"By the way, where's that black-haired guy? Didn't he come with you all?" Serval suddenly noticed that Dan Heng was missing from the group.
"Uh… too many people to fit here, and you've read that letter. Teacher Dan Heng volunteered to head to the front lines of the restricted zone to find Guard Officer Gepard," March 7th brushed it off, hiding the fact that Sampo was part of the team.
"Gepard? Oh, don't… He's upright, but famously stubborn. Let me tell you, my little brother values the Path of Preservation above all else. Even if you shove Bronya's letter in his face, he won't budge."
"To convince him, you'd need some serious skill… I'd probably have to step in myself, but I haven't come up with a strategy yet."
"No need to trouble yourself, Miss Serval. If everything goes smoothly, I believe Guard Officer Gepard is already on our side."
Adrian gave a mysterious smile, explaining how he'd upgraded Gepard's weapon at the restricted zone's front line.
"Whoa… That's brilliant!" Serval clapped Adrian on the shoulder. "This guy's got it all planned out, huh! Sneaking into the Iron Guard restricted zone the night before a wanted notice—how'd you even get in?"
"Based on my survey, the Stellaron Core is likely located north of Belobog… somewhere in the vast snowfields, probably the northern part."
Before Adrian could respond, Serval shared details about the Stellaron Core's location. "The area north of Belobog is almost entirely consumed by the Fragmentum. To reach the northern snowfields, you'd first need to pass through the Silvermane Iron Guard's front-line restricted zone."
"Even if you make it through the restricted zone safely, there's a massive stretch of Fragmentum blocking the way… though it might be gone by now."
"To get to the restricted zone, naturally, we used the miraculous [Omni-Path Gate]!" March 7th answered for Adrian, her eyes gleaming with envy for this teleportation ability akin to the Astral Express's leaps.
"Miss March, the [Omni-Path Gate] has a derivative skill… If you want to learn, I can teach you."
Adrian pulled out a bottle of Immortal's Delight Tea, intending to drink it himself. But seeing Freesna tilt her head with a curious look, he reluctantly parted with it and gave it to her.
Sigh… This kid's been out exploring the cosmos for centuries and hasn't even tasted Immortal's Delight Tea. Quite pitiful.
"Really?! So I'm finally going to master teleportation!"
March 7th was thrilled, though a thought struck her—if only the Astral Express's leaps didn't require fuel, they could roam the cosmos freely.
"The Iron Guard restricted zone?" Stelle, unfamiliar with the term, asked.
"It's the main base for the Silvermane Iron Guard. They regroup there and fend off the Fragmentum's invasion. Need your big sister to guide you there?"
"Really? Awesome! Having a local lead the way makes me feel so much better!"
"Haha, I also want to see the [Stellaron Core] with my own eyes… It's been the focus of my research for over a decade. How many decades does one get in a lifetime?"
As soon as she spoke, Serval noticed Freesna's pointed ears twitch slightly, as if catching a crucial detail.
"Eternity…" Freesna murmured, her gaze settling on Adrian.
"Ahem, as expected of the Church's Saintess… catching traces of [Eternity] from every angle. Let's shift our focus back to the Stellaron Core."
In that moment, Stelle felt the gaze of the Aeon of Immortal's Delight Tea, sending a chill down her spine.
"Oh, right, you might not believe this… but there's actually a Stellaron Core inside my body." Stelle realized belatedly—surprise! The Stellaron Core was standing right in front of Serval.
"Your otherworldly physiology is fascinating. If this were back when I was a Builder… I'd definitely want to study you."
"Too bad, someone at the Space Station had the same idea, but I politely declined."
Stelle puffed out her chest. Even the Genius Society coveted her body—talk about prestige!
"Let's save this talk for the road. No time to waste, let's move!" March 7th was itching to go.
"Hmph, why sully precious feet trudging through snowfields… I say we let the Abyssal Gate whisk us to the guards' gathering place."
Freesna shared her opinion. As the Church's High Priestess, she had her own style! Sit if you can avoid standing, lie if you can avoid sitting—always the most convenient, time-saving, and effort-saving way!
"Good point, but now I'm stuck with choice paralysis. Anyone got ideas?"
"Bronya…" Seele was still worried about Bronya's safety.
"Don't worry, Miss Seele. Cocolia… she wouldn't harm Bronya. Even if her heart's changed and she's not the same as before, I'm confident in that much."
"Bronya said something similar. I don't get it—why do you oppose Cocolia but still trust her in some ways?" Seele couldn't wrap her head around the upper district's logic.
"Miss Seele, think about it another way. Just the few of us storming Qlipoth Fort? Better drop that idea."
"You're skilled, but I can't let you march to your death."
Serval spoke earnestly—she wasn't joking. Without these otherworldly travelers, Seele alone wouldn't stand a chance against Cocolia.
"Seele's got a noble idea, but let's be real… Two Emanators storming Qlipoth Fort? That plan's actually feasible!"
"The catch is… they'd have to be willing to help." Stelle stated the obvious, glancing at Adrian's laid-back demeanor. He clearly wasn't about to lead Seele to Qlipoth Fort.
As for Freesna… she probably wouldn't either. She only seemed to care about things tied to [Eternity].
Looks like Stelle still wasn't a qualified devotee of [Eternity].
"So… our goal's clear. Find the Stellaron Core first, and Cocolia will have no leverage over us!"
…
Iron Guard Restricted Zone. A silver-haired hacker girl slipped in quietly.
Unfortunately, she'd been losing at games all night—another round might've caused a meltdown, so she decided to take a break.
Her teammates were busy, and grouping with them would likely tank her rank further, so she set her sights on this planet.
Too much online gaming… time for some offline action. The Fragmentum's endless spawns were perfect for her to mow down!
A few days ago, Adrian had introduced her to the Guard Officer, so her presence shouldn't raise suspicions.
Silver Wolf whistled, ready to pop out and give the Silvermane Iron Guard a big surprise, when a painfully familiar voice rang out.
"Fool, why the panic? Recalling old times? Relax, it's just an ordinary bar of soap… Don't let the Church's kindness go to waste."
Silver Wolf: …
She might just know why she'd been losing for two days straight.