The train gradually stabilized.
Everyone gazed out the observation window. There lay the Xianzhou Luofu.
"Wow! This is the Xianzhou? It looks even bigger than Jarilo-VI!" March 7th exclaimed in delight.
Dan Heng nodded:
"To the Xianzhou people, this ship is their planet."
"Land is an indispensable cradle for civilization and development. However, there are also civilizations that can leave their childhood behind and pilot starships cruising through the void… The Xianzhou Alliance is exactly like that."
"What exactly is your situation? You look all nostalgic and lonely?" March 7th asked curiously.
While March 7th and Dan Heng were chatting, Himeko was also contacting the relevant departments on the Xianzhou, requesting landing permission.
"This is the Astral Express, repeating: this is the Astral Express. We have arrived in the Xianzhou airspace and request landing permission from the surface… or perhaps I should say the deck."
From the other end of Himeko's communication came intermittent sounds.
"Welcome to… Luofu Port… Central Starskiff Haven…"
"…"
"Please wait patiently for docking… Please wait patiently for docking… Please wait patiently for docking…"
Afterward, the other end of the communication repeated this emotionless message like a broken record.
"This reminds me of scenes from zombie movies." Zeig sat on the sofa, fiddling with the equipment he carried.
"The police call a district, but the whole place has been overrun by zombies. There's no one alive, and the phone only has a broken recorded message!"
"Can you stop jinxing us?" March 7th glared at Zeig irritably, then looked at the items on his table:
"What are all these things on your table? They look so weird… Why aren't you pulling out your rocket launcher or chainsaw or whatever?"
On the table were many small items, including the little ball given by Screwllum.
Besides that ball, the other bottles and jars looked somewhat like kitchen seasonings.
March 7th walked over, picked up a bottle that resembled pepper powder, and asked doubtfully:
"What is this? A grenade?"
Zeig slowly raised his head and glanced at March 7th as if she were an idiot:
"Obviously, it's chili powder."
"…"
"Why are you carrying chili powder around?!"
"What if we run out of food later and need to be self-sufficient? Eating game without any seasoning would be so tasteless."
"…"
March 7th picked up another bottle:
"What about this one? There are colorful little pills inside. Are they candy beans?"
"No no no, these are Winner's Super Awesome Candies."
"?"
March 7th looked at Zeig in shock, stayed silent for a long while, then glanced around at everyone present:
"Are you okay? Did you buy this online too?"
"Of course. Don't you like it? Then I'll give it to you."
"Give me a break! What's the use of this thing?"
March 7th angrily slammed the Winner's Super Awesome Candies onto the table and demanded:
"Can it make people super awesome?"
"It can!"
Zeig immediately poured out one Winner's Super Awesome Candy, tossed it in his palm, and said:
"Winner's Super Awesome Candies—as the name suggests, they're used to make people super awesome."
"Isn't that just a stimulant?!"
"No no no, this works better than stimulants!"
Zeig pinched one between his thumb and index finger and introduced:
"Once you eat it, even a mouse would dare to invite a cat for a drink. It's super useful!"
"So in the end… it just makes you super awesome in attitude?"
March 7th looked speechlessly at the bottle of Winner's Super Awesome Candies, unable to imagine what use it actually had.
Even after eating it, your strength would still be whatever it was. At most you'd become a bit braver and die more heroically.
"Friend."
Zeig immediately stood up and said mysteriously:
"Don't put too much emphasis on external power."
He reached out and slowly pointed at the position of March 7th's left chest, drawing a circle over it:
"Sometimes… the power inside your heart is stronger than any other power, isn't it?"
These words left March 7th stunned.
Somehow… it actually sounded a bit reasonable?
On the other side, Himeko frowned:
"The signal is still repeating, but there's no sign of any docking guidance."
"Please wait patiently for docking… Please wait patiently for docking… Please wait patiently for docking…"
Welt asked:
"Is it still an automated signal?"
Himeko nodded faintly:
"Mm. Wait… Eh, it's connected!"
"?"
A new voice came from the other end of the communication.
"The Jade Gate is opening. On behalf of the Xianzhou Alliance: Luofu, we welcome our guests from afar. Please follow the guidance and dock in an orderly manner—"
March 7th said joyfully:
"Wow, finally a staff member appeared?"
Zeig continued fiddling with the Winner's Super Awesome Candy:
"Something's off. The speech is so smooth, and the voice isn't even trembling. If something really happened inside, the tone shouldn't be like this. Maybe… it's a ghost!"
March 7th pursed her lips and shot Zeig a glance:
"Go away… Why can't you ever think positively about others?"
Welt suggested to Himeko:
"Ask them about the current situation on the Xianzhou."
"Mm."
Himeko nodded and asked a few questions to the other side, but the signal suddenly cut off.
"No good, the signal's lost."
"…"
Welt was silent for a long time, then finally decided:
"Then… we'll head out first. Whatever happened on the Xianzhou, we'll find out faster by exploring in person."
"Mm, be careful out there."
After bidding farewell to Himeko, Welt walked over to the sofa and said to March 7th and Zeig:
"Is there anything else you need to prepare? If not… we should go. Uh, wait…"
"What's up?"
"This journey will probably be quite dangerous. Zeig, you summoned Fu Hua before… right?"
Zeig sniffed and immediately saw through Welt's intention. He said delightedly:
"Oh~ Leader, you want us to bring a big group to steamroll it? That… probably won't work. Even if more people come, their actions would require sharing the same energy source with me, plus it would increase my mental burden… Bringing a few is fine, but a big group…"
"You misunderstood me."
Welt coughed lightly and explained:
"I need a Herrscher core."
"…?!"
What the—?!
Zeig's eyes widened as he carefully pondered Welt's meaning.
Summon others over, then have them leave while leaving the Herrscher core for the leader to use?
???
?????
"But I don't use Honkai energy… Their Herrscher cores' energy supply isn't Honkai energy either. They should all be connected to my Stellaron. As for the Authorities…"
"Uh, it won't work?"
"I haven't tried yet. Let me try."
A golden light flashed beside Zeig, and a single-turbine duck emerged.
Perhaps understanding Zeig's intention, she dug out a mass of energy from her body, handed it to Welt, and then disappeared.
That mass of energy slowly floated into Welt's body.
"Hm?!" Welt exclaimed in surprise.