All feasts must come to an end; eventually, the party concludes.
Five days had passed since the first test run of the Simulated Universe.
The psychiatrists from the space station's medical department had taken turns tackling the issue. After paying an 'exceedingly painful price,' they finally delivered a terminal diagnosis regarding Stelle and Caelus to Miss Himeko, the parental figure of the Astral Express Crew.
Alright, the terminal part was a joke, but they genuinely couldn't handle those two – Stelle and Caelus.
The space station didn't have many psychiatrists to begin with, and half of them had developed issues just from dealing with Stelle and Caelus. They'd started compulsively checking trash cans whenever they passed, hoping Stellar Jade might magically appear inside.
Before the entire psychiatric department collapsed, they ceased all deep psychological communication with the pair.
During these five days, Silver Wolf continued her nightly routine of chatting and gaming with Seele. Seele, in turn, treated baiting Silver Wolf as the only bit of fun she had... her lifeline before falling into the abyss.
Stelle and Caelus had turned the space station upside down yet again, scouring it from top to bottom, leaving no stone unturned, clean as a whistle.
Stelle, blessed with incredible luck, had even found two 'mini-game' treasure chests hidden in secret corners, bringing her Stellar Jade count to over 200. For purchasing one-time items from the shop, that was a respectable amount.
At this point, it could be said that the Herta Space Station had been thoroughly picked clean of its treasures.
The time for departure had arrived!
The platform was crowded. Many staff members who had been rescued by Stelle, Caelus, and the Express Crew came to offer blessings and gifts for their journey.
"Stelle, take these snacks. Thanks for saving me that day. Eat them if you get hungry on the way."
"Caelus, this is for you." A female researcher Caelus had saved that day presented her gift, her eyes full of deep emotion.
"Thank you." His golden eyes were noble yet distant, his facial features perfect, a gentle warmth beneath the strong lines, a jade-like smile gracing the corners of the grey-haired young man's lips.
"Eh..." Seeing this, the female researcher grew even more reluctant to see him go, tears welling up.
So handsome... such a kind person! she thought mournfully. It's a shame about his mental problems. Looks like I can only resign myself to being reborn as livestock in the next life out of pity!
"Stelle~ Caelus~, time to go~!" March 7th's cheerful voice rang out. She bounced out from the train door, beaming as she stood on her tiptoes and hooked her arms around their shoulders.
"Everyone, see you later!"
"We'll come back to visit often~!"
Space Anchor.
In games, they were just convenient fast-travel points for players. Caelus hadn't expected them to actually exist in the real world!
But these weren't ordinary, common teleportation points.
Setting one required the Navigator to submit an application to Pom-Pom, the Conductor, who would then operate the Astral Express to establish it, consuming a vast amount of the Express's energy.
Unlike ordinary starships, the Astral Express drew its energy from [Trailblazing]. Setting up a single Space Anchor consumed nearly two-fifths of the energy gained from an entire Trailblaze journey.
That was a significant amount of Trailblaze power!
Typically, a planet or stopover point would have at most one anchor.
Himeko had business dealings with Herta, so the Herta Space Station had established a Space Anchor early on. This ability to return anytime was a major reason Herta had let Stelle, Caelus, and Seele leave so readily.
As the Express entered its start-up sequence and pulled away from the station, the staff from the maintenance department and those in charge of waste disposal finally let out huge sighs of relief.
At last, they wouldn't have to live in constant fear of trash cans being broken en masse or dealing with garbage bombs every day.
Extra rations tonight to celebrate~!
Though they were genuinely grateful to Stelle and Caelus for saving so many colleagues, love and hate weren't mutually exclusive.
Parlor Car.
"Woah, it's so beautiful~!" Seele's ocean-blue eyes reflected the rapidly receding stars. She pressed both hands against the cabin wall, her smooth forehead glued to the glass window. Her expression was like that of a small child visiting a planetarium for the first time, undisguised excitement brimming in her features.
It was evident that the Seele currently in control was her brighter, more innocent self.
Sitting on the plush sofa, grinding coffee beans with a hand-cranked machine, Himeko watched the scene with a gentle smile.
"I almost forgot. Although you've all been living on the Express for a while, you haven't actually experienced soaring through the stars in it yet. How does it feel?"
"Hmm, it's a bit slow," Stelle offered her honest assessment.
"That's the first time I've heard that as a first impression," Welt remarked, leaning on his cane. His expression was a mixture of amusement and slight bewilderment as he glanced at Caelus, who stood beside Stelle, equally unfazed.
Well, what else could you expect from these two? he thought.
The difference between the Simulated Universe and the real one wasn't vast. They had already experienced the thrill of racing at light speed, smashing through subspace barriers, and punching holes through comet walls. The sight of the Express cruising through space at a 'turtle's pace' naturally couldn't elicit the same pure, newbie excitement from Caelus and Stelle as it did from Seele.
"Hehe, speaking of which, when Caelus and I were testing for Herta, we drove the Express in the Simulated Universe!" Stelle scratched her head sheepishly, then proudly placed a hand on her hip, excitedly recounting their adventures during the simulation tests.
However, after thinking it over, she decided against mentioning the time she got hammered by that grey old man – feeling she might have been in the wrong first. She described the shattered 'Subspace Barrier' merely as an obstacle that stood in the way of her [Trailblaze].
– Because that's genuinely how she saw it.
"Really? No way!" March 7th's eyes widened in amazement.
"The Simulated Universe, huh? Truly the work of a genius," Dan Heng commented, his focus clearly elsewhere.
Even Himeko grew interested listening to the tales of recklessly joyriding the Express through the simulation, marveling at the wonders of the Simulated Universe.
