"Caelus, hurry up and dig!"
"Don't rush me, I'm digging, I'm digging!"
"Stop using the yo-yo, you're spraying snow all over me! Use the shovel."
"Tch... Hey! Found it! Right here!"
With two swift scoops from Caelus's shovel, a corner of the treasure buried in the snow was revealed. The cyan-blue chest gleamed like an elegant qipao, radiating a mature, abundant beauty.
Eyes shining like an overeager husky's, Stelle rapidly shoveled away the surrounding snow. "Hehe, my treasure chest! I'm coming in!"
Just as Stelle, full of anticipation, reached to flip open the chest lid, the treasure chest—which had seemed like a shy maiden awaiting the Trailblazer's touch—suddenly transformed into a starved widow, hollow with decades of longing. It gaped open its lid and swallowed Stelle whole.
"Huh!? What happened? Let me go! Let me go!"
Stelle's vision abruptly plunged into darkness. She tried to push the lid open, but it felt strangely alive, as if she were trapped inside a giant mouth.
"They even have Mimics here?" Caelus was stunned.
"Caelus! Quick, save me!"
The gray-haired girl's upper body was engulfed by the chest, her flat, soft abdomen caught at the edge. The tilted-back posture accentuated the alluring curve of her shapely rear. Gazing at that little behind wriggling before him, a bold idea flashed through Caelus's mind, but the allure of the crystals proved stronger.
"Coming, coming, stop yelling." Caelus patted Stelle's behind, then picked up the baseball bat that had fallen nearby. He took a batter's stance and swung down hard at the mimic's "head" with considerable force.
Thwack!
The treasure chest trembled slightly. The strange force holding Stelle vanished, and she yanked her upper body free—but with too much force, landing hard on her backside.
"Oww~!"
But seeing Caelus had opened the lid, she didn't even have time to rub her sore bottom before leaning eagerly forward.
"Wow! There's so much!" Her delicate, pretty face lit up with surprised delight, like a red dragon in a fantasy world spotting gold coins. Tiny, sparkling stars flashed in her eyes.
"Here, as agreed, half for each of us!" Caelus counted out 25 crystals and tossed them to Stelle.
Sampo, who had witnessed the entire event, was utterly dumbfounded. It wasn't anger at watching them divide his treasure; Sampo was always one to understand the situation. Realizing Caelus might actually strip him naked and leave him in the snow, he immediately chickened out, offering to lead the two "heroes" to an ancient relic he'd buried by the roadside while fleeing the Silvermane Guards.
Along the way, Sampo maintained a miserable expression, inwardly lamenting how the world had degenerated and people weren't what they used to be. To think the Nameless, usually known for being warm-hearted good Samaritans, had stooped to becoming bandits, robbing the planet's natives!
Then, Sampo led the group to the marked spot where the treasure was buried. However, what happened next completely defied his expectations.
First, the gray-haired girl named Stelle, like a little raccoon, squeezed herself between the steel framework of the relic with unbelievable flexibility and agility, getting herself stuck. She then called for the other gray-haired one, 'Caelus', to rescue her. Caelus took out a baseball bat and, with one swing that made Sampo's heart clench, smashed the ancient relic to pieces. Afterward, they both joyfully and excitedly picked up the broken fragments, dividing them between themselves as if their goal all along hadn't been the relic itself, but the broken junk parts. They kept muttering something about 'crystals'.
Damn it, they're completely unhinged! Sampo thought. Are you the Masked Fools, or am I?
The instant that thought crossed his mind, Sampo's heart skipped a beat. Oh no! Are these people really from the Astral Express? Based on these two's behavior, he couldn't help but suspect he'd run into genuine colleagues—fellow agents of chaos. Could some powerful big brother or sister be setting up an elaborate prank just to mess with him? Sampo glanced left and right, searching the nooks and crannies for any sign of a goldfish magically appearing out of nowhere.
Meanwhile, Dan Heng and March 7th exchanged no words; silence spoke volumes. March 7th still wore an indescribable expression, but having experienced this before, she was more or less used to it. As for stopping the duo when they were having one of their 'episodes' – utterly impossible! They wouldn't rest until they found their so-called 'crystals'; March 7th had realized this back on the Herta Space Station. So, neither she nor Dan Heng intervened. Once they found their 'crystals', they'd return to normal. It was just a small detour, anyway.
As for Sampo... March 7th had initially felt a twinge of guilt about robbing him like this. But now, seeing the relic smashed and Sampo himself looking shifty-eyed, glancing around nervously as if ready to bolt at any second, her compassion instantly evaporated. This was not how a victim was supposed to act!
