A few uneventful days passed like fleeting meteors, and the time had come for the Astral Express to depart Jarilo-VI.
Astral Express, Observation Car
Pom-Pom's voice came through the intercom:
[Sorry for the wait, how's everyone doing after their rest?]
[Rift activity has dropped to near zero, and all star-track readings have returned to normal!]
[The train is about to set off again, leaving Jarilo-VI. Please hold on tight and say your final goodbyes to this planet!]
[Passenger March 7th, stop playing with that water gun, pom! Or no juice for you!]
Inside the car, Pom-Pom issued its first warning to March 7th, who was fiddling with her new weapon.
"Don't worry, Conductor, I'm not that kind of person."
No sooner had she spoken than a beam of icy energy shot from the gun's tip, hitting a lush green potted plant nearby.
"Uh…"
For some reason, she could almost hear Pom-Pom's heavy sigh through the intercom.
Welt remained silent, while Himeko approached with a gentle smile, patting March 7th's head.
"Make sure to fix it, or Pom-Pom will get upset."
March 7th: o(╥﹏╥)o
When Adrian, sipping his Immortal's Delight Tea, entered the observation car, he saw March 7th using a hairdryer to thaw the frozen plant.
"Whoa~ Miss March has a knack for [gardening]?"
"No, it's not like that! Teacher Adrian, let me explain!"
Meanwhile, Stelle stood outside Dan Heng's room, knocking persistently.
"How can someone your age sleep so much? Get up and go back to bed!"
Given Dan Heng's personality, if he wasn't up, he was either having a nightmare or, as March 7th put it, sleeping in.
"March was right. The crew on this train can go days without sleep, but when they crash, they crash hard. Looks like I'll master that skill eventually too." Stelle rubbed her chin, determined.
"Alright, no time to waste in the hallway! The navigation meeting's at the usual spot—don't be late~"
"Squeak if you heard me."
Silence fell inside the room, with no response.
After notifying Dan Heng, Stelle excitedly returned to the observation car, where she also saw March 7th drying the frozen plant.
"Wow, didn't expect you to have a [gardener] gig on the train?"
"Wahhh~ Stop teasing me!" March 7th was on the verge of tears.
"Passenger Adrian, got the info on our next stop? Excited yet?" Pom-Pom waddled over to Adrian's side.
"Nope." Adrian settled onto a plush sofa, thinking about how he'd soon return to familiar grounds and check on his milk tea shop.
"You don't know yet? After the cold, exhausting journey on Jarilo-VI, aren't you curious about what kind of planet we're heading to next?" Pom-Pom asked eagerly.
"Whether it's Peigana or Taikamm, I'd love any planet!"
Pleased with Adrian's perfect response, Pom-Pom nodded contentedly.
"Hmm! Pom-Pom's thrilled you're enjoying this journey! Long, long ago, this train connected one planet after another… and now it's doing so again, just like old times."
…
Ten minutes later, Dan Heng still hadn't shown up.
"No worries. Dan Heng's always punctual. If he's late… he must have his reasons."
"Ahem! Dear passengers! The warp navigation meeting officially begins!"
Pom-Pom dragged over a small stool and stood on it.
"Wow, so ceremonial!" March 7th, still drying the plant, cast an envious glance.
"Six-Phase Ice is such a hassle," Stelle concluded.
"First, Pom-Pom wants to thank all the Nameless for successfully resolving this stop's issues, allowing the train to keep racing along the star-tracks!"
"I heard from Passenger Adrian that Passenger Stelle was fearless… nearly sacrificing herself against evil forces! That deserves commendation, pom!"
Stelle raised her head proudly. After this battle, her reputation on the Astral Express was soaring! She was the coolest Nameless!
"Next, this Conductor will announce the name of our next stop…"
Zzt… zzt zzt zzt…
The sound of static crackled in everyone's ears, followed by an elegant female voice.
"Long time no see, everyone on the Astral Express."
"I'm Kafka."
A holographic image materialized in the center of the car, startling Stelle and March 7th.
Pom-Pom scurried behind Adrian, clutching his pant leg.
Welt and Himeko's faces darkened, clearly displeased by this uninvited guest's arrival.
Stelle was still wondering why she was holding an umbrella indoors.
Kafka scanned the car. "Oh, perfect timing. Everyone's here… or mostly." Her gaze landed on Adrian, lounging comfortably on the sofa.
"Hmm… I know you, the [Eternity]'s—"
"Enough with the charming introductions. Let's skip the idle chatter, Stellaron Hunter," Himeko cut in, her expression tinged with displeasure.
"You're…" Kafka closed her black umbrella, her fingertip brushing through Himeko's chin in her mind as she recalled the name:
"Himeko… right?"
In a flash, Stelle darted to the sofa's edge. She now understood Pom-Pom's feelings—standing by Adrian felt safer than even Welt!
Adrian's gaze didn't linger on Kafka at all, instead fixed intently on March 7th.
"Teacher Adrian… stop staring at me like that!" March 7th wished she could crawl into a hole. Embarrassing herself at home was bad enough, but now with outsiders watching?!
Kafka's long lashes fluttered like butterfly wings, her porcelain skin glowing in the hologram. A sigh laced with helplessness escaped her lips. "I told you he could see you. Stop messing around."
"Boring."
The sound of popping bubblegum rang out as Silver Wolf's holographic image appeared beside March 7th.
"W-W-Whoa! When did you get here?!"
March 7th stammered. She hated these sudden appearances! Especially when they happened to her!
Upon seeing Silver Wolf, Stelle recalled those wonderful times at [The Herta] Space Station with Screwllum… hmm, chasing Silver Wolf with [Eternity] artifacts.
Quick as a flash, Stelle pulled out a mimicry baseball bat in one hand and the sandglass necklace in the other, leaving Silver Wolf dumbfounded.
"No way… you got another [Eternity] weapon?!"
Silver Wolf's world collapsed. She'd been offline for just a few days, and now the game's meta had shifted—Stelle's power level was off the charts!
"Oh?" Kafka cast an intrigued glance. It hadn't been long, and Stelle had already become a Pathstrider of [Eternity]?
Wait, it seemed like it wasn't just [Eternity]…
As Kafka puzzled over this, Silver Wolf ducked behind Adrian, terrified that Stelle might come after her with the bat and sandglass.
"Am I seeing this right, Miss Silver Wolf? You say you're scared of [Eternity] weapons… yet you're hiding behind an Emanator of [Eternity]?" Stelle was momentarily baffled.
"Ahem… the most dangerous place is the safest!" Silver Wolf quickly covered.
"Hey, Passenger Stelle, don't crowd this Conductor… there's no room left, pom!" Pom-Pom, seeing Silver Wolf, tugged even harder on Adrian's pant leg.
"Aren't we getting off track here?"