"...You've been talking for a while, Stelle. Here, wet your throat. Everyone, let's drink while we listen. There's enough for all~" The coffee beans Himeko had been grinding earlier were now steaming beverages resting on a tray. She warmly offered them to everyone in the Parlor Car.
The lively carriage instantly fell silent. Apart from the three newcomers, everyone else froze as if their power had been cut.
Dan Heng shot bolt upright, a trace of cold sweat appearing on his cool face. He abruptly turned. "I need to add the Simulated Universe data to the Data Bank. I'll get back to work."
Before anyone could react, Dan Heng vanished like a gust of wind. Strangely, he hadn't run; he had 'walked,' yet achieved a speed faster than sprinting, leaving a trail of afterimages that even the current Seele noticed.
"I... I..." March 7th raised her hand, trying to speak, but before she could fabricate an excuse, Himeko smilingly presented a coffee cup, elegantly traced with gold lines, right in front of her.
It's... it's over! March thought frantically. There's no escape!
Also trapped was Welt. But Old Yang, ever the veteran, still tried to signal Seele, Stelle, and Caelus. His left eye seemed to flash 'Quick,' his right eye, 'Run!'.
"?" The innocent Seele tilted her head, completely oblivious to Mr. Welt's meaning.
"..." The Seele residing in the background of their shared body remained silent for two seconds, then pragmatically shut off her consciousness's reception of physical sensations – something achievable during auto-battle.
Stelle also wore a puzzled expression. Only Caelus understood the meaning in Welt's eyes.
But the real question was, was there actually any chance of escape in this situation?
A steaming cup of coffee was offered to Caelus. With no grounds for refusal, he could only raise his hand and accept it. Peering into the cup, he saw a surface as calm as a windless lake, yet it emanated a strange, unsettling depth.
"Hahaha... I'm not really thirsty yet. I'll... I'll have some snacks first, then drink!" March 7th blurted out, cold sweat dripping, making a last-ditch effort.
"Don't let it get cold, dear. That would really affect the taste," Himeko advised. Her usual gentle, caring tone offered March not even a speck of warmth this time.
Welt subtly tapped his cane, then raised his cup and downed the contents in one go! Despite the drink's alarming temperature, his face remained impassive, earning March's immense admiration.
Truly the reliable adult, Uncle Yang!
In Caelus's eyes, however, it was a different picture.
Oh, wow! he thought. Didn't expect you, the respectable Old Yang, to pull a fast one like that! He had keenly sensed the faint energy fluctuation.
Leader! Old Yang! My dearest Uncle Yang! Caelus pleaded internally, Give me a hand here! He looked expectantly at Welt, hoping he might open a micro-black hole in his mouth.
Instead, he saw Himeko pause slightly, then refill Welt's cup. This time, however, Himeko stood beside him, smiling, not moving away.
"As a senior, you mustn't waste food, you know! It sets a bad example for the children,' Himeko stated, addressing Welt while possibly noticing March's confused look.
Welt: "..."
Under Himeko's watchful eye, Welt could only grimace and begin sipping the peerless delicacy in his cup, earning Himeko's satisfied smile in return.
Seeing Himeko's smile, March clutched her coffee, knowing her fate was sealed. Taking a deep breath, she gulped it all down. Her face instantly began to darken visibly, and she collapsed onto the sofa, tongue lolling out.
Huh? It's that strong?
Caelus instinctively started to lower his cup, only for the system interface to pop up unexpectedly.
[Side Quest (Source: Himeko): Cof... Coffee's ready~! All the dishes are here, why aren't you eating yet~?]
[Reward: 27 Stellar Jade.]
Damn it!
27 Stellar Jade? Caelus was stunned when he saw the number. This is totally aimed at me!
He remembered finding another chest during his second sweep of the space station, plus the daily rewards from the 'monthly pass' these past few days, and one chest on the Express itself... he was exactly 27 Stellar Jade short of 1600!
"Ugh! March, what happened to you?" Stelle was startled by March 7th's condition, eyeing the deep-colored coffee suspiciously. "Is Miss Himeko's coffee really that bad?"
"N-no..." March, her eyes swirling spirals, could only force out that single syllable.
Caelus glanced at the hesitant Stelle, then back at the quest reward. He absolutely couldn't pass up the Stellar Jade, but he wasn't going to suffer alone. Stelle was part of him, in a way; she had to pay the price for the Jade too!
Caelus took a sip of the coffee, put on a look of pure enjoyment, and exclaimed with feigned wonder, "Who said this coffee is bad? This stuff is amazing!"
Seeing Caelus's reaction, Stelle relaxed slightly. She raised her cup; the warm, rich aroma filling her nose seemed perfectly fine.
Stelle took a small sip. She tasted nothing.
Because the instant the coffee touched her tongue, she felt as if someone had smacked her on the back of the head with a brick. The entire world began to spin violently.
She looked towards Caelus and saw his noble, distant golden eyes seemingly threatening to turn into spirals. Yet Caelus was smiling, laughing with genuine delight.
"You fell for it! You fell for it!"
Damn it, I got tricked!
"Caelus! You brat!" Stelle roared in anger, but her consciousness quickly faded into silence.
Were it not for the resilience of the other Seele within, Caelus likely wouldn't have held on either.
Coffee worth 27 Stellar Jade really packed a punch!
However...
Dragging the unconscious Stelle onto the sofa, Caelus used her as a pillow, leaning back into her lap as he focused his mind on the Stellar Jade count in the system interface.
The second ten-pull.
Finally, it was enough!
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