March 7th's smile froze on her face.
She suddenly turned her head and stared hard at Stelle.
Stelle remained expressionless. She even tilted her head slightly, as though waiting for a serious answer.
"Stelle!!!"
March 7th practically threw herself at her, pressing her whole body down on Stelle. One hand clamped tightly over Stelle's mouth, while the other locked around her neck, as though she wanted to strangle this person who could not read the room into unconsciousness on the spot.
"Mmph… mmph!"
Stelle made muffled noises under March 7th's restraint.
"What nonsense are you saying?!"
March 7th's voice was urgent and furious, her cheeks flushed bright red.
Right now, she regretted it deeply. Why had she not managed to block Stelle's mouth sooner?
What if Miss Kallen misunderstood them?!
"What wife who lost her husband?! I was just talking nonsense! Nonsense, do you understand?!"
As March 7th spoke, she secretly glanced at Kallen from the corner of her eye.
However, Kallen was still leaning against the chair, her expression unchanged. One could not tell whether she was angry or simply did not care.
As far as Kallen herself was concerned, she did not particularly mind.
Watching these two living treasures mess around in front of her was actually quite interesting.
But after seeing enough of it, Kallen had more or less built up a little resistance.
March 7th's heart, however, was still pounding wildly.
She did not know why she was so nervous. Those words had clearly been said privately between them. Although they had been caught red-handed by the person involved, still…
How could Stelle just ask it out loud?!
Was that something you could ask directly?!
"Mi-Miss Kallen!"
March 7th finally gathered her courage, turned to look at Kallen, and spoke with obvious nervousness and apology in her voice.
"Stelle is just like this. She talks without thinking. Please don't take it to heart!"
"She's just got a bad mouth. She really doesn't mean anything by it!"
March 7th nodded hard, then glared at Stelle.
"Say something already!"
Stelle, whose mouth was still being covered by her, could only make more muffled "mmph mmph" sounds.
Only then did March 7th realize she was still covering Stelle's mouth and hurriedly let go.
Stelle took a deep breath, then said with apparent sincerity,
"Sorry. I was just curious."
"Curious isn't allowed either!"
March 7th reached out again, trying to cover her mouth.
Just then, a soft laugh came from across from them.
March 7th's movements froze. Then she slowly turned her head.
At this moment, Kallen was leaning against the chair, the corners of her lips slightly raised. There was a warmth in her smile that March 7th had never seen before.
It was not the enthusiastic, radiant smile from Penacony.
Nor was it the polite, courteous smile she had shown after waking up.
March 7th froze.
She suddenly realized something.
Three days.
From the moment Kallen boarded the Astral Express until now, for three whole days, March 7th had never seen Kallen show a real smile.
Over these three days, Kallen had smiled too.
When Himeko came to see her.
When Welt spoke with her.
When Pom-Pom brought her black tea.
Those smiles had all been proper, polite, and flawless.
But there had been no warmth in them.
This smile was different.
This smile was real.
It came from the heart.
March 7th racked her brain for a way to describe it. The only thing she could think of was this:
It was the kind of smile someone would show when remembering something beautiful.
Then March 7th's heart sank sharply.
Because she suddenly realized that Miss Kallen, who had been melancholy for three days for no apparent reason, was definitely not smiling because of her.
Nor was she smiling because of Stelle.
It could only be because of the question Stelle had just asked.
March 7th's pupils contracted slightly.
Could Miss Kallen really be some kind of wife who lost her husband?
The thought was far too absurd.
So absurd that even March 7th herself thought it was ridiculous.
But the more she thought about it, the more wrong things seemed.
Back on Penacony, when Miss Kallen mentioned Bianka, that tone, that expression, that…
She could not describe it.
But if she placed the frame of "a wife who lost her husband" over it, everything suddenly made sense.
Hiss…
March 7th did not dare continue thinking.
She felt as if she had accidentally stepped into a very deep pit, one far deeper than she had imagined.
But she could not help wanting to confirm it.
So she made another bold decision.
"Miss Kallen."
"Could you… tell us a little about Miss Bianka?"
March 7th paused, then hurriedly added,
"Of course, if you don't want to talk about it, then forget I asked! I'm just… just a little curious…"
"After all, Pom-Pom really cares about this too."
March 7th's voice lowered.
"Although he hasn't said anything, we all know he hasn't been sleeping well these past few days."
"If Pom-Pom could learn a little more about Miss Bianka, even just a tiny bit… maybe he would feel a little better."
The car was quiet for a long time.
So long that March 7th began regretting what she had said.
Could you tell us about Miss Bianka?
Pom-Pom cares about this too?
Now that she thought about it, those words had been far too presumptuous.
