As time went on, Stelle, having accepted Herta's commission, began to investigate Ruan Mei.
A laboratory couldn't have appeared out of thin air, so the girl just needed to check each location one by one, and she would soon find the place Ruan Mei had used.
The gray-haired girl first found some strange lifeforms that looked like a cross between desserts and animals in the Seclusion Zone. After delving deep into the experimental data left behind by Ms. Ruan Mei in the gathering place of these "cat cakes," she came across some vaguely worded documents.
It seemed Ruan Mei had found some inspiration from the experimental data on the Swarm Disaster.
Ruan Mei was attempting to answer the question of "the essence of life" by cultivating a creation.
To do so, she stripped away all external disturbances to reproduce the elusive, most fundamental, and most beautiful "form of life."
This special, primordial lifeform was not recorded in detail by Ruan Mei. Stelle only knew that the experiment took place in a sealed-off zone.
Herta had once used that place to receive various guests from across the galaxy, or members of the Genius Society. But due to the Legion's invasion, it was no longer open to the public.
Driven by curiosity, and also to bring this mission to a close, the Trailblazer set off for the Seclusion Zone.
-----------------
"—I didn't expect someone to be faster than me."
Taking the central elevator all the way down, Stelle arrived at a mysterious zone she had never set foot in before.
The elevator behind her left the current floor as soon as she stepped out, leaving her with no way back.
On her way to Ruan Mei's final experimental site, the Trailblazer unexpectedly encountered a strange man wearing a plaster mask.
[Dr. Ratio]
He was sitting in a chair, acting strangely, playing chess against himself.
But since he was able to get here, the gray-haired girl naturally understood that this man in the plaster mask must also be investigating Ms. Ruan Mei.
What's his background? Let me guess... Stelle sized up the eccentric man before her.
(To be able to move this far within Herta Space Station, his access card clearance must be quite high, and Herta wouldn't be interested in just any random person.)
Therefore, this plaster man must have considerable achievements in the academic world.
In a place where three geniuses gathered, to still be noticed and allowed passage by Herta—the answer was obvious!
"You're from the IPC, aren't you? To be precise, a member of one of the factions within the Intelligentsia Guild.
"You started investigating Ruan Mei's research data and hacked this deep into the system as soon as you arrived at the space station. So... plaster man, are you trying to get your hands on the geniuses' academic materials, or are you an observer, here to prevent the madmen of the Genius Society from causing any trouble?
"State your purpose. I'm on pretty good terms with Herta, you know. I can't stand by and watch someone sneak around her territory."
The gray-haired girl's mind worked quickly, seeing through Dr. Ratio's origins at a glance, showing none of the confusion one might expect in a new environment.
The Flame Lance was held firmly in her hand, ready for combat. She figured that prying information from the man before her would save her the trouble of further investigation.
"Geniuses are geniuses because they are a rare few. The mundane cannot touch even a sliver of their work. In the entire history of the universe, the members of the Genius Society number less than a hundred. Therefore, stealing their research is a pointless and self-humiliating endeavor for the mediocre."
Dr. Ratio's attitude toward the Trailblazer was direct, completely different from the sarcastic, condescending tone he used to tease children in the original story.
He had a way of speaking to fools, and a way of dealing with the intelligent.
No intelligent person dislikes efficient conversation; they only detest having to explain things from a superior position.
And when they find themselves at a disadvantage, when the self-proclaimed clever realize they are actually on the side of the mediocre, their pride cannot accept it. They grow irritable. When the mediocre discover they can never catch up to the pace of a genius, despair spreads.
Dr. Ratio belonged to the School of the Mundane. He had no intention of prying into the geniuses' manuscripts; he knew his own limits and was even disgusted with himself.
There had once been factional wars within the Intelligentsia Guild, and that erased history concealed the cruel law that mortals could never, in any form, catch up to geniuses.
His appearance at the space station was purely to observe in secret and prepare to clean up after the mad geniuses.
"What are you still standing there for? Do you have a lot of time? I think not. Take the elevator down. Ruan Mei's final creation is there."
Dr. Ratio said to the Trailblazer, but Stelle replied coolly.
"You have to come down with me."
"Absurd. What reason do I have to spend my time on you?"
"The reason is simple, plaster man. There are only a few reasons you're lingering here. First, I can tell from your tone that you don't seem to have any intention of stopping me from going deeper into the experiment, so I don't think you're a kind person worried I'll be in danger. Therefore, the conclusion is the second possibility: you're investigating just like me, but you can't fully observe and confirm Ruan Mei's experimental results, so your progress has stalled here.
"I'm not your canary in a coal mine. With an outsider present, I can't possibly explore ahead without any precautions."
Who knew if she'd get stabbed in the back?
So, choose.
