"Dan Heng… is he really not going?"
Seeing Dan Heng, who was obviously weighed down by his thoughts, Stelle asked Wende with some hesitation.
"Dan Heng has his own difficulties… We shouldn't force him. Besides, isn't Uncle Yang coming with us this time? Don't worry."
Wende comforted Stelle. To be honest, the plot points he had gleaned from watching the beta test ended here. He had no idea what would happen next.
Therefore, this journey to the Xianzhou was not only a trip into the unknown for him but also an opportunity to uncover the true identity of this world's "Wende."
Although the various pieces of information in his memory were clear and distinct, his "Master" had never revealed a single shred of information about his identity, or even the origins of the "Master" himself.
The only thing that seemed certain was that his "Master" was once a Xianzhou native, and he himself was once a Xianzhou native, yet he had no memory of ever living on the Xianzhou.
This was likely the limitation of a 4-star Light Cone.
If he wanted to truly obtain the background identity set by the system, he had to unlock the 5-star version…
"Don't you worry. Even though Dan Heng bottles things up, he's not that fragile," March 7th said with certainty.
"Besides, the Xianzhou we're going to this time happens to be a place Dan Heng used to live. Aren't you guys curious about his past identity? Aren't you?"
Seeing the gossipy look on little March's face, Wende just shrugged with a smile.
Actually, he was also quite curious about what kind of connection he had with Dan Heng. Dan Heng had said his aura felt familiar, but Wende couldn't find a single trace of information about Dan Heng in his own memories.
Perhaps all these mysteries could only be solved after setting foot on that great ship.
"Go and get some rest first. The train still needs to make two more jumps. We should prepare in advance for this trip to the Xianzhou," Welt said, walking over to the chatting Wende and Stelle.
"Uncle Yang, this time we'll finally get to see your true power!"
March 7th looked at Welt with a peculiar expression. During their previous trailblazing journey, Welt only ever took action during critical moments of crisis. At less important times, he would slack off on the sidelines, beautifully phrasing it as giving them opportunities to train…
With such a major incident on the Xianzhou this time, he wouldn't continue to hide his strength, would he?
"Alright, you all can stop teasing your Uncle Yang. This trip to the Xianzhou will likely involve many complications. I'm having your Uncle Yang go with you on one hand to ensure your safety, and on the other, to keep the Express from getting entangled in the Xianzhou's internal conflicts as much as possible."
Himeko walked over with a smile, coming to Welt's rescue.
The Xianzhou Alliance was a behemoth. If they were to be carelessly dragged into its internal affairs, the Express's future journeys would be anything but smooth.
"Himeko is right. We need to focus our attention on the Stellaron itself as much as possible."
Welt nodded, agreeing with Himeko's point.
[Option One: "What a hassle, I feel like I'm going to have to use my brain."]
[Option Two: "I'm so excited."]
Sister Guoguo decisively chose Option One.
The Trailblazer on the game screen clutched her forehead with a troubled expression.
"What? You can still grow one of those?" little March asked, looking at the Trailblazer in surprise.
[What do you mean! Are you saying we don't have brains?!]
[Would someone with a brain go rummaging through trash cans?]
[Hello, the answer is no.]
[Would someone with a brain drink Himeko's coffee???]
"Wende~ I want to eat your cooking one more time before we leave."
March 7th shook Wende's arm, acting cute.
"We're going to the Xianzhou this time. It's not like we won't be able to eat, right?"
Stelle tilted her head, looking at the pouting March with a puzzled expression, but she still instinctively hugged Wende's other arm.
"What if? What if the Xianzhou natives have really weird taste buds? You don't want to go back to gnawing on black bread, do you?"
Recalling her experience on Jarilo-VI, March couldn't help but shed a tear.
My teeth were almost worn flat by that black bread, okay! Those days… were simply the toughest period I've ever experienced in my memory!
So! One more delicious meal before leaving! Just one!
"Alright, alright. We still have time for two more jumps anyway. I'll go make you all a sumptuous lunch, how about that?"
Wende patted both of their heads, looking at these two clingy girls with a helpless expression.
"Yay! Wende's the best!" March 7th cheered. This update is available on novel-fire.net
"Looks like we're in for a treat again."
Himeko looked at the cheering March, her eyes full of anticipation.
"Indeed… A good meal before setting out is the best pre-mission pep talk."
Welt also agreed, because… Wende's cooking was truly delicious.
And although he had long heard of Xianzhou cuisine, he knew that it was not without its "unconventional" creations.
"Since Uncle Yang and Miss Himeko have spoken, I'll definitely have to make this meal even better."
Wende shrugged with a smile.
After hearing that Wende was going to cook, even Dan Heng, who had been cooped up in the archives because of their destination, stopped being a shut-in and naturally came to the kitchen to help Wende as his assistant.
After several courses and rounds of tea, the crew rested for one more night on the Express. The next day, the train officially began its jump towards the Xianzhou's coordinates.
His face a black-lined mask of exasperation, Wende helped up March, who had taken a hard fall. Why was everyone on this train such a hard-headed kid?
Wende couldn't figure it out.
"March, look quickly!"
Before March could even recover from the dizziness of the jump, Stelle's surprised voice rang out.
"…Whoa… so this is the Xianzhou… How does it look even bigger than Jarilo-VI??"
Staring at the colossal ship before them, which was as large as a planet, March rubbed her head, speechless with wonder.
"To the people of the Xianzhou, this ship is their planet."
Gazing at the familiar sight of the Xianzhou, Dan Heng softly explained the difference between the Xianzhou and other civilizations to March and the others.
"What exactly is going on with you… You look so nostalgic yet so lonely…"
March looked at Dan Heng's complicated expression, feeling that a very, very deep past was buried within it…
Wende took in all of Dan Heng's reactions, his gaze fixed on the behemoth outside the window… For some reason, a few images flashed through his memory again…
A Xianzhou ship, drifting aimlessly through the cosmos, before finally meeting its unknown and destructive end.
A small, wooden boat-like aircraft, flying out from the destroyed Xianzhou…