Star Rail Impostor! - 441 - 452 - Final Chapter

Star Rail Impostor! - 441

--+--

The Stellaron Hunters’ base underwent several short-range warps, veering off the star rail before finally descending upon a desolate, vacant planet.

Silverwing followed Elio off the spacecraft, a flicker of anticipation dancing in her heart.

She wanted to see for herself just what was going on with this Silver Wolf—the one who had supposedly reached the absolute pinnacle of mortality.

According to Elio, this Silver Wolf had carved a path through every obstacle, beating every faction she encountered into submission. It was an impressive feat, to say the least.

More importantly, she had reached the apex of the Path of Elation. She was but a single step away from becoming an Aeon.

Silverwing estimated that the girl’s understanding of Elation was only a hair’s breadth behind her own, though it was hard to pinpoint exactly where that missing piece lay.

After all, Silverwing herself had intentionally left 1% unmastered yet had still touched the level of an Aeon; Silver Wolf, despite being Level 999, had not.

Clearly, what Silver Wolf lacked was far more than just that 1%.

That being said, the upgraded version of Aether Editing that Silverwing had casually created should be something this Silver Wolf could break with a flick of her wrist. But it wasn't a problem.

Beyond Elation, Silverwing had plenty of other powers at her disposal.

"I’m going to go call for backup, meow~. I’ll leave the rest to you."

"Go ahead. I’d like to see what Silver Wolf looks like when she’s all grown up."

Though she hadn't been by her side every moment, Silverwing felt as if she had watched Silver Wolf grow into the person she was today.

Her attitude toward Silver Wolf was very much that of an elder relative, so she was genuinely looking forward to seeing this future version.

Suddenly, it happened.

Silverwing felt a surge of overwhelming Finality. She had felt it from Elio before, but never this intensely. This time, it was unmistakable.

Or rather, this Silver Wolf from the future had only managed to traverse time and manifest here by becoming the literal embodiment of Finality’s power.

The moment that tall figure appeared, a pair of pitch-black claws lunged like a bolt of lightning toward Silverwing’s throat.

The strike carried the momentum of someone intending to crush her windpipe with a single hand.

The speed and precision were far beyond that of an ordinary Emanator.

Even if Lord Ravager Phantylia were standing here, she would likely find herself throttled first before she could even think of a way to survive.

However, the person standing before her was no ordinary Emanator. Fine, shimmering scales flickered momentarily beneath the skin of Silverwing’s neck.

She didn't move an inch—no dodge, no parry. She simply allowed those black claws to thrust toward her throat, and then—

Clang—!!!

The sharpest spear had met the most indestructible shield.

That throat, which looked fair and soft enough to snap with a pinch, felt like the divine body of the Amber Lord the moment the claws made contact.

An absolute, pure hardness neutralized the terrifying force—a force capable of easily crushing a planetary core—without letting a single drop of that power leak into the surroundings.

Silverwing looked at the stunned, older Silver Wolf and calmly raised her hand, grasping the girl’s cold wrist.

In that instant, the attacking Silver Wolf realized something.

On the Path of Elation, this woman was absolutely her equal. And it didn't stop there.

That glimpse of fine scales and the sensation upon contact told her everything.

The power that had neutralized her probing attack undoubtedly came from Permanence—and a version of Permanence laced with Abundance and Propagation.

It was utterly ridiculous!

Silver Wolf’s breathing grew ragged.

She had spent countless years and taken infinite risks to reach this stage, yet this woman had not only achieved it already but had also reached such profound heights in other Paths?

"...I have never heard of someone like you in my future. Who on earth are you?"

Judging by the strength of the person in front of her, she might actually be stronger than Silver Wolf herself.

Someone like this, even if they died halfway through their journey, would surely leave their name etched in the history of the cosmos. Yet, she had never seen her.

This could only mean one thing: in the history she came from, this person never existed.

As for the idea that she existed but never gained power, Silver Wolf didn't buy it for a second. With this level of skill, even at her absolute worst, she should at least be at the level of an Emanator.

Elio had said he found an unprecedented, massive variable capable of shaking the very end of the universe. At first, she hadn't believed him. But now, Silver Wolf was starting to.

This was too abnormal.

It was as if this person had just blinked into existence out of thin air.

Belief was one thing, but Elio’s back-and-forth behavior—saying he didn't need her one moment and then calling for her the next—still made Silver Wolf irritable.

And the culprit was this woman who looked just like her. On top of that, this person seemed to have accomplished things she couldn't.

So, she intended to have a real fight.

But before Silver Wolf could make another move, Silverwing gripped her wrist and, with undeniable, raw strength, pulled the hand away from her neck.

Silver Wolf felt an invincible force not only suppress her body but also effortlessly dissolve the Aether Editing power she was trying to summon. She was completely powerless to resist.

Yet, despite that overwhelming power, Silverwing was merely looking at her with a gentle gaze, taking in this tall, grown-up LV999 Silver Wolf who had clearly weathered a lifetime of hardship.

She looked cool, and those world-weary eyes, full of stories, were quite charming.

While her chest had certainly filled out more, she still couldn't quite compare to Bronya Zaychik. Is the scale of Bronya Zaychik really because of Seele’s influence?

Ahem...

Silverwing’s mind wandered for a split second before she pulled herself back.

In her eyes, that look in Silver Wolf’s eyes could only mean one thing.

"It looks like you've been through a lot. It must have been very hard on you."

"Tsk, what’s with that look? Are you my mom or something?"

Silver Wolf felt a shiver run straight to the top of her head. The way this woman was looking at her was just too weird.

From the sidelines, Elio’s cat head popped out with a "meow" and said, "The current Silver Wolf is essentially under her care, so she’s treating you like a child, too."

"..."

Silver Wolf was so angry she almost laughed. She had seen everything in her time, but today’s encounter was truly unexpected.

"Disgusting! The past me was really that weak, huh? No wonder I haven't maxed out Aether Editing yet."

Silver Wolf sneered. The young Silver Wolf of this era wasn't even Level 99 yet. At that age, she had long since reached the cap. If Aha hadn't arrived so late, her level back then would have been even higher.

Activating Aether Editing, Silver Wolf broke free from the woman’s grasp and instantly transformed the entire planet into a domain she could manipulate at will.

Then, the Aether Editing coalesced into a massive pixelated sword, carrying code designed to delete reality, and came crashing down toward Silverwing.

With the code embedded in that blade, a single strike could reduce a star’s mass to zero and obliterate an entire solar system in an instant.

However, the essence of Aether Editing was still Elation. Silverwing saw through the power of the strike clearly. She raised her hand, and a slender, elegant silver longsword grew from her palm.

With a simple upward parry, she effortlessly neutralized the massive pixelated blade.

Silverwing then flickered, appearing directly in front of Silver Wolf.

"Children should enjoy their lives. With me protecting her, why would she need so much power?"

Silverwing admitted that because of her intervention, the current Silver Wolf might be more skilled at hacking but was perhaps a bit lacking in raw combat strength compared to the original timeline.

But she didn't care. As long as she was there to protect her, there was no need for a teenager to force herself to chase endless power.

She was still young; there was nothing wrong with taking things one step at a time.

What was wrong with a child playing a bit and wasting some time?

She intended to shelter Silver Wolf for a lifetime, until she grew into someone who no longer needed protection.

Immediately following her words, a giant Pac-Man descended from the sky, opening its void-like maw to swallow Silverwing whole. Silver Wolf threw her arms wide, mocking her without mercy.

"Ridiculous! What use is your protection? Can you protect her forever? Look at the IPC, look at Polka Kakamond. In the end, if you don't have power, you'll still be crushed."

Boom!

The Pac-Man slammed into the ground with the force of its momentum. Its cavernous mouth swallowed an entire mountain range, and its massive frame bored deep into the earth, reaching all the way to the core.

But soon, the giant Pac-Man seemed to be hit by a data-deletion command of its own, dissolving into a stream of glowing particles.

Amidst the ruins, Silverwing remained standing tall and unruffled.

"Why wouldn't I? And not just her. Since you've appeared before me, I’ll take you along to see the future you desire as well."

"Absurd!"

Silver Wolf wasn't discouraged. She rallied her strength once more and charged at Silverwing.

However, no matter what methods she used, it was all in vain against Silverwing. As they clashed, Silverwing realized something else.

Even at Level 999, this Silver Wolf’s understanding of Elation was still a notch below her own.

Though she wasn't sure of the exact detail, that single missing link allowed Silverwing to completely suppress her.

That gap was like a natural chasm. No matter how hard Silver Wolf tried, she couldn't cross it even by an inch.

No matter how exaggerated her attacks were—destroying star systems, extinguishing suns, or whipping up terrifying tides of Imaginary energy—every strike that landed on Silverwing failed to cause even a ripple.

Silverwing took every attack from the Level 999 girl head-on, yet she neutralized every shred of energy with perfect precision.

The result was that while Silver Wolf’s offensives looked world-shaking, they couldn't even crumble a small hill.

The greatest damage done to the planet was still the deep tunnel to the core carved by that initial Pac-Man.

Silverwing barely attacked, mostly defending. After a long stalemate, she finally felt she understood Silver Wolf’s combat style.

Meanwhile, Silver Wolf’s patience was being ground to dust by these futile attempts.

"Are you looking down on me?! Since you said you’d take me to see a future without limits, then come and kill me!! Do it!!"

The Level 999 Silver Wolf had come here with the intent to die. She was prepared to discard all her power to serve as "food" for her opponent.

However, she would also preserve her consciousness, dwelling within a game cartridge to witness the things Elio had promised her.

Now, she had seen the strength of this unexpected woman. But she could not stand the fact that the woman hadn't even made a serious attempt to attack her from start to finish.

This infuriated the true "Lone Wolf of the Universe" beyond measure.

"Get serious! Let me see just how far your strength truly goes!"

--+--

Star Rail Impostor! - 442

--+--

"......"

Truth be told, Silverwing didn't actually want to kill her.

She’d planned on finding another way to retrieve the cartridge, even if this Silver Wolf wasn't the Silver Wolf she knew.

But looking at those eyes—eyes filled with a resolve to die, eyes that had utterly cast everything aside—Silverwing gave a slight nod and raised her palm.

She didn't know what was going through Silver Wolf LV999's head right now.

But Silver Wolf must have long since grown sick of this feeling—of being able to see the heights above but being unable to reach them no matter how hard she tried.

And so, this Silver Wolf from the future couldn't wait to be killed, to have her power stripped away.

She wanted to exist as an electronic ghost, dwelling within a cartridge to witness the future Elio had promised.

Faced with that, Silverwing really had no choice but to grant her wish.

She lifted her hand.

Black armor began to coalesce over her arm, and the power manifesting there made Silver Wolf’s pupils shrink. It was the exact same power as her own.

As the arm took shape, Silver Wolf realized she couldn't even sense the power of a Path. Damn it, how was she replicating her power like this?

The copying didn't stop there.

From her hands to her tail, her headpiece, and the light wings behind her back—every ounce of Silver Wolf LV999's power was being fully manifested right before her eyes in a way she couldn't comprehend.

As the manifestation finished, a burst of energy, identical to her own, erupted.

Silver Wolf let out a sneer. "That’s it? if this is as far as you go, you’re going to leave me very disappointed."

Though Silver Wolf was internally marveling at this strange structural power, she remained stubborn and sharp-tongued on the surface.

Besides, if her opponent really chose to use her own power against her, Silver Wolf didn't think for a second that she would lose.

"Don't be in such a hurry."

Silverwing flashed a smile at Silver Wolf. She had just used the abilities of the Herrscher of Reason to manifest the LV999 power as she understood it.

Clearly, this power system—entirely separate from the Paths—had made Silver Wolf realize something was off.

However, Silver Wolf soon lost the luxury of worrying about what felt "off."

The "LV999" hovering beside Silverwing suddenly began to flicker erratically. The aura, which had seemed matched with her own, began to churn and skyrocket.

The "999" digits reset to zero one after another. Then, behind the level indicator, a fourth digit appeared out of thin air.

'LV1000'!

BOOM—!!!

In an instant, as that ultimate level limit was shattered, the domain of the gods was revealed to Silver Wolf without reservation.

An invisible pressure, carrying the unique majesty of an Aeon, swept toward Silver Wolf like a frantic tide of Imaginary Energy.

Even though it was technically only a one-level difference, the terrifying pressure was so immense that Silver Wolf nearly couldn't keep her feet.

Struggling somewhat pathetically to support her body, Silver Wolf gritted her teeth and forced a smile, staring at Silverwing as she slowly drifted toward her.

"Heh... Hahaha!!! To think the form I’ve fantasized about countless times would actually appear before me like this."

It was only now that Silver Wolf finally understood one thing. The person in front of her hadn't been bragging when she said she would protect the Silver Wolf of this era for a lifetime.

Because she was an existence that had crossed the limit she herself never could—she had reached the domain of the gods!!!

Silver Wolf covered her face with her hand and let out a wild, unbridled laugh under that soul-crushing pressure.

"Great, this is just great!! Elio! I have to thank you for the ending you gave me! I thought I’d be waiting forever, but here it is, right in front of me!!"

Silver Wolf laughed maniacally as she thanked Elio. She had expected a long wait, perhaps until the gods themselves fell.

Yet, the moment she arrived, she witnessed this.

She saw that LV999 could indeed be broken. She saw that level cap, which had been stuck at three digits for countless years, actually reach four.

Watching Silverwing approach step by step, Silver Wolf gave a predatory grin and forced her fist upward with great effort. With the last of her strength, she threw a punch at Silverwing’s chest!

Only this time, before her fist could land, another familiar palm pierced through her own chest.

Silver Wolf could clearly feel herself dying bit by bit. At the very end of her life, she looked at Silverwing, her tone becoming calm:

"To think that brat got to meet you... I’m actually... pretty jealous..."

As her voice trailed off, everything belonging to Silver Wolf LV999 was guided by the power of Finality, surging into the cartridge held by Silverwing.

That was Silver Wolf’s power, but it also represented her will.

If the Silver Wolf of today had been the one to take this power instead of Silverwing, every use of the cartridge would have come with massive risks.

This power was only a step away from being an Aeon.

Moreover, it wasn't like the Path Equations where power is controlled indirectly; using this recklessly would cause a violent shock to one's self-awareness.

The consequence was a risk of distorting one's personality or even causing the consciousness to wither away entirely.

Looking at the unique cartridge now in her hand, Silverwing turned and glared at Elio again.

"You actually intended for Bronya to use something this dangerous!"

"...Again with this?" Elio gave a cat-like sigh. "She’s your person now, you should have a little more faith in Bronya. Even if she can’t master it yet, she’s definitely capable of maintaining her sense of self."

