"People in the company are really something else..."
After talking with Velite.
March 7th couldn't help but sigh.
This young company employee had already lost his dreams and was now solely focused on making money.
He even had the brilliant idea of packaging Argenti as an idol and becoming his manager.
Suddenly.
Pom-Pom's scream echoed in the background!
"Ahhhhh!"
Dealing with Argenti and Velite, they had almost forgotten that the train was in danger.
They immediately went to check the situation!
Surrounded by everyone, Pom-Pom was already drenched in sweat.
Curling up his hands, he said, "There, there's a strange sound—scary, scary Pom! Did you hear it?"
"With my familiarity with the train... that definitely, definitely wasn't a sound from the train Pom!"
"It seems like it's coming from the Passenger Cabin... or maybe the Conductor's Room Pom!"
Everyone prepared to return to their rooms to check the situation.
When March 7th returned to her room.
She thought it might just be some dangerous enemy.
However!
Another version of herself appeared in the room!
The two were identical.
The only difference was that the other March 7th's eyes seemed deeper.
In a bewitching voice, she said, "I know your past. What you wish to see, touch, and know..."
"Your hometown, family, friends, emotions, love, and hatred..."
"I am the complete March 7th, possessing all the memories you've forgotten..."
Seeing this.
March 7th, as the player, was startled!
The experience from the Companion Mission [Total Recall] flooded her mind!
"Could it be..."
"People from the Garden of Recollection again!?"
Himeko sat up slightly, intrigued, and said, "[Night of Universal Hallucinations]... This mission is indeed not as simple as it seems."
Meanwhile, Stelle, looking at the screen, exclaimed excitedly, "It's happening! March 7th (Complete), the five-star form is coming!"
"Stop joking! This mission feels very off!"
At that moment.
Himeko's voice echoed in the background.
"Little March, little March—can you hear me?"
"Little March, step back immediately."
"But..."
The March 7th before her eyes revealed a meaningful smile.
The screen abruptly cut to black.
March 7th herself suddenly grew tense.
Could she be about to face an unexpected twist in this storyline?
Soon.
Everyone rushed to her room.
What stood before March 7th was not a mirror image of herself, but a True Sting the size of an adult!
[Battle begins]
"There's such a huge bug in my room!?"
"How am I supposed to sleep peacefully after this!"
She immediately activated [Hidden Moon in the Cave, Azure Dragon Cleansing the World]!
These bugs had both quantum and Imaginary weaknesses, making Imbibitor Lunae Dan Heng the perfect counter.
However.
The most terrifying part was.
These bugs would self-destruct after being defeated!
"Huh?"
"Wahhhhh..."
"My room has been defiled by bugs, it will never be March 7th's clean and cozy little haven again..."
"My bunny and bear, you've been with me for so long, and I let you get tainted by bugs. I'm so sorry!"
Old Yang spoke up to comfort her, "Calm down, March."
"This is just game storyline, not a real infiltration of True Stings in our reality."
"Oh~"
Only then did March 7th let out a sigh of relief.
She stood at attention and reported to Pom-Pom, "Conductor, we absolutely cannot let the train fall into such danger. We must prevent this incident from happening!"
Pom-Pom patted his chest and said, "I completely agree with Passenger March 7th."
The storyline continued.
Dan Heng said, "I've read about True Stings in the Data Bank. This type of insect sheds fibrous debris when flapping its wings, causing hallucinations in those who inhale it."
"The reason March saw another version of herself in her room was likely due to inhaling some of the wing dust."
The investigation results soon came out.
Dan Heng's tone turned serious as he said, "The situation is bad... There are traces of insect activity everywhere. Some of the eggs are even showing signs of hatching."
"They haven't yet developed from reproductive embryos into larvae, but their growth might be faster than we imagine," Himeko added.
"It seems we're now racing against time."
The next task was to use the camera to take photos and search for suspicious clues.
[You notice that the insect eggs here have started to emit a humming sound, like a beautiful melody, and you find yourself immersed in it...]
[You can't help but notice that some creatures are just like this, speaking more beautifully than they sing.]
[Your sense of justice took action and eradicated the insect eggs.]
"Insect... insect eggs...?"
March 7th and Pom-Pom both gasped in unison.
The hairs on March 7th's arm stood on end.
She turned to Stelle and said, "How can you remain so calm while destroying these insect eggs? Don't you find them... utterly disgusting?"
"Well... um, since the story didn't show a close-up of the eggs, I can't really say much about the situation..."
Stelle scratched her head, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Pom-Pom twisted around to glance at her fluffy tail.
A look of concern crossed her face.
March was wondering if the train were truly infested by The Swarm, would there be insect eggs on her tail?
