At this moment.
Zeig sat cross-legged on the ground, holding Abyss Flower.
Someone had brought him an iron basin and placed it beside him.
Clang, clang—one coin-like object after another was tossed into the basin.
Hearing the sound, Zeig looked utterly confused.
"???"
Not everyone seeking treatment was completely broke.
Many people consciously tossed Winter City Shields into Zeig's iron basin as payment for the treatment.
"What are you throwing in? Don't you use credit points?" Zeig asked.
"Ah, we're already used to using Winter City Shields as currency. Do you mind, young man?"
"No, I've just never seen them before." Zeig waved his hand, not particularly caring about the Winter City Shields in the basin.
Though all this time,
he kept feeling something was off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
Wasn't he just on the snowfield earlier? How did the tractor end up here?
That white circle didn't seem to be just for acceleration.
"Mr. Zeig, um, the supplies have all been distributed."
At that moment, Cyrille came to Zeig's side to report.
"Oh, and Sister Olga was helping too," Cyrille added.
Zeig nodded indifferently, then handed the overflowing basin of Winter City Shields to Cyrille.
"Take these to Sister Olga. Consider it her labor fee—we're not short on money."
"Oh, okay."
Cyrille nodded, took the Winter City Shields, and carried the basin off to find Olga.
Seeing that it was about time, Zeig stood up.
He looked around.
There wasn't a trace of ice or snow here.
"Better get out of here quick. First find March 7th and Dan Heng."
With that, Zeig climbed back onto the tractor.
"Rumble rumble… chug chug… bang! Rumble rumble… chug chug… clang!" The engine once again let out its aged roar.
The surrounding crowd: "…"
"Hiss, how do I make that white circle appear again?"
Zeig stared at the control panel and suddenly found himself stumped.
"Bang bang bang… bang bang bang—!!"
In front of everyone watching, he started pounding again.
The surrounding crowd: "…"
"Mr. Zeig, wait for me! Let me drive!" From afar, Cyrille came running over, panting heavily.
"Hah, you can do it?"
Immediately after, under everyone's gaze, Zeig moved to the side seat.
Cyrille reacted quickly, performing a series of operations.
A white circle rapidly appeared in front of the tractor.
"I remembered how you did it just now."
"Awesome, awesome." Zeig gave a thumbs up. "Who dares say women can't drive!"
The rusty tractor slowly began moving again.
"Chug chug… bang… clang! Chug chug… bang… clang!"
The watching crowd: "…"
And so, under everyone's stares, the tractor slowly drove into the white circle.
At the same time, a woman carrying an iron basin stuffed full of Winter City Shields rushed over anxiously.
"Cyrille, Mr. Zeig, this—these Winter City Shields are really too much, I can't…"
Before she could finish, the tractor had already entered the white circle and vanished from sight.
Leaving only thick clouds of black exhaust behind.
…
Belobog, normal timeline.
A tractor slowly emerged from deep within the snowfield.
"Chug chug… bang! Chug chug… clang…"
Sampo: "…"
Under a distant tree, a blue-haired man heard the familiar sound and immediately lit up with joy.
"That familiar tractor, that almost-scrapped rattling noise—it's him, it's him! Definitely him!"
He spread his arms and dashed out, standing in front of the tractor.
"Wait, buddy, wait—it's me, it's me!" He waved his hands wildly, excitedly signaling the tractor driver.
But amid the noisy engine roar, all Sampo heard was this:
"Brakes!"
"Which one."
"Brakes!!"
"Which one."
"BRAKES!!!"
"Which one?!"
…
"Bang—!!"
Sampo: "…"
That familiar sensation again—Sampo was run over by the tractor once more.
Soon, the tractor came to a stop.
Cyrille got off while complaining:
"You… you didn't even say which one it was."
Zeig comforted her:
"It's fine, small issue. Running someone over in a place like this probably won't be noticed."
Cyrille: "…"
Sampo crawled up, staring at the two in shock:
"I heard that."
Cyrille: "…"
"Wait… you, hiss, why do you look kinda familiar?" Sampo began sizing up Cyrille's appearance.
He asked uncertainly:
"What's your name?"
"My name is… Cyrille."
"???"
Sampo stared at the two in shock.
No wonder when he first saw that scrapped tractor, he'd sensed a hint of temporal fluctuation.
He looked at Zeig, eyes widening:
"You… you actually went to the past and healed the dying eighth-generation Guardian?"
"What the heck are you talking about?" Zeig frowned.
"Stop bothering me. I need to go chase a pink-haired girl and a deadpan guy. This tractor's got issues—can't drive it anymore."
With that, Zeig waved his hand casually, and the tractor dissolved into points of light and disappeared.
"Wait wait, pink-haired and deadpan, right? I know, I know." Sampo blocked Zeig's path again. "I saw them—they've already gone into the city!"
"Into the city?" Zeig frowned. "Alright then, I can head back too."
Sampo: "???"
With that, Zeig started walking in the opposite direction.
"Hey, buddy, you're not going into the city?"
"Nah, if they're in the city they'll have food. I haven't eaten yet. I'm exhausted—I'm going back to rest for a few days before heading out again."
Sampo blocked Zeig and Cyrille once more, anxiously saying:
"No, have you forgotten the purpose of your trip?"
"What purpose? Trim my nails while those two aren't around? I already did that."
"It's to save this planet!"
"How am I supposed to save it? I have no clue."
"You're supposed to seal the Stellaron!"
"What Stellaron? I don't even know where it is."
"The Great Guardian knows—you need to go find her!"
"You know so much—why don't you go?"
"Uh…"
Sampo sniffled, staring blankly at the two.
Did he just let something slip?
"Besides," Zeig eyed Sampo suspiciously, "who are you, anyway? Why do you keep pestering me?"
"Me?" Sampo pointed at himself and laughed. "I just go outside the city to pick up some ancient goodies and sell them for a little pocket money."
"So you make a lot, huh?"
"Haha, small business."
Suddenly, to the bewilderment of Cyrille and Sampo, Zeig very naturally pulled a black balaclava from his pocket and put it on.
Then he drew an AK from inside his clothes.
The muzzle pointed at Sampo:
"Very good~ hand over the goods, and I'll spare your life!"
Sampo's eyes widened as he quickly raised his hands:
"No, this isn't right… big bro, you're even robbing me?"
Beneath the black balaclava, Zeig's gaze was profoundly deep, his voice hoarse: "My identity as a Stellaron Hunter has actually been discovered by you—you cannot be allowed to live."
With that, he was about to pull the trigger.
"Wait wait wait—you're with the Astral Express, aren't you?!" Sampo hurriedly begged for mercy.
Cyrille: "…"
The girl had already backed several meters away. She'd realized Zeig's mental state was far from stable.
"You even know that." In Zeig's eyes flashed a killing intent no one else could detect.
But it vanished just as quickly.
Sampo only saw the masked bandit fire several shots into the sky.
"Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat—!!"
"Woo-hoo~ since you've seen my true face, you're done for!"
…