"Hmph..."

Silverwing pursed her lips. She knew Elio would ensure Silver Wolf’s safety. After all, in the original story, the internal relationships of the Stellaron Hunters were quite harmonious, much like the Astral Express. 

Elio wouldn't hurt her in the end. But that was beside the point. As Silver Wolf’s older sister, she still worried about her sister touching power that carried such immense risk.

"Alright, time to head back..."

Elio stretched and glanced at the planet, half of which had been smashed away.

The reason only half was destroyed wasn't because they couldn't break the whole thing, but because the Stellaron Hunters' base was parked right behind them.

A fight is a fight, but you can't go tearing down your own house.

In fact, aside from the protected half-planet and the base, the entire star system had been twisted beyond recognition, completely collapsed. And that was only because Silverwing had neutralized nearly all of Silver Wolf LV999’s power.

The mere scraps of energy that had leaked out were enough to lay waste to a solar system. It was proof enough of how volatile that power was.

But Elio didn't take the cartridge. Silverwing could handle the power, and unlike the whimsical Silver Wolf, Silverwing was mature; she knew her limits.

Thus, Elio didn't care if the cartridge stayed with her. And since Silverwing had joined as a hacker but lacked an official Aether Cartridge, this served as a perfect substitute.

Following Elio, Silverwing met Kafka and Jingliu waiting by the hatch. Kafka reached out to scoop up Elio, then looked at Silverwing with a smile.

"I thought you’d end up taking her back by force."

Though it sounded far-fetched, it wasn't impossible. Kafka had expected Silverwing to make that choice. But Silverwing shook her head.

"She wouldn't have liked that choice, so I won't force it. Besides, she’ll always have another chance."

Inside the cartridge, Silver Wolf’s consciousness had been preserved. Though she had lost everything, it gave her a chance to start over. Perhaps she might even cross that final step one day.

Jingliu waited for Kafka to finish before speaking up. "I made some snacks. Before we head out for the mission, let's eat together and rest a bit."

Jingliu was very happy to be in the same organization as Silverwing. Even if she wasn't the original body, but merely a persona, Jingliu was satisfied.

"Thanks, Jingliu. Your snacks are getting better and better."

"I'm glad you like them."

Silverwing followed Kafka and Jingliu back into the base. By now, the Stellaron Hunters were only missing Firefly and our protagonist, the Trailblazer.

But Firefly didn't even go by that name yet, and it was unclear if an Iron Cavalry of Glamoth would still join.

According to Elio, everyone who joined was special in their own right; they weren't just picked at random.

Jingliu wasn't originally supposed to be part of it, but because of Silverwing's interference, she became someone special. As for a replacement for Firefly, Elio really hadn't found anyone yet.

If no one turned up, the spot would just stay vacant for now. Even with one less person, they had gained an even more unique existence, so it was a net gain.

Back in the lounge, the three women and the cat sat down. While enjoying their snacks, they began to discuss the upcoming mission.

Silverwing felt a bit of novelty at the idea of infiltrating Planet Screwllum and facing off against Screwllum himself. She wondered if Screwllum would notice the holes in her "mask."

Also, she was curious to see just how much stronger Screwllum had become after being evolved by a portion of the Erudition Equation.

"Can I use the power of this cartridge for this mission?" Silverwing asked, wanting to test out this new power. She mostly wanted to play around with Silver Wolf’s combat style, but Elio rejected her flatly.

"No, meow. You saw how that power distorts reality. I’ve got enough headaches as it is; don’t add to my workload, meow."

"Fine, then."

"Also, don't use too little power, but don't use too much either. Don't leave Screwllum with an impression that's too deep or too shallow."

"...Speak English!" Silverwing snapped at Elio’s nitpicky demands, reaching out to grab him by the scruff of his neck.

"The new version of Aether Editing, around LV150 level. Screwllum has grown much stronger lately; LV99 just won't cut it anymore."

Saying this, Elio turned to look at Silverwing. Screwllum’s sudden spike in strength was inextricably linked to her. Not that it was a problem; it was actually a good thing.

"That's more like it." Silverwing gave the cat a sideways glance—he clearly had a baseline in mind, yet he insisted on being a riddle-monger. She let go of Elio and took a sip of her tea.

According to Elio’s script, she wasn't supposed to win this fight, which meant Screwllum’s level was still above 150.

Compared to the original, the modified Aether Editing’s most prominent feature was the hacking technique; in terms of raw stats—meaning Imaginary Energy output—it hadn't increased by much.

This LV150, compared to the original version, meant hacking capabilities that could rival the 400 or 500 range.

As expected of Screwllum; his cyber-security was truly top-tier.

--+--

Star Rail Impostor! - 443

--+--

The issue with the game cartridge had been resolved.

Bai Ming, acting as Silverwing, naturally didn't waste any time.

However, as a Stellaron Hunter, Silverwing felt that she couldn't afford to keep too low of a profile. After all, the purpose of this operation could be understood as a sort of debut performance.

Of course, there might have been deeper meanings behind it, but Elio hadn't elaborated. Silverwing decided to prepare as if this were her first time on the big stage.

And so, on the first day, Silverwing didn't launch an immediate intrusion. Instead, after cracking the firewall of Planet Screwllum, she left behind a formal notice of invasion.

To be honest, as the stronghold of a member of the Genius Society, Planet Screwllum had always been a focal point of intense scrutiny.

Combined with the fact that Screwllum was a gentleman—or at least, he presented himself as one—the number of people attempting cyber-intrusions on Planet Screwllum was by no means small.

However, almost without exception, they were all intercepted by that absurd firewall. In recent years, Screwllum had upgraded it several times, making the already immovable wall even more impregnable.

But today...

The firewall had actually been breached. Although the intruder took no further action after the breakthrough, the mere feat was enough to capture Screwllum's full attention.

--+--

Meanwhile, on the other side.

Bai Ming had returned to the Simulated Universe space station with Kiana and Silver Wolf in tow. 

Although the Simulated Universe had come to life and now sported Herta's massive head as its exterior, Bai Ming still habitually used the place as a base.

Kiana, though it wasn't her first time seeing it, still found the sight bizarre. After all, using one's own giant head as the design for a space station was a concept that was perhaps a bit too "forward-thinking." 

Especially considering the station itself had gained sentience and become a member of the Genius Society, Kiana’s impression of the place was... nuanced.

There were simply too many strange things in this world.

Over the past month, she had seen plenty, but there were still many more oddities she hadn't yet had the chance to witness. Kiana had never imagined a space station could possess self-awareness.

For Silver Wolf, however, a different piece of news held far more appeal.

According to the Simulated Universe, Planet Screwllum's firewall had been breached by a hacker who left a "crime notice."

Although Screwllum didn't know where the opponent came from, the ability to crack his current firewall was something he took very seriously. He temporarily withdrew his attention from the Simulated Universe, deciding to handle the showdown with this hacker first.

As for Silver Wolf—

"How did someone challenge him before me?! Dammit, I was supposed to be first! No way, I’m the most genius hacker here, I’m jumping in too!"

Silver Wolf was itching for a fight. She wanted to crash the party on the day mentioned in the notice. She didn't just want to challenge Screwllum; she wanted to take on this unknown hacker as well.

Standing to the side, Bai Ming listened to Silver Wolf’s declaration of war with a very subtle expression. 

This is actually enough to fire her up?

The notice sent over only mentioned that a hacker wanted to challenge a genius.

How Silver Wolf managed to interpret that as a battle for the title of the universe’s number one genius hacker was beyond her.

Still...

Silver Wolf’s current level had just passed 90; she was still quite a way from being maxed out. However, in terms of hacking prowess, she was roughly equivalent to an original Aether Editing level of 300. That level would make her a powerhouse anywhere.

But against Screwllum, it clearly wouldn't be enough. Even against the Screwllum of the past, winning would be difficult. Going in to challenge him now, her chances of victory were slim.

Yet, Bai Ming didn't stop her. Silver Wolf loved a challenge and lived for strong opponents.

Although the Lv.999 Silver Wolf had a more wicked personality, the two were essentially the same at their core. Both pursued greater power—a trait forged by the background of Silver Wolf’s childhood.

Aether Editing was Silver Wolf’s greatest source of confidence, so she took hacking very seriously. A loss was a loss, and a win was a win.

Bai Ming wasn't worried that a single failure would break her. She was simply wondering how she’d have to coax the "kid" after she lost.

And...

If the day ever came where Silver Wolf realized that the "Silverwing" identity was just Bai Ming’s Persona, she wondered if the girl would be angry at her.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Following the notice, Silverwing launched her intrusion on Planet Screwllum exactly on time.

She bypassed the firewall again with practiced ease. Even though Screwllum had upgraded the security during those three days, it still posed no problem for Silverwing.

Soon, Silverwing captured Screwllum’s signal. Clearly, the opponent had been waiting here early, eager to meet the rival who could so easily dismantle his defenses.

The two sides clashed almost immediately.

Through the power of Aether Editing, the confrontation on the data network manifested as a semi-physical display.

Just as Elio had said, the current Screwllum was even more unfathomable.

A level 150 might have been able to go back and forth with the old Screwllum, but now, she clearly couldn't gain even a slight advantage.

Screwllum's progress was even higher than Silverwing had anticipated.

If he had improved this much, then Divine Herta, who likewise resonated with the Erudition Equation, must have reached an even more staggering level.

But now wasn't the time to worry about that. Because...

Silver Wolf joined the battlefield.

Silver Wolf’s sudden appearance caused Silverwing and Screwllum to call a temporary truce, both turning their attention toward her.

"Heh heh, looks like I timed this perfectly!"

Silver Wolf was ready to go, her lock-on cursor hovering between Screwllum and Silverwing, hesitating over who to strike first.

Screwllum and Silverwing didn't move. Silverwing, naturally, wanted to use this chance to test Silver Wolf’s skill.

As for Screwllum, he recognized Silver Wolf. After all, she was the young girl Bai Ming had brought back, and she had mentioned wanting to interfere while at the Simulated Universe a few days prior. 

Screwllum’s impression of her was that she was young, possessed incredible hacking talent since childhood, and was somewhat clingy toward Bai Ming.

To anyone other than Bai Ming, she was rather blunt, possessing that characteristic "fearless" attitude of youth.

But she wasn't a bad kid at heart.

Screwllum surmised that Silver Wolf hadn't come to help him, but rather to start a three-way free-for-all. 

He didn't mind. On his home turf, as long as the opponent didn't vastly outclass him, he was confident he could win. Having one more person make the situation more chaotic wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

So, both of them stopped, waiting for Silver Wolf to fire the first shot.

After a moment of hesitation, Silver Wolf finally pointed her spear at Silverwing. It wasn't for any deep reason; primarily, Screwllum was at least a friend of her "sister."

Meanwhile, this Silverwing person was a rival coming to steal her title as the genius hacker. Obviously, she had to take out the rival first before dueling Screwllum.

With a surge of excitement, Silver Wolf charged at Silverwing. Seeing this, Screwllum immediately followed suit. In a brawl, Screwllum wasn't about to just stand by and watch.

Seeing the two of them temporarily allied against her, Silverwing didn't mind, quickly launching a counterattack. She merely sighed inwardly; with Silver Wolf joining in, she would likely lose even sooner. 

Elio had forbidden her from using too much power. It was a destined loss to begin with, and with Silver Wolf added to the mix, the end would come even faster.

Silverwing shook her head helplessly and met Silver Wolf head-on.

A loss was a loss, but since things had come to this, she was going to give Silver Wolf a proper "tutorial battle" to make sure the girl understood exactly where her flaws were.

The moment they made contact, Silver Wolf froze.

Through the data signals, Aether Editing allowed one to easily capture the opponent’s personal image. The key was that the opponent wasn't trying to hide at all.

And that face...

It actually looked just like her. No, not exactly the same—it looked like a grown-up version of herself.

"Whoa, okay. Not only are you a hacker like me, you even look like me? You don't happen to be named Bronya too, do you?"

Silver Wolf’s eyes flickered toward Silverwing’s chest. Seeing the very obvious curves—which could even be described as quite substantial—her lips twitched slightly before she quickly composed herself.

However, that little glance didn't escape Silverwing’s eyes. She immediately laughed.

"It seems you're still just a child. But don't be discouraged—you'll grow to be as big as me one day~"

"Stop talking nonsense!"

Silver Wolf’s face flushed red, and she launched a barrage of attacks like a violent storm.

Screwllum, conversely, settled into a support role. Watching the two of them trade blows, he felt as if the hacker known as Silverwing was actually... mentoring Silver Wolf.

Could there be a connection between this young Stellaron Hunter and Silver Wolf?

Screwllum wasn't in a hurry to attack, instead observing the scene carefully.

He had heard that Madam Bai Ming once had a decent relationship with the Stellaron Hunters; perhaps that was the link?

Still, the Hunters had certainly done their homework to find someone who looked the same and also used Aether Editing.

Crucially, Screwllum couldn't detect the power of Finality from her. This meant she wasn't a "future" conjured by Elio through Finality.

How interesting. To think that in this world, besides Silver Wolf and Madam Bai Ming, there was someone else who could wield Aether Editing to this degree.

Screwllum couldn't help but feel that this young Hunter was likely connected to Madam Bai Ming as well. He just couldn't guess the specific nature of that relationship.

Silverwing’s tutorial battle for Silver Wolf was a success. Because Screwllum was being a perfect gentleman and hadn't gone for a killing blow—focusing instead on providing stable support—the result was...

Naturally, Silver Wolf’s defeat.

Silver Wolf didn't blame Screwllum for not helping her double-team the opponent; after all, they weren't exactly planned teammates. She just bared her teeth at Silverwing before being kicked offline.

"Silverwing, was it? I’ve got your name memorized! You just wait! Next time—next time, I’m definitely taking you down!"

Silverwing waved at Silver Wolf with a blooming smile. "See you next time, my little defeated opponent~ Make sure you don't go home crying and throwing a tantrum."

"Dammit! I would never—"

Before Silver Wolf could finish her heated retort, she was disconnected.

Silverwing then turned to Screwllum and offered a graceful, ladylike bow. "You truly are a gentleman. I thought for sure you would have struck just now."

"You were teaching Silver Wolf. Why would I interfere with a pedagogical moment between hackers?"

Screwllum tipped his hat and returned the bow.

--+--

Star Rail Impostor! - 444

--+--

The actual duration of the invasion into Planet Screwllum sped up, or rather, it was stretched thin.

Mostly, it was because Screwllum himself simply allowed two outside hackers to have a grand showdown within the Screwllum network.

One could only say that his reputation as a gentleman was far from a joke. It was truly difficult not to feel a sense of fondness when interacting with a man like Screwllum.

