Chapter 91: A Need for Speed

Led by the ever-enthusiastic Tingyun, the group handled the newly cleared container passage, its metallic corridors twisting and turning like the guts of some great steel beast. At last, they emerged onto a relatively open starship docking platform at the heart of the port.

Several starships of varying sizes were moored there, silent and waiting. Tingyun, however, made a beeline for a medium-sized vessel that, despite the surrounding chaos, appeared impeccably maintained. With a practiced flick of his wrist, he deftly opened the hatch.

He turned, striking a pose with a welcoming gesture, and flashed them a proud smile.

“Esteemed benefactors, please, board the ship. For the remainder of our journey, I shall personally escort you to the Sky-Faring Commission Headquarters to meet with Lord Yukong.”

He gave the starship’s sleek hull a confident pat, a note of smug satisfaction coloring his tone.

“As a Ferrymaster, the skill of piloting a starship… well, I dare not claim absolute mastery, but it is certainly… one of my specialties. I guarantee a safe and swift delivery for everyone.”

Chen, March 7th, and Qiong followed the unflappable Ms. Welt into the starship’s cabin.

“Hold on tight, everyone,” Tingyun called out cheerfully from the cockpit. “We’re taking off now!”

He settled into the pilot’s seat, fastened his seatbelt, and his hands danced across the controls in a blur of practiced motion. The starship emitted a low hum as it rose steadily, pulling away from its berth with deceptive grace.

And then, a sudden, whiplash-inducing acceleration.

“Whoa!”

March 7th, caught completely off guard, was nearly flung from his seat. He yelped, hands scrambling to find purchase on the armrest. Before anyone could even think to adjust their posture, the starship banked into a high-speed turn so sharp it felt like a right angle. It skimmed past the edge of a towering port structure, the rapidly receding view outside the viewport smearing into abstract streaks of color.

This was immediately followed by a series of continuous, violent jolts and directional changes—up, down, left, and right. It felt less like they were flying in a stable navigation channel and more like they were performing some high-difficulty stunt show, dodging a gauntlet of obstacles that didn’t even exist.

“Ting—Mr. Tingyun! That’s the freight lane marker ahead! We’re going to hit the container stacks!” Qingque’s panicked voice crackled through the comms.

“Relax, relax! Watch this!” Tingyun’s voice shot back, laced with pure, unadulterated excitement.

He yanked the control stick, and the starship scraped perilously close over the tops of the container stacks, kicking up a turbulent wake of displaced air that rattled the hull. What followed was a dizzying sequence of hard stops, stomach-churning drifts, and helical climbs. Each maneuver sent their hearts leaping into their throats, convinced they were just moments away from crashing into a solid structure or careening straight out of the navigation lane entirely.

March 7th’s face had transitioned from initial curiosity to a sickly shade of pale. He gripped the seat with white knuckles, his other hand clamped firmly over his mouth. His eyes were wide with a mix of genuine concern for his own mortality and a deep, deep skepticism regarding Tingyun’s so-called “specialty.”

Even the usually composed Ms. Welt had a slight furrow in her brow, her hand resting on the armrest in a gesture that seemed casual. Yet, Chen could feel subtle fluctuations in the gravitational field, a faint thrum of power suggesting she was ready to forcibly stabilize the starship the very second it truly lost control.

Qiong was pressed tightly against Chen’s side. She remained silent, but her pursed lips and dilated pupils betrayed the sheer terror she was feeling.

Chen himself was relatively calm, though even he felt a bit dizzy from the excessively reckless driving. He stared at Tingyun’s focused, almost manic profile at the front of the cockpit and muttered under his breath.

‘Brother Tingyun, are you sure this specialty of yours isn’t just another name for a Death Roll? Did you get this Ferrymaster license by winning a fistfight?’

He didn’t know how much time had passed. It might have been only a few minutes, but it felt like half a century.

At long last, the starship began to decelerate, assuming a posture that could almost be described as stable. It glided into a grander, wider aerial dock and slowly moored at its designated berth. The engines whined down, and the hatch hissed open.

Tingyun was the first to unbuckle his seatbelt, turning around with a beaming smile that screamed ‘mission accomplished.’

“Everyone, we’ve arrived at the Sky-Faring Commission! Thank you for enduring the bumpy ride!”

Before his words had even finished—

“Ugh…!”

March 7th was the first one out, scrambling off the starship and staggering a few steps before leaning heavily on a nearby column, his face ashen as he gasped for breath.

