Chapter 259 - 259: Something's Not Right

Guinaifen decided against watching the rest of the character teasers one by one. Her curiosity burned too hot for mere introductions; compared to the character profiles, she desperately needed to uncover the exact sequence of events that had thrown the Xianzhou Luofu into chaos.

It was time to dive into the main campaign.

"Family, I'm going to skip the rest of the character PVs for now," she announced to her stream, leaning closer to her microphone. "Let's head straight into the meat of the story."

Without a second of hesitation, her cursor snapped to the main story icon. She clicked, and the screen faded to black before slowly blooming into a new scene.

"Attention passengers, the warp navigation meeting is officially beginning, pom."

Pom-Pom stood at the head of the parlor car, tiny paws resting on their hips as they addressed the gathered crew with absolute solemnity. "First, Pom-Pom wants to thank all the Trailblazers for successfully resolving the issues at this stop, allowing the Astral Express to continue galloping along the silver rail, pom!"

"That was all our hard work! Right?" March 7th chimed in, puffing out her chest and eagerly claiming the credit. Her bright, infectious energy drew knowing smiles from the rest of the crew.

A relentless cascade of 'Hahaha' flooded Guinaifen's stream chat.

Guinaifen giggled, covering her mouth. "The way March 7th begs for praise is just way too cute."

Before her laughter could fully subside, the atmosphere on the screen underwent a drastic shift.

Without a single warning alarm, a shimmering phantom projection materialized dead in the center of the Express carriage.

A woman stood beneath an umbrella. Her posture exuded an effortless, predatory elegance, carrying an aura that was equal parts mysterious and lethal.

"Long time no see, everyone on the Astral Express."

Kafka tilted her umbrella back just enough to reveal her exquisite, impossibly calm features. "I am Kafka..."

Her dark eyes swept over the room, the corners of her lips curling into a captivating arc. "Ah, perfect timing... it seems everyone is here..."

Guinaifen's chat exploded into absolute pandemonium.

[Mommy!!!!!!]

[Mom!!!!!]

"Stellaron Hunters..." The gentle warmth vanished from Himeko's face. Her voice remained perfectly level, yet it carried a chilling, unmistakable distance.

"It seems I've come at just the right time." Kafka smoothly closed her umbrella. The holographic projection dissolved into a flurry of digital light, replacing the phantom with her physical self. "Everyone is here."

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The sharp, rhythmic click of her high heels echoed against the polished floorboards of the carriage.

The Astral Express Crew subconsciously parted, giving the dangerous intruder a wide berth.

"There's no need for a charming self-introduction... Stellaron Hunter." Himeko's brow twitched, revealing a rare, fleeting flash of impatience.

"Himeko, right?"

Kafka turned her head, leaning slightly into Himeko's personal space. She raised her fingers as if preparing to snap, a radiant, almost playful smile blooming on her lips.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your little gathering. But after hearing my request, you will understand the necessity of this intrusion..."

She let the silence stretch for a heartbeat, her predatory gaze sweeping over the tense faces of the Trailblazers.

"I want to ask you... to change your destination..."

[Kafka's gaze is literally killing me!!!]

[Do you guys feel like the confrontation between Kafka and Himeko is like a showdown between a biological mother and an adoptive mother?]

[Hahahaha, what a weird metaphor, but it fits so perfectly!]

[I don't know when it started, but Kafka went from a terrifying terrorist to a charming bad woman in my heart.]

[Even when she causes trouble in the game, I can't bring myself to feel any hostility toward her.]

[Oh no, could we have unknowingly fallen under the influence of Kafka's Spirit Whisper?]

[Wow, does everyone feel this way? I thought I was the only one.]

[Himeko and Kafka are both so gorgeous, I love them both! Only children make choices!]

[Why didn't you say a single word to us after getting on the Express? Mommy, do you not love me anymore...]

Guinaifen watched the relentless barrage of text flying across her monitor, laughing so hard she had to clutch her stomach.

"So that's how it happened... the Astral Express changed course to the Xianzhou Luofu all because of the Stellaron Hunters?"

She slapped her thigh, a look of utter realization dawning on her face. "It was Mommy who made the Express detour!"

She paused, blinking at the screen. "As expected of my Kafka... who gave her such a bad reputation anyway? That's just too mean!"

The chat immediately responded: [The Interstellar Peace Corporation.]

Guinaifen's smile vanished instantly. She swallowed hard, her voice dropping a full octave. "...Forget I said anything."