That being said, Screwllum had no intention of holding back during their later exchanges.

Naturally, the operation to invade Planet Screwllum ended in failure. Silverwing didn’t know how Screwllum would evaluate her, a newcomer hunter.

Once the mission concluded, Silverwing’s consciousness returned to her body. Just as she turned her head, Jingliu handed her a cup of tea.

"Thank you."

Silverwing offered her thanks, stretched languidly, and took the cup to sip slowly.

Through today’s encounter, she had gained a rough grasp of Screwllum’s strength. He was formidable—even more so than she had initially anticipated.

Silverwing glanced around but didn't see Kafka. "Where’s Kafka?"

"She just left for a mission. I’ll have to head out for one in a little while, too." Jingliu smiled as she sat down beside Silverwing.

The Stellaron Hunters were becoming increasingly lively these days.

It started with just herself, then Kafka joined, and now Silverwing. According to Elio, one or two more companions would be joining the crew. She wondered what kind of people they would be.

Silverwing nodded slightly at the news. "Is this mission a hassle?"

"It’s alright. This one involves the Interastral Peace Corporation, so it’ll take some time. I’ll need your help with the cleanup phase."

As she spoke, Jingliu handed over a script. This script wasn't long either; it basically required Silverwing to help her with a million-level evacuation after she was finished, and perhaps cause a bit of chaos along the way.

The life of a Stellaron Hunter was truly a busy one. Silverwing swallowed the last drop of tea and sighed helplessly. While these scattered scripts weren't difficult, they felt a bit trivial.

Plus, occasionally encountering specific requirements timed down to the second was a real headache.

--+--

On the other side.

Kiana waited for the docking message from Himeko and immediately set off to find the Astral Express.

As for Silver Wolf, she was, of course, still staying on the Space Station. Even this network invasion had been conducted using the Space Station's lines.

Although the Simulated Universe didn’t provide direct help, it didn't go out of its way to stop her either. 

Since Bai Ming hadn't stepped in, the Simulated Universe merely asked Silver Wolf a few questions and recorded many of her personality traits.

Then, it readily provided the Space Station's hardware, indirectly assisting her.

Of course, even with the station's equipment, Silver Wolf’s invasion still failed. After all, the gap in ability was right there.

And now...

"Dammit! Hypocrite! Mean! I'm so mad!!!"

Silver Wolf sat in her chair with her arms crossed, her legs shaking incessantly as she turned beet red with rage.

Especially when she thought of that person’s final words and the retort she hadn't even finished before being kicked out.

It felt like a breath of air stuck stubbornly in her throat, unable to be spat out. It was enough to make her lungs burst.

Just then, the voice of the Simulated Universe rang out beside her:

"According to the simulation analysis, the opponent was not being a hypocrite, but rather conducting a tutorial match. As for that final provocation... it seemed more like teasing. After all, you are currently throwing a tantrum."

"I am NOT throwing a tantrum!!!"

Silver Wolf snapped instantly, looking up and baring her teeth at the ceiling. The Simulated Universe didn't push the point; after all, Silver Wolf’s stubbornness had long been factored into its calculations.

"Using the simulation results as a reference, the Stellaron Hunter, Silverwing, demonstrated an Aether Editing level of approximately 150, far exceeding your current level."

Since the Simulated Universe had helped Silver Wolf with this invasion—and because it belonged to her sister—Silver Wolf had taught it Aether Editing.

Although the Simulated Universe didn’t have game cartridges and couldn't manifest the reality-warping aspects of Aether Editing, hacking skills alone were no trouble for it.

Hearing this, the flushed Silver Wolf stopped her shaking legs, furrowed her brows, and gritted her teeth.

"How is that possible? Aether Editing Pro was created by my sister specifically for me. Besides her, how could there be a user stronger than me? And it’s not like she could have gotten a cartridge that allows for infinite leveling up, right??"

The "mountain of mess" code that was Aether Editing still stood tall on Punklorde.

The shift in perception from an initial disgrace to a holy land for hackers had happened in just a few years, primarily due to the power of Aether Editing Pro.

Under the same level, the Pro version could kick the original version aside like a stray dog. That was the power of the upgraded Aether Editing.

Everyone wanted to learn this terrifying ability. But aside from Silver Wolf, who had received personal instruction from Bai Ming, no one had been able to fully master the upgraded version yet.

By Silver Wolf’s estimate, unless another genius hacker was born, no one would master it for at least a hundred years.

But now, not only was there someone who did, but they also looked just like her and were even stronger. Was that even logical?

"It does not fit common logic. The difficulty of Aether Editing is not something an average person can master," the Simulated Universe judged.

"I speculate that it may be related to Madam Bai Ming. After all, the only one who possesses Aether Editing Pro and is stronger than you, Silver Wolf, is Madam Bai Ming."

Silver Wolf could have imagined such a simple answer herself. However, compared to the truth, her suspicions slid in a different direction:

"Could it be—Sister has another Bronya out there besides me?!"

Once this thought took root, it spread through her mind like wildfire. The more Silver Wolf thought about it, the more she felt this was likely the case.

Sister had rejected the Stellaron Hunters' invitation so smoothly back then. Maybe she had introduced the other Bronya to them, which is why they backed off so readily!

It’s all connected! Everything is connected!

Then, Silver Wolf felt like her world was ending.

Was she no longer the only younger sister? Moreover, the other Bronya was not only taller and more developed, but also stronger.

And while she was being a selfish brat to her sister, that other person was helping her sister solve problems. The contrast was immediate and painful.

The Simulated Universe added a final blow:

"The probability of this conclusion being true is high. If so, you are no longer Madam Bai Ming’s only sister."

Silver Wolf couldn't hold it together anymore. She threw herself onto the floor, clutching her head and rolling around in a fit.

"Argh!! Dammit! That home-wrecker!! Cheater!! I can grow up eventually too!!!"

"Strictly speaking, you are merely Madam Bai Ming’s sister, and your role is more akin to an adopted daughter. Therefore, the term 'home-wrecker' is inaccurate, and the other party is not cheating."

"I’m not listening, I’m not listening, I’m not listening—!!"

Being stabbed repeatedly by the Simulated Universe’s logic had truly broken Silver Wolf’s defenses. This time, she really was crying and making a scene.

--+--

Meanwhile.

Standing outside the door, Bai Ming scratched her head awkwardly.

She had originally intended to check on Silver Wolf and offer some comfort. But now that Silver Wolf was inside throwing a fit, she wondered if it was a bad time to go in...

"Is Madam Bai Ming not going in? I believe Bronya would be happy."

"...Are you sure she won't have steam coming out of her head from shame first?" Bai Ming responded helplessly to the Simulated Universe’s question.

As a recently born genius, the Simulated Universe was very curious.

It often caught people on the Space Station off guard with all sorts of questions. The Simulated Universe seemed to ponder for a moment before speaking again:

"Perhaps so. But I believe Bronya needs Madam Bai Ming’s comfort right now."

In the Simulated Universe’s calculations, Silver Wolf would definitely not bring this up herself. If she finished her tantrum today, she would likely bury the matter deep in her heart.

If Bai Ming didn't appear now, even if she brought it up later, Silver Wolf probably wouldn't admit to it. While it might not lead to serious consequences, going in now was clearly the better choice.

As the culprit behind it all, Bai Ming rubbed her face awkwardly. Then, she pushed open the door to Silver Wolf’s room.

The moment she opened the door, the previously faint noise became vivid. Even though she was the cause, seeing Silver Wolf crying and rolling around made Bai Ming struggle to hold back a laugh.

"Ahem..."

She cleared her throat to suppress the upward curve of her lips, which also caught Silver Wolf’s attention.

Silver Wolf, who happened to be lying on her back, saw a pair of pure white legs suddenly appear beside her. Looking up, she realized her sister had found her.

"Ah-wah—?!"

Startled, Silver Wolf scrambled up, nearly ducking under Bai Ming’s skirt in the process. Bai Ming helplessly reached out and pinched Silver Wolf’s flushed cheek.

"Why are you acting so frantic?"

"..."

Silver Wolf opened her mouth but couldn't find the words.

She didn't think for a second that her sister wouldn't know about her invasion of Planet Screwllum. But she didn't know how to voice her thoughts. 

She couldn't exactly ask, “Do you have another ‘good little sister’ out there?” Even Silver Wolf realized how wrong that sounded.

While Silver Wolf hesitated, Bai Ming’s small hand moved slightly, shifting from pinching her cheek to stroking her head. Then, she said with a smile:

"Are you thinking about Silverwing?"

"Mmm..."

Silver Wolf puffed out her cheeks. She didn't say it, but she admitted it.

"She has a connection to me. I can’t reveal the details to you because of Elio’s requirements. But I promise you, you are my only sister, and currently the most skilled user of Aether Editing Pro."

Hearing this, Silver Wolf’s face instantly lit up with joy.

In truth, Silver Wolf didn't care if Bai Ming had actually adopted another Bronya. From beginning to end, all she cared about was Bai Ming’s affection. As for who that "Big Bronya" was... Silver Wolf didn't care.

Since Bai Ming had put it that way, the other person definitely wasn't a normal human and likely had some very special origin. They weren't even in the same league.

Thus, a fierce fighting spirit ignited in Silver Wolf’s eyes.

"Then, Sister, I can defeat her, right?"

--+--

Star Rail Impostor! - 445

--+--

Bai Ming chuckled at Silver Wolf’s response.

She had envisioned several possible reactions, but this one was truly unexpected.

Judging by the expression on Silver Wolf’s face, the girl must have run through some internal logic before arriving at that conclusion.

However, since she didn't voice her thought process, the answer seemed a bit of a leap to Bai Ming.

Of course, a leap was perfectly fine. Bai Ming wasn't one to sweat the small details, and it was a good thing for Silver Wolf to be fired up.

While she had her share of rivals as a hacker, she had always lacked an opponent who also used Aether Editing.

Facing someone trained in the same techniques—essentially from the same master—was the best way to identify and fix her own shortcomings.

Bai Ming reached out and scooped Silver Wolf up from the ground. The girl was small, but not frail; she felt quite nice to hold.

"Of course you can. I believe in you. But keep in mind, your opponent won't be standing still either, so the pressure is on."

Instead of being intimidated, Silver Wolf felt a surge of excitement.

Since leaving Punklorde, she had been searching for a goal.

Following Bai Ming wasn't a goal—it was her life. But outside of that life, she hadn't decided what she actually wanted to do.

Now, Silver Wolf had left a beacon with Bai Ming; she could find her whenever she wished.

Once her initial longing had been soothed, she no longer had a reason to cling to Bai Ming’s side every second. She simply hadn't moved on because she didn't know what else to do.

But now...

While it might not be a lifelong ambition, Silver Wolf decided to treat this person as a stage boss to be conquered.

She would defeat that Stellaron Hunter named Silverwing in a fair fight and then mock her right back! Silver Wolf silently added this to her grudge list.

As for Bai Ming... watching how Silver Wolf held a grudge, she silently resolved to keep her "Silverwing" persona tightly under wraps.

If Silver Wolf ever found out, she wouldn't be nearly this easy to coax back to good spirits.

Silver Wolf’s fighting spirit was fully ignited. She had already begun discussing the most efficient leveling plan with the Simulated Universe.

To say she was enthusiastic would be an understatement. Perhaps it was because Bai Ming’s prior interventions had turned what should have been a "Hell Mode" starting zone into a walk in the park. 

Now that she’d finally encountered a boss that looked genuinely challenging, her gamer’s soul was on fire.

To win, the young girl was even willing to share all her data—excluding personal privacy—with the Simulated Universe, hoping its calculations could derive the perfect strategy for her.

As for the Simulated Universe itself... it had been built for the sake of derivation long before it gained sentience.

Though no one forced that responsibility upon her after she became independent, the Simulated Universe remained passionate about it.

Furthermore, she hadn't even achieved one hundred percent control over her own body yet.

If you wanted to know why, you’d have to ask Bai Ming, who had been bold enough to use Fuli’s power to turn this small world into a closed loop. No matter how you looked at it, the Simulated Universe was a realm sealed by the Remembrance.

Gaining total, absolute mastery over it wasn't something even the Simulated Universe could manage in a short time.

Thus, she constantly sought answers from within, engaging in frequent self-dialogue to fully digest the legacy left by Bai Ming and the others.

Once that was done, she was confident she could truly analyze an Aeon.

Regarding the Simulated Universe’s proactivity, Herta and Bai Ming had considered that testers wouldn't be available at all times, so they had left several of their own "slices" inside.

This meant the Simulated Universe no longer required someone to manually log in to simulate; it was calculating the cosmos and deriving the Aeons twenty-four hours a day.

Its current data output efficiency was leagues beyond what it used to be.

If there was one negative side effect, it was that there was no longer any chance of an Aeon’s true form popping out to cause trouble like before.

After all, Nous had anchored the Simulated Universe as a "Genius," effectively sealing off the possibility of future accidents.

Bai Ming suspected that Nous had intervened so decisively precisely to curb such unpleasant possibilities. Regardless, she had no complaints.

She had no desire to witness a second attempt at the resurrection of Propagation or Order.

In short, Silver Wolf had found a temporary goal and intended to work hard for it. Bai Ming didn't need to interfere for the time being.

She just had to maintain her Silverwing persona and play the role of the rival.

Bai Ming didn't have much else on her plate.

The research she wanted Herta to look into wasn't urgent, so she took the data she had prepared—along with a secret stash of Kiana’s "dark history"—and sent it all toward the Solar System.

--+--

On the other side, the original Kiana sensed the emergence of another power of Finality and knew Bai Ming had arrived.

Kiana had previously wondered if Bai Ming had missed becoming Finality due to a "bad signal," but even now, as that power appeared in the Solar System, the usual process didn't trigger.

This left Kiana utterly baffled.

Strange as it was, Kiana tucked away the storage device and asked, "Aren't you coming over to hang out this time?"

"...Didn't you say you can't return to Earth yet?"

Kiana scratched her head awkwardly.

That was true. The other woman was now brimming with the power of Finality; like her, Bai Ming couldn't step foot on Earth and had to stay elsewhere.

There really wouldn't be anywhere to "play." Wandering around the Moon or Mars was a bit dull.

She couldn't very well have Bai Ming come all this way just to introduce her to Mei and Bronya, could she?

Still, Kiana knew a thing or two about hospitality. "Right, I can't yet, hehe... maybe in a while. I'll let you know when the coast is clear?"

"It's a deal then. Remember to notify me. Also, make sure you give that hard drive to Bronya first."

Bai Ming’s oddly specific reminder made Kiana scratch her head again. Did that really need a reminder? 

While there were other people she could give it to, Kiana would obviously go to Bronya first.