Whatever happened between Miss Kallen and Miss Bianka was their private affair. What right did an outsider like her have to ask about it?
Besides, judging from Miss Kallen's condition over the past three days, this was clearly a memory that made her sad the moment it was mentioned.
Was this not just rubbing salt in someone's wound?
The more March 7th thought about it, the more she felt she had done something wrong. Her lips moved, and she was just about to say something.
Then Kallen's voice sounded.
"Bianka…"
"She was a very gentle person. When I first met her, I still didn't know my own origins. I didn't know what I was."
"Then she took me in and taught me many things."
"Mm… There are too many things I could say, but that is roughly how it was."
That was all.
No specific experiences.
No moving details.
No scenes that could draw the listener into her memories.
But March 7th froze anyway.
Because she saw Kallen's eyes.
Those blue eyes, the instant she mentioned the name "Bianka," seemed to be lit by something.
It was like taking out an old, yellowed photograph.
The person in the photograph was already gone.
But when you looked at it, you still could not help smiling.
Because those memories were still there.
March 7th opened her mouth, wanting to ask more.
But before she could speak, Kallen's gaze suddenly withdrew from the window and landed behind March 7th.
"Miss Himeko, Mr. Welt, Mr. Dan Heng. You are all here."
March 7th stiffened, then turned around.
Sure enough, aside from Pom-Pom, everyone currently aboard the Astral Express had gathered in the observation car.
But when had they arrived?
March 7th's brain began rapidly rewinding.
Just now, all her attention had been on Kallen, and she had not noticed any movement behind her at all.
Then…
How much had Himeko and the others heard?
They could not have been there since the moment she and Stelle were caught by Miss Kallen, right?
At that thought, March 7th's face began burning again.
She whipped her head around to look at Stelle, trying to gain a little support from her companion.
Then she discovered that Stelle had, at some point, already sat upright on the sofa. Her posture was dignified, and her expression was so serious that she looked as though she were attending an important meeting.
If March 7th had not noticed Stelle's fingers trembling slightly, she almost would have believed it.
"Hi-Himeko, Uncle Yang, Dan Heng! When did you get here?"
"Just now."
Himeko's voice was very calm.
So calm that March 7th felt even guiltier.
March 7th wanted to die.
She really wanted to die right now.
However, now was clearly not the time to let the two of them die.
Himeko stepped forward and said to Kallen,
"These two children have caused you trouble, Miss Kallen."
"They have always been like this. They are the living treasures of the Astral Express."
"One speaks without thinking, and the other thinks without speaking."
"If they say anything they should not say, or do anything they should not do, please do not be polite. Just tell me directly."
"I will educate them properly."
When Himeko said the words "educate them properly," her tone did not change at all, but March 7th inexplicably shivered.
She remembered the last time Himeko had "educated her properly." After that, she had nightmares for an entire week.
She could not remember the contents of the dreams.
But she remembered the feeling.
The feeling of being ruled by coffee.
Fortunately, Kallen currently had no intention of arresting the two of them.
"Mm… Judging from your expressions, do you have something to discuss with me?"
Himeko naturally did not deny it.
"Yes… We do indeed have a very important matter we would like to discuss with you, Miss Kallen."
After saying that, Himeko looked toward Welt beside her.
Welt immediately understood and stepped forward.
"Miss Kallen, I would like to ask: before you were ambushed by the IPC and fell unconscious…"
"Do you have any impression of how you entered this space?"
Because the topic had become serious, the atmosphere in the car suddenly changed.
Welt continued,
"The Astral Express has been trapped in this Nihility domain for almost three months."
"During these three months, we have tried every method we could think of, but we have never been able to contact the outside world."
"The train's communication system has completely failed. The power of the Paths has been severely diluted. Even our sense of direction has become blurred."
Welt paused.
"Not long ago, Himeko and I took the risk of going out to investigate, and then we discovered something."
"We discovered that the purity of this Nihility domain has absolutely reached Emanator level."
"If the Astral Express continues to remain here… it will face danger."
He did not say what danger.
But everyone knew that any danger Welt spoke of in that tone was definitely not a small matter.
The car remained silent for a long time.
Then Welt raised his head and looked at Kallen again.
"So, Miss Kallen."
"If you have any clue at all about this Nihility domain, even the smallest one, we hope you can help us."
Hearing this, Kallen fell silent for a moment.
Honestly, even she was rather confused about how the Express crew had managed to wander into this place.
Back when she came to this stretch of Nihility to find the Astral Express, even Kallen had been stunned for a moment.
Although the other max-level identities were not afraid of Nihility contamination, knocking herself unconscious before coming in to camp here was probably something only Kallen could do without harm.
