Late Night, Herta Space Station.
Adrian stretched lazily, hugging the new model of the Herta doll as he walked out of the office.
"Nothing came out of the research. What a pity."
As an Emanator of Erudition, wanting to deconstruct an Aeon like HIM still required a bit more finesse. Might as well practice with Nanook first.
After finishing her research, Herta had run off again—she was a busy one. The space station was perfectly safe, though. Unless an Emanator-level threat showed up in person, there'd be no trouble.
Not to mention, with an Aeon currently stationed here, there was even less to worry about.
Adrian pulled out his phone and sent a message to Silver Wolf.
[Adrian: Send me a coordinate, main control cabin of the Herta Space Station. Help me teleport something.]
Five minutes later.
[BadAtGamesButLovesToPlay (Note): How'd you know I just won ten games in a row?]
[Silver Wolf: …]
[Silver Wolf: Didn't you say you wouldn't come to the Herta Space Station?]
Even without Adrian saying it, Silver Wolf could still pinpoint his location.
Just yesterday, she'd whipped up a program that let her see the real-time location of anyone she was gaming or chatting with.
If someone dared to flame her online, she might not be able to crawl through the net to confront them in person, but she could at least track down their address.
[Adrian: To be honest, I got my hands on a Herta doll. Thought I'd send it to you.]
[Silver Wolf: Not interested. Teleport gate's already open.]
A digital portal materialized in front of Adrian, and he casually tossed the vacuum-packed Herta doll through it.
[Silver Wolf: By the way, remember the three teammates I mentioned before? This mission's got one other member besides me. Guess who?]
[Adrian: Too hard to guess. No clue.]
In Silver Wolf's mind, Adrian only knew she'd joined the Stellaron Hunters. As for her teammates, he hadn't even heard of them.
[Silver Wolf: It's Kafka, the one I told you about with the Spirit Whisper ability.]
Seeing Silver Wolf so casually spill her teammate's abilities and info, Adrian fell into deep thought.
This almost made it seem like Silver Wolf was his undercover agent planted in the Stellaron Hunters.
[Adrian: Get some sleep. Don't stay up all night gaming.]
After sending that, Adrian closed his phone.
"What kind of NPC dialogue is that? No reaction at all?" Silver Wolf's face fell. A guy who wasn't even intrigued by Spirit Whisper?
Wait a second…
Silver Wolf scrolled back through their chat, her eyes locking onto the words [Herta doll].
Oh no! Herta stole her base!
"He's not actually into those Herta dolls, is he…?" Silver Wolf sensed something was terribly wrong.
No wonder he hadn't been gaming with her lately—he'd been playing with Herta dolls instead!
The more she thought about it, the more absurd it seemed, and the angrier she got. Fuming, she started another game to vent her frustration, only to lose all night.
…
The Next Morning, Astral Express.
Adrian woke up early. The beds on the Express were just so comfortable.
"Mr. Welt and Miss Himeko are up this early?" Seeing the two already sipping tea and listening to the morning news in the observation car, Adrian waved.
"Listen to this," Himeko said, pointing at the radio.
[Whether your world has a concept of day or night, let me first wish you a good morning, noon, or evening! This is your host, Jimmy!]
[Last night, our company's Market Trailblaze Department was attacked by unknown assailants. The department's director, Oswaldo Schneider, was assaulted, suffering multiple fractures. He's been treated and is out of danger, but sadly… Director Schneider will likely spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair.]
[Our company has formed a special investigation team. This was an unprovoked attack, so please, all employees, stay vigilant.]
[At the scene, only a single note was found, covered in chaotic purple-black writing, completely illegible… Wait, breaking news! Eight bars of soap were discovered in Director Schneider's bathroom! As far as we know, Director Schneider isn't particularly fond of bathing, so could these soaps be tools left behind by the culprit?]
"Hm?"
Dan Heng, who had just walked in, paused, deep in thought.
[Soap? Why soap?] The host, Jimmy, was equally puzzled but continued the broadcast:
[Back to the main topic. As we all know, Director Schneider is a fervent follower of [Preservation]. His strength is considerable, so who could have beaten him to near death? All surveillance data at the scene was destroyed, and Director Schneider has yet to wake up. For now, it's all speculation.]
[Director Diamond of the Strategic Investment Department issued a statement: They will spare no effort to mobilize resources and bring justice for Schneider.]
[He was once a Nameless, and now a company director, having brought countless new worlds into the credit system's domain. Whoever harmed Director Schneider, have they considered the consequences? Who's pulling the strings behind them? Stay tuned…]
[Beep! Now, we'll automatically play a short film: Interastral Peace Corporation Guide: Selection, Planning, and Opportunities]
"A former Nameless was attacked. What do you think?" Himeko asked, brewing coffee.
"He's a former Nameless. Nothing to do with us," Adrian replied, barely paying attention to the broadcast.
His mind was elsewhere—how to put on a good show in front of the yet-to-be-born Stellaron Essence.
When Nanook's gaze falls on her, what form should he take to make his grand entrance?
"I've heard he's a candidate for the company's board. Other candidates competing with him wouldn't have too much of a power gap," Welt said, analyzing seriously.
"A fanatic of [Preservation], with an expansionist mindset…"
As for Dan Heng?
He was fixated on the "soap" part, wondering about the shape of those eight bars.
"Why soap? Could it be a tool for the crime…?" Welt's buried detective instincts flared up again.
"I'll go wake March 7th," Himeko said, standing with her freshly brewed coffee.
"Why's she bringing coffee?" Adrian asked, puzzled.
"To make sure March gets up," Dan Heng answered.
"Speaking of which… why's she sleeping so late?"
Dan Heng shook his head. "It's not her sleeping late—it's us waking up too early."
After spending time together, Dan Heng had realized Adrian knew a lot.
His understanding of Aeons was almost on par with the Aeons THEMSELVES.
Are all you [Eternity] Pathstriders this knowledgeable?
Dan Heng didn't think too deeply about it. Adrian had been a Nameless before, so it made sense he'd know a lot.
On top of that, Adrian had upgraded his weapon, Cloud-Piercer.
"Hmm~ The craftsman who forged this spear did a fine job. Sharp enough to pierce dragon scales… I'll add a little something."
He infused the spear's shaft and tip with [Eternity]'s secret techniques, greatly enhancing its durability and adding sustained damage effects.
Adrian told Dan Heng, "Now it'll never break. And when needed, you can press this!"
Pointing to a red button newly added to the shaft, Adrian explained eagerly, "This is [Single-Shot] mode. Press it, and the spearhead shoots out automatically—perfect for ambushing enemies."
"Uh… the only downside is the spearhead doesn't fly back on its own. You'd have to pick it up manually. Want me to add a magnetic strip?"
"No, that's fine."
Dan Heng politely declined. Any more upgrades, and he'd start thinking Cloud-Piercer could double as a handgun.