Himeko just observed Silver Wolf's arrival with mild curiosity. Although Silver Wolf was technically a Stellaron Hunter, she didn't seem like one anymore. She was more of Pei Guang's companion and one of Herta's test subjects.
Interestingly enough, some factions no longer considered Silver Wolf a wanted criminal, although her bounty kept increasing. Nowadays, she was more of a mascot, topping the Interastral Peace Corporation's wanted list as a bit of a running joke.
On the internet, she had also become a hot topic. Some people were joking about jumping off rooftops, others bragged about their wins, and those who had sold everything down to their underpants were happily, or less happily, buying new clothes and houses. No one really knew who was being serious or who was just in it for the laughs.
Silver Wolf asked, "Seriously, is it really okay for me to stay here? That little guy seems pretty nervous."
Pei Guang nodded. "No problem. Let me introduce you. This is Pom-Pom, our conductor. You understand, right?"
Silver Wolf immediately understood and turned to Pom-Pom, who was peeking out from behind Himeko. Though Pom-Pom tried to look fierce, the little creature's adorable attempt at intimidation only made Silver Wolf smile.
Silver Wolf bowed theatrically. "I'm Silver Wolf, Stellaron Hunter—oh, but don't worry about that. And you, with such a grand posture, must be the majestic, brave, and utterly impressive conductor of the Astral Express, right? Due to special circumstances, I used a player's ability to get here, and I apologize for the intrusion. If you ever need me for any quests, just give me a good reward, and I'll gladly take the mission."
Silver Wolf had truly been enjoying the life of a player recently. Thanks to Pei Guang, she'd managed to score a ton of rare quest rewards from Herta.
Although getting caught or being on the run was a more challenging way to play, Silver Wolf had experienced that plenty of times. Sometimes it was nice to ride on the coattails of a powerful ally and enjoy the spoils. After all, in games, watching someone else do all the damage while you sit back and observe was a kind of fun too.
Silver Wolf had recently been sneaking around Belobog, where she discovered a hidden trash can stuffed to the brim, glowing with an energy she couldn't even begin to analyze. From that moment, she was officially converted into a true "player."
After being showered with praise by Silver Wolf, Pom-Pom puffed up with pride. "Ahem! You've got good eyes, but..." Pom-Pom wanted to say something more, but upon sensing the familiar aura surrounding Silver Wolf, it changed its tone. "But next time, don't show up so suddenly. You almost gave this conductor a heart attack!"
Despite looking timid, Pom-Pom knew a lot more than it let on. Pei Guang, after all, was chosen by the train itself to be a Trailblazer. And if she had lost to him, that made Pei Guang nearly invincible in Pom-Pom's eyes.
Silver Wolf grinned. "Got it. Mission received."
She then turned to Pei Guang, confidently offering, "Don't worry about the Xianzhou entry; I'll handle it."
Pei Guang nodded. "Sure, but just to confirm—was what Kafka said true?"
Silver Wolf replied, "It's true. There's no reason to deceive you. Though our factions are different, we share similar goals. But the real purpose behind this mission has nothing to do with you. Still, I'm sure you've already figured that out."
Pei Guang smirked. "Too easy. Want me to say it out loud?"
Silver Wolf waved it off. "Better not. Prophecies tend to lose accuracy when spoken."
Himeko, who had been listening, nodded. "Silver Wolf's got a point. If Stellaron Hunters weren't so useful, a bunch of crazies like them wouldn't have survived this long. They're difficult, but just that—difficult."
Even with Silver Wolf's old bounty at 5.1 billion, it wasn't meant to kill her—just to annoy her. No one who could afford to chase a Stellaron Hunter would waste their time, and those who couldn't, well, they wouldn't even try!
Silver Wolf gave a small nod in acknowledgment, her response simple.
While Pei Guang, Silver Wolf, and Himeko discussed in cryptic terms, Stelle grew frustrated, finding their conversation hard to follow. "Hey, can one of you explain what's going on? I didn't catch all of that."
Seeing Stelle's puzzled face, March 7th sighed and reminded her, "You forgot, didn't you? Pei Guang gave Silver Wolf that special effect. And remember who Silver Wolf works for? Plus, what's our next destination?"
Stelle still looked confused. "Huh?"
Silver Wolf couldn't help but tease, "I'm starting to doubt how smart you are…"
Stelle puffed out her chest. "Hey, I'm super smart! But I've got Pei Guang, so… Pei Guang, explain it to me!"
