Chapter 175: Group Member Aha Has Been Kicked by Admin Leon
"What? Honkai: Star Rail updated?" Serval asked, blinking in surprise.
"It's Leon's game that got an update. It's probably the new Belobog content," Stelle said, her expression a perfect picture of betrayal. "How could he not tell me about an update?"
"Seriously? That's what you're worried about right now?" March 7th facepalmed. "Shouldn't we be figuring out how to deal with that Abundance Ebon Deer?" Why could Stelle and Caelus never focus on the important things? This was hardly the time to be thinking about video games.
"I don't care! I'm going to call him out!"
Stelle immediately switched to the Astral Express group chat, her thumbs flying across the screen in a furious blur.
Stelle: [@Leon, Brother, you updated your game and didn't even tell me!]
Leon: [Shouldn't you be fighting the Abundance Ebon Deer right now? You don't have time to play games.]
He had just sent the reply when he casually opened the group chat to see the fallout.
Stelle: [I don't care! Look who's grown so distant... Brother, you get close to a few Aeons, and suddenly you're a different person...]
She typed with such convincing, heartfelt sorrow that the Astral Express crew members who were actually on the Xianzhou Luofu felt a wave of secondhand embarrassment.
Meanwhile, on the Express, others were just getting caught up.
Pom-Pom: [Aeons? What Aeons?]
Himeko: [There are Aeons on the Xianzhou Luofu? Is Lan on the Luofu?]
Himeko was currently in the middle of the virtual game, following the Astral Express crew as they explored Belobog. The game's perspective was locked onto the crew; Leon had already departed, and they had just encountered Gepard.
After Himeko skillfully controlled her character to defeat the captain of the Silvermane Guards, the game transitioned into a cutscene. Noticing a notification from the Astral Express group chat, she casually pulled up the pop-up window.
March 7th: [Himeko, let me tell you, you wouldn't believe what's happened on this trip to the Luofu.]
Caelus: [Absolutely amazing. Absolutely thrilling. Absolutely unexpected.]
Leon: [Ahem, that pretty much covers it. And an acquaintance of Pom-Pom's is here, too.]
Leon typed with a faint smile, not bothering to hide anything. It would all end up in the game eventually, so Himeko and Pom-Pom would find out sooner or later.
Pom-Pom: [An acquaintance of mine? Could it be... that worst Trailblazer?]
Leon: [Yep, that's the one. Aha says it misses you, Pom-Pom.]
Leon: [Image_of_Aha.jpg]
Pom-Pom: [Darn it! It really is the one who blew up two of the Express's carriages! The worst Trailblazer ever!]
A furious squeak echoed through the Parlor Car as Pom-Pom stomped a fluffy foot. Beside the conductor, Himeko silently wiped a bead of sweat from her brow.
'The Aeon of Elation, Aha, is currently on the Xianzhou Luofu?'she thought.'That really is unexpected news. No wonder Kafka insisted on guiding the Astral Express here...'
But that woman hadn't stopped to consider that if the Luofu itself couldn't handle the situation, what chance would the Astral Express have?
Hmm... Himeko had clearly misunderstood something fundamental.
Aha: [Pom-Pom, how have you been? Aha misses you so, so much... Hahahaha!]
A strange, unfamiliar account had suddenly squeezed its way into the group chat.
The entire chat log went dead silent.
Pom-Pom: [You—you worst Trailblazer! Pom-Pom doesn't miss you at all! Get out! Now!]
Aha: [Wuwuwu, Aha is so sad... Conductor, how could you treat Aha like this...]
[System: Admin Leon has removed Aha from the group chat.]
"Hahaha! Leon, you really are heartless. You made Aha so sad," the real Aha, who was sitting across from Leon playing cards, burst out laughing.
"You don't look sad at all," Leon chuckled, shaking his head. "You should just be glad Pom-Pom hasn't officially revoked your Trailblazer status."
Perhaps that was the unspoken understanding between them. Even though Aha had blown up part of the Astral Express, Pom-Pom had never truly disavowed Aha's identity. The conductor always called Aha the worst Trailblazer, which implicitly acknowledged that Aha was, in fact, still a Trailblazer. Pom-Pom had never intended to cancel that status.