"Friend or foe? You pick. Either share the risk with me, or leave now."
Stelle ignited her Flame Lance. The situation was clear: either they team up to face the unknown, or she would eliminate the unknown factor.
"I detest people who are ill-mannered and speak harshly—of course, that includes myself."
Dr. Ratio did have the idea of helping if the Trailblazer couldn't handle the Emanator of Propagation, but the girl was now wary of his presence. It couldn't be helped; people's first impressions of him were never very friendly, and his current position was indeed awkward.
At the same time, the gray-haired girl's words were correct.
Dr. Ratio knew that, according to Ruan Mei's experimental records, the Swarm King: Star-Crusher would exist for 56 seconds. Fighting an Emanator head-on for nearly a minute to clean up the genius's leftovers... even he alone couldn't guarantee he could emerge unscathed.
A direct confrontation and providing backup to stall for time were two completely different levels of difficulty.
It was hard to say he didn't have the idea of watching from the sidelines, letting someone else test the Swarm King's strength first.
"Then I wish you good fortune in battle, Nameless One. Please take care of yourself."
As Dr. Ratio finished speaking, he turned and walked toward the elevator. Before the Trailblazer's eyes, he entered it and slowly ascended, leaving.
The Trailblazer was not a villain, and her actions were reasonable, but the man had no obligation to be kind and responsible to the end for someone who didn't appreciate it.
(The Power of Trailblaze, the body of a Stellaron host, the Flame Lance of the Preservation, and a clever, meticulous mind...)
With so many advantages, did the Trailblazer really need a mere mortal to worry about her safety?
As long as someone activated the Swarm King in the petri dish and it dissipated on its own after being contained in one place for a minute, there was no chance for this time bomb to harm ordinary people.
Since a brave soul was helping with the cleanup, Dr. Ratio had no intention of lingering here.
-----------------
Dr. Ratio was an unnecessary character in Orchis's script, manipulated by the great hand of fate to withdraw from the story's stage.
If, while the protagonist is undergoing an incredibly difficult, near-fatal battle, a god-like supporting character is just watching from the side, or even reveals to the player that the big bug only exists for a minute at most, the sense of crisis in the fight would be greatly diminished.
Therefore, Dr. Ratio had to exit here.
If a powerful figure was always there to clean up any mess, the story's tone could never be serious.
This was also why Himeko and Welt rarely participated in the main Trailblaze Missions in the original work. The fact that the Trailblazer and Dan Heng lost contact with the Express during the Amphoreus plot was for the same reason. The price of forcing powerful characters into the main story is to have their combat power nerfed and an intelligence-lowering debuff applied.
It was bad enough that the dignified Imbibitor Lunae could only fight with bathwater, but do you know the pain of being torn apart by gravity?! That infamous moment when the former Anti-Entropy Sovereign, the Herrscher of Reason who could create black holes with his bare hands, was single-handedly stalled by three Abundance hounds, nailed Welt Yang to the pillar of shame for the rest of his life.
But I digress. Back to the plot.
"——"
Stelle confirmed that the man in the plaster mask was completely gone. Her brow furrowed, and she secretly raised her guard.
Her proposal to team up had been rejected. Did that mean even someone from the Intelligentsia Guild was unwilling to delve into Ruan Mei's biological experiment?
The danger ahead might be beyond imagination.
"Should I turn back?" she murmured to herself.
The Trailblazer already knew where Ruan Mei had hidden her things. Even if she didn't know what it was, it was enough for Stelle to report back to Herta.
But the girl shook her head, rejecting the thought. She had always been a curious person, and turning back before reaching the end was not the Trailblazer's style.
Her confidence in her own strength was also a factor. The Trailblazer had been the core damage dealer in the victory against Cocolia, had fought alongside everyone to vanquish the Abundant Ebon Deer,the Lord Ravager Phantylia, and had even witnessed the grand spectacle of the Aeons joining forces to kill the Propagation in the Simulated Universe. It could be said she had seen it all.
Stelle was confident that her combat power was relatively strong among the Pathstriders of the universe, and she could retreat safely in most situations.
"If there really is a major crisis in the lab, dealing with it sooner will prevent future trouble and ensure the safety of the ordinary people on the space station."
Geniuses had strange personalities. The notorious Dr. Primitive was even being hunted by the Galaxy Rangers.
Ruan Mei's mental state was very abnormal; her humanity felt rather faint.
This could be seen from how the "cat cakes" and other creations strongly craved Ruan Mei's acknowledgment, having long lacked affection and care.
She only cares about her experiments and lacks consideration for the tolerance of ordinary people... Stelle worried about such a scenario.
Considering it from all angles—curiosity, confidence, and reason—the gray-haired girl gripped her Flame Lance and walked deeper into the laboratory.
