Three days after the battle with Phantylia.
Stelle lay on the couch, bored, scrolling through her phone when she suddenly spotted familiar figures in a video.
—"Hey, folks, hit that like button! If we reach 100,000 likes, Little Gui will perform a chest-crushing boulder stunt for all you fine people!"
"Little Gui, I swear I know I messed up! This is granite, okay? If you actually smash it, I… mmmph!"
In the live stream, Jing Yuan had a massive stone, at least 50 centimeters thick, pressed against his chest, forcibly tied to a rack. He tried to appeal to his friendship with Guinaifen, only for her to stuff a rag in his mouth.
"Does it matter to me if the assistant lives or dies? Right? Who was it that left me alone at the live stream the other day, Old Jing?" Guinaifen flashed a dangerous smile, her tone deceptively kind.
Their usually quiet live stream chat was, for once, buzzing with comments:
[: Live stream drama between the host and assistant? Kinda interesting.]
[: I'm a new fan, just asking—is the host always this hardcore? That huge chunk of granite… even a drill might not break it.]
[: I'm a fictional historian. I can confirm the assistant is an Emanator and can easily shatter granite with his bare body. Don't believe me? Watch.]
[: Host, do it already!]
[: The assistant's hot, do it!]
[: …]
"Wow—looks like everyone's super hyped for this! We hit 100,000 so fast. As promised, Little Gui's gonna deliver a big show!"
"Mmmph, mmm—"
Thud!
"…"
[: ? She actually smashed it?! I thought it was just for show!]
[: Oh no, from the sound, the stone's legit, the host's strength is legit, but the assistant… might have a problem.]
[: Wow, the assistant's not moving. The host is awesome!]
[: Wait… are Xianzhou live streams always this brutal?]
[: You upstairs don't get it. Xianzhou people have the Abundance's blessing—insane cell regeneration. As long as they're not dead and given enough time, any injury heals.]
[: You upstairs are the fake fan, aren't you?]
Sigh, poor Old Jing.
Stelle couldn't bear to watch anymore and sent Guinaifen a rocket as a silent tribute. What could she do? Old Jing betrayed her trust.
Buzz, buzz—
At that moment, her phone received a text from Herta Space Station: Stelle, hi, it's Arlan.
Arlan: Got a moment? Remember the incident at the space station? The lady said you faced the Doomsday Beast's death beam head-on and never got a proper thank-you.
Stelle: Psh, what's with the formalities? We're bros.
Stelle: ? Why's there a censored word?
Arlan: Got time to swing by the space station? The lady has a gift for you.
Stelle: Can you mail it to me?
Arlan: The lady figured you'd say that. She said no, it has to be formal.
Arlan: I hear the [Trailblaze] power lets you teleport to anchor points instantly. I'll be waiting at the space station's anchor.
…
"Let me think… Right, right, this is Silver Wolf's companion mission."
Stelle lay on the couch, staring at the ceiling, with zero intention of moving.
Didn't want to move, just wanted to scroll her phone, maybe order some takeout…
Knock, knock, knock—
The door was suddenly knocked on, and March 7th's voice came through: "Stelle, got time? Wanna go grab some hotpot?"
Whoosh—
Stelle gave a calm smile and, like in a game, instantly teleported to Herta Space Station.
It wasn't that she didn't want to hang with March 7th, but Arlan said he was waiting, and she couldn't leave him hanging.
Swish—
The moment she teleported to the space station, a cacophony of noise hit her. The base cabin segment was packed, like a bustling market.
"Miss Stelle, you got here fast."
Arlan's voice came from the side. Stelle followed the sound, her expression turning odd. "What's… with the getup?"
Arlan was wearing a mask, sunglasses, and a hoodie, looking like a celebrity trying to go incognito. If not for his white hair and dark skin, Stelle might not have recognized him.
"To avoid unnecessary trouble, I usually disguise myself a bit," Arlan said with a smile.
Stelle: ?
She knew this universe's Arlan had more presence than she'd thought, but he was just the space station's security team captain. Was all this really necessary?
Even Bailu, the Xianzhou's top fistmaster, didn't get recognized much on the streets.
But the next second, Stelle's brain short-circuited. A nearby billboard switched, revealing a promotional ad—
[Dream Collaboration! Interastral Peace Corporation's star spokesperson Arlan and galactic superstar Gallagher in a joint performance at the Harmonic Gala. Don't miss it!]
Stelle: …
So he's actually a celebrity. No wonder… Hiss—why's my head so itchy? Did I just see something weird?
"Let's move on. Here, this is for you."
Arlan handed Stelle a box with a smile. "This is the gift the lady prepared for you. Open it and see."
"Thanks, and please thank Asta for me too."
Stelle opened the box eagerly, pulling out an item, only for her smile to freeze.
"Arlan, what's this collar for?"
"Collar? Oh, that's a leg ring, officially called a 'Functional Combat Assist Device.' It's cutting-edge combat gear that helps the wearer perform complex maneuvers."
"With it, even a novice can match a martial arts master. It also boosts physical strength, enabling things like double jumps, mid-air turns… all sorts of advanced moves."
Stelle's mouth twitched, a bit embarrassed. Okay, she'd misunderstood. Blame March…
She put on the leg ring, instantly feeling lighter, marveling at the Interastral Peace Corporation's tech.
No wonder the IPC is the galaxy's undisputed hegemon—tech is power.
"The lady saw your combat skills weren't too strong last time, so she prepared this for you," Arlan said.
"Haha… Asta's so thoughtful."
Stelle pulled another item from the box, her mouth twitching again. "Uh… what's this ball attached to a thin cord?"
Arlan: "Oh, that's a power bank. Small size, huge capacity. If the train runs into danger on your journey, you could even use it as a high-energy explosive."
Stelle: … Okay, maybe she misunderstood again. Still blaming March.
Then she pulled out a pair of stockings from the box. "And these are…"
Arlan: "Oh, those look like stockings, but they're actually a portable backpack with a compressed storage space. You can store tons of items in them… A lot of movie scenes where girls pull weapons from under their skirts? That's how they do it."
Stelle: …
Asta, you're such a troll.