"Not bad, not bad~!" Finding crystals right after landing was an auspicious start, putting Caelus in a great mood. He enthusiastically slung an arm around Sampo's shoulder.
"Caelus, look." Stelle, who had been happily stashing her crystals, walked over, but her cheerful expression faltered as she pointed at Sampo's chest.
Caelus glanced over and noticed the golden glow on Sampo's chest hadn't completely vanished; it had merely dimmed to a faint glimmer. After consulting the 'system' about this strange phenomenon and learning the reason, Caelus's face lit up with joy. This meant Sampo was a long-term source of treasure chests! After some time, a new one would spawn on him!
"Sampo! From this day forward, you are my sworn brother from different parents! My dear family!" Caelus kept his arm around Sampo's shoulder, patting his chest emphatically. "As long as you have a bowl of soup to drink, I'll make sure I always have meat to eat!"
Isn't that saying supposed to go the other way? Sampo thought, his expression strange. He forced a smile and nodded repeatedly. "Whatever you say, sir."
"Caelus, are you trying to keep him all to yourself?" Stelle's gaze sharpened instantly.
"Stelle, come closer, lend me your ear," Caelus beckoned.
After hearing about Sampo's special characteristic, Stelle was filled with solemn respect. "If he's your sworn brother, he's my sworn brother! Those Silvermane Guards? If they dare touch you, they'll have to ask my bat if it agrees!"
The sincerity in those golden eyes... you know, for a split second, Sampo was actually moved. He was a Masked Fool himself; this didn't look like acting!
"From today onwards, Advisor Sang is my favorite." Caelus gave a thumbs-up, then jerked his thumb to the side. "Shall we take a trip to Belobog?"
"Go into the city? Should I really? I already had bad luck running into the Silvermane Guards, and now I've barely escaped the wolf's den only to enter the tiger's mouth... I mean, my luck has turned! Meeting you two valiant heroes means we absolutely must celebrate with a meal in the city."
Hearing his brother's "heartfelt words," Caelus was satisfied and figuratively lowered the gun muzzle from Sampo's chest.
"Let's go."
The group continued on the path toward Belobog. Sampo looked for a chance to escape but found none. The two gray-haired Trailblazers flanked him like a pair of door gods, and Caelus even stuck close when Sampo needed to answer nature's call. Resigned, Sampo gave up on escaping and spent the journey answering Dan Heng's questions, occasionally asking things any normal local would know the answer to, just to keep up appearances.
"What's that?" Dan Heng stopped, frowning as he gazed ahead.
In the distance, about a dozen soldiers armed with weapons and wearing iron armor protecting vital joints and weak points were approaching, led by a figure clad in silver-blue armor.
"Silvermane Guards?" Dan Heng easily deduced the answer from their identical uniforms.
"Yes, that's them," Sampo nodded quickly.
"They don't look friendly," Caelus narrowed his eyes, focusing on the stern-faced young man leading the unit.
"Err," Sampo started, forcing an obsequious smile. "Actually, you are the ones who just arrived." He peeked nervously around. "Big brothers, sisters, shouldn't we run? It'll be too late if we don't!"
Just as Sampo finished speaking, the approaching squad spotted them.
"Suspect and accomplices sighted! Arrest them immediately!"
"I am Gepard Landau, Captain of the Silvermane Guards! I order you to cease all futile resistance!" shouted the blond young man in the lead. The other guards raised their weapons, moving to surround the group.
"This isn't good," March 7th's expression changed slightly. She reached for her compound bow, but Caelus stopped her hand.
"Hm?" She tilted her head, confused.
She saw Caelus and Stelle exchange a glance and nod. Then, they acted decisively. Each grabbed one of Sampo's arms as he was about to flee, escorting the utterly dumbfounded man forward as if apprehending a fugitive.
"You misunderstand! We are not his accomplices!"
"Earlier on the road, we witnessed him sneakily stealing and damaging engine components! We could tell he was up to no good, so we apprehended him!"
Caelus and Stelle beamed, their tones friendly yet righteous, showing not a hint of guilt.
Sampo stared, wide-eyed, looking as if he'd seen a ghost. You two were the ones who smashed the engine parts! Weren't we supposed to be loving family members?! Is this how you treat family?! This speed of changing faces has got to beat 99% of the 'patients' out there!
________________________________________
I have a little challenge for you! For every 100 POWER STONES, I'll release ONE EXTRA CHAPTER!
________________________________________
If you want more chapters, please consider supporting my page on Patreon. with 30 advanced chapters available on Patreon
patreon.com/Leanzin