After asking the space station staff, Gu Fan found Sam's room.
Silver hair, short cape, mini-skirt, black thigh-high stockings—Stelle, here I come!
Just as he was about to knock, a sudden thought struck him: if the door opened unexpectedly, would he catch a glimpse of Stelle's true form before she could transform?
At this thought, his hand involuntarily paused. He quietly placed his entire palm on the door lock.
The space station designed by Herta allowed anyone with equal clearance to enter others' quarters. This relied on the fact that Herta Space Station's staff were all academic elites who wouldn't risk their reputations by sneaking into colleagues' rooms.
The door opened. Gu Fan's heart pounded as he cautiously entered the room.
Sam, clad in full armor and standing about two meters tall, was hunched over on a small stool at the desk, reading a not-so-thick book. His thick fingers nimbly turned the pages.
Greatly disappointed, Gu Fan said, "Sam, aren't you hot wearing that heavy armor?"
Sam noticed Gu Fan's voice but seemed too focused to hear his question.
Gu Fan repeated himself.
Whether Sam found it difficult to answer or for some other reason, he didn't respond to the question. Gu Fan didn't mind and continued, "What are you reading?"
Sam said, "The Chronicles of the Great Guardian of Belobog."
Belobog history—this was familiar to Gu Fan.
"Which part are you at?"
"The part from eleven years ago, when Cocolia fought against the Fragmentum corruption," Sam replied.
The Fragmentum bred monsters. Belobog was gradually being consumed by it, and no one could survive in the corrupted parts of the city.
Cocolia was bewitched by a Stellaron, wanting to destroy Belobog to give it a new, though unknown, rebirth.
She committed many atrocities, causing needless sacrifices. She was the antagonist in the early game, eventually defeated by the Trailblaze team along with her own daughter and her daughter's girlfriend.
But Gu Fan couldn't bring himself to hate Cocolia. It wasn't that his moral compass was off—if blame was to be placed, it should be on miHoYo for making Cocolia too beautiful!
Speaking of which, Gu Fan wasn't at all surprised that Sam enjoyed reading. After all, suffering from the progressive terminal illness called Entropic Dissipation, one's thoughts were bound to be more profound than average.
Gu Fan cleared his throat lightly. It was time to discuss important matters—he only had a few dozen system minutes left in Star Rail.
"Actually, I have a question for you," Gu Fan said seriously.
Hearing his tone, Sam stood up, his two-meter height commanding the room.
"What's your take on Entropic Dissipation?"
Gu Fan carefully observed Sam's movements. Any abnormal emotional fluctuation could, to some extent, reveal his identity.
Sam's silver-white armor didn't quiver even slightly. The room's light fell on his armor and was immediately absorbed, with not a single ray reflected back.
"No particular opinion. Those who have this disease deserve sympathy."
From his tone, Gu Fan couldn't detect any sorrow. He felt that Sam would say this; and if Silver Wolf was trying to deceive him, she would say the same.
After speaking, Sam looked at Gu Fan, seemingly waiting for him to continue.
Unable to discern anything useful, Gu Fan rubbed his cheek, abandoned his probing, and got to the point: "Since you enjoy reading, I have a question to test you."
"I just like to find books to read in my spare time," Sam said, gesturing for Gu Fan to continue.
"Do you know what happens if someone hot-switches between multiple paths?"
"Hot-switches?" Sam said with a puzzled tone.
From his reaction, he didn't seem to have any knowledge of this. Gu Fan thought as he explained:
"For example, Destruction, Preservation, Hunt, and so on. In battle, flexibly switching between multiple paths to adapt to different situations. Has there been any precedent in history?"
Sam rubbed the chin of his helmet contemplatively. After a moment, he shook his head.
"I've never heard of a Path Walker hot-switching between multiple paths. Not just multiple paths—I haven't even seen anyone with dual paths."
Gu Fan was somewhat disappointed. He continued, "I thought that you Stellaron Hunters, with your vast experience, might know something."
