After twenty minutes, Stelle finally ended her rampage - though frustratingly, her target was a squid disguised as a human, dodging her attacks at unbelievable angles while summoning clones to mislead her.
"Huff… huff… You done?" Qin asked. Having never undergone such intense dodge training before, he needed a moment to catch his breath before recovering.
His face twisted briefly, as if searching for something, before his hand landed on his clothes.
Between spilled drinks and grease, his shirt was already disgusting. Mixed with sweat from dodging Stelle's relentless attacks, his body now smelled downright abhorrent.
Reaching out to summon the System's storage, he found nothing and remembered.
"Tsk, who needs you anyway?" Qin muttered under his breath.
"Did you say something?" one of the crew asked.
"No, just cursing my boss. Don't mind me, haha."
"Ahem. Anyway - Mr. Welt, was it? Did you find anything from the control center?"
"Yes. From what I observed, our destination should be that way." Welt pointed past the cargo containers.
"Perfect! Shall we move?"
As they continued forward, Qin encountered someone unexpected.
"Oh, benefactor! Could you help me once more?" Tingyun waved when she noticed them.
A group of Cloud Knights surrounded her, fending off several monsters.
Seeing the familiar situation, Qin couldn't help but laugh."Do you always attract trouble, Tingyun?"
Before he could intervene, the Trailblazer crew sprang into action, neutralizing the monsters in moments.
"Thank you," one of the Cloud Knights said gratefully.
"Oh my, who are these companions of yours?" Tingyun asked Qin.
"They're the Trailblazers. They heard about the Stellaron crisis and came to assist."
"The Trailblazers? Such a renowned group - to think I'd meet you in person."
"Hehe, we're not that famous." March tried to sound modest, though her proud expression betrayed her.
"Oh dear, I forgot to introduce myself. How careless of me." Tingyun smiled gently."My name is Tingyun, ambassador of the Sky-Faring Commission. It's a pleasure to meet you, crew of the Astral Express."
Then she turned to Qin, suddenly making him nervous for reasons he couldn't explain.
Like a housewife catching her husband after a night of drinking, she covered her sensitive foxian nose.
"You've been drinking?"
Knowing there was no point denying it, Qin admitted it.
'Wait… why do I feel guilty?'
Tingyun nodded in satisfaction and produced a set of clothes."Here. Wear this."
Before he could ask a single question, she pressed them into his hands.
Finding a secluded spot, Qin changed out of his old clothes.
To his surprise, the dark fabric adorned with red accents suited his black hair and red eyes perfectly. The expensive material and fine craftsmanship fit him almost too well.
Qin wanted to ask why she just happened to have clothes in his exact size, but suddenly felt a gaze on him.
He quickly scanned his surroundings, finding nothing.Just the wind… I'm getting paranoid again.
It wasn't his responsibility to fix the disaster. He should relax.
When he returned, most of the group was tending to wounded soldiers. Tingyun stood nearby, wearing an unusually bright smile.
"Oh, you're back." She examined him carefully, then nodded to herself."It looks perfect on you."
"Thank you, but can I ask-"
"The fabric is specially commissioned for durability," she added smoothly.
"Oh, really?" Qin was briefly impressed - before realizing he'd been sidestepped.
'How did you know my exact size?'
Before he could ask, Tingyun's enigmatic smile froze the question in his throat.
"…Never mind."
Something told him that asking further would open Pandora's box.
Once the soldiers were stabilized, the group moved on, led by Tingyun, eventually reaching Starskiff Haven.
Qin decided to part ways - partly to avoid meeting Lady Yukong, and mostly because he was exhausted from excessive drinking and fighting.
Though a little saddened, Tingyun let him go and escorted the Astral Express crew to the Astrum Palace to discuss the crisis.
At first, Yukong rejected their help. However, when the General appeared and vouched for the Trailblazers, they were given a task:
To hunt down the perpetrator of the disaster.
Kafka of the Stellaron Hunters.
And speaking of Kafka…
---
On his way home, Qin heard a faint yet resonant voice.
"Come here~"
Confused, he slowed. There was no one nearby.
Before he could think further, his body moved on its own, heading into a secluded corner.
Panic surged through his mind as he tried to resist - but failed.
Soon, he found himself in a dark alley.
A purple-haired woman stood waiting.
Her expressionless face and dull eyes made her presence even more elusive.
And dangerous...
Qin's scammer instincts screamed at him - this was not someone to mess with.
"…Outsider from beyond this world," she spoke stiffly, as if reciting a script. "Why have you come to disrupt destiny?"
Qin searched his mind desperately, but only one answer surfaced.
"No reason," he replied involuntarily.
Kafka frowned briefly before her expression smoothed.
"If you altered fate for no reason, then you are an obstruction that must be removed."
She drew her sword, the blade stopping just short of his neck.
Unable to move or speak, Qin truly panicked. Countless thoughts raced through his mind, yet he could do nothing.
For the first time in this life—
He felt powerless.
Cold dread flooded his mind as death loomed overhead.
[Emergency detected. Activating temporary auto-mode.]
'My ex deus machina…'
For the first time ever, Qin felt genuine relief at seeing the System's message.
Before he could react, his mind went numb.
His senses faded, and something else took control-
Leaving him only able to watch through his own eyes as his body moved on its own.