Chapter 65: Four Members in the Trailblaze Team, and Dan Heng, You Are One of Them
Leon leaned back against the plush velvet of the Express parlor sofa, swirling a cup of whatever bitter brew Himeko had concocted this morning. Follow the script? Tag along with the Astral Express crew like an obedient NPC? Not a chance. If he played entirely by the universe's pre-written rules, this whole transmigration gig would be a massive waste of a good time.
Therefore, he decided to toss a wrench into the gears. He casually dropped the critical bombshell about Cocolia being actively corrupted by the Stellaron, revealing it to the crew right out of the gate. Now that they had a clear target and knew exactly who was pulling the strings on Jarilo-VI, their progress would be exponentially faster.
"This intelligence is truly a huge help," Himeko said. A faint, appreciative smile graced her lips as she set her porcelain cup onto its saucer with a soft clink.
"This isn't the first time we've encountered a Stellaron blocking a navigation route," she continued, her voice smooth and measured. "Even if we don't fully understand its core essence yet, we have established methods to neutralize its effects. Now that we have a grasp on the Stellaron's movements and its current vessel in advance, we can formulate countermeasures much sooner."
Welt Yang stood by the arched window, gazing out at the frozen white marble of Jarilo-VI. "The arrival of a Stellaron causes drastic, often catastrophic changes in civilization and ecology," he analyzed calmly, his deep voice grounding the room. "It also gives rise to severe spatial distortions, such as the Fragmentum. Jarilo-VI being reduced to a frozen wasteland is the direct result of the Stellaron's influence."
"We speculate that the Stellaron is a 'Seed of Disaster,' scattered across various worlds by a certain Aeon," Himeko added. She rested her chin lightly on the back of her hand, her posture exuding effortless elegance. "If we don't eradicate the source of this disaster, continuing our Trailblaze is impossible."
"So what Himeko means is..." Leon dragged out the syllables, a wicked grin spreading across his face as he took over the conversation. "It means we have work to do."
"As for the candidates for this Trailblaze Mission..." Himeko placed the back of her hand against her chin, her eyes sweeping across the room as she fell into thought.
"Me, me, me! I'll go find the Stellaron!" Stelle shot up from her seat, raising both hands high in the air, her golden eyes sparkling with chaotic energy.
"We are all 'Stellaron Hunters' now, so we can definitely help! After all, Stellaron vessels attract each other!" Caelus, the male Trailblazer, threw his hand up as well, loudly quoting some obscure anime he had probably watched on the Express data bank.
"Me! Me! Me! I'll take Stelle and Caelus!" March 7th bounced on her heels, her pink hair swaying with her boundless enthusiasm. "Hmph, speaking of a mature and reliable senior, that would naturally be the lively and cheerful little March! Plus, this entire planet is made of ice, so it's clearly my home turf~"
Himeko looked at the trio of chaotic raccoons with a gentle, motherly gaze, but she didn't nod right away.
Leon snorted quietly into his cup. 'What a joke. If I actually let just the three of you loose down there, I doubt you'd solve the crisis in half a year. You'd probably get distracted digging through trash cans.'
Himeko clearly shared his reservations, her silence speaking volumes.
"Himeko, please agree!" March 7th dashed over, wrapping her arms around Himeko's sleeve and swinging it playfully. "I was always the one being looked after before, but now that Stelle and Caelus are finally here, let me be the senior for once!"
March 7th puffed out her chest. She absolutely had to be a good senior this time and properly guide the two newcomers!
"Alright, alright..." Himeko sighed, a tone of helpless indulgence softening her features. "Then this time, little March, you will lead the team."
After speaking, Himeko shifted her gaze toward the quiet archivist standing near the data bank. "Dan Heng, you go too."
"Mm." Dan Heng offered a single, curt nod.
Leon leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He looked directly at the stoic young man. "The Astral Express Crew has eight members, including Pom-Pom. The Trailblaze Team has four..." Leon paused, letting his voice drop an octave. "Dan Heng, you are one of them."
The temperature in the parlor car seemed to plummet. Before Leon even finished the sentence, Dan Heng's breath hitched. His pupils contracted. In a flash of pure, unadulterated instinct, his knuckles turned bone-white as he subconsciously manifested and gripped the shaft of Cloud-Piercer.
A second later, reality crashed back in. Dan Heng snapped out of his trance, his face darkening with a heavy, unamused shadow as he dismissed the polearm into thin air.
"You know?" Dan Heng asked, his voice tight, clipping his words.
"I know a little." Leon chuckled, entirely unfazed by the momentary killing intent. "'Of five people, three must pay a price.' Dan Heng, you are one of them."
