Chapter 409: Cause and Effect
Hoshimi Miyabi caught the sound of her subordinate's voice and slowly withdrew her gaze from the distant horizon. Her delicate features smoothly smoothed back into their usual mask of icy composure, yet a faint, almost imperceptible ripple of awe lingered in her tone. "It's nothing," she murmured, her hand resting lightly on the hilt of her katana. "Just thinking... I finally saw it."
"Section Chief Miyabi, what did you see?" Soukaku leaned forward, her large eyes blinking with unabashed curiosity as she tilted her head.
Miyabi's sharp gaze swept over the scarred earth once more. She stared at the exact spot where those towering, majestic stone steles had erupted from the ground, only to quietly dissipate into golden dust moments later. "I saw the one Wise mentioned before," she said slowly, measuring each word. "The one among their ranks who could truly be called a 'master'."
"A master?" Asaba Harumasa raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms with a look of mild skepticism. "A master even more powerful than you, Section Chief? Here in New Eridu...?"
Halfway through his sentence, the words died in his throat. His mind involuntarily replayed the apocalyptic scenes from just moments ago: the blinding, miniature 'sun'that Stelle had unleashed to incinerate an entire sea of monstrous insects, and the terrifying, gravity-crushing'black hole' that Welt had manifested out of thin air to swallow the destructive fallout. Then there was the overwhelming, divine power of stone and wind that had forcibly stabilized the collapsing space, completely erasing the violent aftershocks.
Harumasa's voice grew smaller and smaller until it faded away entirely. He rubbed the bridge of his nose sheepishly and let out a dry cough. "Well... on second thought... it seems there really is."
Watching Harumasa's deflated expression, a very faint, fleeting smile flickered across Tsukishiro Yanagi's face. However, the Deputy Chief's professional demeanor immediately reasserted itself, replacing her amusement with strict seriousness. She turned toward him, her focus shifting entirely to practical matters.
"Asaba, how is your physical condition right now?" Yanagi asked, her eyes scanning him critically. "After that... 'treatment' you received just now, are you experiencing any adverse reactions? Can your body support the evacuation operation?"
Hearing his superior's inquiry, Harumasa immediately straightened his posture. He rolled his shoulders and flexed his arms, testing his limits. Instead of the usual lingering fatigue of Hollow corruption, he felt an unmatched sense of clarity and a surging vitality coursing through his veins. He nodded affirmatively, a confident grin breaking out on his face.
"No problem at all, Deputy Chief Yanagi! Honestly, I've never felt better! Forget a simple evacuation—I feel like I could go clear out an entire horde of Ethereals right this second!"
His bold claim wasn't entirely an exaggeration. Paimon's miraculous "Optimization Power" had done far more than merely purge the encroaching ether corruption from his system; it had fundamentally improved his physical constitution on a cellular level. This unmatched, refreshing feeling of lightness even made him temporarily abandon his notorious habit of slacking off, driving him to actually volunteer for extra combat duty.
"That is good to hear," Yanagi nodded, accepting his assessment without further question. She turned her sharp gaze toward the small, round proxy assistant hovering nearby. "Eous, please lead the way. We need to evacuate this sector as soon as possible."
"En-na! (Understood!)" the Bangboo chirped enthusiastically, its digital eyes flashing with a bright confirmation symbol.
The four elite members of Hollow Special Operations Section 6 quickly organized their combat gear. With Miyabi and Yanagi taking the lead, the squad followed closely behind Eous, moving with swift, practiced precision toward the outer edge of the Hollow. The tense ten-minute countdown quietly slipped away, consumed by their intense and orderly retreat.
Meanwhile, at the Chat Group's warehouse base, situated just outside the entrance of the Epis Port Hollow.
Soft, rhythmic spatial fluctuations flashed one after another, casting a gentle blue glow across the wide assembly area as familiar figures began to materialize.
The first to step through the portal were Lumine and Paimon, always the swiftest on their feet. They were closely followed by March 7th and Dan Heng, and soon after, Hu Tao, Himeko, and the rest of the multiversal crew stepped into the safety of the base. Z-Bao, the base's diligent assistant, was already busy weaving through the crowd. It efficiently helped the returnees temporarily store their personal combat gear and guided the exhausted members toward the designated settlement area to rest.
Yet, despite the successful mission, the usual celebratory atmosphere was entirely absent. No one rushed to tally up the rich rewards reaped from the "Hollow Evacuation Operation," nor did anyone pay attention when a glowing golden loot box was automatically reclaimed by the system and deposited into the public warehouse's temporary storage. A heavy, silent understanding flowed among the group, anchoring their attention elsewhere.
"Where are Stelle and Mr. Yang?" March 7th asked, her bright eyes scanning the bustling room. She stood on her tiptoes, anxiously searching for the two people she was most concerned about, but they were nowhere to be seen.
"They're in the rest area," Wise replied softly. The calm proxy raised a hand, pointing toward a quiet, dimly lit corner that had been simply partitioned off on the far side of the base.
Dan Heng gave a solemn nod, his piercing gaze shifting toward the others. "Let's go take a look together," he suggested, directing his words specifically to Lumine and Belle. As the team's unofficial 'diplomats' and the most attentive caregivers among them, their presence would be a comforting anchor.
Although the rest of the group was equally worried about their chaotic trailblazer, they silently agreed to hang back. Crowding a distressed friend with too many people at once would only make the situation more overwhelming.
