"Good grief, it's just dense rows of cargo containers as far as the eye can see."
March 7th scanned the area, a complaint already forming on her lips. "Is this really a place for passengers to land? It feels more like a newly opened cargo terminal... Who on earth directed us here?"
She stood on her tiptoes, peering around the metallic maze. "A port with this much traffic, yet not a single soul in sight. It's creepy."
"If we actually saw someone, it might be even scarier," Stelle mused, stroking her chin thoughtfully.
"Seriously, stop saying things like that!" March 7th crossed her arms with a huff. "In horror movies, anyone who pops up at a time like this is definitely the mastermind... What do you think we should do?"
The great prophet March 7th had struck again, though no one had yet realized the accuracy of her unwitting premonition.
"We start by finding the person who opened the Jade Gate for us," Welt replied calmly. "If this individual has ulterior motives, it saves us the trouble of a lengthy investigation. If they are genuinely a staff member, we'll simply ask them what happened here."
"Mr. Yang makes decisions so quickly," Caelus couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
"Well, of course! Mr. Yang has seen all kinds of storms; this is just a minor situation," March 7th said with a reassuring smile, patting her chest.
Unlike their time on Belobog, where they had mostly maintained an observational stance, their actions were clearly far more decisive with Welt leading the way.
Meanwhile, in a quiet alley on another part of the Xianzhou...
"Cyrene? Elysia? Demeugo?" Fuli, the Aeon of Remembrance, blinked, their expression a mask of pure innocence. "I've never heard of them."
Leon chuckled and swiped his hand through the air.
A beam of light coalesced, outlining the image of a pink-haired girl. She was smiling, radiating a bright and sunny aura that could warm the coldest of hearts.
Another beam sketched out a figure who looked like a younger version of the first girl.
The final projection depicted a woman who resembled a sister to the pink-haired girl, though her frame was slightly slimmer.
"These images are quite nice," Fuli's eyes lit up. "They're mine now."
Their form rippled like water disturbed by a stone. In the blink of an eye, Fuli had transformed, taking on the exact likeness of the light projection—the very form of "Elysia."
"Ahahaha... So, group leader, you like this kind of appearance?" Aha watched with keen interest. "Should Aha change into one, too?"
Before the laughter had even faded, Aha's figure blurred. It reformed into another "Cyrene," though the signature comical smiling mask remained plastered on its face. The combination of the sweet, angelic appearance and the unblinking, grinning mask was indescribably bizarre.
"Forget it. Change back. Quickly," Leon ordered with a frown.
Cyrene's appearance was certainly beautiful, but the moment he remembered that the core of that form was Aha... a wave of goosebumps washed over him.
Leon waved his hand, and with a soft poof, Aha reverted to its usual yellow suit and smiling mask.
"Hahaha! Aha has no face! Aha has no face!" The Aeon of Elation wasn't the least bit annoyed, instead dissolving into uncontrollable laughter.
"Come now, everyone look over here..." Fuli produced a retro-looking camera from seemingly nowhere.
A soft glow emanated from the device, coalescing into a Light Cone. As the image within solidified, a title slowly appeared on its surface: A Friendly Team-Building Exercise of Several Aeons on the Xianzhou Luofu.
Throughout this farce, Nanook had remained utterly aloof. The Aeon of Destruction's gaze had long since pierced through the layers of decks and buildings, landing squarely on the Amicassador who called herself "Tingyun."
More accurately, it landed on Phantylia, the entity residing deep within that borrowed shell.
At the Starskiff Haven docks...
"This humble one is Tingyun, an Amicassador of the Sky-Faring Commission's trade guild here on the Luofu. May I ask for the honorable names of my benefactors?"
Phantylia, her disguise flawless, had successfully intercepted the Astral Express crew as planned. Her gaze swept quietly over the group. With the exception of the unfamiliar blue-haired woman, she recognized the others from the images Leon had disseminated across the universe.
"Honorable names? You're being too polite!" March 7th waved her hands with a wide grin. "My name is March 7th, this is Mr. Yang—ah, no, it's Mr. Welt! And these two..."
"Alright! We are..."
Caelus and Stelle exchanged a knowing glance before stepping forward in perfect unison. Standing side-by-side, they both slung their baseball bats over their shoulders, tilted their chins up, and struck a cool, cocky pose.
"Galaxy!" Caelus announced first.
"Baseball Bat!" Stelle followed a beat later.
Immediately after, their four eyes swiveled in unison toward March 7th, sparkling with an eager anticipation that screamed, 'It's your turn!'
March 7th stared back, bewildered. "...Huh? We're doing this again?!"
"I am Serval," the woman in question interjected, holding back a laugh as she gave a polite introduction.
"I see. Thank you all for your righteous assistance." Tingyun covered her mouth with her sleeve and chuckled, but a hint of scrutiny flashed in her eyes. "However, this humble one is confused about one thing. Starskiff Haven is currently under a full lockdown. You are not Xianzhou natives, so what might you be doing here?"
Her tone was gentle, but her words were soft yet firm. "If you cannot provide a reasonable explanation, I'm afraid the nearby Cloud Knights... will have to ask you all to stay for a while."
"We requested permission to dock, but initially received no response. Sometime later, someone opened the Jade Gate for us," Welt explained calmly. "After entering the Xianzhou, we found the port deserted, so we had to search our way here on our own."
"How is that possible..." Tingyun's brow furrowed slightly. "After my ship entered the port, the Jade Gate was sealed. The Sky-Faring Commission had already placed Starskiff Haven under a complete lockdown."
"I am not lying. The Xianzhou authorities can verify the truth by checking the opening records of the Jade Gate," Welt replied, adjusting his glasses. "The person who opened the gate for us said nothing. I also suspect there is more to this situation."
"Hmm..." Tingyun seemed lost in thought for a moment, then her expression brightened. "You are... the Astral Express?"
"You know of us?" Welt nodded.
"I have heard the name. Sigh... you have arrived at a most unfortunate time. The Xianzhou has encountered some... accidents, and it is not convenient for us to host guests." Tingyun's tone was tactful, but it left no room for negotiation. "Regardless of whether you are here for sightseeing, medical treatment, or business, I'm afraid none of that can be accommodated right now. For your own safety, please follow me to the Starskiff Haven Central Hub to take shelter."
She turned to lead the way. "This humble one will take you to meet Lady Yukong, who is in charge of the Sky-Faring Commission, and let her decide your case. Is that acceptable?"
As she walked, Phantylia pondered inwardly. She originally hadn't thought much of the Astral Express. Although the Path of the Trailblaze existed, its Aeon had long since fallen, and Nanook of Destruction had never shown any particular interest in that Path.
However, because of the game Honkai: Star Rail that Leon had created, Phantylia had learned about the Astral Express crew's recent exploits. The game was, after all, said to be created based on the real world. In it, the Trailblazer... she glanced back at Stelle and Caelus.
Although she didn't know why these two had received the favor of the Aeon of Destruction, Phantylia had made a mental note of the Astral Express and its twin Trailblazers. Now, seeing them in person, it seemed they were every bit as... abstract as they were in the game.
Phantylia truly couldn't comprehend why these two had earned even a passing glance from Nanook.
Could it really be as the absurd rumors circulating in The Tavern claimed? That Nanook secretly worshipped the memory of Akivili, and these two only garnered attention because they so closely resembled the deceased Aeon of Trailblaze?
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