Chapter 138: The Absolutely Safe City of Ocherma
Stelle executed a nimble flip in the air, landing steadily on the dusty ground.
The moment her boots found purchase, her head snapped toward Dan Heng and Phainon. Her eyes, narrowed into indignant slits, were filled with a silent, burning accusation. 'Docile'?! Is this what you call 'docile'?!
She looked like a little raccoon that had just been unceremoniously punted out of a trash can.
Phainon rubbed his forehead, a weary sigh escaping him as he hurried forward to explain. "My apologies. I was too late with my warning. I was just about to tell you not to touch those white stone ridges."
He pointed to the conspicuous, grayish-white armored protrusions that studded the Great Land Beast's limb joints. "While the Titan of the Earth bestows them with incredible strength and resilience, it seems it also stuffs all their bad temper into these hard 'stone ridges.' Once touched, they become very... irritable."
"..." Stelle's gaze flickered from the culprit ridges to Phainon, then to March 7th, whose shoulders were still twitching with suspiciously suppressed laughter. A wave of frustration washed over her.
It was all Dan Heng and Phainon's fault for being too slow! That was it. She was just being active, bravely exploring! Not reckless at all.
Stelle quickly constructed this narrative in her mind, successfully convincing herself. The faint blush of embarrassment on her cheeks instantly vanished.
"Got it, got it! I'll be careful next time!" she declared, waving a dismissive hand as if the whole incident was no big deal.
With this "bloody lesson" learned, Stelle no longer dared to act so casually. Under the guidance of the caravan driver—who was clearly fighting back a grin, having seen this exact scene play out many times before—she carefully avoided all the grayish-white ridges. Using a specialized rope ladder, she successfully ascended to the broad, flat platform on the Great Land Beast's back.
March 7th and Dan Heng followed closely, boarding the same colossal creature.
Nodus, Virtus, and their tribesmen, along with Tribbie and Phainon, boarded the other Great Land Beasts in the caravan.
"Is everyone seated firmly?" Tribbie called out, her voice carrying clearly across the entire team. She stood on the back of the lead beast, her small frame looking almost comically tiny against the creature's immense scale.
She turned her gaze toward the distant silhouette of their destination, her expression taking on the steadfast focus of a seasoned guide.
"Our destination—" she raised her voice, the tone an obvious declaration, "—the absolutely safe Holy City, Ocherma!"
"Woohoo—!" Stelle threw both hands in the air, letting out a cheer brimming with her signature chaotic energy. "Let's go!"
A long whistle from the beast tamer and a gentle tug of the reins prompted the Great Land Beasts to let out low, placid rumbles. With heavy, rhythmic strides, their journey began.
Although this land of ruins was not without its share of astonishing, giant structures and decent natural landscapes, the initial sense of wonder inevitably began to fade. As the hours stretched on, the monotony of the long journey started to set in.
The back of the Great Land Beast was broad and stable; the gentle, swaying motion was almost hypnotic, making one feel a little sleepy.
Stelle let out an idle yawn and poked March 7th, who was busy framing the distant horizon with her camera. "Hey, March, I'm so bored. Is the Astral Express signal still cut off?"
March lowered her camera and fiddled with her phone for a moment before shaking her head. "Hmm… not a single bar. The interference in this area is too strong. I can't even get through to Pom-Pom."
"Sigh…" Stelle deflated, but then her eyes darted around mischievously. A smirk bloomed on her face. "If we can't contact the Express, we can still hit up Lumine and Belle in the chat group, right? Hehe, perfect time to tell them about our Amphoreus adventure!"
March's eyes lit up, her posture immediately straightening. "Oh, right! The chat group signal isn't blocked! And the important task of taking photos and documenting everything falls to me! This is a great chance to broaden their horizons!"
Without another word, Stelle and March exchanged a knowing glance and, in perfect sync, summoned the shimmering blue light screens of the dimensional chat group.
Dan Heng noticed their actions, sparing them a single sideways glance before returning his focus to his conversation with Phainon and Tribbie. He needed to seize this rare opportunity to piece together the puzzle of this world's key information: the "Titan," the "doomsday," and "Ocherma."
[Stellaron Hunter • Stelle]: "Look who's here!"
[Proudly-hands-on-hips.jpg]
[Astral Express • March 7th]: "Hello everyone! After entering Amphoreus, we experienced some… uh… minor setbacks, but now we can finally rest and travel on the back of a 'Great Land Beast' for a while. It's really not easy!"
The moment their messages appeared, the group chat sprang to life.
[Cunning Hares • Belle]: "Stelle! March! You finally have news! How is Amphoreus? Is it dangerous?"
[Teyvat • Paimon]: "Exactly, exactly! Tell us, tell us! Did you run into any super-powerful monsters? Paimon's so worried about you!"
Seeing her friends' concern, Stelle immediately puffed up with pride.
[Stellaron Hunter • Stelle]: "Haha, don't worry! A minor scuffle like that is nothing! Let me tell you, we got ambushed before we even landed. It's a good thing I was there, otherwise we would've been knocked out of the sky!"
[Astral Express • March 7th]: "Yes, yes, the invincible Stelle, who after unleashing one astonishing sword strike, went offline at light speed. She immediately transformed from a majestic hero into an injured person I needed to look after."
[Stellaron Hunter • Stelle]: "Hey! March! I received this world's oracle! Don't you get it? Maybe I really am going to become the savior of this world!"
[Cunning Hares • Belle]: "Wow! That sounds so exciting! Stelle, you're amazing!"
[Teyvat • Paimon]: "Ooh~ Worthy of the Astral Express's most famous Trailblazer!"
Stelle preened at Belle and Paimon's praise, her heart soaring. She straightened her back, pointedly ignoring March's "keep bragging, I dare you" expression.
Just then, Lumine, who was in Natlan helping Wise and Belle record a cooking video, took a moment to check the group messages.
[Teyvat • Lumine]: "That sounds very dangerous. But, Stelle, you said you received information like an oracle as soon as you entered Amphoreus? Didn't you say this world wasn't connected to the Star Rail network and knew nothing of the outside? How could it suddenly seek you out?"
[Teyvat • Lumine]: "When I'm adventuring in Teyvat, I often receive special information, too. Sometimes it's an echo from the ley lines, and sometimes… it can be a trap from the Abyss. In short, it's best to be cautious when you suddenly receive an 'oracle' from an unknown source."
Her reminder was calm and practical, carrying the hard-won vigilance of a seasoned adventurer.
[Stellaron Hunter • Stelle]: "Relax, relax! Lumine, you're just too cautious! I've got Dan Heng here, and March is here to record all my highlight moments. Plus, I have you guys in the chat group watching my back. What's there to be afraid of! We'll adapt to whatever comes our way. Stelle fears nothing!"
Although she said this, Stelle knew Lumine's worries were reasonable. But her optimistic nature always won out, and she had far more faith in her own strength and that of her companions.
With that, Stelle enthusiastically began introducing her newly met local friends to the rest of the group.
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