Chapter 146: A Gift from Destruction
Cocolia's face instantly flushed crimson. She subconsciously reached out and gently held Orion's hand. "Then… it's a deal."
"Of course," Orion clasped her hand back. "My promise is always valid."
After the Stellaron disappeared, Belobog's blizzard, which had lasted for 700 years, showed signs of weakening for the first time. The entire city was buzzing with tales of Supreme Guardian Cocolia and three visitors from beyond the stars finally resolving the crisis.
For the next few days, Orion became the Astral Express crew's exclusive guide.
"This is Belobog's oldest clock tower," Orion pointed.
March 7th immediately raised her camera. "Wow! So much history! Orion, stand over there a bit, I want to take a photo of you and the clock tower together!"
"Me? No need, right…?"
"Yes, yes! Stelle, you go too!"
Before she could react, March 7th pushed Stelle next to Orion. "Closer! Stelle, put your hand on Orion's shoulder… Yes, just like that!"
Click!
"Perfect!" March 7th looked at the photo with satisfaction.
Stelle secretly glanced at her hand resting on Orion's shoulder, her heart inexplicably quickening. That familiar feeling came again…
In the afternoon, on Belobog's sightseeing tram, March 7th and Stelle looked at the snowy scenery outside.
"It's so beautiful…" March 7th sighed wistfully. "If there were a few flowers in the snow, it would be even more perfect. But in a world like this, it must be very difficult for flowers to survive, right?"
"Not necessarily." Orion suddenly walked in front of them and, as if by magic, conjured two bouquets of flowers.
"This is…" Stelle was stunned.
"Small gifts," Orion handed a bouquet of light purple hyacinths to March 7th and a bouquet of white roses to Stelle. "In Belobog, giving flowers to new friends is a form of etiquette. Purple hyacinths represent friendship, and white roses represent a pure encounter."
"Wow… what a romantic etiquette!" March 7th hugged the flowers, her eyes sparkling. "Orion, you're so gentle!"
Stelle, meanwhile, stared blankly at the white roses in her hand, feeling a strange pang in her nose. It was her first time receiving flowers, so why did she feel like… she had finally been waiting for something?
"What's wrong?" Orion asked with concern. "Don't you like white roses?"
"No…" Stelle shook her head, hugging the bouquet tighter. "I like them… Thank you."
That evening, in Belobog's most upscale restaurant, Stelle suddenly put down her fork and looked at him seriously. "Have we… met before?"
The surroundings fell silent.
Orion's expression showed a momentary surprise. "Before?"
"I'm not quite sure," Stelle frowned. "It's just that when I see you, I always have a very familiar feeling. Especially when I hear your name…"
Orion was silent for a few seconds. "To my knowledge, this is our first meeting."
"Oh, I see… Sorry, maybe it's just my imagination."
March 7th whispered to Stelle, "'You look familiar' as a pickup line isn't popular anymore."
"I'm not picking him up!" Stelle blushed.
On the third day, Orion brought two new friends. "Let me introduce you. This is Bronya, the Supreme Guardian's successor. And this is Seele, a member of the Wildfire organization."
Soon, the group became familiar. March 7th suddenly changed the topic. "Oh, Bronya, I'm very curious, someone as excellent as Orion must be very popular, right? Does he have a girlfriend?"
At this moment, Seele suddenly interjected, "No!"
Bronya also said at the same time, "No."
Their simultaneous answers made March 7th pause, then she showed a knowing smile. She secretly glanced at Stelle, finding her listening intently.
Time passed quickly. On the Astral Express crew's last day, they were in the Central Plaza of the Administrative District.
"Stelle! Stop rummaging! Come take a picture with us!"
"Wait a minute, I'm sure there's treasure here…"
Orion stood by the fountain, watching them. The scene reminded him of the simulation. Wait, Stelle said she seemed to have met me before? No, it shouldn't be… it was just a simulation…
Suddenly—a strange whooshing sound came from the sky. It grew louder and closer.
"Hmm?" March 7th looked up in confusion. "What's that sound?"
The next second—
BOOM!!!
A deafening roar exploded in the center of the square! The ground trembled violently. The square instantly plunged into chaos as the crowd scattered. Smoke and dust filled the air.
"What is that?!" March 7th almost fell.
Stelle immediately pulled out her baseball bat, shielding her. "Be careful!"
Dan Heng also became alert, his long spear in hand. Orion squinted, looking at the epicenter. The object seemed to appear out of thin air hundreds of meters above, then fell vertically.
As the smoke and dust gradually cleared, everyone saw the uninvited guest. A huge crater was smashed into the plaza's flagstones. And in the center, a giant, strange object lay quietly.
"This is… a die?"
[Inorin Note:
If you wish to support me so I can continue to survive and afford proper food, you can join my membership on Patreon [patreon.com/InorinTL]. Be sure to check out "The Founding Pillars"—a special, limited-time tier that offers all the benefits of "The Plot Uncoverer" at a discounted price! Slots are limited, so grab yours before they run out. Besides membership, you can also donate via Ko-Fi [https://ko-fi.com/inorintl].
I hope I am still worthy of your support. My life truly depends on this... haha, I know I'm so shameless.]