A muscle feathered in Dan Heng's jaw. Hearing that exact phrasing, the phantom echoes of his past clearly rang in his ears, making his eyes narrow into dangerous slits.
"Relax," Leon waved a hand dismissively, his laughter bubbling up. "Don't worry, I'm not Blade. I won't hunt you down across the cosmos."
Dan Heng gave a stiff, silent nod, his shoulders relaxing just a fraction.
"What does that mean? What five people?" March 7th blinked, her head tilting in extreme curiosity.
"That is Dan Heng's secret," Himeko intervened smoothly, her smile returning to diffuse the tension. "When Dan Heng wants to talk about it, he will speak of it himself."
Dan Heng pressed his lips into a thin line, clearly unwilling to utter another word on the subject. Seeing his closed-off expression, March 7th wisely decided not to press the issue.
"Leon, are you going too?" Himeko inquired, turning her attention back to the grinning young man.
Though she wasn't entirely clear on the absolute ceiling of Leon's true strength, every piece of evidence pointed to one terrifying conclusion: he was at least at the level of an Emanator. On a frozen, isolated planet with virtually no contact with the outside universe, an Emanator was a walking natural disaster—an existence that could stand entirely undefeated.
"I do want to go down and take a look, but I probably won't be acting with you all," Leon replied, stretching his arms over his head.
He hadn't planned on following the script step-by-step with the Astral Express crew anyway. If he were to play entirely by the rules... wouldn't his trip have been for nothing?
"Ah? You're not coming with us!" March 7th's shoulders slumped, her voice tinged with disappointment. "I was thinking if you came along, solving things would be a total breeze!"
"Little March, the Trailblaze journey shouldn't always rely on overwhelming external help. You should get more practical experience this time," Himeko reminded her gently. She then shifted her gaze back to Leon, her smile taking on a slightly sharper edge. "also, little Jarilo-VI... simply cannot withstand the trouble caused by an Emanator."
It sounded like a reminder to March 7th, but it was a very clear, friendly warning directed straight at Leon.
"Naturally, I know my limits. I guarantee it in the name of Aha," Leon declared with mock solemnity, pressing his Star Rail Pass flat against his chest like a knight taking an oath.
March 7th:...
Dan Heng:...
Welt:...
Himeko:...
'Well, damn, you're not even pretending to be normal anymore, are you?'
"Ahamen!" Stelle and Caelus immediately copied his posture, pressing their passes to their chests in perfect, chaotic unison.
"Huh, why are your passes red?" March 7th suddenly blinked, noticing the distinct golden-red sheen of the Star Rail Special Passes in Stelle and Caelus's hands.
"Because we thought red looked nice, so we asked Himeko for two," Stelle replied, puffing out her chest with absolute confidence.
"Anyway, I have both the red and green ones, no big deal." Caelus dug into his pocket and pulled out a standard green Star Rail Pass, waving it around to indicate he was fully stocked but simply preferred the premium aesthetic of the red one.
Himeko chuckled softly. She completely understood the sentiment; she herself liked pinning a Special Pass to her cape as a decorative accessory.
"This Trailblaze Mission is entrusted to you," Himeko instructed, her tone shifting back to professional warmth. "The goal is clear: find the Stellaron that brought disaster to this planet and caused the spatial distortions. Bring it back to the Astral Express—the subsequent containment and handling will be managed by us."
"Great, we get to fight side-by-side again!" March 7th cheered, beaming at Caelus and Stelle.
"Aren't you guys coming too?" Stelle blinked, lowering her red pass, a hint of confusion in her golden eyes.
"The Astral Express always needs someone to stay behind and hold the fort," Himeko explained gently, "otherwise, Pom-Pom will feel terribly lonely. What's more, we just had a run-in with the Antimatter Legion. If we draw their attention again, the situation on the surface could become needlessly complicated."
"It seems it's not my turn to step in this time either." Welt pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, the lenses catching the overhead light. A trace of subtle regret lingered in his deep voice. He genuinely wanted to personally step onto that snow-covered land and investigate the anomaly.
Himeko shook her head gently, an affectionate smile playing on her lips. "I know you want to go, Welt, but we should give the young people some space to act independently. Let them develop their cooperation."
"Actually, Uncle Yang going down wouldn't hurt," Leon suddenly interjected, a knowing chuckle rumbling in his chest. "As long as he restrains himself from interfering too much."
After all, the people down on that frozen rock were going to be very familiar faces to Old Yang. To ensure that Uncle Yang didn't suck in a sharp breath of trauma and suffer a spontaneous heart attack when he inevitably met a certain blonde merchant in the future, it would be highly beneficial for him to go down and get the shock out of his system now.
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