After all, Bronya was the only one on the Moon right now. Kiana figured Bai Ming had prepared some of those high-tech games from the other world that Bronya was looking forward to.

Since Originium was essentially a crystallization of Elation, it wasn't safe to send over, but copying a game collection was no problem. She just wondered how many games Bai Ming had packed in there.

Kiana didn't even consider the possibility of her own embarrassing past being in there. "Got it, got it. It's just that big game collection we talked about, right? I'll give it to Bronya first."

"Mhm~"

The corners of Bai Ming’s mouth curled up slightly. Besides the games, she hoped Bronya would enjoy that special little surprise.

"Hehe, I'll recommend a few games to Bronya that she’ll definitely love. Bye-bye!"

Kiana waved and vanished through space, returning to the Moon in an instant.

At the lunar base, Mei had returned to Earth for a mission, but Bronya had stayed behind.

She was mostly curious about the data and games from the other world. Although she maintained a calm facade, her intense gaze completely betrayed her excitement.

Kiana grinned and placed a palm-sized storage device on the table. "Here, everything’s inside. Bai Ming said she made something special so it can link directly with our equipment."

Bronya didn't even stop to tease Kiana this time.

She reached out, picked up the slightly heavy device, and plugged it into the prepared interface. Without waiting for Kiana to speak, she began scrolling through the contents at lightning speed.

Skip the tech files... Game Collection! Wait... is there another folder? Bronya’s keen eyes caught a specifically marked folder and she opened it.

In an instant, a flurry of chaotic but vivid recordings of Kiana filled the screen. After watching just the beginning, Bronya could barely suppress her smirk.

She could guess exactly what the rest of that long progress bar contained.

What a pity Mei wasn't here. If she were, they could have had a public screening—a total "public execution" for Kiana.

Since it was just the two of them, Bronya felt a public broadcast would waste the surprise.

She decided to watch it in secret first, copy the files to take back to Earth to share with Mei, and then find the perfect moment to "let" Kiana discover the folder.

Oh, the expression on Kiana’s face then would be priceless.

Bronya pursed her lips, daydreaming about that glorious scene.

She quickly closed the window and switched back to the game collection folder, all while secretly initiating a background copy of the files. She planned to savor them later.

Kiana, still oblivious to what Bronya had seen, leaned over. Seeing the screen filled with games, she assumed Bronya’s smile was simply due to the vast alien library.

Very quickly, a packaged file was sent to Mei’s terminal on Earth. The note said nothing specific, only that it was "good stuff" and Mei should watch it immediately.

Mei, who happened to be on a break, looked at the sender with confusion.

Wasn't Bronya supposed to be waiting for the games and data from the other world?

"Bronya? What 'good stuff' is she sending me at a time like this?"

With a curious heart, she downloaded and extracted the file.

Seeing it was a video, Mei felt even more puzzled.

She pressed play. As Kiana’s figure appeared on the screen, Mei burst into laughter.

--+--

Star Rail Impostor! - 446

--+--

"Pfft... Is that actually a recording of Kiana in another world?!"

Mei watched the screen with a helpless smile, seeing Kiana behave like a little kid.

So it really was because she felt lonely on the moon, and once she got to another world she completely let her true nature loose?

Still... dumb as she was, she was adorable too.

Mei watched the video, and the smile never left her face. Many times she simply couldn't hold it in and laughed out loud, even losing her composure a little.

As she watched, Mei also sent Bronya a message:

[Mei: Has Kiana seen this?]

[Bronya: Obviously not. I was planning to wait until you came to the moon before showing her. But if you keep not coming, then I'll just do it myself.]

[Mei: I'm almost done with work here. Taking some leave to visit the moon shouldn't be a problem.]

[Bronya: Waiting for you.]

Mei didn't exactly have evil intentions about going to see Kiana get embarrassed, though it wasn't like she didn't want to see that at all.

More than anything, she just wanted to tease her a little.

When Kiana did the livestream before, she'd obviously cut all these scenes out.

Only now did Mei learn that Kiana had shown such a childish side too.

Now that they'd all grown up, everyone had their own things to do, and it had been a long time since they messed around like this.

Watching Kiana in the video, Mei had to admit it was impossible not to miss their student days, even just a little.

And so—

Half a day later, Mei rushed straight to the moon.

She arrived in front of Kiana and Bronya. The two of them were holding controllers, playing some game she didn't recognize, probably something brought over from the other world.

Kiana was pleasantly surprised to see Mei.

Mei was responsible by nature. She normally wouldn't casually use resources to travel back and forth to the moon for no reason.

After Mei had gone back, Kiana thought it'd be a while before they met again.

Who would've thought she'd come zooming right back so soon?

Still completely unaware of the disaster about to befall her, Kiana happily waved Mei over to sit down and play.

Meanwhile, Bronya—who had already planned everything—suppressed the curl of her lips and turned back to exchange a glance with Mei.

Mei smiled helplessly in return.

She couldn't help but feel... maybe Bronya felt the same way she did. Or maybe after seeing what Silver Wolf in that other world had been up to, she got a little jealous?

So she'd decided to indulge in a bit of nostalgia too.

Otherwise, the current Bronya normally wouldn't roughhouse with Kiana the way that world's Silver Wolf did.

But today... it felt like things were about to turn into a very familiar scene from years ago.

At that moment, Kiana suddenly shivered for no reason, as if sensing something.

She had the strange feeling something bad was about to happen.

One round of the game ended.

Kiana stood up and called over to Mei, who had been watching from the side. Bronya, meanwhile, wore a mysterious smile.

Then she pulled out her phone and, with an extremely "casual" motion, pressed play.

A familiar voice immediately rang out from the phone:

"’Bai Ming—waaah—Himeko-sensei!!!! Look at her, she's bullying me!!!'"

Kiana, who had just been calling to Mei, froze stiff on the spot, especially since she was face-to-face with Mei right now.

The moment she remembered why she'd said that line, and everything she'd been thinking back then—Kiana's face turned red instantly.

Especially when she heard that snicker from behind her.

She spun around at once and lunged at Bronya: "Stop that right now!!"

Bronya didn't resist at all, letting Kiana snatch the phone that was still playing the video. Red-faced, Kiana hurriedly closed the file, then glared at Bronya with puffed cheeks.

She looked ready to demand where in the world Bronya got that video from.

Kiana could swear she'd never materialized that part for them to see.

So where did Bronya—

Wait!

Kiana suddenly realized it.

The only way Bronya could have any connection to that other world was the storage device Kiana had personally handed over.

Those videos had to be on that hard drive, and that's how Bronya found them!

That damned Bai Ming!!!

Kiana ground her teeth in rage. That jerk Bai Ming actually stabbed her in the back here! That bastard didn't also include the full context behind that line too... right?!

Kiana immediately dragged the progress bar, trying to inspect the contents.

At the same time, she didn't forget to "threaten" Bronya: "Damn it, Bronya! Bai Ming that scumbag packed this kind of stuff in there and sent it over, and you didn't even tell me!"

Watching Kiana panic on two fronts at once, Bronya's smile only widened.

"Didn't I just tell you now? No need to look. That phone only has one clip on it. As for the rest... it's all here~"

Clearly prepared in advance, Bronya spoke while pulling out another phone and waving the lit-up screen at Kiana.

"Bronya, you—you you—?!"

Kiana stared, dumbfounded, at the obviously premeditated Bronya.

"Oh, and by the way... who do you think has seen it besides me?"

"..."

Kiana froze.

Before she could think, Mei's apologetic voice came from beside her: "Sorry, Kiana. I didn't mean to. Once I opened it and realized what it was, I forgot to close it..."

"???"

Wow, Mei. Want to listen to how ridiculous that excuse sounds?

But Kiana had no time to condemn Mei, because Bronya's phone started playing a new clip. This time it was still related to Himeko—Kiana acting spoiled toward her.

The content itself wasn't too bad. It was even a little heartwarming.

But considering Kiana's age...

Watching a grown woman act like a little kid toward an older sister she'd just met...

In the eyes of people who knew her, that was mortifying.

"Bronya!! If you keep this up, then I'll—"

"You'll what?"

"I'll... I'll..."

Kiana desperately racked her brain for something she could use to strike back.

Seeing that, Bronya immediately raised one hand and made a smug little pinching gesture.

Perhaps Kiana was so flustered she really did think of something.

She made a grand sweep of her hand—and up came the image of Silver Wolf acting spoiled and calling Bai Ming, who was still wearing the face of Finality Kiana at the time, "big sister."

Especially the way Silver Wolf's usual cocky tone softened the instant she said it.

That contrast—and that obvious dependence on Bai Ming—was displayed in full.

Bronya's face darkened immediately.

She knew Madam Bai Ming had once helped a Bronya who looked exactly like her younger self, but because of Kiana, she'd never seen details like this before!

And seeing Bronya's expression sink, Kiana instantly straightened up with confidence.

Hands on hips, chin raised, she hmphed proudly: "See that, Bronya? Believe it or not, I'll send this clip—along with proof of exactly how many times you've stayed up all night gaming this month—straight to Seele!"

"No! That kind of thing is absolutely not allowed!!"

Bronya's pupils shook on the spot.

Those two matters would cause, respectively, social death and physical death at Seele's hands. If Kiana bundled them together and sent them over—then Bronya would truly be finished today!

"Hmph hmph... Hahahaha!! Bronya, you'd better behave! Delete every hostage file you've got! Otherwise... you know what happens!"

Hands on hips, Kiana burst into a triumphant laugh.

Bronya frowned deeply.

"Impossible! If I delete my files, they're gone. But you can make copies again anytime. That's unfair!"

"You don't get to refuse, Bronya! The tides have already turned!"

Seeing Kiana actually pushing her luck further, Bronya immediately knew she could never delete those videos.

If she did, today she'd cede five cities, tomorrow ten more, only to gain one night's sleep.

So Bronya instantly stepped back and raised her phone high.

"Hmph. Since you have no sincerity in negotiating, then don't blame me if we both go down together! I also have the complete footage of the stupid things you did on the Xianzhou Luofu! Don't force me to hit send!"

"What—?!"

Kiana panicked.

Mei and Bronya both knew about that incident, sure—but she'd only given them the briefest summary and never showed them the footage, much less the details.

And yet... and yet Bronya had the video?!

That was the final blow.

And because she'd been roughhousing with Silver Wolf over there and regained the instincts of old times, in her panic she directly tossed aside the phone in her hand and pounced at Bronya like a starving tiger.

"Don't come over here!!"

Bronya was completely stunned.

Girl, how old are we now? Fooling around in dreams is one thing—are you seriously planning to fight like children in real life too?!

But the situation was urgent. Faced with Kiana's tiger pounce, Bronya followed the most instinctive reaction in her heart.

She sprang up as well and lunged straight at Kiana!

"..."

Watching from the side, Mei saw Bronya and Kiana rolling around on the floor like two elementary school kids.

She pressed a hand to her forehead and let out a long sigh.

She knew it...

In the end, it was always going to become this.

It had been so long since she'd seen a scene like this that Mei even seriously tried to remember what she'd used to do in situations like this.

Then again...

This time it really was Bronya who started it by teasing Kiana first. Though Mei was also at fault for being tempted by the files Bronya sent her and not stopping any of this.

But since things had already come this far...

Mei looked around the room.

Then decided she'd better have a cup of tea first.

--+--

Star Rail Impostor! - 447

--+--

Actually, Mei hadn't originally intended to summon Seele.

It was mostly that a scene like this really stirred up a lot of nostalgia for the past. But then again, a version of Bronya like this was probably a rare sight for Seele.

Besides, judging from the earlier conversation between Bronya and Kiana, it sounded like Bronya had once again ignored Seele's reminders during her time on the moon.

She seemed intent on testing the limits of the soul over the body, essentially trying to ascend to some sort of immortal cultivation path through sheer willpower.

Be that as it may, Mei stood by Seele on this one. She was genuinely worried about Bronya’s health.

You can't exactly wait until someone pulls an all-nighter so hard they drop dead before calling Seele over to help with a resurrection. Herrscher powers aren't meant to be used as a personal reset button for poor life choices.

However, the Earth-Moon routes weren't developed enough yet to allow someone to just hop on a flight the moment they made up their mind. So, Seele simply connected to the lunar base via a communication link.

And so, Bronya and Kiana—who had been "at each other's throats" just moments ago—were now both kneeling on the sofa, looking perfectly behaved and honest.

Cold sweat was literally pouring down their foreheads.

In front of Bronya was the communication screen from Seele. Standing in front of Kiana was Mei.

"Bronya-oneesama... could you please tell me what you promised Seele when you said you were staying on the moon?"

"Uh..."

The sweat started dripping off Bronya in sheets.

Even though Seele wasn't physically standing there, whenever she used that specific tone to call her "Sister," it meant the situation had reached a critical level of severity.

Bronya’s chaotic mind began to race, desperately trying to recall exactly what she had promised back then.

But in her memory, it felt like no matter what Seele had said, she had just responded with "Mhm, okay, I promise" to everything. She had a sinking feeling she’d agreed to quite a few things...

Seeing Bronya stammering, Seele knew immediately that her advice had gone in one ear and out the other.

Initially, Seele hadn't expected Bronya to stay on the moon for so long. They had rushed there in the first place out of concern that something had happened to Kiana.

Later, when Kiana brought back such shocking news to Earth, Bronya and Mei requested to stay on the moon for a while. Naturally, no one objected.

Seele had thought that with Mei there, Bronya and Kiana would exercise some restraint—eat less junk food, pull fewer all-nighters, and keep a regular schedule.

But then, some urgent matters popped up at Schicksal that required Mei’s return to Earth. That left the two most disobedient people alone on the moon.

For that very reason, Seele had made a video call to Bronya at the time, specifically telling her not to get so caught up in gaming that she forgot to eat or sleep.

And the result...

The smile on Seele's face turned dangerously dark. It made the hair on Bronya’s neck stand on end; she felt like she was absolutely doomed once she returned to Earth!

Of course, there was also the possibility that Seele would fly to the moon early to finish her off ahead of schedule.

"I told Bronya-oneesama back then: don't stay up all night, and don't eat too much junk food. I know opportunities to spend a long time with Kiana are rare, so I didn't demand that you strictly follow a perfect health regimen. However..."

"..."

With every word Seele spoke, Bronya seemed to shrink an inch smaller.

"I'm sorry. I was wrong."

"Bronya-oneesama, not everything can be brushed aside just by saying 'I'm sorry, I was wrong' after the fact, you know?"

"Yes... I have seriously and deeply reflected on my recent lifestyle issues, and I guarantee it won't happen again."

Bronya performed a lightning-fast "sliding kneel," committing to the bit of zero nonsense and zero excuses.

