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The pink-haired girl seized a perfect moment to snap another photo of Stelle, then quickly showed it to them, saying, "Take a look, this one turned out much better... far nicer than the previous shots."
In the picture, Bochang and the gray-haired girl were seen chatting amicably.
Stelle managed a resigned smile.
Honestly...
At first, accompanying March 7th for photos was somewhat enjoyable, but as the time spent taking pictures increased, it gradually became more of a torment.
Before either Bochang or Stelle could respond,
March 7th's phone suddenly rang, and she took it out to glance at the message.
"Dan Heng has finished over there and is calling us now... let's hurry." The pink-haired girl put away her camera and phone, briskly leading the two back with urgency. Along the way, she tapped on her phone and asked, "By the way, do you guys have phones?"
Both Bochang and Stelle instinctively reached for their pockets, only to find nothing inside.
"No..." They shook their heads simultaneously.
On the return journey, Stelle no longer held onto Bochang while walking, but they still remained close to each other.
The black-haired youth had a rough idea of what might have happened.
After all... to Stelle, the amnesiac girl, Bochang was her only companion. Additionally, they were even dressed in matching outfits akin to a couple.
Walking closer together was entirely natural unless Bochang had done something to upset her, which seemed unlikely given their current closeness would likely persist for quite some time.
"Ah? No phones? That's not a problem... I'll go find Himeko later and get two for you." March 7th's crisp voice echoed from ahead, sounding generous and confident. "Let me tell you, although Astral Express isn't extremely wealthy, providing two cell phones is no issue at all."
"Is that really appropriate?" Stelle looked surprised.
March 7th waved dismissively. "Absolutely, it's more than appropriate. Think about it... On our way back, didn't Stelle help us quite a bit? Without your assistance, Dan Heng and I might have been stuck out there for several extra minutes..."
Indeed, during their return journey, Stelle had been invaluable.
"As for you, Bochang... don't be disheartened; you helped too. Remember those first three monsters we encountered? If not for your swift action, Stelle and I would have likely taken another ten seconds to deal with them." March 7th continued walking while rubbing the back of her head.
Indeed, against those three small monsters, even considering both the pink-haired girl and Stelle's combined efforts, it wouldn't have taken more than a dozen seconds at most.
"Of course... I do have a little request from you," March 7th suddenly stopped, turned around, and gently tapped Bochang's nose with her index finger. "It's about... showing me that move again—'Explosion!' By the way, is that its actual name? I have no idea what it means, but shouting it does sound pretty cool."
"Next time, I'm definitely going to capture it on camera!"
The pink-haired girl was standing quite close to Bochang. He blinked and replied, "If there's an opportunity, I'll fulfill your wish. However... 'Explosion' isn't actually its proper name. It should be called Dragon Blast. Naming it 'Explosion' was just my quirky sense of humor, though I didn't expect it to become somewhat prophetic..."
Indeed, despite resting for quite some time, Bochang's physical condition had not fully recovered.
"Dragon Blast... Dragon... It sounds intriguing. Based on the power you displayed earlier, the name seems fitting." March 7th grinned. "I'm really looking forward to seeing it again, aren't you?"
Stelle stood nearby, silently observing.
After a moment of thought, the gray-haired girl asked, "So what does 'Explosion' mean? And what do you mean by 'one word becoming prophetic'? There seem to be many unfamiliar terms in your vocabulary..."
"'Explosion' refers to a blast or detonation. As for these words, I just inexplicably remember them... You don't know them either? How strange..." Bochang feigned deep contemplation.
Stelle didn't suspect anything, as she too felt similarly. Despite having no apparent memories from her Removal, she possessed exceptional combat proficiency. Bochang's comment actually made her feel more connected to him.
"It might be from your native language..." March 7th turned and continued leading the way. "During the Astral Express's voyages, it's common to encounter individuals speaking different languages. In such situations, we rely on simultaneous translation devices. However, once within interstellar space... most people primarily use the universal language."
As they chatted casually, the trio returned to Himeko's side.
The redheaded big sister smiled warmly. "It seems you all get along quite well."
"Of course," March 7th replied, lifting her chin proudly.
However, Himeko's gaze didn't linger on March 7th; instead, she looked at Bochang.
"Has your body recovered mostly?"
"Mm-hmm..." Bochang nodded.
Himeko wore a white dress resembling an evening gown. The left side draped down to her ankles, while the right side split high up to reveal black safety shorts underneath.
Additionally, a golden tree pattern adorned the waist of her white dress.
As Bochang boldly met Himeko's gaze, she returned his look. After a moment of contemplation, the redheaded big sister continued, "I'm quite intrigued by the space station tremors you caused earlier. Could we discuss this further? Although I've heard some details from Dan Heng, I still want to hear your perspective directly.
"If it's convenient for you... If not, then never mind."
Himeko did not press him.
However, for Bochang, this wasn't really a significant secret; his true secret lay with the [Dating Options].
Unfortunately, before he could respond, the electronic voice chimed again:
[Dating Options activated.]
[Option 1: Openly answer: "No problem, Himeko, feel free to ask." - Completion Reward: Obtain a random item, ranging from a matchstick to a star-destroying warship. Note: Such items will...]
[Option 2: Politely decline: "It truly is... somewhat inconvenient." - Completion Reward: Unlock Fate Path of Synergy and receive a random attribute power.]
This time, the [Dating Options] presented only two choices.
These rewards had all appeared before.
Either take a gamble or... utilize the power of fate paths.
Without considering the rewards,
Bochang would undoubtedly have no issue sharing his Dragon Talisman abilities with Himeko.
However...
The current rewards offered by the "Dating Options" sway Bochang towards Option Two.
Although Fate of Collaboration is primarily an auxiliary boost,
for Bochang, it's sufficient.
"No, I can't... Concealing information isn't ideal. Being straightforward and honest with Himeko will actually earn her trust more easily. Besides, since my last gamble didn't pan out, let's go all-in this time. Enigmata item... you're the chosen one!"
"Option One!"
The world around him resumed its motion.
Bochang replied, "It's alright, Himeko, feel free to ask."
[Reward being issued—Congratulations! You have obtained the Vow Spear as equipment. This weapon cannot be destroyed, guarantees a 100% hit rate on any target, and automatically returns to the wielder. Note: The item has been stored in the system space and requires a blood-binding ritual for ownership before use.]