[With your help, Clara quickly repaired the power supply.]
"Huh?"
The black screen with white text caught Ah Xian off guard.
As the screen lit up, showing the four standing before the power supply, she realized this plot segment was streamlined.
After some thought, she formed a rough guess.
"Clara's arc has changed a lot from the beta. Including her emotional journey."
"Maybe because she met the Trailblaze team multiple times early on and already accepted we're outsiders, she shifted from passive to proactive."
"The reason for meeting Svarog was already explained, so there's no need to waste more ink here."
"After all, different story branches need to stay roughly equal in length."
Clara: "It's fixed! Thank you all for helping. Now the outer wanderers won't have to worry about light or heat."
Stelle: "That's what you call natural talent, March. Watch and learn."
March 7th pouted. "Tch, give me some time, and I'd do better than you."
Leon seemed to ignore their bickering.
"Clara, what I'm about to say is important. I hope you're mentally prepared."
Clara: "Go ahead, big brother."
Leon: "You want a turning point for this crisis but don't want anyone hurt, right?"
"But you know Svarog. Our silver tongues might not be enough to sway him."
"Even if he doesn't attack, we'll likely need unconventional negotiation tactics."
"To break Svarog's unwavering belief in his calculations and convince him we can change the status quo, that's the most direct way."
"You understand what I'm saying. We can only promise that, if it comes to that, we'll try to hold back and minimize damage."
Clara's small hands clenched tightly, her eyes lowered.
After a few seconds, she nodded firmly.
"I understand. Thank you, Brother Leon, for understanding. If Mr. Svarog goes too far, Clara will find a way to stop him!"
She'd already thought it through earlier, just reconfirming her deepest convictions.
Leon's words had swayed her.
Maybe the underground's people had time to wait for her to slowly convince Svarog.
But this world didn't.
Even if it did, as people waited, illness, conflict, and strife would persist in the underground, all for survival.
Like the mining district conflict before.
For everyone, for Mr. Svarog, and for this world's future,
she… had to be braver.
Clara: "Big brothers and sisters, follow me."
[Anyone else notice how gentle Leon is with kids?]
[Kinda. He's like the warm neighbor big brother when talking to them.]
[Too serious. Doesn't match the memes in his skill names or voice lines. Feels off.]
[Even if Leon's not a Masked Fool, he wouldn't mess with kids for fun, right?]
[Think about why he's called a reliable adult.]
[I know this one! Leon watched kids die helplessly before, leaving a shadow on him.]
"???"
Ah Xian's face twitched, quick to retort.
"Whoever you are, ID 'Wanna Be 8K Sis's Umbrella,' what turned you into this? Mihoyo?"
"That reasoning's so basic. Can't it be that Leon, my husband, suffered as a kid and was treated kindly?"
"That childhood healing shaped his life."
"Cliché, right? But it's a classic healing trope. Why can't it be that?"
"I'm not against my husband getting knifed, but I don't think it's as shallow as watching kids die helplessly."
[Makes sense.]
[When 8K Sis isn't simping, her logic's pretty solid.]
"Y'all, seriously, make you copy Leon's character bio ten times."
"What's it mean to waver between reliable and unreliable?"
"Simple: when he needs to be reliable, he's rock-solid."
"When he doesn't, he flips to unreliable and pulls some chaotic stunt."
"This plot needs him reliable, so he's not grinning like when he messes with Sampo."
"Besides, haven't we had plenty of reliable, serious moments? Shielding attacks with his wings, pointing a gun at Sampo, and so on."
"You guys in the chat, just watching me mess up and not paying attention to the plot, huh?"
[Oops, caught.]
[Human nature, Ah Xian. You won't blame us, right?]
"Nah, I know what I signed up for dressing like this. No saintly act here. Just a reminder—don't make wild guesses about my husband Leon."
Clara: "I'm back, Timmy. Open the door—I need to see Mr. Svarog."
Timmy: "External personnel detected. Authorize entry?"
Clara: "It's fine. They're my guests."
Timmy: "Command received. Access terminal unlocked. Welcome back, Miss Clara and guests."
The door opened, and Ah Xian immediately spotted the large robot inside.
But she didn't rush, instead recalling the beta plot and mentally comparing differences.
In the beta, meeting Svarog required passing robot tests and returning to Rivet Town for Clara.
A long process.
Leon's route to the mechanical settlement flowed smoothly, no back-and-forth.
Not even a single puzzle in the settlement…
The absence of locals in the party probably meant they'd show up later.
"Alright, time to face the underground boss."
The Trailblaze team followed Clara inside.
Svarog's gaze swept over them, pausing on the white-haired girl.
"Clara, thank you for repairing the settlement's power supply, but—why did you bring them?"
Clara took a deep breath, her eyes brimming with resolve beyond her age.
"Mr. Svarog, Clara has a request…"
"What is it?"
"…Please open the entrance to the surface and stop preventing the underground people from resisting."
At that, a red light on Svarog's head began to flash.
"Clara, countless calculations show that humans leaving the underground will accelerate extinction. Did you change your mind because of them?"
Svarog looked at the Trailblaze trio.
Clara hesitated, then said honestly, "Partly, yes, but Clara thinks they're right."
"Outsiders, what's your reason for interfering, and what gives you the confidence?" Svarog asked.
Leon patted Stelle's shoulder, his meaning clear.
Stelle stepped forward.
"We're searching for something called a Stellaron. It's the culprit devouring this world, causing the Fragmentum."
"As long as we find and seal the Stellaron, Belobog's people will one day reclaim their home from the Fragmentum monsters, ending the disaster for good."
The red light on Svarog's face froze.
"Stellaron… Accessing database. Access denied. Discussing Stellaron with unauthorized targets: prohibited."
"You're touching secrets sealed deep within this world—secrets no human should know."
Stelle's eyes narrowed. "So you do know about the Stellaron."