Sam seemed to recall something. He mused aloud:
"I once heard that, a long time ago, a Path Walker was thought to be able to hot-switch between dual paths. Several geniuses from the Genius Society jointly studied this individual for months."
"And then?" This information wasn't in the game as far as Gu Fan knew.
"It turned out he had another body within him," Sam said.
"Another body?"
Sam nodded: "They were conjoined twins who underwent surgery at birth. The doctors removed the extra brain tissue, but some remained. Coincidentally, both twins were Path Walkers."
"So he could use his brother's path power?" Gu Fan said in surprise.
Sam nodded. "Being a Path Walker isn't strongly tied to bloodline. If you're a Path Walker, your children might not be. On a universal scale, the probability of becoming a Path Walker is quite low. The probability of both brothers being Path Walkers is already minimal, the probability of them being conjoined twins even lower, and for one to retain path powers after brain tissue removal is simply inconceivable."
"Bizarre," Gu Fan said.
"The universe is vast, and history is ancient. Even the most improbable events can eventually sprout when nurtured by the passage of time," Sam said.
How poetic. Gu Fan nodded and asked, "What happened to that person afterward?"
Sam: "I don't know. The book doesn't record what followed."
Gu Fan was just curious; this person's situation didn't match his own. Compared to this story, Gu Fan had more pressing matters of personal concern.
"Could you help me find out by asking Kafka, your second-in-command?" Gu Fan said. "I'm very interested in this."
A laugh emanated from Sam's silver armor. Then he said, "I'll ask Elio for you."
Sam took out his phone. His phone case featured a white silhouette drawing of a boy and a girl sitting on a fallen hollow tree trunk, a large and small hand overlapping, both looking up at the full moon hanging in the sky.
As Sam typed, he explained, "Elio can foresee the future. Information that others couldn't possibly know, she can easily access. I'll ask her for you."
"Elio?" Gu Fan murmured.
Sam concentrated on typing on his phone's virtual keyboard. His phone made no clicking sounds as he typed. Sam's hands, one and a half times larger than the average adult's, moved nimbly across the phone.
Star Rail really is a sci-fi setting, Gu Fan thought.
[Remaining time: 45 system minutes]
Sam's hands stopped.
"What did Elio say?" Gu Fan asked eagerly.
Sam put away his phone and shook his head.
Even Elio doesn't know? Gu Fan thought to himself. Doesn't she have the ability to foresee the future? If I successfully hot-switch between multiple paths, shouldn't she know? Does this mean I'll fail, or that I won't even try?
"Are you in a hurry?" Sam's tone conveyed concern. "I can help you contact others."
Gu Fan shook his head. "Never mind."
If even Elio didn't know, then perhaps few in the entire universe would.
But this indirectly confirmed that hot-switching was indeed rare—Herta would definitely be interested.
Next, he needed to visit the Astral Express to ask Old Yang from the Honkai 3rd world. His knowledge domain differed from Elio's; he might know things that even Elio didn't.
Just as Gu Fan was about to leave, he looked at Sam, who had returned to his small stool, his large body curled up, preparing to finish the last few pages of the Chronicles of the Great Guardian of Belobog.
Gu Fan spoke casually, as if greeting a familiar acquaintance: "By the way, Silver Wolf."
Sam looked up at Gu Fan but showed no other reaction.
Gu Fan had to admire Sam's quick reflexes. He still couldn't tell from Sam's reaction whether he was actually Silver Wolf.
Meeting Sam's gaze, Gu Fan said, "When I get a phone, can I add you as a friend?"
Hearing Sam's quiet agreement, Gu Fan felt satisfied. Either way, there was a good chance Sam was Silver Wolf. Once he secured a phone from the Herta Ladies' Exclusive Promotion Club, Silver Wolf would be his first friend!
What? He'd already promised that first friend slot to Asta? Asta who?
End of Chapter