Watching the crowd, hyped and motivated, Pei Guang breathed a sigh of relief. Just thinking about how exhausting farming in such a real world would be, made his head spin. In regular games, NPCs could fill players with either frustration or excitement. But here, if he actually got involved, it would probably just lead to a massive headache.
Using some inspiring words and phrases that people half-understand, Pei Guang managed to steer them away from the idea of crowning him as a ruler. After all, compared to being forced into a leadership role, Pei Guang preferred the idea of dressing himself in royal robes—but only if he had the interest. And if he didn't, no one was going to make him wear them!
On the other side, Bronya's face showed a flicker of regret. She had hoped to draw Pei Guang over, knowing that with his vast knowledge and experience, Belobog would undoubtedly prosper under his guidance. However, it was clear that he had no interest in such matters. Since that was the case, she wouldn't push further. While Seele might follow him for a time, Bronya wasn't satisfied with just that. She dreamed of Belobog finding traces of Pei Guang's journey across the universe and hoped that one day, Belobog's people would carry on the will of Preservation, saving more worlds that, like Belobog, had been invaded by the Antimatter Legion and corrupted by Stellaron.
The speech concluded, and after Pei Guang's remarks confirmed he wasn't interested, Bronya could only express her gratitude by bestowing the Trailblazers an honorary title—a unique achievement belonging solely to Belobog.
In Belobog's History and Culture Museum, which was currently under renovation, events related to the Trailblazers were being documented. A monument of a large trash can, with four little figures standing atop it, was also being crafted.
After the inauguration ceremony, Pei Guang and his group went to Qlipoth Fort to say their farewells to Bronya. Though it was technically a farewell, it felt more like casual conversation and banter, as with teleportation, they could return anytime. So the mood wasn't particularly sad.
Seele, standing next to Pei Guang, said goodbye to Bronya, "Bronya, I'm leaving. I'll leave this city and the Underworld in your hands."
Bronya replied, "I'll lead everyone to prosperity and a happy future. You take care of yourself too—being out there isn't like being at home…"
Seele paused thoughtfully, "I'm not sure I was doing that well at home either…"
Bronya: "…"
Seele added, "Anyway, I can teleport back whenever. No need to be so sentimental. But if teleportation ever stops working, I'll still fight with all I've got to come back. After all, Nat and the kids are here… and so are you."
While Seele was saying her goodbyes, the other four gathered and began chatting.
March 7th remarked, "So this leg of the Trailblazing journey ends smoothly, huh~"
Pei Guang nodded, "Exactly! The main story this time was full of engagement! Shame the boss wasn't that tough."
Stelle chimed in, "Yeah, we only had a few encounters with Cocolia, and then she was down. Not as satisfying as I'd hoped."
Pei Guang reassured her, "Don't worry. Maybe the next boss will be much tougher, maybe even too tough for us."
March 7th laughed, "Come on~ Even if it's one of the Antimatter Legion's minions, with Uncle Yang and Himeko around, we won't be in danger."
Pei Guang couldn't help but tease, "Or… could it be that the next world is the Xianzhou world that Dan Heng is banned from, along with a Destruction-wielding Aeon's Emanator?"
March 7th burst out laughing, "Ahem, that could happen later, but not next! Our next destination has been set for a while; we just got sidetracked by the Stellaron here."
Pei Guang countered, "The more you say, the more it feels like it could happen."
Stelle added, "A Destruction Emanator? I wonder if it could handle this!"
She pulled out her light cone, already eager to use it on some Antimatter Legion members to see if they recognized it—after all, this was the light cone she got by threatening Nanook, the Aeon of Destruction. It would be quite the thrill to bash some enemies with it.
March 7th boasted, "Hmph, whether it's our next destination or Xianzhou, there are powerful people everywhere. A Destruction Emanator? Not a big deal! If one shows up, I'll grant you each a wish."
Pei Guang grinned, "You all heard that—it was her idea, not mine."
March 7th, shocked, replied, "C'mon, place a bet with me! Just say you agree!"
Pei Guang, still grinning, said, "Why would I bet on something that's bound to happen? That's just tempting fate—very bad idea!"
