Erica: The world's ending. Are you free? Could you come save it?
Erica: Lord Su Mo.
While Su Mo and Ruan Mei were meticulously studying Bailu from head to toe, the conversation in the chat group proceeded as usual.
Su Mo had only been in the Star Rail world for a few days, which didn't feel like a long time to the members from other worlds.
After all, he always delved into research every time he entered a new world, so it was normal for him to be offline.
Due to his status, the chat group was often more lively when Su Mo wasn't speaking.
Of course, most of them didn't know that Su Mo didn't speak simply because he felt it was unnecessary; in reality, he scrolled through the logs and lurked every day.
At this moment, Erica's message piqued everyone's interest.
Kanae: Miss Erica has once again said something incredible in such a calm tone!
Rin Tohsaka: If this were anywhere else, I'd just think it was a case of chuunibyou, but in this chat group, I'm starting to suspect it's real.
Rin Tohsaka: A world-ending crisis... I feel like we've been through that once before, haven't we?
Madoka: But if it's really dangerous, why isn't Sister Erica in a hurry at all!
Given how considerate Erica usually was, she wouldn't @Su Mo even as a joke.
The fact that she actively contacted Su Mo this time meant it probably wasn't a lie.
The only problem was, her tone was a bit too nonchalant.
The only one present who could probably understand was the newest member, March 7th!
March 7th: I know that feeling! We've seen world-ending apocalypses too. They sound super serious, and yeah, they are super serious, but in the end, we're still the ones running all the errands.
March 7th: Saving the world is exhausting! Last time, if it weren't for Lord Su Mo's preparations, I feel like we would've been stuck doing missions in the Underworld for ages!
The pink-haired girl started complaining as she typed.
As a Trailblazer, she had saved and wrecked her fair share of worlds. She was very satisfied with the process and the memories, but the one thing she disliked was always having to do various tasks to get to the main story.
That was no way to treat a world savior!
Madoka: Ahaha, Sister March 7th's experiences are so rich!
Madoka said with a hint of envy. As a young girl, she also yearned for love, friendship, justice, and magic. March 7th's life was just like a scene from her dreams.
Kanae: She is a powerhouse from an interstellar civilization, after all. Her life is much more colorful than our simple demon-slaying existence.
Rin Tohsaka: Am I the only one who noticed the part about Lord Su Mo?
Rin Tohsaka: March 7th, last time you said Lord Su Mo saved that... Belobog place, and even had Saber oversee its reconstruction. How are things now?
Regarding Su Mo's movements, although he never said anything himself, March 7th, who was in the group, was always happy to spill the beans under everyone's eager questioning.
The last time, she had mentioned the story of Su Mo resolving the Stellaron crisis on Jarilo-VI and saving a small world.
For them, stories of Su Mo saving worlds were becoming somewhat commonplace.
Now that a few days had passed, knowing Su Mo's habits, he should be up to something new, right?
March 7th: Belobog is developing very well! We went back to visit later. Bronya said that to curry favor with Lord Su Mo, the Interastral Peace Corporation provided them with a full range of aid packages to help them integrate into interstellar civilization.
March 7th: Just yesterday, the IPC sent another message, saying they wanted to make their story into a movie and a promotional game to showcase the gospel of the Amber Lord. They want to turn Belobog into a model showroom for the miracles of Preservation.
March 7th: You guys have no idea what it was like! I mean, I didn't see it myself, but according to Seele and Bronya, if Miss Saber hadn't stepped in to maintain order, the IPC's representatives would have swamped Belobog!
March 7th: Even Hook was scared! She and Clara said the IPC people even used armored cars to haul cash, handing it out for free along the streets, just making it rain. They said they'd never seen people literally forcing credits into their hands before; they couldn't even stop them!
Hearing March 7th's vivid and animated description, everyone in the group was dumbfounded.
Rin Tohsaka: For no reason at all? Just to throw money around?
Kanae: I've never seen such a spectacle either. Is it because my era is too backward? Am I just a country bumpkin?
Madoka: No, I haven't seen it either. In fact, I don't think any normal person has!
Erica: +1.
Even if they were genuinely distributing subsidies, they would still need to register everyone. Who just runs around throwing money?
Rin Tohsaka: So, why would the IPC do that? Even if it's to curry favor with Lord Su Mo, this is a bit much, isn't it?
She asked, puzzled. The previous conditions were already generous enough to maintain a good relationship. This sudden escalation, this sudden money-throwing, seemed abnormal no matter how you looked at it.
