Chapter 21: Just Keep Practicing
March 7 pressed the switch on the coffee machine, filled a cup with a drink, and drank it all in one go.
Glug, glug, glug—
"Wow! It's apple juice, so tasty!" March 7 exclaimed with delight.
She completely treated Gu Tang's coffee machine as a juice lottery machine.
Before she knew it, she had gulped it all down.
Walter couldn't fathom how this machine turned coffee beans into juice.
"Attention—Attention all passengers," Pom-Pom's voice echoed through the train.
"Jump imminent, all passengers please assemble in the train hall. I repeat, jump imminent, all passengers please assemble in the train hall."
Upon hearing the announcement, everyone gathered in the hall.
"This is my first time experiencing a jump…" Stelle said to Gu Tang while sitting on the sofa.
Before Gu Tang could reply, March 7 had already rushed over to them, shouting, "We're about to head to the next stop. Isn't it exciting?"
"A bit…" Stelle nodded.
"Hehe, I was super excited during my first jump too. But now, I'm much more composed! Don't worry, soon you'll get used to it and become as mature and reliable as us. Yep!" March 7 gave Stelle a thumbs-up.
Dan Heng couldn't help but look at March 7.
Was she serious?
"March 7! Please don't run around the train!" Pom-Pom called out to her.
"Uh… no need to remind me, Pom-Pom. I've jumped so many times already~" March 7 scratched her head.
"Who told you to try challenging yourself every time and then fall?" Pom-Pom looked at March 7 exasperatedly.
Dan Heng explained from the side, "Every time during a jump, March 7 tries to stand in the center of the hall without falling, but she always fails. Even the Aeon of Nihility would call this pointless."
"That's called perseverance," March 7 said proudly, hands on her hips.
"Be careful not to get hurt," Stelle said to March 7.
"It's fine, I'm tough~ Besides, ice will protect me. When I sense danger, I instinctively create ice to catch myself," March 7 said confidently.
Gu Tang rubbed his chin, "That sounds even more painful…"
As they chatted about trivial things, the jump began.
"Please return to your seats. The jump is about to start—" Pom-Pom's broadcast reminded everyone.
"I won't fall, I won't fall, I won't fall…" March 7 adjusted her stance, standing in the center of the hall, repeatedly reassuring herself.
"The jump is about to start, please prepare yourselves! 5—4—3—2—1!"
The train, traveling through space, was enveloped in brilliant light.
The train accelerated in an instant, disappearing from its original location, heading to the next stop.
The journey continued.
The journey would always continue.
…
...
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The jump ended, the light surrounding the train dissipated, and everyone got up to move to the windows.
Outside was a planet covered in ice and snow, a vast expanse of white like a frozen giant snowball.
"After thousands of years, has Jarilo-VI become like this…" Himeko said slowly, looking at the planet outside.
"So this planet is Jarilo-VI. What was it like thousands of years ago?" Gu Tang asked.
"According to the train's records, Jarilo-VI was once a lush, beautiful planet… It's quite a drastic change," Himeko replied.
"I see. For a planet, such a dramatic change in the ecosystem is rather extreme," Gu Tang nodded, then looked at Himeko, "Why are you still talking to me with the back of your head, Himeko?"
"Hmph… who knows, maybe I just feel like talking with the back of my head today," Himeko responded, her fiery red hair facing Gu Tang.
"Look, Dan Heng, the back of the head can talk," Gu Tang said in a surprised tone, despite his expressionless face.
"The universe is vast and full of wonders. It's not strange to have a talking back of the head," Dan Heng replied calmly.
March 7, with a bump on her head, whispered to Walter, "Uncle Yang, this is the first time I've seen Himeko sulking."
Walter lowered his voice too, "Himeko is good at everything, except for making coffee. That's the one thing she can't seem to get right, which is why she's reacting differently than usual…"
"I think sulking Himeko is cute," Stelle joined the conversation.
"Stelle, you better not say that in front of Himeko," Walter advised.
"Spatial readings are abnormal! Rail stability rate dropped to 12%!" Pom-Pom walked over. "Stopover plan changed, stopover time extended from 7 days to indefinite!"
"Uh… what does that mean?" Stelle looked a bit confused.
"This world is in a… certain situation. The train's path is blocked by something, so we had to make an emergency stop. Forcing our way through could be dangerous," Himeko's back of the head explained to Stelle.
March 7 sighed, "This situation again… Needless to say, the cause of the rail anomaly this time is also—"
"The preliminary results are out. The anomaly's source is still the Stellaron," Walter looked at the data and said.
Stelle pointed to her chest, "Stellaron… like the one inside me?"
"It's the same substance… There are many mysteries surrounding the Stellaron, but one thing is certain: its presence causes massive changes to civilizations and ecosystems, and it creates spatial distortions like the Fragmentum," Walter said, frowning at the snow-covered planet outside. "Jarilo-VI became this frozen planet due to the influence of the Stellaron."
"There's no need to worry too much. At least we have the means to counteract the Stellaron's influence," Himeko's back of the head said, encouraging Stelle, who had just embarked on the Trailblazing journey. "We suspect that the Stellaron is a seed of disaster sown by an Aeon in various worlds. Without removing the source of the calamity, there can be no true Trailblazing."
Dan Heng added, "So that means…"
"It means the train crew has work to do!" March 7 said energetically.
The back of the head continued, "The purpose of the journey is clear: find the Stellaron that has brought disaster and caused spatial distortions to this world, and bring it back to the train—then leave the rest to Walter and me."
"So… we're actually heroic space adventurers!" Stelle realized.
March 7 smiled and nodded, "Didn't think you'd figure out the essence of the train crew so quickly? Cool, right?"
"Sounds exhausting. I've decided to stay on the train, eat snacks, drink, play games, and nap while waiting for you all to come back. I'll send you pictures of my new high scores in the meantime," Gu Tang said expressionlessly.
March 7 made her eyes watery, grabbed Gu Tang's sleeve with both hands, and pleaded, "Gu Tang, please… come with us…"
Gu Tang: "NO."
Stelle, mimicking March 7, grabbed Gu Tang's other sleeve, "Please…"
Gu Tang: "NO."
"Bro, we can't go on this Trailblazing journey without you," Dan Heng said sincerely to Gu Tang.
"Since you, my bro, put it that way… okay then," Gu Tang thought for a moment and agreed.
Hmph…
Dan Heng raised his head at a perfect 17-degree angle, looking at the two girls.
If you're not skilled enough, just keep practicing. If the affection level isn't high enough, just keep working on it.
Although he didn't say it out loud, his eyes conveyed this message.
Ding!
If Dan Heng had a system, he would hear the sound of the affection levels of the two dropping.