Feeling Pei Guang's fighting spirit, March 7th also got excited. "No problem! When the time comes, we'll beat you guys down hard and take those qualification badges!"
Stelle turned to Pei Guang. "March is all fired u.—Ah Guang, aren't you gonna say something too?"
Pei Guang: "Hm? Say something? Let me think…"
After thinking for a moment, Pei Guang suddenly spoke in a deep, serious tone: "Let's burn the Victory Zone to ashes!"
The moment he said that, March 7th quickly stopped him. "Wait! Hold on, are you possessed by the Antimatter Legion or something?"
Even the ever-following Piggy Hero was nervously whimpering at that moment.
Serval looked at Pei Guang and laughed. "Hahaha! Nice momentum. Even though we haven't completely figured out this game yet, Pela and I won't lose to you. Show us what you've got!"
Pei Guang: "Of course!"
Stelle: "Let's go! Time to move out!"
March 7th: "Move out!"
But just as Stelle and March 7th were about to set off, Pei Guang stopped them. "Wait a second."
March 7th: "Eh? What's the problem now?"
Pei Guang turned to Giovanni. "We've solved this first puzzle, right? So as long as we move on now, it's within the rules of the game?"
Giovanni: "Of course. You used your own wits to solve the puzzle, so you're completely within the rules."
Giovanni didn't quite understand what Pei Guang was getting at. But then, he, Pela, and Serval all witnessed a scene that left them speechless.
Pei Guang calmly pushed the lamp furnace out of the conduction range and closed the gate. Then, with a smile, he pulled out a ladder and happily climbed over it.
This was the same ladder they had used back in the restricted zone of the Silvermane Guards during the chase after Cocolia and Bronya. Never in its wildest dreams did the ladder imagine it would be remembered again!
The moment Pei Guang stepped onto it, the ladder felt like its life had come full circle. How many ladders get to fulfill their true purpose this well?
Pei Guang climbed over, and once on the other side, he looked back through the gate at the others. "Knew it! If I didn't do at least a little rule-breaking in the real version, it would've felt like something was missing. Solving puzzles is good, but skipping them is essential too."
Watching the scene, a flash of brilliance lit up in Stelle's eyes, while March 7th laughed happily. "Hmph! You think I'm still the same as before? A gate this tall? Watch and learn~"
In front of March 7th, a staircase formed from Six-Phased Ice appeared. She elegantly walked up the steps, crossed the gate, and descended on the other side. After landing, she proudly flashed a victory sign.
At that moment, Stelle fell silent. She suddenly realized she might not be able to be that graceful. But it was fine: Stelle had her own kind of big-brain energy.
She stepped back a few paces, pulled out her lance, and with a deep breath shouted, "War-Flaming Lance! Charge!"
Stelle dashed forward, and just as she neared the gate, she suddenly vaulted like a pole-vaulting zombie, using her fire lance as the pole. With a strong push, she launched herself over, leaving the fire lance behind.
After watching the trio's "performance," the three observers on the scene fell into silence.
After a long pause, Giovanni couldn't help but applaud. "As expected of the renowned player Pei Guang. Accomplishing something that ordinary people couldn't even dream of, just like that. I'm already looking forward to seeing what you all do next."
As a Masked Fool, Giovanni had seen his fair share of strange things. Following the rules while still expressing oneself: this kind of playstyle was something even the Masked Fools rarely considered.
A Masked Fool usually either disregards the rules and acts on their own whims, or they follow the rules and seek joy within them. But someone like Pei Guang—who followed the rules yet didn't fully obey them—this was a first.
And being able to witness this kind of thing? Absolutely wonderful.
March 7th's quirky energy and Stelle, originally the protagonist of the script, being completely influenced and led astray by the player Pei Guang—it was just too entertaining.
Meanwhile, aboard the Astral Express, Welt had also found Pom-Pom.
Welt: "Pom-Pom, I heard from Ah Guang that you want to participate in Aetherium Wars too. Dan Heng already helped you collect one Aether Spirit, but I think one might not be enough. So I created one for you based on my ideas—go ahead and have some fun with it."
As he spoke, Welt handed Pom-Pom an Aether Coin.
To be honest, Welt hadn't originally considered having Pom-Pom participate. But yesterday, when he saw Pom-Pom's excited expression while talking with Dan Heng, he thought it over for a long time and finally decided to make what seemed like an unconventional move: giving Pom-Pom an Aether Spirit too.
Since it was the conductor's Aether Spirit, of course it had to include some of the Traiblazers' peculiar characteristics. And so, Welt thoughtfully provided Pom-Pom with the Aether Spirit [Arahato]. Although this Arahato had no detailed stats, it possessed every combat method that Welt had ever imagined but couldn't realize due to reality's constraints.
Looking at Welt's sparkling, enthusiastic eyes, Pom-Pom accepted the second Aether Spirit. Having never left the train before, Pom-Pom now possessed both Imbibitor Lunae: Pink Bunny and Arahato: Yang as Aether Spirits.