The plot segment for the warp to Jarilo-VI was unchanged from the closed beta.
Ah Xian's attention wasn't on that.
She was only curious about who would go on the first Trailblaze journey in the public release, now that the new character Leon had been added.
Himeko: "This Trailblaze journey, I'd like to entrust to you and March 7th."
① "No problem, I'm ready."
② "Just the two of us?"
③ "I was just born not long ago—is it okay to duo with March so soon?"
Here it comes!
Ah Xian perked up.
The plot was starting to diverge. She instinctively picked option three.
"Hey! Can you tone down the distrust in your voice? Don't underestimate this girl!"
March 7th glared at Stelle with exasperation.
Stelle shrugged, smiling without a word.
Back at the space station, she'd witnessed March 7th's knack for recklessness.
If it was just the two of them, she'd better plan a quick way to call for backup…
Himeko smiled: "Don't worry, of course it won't just be the two of you."
March 7th: "Who else is going?"
Himeko: "Dan Heng or Leon. This time, we're giving the newbie a little privilege to invite someone to join the journey. Of course, they can refuse."
The camera panned to Dan Heng and Leon in turn.
Dan Heng: "I have no objections."
Leon: "If we both refuse, you or Welt will have to step in, right?"
Himeko: "Mm, that's right."
All eyes turned to Stelle.
① "Pick Dan Heng."
② "Pick Leon."
③ "Too bad I can't go alone…"
Looking at the last option on the right side of the screen, Ah Xian burst out laughing.
Going to Jarilo-VI alone? That was never going to happen.
Most likely, it'd end up being a group of four.
But that didn't stop her from being curious about what kind of roast would come from picking option three.
Unexpectedly, the protagonist spoke directly.
"Too bad the Nameless don't follow the lone wolf path. Otherwise, I'd make the people of Jarilo-VI marvel at the might of Lone Wolf Trailblazer Stelle!"
March 7th: "Leon, maybe check her? See if someone's possessed her."
Leon: "Relax, no one's possessed her."
Stelle's face was full of longing, March 7th was full of snark, and Leon was dead serious.
Their playful banter had plenty of players chuckling.
Himeko: "Alright, don't forget the main point. You've already met Dan Heng and Leon at the space station. They're both mature and reliable, so you can trust them."
"A little spoiler: in the third closed beta, there was no choice—you went with March 7th and Dan Heng by default."
"Now in the public release, they're giving us free options. Could there really be different story paths?"
"If it's just a different person going but the plot and dialogue stay the same, that'd be such a letdown."
[No way, would the writers do that? That's just asking for complaints.]
[If there's no difference, why even give us options?]
"So, I'm picking Leon to compare with the closed beta plot and see how much changes."
"The main storyline probably won't shift much, but I'm looking for those small, scattered differences in details."
Stelle: "Leon, my good bro, it's gotta be you. You won't turn down a newbie's request to team up, right?"
Leon gave a gentlemanly bow.
"My utmost honor, beautiful lady."
Himeko: "Your mission is clear: find the Stellaron causing disaster and spatial distortion on Jarilo-VI. Leon will place a preliminary seal on it and bring it back to the train."
Stelle: "No problem. By the way, why aren't you guys going?"
Himeko: "Unless it's a special case, it's better for someone to stay on the train. Otherwise, Pom-Pom would get lonely. Plus, we just caught Nanook's glance, so there's a chance the Antimatter Legion might target us again."
Welt sighed: "Looks like it's not our turn this time either."
Himeko: "Hehe, we should let the youngsters go on their own and bond a bit. It's settled then. You can chat more before you leave.
Once you've decided on a time, take the train's landing shuttle and set off."
…
In the real Astral Express, there was no choice.
Seeing Himeko suggest Leon go to Jarilo-VI, Dan Heng nodded with relief, feeling he didn't need to go.
Leon was the train's doctor, no doubt about that.
But no one ever said a doctor couldn't have combat prowess.
Though Dan Heng hadn't truly seen Leon's strength, he could sense he wasn't simple.
Past Trailblaze journeys they'd been on were the strongest proof.
Seeing Stelle's thoughtful expression, March 7th flashed a cute dimpled smile.
"Don't be nervous. Leon and I are Trailblazing veterans. Stick with us, and you'll eat well and drink spicy… uh, assuming Jarilo-VI still has anything tasty or spicy."
"All you see is a blanket of snow. We'd be lucky to get raw fish slices."
Stelle sighed.
"Yeah, it looks pretty cold. Beautiful girls like us don't handle freezing well."
"Relax, with the power of Trailblaze protecting you, you won't end up as frozen beauties."
Leon snapped his fingers, turning with a grin.
"Follow me."
"Where to?" Stelle blurted out.
"To the landing shuttle to Jarilo-VI, obviously. What, you wanna just open the train door and jump out?"
March 7th rolled her eyes at her.
"Uh, no thanks."
Stelle obediently followed the two to the rear docking car, where she saw the landing shuttle.
It looked pretty impressive.
Leon opened the hatch without a word and strode in confidently.
Stelle followed behind March 7th, not expecting her to suddenly stop, causing Stelle to bump into her.
"Ouch, why'd you stop so suddenly?"
"…I, uh, remembered something…"
March 7th swallowed hard, her pupils trembling slightly.
"What?"
"Actually… never mind, you'll find out soon enough…"
For the pink-haired girl's cryptic behavior, Stelle wanted to throw out a quip.
But March 7th wasn't lying.
She found out very soon.
The timing: less than ten seconds after the landing shuttle detached from the docking car.
In an instant, a shrill alarm for loss of speed and balance blared inside the shuttle.
The entire shuttle turned into a streak of light, plummeting toward Jarilo-VI.
It barely skimmed the ground for a long stretch, nearly crashing into a mountain.
The two stumbled out, dizzy and disoriented, slowly regaining clarity in the biting cold wind.
What March 7th hadn't finished saying earlier finally clicked for Stelle.
What she meant was—
Actually, Leon can't pilot a spaceship.
March 7th leaned against a cold rock, clutching her chest, and opened her mouth to produce a rainbow bridge.
"Ugh…"
"Who throws up from riding a shuttle? That's just too lame."
Stelle tried to stay composed but didn't get far before a sudden surge in her stomach hit like a dam breaking.
There was no holding it back.
"Ugh—"
Thus, a second rainbow appeared.
Leon checked the shuttle's underside, confirmed it was undamaged, and quietly sighed in relief.
Looking at the two hunched-over girls, he scratched his nose.
"Seasick at such a young age? You should've said so—I've got motion sickness pills."