Pei Guang chuckled. "It's simple. Our next mission is in Xianzhou, right? And the Stellaron Hunters want us to get in, but there's a crisis going on. That means we can't just waltz in. So Kafka obviously arranged for someone—probably Silver Wolf—to help us sneak inside. Naturally, we'll get caught, and there'll be misunderstandings. Classic plot device."
March 7th sighed. "Yeah, if we get captured again, it'll be like déjà vu all over again."
Pei Guang smirked. "As a player, going to new places, facing danger, and getting misunderstood is standard procedure."
Silver Wolf added, "And don't forget—the inevitable fights with enemies on the way, or maybe rescuing someone important, followed by internal conflict. You know the drill."
March 7th's eyes sparkled. "A kindred spirit!"
Silver Wolf grinned. "Right back at you."
Welt, watching the exchange, muttered, "I seem to remember that most of our misunderstandings are because of you, March."
March 7th feigned innocence. "Whaaat?! Uncle Yang, what are you talking about? No way!"
Pei Guang chimed in, "Yeah, yeah, we can't hear you—too much background noise."
Himeko stepped in, "Alright, enough messing around. Pom-Pom, we're counting on you for the next part."
Pom-Pom nodded eagerly. "Leave it to me, Conductor Pom-Pom has everything under control! Everyone, please brace yourselves. The train will soon initiate warp. No jumping, flipping, or any other forbidden activities during the transition. Warp countdown…"
As the warp prepared to activate, Pei Guang wasn't interested in the usual antics. But being a player, he wasn't about to miss out on some fun. His favorite thing? Finding loopholes.
As the countdown began, Pei Guang's eyes glinted with mischief as he looked at Stelle and March 7th.
Feeling his gaze, Seele asked curiously, "What's with that look, Pei Guang? You don't seem like you're about to attack anyone."
Stelle replied knowingly, "You don't understand. This is one of the train's traditional stunts."
March 7th added, "Exactly! Seele, Silver Wolf, this is your first time experiencing a warp on the train, right? Time to introduce you to our little tradition. So, Pei Guang, what's the plan this time?"
At that moment, Himeko, Welt, and Dan Heng instinctively took a few steps back, curious to see what Pei Guang had in mind now that jumping and flipping were off the table during the warp. They were all interested to see what stunt he'd pull off next and whether it would lead to new rules being added for future trips.
Under the watchful eyes of Himeko, Welt, and Dan Heng, Pei Guang pulled out his trusty trash-can lid, secured it firmly on his head, and then performed a perfect handstand, balancing his head firmly on the floor.
For Pei Guang, a player through and through, maintaining such a calm stance was only slightly challenging, especially when an invisible force seemed to be helping him maintain balance.
Watching this scene unfold, Himeko, Welt, and Dan Heng fell into deep thought. Handstanding during a warp jump? Definitely something that should be banned.
But soon, they realized they hadn't thought far enough.
Pei Guang, Stelle, and March 7th coordinated flawlessly, as if they had rehearsed. They seemed to understand exactly what needed to happen next!
Each grabbing one of Pei Guang's legs, Stelle and March 7th prepared for the next phase as Pom-Pom's voice rang out in countdown.
Pom-Pom: "Warp countdown... Three... Two... One!"
At the count of two, Stelle and March 7th gave a synchronized push, sending Pei Guang spinning like a fidget spinner: at first, his rotation was slow, but Stelle, using all her strength, began to spin Pei Guang faster, as if she were spinning a massive dreidel.
Sitting in her seat, waiting for the warp jump, Himeko was silent. In all her years aboard the train, she had never seen anyone pull off something like this. Although she remained quiet, her hands weren't idle—she picked up her phone and started recording.
Sure, it looked a little ridiculous, but the boundless energy of these young Trailblazers was quite charming to her.
Welt, on the other hand, was taking mental notes. Someday, he mused, he might just have to model an NPC or protagonist after Pei Guang for fun.
As for Dan Heng, he'd grown used to it by now. He simply closed his eyes and rested, slightly regretting that his recent naps had left him unable to drift back into his delightful dreams.
On the sidelines, both Seele and Silver Wolf applauded.
Silver Wolf: "It's spinning!"
Seele: "It's really spinning!"
And at that very moment, the warp began.