At this thought.
Pom-Pom couldn't help but shudder.
And in the following plot.
Argenti also fell victim!
In Dan Heng's room, which was also the location of the Data Bank, he praised the thing before him.
"You must be the creature she spoke of. You must often be described as cute, hasn't that troubled you? Believe me, your essence far surpasses what that word can convey. O sphere, your name is—Charm."
"No need for words; encountering a life like yours moves me, but I will never abandon the demands of my spiritual asceticism. If I cannot resolve this crisis, I will die to uphold the honor of a knight."
In Argenti's eyes, what stood before him was the harmless Woober.
But from the surveillance perspective.
It was a pitch-black True Sting!
The Astral Express Crew hurried over to eliminate it.
March 7th let out a sigh of relief: "So Dan Heng's room had one too, now I feel a bit more balanced."
"But his room is usually a mess, not as tidy as mine, so I still think I'm at a disadvantage!"
[End of battle]
Argenti sighed: "Such a vile threat from the insect race, perhaps their dying words can be considered, for even a dying insect may speak kindly..."
"I will relay its final words—Celebrate your shallow victory, for you will never detect the presence of the Overlord."
Dan Heng said: "While flipping through the interworld insect notes in the Data Bank, I read about a species of insect that exists only in records—due to the lack of actual research samples, the author tentatively named it the Giant True Sting."
"This insect can grow to an enormous size—large enough to swallow an entire starship whole."
"I reasonably suspect that the Overlord Argenti heard refers to such a giant insect, and we..."
Argenti nodded: "I think I understand. We... might already be in its stomach."
"So that's it. This explains the encounter Velite and I had earlier."
"When we first met, he was trapped in a dark, enormous cave, unable to escape..."
"Thinking back, there were indeed sounds of swallowing and squirming in that cave."
The train... was actually swallowed by a Giant True Sting?!
After reaching this conclusion in the plot.
Everyone was stunned!
Himeko and Old Yang both looked grave.
They had also speculated about the train's situation at the beginning of the plot.
But they never expected.
That the train had been directly swallowed into the stomach of a Giant True Sting!
Now.
Not only was the train infiltrated by The Swarm.
But the outer walls of the train were even beginning to melt!
Upon learning this.
Pom-Pom's eyes widened in shock.
He jumped onto the table.
And said:
"Passengers! The greatest crisis in the history of the train has arrived!"
"We absolutely cannot let this happen!"
...
On the other side of the universe.
On a desolate planet.
Velite sat on a large rock, looking at a pile of scrap metal in front of him, utterly bewildered.
"What on earth is going on today?"
As his words fell.
A fleet of magnificent spaceships suddenly appeared in the sky above the planet.
Arranged in a straight line.
After landing on the surface.
On every spaceship, knights clad in silver armor descended.
"Meeting a soul as resilient as yours is our honor. We are the Knights of Beauty — offering you the sincerity at the tip of our spears."
Originally, this planet was cold and desolate.
Suddenly, so many Knights of Beauty appeared, their dazzling light enveloping Velite.
His mouth agape, he momentarily doubted whether he was dreaming!
"I am Argenti of the Knights of Beauty."
"Mr. Velite, it seems you haven't encountered the anticipated danger. That massive True Sting has already left this area."
Velite was taken aback: "How do you know my name?"
"Indeed, compared to being swallowed by that giant True Sting, the current situation isn't too bad."
From behind.
Another knight stepped forward, offering a sincere smile: "Then... allow us to reassess your predicament and provide targeted assistance."
"Uh... actually, I just need you to give me a ride to the nearest company-managed Planet," Velite said frankly.
The female knight nodded: "Alright, we will consider your request along with relevant factors. For now, please continue to wait patiently and enjoy the moment."
"The Knights of Beauty will defend your safety until the very end."
After speaking.
These Knights of Beauty began to engage in a lively discussion, studying the new predicament at hand.
Moreover, each began to voice their own opinions.
Analyzing what strategy should be adopted first, who should provide assistance first, and so on...
Velite: "???"
What is all this!
Can these people really be trusted?
Why are they complicating simple problems, just like the leaders in the company?
Suddenly.
Velite felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.
He hurriedly opened it to see.
It was a group message in the company's group chat, notifying everyone.
[Department Head: Everyone, put your work aside! Director Topaz's live broadcast is about to start. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the impact of our company's corporate culture!]
[Everyone must watch attentively and submit a summary of insights of no less than 5,000 words to me afterward.]
Velite immediately looked utterly defeated.
Seeing that the Knights of Beauty over there would probably need some time to discuss, he decided to sit back down where he was.
He opened the company's live broadcast channel.