Observation Car.
Trails of starlight, like the fading tails of meteors, pierced through the glass viewport, shattering the darkness. The profile of the indigo-haired girl was bathed in this dreamlike radiance.
Beneath her lashes, her eyes were as blue as the deep sea, like a Precious Opal sinking slowly into the clear waters of a lake, shifting with strange and beautiful light.
She raised a hand, seemingly trying to grasp the stars just within her reach:
"Goodbye, Mama, I'm setting sail tonight. Don't worry about me, I have the oars of joy and wisdom~♪"
"When you wake up, please don't tell anyone, I'm sailing the Milky Way on a moon boat~♪"
Awakened by the ethereal singing, the swirling patterns in March 7th's eyes resolved back into their usual blue-purple gradient. The moment she saw this scene, Miss Camera instinctively whipped out her pink camera – the same model as Wang Xiaoming's.
Click~!
Click~!
The shutter clicked continuously. Seele paused, glancing sideways.
"Sorry for interrupting your song, Seele," March 7th apologized with an embarrassed smile. "That moment just now had such a great feel to it, I couldn't resist taking a snapshot."
"Besides, I never knew you had such talent, Seele... It sounded so beautiful! Simply heavenly!"
"It wasn't that exaggerated," Seele replied.
After experiencing the grandeur of traversing the galaxy, White Seele had obediently returned control of the body to Seele, wanting her 'parallel world self' to also appreciate the beauty of the cosmos. Gazing at the vast, boundless starry vista, those childhood song lyrics had suddenly popped into her head, and Seele couldn't help but hum them softly.
In her past life, Qi Qiong had been what you'd call a 'soulful singer' – all emotion, perhaps less technique. But Seele's natural talent was just too good; even without formal skill, her singing was on a different dimension compared to her past self.
"Let me see."
Seele walked over to March 7th's side and curiously leaned in, looking at the photo. Her eyes widened in surprise.
This lighting!
This angle!
This composition!
It was as perfect as that famous photo of the president clenching his fist under the flag during an assassination attempt. It captured the very essence of a girl reaching out, hoping to touch the stars!
"March, could you send this photo to me?"
"Of course!" March 7th beamed, transferring the photo to her phone and then forwarding it to Seele.
A few seconds later...
In a room brimming with gamer vibes, Silver Wolf, lounging disheveledly on her bed, covered her mouth with a hand and yawned. She'd had too much fun playing with Seele yesterday, leaving her too excited to sleep. After Seele logged off, she had simply pulled an all-nighter.
Even without the Stellaron Hunters offering strategies, Silver Wolf knew that a sweet, soft girl like Seele probably wasn't that interested in gaming. Just as she was pondering whether to change the topic for tonight's chat with Seele, her phone buzzed with a special notification tone. The drowsy Silver Wolf, who had been planning to catch up on sleep for the evening, instantly perked up.
Like a salted fish suddenly jolting upright from its deathbed, Silver Wolf snatched her phone with blurry speed and unlocked the screen.
[Cute Little Angel]—that was Silver Wolf's contact name for Seele. The message contained a photo.
The instant the photo registered in her eyes, her silver-grey pupils contracted to pinpricks.
"Augh!!"
As if struck by an invisible bullet, Silver Wolf lurched backward onto the bed, rolling over and over several times. She instantly saved the photo, set it as her phone wallpaper, and then hugged the phone to her chest, wearing a serene smile like a skeleton nestled in a field of flowers, bathed in warm sunlight.
Although Seele had sent it with precisely this intention, she seemed to have underestimated the photo's power.
The conversation between March 7th and Seele woke the Trailblazers who were previously just lying around.
Stelle and Caelus gathered around March 7th, watching as she flipped through the photos on her camera, sharing the stories behind each one. On every trailblazing journey, she would capture moments worth remembering. Memories might fade with time, but photos could vividly recall past events. To March 7th, these were more precious than any gold or silver.
Himeko took a gentle sip of her warm coffee, watching the lively youngsters with a warm, elegant smile.
Before long, Pom-Pom's voice echoed from the carriage's intercom.
"Hello~ Testing, testing!"
"The Express has entered a safe zone. Warp jump initiating in ten minutes. All passengers, please be seated and hold on tight. Be careful of vibrations, especially passenger March 7th."
March 7th blinked. "Um, was it necessary to single me out?" Weren't the newcomers experiencing the warp for the first time the ones who needed more reminding?
Pom-Pom replied, "Who else but passenger March 7th tries to challenge herself every time, only to end up tumbling?"
"Ah... hehe~!" March 7th scratched her head sheepishly, then clenched her small fist. "I'll definitely succeed this time!"
"You really are persistent," Stelle remarked.
"That's right! You'll find out soon enough that persistence is just one of my basic virtues," March 7th accepted Stelle's compliment with considerable pride.
"I'd rather call it hard-headed," Caelus muttered.
Sitting on the sofa, Caelus found a comfortable spot, relaxed his body, and sank into a 'Ge You slouch'. As someone who used to be notoriously unlucky in gacha, he never believed in superstition. But since something like transmigrating could happen, maybe believing a little couldn't hurt, especially since it was free. He decided to try pulling during the warp jump; maybe it would increase his drop rates.