The stream chat erupted into another massive wave of mocking laughter.

On the screen, the narrative pressed forward.

Kafka laid out her ultimatum to the crew and vanished just as abruptly as she had arrived.

Left in the wake of her intrusion, the Astral Express Crew held a vote on whether to divert their path to the Xianzhou Luofu.

To Guinaifen's genuine surprise, the results defied her expectations. She had been absolutely certain that March 7th would vote against the detour, considering how openly hostile the pink-haired girl had been toward Kafka from the very beginning.

Yet, when the time came, March 7th cast her vote in favor.

"Uh... thinking about it calmly," March 7th said, sticking out her tongue as her voice grew slightly sheepish. "If that woman wasn't lying, and we just ignore it, a lot of innocent people on the Xianzhou will really get hurt..."

She quickly puffed out her chest, adopting a tone of exaggerated righteousness to cover her embarrassment. "Now is not the time to be willful! I'm being sensible and magnanimous, you know!"

Guinaifen's eyes curved into affectionate crescents. "That's our sharp-tongued but soft-hearted March 7th... she's just too cute."

The story smoothly transitioned into the selection screen for the upcoming Trailblaze Mission.

Dan Heng opted to remain behind to guard the Astral Express.

As for Leon, the screen suddenly froze, presenting two critical branching dialogue options...

[Option 1: I'll go, but I might not travel with you. So this time, I'll have to trouble Mr. Yang to lead the team.]

[Option 2: I won't be getting off the Astral Express at the Xianzhou Luofu...]

A small system prompt blinked in the corner: Different choices will lead to different outcomes.

"Based on reality, Leon definitely came to the Xianzhou Luofu," Guinaifen muttered, tapping her chin as she analyzed the screen. "So Option 2 must lead to some sort of alternate timeline or an early bad ending."

She pondered for a brief second. "I'll save Option 2 for my second playthrough. For now..."

She slammed her mouse button, locking in Option 1 without a second thought.

"But it's so strange," she murmured, scratching the back of her head. "Why isn't Leon getting off the train with the rest of the crew? Does he have some secret objective on his own?"

[It is definitely a bit suspicious.]

[But since it's part of the main game, it can't be anything too shady, right?]

[Quick, quick, quick! I can't wait to see what he does!]

The chat urged her on, the text scrolling at a dizzying speed.

The scene shifted once more, settling into the quiet interval just before the warp jump.

"By the way, Leon," Serval asked softly. She stood near the window, a hint of nervous anticipation coloring her voice as she prepared for her very first journey into the stars. "Can you tell me something about the Aeon of The Hunt?"

"Lan, the Aeon of The Hunt?" Leon perked up instantly. A handsome, utterly mischievous curve formed on his lips. "You've definitely asked the right person!"

"Leon, you actually know about the Aeon of The Hunt?" March 7th's ears practically twitched. She immediately abandoned her spot and leaned in close.

Stelle and Caelus shuffled over in perfect unison. Even Himeko, Welt Yang, and Dan Heng paused their preparations, casting curious glances toward the center of the room.

"It is said..." Leon lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, immediately dropping an absolute bombshell. "Lan once deeply admired another Aeon."

"Wait, Aeons can have romance too?" March 7th gasped, her eyes wide with a million questions.

"That was before becoming an Aeon, obviously," Leon stated, his tone completely matter-of-fact.

"Reasonable! Very reasonable!" Stelle and Caelus nodded together, their faces completely serious as if this absurd logic was the most sound thing they had ever heard.

"You guys... ugh, never mind." March 7th threw her hands up, giving up on arguing with the chaotic duo, and pricked up her ears to catch the rest of the gossip.

"At that time, Lan was just a mere mortal."

Leon drew out his words, adopting the grand, sweeping cadence of a bard narrating a long-forgotten, tragic epic.

"How could a fragile mortal ever hope to match an Aeon seated high above the cosmos? And so, Lan strove for absolute self-improvement. He waded through oceans of hardship, shattered his mortal limits, and eventually ascended to godhood himself."

He paused for dramatic effect, his voice dripping with an exaggerated, sickeningly sweet affection. "Thereafter, day after day, He pursued the traces of His beloved across the endless universe, chasing them relentlessly just to pour out His heart in person... and to offer the most dazzling Arrow of the Hunt directly to them."

Guinaifen stared blankly at her monitor, the cheerful smile on her face gradually freezing into a mask of pure bewilderment.

"Wait, that's not right..."

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