At the Goethe Hotel, the night was still and quiet. March 7th, after engaging in a thrilling pillow battle with Stelle before bed, was now in a deep sleep. Stelle, however, was having a very strange dream.
[Cocolia… Cocolia…]
Ever since taking the Doomsday Beast's ultimate attack head-on at the Space Station, this voice had been echoing in Stelle's mind.
"Cocolia, isn't that the name of the Supreme Guardian?"
Looking around, Stelle realized that in her dream, she had become Cocolia!
"Who would've thought a pillow battle had such perks? I get to play someone else in my dreams. I should definitely have a few more rounds with March."
She sighed, wondering if this was a reward for banishing the hotel's demons.
But… this dream felt a bit too real! Even wearing such thick clothing, she still felt cold!
At this moment, Stelle, as Cocolia, found herself standing in a chilling tide. She didn't know where she was, only noticing a shimmering object in the distance, as if it were calling out to her.
Case closed. As Teacher Dan Heng had suspected, the Supreme Guardian was indeed hiding something from them.
They hadn't built enough trust yet, which was understandable.
[We are allies of [Eternity]… allies who have accompanied the Guardians for generations…]
She approached the Stellaron Core, and a mechanical voice, a mix of male and female tones, sounded again.
"What the heck?" Stelle wondered if she'd misheard. How did this involve [Eternity]? It should be [Destruction], shouldn't it?
As Adrian and Herta had said, the relationship between Destruction and Eternity was poor, to the point that even a Stellaron Core would throw shade at its rival.
Wherever there was a Stellaron Core, the Anti-Matter Legion was sure to follow. Subconsciously, Stelle had already linked the Stellaron Core to Nanook.
[Having received the blessing of [Destruction]… you should be able to withstand… the gift of the Aeon of [Eternity], shouldn't you?]
A female voice struck her soul, causing Stelle to clutch her forehead in pain. Those words didn't seem directed at Cocolia… but at Stelle herself.
"Ouch… how did a good dream turn into a nightmare?!"
Stelle quickly sensed something was wrong. This voice wasn't coming from the Stellaron Core!
She immediately became wary of her surroundings, guarding against a possible enemy ambush.
In the vast cosmos, anything was possible. There might even be monsters capable of invading others' dreams.
[The spiral at the abyss's depths, the enigma of divine clarity, the prayer of finality, the eternal requiem… all answers lie within this sacred tome. Embrace it fully!]
[Comprehend it! Leap forth! Join me in chanting The Book of Eternal Virtue!]
Stelle: ?
All this talk was incomprehensible. What Book of Eternal Virtue? She'd never even seen it.
The plot was taking a strange turn. The Stellaron Core's voice had vanished, replaced by a chaotic mix of voices—male, female, young, and old. Just as Stelle tried to trace the source of the sound…
Suddenly, her eyes snapped open, waking from the dream.
She sat up, her gaze falling on the window, where the pale moonlight bathed her face in a cold, clear glow.
"What a weird dream…"
Stelle pinched her cheek, feeling the sting and confirming she wasn't trapped in a dream within a dream.
Tonight was destined to be sleepless. Maybe she should go for a walk?
As she thought, Stelle reached for the baseball bat by her bedside. Her sense of danger was sharp—she couldn't sleep without a weapon nearby for protection.
Hmm…
Where's my bat?!
Stelle threw off the covers. She distinctly remembered her weapon was right beside her, within arm's reach.
It wasn't even under the bed. A wave of despair washed over her.
It's over. The Galaxy Bat Hero's signature weapon was gone.
…
In the Iron Guard Restricted Zone, the originally dire battle situation was disrupted by someone's arrival.
Silver Wolf took the Amber Hammer from Adrian and launched an attack on the nearby Rift Creatures, smashing them one by one with a single swing.
Seeing this sudden, powerful reinforcement, the Silvermane Guards watching from the sidelines, though masked, couldn't hide their stunned expressions.
After a satisfying round of mowing down enemies, not even a trace of the Rift Creatures remained.
Gepard, the leader, was puzzled until he noticed Adrian behind Silver Wolf, his furrowed brow finally relaxing.
Though he had questions, with Adrian's strength—blessed by the legendary Aeon of [Eternity]—sneaking past the guards and into the restricted zone's frontlines wasn't a difficult feat.
But the girl beside him… a stranger who bore an uncanny resemblance to Commander Bronya. A new face he hadn't seen before.
If Gepard's guess was correct… this silver-haired girl wielding a wooden hammer was likely another off-world visitor, part of Adrian's group.
Looking at her face, Gepard couldn't help but see Commander Bronya.
Hiss… Could she really be related to Commander Bronya by blood? That didn't add up…
Gepard was momentarily stumped. Seeing their revered commander in this form left the Iron Guard soldiers at a loss for words, unsure of what to say.
Their focus wasn't on Adrian but on this miniaturized version of Commander Bronya.
Not only did she look like Commander Bronya, but she also had a similar spiral braid.
The difference was that Commander Bronya had a triple spiral, while this girl had a single one, and she was noticeably shorter.
"Why are they so quiet? Are they troubled by something?" Silver Wolf asked Adrian through their team comms, turning to him.
Adrian briefly explained his purpose for coming to Gepard:
"Upon arriving in Belobog, my companions and I toured the Administrative District's famous sights all day. I couldn't sleep… and I recalled my agreement with Officer Gepard."
Adrian pulled out a mimicked weapon. Stelle and March 7th had finished their pillow battle and were likely asleep by now, so borrowing her weapon shouldn't be noticed.
She wouldn't sleep hugging her baseball bat, would she…
"You told us that the Silvermane Guards fight Rift Creatures day and night, and the situation isn't optimistic. I mentioned this morning that, if you don't mind, I could help you and your Iron Guard brothers modify your weapons… that's one reason."
"The other is that, as sudden off-world visitors… we hope we haven't offended you or Belobog."
After hearing Adrian out, Gepard adjusted his demeanor:
"Mr. Adrian, you've misunderstood. Your arrival… is not a bad thing for Belobog. I believe it's a turning point."
"Just as you and this silver-haired lady helped us fight the Rift Creatures earlier, we should be thanking you both. Without your help, the battle would have dragged on much longer."
Seeing the two exchange pleasantries, Silver Wolf found the scene odd. Since when did Adrian become so formal?
"Oh, I haven't asked about the lady beside you…"
"Silver Wolf."
After a brief introduction, Gepard held back the question he and the Guards most wanted to ask—it would be too rude.
In the vast cosmos, it wasn't surprising for people to look similar. No need to overthink it.
"With the Rift Creatures eradicated, the frontlines have a moment of peace. Let's cut to the chase!"
"Master Adrian's Weapon Modification, Chapter Two, officially begins!"