Chapter 113: Stelle: I have a plan
Having secured a powerful new companion, how could Stelle possibly resist sharing such fantastic news with her family in the chat group? She immediately dove in, eager to spread the joy.
The Stellaron Hunters · Stelle: "@All Members Big News! The Astral Express crew has gained another powerful member!"
The Stellaron Hunters · Stelle: "Allow me to formally introduce Mr. Sunday, the former leader of Penacony and a supremely powerful individual! He is now a temporary passenger aboard our Astral Express!"
[Sunday_Elegant_Side_Profile_Candid_Photo.jpg]
The moment the message and the accompanying photo went live, the group chat exploded with activity.
Genshin Impact · Paimon: "Congratulations! Congratulations! But he looks like a priest from a church."
Zenless Zone Zero · Belle: "Wow! He really looks amazing!"
Genshin Impact · Lumine: "Based on his name… does he have something to do with time?"
Honkai: Star Rail · Dan Heng: "@Genshin Impact · Lumine It's not about time, but rather the core of his philosophy. He once attempted to construct an eternal, ordered paradise with a seven-day weekend."
Honkai: Star Rail · Dan Heng: "also, his strength is truly not to be underestimated. During the final battle in Penacony, he merged with the power of Order, almost forcibly unifying the dreamscape and reality. Had it not been for the combined efforts of multiple parties, the outcome would have been unpredictable."
Honkai: Star Rail · March 7th: "Mmm-hmm! Dan Heng is right! Sunday… how should I put it, he's a very pure yet very stubborn idealist. He believes that only by protecting everyone within a beautiful dream governed by absolute order can true happiness be achieved. Of course, he doesn't have any bad intentions."
Honkai: Star Rail · March 7th: "It's just… his approach is a bit too one-sided. He completely failed to ask others if they were willing to be locked in a cage. But in the end, he woke up. Now he plans to travel with us and seek a new path!"
Dan Heng and March 7th's explanations painted an objective picture of Sunday: immense power, noble ideals, fanatical methods, and a disregard for individual will. Everyone in the group had weathered their share of storms and quickly grasped the complexity of this new passenger.
Seeing the group members' general acceptance and relatively positive reception, Stelle contentedly put away her phone. At that moment, her thoughts drifted to the unknown cosmic region named Amphoreus—a place Akivili himself had never set foot in—and a sense of urgency began to prickle at her.
"Ahem…" Stelle cleared her throat again, a theatrical sound designed to draw the attention of Dan Heng and March 7th. Her small face was a mask of utter seriousness.
"Comrades! A new storm has appeared! Amphoreus—a place Akivili has never reached—is right before us!" she declared, her voice ringing with manufactured gravity. "To cope with the unknown challenges ahead, I have a plan! It is necessary for us to undergo a round of pre-battle strengthening! To elevate our strength to new heights!"
She stood with her hands planted firmly on her hips, radiating an aura of command, as if issuing the order for a grand assault.
March 7th narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing Stelle from head to toe, trying to find even a flicker of guilt on that righteously determined face. She was almost certain this was all a ploy to trick them into spending their points in the cultivation room, a desperate attempt to cover up the embarrassment of being too broke to participate in the gacha.
However, Stelle's eyes were "clear" and "firm," as if she were genuinely worried for the Astral Express, her every thought dedicated to the crew's well-being.
"What Stelle said… has some truth to it." Dan Heng's calm voice broke the brief silence. He folded his arms, analyzing the situation with his usual rationality. "The circumstances in Amphoreus are unclear, and the risk factor will certainly be higher than in known star systems. Improving the overall strength of the team before departure is a necessary preparation. I agree to a round of strengthening."
With Dan Heng's affirmation, Stelle's back straightened even further. She shot a triumphant look at March 7th, her gaze seeming to say, 'See! Even Dan Heng said I'm right!'
March 7th spread her hands in helpless surrender. "Yes, yes, Stelle's considerations are truly tho-rough~"
She deliberately dragged out the last word. Then, just as a victorious smile bloomed on Stelle's face, March's tone suddenly shifted, and she winked playfully. "So, when it comes to strengthening combat power, the most efficient, most exciting, and most surprising method is—?"
"It must be the cultivation room!" Stelle answered without a shred of hesitation, her tone brimming with the confidence of a seasoned bargain hunter. "The time flow difference! The comprehension bonus! Mastering deep cultivation techniques in nine days is not a dream! Look at me, I got my Fire Dance Whirlwind straight to the thirteenth layer! It's a super value, fair to all!" She waved her arms, promoting the idea with the fervor of a street vendor.
"Wrong—!" March 7th extended her index finger and wagged it in front of Stelle's face, a sly, knowing smile spreading across her own. "The best method, of course, is another exciting ten-pull! New items! New abilities! Unknown surprises! This is the king's way to quickly increase combat power!"