-----------------
Finally, she reached the end.
What entered Stelle's eyes now was an incredibly vast space.
The huge experimental warehouse was steeped in a gloomy, oppressive purplish-red hue, and a contradictory atmosphere of coldness and scorching heat lingered in her heart.
The towering space was outlined by metal frames and faintly flickering internal lights, creating a stark silhouette.
(What a huge room... The space station has a place this open?)
The central area of the room was the focal point of vision and the source of all the chaos. A large, once spherical or ring-shaped petri dish was now shattered and collapsed, its wreckage scattered on the ground, dripping viscous fluid onto the floor.
The gray-haired girl cautiously patrolled the surroundings with her Flame Lance, and soon, in a remote corner, she saw a familiar figure.
A small puppet girl in a black dress was leaning against the wall, completely silent.
"Orchis?!" Stelle's eyes trembled, and she hurried over, wanting to check the girl's condition.
Although for Orchis, it felt like only a few days had passed since the Trailblazer boarded the train and left.
But from the gray-haired girl's own perception of time, a very long period had passed. Thus, Stelle hadn't seen Orchis for a long time. No matter how much she wandered the platform, she could never find a trace of the puppet girl. So, Orchis needed a reason for her long absence.
No need for excessive rhetoric or explanation.
Lying in an unknown corner, deep within the space station where no one would come, Orchis looked weak, unconscious, and on the verge of death. From this, one could naturally deduce that her physical condition was not good.
A quiet demise, without troubling anyone.
"——?!"
The gray-haired girl rushed to the puppet girl's side. Just as she reached out to help her up, something strange happened! Although the Trailblazer could indeed touch Orchis, she found Orchis's body to be somewhat translucent and ethereal, as if fading away. She thought her eyes were playing tricks on her.
Worried about the girl's condition, the Trailblazer was a bit clumsy. She reached out to touch the girl's forehead and check her pulse. Would these things even work on a puppet? She found it quite magical. Orchis was clearly a puppet, yet she had the same delicate, flawless touch as a normal girl, like a fragile work of art. This was the first time Stelle had so directly examined her face.
The melancholic and cool, exquisite face was pitifully beautiful, but now her eyes were closed in weak silence.
Stelle was in no mood to admire it, only able to call out Orchis's name.
At her call, the puppet girl slowly opened her eyes.
Within Orchis's blurry vision, she vaguely saw the Trailblazer's relieved, somewhat joyful expression. She spoke in a daze.
"Gray...?"
Her voice held a note of incredulous surprise and joy, as if seeing someone she had longed for.
"Are you okay, Orchis?"
The gray-haired girl didn't even think to ask why the girl was here first, but immediately worried about Orchis's health.
"Why are you here..." Orchis's tone was tinged with melancholy, as if she had some unspeakable secret.
"That's what I want to ask. I kept going to the platform to look for you after that, but there was never any trace of you. Where did you go? I was so worried. I thought maybe you'd come to hate me. Why are you in the depths of the space station? Are you... okay?"
Although she had so much she wanted to say, even wanting to share her experiences on the Astral Express, when the gray-haired girl finally saw the person she had been longing for, she didn't know what to say. In the end, with a complex tone of worry, a trace of unease, and joy from their reunion, she asked after her well-being.
"Why did you come... You shouldn't be here..."
Our final farewell... you boarded the train... and just like that, you headed straight for your future.
That way, you could embrace your own happiness... I, who shouldn't exist, would just remain in the past, fading away with your memories.
"I had already accepted this reality... convinced myself to accept it. Why have you appeared here now, of all times?"
Silently enduring an unknown suffering.
This place... was supposed to be the grave I chose.
"A place to meet my end alone. Gray, you can't be here...!"
A choked tone, a pained tone, an indescribable sadness—a dramatic emotional fluctuation!
In reality, she wasn't revealing any useful information, but rather delivering her last words like a forsaken heroine in a final burst of life.
She had already decided to pass away silently in an unknown corner, only to be found by the one person who least should have, and most should have, found her!
This made the usually cool and melancholic Orchis both joyful and sad.
Spitting out a lot of lines at once, paired with a frail aura, creates a contrast!
"A place to meet your end? What are you talking about...?"
Stelle looked bewildered. Seeing Orchis like this for the first time made her panic a little, and she wanted to comfort the girl.
"It's dangerous here. Please, leave this place quick—"
Before Orchis could finish her sentence, crisis struck!
Before the Trailblazer could react, her Nameless combat instincts kicked in. The hair on the gray-haired girl's body suddenly stood on end, as if she were in an ice cavern. She immediately spun around and saw a colossal blue creature right behind her.
Baring its fangs, a massive alien monstrosity large enough to blot out the sky—the Swarm King Skaracabaz