'Beep! Beep! Beep…!'
Meanwhile, inside the body of the giant true sting bug, the Astral Express, which should have been soaring through the cosmos, was now trapped in a dire predicament.
Three system hours after being swallowed by the giant true sting bug, the train's crew, along with Argenti, had finally eradicated all the true sting bugs and their eggs on board.
Just as the group was about to breathe a sigh of relief, a series of urgent alarms suddenly blared, followed by the pattering footsteps of Pom-Pom.
"Passengers, passengers, bad news! The train's energy shield is nearly depleted. If this continues, we'll truly be doomed inside this bug's belly!"
Conductor Pom-Pom shouted anxiously.
"I understand, Pom-Pom. How much time do we have left?" Himeko reached out to pat Pom-Pom's fluffy head, her tone calm and composed.
"The energy shield can hold for about half a system hour. After that, within another hour, the Astral Express's structure will start to disintegrate due to the corrosion of the true sting bug's stomach acid."
Hearing Pom-Pom's words, Welt and Dan Heng furrowed their brows slightly. Given the current situation, it seemed they had no choice but to take action themselves.
Welt adjusted his glasses, his mind racing with thoughts. If it were just a matter of dealing with a giant true sting bug, Welt, Dan Heng, or Himeko…
Any one of them had the strength to take it down single-handedly, but that required facing it head-on.
Right now, they were inside the bug's belly. Acting recklessly could trigger a chain reaction.
For instance, if Welt unleashed a pseudo-black hole inside the true sting bug, it might tear apart the bug's body but could also pose a severe threat to the Astral Express.
This was precisely why they hadn't acted immediately.
But given the current circumstances, they could no longer afford to hesitate.
"Everyone, prepare for a warp escape. The moment I release a pseudo-black hole to tear apart the bug's body, you initiate the warp…"
"No way!" Before Welt could finish, Miss Himeko, the navigator, interrupted him firmly.
"The Astral Express is a whole, and the Trailblazers are a whole. We absolutely won't abandon any companion. So, Old Yang, I cannot approve your decision."
Himeko's words reached Welt's ears, and he let out a sigh before turning to her.
"Himeko, I understand your feelings, but at this moment, there's no better candidate than me."
"With my strength, the worst-case scenario is drifting in the cosmos for a while. We'll rendezvous in Penacony later."
"Uncle Yang, I can…"
"March!" Welt softly reprimanded, shaking his head.
"Your 'Bow and Arrow of The Hunt' is indeed powerful, and yes, it could resolve our current predicament."
"But… while it's powerful, it also comes with severe side effects."
"The 'Bow and Arrow of The Hunt' is a weapon formed from the concept of a Star God. Even with the power of The Hunt's Path, you don't have enough strength to unleash it twice in a short period."
"So this time, leave it to me."
A gentle smile appeared on Welt's face, but it quickly turned resolute.
"Old Yang, you…"
Before Himeko could finish, Mr. Welt summoned the imaginary power within him. In the next moment, the Alliance leader's figure appeared outside the Astral Express.
Seeing this and knowing resistance was futile, Himeko gritted her teeth and spoke to Conductor Pom-Pom beside her.
"Pom-Pom, prepare for warp!"
Outside the train, gazing at the dim cosmic starry sky, Mr. Welt's thoughts began to wander.
In a daze, it seemed as though a blond man appeared beside him. Sensing this, Welt shifted his gaze to his side.
At the same time, the blond man also turned to look at Welt.
Their gazes met, and Welt and the blond man locked eyes.
"Old friend, it's been a while."
The blond man smiled faintly. Welt merely scoffed, seemingly unperturbed.
"Heh, you don't seem surprised by my appearance, old friend. You seem a bit lost right now. Need me to play the role of your life mentor?"
The blond man smiled warmly, extending a hand toward Welt as if awaiting a response.
But Mr. Welt only scoffed again, ignoring the blond man beside him.
"Heh, no need for that, Otto Apocalypse. You're nothing but an illusion right now. The real you perished long ago beneath the Imaginary Tree."
"What stands before me now is merely a hallucination. I won't be swayed by you anymore."
Welt muttered to himself, then swung the Star of Eden, striking Otto Apocalypse's form with force.
With a puff, Otto's figure was shattered by the cane formed from the Star of Eden, dissolving into specks of starlight.
After this, Welt focused his mind, channeling all his imaginary power into the cane.
"To survive or to perish, you have no choice!"
"Star of Eden, Zero Rated Power Unleashed—Pseudo-Black Hole!"
— — — —
"Sister Himeko, Uncle Yang, he…"
March 7th opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but the words caught in her throat, unable to come out.
Hearing March 7th, Miss Himeko, the navigator, forced a smile.
"Don't worry, little March. Old Yang is someone who can cross the cosmos with his bare body. Below the level of an emissary, he's practically the strongest. So don't worry—he'll definitely come back."
'Boom! Boom! —!'
As Himeko and March 7th spoke, a massive energy pulse erupted from within the giant true sting bug.
The impact was so swift and ferocious that the train's energy shield wailed, as if it would shatter at any moment.
"All passengers, please be seated! All passengers, please be seated! The train is about to initiate warp! The train is about to initiate warp!"
With Pom-Pom's shouts, a point of light suddenly burst forth within the true sting bug's body—the result of its body wall being torn apart by imaginary power.
Seizing the moment, Conductor Pom-Pom pushed the control lever. In an instant, the power of the Trailblaze Path enveloped the Astral Express.
"Warp—engage!"
— — — —
On the other side, let us return our focus to Penacony, the Star of Festivities…
In the Golden Hour, Miss Robin walked alone along the wide street.
Gazing at the eternal sunset that would never fall, the girl felt a slight sense of bewilderment in her heart.
"I once thought that one day, I might become a bargaining chip in a deal, but I never imagined that day would come so soon."