However, in order to maintain her character setting, Kallen still decided to say nothing.
"Sorry. When I was ambushed by the IPC, I forcibly used a warp method and happened to land in this stretch of Nihility."
"And because I was far too weak at the time, I fell unconscious the moment I was teleported here. So I do not know any useful information."
After listening to Kallen's answer, Welt was silent for a moment.
"I understand."
"Miss Kallen being able to survive under such circumstances is already a blessing amid misfortune. As for clues about this Nihility domain…"
"…We will find a way ourselves."
Kallen did not comment on this.
Since Welt had specifically come to ask her for information, something serious must have happened.
So Kallen spoke again.
"Mr. Welt, may I ask something?"
Welt nodded slightly.
"Please."
"Has something happened to the Astral Express?"
The direct question made the car fall silent for an instant.
Then Kallen continued,
"A few days ago, I heard March say that when you and Miss Himeko went out to investigate, you found a relatively stable passage."
"According to the judgment at that time, as long as the train followed that passage, it should soon have been able to leave this Nihility domain."
"But just now, you said… you would go out to investigate today."
"So that passage… did something go wrong with it?"
Welt sighed, then continued,
"Yes. Something went wrong."
"The passage Himeko and I found three days ago… can no longer be found."
Kallen's brow moved slightly.
"What do you mean, it can no longer be found?"
Welt replied,
"Exactly what it sounds like."
"Himeko and I made detailed records of that passage's location. Coordinates, direction, reference points along the way… everything that could be recorded, we recorded."
He paused, as though organizing his words.
"But this morning, when the train continued forward according to our records, that passage disappeared."
"It was as if it had vanished completely. We cannot find any trace of it at all."
Hearing this, Kallen fell silent.
Actually, she knew why that passage had disappeared.
Because this Nihility domain was not ordinary Nihility at all.
It devoured direction.
It devoured time.
It devoured everything that could be devoured.
The Express crew had been trapped here for three months not because they had not worked hard enough, but because the essence of this domain was constant change.
A path found today might no longer exist tomorrow.
A distance measured today might become infinitely far away the day after.
This was the truly terrifying thing about Nihility.
It would not actively attack you.
It would not set traps in front of you.
It would not use any violent method to stop you from leaving.
It simply made you lose your way.
"So…"
Kallen's voice lowered.
"When you said earlier that you would think of a way yourselves, it was not because you did not want to trouble me, but because…"
She did not finish.
Welt did not deny it either. He raised his head and met Kallen's gaze.
"Miss Kallen, I do not want to hide this from you."
"But the current situation is indeed not optimistic."
"Three days ago, when Himeko and I found that passage, we judged that the train was probably only…"
He thought for a moment and gave a number.
"…less than a day's journey away from the exit."
"That judgment was not a blind guess. The Nihility concentration around that passage had clearly decreased, and our perception of the Path of Trailblaze had also begun recovering. All signs indicated that the exit was nearby."
"But now…"
Welt's voice sank.
"The passage has disappeared. All signs have returned to their starting point. The Nihility concentration has returned to its original level, and our perception of the Path of Trailblaze has become blurred again."
"It is as if… we never approached the exit at all."
Kallen did not speak.
Welt looked at her. The corner of his mouth tugged slightly, an action that barely counted as a smile.
"But Miss Kallen, you need not worry."
"Although that passage can no longer be found, based on our previous investigation, the train should currently be not too far from the exit."
"This is not blind optimism. It is a judgment based on data."
He raised one finger.
"First, the changes in Nihility concentration follow a pattern. Although that passage has disappeared, the concentration data we recorded does not lie."
"The Nihility concentration at the train's current location is indeed much lower than it was three months ago."
He raised a second finger.
"Second, although our perception of the Path of Trailblaze has weakened, it has not fallen completely to zero. This proves the exit still exists. We simply cannot find the correct direction for now."
Then he raised a third finger.
"Third, and most importantly—"
"We are not starting from zero. Over these three months, we have accumulated a large amount of data and experience. We know the operating patterns of this Nihility domain. We know when it changes, and we know the range of those changes."
"None of that was wasted."
Welt lowered his hand and looked at Kallen again.
"So, Miss Kallen, you do not need to worry too much."
"Today, I will go out with Dan Heng and make one final investigation into the route out."
He paused, pushing up his glasses.
"If things go smoothly, we may be able to find a new passage today."
"If they do not…"
He fell silent for an instant.
"…Then it will simply take a little more time."
Kallen looked at Welt and suddenly did not really want to speak.
She knew that part of what Welt said was correct.
The Nihility concentration around the train really was lower than it had been three months ago.
