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For a moment,
both Dan Heng and March 7th were taken aback.
Due to their similar clothing, they had assumed the pair to be siblings, lovers, colleagues, or friends.
Faced with Bochang's proactive offer to perform artificial respiration, neither of them intervened.
One step, two steps...
Bochang, driven by urgency, tapped into his full potential. He aimed to reach Stelle as quickly as possible, hoping to administer mouth-to-mouth before she could wake up.
The distance between them was not far.
About three steps away.
As he approached,
Bochang got a clear view of Stelle's face.
Her long, slightly dark gray hair lay gracefully on the ground, smooth and elegant.
Delicate features adorned her oval-shaped visage, accentuated further by gently furrowed willow-leaf brows, making her appear strikingly appealing.
"Oh no... She seems about to wake up."
In that moment, Bochang took one final step and intuitively nudged March 7th aside, catching her off guard... The pink-haired girl stumbled momentarily before regaining her senses.
By then, the black-haired youth was nearly about to kiss the gray-haired girl.
Just as this happened...
Stelle's eyes fluttered open. Staring blankly at Bochang's approaching face, she instinctively turned away.
Their lips brushed against the side of her cheek instead.
As Bochang prepared to exhale, he sensed something amiss.
"This doesn't feel like lips..."
His eyes snapped wide open, revealing the gray-haired girl beside him, gazing sideways with a hint of confusion on her face. She showed no reaction whatsoever, merely observing Bochang with her beautiful golden eyes.
Rushing over, March 7th slapped her hand onto the black-haired youth's cheek, pushing him away. "Stop! Shut up! -She's already awake!"
The force exerted by Stelle was too strong for Bochang to resist, causing them to abruptly part with a faint popping sound.
Neither fully understanding why, both felt a peculiar sensation stirring within their hearts.
"Damn... My Speed still wasn't quite fast enough. If I hadn't pushed March 7th away just now... I probably could have kissed her. Wait, but if I didn't push her, March 7th would definitely have stopped me immediately... This is so frustrating..."
After being shoved aside, Bochang suddenly felt uneasy, fearing that "Dating Options" might impose some punishment.
["Unpredictable consequences will ensue."]
What exactly could those be?
No matter; Bochang believed he would soon find out.
As expected, the neutral electronic voice promptly sounded:
[Option 1 completion at 50%.]
[Rewards halved and currently distributing—Congratulations on receiving a 50% physical enhancement.]
A warm sensation coursed through Bochang's body, and he could feel his physical attributes rapidly improving.
The delightful feeling was almost overwhelming, making him want to shout out loud.
After a brief moment...
The reward concluded.
Noticing the absence of any further audio prompts, Bochang was taken aback, thinking, "That's it?"
Dating Options showed no intention of responding.
Bochang continued, "Just this?"
He couldn't believe that the "Unpredictable Consequences"... ended so simply.
This significantly diminished his awe towards the system.
Bochang pondered for a moment.
"I get it now, you must be from CatStation's system, right?" With growing boldness, Bochang probed further, "When do you plan on transforming into your wife form?"
Dating Options remained silent, playing dead.
No matter how Bochang called out, there was no response. Perhaps it was contemplating which female attire would be best suited for future use. (Strikethrough)
While the black-haired youth's thoughts ran wild,
March 7th was conversing with Stelle.
"Are you alright? Can you hear me clearly? Do you remember your name?" The pink-haired girl asked a barrage of questions.
Strangely, Bochang could understand what they were saying, and it was evident that others also comprehended him without issue.
With no clear explanation, Bochang attributed everything to "Dating Options," his presumed system.
Although the entity had never explicitly acknowledged being a system, Bochang had already accepted it as such.
Dan Heng's gaze shifted towards the black-haired youth.
"Greetings. May I ask, did something happen here? Why are both of you lying on the ground?"
For a moment, Bochang's mind went blank before he quickly responded, "I don't know... I can't remember anything."
Next to him, Stelle echoed similar words.
Both pressed their hands against their foreheads simultaneously, their movements uncannily synchronized.
"Memory loss for both of you? That complicates things." March 7th turned her head, palms outstretched. "Do...you still remember your names? Please try hard to recall."
"Stelle, my name is Stelle."
After a moment of thought, Stelle provided this response.
Bochang instinctively wanted to give his real name... but suddenly considered if using "Caelus" might be better. However, remembering the context of "Hunters," he decided against it and faithfully stated his actual name.
"Bochang."
Upon hearing this, March 7th's mouth slightly widened, revealing surprise. "Your surname is Ji?"
"No, my surname is Bo, not Ji." Bochang smiled amicably, internally grumbling, 'What the heck?! Why does even the Star world have this joke? Should I say... typical of a Yanhuang game?'
Regarding the name "Bochang"...
Before crossing over, the black-haired youth was often teased by his friends, leading to the nickname "Ji Bochang."
He didn't expect that even after transmigrating, this reference would still follow him. It left him utterly speechless.
"Stelle and Bochang, hello. My name is Dan Heng, and this is March 7th."
The black-haired man with azure eyes interrupted the conversation between Bochang and the pink-haired girl.
As Dan Heng introduced himself, March 7th placed one hand delicately on her graceful collarbone and flashed a sweet smile, as if nothing had happened moments ago.
Dan Heng's gaze swept over Stelle and Bochang before continuing, "This space station was attacked by the Antimatter Legion... We were commissioned by Station Head Asta to provide assistance."
The Antimatter Legion serves as enforcers for the Destruction Epoch - Nanook, with their objective being the annihilation of all civilizations and lifeforms associated with Destruction.
In the game Star Rail, they are the primary antagonists during the initial storyline arc.
"Speaking of which... I've barely started exploring the Jarilo world when this transmigration occurred... If only it could have happened later. Right now, my knowledge is severely limited," thought Bochang.
Additionally, while playing games, Bochang never paid much attention to the plot details, so...
The situation was even worse than I thought.
It felt like navigating through complete darkness.
Apart from knowing that the Antimatter Legion's celestial weapon—the Doomsday Beast—would soon attack,
I had forgotten most of the finer details.
Likely, I would only recall them when experiencing those events again.
Hmm... Even then, Bochang might not necessarily remember everything.
"It seems I'll have to personally explore this world from now on..."
Contrary to the original plot, the gray-haired girl did not pose questions to Dan Heng and March 7th. Instead, she fixed her gaze directly on Bochang.
Her stare caught his attention.
"What is it?" Bochang touched his face.
Although feeling slightly nervous after kissing her, he tried to maintain a nonchalant demeanor.
Witnessing this exchange, Dan Heng explained to Stelle, "Just moments ago, your vital signs were weak... So Bochang planned to perform CPR on you, but before he could start, you woke up."