Seele sat next to Caelus, her slender legs, wrapped in white stockings, pressed neatly together, her small, fair hands resting gently at her sides. Then, she switched to auto-pilot, giving control to White Seele.
[My parallel world self, are you sure it's okay for me to experience the first warp jump?] White Seele's voice, soft like a young warbler's chirp, held a touch of timid shyness. This was Seele's body, after all. Just being allowed to stay in this world, not forcibly sent back to that boundless Sea of Quanta, was something White Seele was already incredibly grateful for! And Seele often lent her the body, letting her experience such novel things.
[It's fine.] Seele's parallel world self always expressed emotions directly. Because of this, White Seele could feel through their connected minds Seele's... could you call it 'fondness for herself'?
White Seele's face flushed slightly. She lowered her head, silent, seemingly shy. Sh-she liked Seele very much too, but something always felt... off? Or maybe... different?
Staring intently at March 7th standing in the center of the lounge, Stelle rubbed her chin with one hand and abruptly stood up.
"What's up with you now?" Caelus glanced at her with half-lidded, dead-fish eyes.
"I suddenly feel like my knees were grown for nothing if I don't jump around a bit more," Stelle said. After pondering for a moment with a frown, she seemed to have an epiphany.
With that, she vaulted over the sofa with both hands and bounced over to March 7th's side, ready to try jumping with her.
"Caelus, come join us!"
"You guys have fun~" Caelus waved dismissively, like a kindergarten senior refusing a toddler's request to play a childish game. But then, a phrase inexplicably came to mind – Anime with jumping sequences in the opening are always masterpieces.
He paused for two seconds.
"Damn it, alright, I'm in~!"
The proud senior lowered his head. Caelus ran over to Stelle's side. "Give me your hand. Remember to raise your hands above your head when we jump."
"Huh? Why...? The Houbunsha Jump?" Stelle asked as she naturally placed her small, fair hand in Caelus's, the answer surfacing from her subconscious even as she spoke.
"Mhm~" Caelus grasped Stelle's hand, simultaneously feeling the sensation of Stelle holding March 7th's hand. When they made physical contact, their shared sensory range expanded, making the feeling even more distinct.
"Warp jump initiating! Everyone, please prepare! 5..."
Hearing Pom-Pom's countdown, the trio immediately held their breath, tensing up to jump.
"3, 2, 1!"
The instant Pom-Pom shouted "1!", the entire Astral Express seemed to transform into a streak of rainbow light, vanishing into the deep cosmos.
At that precise moment, Stelle, Caelus, and March 7th leaped high into the air, holding hands with their arms raised. March 7th didn't forget to whip out her beloved pink camera, pressing the shutter just as the three reached the apex of their jump, capturing their brilliant smiles in that precious moment.
Caelus also seized the opportunity, hitting the ten-pull button at that exact instant, his thoughts rapidly tapping across the blue-sky-white-clouds background of the pull screen.
Gazing at the dazzling meteors falling from the sky, Caelus's eyes lit up.
Hey now!
Did that actually work?
Although he didn't get a gold (5-star), he pulled a full three purples (4-stars)!
A three-star Gemini Soul Fragment and a one-and-a-half-star Advanced Learning Chip needed no further explanation. The other purple light was a Badge.
After tapping for details, a strange expression appeared on Caelus's face.
[Item: Badge - Kiana's Exam Admission Ticket.]
[Rank: ***]
[Effect: Path to Examination: When the character faces right, movement speed increases by 37%.]
Kiana's Exam Admission Ticket? Seriously?
A 37% movement speed boost was nothing to scoff at; reality wasn't a game. The difference between 137 mph and 100 mph was visibly significant. The insane power of percentage-based buffs truly manifested in the long run.
Caelus's gaze shifted to the first purple light.
[Item: Badge - Project Bunny Full Power]
[Rank: ****]
[Effects:
Defense Clear: When using Bronya, moderately boosts the character's Stigmata, greatly boosts Project Bunny's attack power.
Simulated Self-Destruct: When using Bronya, allows Project Bunny to enter a simulated self-destruct mode, granting a temporary boost to all attributes and unleashing a powerful self-destruct attack.]
What the? Self-destruct?
Caelus was stunned on the spot when he read the skill description.
[Rest assured, Host. The simulated self-destruct performed using the Badge will not truly destroy Project Bunny permanently. It will only consume your energy.]
With the system's explanation, Caelus quickly understood the mechanic. Simply put, it was like Ultraman Taro's Ultra Dynamite!
Too bad I don't have Bronya...
Before the sigh of regret could fully escape him, the second purple light entered his vision, causing Caelus's eyes to light up with sheer ecstasy. He almost wanted to grab the Seele beside him and plant a few kisses on her cheeks.
Just as I thought!
Just as I thought!
No Duck can resist Seele.
With Seele here, can the Duck be far behind?
[Item: Character Card - Bronya: Silverwing N-EX]
[Rank: ****]
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I have a little challenge for you! For every 100 POWER STONES, I'll release ONE EXTRA CHAPTER!
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