Of course, whether she’d pull another all-nighter later because a deadline hit, inspiration struck, or a new game launched... well, that was hard to say.

Seele knew Bronya’s personality all too well. So—

"There won't be a next time, Bronya-oneesama."

She didn't say it explicitly, but through her tone, Bronya could feel that if she continued to be "humble in admitting fault but stubborn in changing," she would likely face a literal "dead end." Though the current situation wasn't much better.

--+--

While Seele was busy educating Bronya, Mei was also lecturing Kiana. Granted, Mei was a bit gentler than Seele, but a scolding was still a scolding.

With the "Emperor" far away lately, Kiana and Bronya had really been pushing their luck. Mei hadn't realized the extent of it before, but after calling Seele, she’d heard the truth from Bronya instead.

Consequently, Kiana—who thought she could act cute and breeze through—was now in deep trouble too.

Even though Kiana knew this was purely the result of Bronya dragging her down with her, there was clearly no room for rebuttal in this atmosphere. She could only hang her head and take the lecture.

--+--

Meanwhile, Bai Ming wasn't quite wicked enough to send a clone over just to enjoy the sight of Kiana getting scolded. However, she still slipped onto the Express to secretly observe the shifts in Kiana’s expressions.

On this particular visit to the Astral Express, she happened to run into Hysilens and Cerydra as they were preparing to disembark for a while.

"You're leaving the Express? Why? Didn't you enjoy the recent adventures?"

Bai Ming was curious why Cerydra would make this choice. She figured the decision likely came from Cerydra rather than Hysilens.

Cerydra crossed her arms and gave a small huff of explanation. "I'm very satisfied with my time on the Astral Express. But an Express’s adventure is not my personal journey, after all."

Cerydra had always possessed the aura of a high-ranking ruler. Even if she didn't necessarily crave power, the memories of so many lifetimes had naturally left her with that sort of mindset.

It was fine when there were fewer people. Dan Heng was taciturn, and Himeko had only just started out, her experience still a bit green. But as more people joined the Express—Welt, Razalina, Mei, and so on...

Cerydra admitted they were all wonderful partners. As companions went, they were all excellent people. 

But clearly, Cerydra wasn't satisfied with just this atmosphere.

And to be honest, the Astral Express was a bit too fond of meddling.

Saving worlds from Stellaron disasters was a task the Express had been doing non-stop until now. There were plenty of other reasons, too.

In short... Cerydra didn't hate the Astral Express or its passengers; it was simply a matter of clashing personalities. To prevent things from turning into an actual conflict, Cerydra decided to leave the Express first.

As for the future...

"There will surely be chances to travel together again. Just as the Flame-Chase Journey always brings everyone together, the path of Trailblaze will see us meet again at the other side of the galaxy."

Cerydra said this with a smile, causing the words Bai Ming hadn't yet spoken to vanish.

Cerydra had thought it through clearly, and since it took her several years to make this decision, it meant she was truly set on it. So, Bai Ming simply nodded.

"Then, have you decided when you're leaving?"

"The next stop happens to pass through Interastral Peace Corporation territory. I plan to buy a starship there."

With Amphoreus backing her, Cerydra certainly didn't lack Credits. Plus, the Astral Express wasn't short on money either; she could definitely afford a ship.

"Then I wish you smooth sailing on your grand adventure."

"A blessing from the Savior? I’ll gladly accept that."

Beside them, Hysilens bowed to Bai Ming. "Thank you for looking after us all this way."

"You should probably save those thanks for Himeko and the others. I didn't really do anything while you were on the Express."

"We will naturally thank our companions on the Train, but a thank you to Madam Bai Ming is also necessary."

Hysilens looked at Bai Ming earnestly. Though Bai Ming had no idea what she had done to deserve such gratitude.

"Oh, right. Since you're planning to go solo, do you want me to build you a mech like the Drytron units? It’d save you the trouble of buying a ship."

Last time, the Astral Express had rejected her suggestion to add different Drytron models. Bai Ming felt it was a great pity that more cool mechs hadn't been brought into the world.

So, she looked at Cerydra and Hysilens with eyes full of anticipation, looking exactly like someone who wanted to hand-craft a giant toy.

"Uh..."

Cerydra blinked helplessly. Their Savior was good in every way, but why did she always love a spectacle?

While Cerydra didn't know exactly what the other Drytron series models looked like, she and Hysilens had seen the footage of [Drytron Alpha Thuban] soaring through the sky countless times.

That shimmering, dragon-shaped machine was so beautiful and elegant—and extremely violent.

Every battle it fought erupted with dazzling radiance. It wasn't that it didn't look good, or that they hated it. It was just that those mechs were far too flashy.

Cerydra wasn't exactly a "low-profile" person, but she wasn't that ostentatious. If you flew around in one of those, people would think you were there to suppress them with military force at first glance.

It was just too much attention. She didn't want any unnecessary trouble.

"As far as combat power goes, a Drytron unit is great, but for daily use... isn't it a bit too bright?" Cerydra chose her words carefully.

If the two of them used one, they wouldn't have an Astral Express to haul it around for them.

"Is it? Isn't it just cool?"

"...That's exactly the problem."

"Hmm."

Bai Ming made a troubled face.

Cerydra didn't want to use them either? What now? If no one was going to pilot them, there was no point in making them just to let them sit there. Besides, she didn't have a specific place to display them.

Seeing Bai Ming's expression, Cerydra felt a bit guilty about rejecting the kindness. After all, she had received so many favors; it felt wrong to say no like this.

"Is there a starship in the same series?"

"A starship... well, there is one."

Bai Ming thought about it. Drytron did indeed have a closely related series, [Ursarctic], which had a mothership that was pretty badass.

Time to build!

--+--

Star Rail Impostor! - 448

--+--

Bai Ming set out to manifest a warship with her bare hands right then and there.

Cerydra didn’t try to talk her out of it. Honestly, she was curious to see what kind of vessel Bai Ming was talking about. As long as it wasn't some mechanical dragon, she was fine with it.

Cerydra followed Bai Ming to the Express windows. Seeing this, the others looked toward Hysilens, wondering what was happening.

Once Hysilens explained the situation, the rest of the crew gathered by the glass, their curiosity piqued.

Void Archives was particularly intrigued.

He was dying to know how Bai Ming planned to construct a spacecraft out of thin air. Could such complex systems and designs really be brought to life so effortlessly?

Before long, a kaleidoscopic radiance erupted outside the train, coalescing into a warship nearly ten thousand meters long.

The light first solidified into the general silhouette of the craft before the finer details began to take shape.

With Bai Ming’s ever-growing reservoir of knowledge, her talent for constructing massive machinery had become increasingly refined.

The massive mothership gradually came into being. Its wide launch tracks were clearly designed for deploying smaller units. In fact, Bai Ming had indeed tucked several small craft—ranging from ten to a hundred meters in size—inside it.

Around a dozen fan-like structures were distributed along the sides of the mothership.

Of course, these weren't just for show. What those humming "fans" took in and spat out were vortices of Imaginary Energy.

These swirling vortices were channeled at specific frequencies; a portion powered the ship, while the rest formed a swirling Imaginary barrier that enveloped the entire vessel. By directly manipulating Imaginary Energy in this way, she had essentially turned "wild" energy into a natural shield.

It could block out interference from the most extreme environments in the cosmos while granting the ship the ability to sail freely through the Imaginary depths of deep space.

For the engines, Bai Ming had designed an improved warp drive based on the research of Herta and Screwllum. It didn't have any flashy gimmicks; it was built for stability, efficiency, and pure, raw power.

As for the weapons and defense systems, it went without saying—everything that should be there was there, and plenty that shouldn't be there was included too.

Once the fundamental hardware was complete, Bai Ming turned to the interior decor, drawing inspiration from both the Express and Amphoreus. After all, this ship was meant for Cerydra and Hysilens.

By now, Cerydra was staring, completely dazed. She had only wanted a ship that she and Hysilens could use. But this massive mothership, kilometers in length, looked like the flagship of a grand fleet.

This thing would be more than enough to serve as the trump card flagship for all of Amphoreus.

And it was just for the two of them?

Cerydra imagined the scenario.

What kind of excuse could she possibly use in the future to allow this clearly overpowered flagship to approach the territory of other galactic powers? Wouldn't they be met with immediate warnings and a barrage of fire the moment they got close?

This was clearly making things way more conspicuous... It wasn't like she was planning to lead Amphoreus on a cosmic crusade!

Bai Ming gave Cerydra’s shoulder a firm, proud slap, pointing at the massive warship shimmering with iridescent light.

"So! Pretty great ship, right? I call it the Ursarctic Big Dipper."

"Have you forgotten that this ship is for me and the Hysilens alone? It’s not meant for an Amphoreus expedition..."

Hearing this, Bai Ming pursed her lips. "Maybe it's a bit on the large side, but it’s spacious! Plus, it’s equipped with plenty of specialized smaller vessels. There’s even a massive ecological garden inside."

"The problem is, if I actually pilot this thing, how am I supposed to make the worlds I pass by believe I’m there for an adventure and not to conquer them?"

Cerydra looked up, crossing her arms. She stared straight at Bai Ming with an expression that was hard to read—somewhere between teasing and dead serious—as she asked the question.

"Yikes... Maybe I should retract all the exposed weapons? And add a cover layer over the deck?"

Bai Ming started scratching her head. Oops. She really hadn't considered that part. Now that she thought about it, it was a bit over the top.

So, she raised her hand and hid all the obvious cannon systems before adding covers to the two launch tracks, obscuring their original purpose.

Cerydra let out a helpless sigh. Why did the Savior of Amphoreus, this god of the universe, always prioritize looking cool over everything else?

"I suppose that works... at least it looks less aggressive now."

If the Imperator were still the same man who once sought to conquer the stars, she might have accepted it gladly. But she had stepped down years ago. Naturally, she no longer wished to conquer through such blunt, crude methods.

"Then it’s settled! I guarantee you’ll love the interior~"

Bai Ming gave Cerydra a playful wink.

"Do you mind if Hysilens and I go up and have a look?"

"Of course not! It was made for the two of you in the first place."

"Thank you."

Cerydra offered her thanks, then led Hysilens toward the giant warship nearby.

Shortly after they left, Kiana approached with a beaming smile. She giggled as she nudged up to Bai Ming, her eyes wide with admiration.

"I asked Himeko—did you make that ultimate weapon on the train, too?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Oh, nothing. I just think you're incredible, being able to create something with that much technical complexity."

"...With your Authority, couldn't you make something similar if you wanted to?" Bai Ming looked at Kiana, puzzled. The power of Finality was so comprehensive; building a ship shouldn't be hard.

"No, no, no, it's not the same at all! I'm still developing my own powers. I can't just manifest things out of thin air like you do."

"Are you sure you aren't just being lazy?"

"Hehe~ Well, that's just who I am!"

Kiana genuinely thought Bai Ming was amazing. The Herrscher of Finality's abilities were vast, but it all came down to how they were used.

If you wanted Kiana to apply raw force—like sniping Sa in one shot—she was your girl. But if you asked her to build a spaceship from scratch, it was a real headache.

It wasn't that she couldn't learn. She was the Herrscher of Finality, after all; her aptitude was top-tier. But getting Kiana to sit down and study diligently was the real challenge.

Looking at Kiana scratching her head and giggling, Bai Ming suddenly said, "Actually... I thought you’d be mad at me."

"Hmph, don't even get me started! It really was you who put those in there, wasn't it?"

Kiana bared her teeth in a cute, mock-menacing way, though she didn't seem truly angry. "But I'll forgive you this once. It was embarrassing, but messing around with Bronya after all this time was actually pretty fun."

"Oh? Sounds like something interesting happened."

"I'm not telling!"

Kiana turned away with a laugh, leaving only a flutter of silver hair in her wake. She seemed to be in a great mood. Though it wasn't quite the reaction Bai Ming had expected, she was undeniably adorable.

With that thought, Bai Ming turned her gaze toward Welt.

She had managed to project a core for the Herrscher of Reason. Replacing the power source was a bit of a hassle, but nothing a little research couldn't solve.

So.

"Mr. Yang."

"..."

Being addressed as "Mr. Yang" by an Aeon—even if it wasn't the first time—still made Welt feel a bit overwhelmed.

"Is there something I can help you with, Madam Bai Ming?"

"I have a gift for you."

As she spoke, Bai Ming raised her palm. A blue, gem-like crystal materialized and drifted toward Welt. He reached out instinctively to catch it. The moment he did, a familiar sense of control flooded through him.

His pupils dilated in shock. "This is—"

"A Herrscher of Reason core. An improved version, of course. It’s controlled directly through Imaginary Energy."

"..."

Welt didn't know what to say. What did she mean by "improved version"? Was a Herrscher Core something you could just improve on a whim and pull out of your pocket?

He would have sooner believed she had ripped it out of Void Archives' chest.

Even for someone as composed as Welt, he was at a loss for words. First Kiana shows up, and now a Herrscher Core follows. Welt’s heart skipped a beat. It felt like Honkai had finally tracked him down across the stars.

Beside him, Void Archives' eyes lit up at the sight of the core. But Bai Ming ignored him. Like Himeko, Bai Ming wasn't a fan of Void Archives' attitude.

He was quite the handful; she really wondered how Mr. Yang put up with the guy.

Welt watched as the gem merged into his body, feeling that familiar authority return to him. Before this, he could still manifest certain objects, but his efficiency and precision were nowhere near what they once were.

It was a struggle just to create a manga, let alone use the ability in combat.

But now, with this core, the authority to construct all things was back in his grasp. Welt felt as though he had suddenly returned to his prime.

But before anything else, Welt looked at Bai Ming. "Why do you have a Herrscher Core? Logically, such a thing shouldn't exist here."

"Well, let's just call it one of my little tricks."

Bai Ming didn't elaborate. She simply waved with a smile and turned to walk away, heading off to find Acheron.

She left Welt staring at his palm and then at her retreating back, lost in thought. Void Archives suspected that Bai Ming could probably produce even more Herrscher Cores if she wanted to.

Unfortunately, he was certain she wouldn't be giving one to him. He was truly envious of Mr. Yang—after everything, the man had actually stumbled into a free Herrscher Core.

--+--

Acheron watched as Bai Ming practically squeezed into her lap to sit down. She smiled and wrapped her arms around Bai Ming’s waist.

Handing her a drink, Acheron asked curiously, "What use is that Herrscher Core? Is it like an Authority?"

"Yeah, it’s somewhat similar to those blades from Izumo."

"As I thought. The world Kiana comes from bears a striking resemblance to Izumo."

Acheron hadn't known a companion named Kiana, but from their conversations, she recognized many familiar names.