"Pfft—" As if struck by an invisible arrow, Stelle's soaring momentum instantly collapsed.
A ten-pull? She wished. The mission to save Kachina had only earned her 300 points. Adding that to her previous savings, she had barely scraped together five hundred. She was still a galaxy away from the 1280 points needed for a single ten-pull, even with the newcomer discount. She could grit her teeth and afford a few days in the cultivation room at 100 points a day, but a ten-pull? That was an unattainable dream.
Watching Stelle instantly turn to stone, a look of unshed tears on her face, Dan Heng delivered the rational finishing blow, completely dismantling her campaign for the cultivation room.
"Our existing cultivation techniques and ability systems are still in the process of assimilation and refinement," he stated calmly. "There are no urgent, high-level new techniques for us to learn at the moment. Therefore, the benefits of the cultivation room are limited."
"In contrast, the gacha pool in the points store can directly grant us diverse, immediately usable new items or abilities. For dealing with the unknown and complex environment of Amphoreus, its potential value is higher." He paused, his gaze resting on Stelle. "Your Fire Dance Whirlwind has already reached a high level, and it would be difficult to achieve another breakthrough in the cultivation room in the short term. You might as well use your points in a more flexible way."
Stelle's shoulders slumped completely, making her look like a defeated little raccoon. Dan Heng's analysis was well-reasoned and utterly convincing.
She pouted and waved a hand weakly. "Alright… alright… you're right. I… I wish you golden pulls in your ten-pulls, full of luck…" Her tone was filled with the tragic heroism of someone letting go of a cherished dream.
However, Stelle—Chat Group Administrator and all-around gremlin—was not someone who easily admitted defeat. Having lost on the main battlefield, she still had the enemy's rear to consider.
Watching Dan Heng and March 7th walk towards Pom-Pom, who was diligently wiping the bar counter, Stelle's eyes instantly lit up. She silently pulled out her phone, switched to camera mode, and a sly, mischievous curve appeared at the corner of her mouth.
"Pom-Pom~ Pom-Pom~" March 7th's voice was sweet enough to drip honey. She squatted down, clasped her hands together, and blinked her big, pleading eyes. "Let us touch your little head again, to get some good luck~ Last time Dan Heng touched it, his gacha luck was super good! Please, please~"
Pom-Pom's long ears perked up alertly, and its short arms shot up to tightly guard the top of its head. "No way, Pom-Pom! Last time you took so many strange photos of me! The Conductor's dignified image completely collapsed, Pom-Pom!"
"How could that be, Conductor Pom-Pom!" Dan Heng also walked over, his tone grave and sincere. "That is a manifestation of everyone's love for you. also, this gacha draw concerns the logistical support for the Amphoreus pioneering mission. It is of great significance."
He had gravely elevated the act of petting Pom-Pom to a matter of strategic importance.
Pom-Pom was stunned by Dan Heng's dead-serious reasoning, and the hands guarding its head loosened slightly. "R-really? It's for the pioneering mission, Pom-Pom?"
The moment Pom-Pom hesitated, March 7th and Dan Heng exchanged a knowing glance. With perfect tacit understanding, they simultaneously reached out, their hands skillfully stroking Pom-Pom's fluffy head.
Click! Click!
Two extremely faint shutter sounds, which to Pom-Pom's ears rang out like thunderclaps, echoed in the quiet car.
Stelle appeared like a ghost behind the pair. On her phone screen was a perfect shot of Pom-Pom being "handled" from both sides, its expression a dazed mixture of confusion and bewildered gullibility—a high-definition addition to its dark history.
"PASSENGER STELLE—!!!" Pom-Pom's shriek tore through the Observation Car. "DELETE THE PHOTOS, POM-POM—!!!"
"Hehe, these are precious images of the Conductor's 'approachable and friendly' side! They record the beautiful moments of our unity and mutual assistance! How could I possibly delete them!" Stelle triumphantly shook her phone, agilely dodging Pom-Pom's furious pounce while running and shouting at the same time. "Dan Heng! March! Pull hard! Absorb all of Conductor Pom-Pom's good luck! Double gold in ten pulls! Instant five-stars!"
In the Observation Car, a new round of chase began, accompanied by Pom-Pom's enraged roars and Stelle's arrogant, victorious laughter.
Sunday stood to the side, watching the boisterous scene unfold. The sheer vibrancy of it all—the chaos, the warmth, the life—was reflected as starlight in his golden eyes. This was completely different from the "Orderly Paradise" he had once envisioned, yet it was full of… true vitality.
Perhaps, he thought, this was the scenery one found on the path of a Trailblazer.
A faint, genuine smile curved his lips.
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