Back in the chat, the crew was stunned.
March 7th: [You just... kicked it out? Like that?]
March couldn't help but feel a shiver. Leon was far too brave, kicking an Aeon out of a group chat the moment it appeared.
Leon: [Of course. None of you dared to say a word when it was here.]
Leon's reply was filled with self-righteous confidence. In truth, he was just worried everyone would feel too awkward to talk. Aha might be easygoing, but the presence of an Aeon would inevitably make mortals feel constrained.
'Is Aha really easygoing?'the others thought in unison.'We highly doubt that.'
Stelle: [Exactly! If it doesn't listen, it gets the boot.]
Caelus: [Exactly! If it doesn't listen, it gets the boot.]
Serval: [...]
Himeko: [...]
Welt: [...]
Dan Heng: [...]
March 7th: [You guys are so bold! That's an Aeon!]
Leon: [To be fair, if it really wanted to read our chat... it's not like getting kicked out would stop it.]
Aha: [Exactly.]
[System: Group member Aha has been removed from the group chat by Admin Leon again.]
March 7th: [Then what's the point of kicking it out?! It can come back anytime it wants!]
Aha: [Exactly, exactly! What's the point?]
[System: Group member Aha has been removed from the group chat by Admin Leon yet again.]
Leon: [At least this way, you can't see it. Less pressure, right? Now you feel brave enough to talk.]
March 7th: [Don't say any more... This is terrifying.]
"Were you all summoned by the General to head to the Artisanship Commission?"
Seeing the Astral Express crew furrowing their brows in deep thought, Master Gongshu chose the perfect moment to interject. "It's a pity that the Arbor-spawn are running rampant, forcing the Artisanship Commission to temporarily close its doors. However, I do have an idea—why don't you all go and take a look over there?"
"Master Gongshu, what brilliant idea might that be?" Welt asked, putting away his jade abacus and adjusting his glasses, his usual composure restored.
"Just now, when that deer-like creature 'came back from the dead,' the surrounding Ambrosial Arbor roots... they were faintly glowing," Master Gongshu said, lowering his voice.
"That's because you were hiding off to the side, so you got a very clear look, right?" March 7th teased, exposing him without mercy.
"Hehe, I am, after all, just a craftsman. Fighting on the battlefield is not my forte," Master Gongshu replied, not the least bit annoyed. "But Mr. Yang is right—the creature can continuously heal, so it must be drawing energy from somewhere. Those flickering Ambrosial Arbor roots looked just like they were 'extending its life'."
"Perhaps... that is the roots' weak point," Serval mused.
"It's worth a try. We have nothing to lose," Dan Heng agreed with a nod.
"That's right! Remember when we used that mechanism to burn through the tangles and unravel the roots in the puzzle?" Master Gongshu reminded them.
"You're right! Those roots never grew back," March 7th nodded.
"Not only that, but the main body reacted as if it were injured," Welt concluded. "Perhaps we can start from there."
"Everyone, grab your weapons! Let's raze the roots of this old tree to the ground!" Master Gongshu shouted, his voice filled with newfound vigor.
They put the plan into action, and it was immediately effective.
"Did you see that? I was right! Let's proceed with this method!" Master Gongshu declared, greatly encouraged.
"Look here! There's another pair of Ambrosial Arbor roots," March 7th called out, pointing to the other side.
After a period of intense clearing, they had removed most of the Ambrosial Arbor roots entrenched in the Artisanship Commission grounds.
"That should be enough, right?" March 7th said, clapping the dust from her hands with a satisfied nod.
"In my opinion, the Ambrosial Arbor's root system is likely embedded deep in the ground, sprawling in all directions. For now, we can only say that this small plot of land has been cleared," Master Gongshu said, stroking his beard. "There is no time to lose. While the roots haven't grown back yet—"
"—what we need to do next is—" Welt took over the conversation, his gaze calm and steady behind his lenses.
"Let's go hunt the deer!" Caelus's eyes lit up as he shouted first.
"And after hunting the deer—" Stelle raised her hand with a wide grin. "Let's go play games!"
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