There were so many parallels. The biggest difference was that Kiana had surpassed the final trial, while Acheron had failed to overcome the Nihility.

If possible, she really did want to go and see that world for herself.

--+--

Star Rail Impostor! - 449

--+--

Bai Ming didn't share a close bond with everyone on the Astral Express.

Take Dan Heng, for example.

He was well aware of the kindness Bai Ming had shown him, and given his naturally taciturn personality, he couldn't help but carry an air of unconscious deference whenever they spoke.

Spending time with him never felt quite as effortless as it did with Himeko.

On the other hand, there was Welt. Though they hadn't known each other long, they had bonded while he was still piecing together his understanding of this new world.

While he was certainly respectful, he wasn't burdened by a direct life-debt, which actually made their conversations feel much more relaxed.

Razalina found herself in a situation similar to Dan Heng's. As a veteran Nameless who had once offered herself up as kindling for a sacrificial flame, she had only been brought back from the brink because Bai Ming willed it.

Bai Ming had even gone so far as to trouble two Pure Children to assist in fishing her soul back from the depths.

To be honest, when Razalina first learned what had transpired, her immediate reaction wasn't relief at having survived.

Instead, she spent her time wondering what she had done to deserve being saved by the joint efforts of an Aeon and two Pure Children.

Bound by the weight of that gratitude, Razalina’s reverence toward Bai Ming was far more intense than even Dan Heng’s.

Bai Ming actually wanted to become better friends with her—after all, a girl with short hair and glasses was quite cute—but unfortunately, Razalina got incredibly nervous whenever they were alone.

After a while, Bai Ming felt bad about bothering her too often. She figured she’d just take it slow; once they had spent enough time together, Razalina would eventually desensitize.

As for Void Archives... well, that was mostly a matter of that mouth of his.

While Bai Ming didn't exactly give him the cold shoulder, he shouldn't expect her to go out of her way to strike up a chat with him either.

After Hysilens and Cerydra confirmed the status of the Ursarctic Big Dipper, Cerydra fell head over heels for the absurdly powerful mothership.

She felt that if this ship were placed in any top-tier faction, it would be enshrined as their flagship representative.

Upon returning to the Express, Cerydra thanked Bai Ming with the utmost sincerity. She had never dreamed she would get her hands on such a vessel.

So this is what it feels like to have someone backing you from above, she thought.

Cerydra felt profoundly lucky for Amphoreus.

If Bai Ming hadn't been supporting them—whether intentionally or not—they likely would have been carved up and divided by the various factions in the universe the moment they moved past the threat of Irontomb. After all... Amphoreus was the legacy of the First Genius.

Regardless, Amphoreus had finally gained a foothold, and it no longer needed a tyrant to dictate its direction.

Cerydra didn't overthink it; after a proper farewell, she and Hysilens boarded the massive warship and set sail into the unknown, beginning a brand-new adventure.

Since Bai Ming hadn't seen the specific drama she was hoping for, she left shortly after them. This time, her destination was Herta City. It was time to pay back what she had promised Herta.

It was the same familiar Herta City, but this time, Herta wasn't lost in thought or having afternoon tea. 

She was... blowing up the kitchen.

And I mean that literally.

The moment Bai Ming landed, she heard a violent roar echoing from the kitchen area, followed by the sight of puppets carrying out firefighting and emergency protocols with practiced efficiency.

It was hard to imagine anyone in this world could actually manage to cook so poorly that they caused an explosion.

In this day and age, while kitchens are full of various combustibles, you really need a specific set of skills to make one lose control and detonate.

Yet, Herta had managed it. And it wasn't like she had added any strange explosives to her pantry.

Following the bizarre scent mingling with the smoke, Bai Ming found Herta lurking by the kitchen door, waiting for the puppets to finish the cleanup.

Herta was frowning slightly, head down in deep thought, muttering under her breath.

Listening closely, Bai Ming realized she was conducting a post-mortem analysis of the failure. She was so serious about it that she didn't even notice Bai Ming until she was standing right next to her.

Her train of thought interrupted, Herta looked over with a scowl. "You really picked a bad time to show up. The kitchen just blew up; it’s still being repaired."

"What did the kitchen ever do to you? Why did you feel the need to assassinate it?" Bai Ming teased with a smile, only to be met with a massive eye-roll from Herta.

"I was just exercising a little creativity with the recipe. The explosion was just a minor accident."

Bai Ming glanced past her at the absolute wreck of a kitchen. Scraps of charred ingredients were scattered everywhere, which was normal, but mixed in among them were pieces of Curios that looked like they might have been edible.

That was decidedly not normal.

Adding Curios to a recipe? Now that was creative.

Bai Ming looked away, exasperated. "Since when did you get interested in cooking?"

Herta thought of Ruan Mei saying something similar, and of Bai Ming, who was always running off to Ruan Mei's place claiming she wanted to eat her pastries. "Just now. Ruan Mei said making snacks is relaxing, so I felt like giving it a try. I plan to keep at it for a while."

"I’ll make sure to keep a tally of how many kitchens you lose."

"Shoo, shoo!" Herta raised her hand irritably, trying to drive away the Bai Ming who was only there to provide snarky commentary. This girl knew exactly how to be passive-aggressive. How annoying!

Bai Ming chuckled as she let herself be pushed out, deciding not to linger and admire Herta’s "heroic" culinary efforts. She didn't particularly want to get caught in a blast.

After resting in Herta City for half a day, Herta finally seemed to pull enough energy away from her great culinary crusade to find Bai Ming, who was lying on the courtyard grass scrolling through the news.

A dark shadow blocked out the warm glow of Noa.

Bai Ming looked up from her phone, meeting Herta’s eyes. "Finally free?"

"Hmph. You come all this way and don't say what for? Good thing I remembered that if you suddenly show up, you must have something to do. Out with it, what is it this time?"

Bai Ming sat up, her waist brushing against Herta’s leg. A pleasant fragrance mixed with the faint scent of food ingredients drifted into her nose.

"Didn't you say before that you wanted to research the Herrscher of Finality?"

Herta’s eyes lit up, and she looked at Bai Ming with pure anticipation. "You got a sample?"

"Yep."

As soon as Bai Ming said the word, Herta reached down, hauled her off the ground, and practically hoisted her over her shoulder to march away.

"Why didn't you say something so important sooner? Why were you just lying here? If I hadn't remembered, were you just never going to tell me?"

"?"

If I had dragged you away while you were in the zone, you would've been even crankier, Bai Ming thought.

Once dragged into the laboratory, Bai Ming demonstrated some of the Authorities of the Herrscher of Finality she understood. She even manifested a Herrscher Core for Herta to study.

Herta had some interest in Honkai energy, but her real fascination lay in the Authorities themselves. Additionally, Herta was incredibly curious about the Cocoon of Finality Bai Ming had mentioned.

"I’ve brought over more research data from Kiana’s world. You can look through all of it."

"Good, very good. This is exactly what I like." Herta blinked happily at Bai Ming, hooked her chin with a finger, and gave her a quick kiss. Then, she immediately dove into her research with feverish excitement.

"So, when are you heading over there?"

"In a while. I can see you're in the middle of something big, and besides, if I go there now, I’d just be stuck on the Moon. It's a bit boring."

"Doing research is boring?" Herta shot her a glance, her eyes silently condemning Bai Ming’s lack of academic discipline. Bai Ming just laughed it off, completely unbothered.

As Herta’s research continued, Bai Ming stayed in Herta City for the time being. She helped out with the studies while spending some quality time with Herta.

Although Herta wasn't someone with high emotional demands, she wasn't without them either. Being able to conduct research and be with Bai Ming at the same time was something Herta was more than happy with.

By comparison, Ruan Mei seemed much more detached. She didn't feel the need to see Bai Ming constantly, nor did she care if Bai Ming stayed with her long-term.

Yet, when Bai Ming did appear, the joy in Ruan Mei’s eyes was genuine. Even after knowing her for all these years, Bai Ming still found it hard to grasp Ruan Mei’s true thoughts.

Meanwhile, Silver Wolf was diligently grinding levels and challenging the Stellaron Hunters. Well, specifically, she was only challenging Silverwing.

With only one opponent to focus on, Silver Wolf’s spirits were high, showing a "clear the game or die trying" kind of momentum. It was anyone’s guess what she’d become in the future.

On the other side of things, the Stellaron Hunters—who were being constantly harassed by Silver Wolf—had not long ago completed Silverwing’s debut mission when Elio brought back a new member.

The new recruit actually made Bai Ming do a double-take.

That grey hair, the trench coat, the short skirt... it was all too familiar. It was the Trailblazer, Stelle.

Bai Ming was dying to know where Elio had picked her up. She was curious if Stelle and Caelus were truly related to the Aeons of Trailblaze and Finality—perhaps as reincarnations or representatives. 

Unfortunately, Elio’s lips were sealed tight; he wouldn't tell her a thing.

Stelle herself didn't seem too sure of her own origins. She wasn't a total blank slate like in the main storyline, but she hadn't revealed any key information either.

Much like the original plot, Elio left Stelle in Kafka’s care.

However, Stelle turned out to be just as chaotic as she was in the game. She was constantly saying, "I have an idea," followed immediately by something completely unhinged.

Chaotic or not, having someone so lively join the group definitely made the atmosphere among the Stellaron Hunters a lot more vibrant.

And just recently, news of Robin’s debut had begun to reach Bai Ming’s ears.

Over the years, Bai Ming hadn't seen Robin often, but they kept in touch online. Bai Ming had even taught her a few songs—the wholesome kind, of course.

Strangely, Bai Ming hadn't heard a word about the debut from Robin herself. It felt like the young girl was holding it back, waiting to give her a surprise.

--+--

Star Rail Impostor! - 450

--+--

Bai Ming was genuinely happy for Robin.

However, she recalled that during Robin's various tours, the singer had once faced a life-threatening crisis where a bullet grazed her neck. Because of this, Bai Ming felt she should send Robin a little gadget to ensure her personal safety.

She personally crafted a necklace and sent it off to Penacony, delivering it into Robin's hands.

On the surface, it appeared to be a simple necklace, but in reality, it was an optimized version of the Personality Completion System. Even without the stacking effect of multiple Robins to supplement it, the compact system was still capable of objectively boosting Robin's abilities.

At the same time, Bai Ming added some functions to the system similar to those found in the Scepter System.

Claiming it could outright rewrite reality would be an exaggeration, but functions like releasing shockwaves or blocking various attacks were quite refined.

She packaged it up as a celebratory gift and handed it over to little Robin.

Strictly speaking, Robin had already been quite famous in Penacony for a few years now. After all, she was Gopher Wood's disciple and possessed undeniable talent.

So, while she hadn't officially debuted yet, she maintained a personal social media account that had already amassed a considerable following.

This official debut seemed to signal her intention to expand her career into the wider cosmos rather than staying confined within Penacony. One couldn't help but wonder if the current Sunday would still walk his original path.

Equally intriguing was the situation over on the Luofu.

Phantylia had been imprisoned on the Luofu for several years. While things seemed stable enough, no one could say for certain if someone would try to stir up trouble.

Over the past few years, many organizations devoted to Destruction—seeking to prove their worth to the Aeon by rescuing a Lord Ravager—had tried various ways to infiltrate the Luofu.

Unfortunately for those overconfident fools, even if they managed to break through layers of defenses and reach the Shackling Prison, they stood no chance against the sheer might of Huohuo's banner.

In fact, it wasn't just them. On the current Xianzhou Luofu, aside from Jing Yuan, there was truly no one who could withstand Huohuo's flag.

Being struck by the Flame-Wheeled Flag was essentially no different from facing the direct fury of a Lord Ravager.

As time passed, rumors began to spread throughout the universe that the Xianzhou Luofu had produced a Foxian master who had subdued the Lord Ravager Phantylia with a single hand, sealing her inside a command flag for her own use.

The name of the "Wailing Judge" echoed across the stars.

Supposedly, the title originated because whenever Huohuo and Tail faced an enemy, one would be laughing while the other was crying.

This led people to mistakenly believe the Foxian had gone mentally unstable in her struggle to suppress Phantylia.

When Tail found out about the title, he nearly died laughing.

As for Huohuo? She felt she had suffered a total "social death" on a galactic scale. She locked herself in her room for an entire month before Qingque finally managed to coax her out.

Jing Yuan, on the other hand, was quite pleased. The Luofu was growing stronger by the day, with talented individuals emerging from the new generation.

The only downside was that the shadow of Bai Ming, the Arbiter of Myriad Distinctions, loomed behind almost all of them. This made the Alliance quite hesitant about whether or not to promote them to high-ranking positions.

It wouldn't do for the Luofu's leadership to be comprised mostly of people with deep ties to the Arbiter of Myriad Distinctions when they were supposed to be the direct lineage of The Hunt, right?

It wouldn't look good if word got out.

It is worth mentioning that Bai Ming's success in extending the lifespan of the Vidyadhara years ago had been a massive hit.

Over the years, not just among the Vidyadhara, but even within various other dragon-kin groups, many followers of Elation who worshipped Bai Ming had cropped up.

It was a bit absurd, yet it seemed strangely logical.

Bai Ming didn't care much; after all, an Aeon has no need for faith. However, General Xuanquan of the Fanghu was quite helpless about it.

The Vidyadhara who joined the Xianzhou were running off to believe in Elation—what kind of mess was that?

The kicker was that some people actually gained enlightenment and stepped onto the Path of Elation. 

There were even some eccentric individuals who used their "wish" opportunities specifically to tread that Path. One could only say that using an Originium game to find Elation was, in its own way, the ultimate practice of Elation.

Bai Ming acknowledged them, and Aha didn't object. Although the person involved seemed a bit stunned that such a wish actually worked, Bai Ming's envoys were not an isolated case on the Xianzhou. 

With people like Fu Xuan holding high positions, those Vidyadhara Masked Fools didn't stir up much controversy.

And speaking of Lord Ravagers...

Celenova's fleet was as busy as ever, but the Celenova clone that Bai Ming had snatched and brought home seemed to have completely lost contact with her other selves. It was unclear if the connection would ever be restored.

Bai Ming even felt that if this continued, the little maid she had captured might turn into a completely independent entity.

But considering Celenova's inherent nature, Bai Ming figured that was unlikely—unless Celenova was doing it on purpose.

As for Asat Pramad, the Lord Ravager who targeted the Path of Elation...

According to Bai Ming's current intel, he had apparently planned to set a trap in Planarcadia. However, his tracks were picked up by the Land of Light, and he was hunted down with great fanfare.

We might not be able to control Planarcadia, but can't we hunt you down, Asat Pramad?

This forced Asat Pramad to withdraw from Planarcadia to lure the Land of Light away.

