, Mara-Struck are a piece of cake."
March 7th: "Don't get cocky, Stelle. Qingque, where to now?"
Qingque: "Follow me."
The Mara-Struck they encounter along the way don't pose much trouble.
Soon, they reach their destination.
From the player's perspective, after learning about the jade omen from Qingque, the scene shifts.
Inside the Matrix of Prescience Ultima, Fu Xuan is speaking with Jing Yuan's projection.
Jing Yuan: "Fu Qing, how's the progress?"
Fu Xuan sighs, shaking her head slightly.
"The hexagram fluctuates between Qian and Zhen. The path brings calamity, no lasting benefit."
"Fu Qing, speak plainly, please."
"Ahem… disaster looms. That's the Divination Commission's fortune today."
Fu Xuan's face looks grim, full of worry.
"The Matrix of Prescience Ultima was sabotaged by thieves, its talismans dimmed, and Stellaron corruption lingers in the Commission."
"The Cloud Knights are busy protecting civilians. I want to restore the array but lack the manpower."
"In such a situation, I still have to deal with the Stellaron Hunter you handed me. Isn't that a disaster?"
Who can relate? Going out to catch a criminal, only to come home and find the sky falling.
Jing Yuan raises a hand: "Isn't there a diviner from Yuque passing through the Luofu, lending a hand?"
Fu Xuan's face darkens further, gritting her teeth: "He…"
"He's gravely injured and unconscious, likely hurt protecting the Matrix of Prescience Ultima. Sigh…"
Jing Yuan's eyes shift, and he chuckles lightly.
"Haha, standing before me is the renowned all-seeing, all-knowing Fu Qing. Isn't avoiding misfortune your specialty?"
"No need to pour me that bowl of chicken soup, General. The rise and fall of fortune is the way of the heavens. Don't think you can dodge it with clever tricks."
Fu Xuan rubs her temples.
"The Divination Commission merely lays out fortune and misfortune, striving to make the right choices. We don't have divine powers to twist fate."