"Hey!"
"Stop spacing out already—you hit the Supreme Guardian!"
"Evan! Wake up! Stop zoning out!"
While Evan was still trying to process why three hundred thousand minds and Joyce's will were sitting inside his sea of consciousness—
Seele's nonstop voice finally dragged him back to reality.
"Huh?"
The figure of Joyce showed no intention of acknowledging him at all.
It felt less like a companion and more like an automatic defense system—
only appearing when an intruder tried to break in.
To Evan himself?
No idea who you are. Don't know you.
"Uh… wait," Evan muttered.
"What just happened?"
He looked at Seele, his expression turning increasingly strange.
"I attacked Cocolia?"
"I didn't even move—how did that happen?"
Judging by Seele's complicated expression, Evan instantly understood.
"So you're saying… while I was spacing out, I somehow beat her?"
"Then where is she?"
"…She ran," Seele replied.
"Bronya went with her."
"They've disappeared."
Before Seele could finish her sentence—
Rapid footsteps echoed from outside.
This wasn't Sparkle's playful tapping.
This was the sound of Silvermane Guards flooding in from all directions.
And along with it came a very familiar voice—
"Emergency!"
"The Supreme Guardian has been attacked!"
"Everyone inside, drop your weapons and come out immediately!"
"Seal the area! No one is allowed to leave!"
Gepard.
That Landau kid sure moved fast.
But honestly—
did he want them to come out, or did he want no one to leave at all?
Meanwhile — In Space Above Jarilo-VI
A train that had traveled across countless star systems finally arrived.
Destination:
The Azure Star Zone — Herta Space Station.
One of the most publicly active Emanators of Erudition resided there.
The other?
The infamous Primitive Doctor.
Naturally, Herta herself was also a member of the Genius Society—
But that was just background information.
Now—
The Astral Express crossed star regions, following the silver rails of Trailblaze, and reached Jarilo-VI.
They were about to pass straight through—
Only to find the path completely blocked by a Stellaron.
So—
"Dan Heng, why does this place look like this?"
"It's just snow everywhere—there's not a single person!"
March 7th shivered.
Beside her, the Stellaron-born girl—less than a day old—hugged her arms and repeated the words verbatim.
"…Snow everywhere—no people."
"You're a parrot or what?"
"You're a parrot or what?"
"..."
Dan Heng ignored them and checked the data.
"There's no mistake. This is Jarilo-VI as recorded on the star charts."
"But a planet named after the God of Spring shouldn't look like this."
"That's obviously the Stellaron's fault," March 7th said irritably.
"Those things are so annoying."
"…Not you."
"Stop looking at me like that."
The newborn girl stared curiously at everything—including the monsters buried in the snow.
"Let's move," Dan Heng said.
"There's a city over there. That should be this planet's civilization."
"There are antimatter legion remnants in the snowfields."
"So not only is there a Stellaron—Destruction forces were here too."
With that, the two overly energetic girls finally quieted down and followed Dan Heng toward Belobog.
Originally—
According to Sampo's script,
they were supposed to meet the Nameless on the road,
and let them resolve this planet's crisis.
But now?
The script had clearly gone off the rails.
Someone's unexpected appearance had completely rewritten the story.
The journey from the snowfields to Belobog was eerily quiet.
Too quiet.
Even the Silvermane Guards who were supposed to be patrolling the tundra were nowhere to be seen—
All of them had been pulled back to Qlipoth Fort.
Because of one reason:
The Supreme Guardian had been attacked.
Lock down the scene.
No one leaves.
Evan and Seele were completely surrounded inside Qlipoth Fort.
At the City Gates
Security had been doubled.
A patrol that normally consisted of four soldiers now had more than a dozen.
An elite unit.
"Stop right there!"
"Unidentified outsiders! Drop your weapons immediately!"
"The city gates are closed—where did you come from?!"
With that command, the soldiers raised their spears at the three newcomers.
March 7th immediately reached for her bow.
The Stellaron-born girl didn't hesitate either—
she tightened her grip on the baseball bat she'd borrowed from the space station.
Weapons were out.
Dan Heng didn't even get a chance to explain.
The squad leader cut him off coldly.
"Oh? So you are hostile."
"You must be accomplices of those criminals, aren't you?"
"..."
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