Otherwise, if he really committed to his move, the Land of Light would have an excuse to lead their gang of hooligans straight into Planarcadia.

Currently, it was difficult for the Giants of Light to enter that realm, allowing for some room to maneuver. If the Land of Light was given a legitimate reason to charge in, that would be a real headache.

Recently, Evernight had decided to take the opportunity to "slash" herself, resetting her memories to zero and starting over on the Astral Express.

Unlike the original timeline where she was being chased in a frantic hurry, this time she had Demiurge's help and Bai Ming's backing.

Evernight was much more composed. She even had the leisure to leave a few words of wisdom for her future, newly-born "self."

"Have you really decided? To completely seal away the past and hand the future to a blank 'self'? By then, that new self will definitely be a completely different consciousness."

Demiurge looked at Evernight, seemingly wanting to ask if she truly intended to surrender everything she was.

Having been "pink-haired alliance" partners for several years, Demiurge was quite reluctant to see Evernight go.

Bai Ming, joining the conversation via comms, echoed the sentiment: "Besides, even if you do this, no one is chasing you right now. There's no need to seal yourself so tightly. Who knows when you'll wake up again in the future?"

Evernight wasn't committing suicide, so her "ego" would remain. However, she was asking Demiurge to seal her deep within Six-Phased Ice, ensuring there wouldn't be even a trace of influence from her past. 

Evernight wanted to create the purest blank slate and let it grow naturally.

Bai Ming felt there was no need to be so extreme. In the original plot, March 7th had traveled all the way to another Pure Child’s home before Evernight woke up.

Now, with Demiurge personally acting and the issues with Amphoreus resolved, who knew when Evernight would ever wake up.

"Isn't that fine? Besides, for me, it's just like taking a nap. When I wake up, I'll get to check out a delicious, fresh set of memories and another cute version of myself. I don't see anything wrong with that."

"..."

"..."

Demiurge and Bai Ming shared a helpless glance. This girl... she was planning to go have a long sleep and leave all the troublesome matters to them, wasn't she?

Ultimately, Evernight's plan was approved.

Although both Demiurge and Bai Ming knew she was saying those things just to get Demiurge to agree, Evernight was so serious about it that Demiurge couldn't bring herself to refuse.

There was plenty of time; she could afford to wait. And just as Evernight said, a brand-new, pure version of her would likely be very cute.

And so, Evernight began her move.

First, she distorted the memories related to herself—mainly blurring the memories of her appearance so that anyone who met her new self wouldn't immediately recognize her.

After meticulously finishing all this, she began the self-freezing process.

She started extracting all her memories and used Six-Phased Ice to freeze herself solid. Demiurge took over once Evernight drifted into her slumber, reinforcing the seal and patching any gaps.

Looking at the delicate pink-haired girl curled up inside the Six-Phased Ice, Demiurge showed a hint of reluctance, but it was quickly replaced by anticipation.

"I look forward to meeting you, and I look forward to our reunion. So, you must become a cute and beautiful girl, okay~"

Demiurge smiled, pressing her forehead against the clear crystal, leaving behind this gentle expectation. 

Afterward, she and Bai Ming took the Six-Phased Ice containing the girl and quietly headed toward the Astral Express's flight path.

Watching Demiurge holding the Six-Phased Ice high with both hands, taking aim, Bai Ming found it a bit funny. "What are you aiming at?"

"The front of the train! Otherwise, look how fast it's going. What if we miss?"

With that, Demiurge threw it forward with all her might!

The Six-Phased Ice sealing Evernight turned into a speeding meteor, crossing the sea of stars and falling toward the head of the Astral Express.

Looking at the Astral Express about to experience yet another cosmic "traffic accident," Bai Ming's expression was one of "I can't watch this."

Demiurge wiped a bead of non-existent sweat from her forehead and let out a sigh of relief.

"Phew! this kind of physical labor really isn't suited for a beautiful girl like me~"

Hearing this, Bai Ming laughed and teased, "But your form was perfect and your aim was spot on. You're a total pro."

"That's all because of your teaching!" Demiurge puffed out her cheeks at Bai Ming. Back then, the person who had used her and Peach’s faces while punching Irontomb over and over was this very person.

"But you didn't learn that from me. You followed Evernight the whole time to learn how to be a 'beautiful girl.'"

"That's because even if I didn't try to learn it, that deep impression was already burned into my memory."

Demiurge huffed, then took one last look at the Astral Express attempting to salvage the Six-Phased Ice before turning and running away.

Mei and Kiana were on that train; there was no guarantee they wouldn't sense her presence. Better to make a quick getaway.

Mei and Kiana both looked toward the direction the giant ice block had come from. Kiana didn't notice anything.

Mei, however, faintly sensed a trace of a familiar aura in that direction.

--+--

Star Rail Impostor! - 451

--+--

Pom-Pom’s heart truly bled for the Express.

In such a short span of time, the train had already been through two major wrecks.

That being said, despite the wreckage, the crew chose to prioritize saving the girl sealed within that strange, crystalline ice.

The crystal, which seemed like ice but wasn't quite, proved difficult to break. Fortunately, Mei’s bladework was exquisite enough to slice the crystal into one hundred and eight precise pieces without leaving a single scratch on the girl inside.

Mei watched as Kiana supported the pink-haired girl, her expression unreadable. Himeko, on the other hand, felt a nagging sense of familiarity as she looked at her.

March 7th didn't stay in her slumber for long; she soon woke up tucked away in a warm, cozy bed. With the help of Himeko and the others, she quickly grasped her current situation.

For some reason, even though her memory was a total blank, she felt as if she could hear a hazy voice whispering proverbs to her. She couldn’t quite make out the specific words, but she could feel the warmth, the expectation, and the genuine care behind them.

It brought a strange sense of peace to her otherwise lost and terrified soul.

Besides, the people on the Express were all kind—and there were beautiful girls too.

And so, March 7th decided to stay. Using the date of her awakening as her name, she called herself March 7th.

It was exactly as Evernight had hoped.

Once the unpleasant experiences and memories were stripped away, her essence was clearly that of a bright, perhaps even overly energetic, and adorable young girl. After settling into life on the train, March 7th’s boisterous side quickly came to light.

This was especially true given that everyone on the crew possessed incredible, unique skills. There were scholars, researchers, and warriors of unfathomable power.

March 7th realized quite early on that her position in this team was precarious. She couldn't even compete with Pom-Pom, the conductor—she wasn't even qualified to be the group mascot.

Thus began her journey of apprenticeship.

With an Emanator like Mei, whose sword skills were otherworldly, and a battle-hardened veteran like Kiana, the amount of things March 7th could learn was staggering.

At the very least, she hoped to eventually beat Pom-Pom and claim the title of the Express's mascot.

Relatively peaceful days drifted by.

The name Ursarctic Big Dipper gradually began to carve out a reputation across the cosmos.

This powerful ship of unknown origin loved to roam, diving into the most dangerous corners of the universe, and had saved many stranded souls along the way. Because of this, the fame of the Ursarctic Big Dipper continued to spread.

Some speculated the ship was connected to Bai Ming, considering its pilots were Cerydra and Hysilens from Amphoreus.

Others, however, believed the ship hailed from the Astral Express, noting that the two pilots had been members of the Express for several years. Perhaps this ship was simply a new attempt at Trailblazing.

--+--

On another front...

The Stellaron Hunter, Silverwing, finally made it onto the IPC’s wanted list. Her list of crimes was extensive, but the primary offense was breaching the IPC's firewalls and infiltrating Pier Point.

Once inside, she used Aether Editing to create a smiling sun in the sky.

This allowed the IPC employees living in sub-space, who lacked natural stellar radiation, to experience the radiance of a sun for the first time in ages.

However, the gravitational shifts caused by this sun destroyed celestial gravity maintenance equipment worth trillions of Credits.

Miraculously, there were no casualties—only a catastrophic loss of Credits. For the IPC, Credits were far more valuable than lives. Compared to that, things like hacking into the Marketing Development Department’s database became secondary concerns.

And so, Silverwing made her debut on the wanted list with a staggering bounty of five billion Credits.

At the same time, Sparkle, the Vice-Director of the Strategic Investment Department, boldly declared her intent to recruit Silverwing into her ranks.

While it seemed normal on the surface, those who knew Silverwing’s true identity found Sparkle’s move hilarious. A Masked Fool boasting about recruiting the Aeon of Elation as an underling?

It was likely something Sparkle would do intentionally if she actually knew the truth, but here, she was just being herself.

It is worth mentioning that when Silver Wolf saw Silverwing’s infiltration of Pier Point, she followed suit. 

She succeeded, but since she was on decent terms with Pearl, she simply dismantled the smiling sun and replaced it with her own signature spray-paint tag.

She also took a detour into Pearl’s office for a heartfelt "exchange" of hacking techniques. The name of the genius hacker, Silver Wolf, echoed across the stars alongside the rest of the Stellaron Hunters.

Bai Ming watched as these familiar faces took the galactic stage one by one. Some were exactly as she remembered, while others had strayed far from their original destinies.

Though Elio hadn't said it outright, Bai Ming could sense it. It wouldn't be long—a year at the very most—before the script officially began. Perhaps even less. It felt a bit rushed; logically, the time Stelle spent with the Stellaron Hunters shouldn't have been that short.

Of course, because of Bai Ming, the universe had changed drastically.

Even if things followed the original plot—having Stelle lose her memory and join the Astral Express—the story would likely veer off into unknown territory.

But deviations aside, Bai Ming was pondering another problem. She had stuffed two Emanator-level powerhouses onto the Express, plus a mech that was practically a mini-Emanator.

In the original storylines, aside from the battle against Sunday's ascent to godhood, the other worlds wouldn't pose any challenge at all.

Herta Space Station? A mere Doomsday Beast. Mei and Kiana probably wouldn't even bother to lift a finger.

Belobog? Even better—they were doing fine now, the weather was just a bit chilly. It would be a pure sightseeing trip.

As for the Xianzhou Luofu, even if you threw Phantylia and Hoolay together, they wouldn't stand a chance. 

And Amphoreus? Bai Ming had settled that hundreds of years ago.

At this rate, if the enemy didn't have an Emanator backing them up, they couldn't possibly withstand the Express's "tyranny." She had a feeling Elio would have to turn up the heat for the crew.

Maybe he’d just change the route entirely. Go to the Space Station, then straight to a showdown with Celenova. Then swing by the Luofu to give Phantylia a beating, join Sunday at the Charmony Festival to fight the Family’s actual messengers, then head to the Adlivun System for a war against Nanook...

Maybe they’d even run into a Giant of Light and team up.

The future of the Express was charging toward the unpredictable at full speed. She wondered what Nous thought of this situation.

That mechanical head didn't talk much, though; even if she asked, she wouldn't get an answer.

As Bai Ming was lost in thought, a black cat appeared out of nowhere and let out a soft meow.

"Good idea. I'm stealing it."

"...I don't think Finality includes mind-reading," Bai Ming muttered.

"I just saw a vision of myself discussing the script with you, meow." Elio stretched and lay down beside Bai Ming.

"Hey... watch your image," Bai Ming rolled her eyes. "And couldn't you have just told Silverwing? It’s not like I’m not watching that side. Was it necessary to come all the way here?"

"Discussing the script isn't something Stelle should hear."

"Is it that serious? She’s going to lose her memory anyway."

"It’s not the same," Elio meowed, but wouldn't elaborate on why.

Bai Ming guessed it had something to do with the Aeons. If these details left an impression on Stelle’s soul, it might cause strange complications. But before that:

"By the way, is it ahead of schedule?"

Though she didn't specify the subject, Elio knew what she meant. He nodded.

"According to the original plan, Stelle was supposed to board the train fifteen years after the Express set sail. But because you pushed the Amber Era back by an entire cycle, many things have shifted."

"Is an Amber Era really that important? Isn't it just a count of when Qlipoth swings the hammer?"

Elio scratched his face with a paw. "I don't know how to explain it to you. Just remember that specific time nodes are vital anchors. An extra Amber Era introduces more variables than you can imagine."

Bai Ming shrugged. She remembered she still had Qlipoth’s hammer in her possession. It was enough for her to mimic the Amber Lord’s strike and force the progression of another Amber Era.

"If you actually do that, Equilibrium and Preservation really will come knocking on your door."

"...You saw that too?" Bai Ming’s eyebrows shot up. Did a timeline really exist where she was impulsive enough to take a swing?

Elio nodded. "To prevent you from having any more sudden inspirations, let's talk about the script."

After spending time with Silverwing, Elio realized that while he couldn't predict Bai Ming, he could trigger new possibilities by talking to her and letting her generate ideas.

This helped him search for the path to his target timeline.

"Actually, I've always wanted to ask... Since Noa exists, Finality should have been pushed back to the infinite future. Why do you still keep doing all this?"

"Because Finality has not disappeared." Elio looked up at Bai Ming, his feline face looking very serious. "I know that because of Noa’s birth, the end has been infinitely delayed. To you, it is practically invisible. But I am still here, a traveler heading upstream from the Finality. In my eyes, Finality is the inevitable starting point."

"So, I will continue. I will continue until the day Finality truly vanishes."

Elio paused. It was likely hard for others to understand the perspective of a messenger of Finality traveling backward through time. He pivoted to something easier to grasp.

"Besides, even if the Finality is infinitely postponed, the Four Apocalypses still exist. They still have the potential to trigger a catastrophe. Even if we survive it, the world left behind would be riddled with holes. So, I will continue."

Bai Ming could only nod at Elio’s reasoning. There wasn't much else to say.

--+--

Star Rail Impostor! - 452 - Final Chapter

--+--

Bai Ming pursed her lips.

She truly couldn’t find it in her to empathize with Elio’s way of thinking.

When it all came down to it, what did this world look like to Finality, who drifted backward through time?

It was hard for an outsider to even fathom; it was quite possible that no one—save for the Aeon of Finality itself—could ever truly grasp it.

"And how can you guarantee that specific future will be the one you want?"

"I can't guarantee it, but I don't care. I am leaving behind a possibility where Finality does not exist. As for making that possibility a good one... well, that’s your responsibility."

Elio spoke with a certain casualness, yet his conviction was unmistakable.

For the followers of Finality, it remained unknown whether Elio would even continue to exist once Finality dissipated.

People like Kafka might fare better, but for someone like Elio, it was hard to say. From the sound of it, he had already braced himself for the worst.

"...Every time, you just write the script, tear it into pieces, and tell us our parts. You never let us see how you actually view the script. Are you intentionally trying to exclude the influence of Finality from us?"

In the past, Bai Ming simply thought Elio was a man of riddles. Now, she began to wonder if he was being cryptic on purpose—to prevent Jingliu and the others from being too deeply affected, only to vanish along with Finality.