“I… I almost thought I was going to die on that ship… several times! Seriously, there were several moments I was sure we were going to crash! Was that a ship driven by a person?! That was a starship assassin!”

He shot a look of lingering fear back at the vessel, then turned his gaze to the innocently proud Tingyun, looking like he wanted to cry but had no tears left.

Ms. Welt descended the gangway with steady, measured steps, merely pausing to adjust her slightly askew glasses. She gave Tingyun a long, silent look, her expression unreadable but heavy with complex meaning. Qiong followed, holding Chen’s hand, her own steps a little unsteady as she silently took her place behind Ms. Welt.

Chen patted his chest and let out a long, slow breath. He gave Tingyun a thumbs-up and said with utmost sincerity, “Brother Tingyun, your driving… your ship-handling skills are extraordinary! Truly unforgettable! I won’t forget this for the rest of my life!”

Tingyun seemed completely oblivious to the layers of sarcasm in his words, his broad smile never wavering. “Haha, benefactor, you flatter me! Time was tight, so I had to drive a bit fast. It’s good that everyone is unharmed! Please, follow me. Lord Yukong is just ahead.”

He tidied his robes and strode confidently forward, leading the shaken visitors and a squad of Cloud Knights—who all wore equally strange expressions—toward the magnificent main complex of the Sky-Faring Commission.

He left March 7th still leaning against the pillar, softly muttering vows to himself. “If I ever ride his ship again, I’m Pom-Pom…”

Just as Tingyun was about to rush off excitedly to announce their arrival, Ms. Welt called out to him.

“Mr. Tingyun.”

“Since we are newcomers and know very little about the current situation on the Luofu, rushing straight into the central area might be impolite,” she began, her tone calm and reasonable. “Could we trouble you to go ahead and briefly report our identities and intentions to Lord Yukong? We will tidy ourselves up and follow shortly.”

Tingyun considered this for a moment, found it perfectly reasonable, and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect. “Ms. Welt is indeed thoughtful. I shall go on ahead, then. Everyone may wait here or walk around nearby to familiarize yourselves with the environment. Just remember not to wander too far, as some areas within the Sky-Faring Commission may not be entirely safe at present.”

He then clearly pointed out the specific location of Yukong’s office before turning and departing with a quick stride.

After watching Tingyun disappear into the complex, Ms. Welt turned to the three younger members of their group. “Let’s take this opportunity to look around. Perhaps we can gain a more intuitive understanding of the Luofu’s current situation from our surroundings or the people passing by.”

Although she said they would look around, there weren’t many people in the immediate vicinity. Occasionally, fully armed Cloud Knight squads would hurry past, their expressions grim. They cast wary glances at the unfamiliar faces of the Astral Express crew but did not stop to question them.

“The atmosphere is so tense…” March 7th whispered. The discomfort from his motion sickness had faded, replaced once again by his natural curiosity. “It feels even more… serious than when Belobog was surrounded by the Fragmentum Rift.”

“This is the Xianzhou Alliance, after all,” Ms. Welt explained softly, her gaze sweeping over the visibly increased patrols and defensive structures. “Their regular military and administrative systems are well-established, so their response to emergencies is naturally swifter and their control is stricter.”

Chen, meanwhile, had begun studying a somewhat abstract pattern of a starship carved into one of the massive columns.

Before long, Tingyun returned, that same broad smile on his face. “I apologize for the wait. Lord Yukong is waiting for you in the main hall. Please, follow me.”

The group followed Tingyun into the core area of the Sky-Faring Commission. A man with a capable, commanding demeanor, dressed in the official uniform of a Helm Master, was standing with his back to them, observing a giant, holographic star map that dominated the hall.

Hearing their footsteps, he turned around.

It was Yukong.

Compared to his appearance in the game, the gender swap had done nothing to diminish the solemn authority he commanded as someone in a high position. If anything, his features had gained a few traces of heroic spirit and sharp decisiveness.

“Lord Helm Master, the members of the Astral Express have been brought,” Tingyun reported respectfully.

Yukong’s gaze swept over the group, pausing for a brief, assessing moment on Ms. Welt.

“The Astral Express… I have long heard of your travels. I am Yukong, the current Helm Master of the Sky-Faring Commission. The Luofu is currently facing troubled times, so please forgive our inadequate hospitality.”

[Elysian’s Note:

Having a good time with the story?

Every single bit helps immensely:

Thanks a ton for making this journey possible!]