It was still the year 2157 of the Amber Era.
Within a certain sparsely populated 'Passerby' star system.
'Passerby' wasn't an adjective; it was a noun. This star system was literally named Passerby.
The Astral Express was stationed in the low-orbit of a verdant planet.
In the Parlor Car, a pink-haired girl's face was filled with curiosity as she questioned the handsome man sitting across the table.
"Qi Zhimu, are you really a Galaxy Ranger? Sister Himeko told me not long ago that the Rangers have been MIA for a long time."
"The real deal, Miss March 7th."
"No need to be so formal, just call me March. After all... you did indirectly give us a hand."
Recalling what had happened recently, March 7th couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed.
Well... basically, while they were Trailblazing on that green planet outside the window, they accidentally provoked a troublesome avian creature.
Not only could it fly, but it could also discharge electricity and was incredibly thick-skinned.
According to Dan Heng, this kind of bird held a grudge even more than an owl and had a concept of a flock.
If one was killed, it would attract even more to pursue them for revenge.
Initially, they didn't want to cause unnecessary trouble and only intended to lose the strange bird.
But wanting to run after provoking a creature that holds grudges? It wasn't that easy.
In desperation, Dan Heng could only poke it twice with his spear, hoping to intimidate the bird into retreating. It didn't have any particular reaction after taking two hits.
Until... its rear end accidentally took one of March 7th's arrows...
Consequently, the strange bird entered a berserk state like a low-health game boss; it was incredibly crazed and terrifying.
Just as Dan Heng was about to finish the thing off, a spaceship descended from the sky like a falling star, crashing squarely into the bird and... snapping its neck right off.
A violent explosion echoed for miles around, igniting a fierce blaze.
If Dan Heng hadn't reacted quickly and pulled March 7th away, they definitely would have been caught in the blast.
When they looked back, the bird was already roasted crisp.
A man in tattered clothes with a face covered in soot crawled out from the wreckage.
Smelling the aroma of meat, he actually pulled out a short knife, sliced off a large piece, and started munching on it right there.
Regardless of whether Dan Heng's eye twitched, March 7th's certainly did at that sight.
Not only was he lucky to be alive, but he also had quite the nerves.
That thing probably isn't edible, right...
"Oi, young man and young lady over there, this bird meat tastes pretty good. Want a taste?"
When she heard this, March 7th instinctively looked at Dan Heng's profile and, as expected, saw his lip quiver slightly.
In the end, they didn't have the courage to try it.
March 7th tucked away the memory and changed the subject.
"I'll believe you're a Galaxy Ranger for now. By the way, Qi Zhimu, you haven't told us the reason for your crash yet?"
"Oh, because the ship wasn't mine," Qi Zhimu said casually.
"Dear hitchhiker, let me guess, did you crash because of an enemy pursuit? Pursuit and plummet are both..."
"Shut Up!"
March 7th rolled her eyes at the robot bringing over drinks.
"No one asked you. If you keep interrupting with your bad jokes, watch out or I'll have Himeko format you, hmph."
Seeing 'Shut Up' obediently return to the bar, she gave Qi Zhimu an apologetic look.
"Shut Up is just like that, you'll get used to it. Go on."
"...You mean, its name is 'Shut Up'?"
"Eh, yeah. I heard from Mr. Yang that the person who built it was quite... annoying. Unluckily, this machine inherited his personality, so you know how it is."
"Understood, understood."
Qi Zhimu nodded in realization, then suddenly changed the topic.
"Actually, it guessed right. I really did crash because I was being pursued."
"Pursued by whom?"
"The Annihilation Gang, the lapdogs of Destruction."
"...What did you do to them?"
"Nothing much, really. Just chopped their big boss into a dozen pieces to feed the vultures, stripped the small boss's wives and hung them on lamp posts, and then went back and snuck into his hideout to plant a few little Stink Mines."
Qi Zhimu's tone was casual, as if he didn't think much of such behavior.
Hearing this, let alone March 7th, even Dan Heng's expression became complicated.
You call that 'nothing much'?
"May I ask, how many mines did you plant, and what kind of 'stink' are we talking about?"
"I forgot how many, probably one every five meters. Let me think..."
Qi Zhimu pondered for a moment, then raised his index finger, revealing neat white teeth.
"I remember now, about three hundred or so. Not many. As for the smell, hmm, how should I describe it?"
"Probably like mixing fermented dead rat juice with rotten eggs, pouring it over decaying seafood, and then heating it in a microwave on high for three minutes before pumping it into the mines. How's that? Do you have a concept of that smell now?"
"..."
March 7th felt her vision go dark and shared a silent look with Dan Heng.
She suddenly felt like charging him a fee for saying those words.
The former smiled with a sense of inner resignation, while the latter's gaze toward Qi Zhimu became increasingly difficult to describe.
No wonder, no wonder...
Although they had no good feelings toward the Annihilation Gang, what this Ranger did...
If they were the small boss of the Annihilation Gang, they'd probably chase him for ten thousand light-years and wouldn't be able to swallow their anger until they'd skinned him alive.
"Brother Dan Heng, there's something I've been thinking about for a long time, and I've decided to tell you," Qi Zhimu said, ignoring the pink-haired girl's expression.
"Please, go ahead."
"Since you invited me to hitch a ride, the total time you've spent staring at and sizing me up adds up to 57 minutes. Are you still doubting my identity?"
"That's not it... I'm sorry..."
Dan Heng denied it, a flash of apology on his face.
"Mr. Qi Zhimu's name reminds me of an old friend from many years ago, so I couldn't help but look a bit more. As for whether you're really a Galaxy Ranger, I don't mind."
This loose organization following The Hunt had always been mysterious, and no one knew how they verified identities.
Although the man in front of him had the same name as that person and even looked very similar, his way of doing things was vastly different.
Furthermore, in that battle years ago, everyone present had witnessed his fall with their own eyes.
"I see," Qi Zhimu realized.
Many Rangers performed deeds that weren't exactly public, and due to certain past experiences, many wouldn't use their real names as codenames.
In his years as a Ranger, even he had encountered people with the same name as himself.
It wasn't strange that Dan Heng had met one; the strange part was—
"To be honest, Brother Dan Heng, I also feel like your face is somewhat familiar, but I can't recall where from. I shouldn't have met you before."
"Oh?"
Dan Heng was startled, and the possibility he had just extinguished in his heart involuntarily surged up again.
However, before he could speak, Qi Zhimu's next words extinguished that flicker of possibility once more.
"Right, the IPC! You worked for the IPC, right? I think I remember now. I saw you in the mission recordings of my colleagues."
"...In a way."
Dan Heng dismissed the thought of contacting a certain old friend to tell her about this Ranger.
Having not seen her for centuries, she was always on the front lines hunting Abominations. At over eighteen hundred years old, who knew if her mental state had developed issues.
After all, her master's sacrifice back then had been too great a blow to her.
...
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