Rin Tohsaka: You said this change happened yesterday. So, did something else happen in the last two days?
She asked sharply.
Hearing this, the pink-haired girl nodded without a hint of cunning.
March 7th: Yep! There was some big news about Lord Su Mo! The entire universe is talking about him right now!
Rin Tohsaka: Eh? What kind of news could make a corporation from your world go that crazy?
March 7th: I'm not really sure either! There are a lot of rumors, but they're so exaggerated that it's hard to believe them! Even Himeko isn't sure, so she was thinking of having me and Stell go ask Lord Su Mo.
Jibril: There's no need to trouble Master for that. Allow me, little Jibril, to inform you all.
The Flügel girl suddenly popped up.
Jibril: To put it simply, Master spent a few days on a little side project.
Jibril: For example... creating an Aeon.
Kanae: ?
Erica: ?
March 7th: ?
Madoka: ?
As soon as she said that, everyone simultaneously typed a question mark.
Thanks to March 7th's recent activity, everyone had a deeper understanding of Aeons.
They all knew these were gods who could dominate the interstellar universe, with the power to at least destroy a basic star cluster in a galaxy—at least Tier 6 in strength.
Given Su Mo's previous Tier 5 strength and the speed at which he grew stronger, everyone could accept that he would soon advance to Tier 6. However, they couldn't quite grasp what Jibril was saying.
Advancing to Tier 6 and creating a Tier 6 being were two completely different things.
March 7th: The rumors were actually true?!
In the Astral Express's passenger cabin, the pink-haired girl couldn't help but exclaim.
Because it was so outrageous, she had thought they were all just conspiracy theories made up by tabloids. She never thought they were actually true.
The mastermind behind Ruan Mei's ascension was really Su Mo?
Rin Tohsaka: Logically speaking, this is absurd. But if it's happening to Lord Su Mo, it's not surprising at all.
Kanae: That's true.
Madoka: So, has Lord Su Mo already become an Aeon-level existence?
Rin Tohsaka: Just checked. Lord Su Mo has indeed reached Tier 6.
Kanae: I'm surprisingly calm hearing this.
Madoka: Me too.
Madoka: I feel like it wouldn't be strange if Lord Su Mo suddenly jumped to Tier 7 someday.
After a brief moment of surprise, everyone quickly regained their usual composure.
Jibril: You've all been completely molded into Lord Su Mo's shape.
Jibril: So, what happened on your side?
Jibril: @Erica.
Erica: I was going to say we're facing a world-ending crisis, but compared to what you guys are dealing with, it's nothing. At best, it's comparable to the Belobog crisis.
In the Campione! world, Erica sighed helplessly as she looked at the incredibly tense, almost despairing expressions of the mages under her command.
Different perceptions led to completely different reactions to the same event.
For these mages, the current cataclysm was as terrifying as the end of the world, and it was indeed capable of destroying the world.
But for her, it wasn't an unsolvable crisis.
At most, it was just something she needed to report to Su Mo about. There was no need for an urgent call for help.
March 7th: Belobog? To be fair, the crisis there wasn't easy to solve either! If Miss Saber hadn't helped, I feel like it would have been tough. A Stellaron can really destroy a planet!
Hearing this, Erica glanced at the erupting volcano in the distance, the boiling sea, and the constantly quaking earth.
Erica: It's about the same here! Those idiots woke up The Last King. If we leave him alone, this guy can also completely destroy my world!
Even if it didn't reach the point of shattering the planet, plowing through the surface was enough to destroy all of human civilization.
Rin Tohsaka:Hiss! I thought you were exaggerating, but it's really the end of the world? Why aren't you calling Lord Su Mo already?
The twin-tailed girl was shocked.
The world was about to end, and she was still so calm. Was Erica really not afraid of death?
Erica: No need to worry. With Lady Athena helping, The Last King won't be able to cause trouble so quickly.
Erica: However, The Last King's attributes are a bit of a counter to Lady Athena, so the battle is still undecided.
Erica: That's why I said, Lord Su Mo can come back when he's free.
Erica wasn't in a hurry for a reason.
With Athena, a creator mother goddess, present, The Last King might not necessarily win.
Her plan was just to report this to Su Mo first. When he was free, he could come back and solve it with a wave of his hand.
Even if he wasn't free, having Jibril or Artoria come back could also solve it.
But she didn't expect that not long after she sent the message, Su Mo would respond.
Su Mo: I'm back.
Just two simple words, yet they brought an unparalleled sense of security.