"Yeah, let's go," Lumine responded softly, floating alongside Paimon as they trailed behind the archivist. Belle nodded hastily, her usual cheerful demeanor replaced by genuine concern, and hurried to catch up.
The rest area was a modest space, separated from the main hall by simple wooden partitions and furnished with just a few basic tables and chairs. Welt Yang sat quietly in one of the chairs, both hands wrapped around a steaming cup of hot water. The gaze behind his thick spectacles was calm and gentle. Hearing the approaching footsteps, he looked up and offered Dan Heng and the girls a slight, reassuring nod.
Stelle sat directly opposite him. Her hands were planted firmly on her knees, and her head was bowed so low that her chin nearly touched her chest. Her messy grey hair, which usually practically vibrated with chaotic vitality, now hung limp and lifeless around her face. She looked exactly like a guilty little raccoon that had been caught digging through the trash and was now miserably awaiting its scolding.
At the sound of their footsteps, Stelle slowly lifted her head. Meeting the deeply concerned gazes of her closest companions, her golden eyes wavered. Her lips parted as if she desperately wanted to say something, but the words seemed to get completely stuck in her throat.
Welt gently set his water cup down on the table. "Stelle, everyone is here now," he said, his voice a warm, steadying baritone. "Regarding what happened back there... I think it would be best if you explained it to them yourself."
Stelle took a long, shaky breath and slowly pushed herself up from the chair. She looked at Dan Heng, March, Lumine, and Belle. Her usually confident golden eyes were swirling with a heavy mix of guilt, lingering fear, and a desperate sense of relief at finally being given the chance to speak.
"I'm sorry," she began, immediately bending forward into an earnest, deep bow. "I'm so sorry for making all of you worry, and... for causing so much trouble for everyone today."
After straightening back up, she visibly struggled to organize her chaotic thoughts. Her fingers unconsciously reached down, nervously twisting the dark fabric at the hem of her coat. "Just now... back in the Hollow," she started, her voice trembling slightly. "When I saw those grotesque insects that Bringer summoned... seeing so many of them swarming together... I don't know why, but my head just went completely blank with a loud 'buzz.' And suddenly... I couldn't stop myself from thinking about Firefly."
Her voice dropped to a fragile whisper, laced with an unbearable, raw pain. "I saw these incredibly clear images... not the beautiful ones from the dreamscape of Penacony, but something much darker. It looked like a sterile medical cabin. Firefly was lying inside it, her face even paler than usual. She looked like she was in so much agonizing pain..."
She squeezed her eyes shut, as if trying to block out the memory. "I could hear medical instruments beeping frantically in the background. Silver Wolf and Kafka were standing nearby, talking in hushed voices... They mentioned that her 'symptoms have shown a trend of accelerating deterioration recently.'And then... they mentioned how the swarms of'The Propagation' always seem to inexplicably appear in certain places..."
She paused, taking a ragged breath to force down the surging tide of emotions threatening to choke her. "Hearing those words, and seeing the way Firefly was suffering... it all just rushed back into my mind at once. After that... there was just this blinding, overwhelming surge of absolute fury. A rage that I couldn't suppress no matter how hard I tried. All I could feel was that it was those damn insects that had caused Firefly so much suffering... By the time I finally snapped out of it and regained some clarity, the battlefield was... well, you saw what I did."
Having finally confessed the root of her terrifying outburst, Stelle let her head drop in shame once more. "The results afterward... everyone saw them. I was far too impulsive. I completely lost control of myself and my power, and I almost caused a major disaster that could have hurt you all... I'm really, truly sorry."
As Stelle's heartbreaking explanation hung in the quiet air, the heavy tension in the room instantly dissolved, replaced by looks of deep realization and deep empathy on everyone's faces. So that was the trigger. Having the most painful, traumatic memories of a deeply cherished companion violently dragged to the surface of her mind... such a devastating outbreak of power, while undeniably extreme, was entirely within the world of reason.
Dan Heng's expression softened considerably. He had already harbored his own suspicions about what might have triggered her, and now, the final puzzle piece had clicked into place. He completely understood the weight she was carrying.
"So that's how it was..." March 7th murmured softly. She immediately stepped forward, closing the distance between them, and gently placed a comforting hand on Stelle's trembling shoulder. Her usual playful, teasing tone was entirely gone, replaced by a warm, unwavering wave of comfort.
"You really scared us to death out there, you know! We thought something terrible had happened to you!" March pulled her into a brief, reassuring hug. "But it's okay, it's really okay. Firefly... she is definitely going to get better! Don't forget, you've already sent the Gene Lock over to her. Who knows? Maybe the next time we meet her, Firefly will be bouncing off the walls and acting even more energetic than you!"
Lumine floated a little closer, offering a gentle, understanding smile. "Stelle, please don't blame yourself too much," the blonde Traveler said softly. "In a situation like that, facing down the very things that hurt someone you love... losing control of your emotions is completely understandable. The only thing that truly matters right now is that everyone is safe, and the crisis has been fully resolved."
Dan Heng nodded in agreement, stepping in to offer a more practical, grounding perspective to ease her guilt. ", the main destructive force from your attack was highly concentrated. It only targeted the epicenter of the insect swarm and Bringer's immediate location."
"Because Miss Qingyi and the Public Security officers had completely locked down the Epis Port Hollow well in advance," the archivist continued calmly, "there were absolutely no civilians or unauthorized staff inside the perimeter. The only ones caught in the blast radius were us and the pursuit targets. There were zero unintended casualties."
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