March 7th sighed, "Oh no… I've jinxed it…"
Stelle, curious, asked, "What would you rate this journey, out of five?"
Pei Guang replied, "Three."
March 7th: "Five!"
Dan Heng: "Five."
After sharing their ratings, Dan Heng explained, "I'd give the journey itself 2.5, but the relaxation over the past few days? Full marks."
March 7th turned to Pei Guang, puzzled, "Why only a passing score? You had so much fun!"
Pei Guang shrugged, "Having fun is one thing, but everything that happened was predictable. The gameplay and excitement were great, but the story didn't surprise me. To get full marks, I need a plot twist!"
Stelle teased, "What would it take to surprise the unbeatable Pei Guang? It must be terrifying…"
March 7th shuddered, "Exactly! Let's keep Pei Guang's score at three from now on, so we can keep enjoying ourselves~"
Hearing this, Dan Heng sighed, but truth be told, he was satisfied with this journey. It was the only time he hadn't had to overthink anything—just a relaxing, straightforward adventure where he'd even learned how to manage his fears!
Pei Guang wrapped it up with a smile, "Well, I like to give a fair and balanced rating, but when it comes to fun? Traveling with all of you—full marks, no matter the scale!"
March 7th cheered, "That's the spirit! Ah~ We've explored everything in this city. Should we head back now?"
Dan Heng pondered, "I have a feeling that if we step outside, it'll be a bit of a problem."
Because after the inauguration, the entire city now recognized them. Leaving Qlipoth Fort might truly make it difficult to move around. Before, they had trouble navigating as fugitives; now, they couldn't go a step without being mobbed by fans. Pei Guang's popularity had skyrocketed along with the group's reputation, so going out now would be like getting mobbed by the whole city.
If they left now, it wouldn't just be old folks offering vegetables and eggs—young people would swarm them for autographs too.
Despite that, March 7th thought the experience sounded delightful, and Dan Heng, though he had no particular feelings about it, wasn't against it, given his improved mood recently.
With Seele and Bronya's farewell concluded, Pei Guang and the others also said their goodbyes to Bronya. Though they had teleportation, they still expressed their gratitude and blessings, leaving nothing unsaid.
As Pei Guang and the others left, Bronya returned to her desk to continue her work. However, she stared at her desk and fell into deep thought.
Meanwhile, back on the Astral Express, Himeko and Welt had been having a great time over the past few days.
They had watched the inauguration of Belobog's new Supreme Guardian, Bronya, and had also seen Pei Guang and the others' performance. How to put it? Seeing everyone with trash can lids on their heads... it was truly amusing. Especially Dan Heng—not only did he have a trash can lid on his head, but he was also holding a pink bunny plush. While Bronya was passionately giving her speech, Himeko and Welt were on the verge of bursting into laughter.
The people of Belobog might not have thought much of it, but Himeko and Welt had known Dan Heng for a long time. Seeing him in that state made it impossible for them to suppress their smiles.
Himeko said, "Looks like they'll be returning soon."
Welt nodded. "Indeed. Though Pei Guang, he..."
Himeko added, "He wasn't wrong, was he?"
Welt nodded again. "No, he wasn't. In this universe, weakness is the greatest sin… I just wonder what the future holds for that planet."
Himeko smiled, "Who knows? Maybe in a few hundred or even a few thousand years, the name of that planet will spread across the stars."
While the Trailblazers prepared to return to the Astral Express, Silver Wolf was in Herta's office, anxiously adjusting something.
Kafka asked, "Still not ready?"
Silver Wolf glanced at Kafka's question and hesitated, unsure how to respond. "Breaking into the Express isn't particularly difficult, but... there's been a bit of a small hiccup. During the projection process, there might be some... minor uncontrollable issues."
Kafka raised an eyebrow. "Will it affect the plan?"
Silver Wolf replied, "No, it won't affect the plan. It's just... your projection might have some small, very small glitches."
In truth, the problem wasn't that small. Thanks to the special effect Pei Guang had given Silver Wolf, a "firework effect" triggered whenever she used her hacking abilities. As a result, when Silver Wolf helped Kafka hack into the Astral Express to create her projection, fireworks kept popping up during the display.