Chapter 51: Blade – How Did You Know I Planned to Escape?
The Shackling Prison, Luofu
Inside his cell, Blade sat motionless, eyes shut, like a statue frozen in time. He knew Jing Yuan would soon arrive to interrogate him—standard procedure.
At the thought, the corner of his lips curled slightly.
"How I look forward to it..."
He had already prepared his words:
"Five were involved... yet only three have paid the price..."
Suddenly, a line of glowing text materialized before him.
Blade recognized it—Silver Wolf's work, a reality-altering message visible only to the Stellaron Hunters.
[Plan change. Escape The Shackling Prison immediately!]
A spark ignited in Blade's eyes.
He didn't understand why the "script" had shifted.
Nor did he grasp why they needed to break out now, before Jing Yuan's interrogation.
But deep contemplation wasn't his strong suit in this state.
So, he simply followed orders.
BOOM—!!
The moment his eyes flashed, the prison cell erupted in a violent explosion.
The nearby guards jolted in alarm.
Then—they saw it.
A battered sword.
A figure lunged forward, seizing the blade in an instant.
"The prisoner has escaped! Alert the General!"
But before they could react, a crimson light slashed across their vision.
The disturbance quickly drew more Cloud Knights to the scene.
Unfazed, Blade dragged his ancient sword across the ground, leaving behind a trail like an unfurling scroll. Along its path, eerie red flowers—otherworldly safflowers—bloomed in full splendor.
A commanding voice rang out:
"Hold the perimeter! Do not let him escape until the General arrives!"
Blade smirked.
In the next breath, he appeared directly before the soldiers.
With a swift strike, he muttered coldly,
"Drenched in sin... yet you dare judge me."
"A world tainted by filth... yet you call it Xianzhou."
As he slaughtered, a long-lost frenzy surged through him—a twisted sense of release.
For a fleeting moment, Blade thought he saw that man's silhouette, fueling his movements with even greater fervor.
But soon, his vision blurred. Shadows multiplied before him.
The curse of the Mara-struck was taking hold, eroding his control.
His breathing grew ragged.
Yet more Cloud Knights poured in—including several elite fighters rarely seen on the battlefield.
"...Strange..."
"How... did you know...?"
"That I would ... escape now...?"
Aboard the Astral Express
Kafka's sudden appearance seized everyone's attention.
"Long time no see, Astral Express crew."
March 7th shuddered, whispering to Stelle, "Even her opening line is the same!"
"Are they replaying the game's storyline again?"
But her worries were quickly dismissed.
Instead of saying, "I am Kafka. Perfect timing—everyone's here," she walked toward another projection.
Kafka, watching her live-streamed counterpart, remarked, "Impressive. You've been keeping up with this game."
Welt adjusted his glasses. "Since the Stellaron Hunters know about this game, you must realize—there's now not just Elio foreseeing fate, but also a Feathered Spirit who turns destiny into a game."
"Your arrival here was already scripted in the storyline."
"Oh, yes, exactly," Kafka replied, her smile widening. "That was my original plan. Next, I'd say: 'Fifteen system hours ago, a Stellaron aboard the Roaming Immortal Ark... exploded.'"*
Sure enough, the live-streamed Kafka repeated the line word for word.
"But now, the script has changed. How about this? Let's watch this performance together first. Afterward, I'll explain why I'm here."
March 7th frowned. "You didn't hack our comms just to watch a stream with us, right?"
"Of course not. I have my own agenda." Kafka casually settled onto the sofa as if she owned it.
The gravity sensors activated—this was just a remote projection.
Himeko knew they could forcibly cut the connection, but that would be unwise.
"Let her stay for now. Let's see what happens in the game plot first."
Welt nodded in agreement.
March 7th, originally seated at the edge, quickly swapped places with Stelle upon seeing Kafka's hologram beside her.
"I don't want to sit next to her..."
"You know her better—you take that spot."
With that, everyone settled in, eyes locked on the live stream.
In the unfolding plot, Kafka began explaining:
"...It's simple. The Stellaron means nothing to us, but Xianzhou has already blamed the Stellaron Hunters."
"My comrade Blade was captured by the Cloud Knights. I must retrieve him, resolve the Stellaron crisis, and clear our name."
As she spoke, the projection shifted to show Blade.
The moment Dan Heng saw him, his gaze darkened.
So it's true! Blade really is in this storyline!
According to Kafka, Blade had been taken by the Cloud Knights...
Earlier scenes had shown The Shackling Prison.
Given the timeline discrepancy...
In reality, Blade was currently imprisoned there.
Jing Yuan hadn't interrogated him yet.
But Jing Yuan and his team must have seen these developments.
So what would they do?
Knowing Blade would escape...
They'd reinforce the prison with everything they had!
Originally, Blade's capture was part of the Stellaron Hunters' script.
But now? He might never break free!
Dan Heng's mind reeled.
This was too sudden—too unreal.
Their relentless enemy had walked right into a cell!
He'd locked himself up!