"Mommy, aren't I amazing?"
The little raccoon wagged her tail happily, making no effort to hide the smug look on her face, clearly proud of her self-taught success.
"Amazing my foot!" Ena immediately flicked her forehead.
"Mom… you're being mean to me… QAQ" Stelle whimpered. Tears formed instantly.
Real pain or not, she cried all the same.
And that alone was enough to make Ena panic and quickly pulled her into an embrace.
Stelle was still a child one who had only just come into the world. Even if she understood more than she should, she would still act like one.
And Ena… couldn't bring herself to ignore it.
With Yao-Yao, she might have been stricter.
But Stelle… was different.
Himeko stood slightly to the side, holding a cup of freshly brewed coffee, watching the scene with interest.
"It seems… Miss Ena and this little friend have formed an interesting bond."
March 7th sighed. "Aunt Himeko… don't start. She just woke up and already calls Ena Mom… and Ena just went along with it."
March 7th could only watch the two, unsure whether to laugh or worry.
After Stelle finally "calmed down" Ena gently ended the hug and let her go.
"Never do that again. That kind of behavior is very inappropriate" Ena said calmly.
Stelle stood up straight. "I'm sorry, Mommy…"
Ena watched her for a moment, then her expression softened. "As long as you know what you did wrong, I won't be too strict. Just remember it next time."
March 7th raised a brow. "That's it? No big lecture?"
Ena shook her head. "She admitted it right away. That's enough."
Stelle nodded quickly. "I won't do it again."
Ena patted Stelle head. "Mm… I'm satisfied with that."
March 7th shook her head. "You're way too easy on her…"
Ena didn't deny it she just gave a quiet, helpless smile.
"Ahem…" Dan Heng coughed softly, drawing their attention.
Only then did Ena realize someone had been waiting nearby.
Asta had been waiting for a chance to speak.
"Ena, this is Miss Asta, Lead Researcher of the Space Station" Himeko introduced with a gentle smile.
She then motioned toward Ena "Miss Asta, this is the newest member of the Astral Express, and our current doctor Ena."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Ena" Asta said with a polite nod.
"I've already heard from Arlan about your help. Without you, the station might have suffered serious losses."
"You flatter me. I only did what I could" Ena replied with a gentle smile.
Click… clack…
"What you could? That's truly remarkable…"
With a soft mechanical sound, a tiny little fun-size doll stepped into view.
Ena looked down. "You are…?"
Something about her felt familiar.
Ah… the one from the game the one who would casually beg the raccoon into testing the Simulated Universe.
She had heard the rumors as well.
A genius obsessed with knowledge, indifferent to human emotion… and one who had received Nous gaze twice.
The reason this Space Station bore her name.
"Ms. Herta!"
Asta perked up the moment she saw the puppet.
"Let me introduce her. This is the master of the Space Station, Madam Herta. Member #83 of the Genius Society."
Hearing the way she was addressed, the Herta puppet curled her lip slightly.
"I have plenty of titles. Why pick Member #83 of all things?"
"…Forget it. I've only been away for a few months, and the Space Station has already fallen into this state."
"The security is lacking. Fortunately, the Astral Express is… more capable than expected."
Hearing that, Ena quietly turned her head aside. In terms of combat, she knew exactly where she stood. High survivability, constant healing… and little else.
"…No, that's not quite right" Herta continued flatly.
"It's more accurate to say your The Astral Express is a collection of crouching tigers and hidden dragons."
"And somehow, you even managed to bring an Emanator of Abundance on board."
"Yes, you the one pretending not to notice."
At those words, Ena slowly turned her head back.
'So everyone sees me that way… Do I really carry that many Abundance blessings?' Ena wondered.
Herta gaze felt sharp like she was already dissecting Ena in her mind. Instinctively the little raccoon stepped forward, placing herself in front of her.
"A human vessel for a Stellaron… and still intact. Fascinating"
"You'll cooperate with my research, right?"
"Eh???" The raccoon fur bristled instantly.
Sensing the tension, Himeko stepped forward.
"Ms. Herta, there's been a misunderstanding. Miss Ena isn't an Emanator of Abundance it's just that she has… an unusually high number of blessings."
"Oh? Let me check."
The Herta puppet hurried over with quick light steps, looking Ena up and down before taking out a device to scan her.
"Not an Emanator… confirmed. But this level of blessing is absurd."
"How did you get them? Any side effects?" Her gaze sharpened. "You'll cooperate with testing later."
Herta eyes gleamed with excitement. Finding two experimental subjects of interest in a single day was extremely rare, even for a Genius.
Before she could continue, the entire station trembled.
A massive figure loomed outside.
Himeko didn't hesitate. "That's the Doomsday Beast. We're stopping it here before it causes any further damage."
She stepped forward immediately, already moving toward the battlefield.
"I'm coming too," Ena added, keeping pace behind her. "Someone needs to handle injuries."
"Stay in the back. "Himeko said firmly, "You're not built for direct combat."
"…Understood." Ena didn't argue.
March 7th tightened her grip. "Huff… so this is the final boss, huh…"
Dan Heng glanced at the Doomsday Beast. "Stay alert."
Without another word, the group advanced, each taking their position.
...
Supply Zone - Herta Space Station
From the rear, Ena watched closely, ready to act at any moment.
Even from a distance, the battle was overwhelming.
Relentless blows, piercing shots, and blazing flames overwhelmed the monster until it finally collapsed.
But just as everyone thought it was over, the Doomsday Beast raised its head once more, and a massive, destructive beam of light shot toward March 7th.
For a brief moment, everything went still.
There was no time to react. No time to defend.
At that moment, someone stepped in front of March 7th.
No one had ever asked her to stand in front. If anything, they had been careful to keep her out of danger, treating her as if she might break from a single touch.
"…Herta did say my Abundance blessings are ridiculously high" Ena took a deep breath.
"So taking one hit… should be fine, right?"
The light of destruction filled her sight.
'Then this time, I won't cry.'
Ena steadied herself and spread her arms.
"Mom! I'll protect you!"
A familiar figure stepped into the light.