"Meow~"

Faced with a difficult question, Elio fell silent again.

Seeing this, Bai Ming already had her answer and stopped pressing him.

She remained neutral toward Elio's perspective. People were still just people; even without Paths, Finality, or Honkai, this world wouldn’t necessarily be all that wonderful.

Perhaps once the gap in technological and divine power grew too vast, and the weak lost the external forces that allowed them to rise, they would lose the ability to resist entirely.

Aside from things like the Cocoon of Finality—which simply reset the board whenever it didn't get the 'card' it wanted—or the Swarm and Propagation, which were pure chaos, Bai Ming was quite tolerant of different forms of power.

Despite these thoughts, she didn't offer a rebuttal. Elio’s starting point was the despair-inducing Finality. While she couldn't empathize, she could imagine the reasons behind his mindset.

On the other hand, after seeing the differing perspectives of Zandar and Elio, Bai Ming began to reflect on herself—what she could do, or what she needed to do. Although she had done many things to make the world a better place, most of it was done on a whim.

Her true goal?

She’d never had one.

Bai Ming wouldn't necessarily choose to overthrow the rules of Fate, but she could observe more and think more. She understood Zandar’s philosophy now, but she still knew too little about Elio’s.

And so, Bai Ming didn't mind helping Elio arrange the script.

Of course, Elio was still the lead writer. Even if she used a clone to join the Stellaron Hunters and technically stepped onto the Path of Finality, that sliver of power wasn't enough to see the future.

Strictly speaking, she was merely exploring various possibilities under Elio’s guidance. This allowed Elio to observe more futures and filter through them, and in the process, she happened to overhear quite a bit of information about what was to come.

As she had suspected, the future had become incredibly bizarre due to her actions. Eventually, people from Kiana’s side even began traveling back and forth between the two worlds. Aside from the familiar faces, the world was almost entirely different from what Bai Ming remembered.

Bai Ming was actually quite satisfied with these changes. After all, things were generally heading in a better direction.

However...

There were certain futures that made Bai Ming feel incredibly awkward and strange.

Even though Elio couldn't see the fine details, the deductions he made from various clues were thrown out as topics to tease her with.

For instance, Bai Ming had always worried that Silver Wolf would discover that Silverwing was actually her persona. In the future, Silver Wolf finally caught on.

Upon realizing that Silverwing was just her "dear sister" in disguise, Silver Wolf was clearly livid. She had been quite reckless and not at all well-behaved when facing Silverwing.

Consequently, Silver Wolf—whose feelings had already become somewhat "warped"—rushed to her door in a fit of humiliation and anger, looking very much like she was about to go through a "darkening" phase.

She used the secret as an excuse to try and cross that final boundary.

The most embarrassing part for Bai Ming was that, according to Elio, her future self actually allowed Silver Wolf’s willful behavior out of a mix of guilt and genuine affection.

Though Elio claimed he couldn't see it and was only inferring from cause and effect, it was a high-probability outcome.

Then there was ‘Robin’. As she grew up, her feelings for Bai Ming gradually shifted from seeing her as a gentle sister to something more... complicated. Of course, for ‘Robin’, even if the feelings changed, her initial thought was just to be Bai Ming’s "dearest sister."

But because Bai Ming was an exalted Aeon, ‘Robin’ had always suppressed her thoughts.

Finally, after the necklace Bai Ming gave her saved her life, those long-repressed emotions finally fermented into something else.

If it had ended there, it might have been fine. But once she learned about the situation with Silver Wolf and realized Bai Ming had established a long-term intimate relationship with a mortal, ‘Robin’ resolutely decided to join the fray!

Given ‘Robin’s’ seemingly gentle but actually stubborn personality, the soft-hearted Bai Ming found her impossible to deal with.

More importantly, as a superstar, ‘Robin’ was not only good at utilizing her beauty but also fond of using perfectly timed little schemes.

Bai Ming, having never dealt with that type before, had almost no room to resist.

Hearing Elio recount this, Bai Ming found it somewhat hard to believe.

At the same time, she began to wonder what exactly had gone wrong with her—why were all these juniors she looked after harboring such "wicked" intentions?

Yet, it wasn't over. Elio dropped another bombshell.

In the future, Fu Xuan, through her Matrix of Prescience—which had been enhanced by Bai Ming—accidentally captured a certain possibility between her and Bai Ming.

This, in turn, caused that possibility to become fixed, and so... even Bai Ming’s well-behaved First Emanator had completely rebelled, becoming a "master-betraying disciple"!

Worse still, because Bai Ming had granted the Matrix too much power, the probability of Fu Xuan observing that specific outcome was remarkably high. In other words, Fu Xuan was destined to "rebel"; it was only a matter of time.

At this point, Bai Ming truly began to question her life choices.

She felt she was acting perfectly normal, so why was her future twisting into such a shape? The only thing worth celebrating was that Reveria and Qingque hadn't had their feelings for her turn "rotten."

Bai Ming suspected Elio was doing this on purpose. She felt the black cat wanted her to fall into a "jealousy war" ahead of schedule. But she had no proof.

In short, to prevent herself from hearing any more names, Bai Ming chose to toss Elio out.

It seemed that prophets were better off being cryptic; if they actually explained the future, it only led to unhappiness.

Bai Ming told no one about Elio’s script. She simply continued as before, cooperating with Herta’s research, tinkering with strange life forms alongside Ruan Mei, and hanging out with Mei.

Occasionally, she would use her Silverwing identity to deal with challenges from Silver Wolf.

The first person to see through the fact that Silverwing was Bai Ming’s disguise was, unsurprisingly, Kiana.

Kiana had long accepted that there were identical-looking people in this world, but using the exact same clothing, weapons, and even armor names was a bit too suspicious. Kiana’s first thought was that Bai Ming was messing around with secret identities again.

Kiana quickly tracked down Bai Ming and cornered her in her room. With her hands on her hips and the air of a "Master Detective," she stared Bai Ming down:

"Spill it! That Stellaron Hunter, Silverwing N-EX... that’s your alt, isn't it?"

"!?"

Bai Ming looked at Kiana with shock in her eyes. Before she could speak, Kiana was the one who broke first. She jumped forward, grabbed Bai Ming’s arm, and said with a flushed face:

"What's with that look? You didn't think I was an idiot, did you?? Why are you looking away! Bai Ming, you big dummy!"

Before her identity was even officially exposed, Bai Ming was already being pestered because she had subconsciously treated Kiana like a fool.

To appease her, Bai Ming had to agree to many of Kiana’s demands, including but not limited to: buying her various exotic instant noodles from across the universe, playing games with her when she was bored, and acting as her strategist for the "Operation: Capture Mei."

After a long time of being hassled, Kiana suddenly remembered her original purpose. Her giggling stopped, and she forced a serious expression, leaning in close to Bai Ming:

"Confess and you'll get leniency; resist and you'll get the hammer! That Silverwing is definitely you. Who else could replicate Bronya’s appearance one-to-one?"

Considering Kiana’s personality—if Bai Ming didn't tell her, she might go and tell the entire Express Crew—Bai Ming let out a helpless sigh and nodded.

"It’s me. To be precise, it’s one of my clones. Bronya was supposed to join the Stellaron Hunters, but she didn't want to go. Since the Hunters are actually quite important, I filled the spot for her."

"...No way. You spoil her way too much, don't you?"

Kiana was dumbfounded.

If she hadn't misread the news, the Stellaron Hunters were a criminal organization, right?! Was that really necessary?? And you said you weren't planning on "raising" her. What kind of normal sister goes to those lengths?

"Don't tell anyone about this. If Bronya finds out, she'll definitely be upset."

"Fine, I promise. But the Stellaron Hunters are criminals, aren't they? You wouldn't..."

"What are you thinking? The goal of the Stellaron Hunters is to save the universe from Finality, and there's no way I’d go around killing innocent people."

"I guess that’s fair."

Kiana breathed a sigh of relief. But soon, a mischievous grin spread across her face as she looked at Bai Ming.

"Hehehe, Bai Ming, you wouldn't want—Ow! Why’d you hit me!"

"You're acting out of character. If I don't hit you, who will?"

Bai Ming watched Kiana nurse her forehead, mercilessly critiquing the girl for her weird remarks. Kiana just stuck her tongue out at her.

"Whatever! I’m saying this on behalf of my Bronya, okay? You used her image; shouldn't you show some appreciation?"

"Uh..."

In the past, when she used character skins, it was just a quick one-month thing and then it vanished. But this time, using a Persona to create a clone and borrowing the Silverwing look was a long-term job. It did feel a bit unfair.

"I didn't think it through. Apologize to Bronya for me. As an apology, if she has any requests, she can tell me and I’ll do my best."

"Oh~ someone’s being sincere! I’ve already passed the word along. Bronya says she forgives you, but as for the request, she’ll tell you the details when you two actually meet."

"Fair enough. Thank her for her generosity for me."

A year passed just like that.

Stelle had become quite well-acquainted with the inner workings of the Stellaron Hunters. Unfortunately, she knew what she had to do. Despite her reluctance, she followed Elio’s script, closed her eyes, and entrusted herself to Kafka and Silverwing.

And so, one day, at Herta Space Station.

Silverwing breached the station’s firewall just as a small unit of the Antimatter Legion attempted an invasion. The scene, strikingly similar to the opening of a game, unfolded before Silverwing.

"Aren't you worried about the researchers here? I recall you designed this station several centuries ago," Kafka asked curiously over the comms, standing in the elevator and watching the invading Legion and the ensuing chaos.

"I’m not worried. I established the rules of this station myself; I know the caliber of the staff here. Today, only Credit Points will be lost. No one will die."

Silverwing would assist Elio, but she would not cause innocent casualties. She had calculated everything for today, and even if there were any oversights, she would resolve them in silence.

The only heavy losses at the station today would be equipment and currency.

"Instead of me, you should worry about your own timing. AI Herta will regain control soon. You’d better get her inside within five minutes."

"Don't worry, there's time. Even if something goes wrong, you’ll save me, won't you, darling?"

Kafka stepped out of the elevator with a smile, heading toward the containment room where the Stellaron was kept.

With Silverwing acting as the "inside man," Kafka’s efficiency was incredibly high. Silverwing hadn't expected that she would end up replacing Silver Wolf as Stelle’s "aunt" here.

After unlocking the containment device, Silverwing retrieved Stelle’s body and handed it to Kafka.

"I’ll leave her to you, Kafka. Silver Wolf is attacking again; she’s really improving fast lately."

Silverwing smiled, her expression full of pride. She then turned around and pulled up a 3D map of the space station, filled with red and blue dots representing friend and foe, with gold representing the Express Crew.

Two light dots were clearing out Voidrangers with extreme efficiency—most likely Mei and Kiana.

Two other gold dots were approaching their location—likely March 7th and Dan Heng. Razalina was staying in the Master Control Zone with Himeko.

Mr. Yang was watching the train, while Void Archives had already left the Express.

Then, there was a signal attempting to join the fray remotely and lock onto them from the Simulated Universe station. It was Silver Wolf’s ID.

Although she hadn't joined the Stellaron Hunters, she had become a bounty hunter specifically hunting them down, and thanks to Pearl, she was on good terms with the Strategic Investment Department.

Silver Wolf had improved rapidly, reaching level 99 in just a year; she’d likely hit 100 in another few months.

Silverwing dealt with Silver Wolf while keeping an eye on Kafka as she left a Spirit Whisper for the unconscious Stelle. She didn't know what Kafka was thinking, but Silverwing felt a bit of pity.

A year’s worth of relationship was being reset to zero. This lively girl would soon become a dear companion and comrade to the Express Crew. Silverwing could still get to know her in her true form, but Kafka wouldn't be able to do the same.

"March 7th and Dan Heng are almost here. Want to say hi?"

"No need, Silverwing. Let’s go. We’ll meet again."

Kafka withdrew her gaze from Stelle, took Silverwing’s hand, and they stepped through a wormhole, leaving the station.

Moments after Silverwing left, AI Herta retook control of the space station.

All the transforming autonomous robots reconnected to the public network, shifting from chaos to high efficiency in an instant.

"Not a single death? Thank goodness. At least they remembered to take over a few robots for protection; that safety drill wasn't a waste," AI Herta sighed in relief.

The enemy’s cyberattack had been sudden and terrifying. She hadn't been able to block it at all; her vision had been cut off almost instantly. As expected of someone who could breach the firewalls of Planet Screwllum, it was truly frightening.

"Hmm? An extra person? The Stellaron is... inside her? Hah, where’d this superhuman come from? Swallowing a Stellaron whole without worrying about choking. Better contact Madam Herta; she’ll definitely be interested."

Silverwing led Kafka away from The Blue.

[Damn it! Cheater! Shameless! Silverwing, get back here! You can't just run away mid-fight!!]

Messages from Silver Wolf flooded Silverwing’s screen.

Judging by the constant notifications, Silver Wolf was clearly furious about her running away again. The earlier melancholy was partially dispelled. Silverwing immediately replied:

[You care about me so much, do you like me, little Silver Wolf~? If you’re a good girl and call me "big sister," I might just stay.]

[DROP DEAD!!!!]

Silverwing laughed out loud. Teasing Silver Wolf was always the best. However, the laughing Silverwing didn't notice the look Elio was giving her—a look that seemed to say "You asked for it."

Elio really wanted to complain. This woman claimed she didn't understand why Silver Wolf’s feelings had become "warped," yet every time she taunted her, she said all sorts of suggestive things.

At least eighty percent of why Silver Wolf would become so "aggressive" in the future was because of this woman’s provocations.

Was she doing it on purpose or was it subconscious? What a terrifying woman.

Elio just shook his head at the thought of all the "romantic debts" belonging to Bai Ming that he had seen.

It seemed his warnings were completely useless. There was no saving her; she might as well just wait for the end.

This new "prologue" followed the core plot, despite the changes in the cast. It took a bit of a push from Silverwing for the Doomsday Beast to fire a breath strong enough to trigger Stelle’s awakening of the Path of Destruction. After that, it was promptly hammered into dust by the space station.

Then came Herta’s appearance, her desire to research Stelle, and Stelle’s decision to join the Astral Express.

As Bai Ming watched the Herta Space Station from afar, she pondered another question. If her "Silverwing" persona was exposed in the future, would Herta come to settle the score?

But things were as they were. For now, she would look forward to this new Trailblazer’s journey of adventure.

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(End of Book)

Author's Note: And that’s where it ends! The story is complete.

Thank you to every reader for watching (bows).

My inspiration has run a bit dry, and continuing further might have strayed too far from the theme and felt like filler, which I didn't want. So, until we meet again!

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