Their perception of the Path of Trailblaze really had not fallen completely to zero.
But those pieces of data could only prove one thing:
The exit did indeed exist.
What they could not prove was another matter entirely:
Whether the train was actually approaching the exit.
Kallen had not merely been waiting around these past few days.
Although she could not expose her connection to Nihility, nor openly use the authority of Nihility, she still had ways of sensing the condition of this domain.
Kallen was indeed an identity of Preservation, and her essence was Preservation.
But right now, in the eyes of the outside world, her nickname was the Witch of Nihility.
That was right.
With her Nihility authority, she could completely establish a link with this stretch of Nihility.
And it was precisely that connection that allowed Kallen to faintly sense the condition of this domain even without using her Nihility authority openly.
The result of that perception was…
Haha.
The Astral Express was still very far from the exit.
Everything Welt had said about "a little more time" was absolute nonsense.
If she did not take action, then given the Express crew's current situation, they might genuinely sink completely into Nihility.
At that thought, Kallen almost could not keep her composure.
Was the Astral Express not the protagonist group?
Could the protagonist group also run into a guaranteed-kill scenario?
At a time like this, should there not be some ally descending from the heavens to save them?
Was she that ally?!
Hiss.
Actually, after thinking it through carefully, Kallen realized that was exactly what was happening.
Kallen let out a soft sigh, then stood up from her chair.
"Mr. Welt."
"At a time like this, with the Astral Express in danger, I am currently a passenger aboard this train. It is only right that I lend my strength to the Express."
Welt froze for a moment. He immediately understood what Kallen meant.
"Miss Kallen, you intend to… go with us to search for the path?"
Kallen nodded.
"No."
Welt rejected her almost instinctively.
"Miss Kallen, your injuries have not recovered yet, and the situation in that Nihility domain is extremely unstable. Going out rashly would be far too dangerous."
"And—"
"Mr. Welt."
Kallen interrupted him.
"Now is not the time to worry about the injured."
"As you yourself said, the purity of this Nihility has reached Emanator level."
Her gaze swept over everyone in the car.
Himeko, Dan Heng, March 7th, Stelle.
Finally, her gaze returned to Welt.
Although these people were the protagonist group, in terms of raw strength, they were indeed still far too lacking.
Although, if the Astral Express truly encountered a life-or-death crisis, the Stellaron Hunters would probably take the initiative to escort them.
But at a time like this, it would still be safer for her to act personally.
Kallen continued,
"Among those currently aboard the Astral Express, I am the only Emanator."
"So please allow me to help."
The car fell silent for an instant.
Welt opened his mouth, wanting to say something in rebuttal, but he found that he could not find any reason.
Because Kallen was right.
An Emanator-level Nihility domain was not something an ordinary Pathstrider could handle.
He and Dan Heng both had decent strength, but before a domain of this level, their abilities were indeed stretched thin.
And Kallen…
She was an Emanator of Preservation.
Someone who had once fought a demigod alone.
Even if she was heavily wounded, even if her condition was poor, she was still the only person here capable of resisting this Nihility domain.
"I understand."
Welt finally nodded.
"In that case, Miss Kallen, please lend us your strength."
Join here to read ahead.
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 180)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl 285
"Is this chat group even serious?" 150
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (This matter is completely finished.)
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 255
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 210
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/20
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 305
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer (This matter is completely finished.)
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume4/40
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 130
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 155
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 120
I Can Copy Unique Skills 120
Summoning an Evil God, but the 75
Supernatural Multiverse 155
My Harem Is Indescribable 105
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 110
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 110
Still playing traditional Honk 96
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 95
What Should I Do After Switchi 51
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 80
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 55
Transmigrated as Sukuna 105
Checking In in Demon Slayer 95
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 105
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 95
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 80
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel (This matter is completely finished.)
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 95
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 90
Why did they assign me to Uma 80
MYGO Beauties 75
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 80
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 100
Honkai's Otherworld? Wait—Who Are You People?! 120
Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 65
The Uma Musume Who Became 70
I'm Definitely Not the King of 105
After Maxing Out Every Class 110
Honkai: World Modulation Mode 95
I, the Elden Sword Saint 60
Dio Brando Is Challenging FGO 60
No One Knows Pokémon Better 60
I, Sakazuki, Won't Go Down Tha 69
From Trilobites to Titans 57
Chainsaw Man: Contracted with 75
DanMachi: My Party Members Are 86
An Anime Heroine Darkened 60
Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Links 70
Honkai: The Fire Devil 70
Honkai Transformation Cards Volume2/30
Age of Heroes, I'm Just a Back 60
Uma Musume Has No Weird Fan Le 36
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