"This True Sting bug doesn't look all that tough..."
"Hmm... This one probably just finished hatching. In other words, it's still a larva. Have you ever heard of the bat theory?"
"What's the... bat theory?"
"When you spot one bat in your house..." Dan Heng deliberately slowed his speech, "...it means the hidden ones have already multiplied past capacity."
"Uh..." Stelle's magnificent brain circuitry immediately kicked into gear. "Considering this True Sting can mimic March's illusion, if we leave it alone, won't the whole train soon be overflowing with March 7ths?"
"Eeeek—" March pictured the scene, gasped sharply, and hugged herself. "Th-then forget it! Someone as unique as me... one is plenty for the train!"
"Right, right," Lynelle quickly nodded in agreement. "If the train were full of little Marches, it's hard to imagine how low the average IQ of our crew would plummet."
"Huh?"
"You...!" The puffed-up March immediately launched herself from the side. "Careful, or I'll bite you!"
"Anyway..." Dan Heng let out a helpless sigh. "Let's head back and discuss the situation with Mr. Welt and the others first."
--+--
"Ah, you're back."
"As you can see, this is a True Sting bug. Or, more accurately, a True Sting zip."
"While you were in little March's room, Himeko and I caught this bug in the data room. I took the opportunity to probe its mental world while Himeko subdued it."
"Wow, soul-searching too?" Stelle said curiously. "But, Uncle Yang, you have that ability?"
"Most likely a mimicry of Fenghuang Down... Herrscher of Reason, pretty amazing, right?"
"But, Uncle Yang, for a hive-mind structured creature like this, you probably shouldn't be able to read much, right? What did you find in this True Sting's mind?"
"It was repeating one word: Overlord..." Welt adjusted his glasses.
"I suspect it might be referring to the giant True Sting that Argenti guessed swallowed the entire Astral Express whole."
"Worse still, this indicates the bugs here have a clear chain of command... If we allow them to multiply, the consequences could be dire."
"So, we need to get out of this giant bug's belly as soon as possible, right?" Dan Heng pondered. "Can we use a warp jump?"
"No, the Astral Express's warp jump is interstellar-grade. Even a short jump requires extensive preparation time, and we can't guarantee nothing will go wrong during it."
Welt shook his head. "Himeko and I discussed it. We're considering overloading the train's engines to forcibly smash through the insect's inner wall. But that certainly carries its own risks..."
"Actually..." x2
Lynelle and Argenti's voices rang out almost simultaneously.
"Uh..."
"Though as a knight, I ought to uphold the fine virtue of ladies first... in a perilous choice such as this, I must insist that I, as a knight, take the lead."
Argenti gave a slight bow. "Mr. Welt, I have a proposal to allow the train to exit here safely."
"Later, I will disembark from the Astral Express and launch a full-force attack on the giant True Sting's abdominal wall. Under attack, the creature will surely experience spasmodic contractions due to the pain, thus allowing us to..."
"Stop, stop, stop!"
Lynelle hastily interrupted Argenti.
"Martyrdom isn't the answer. Besides, I have a simpler method here."
"What do you mean? When things like this happen, Lynelle, you're always the first to charge in— alright, alright, I'll stop."
Noticing Lynelle's accusatory stare, Stelle quickly grinned and offered a 'hands-up' gesture of surrender.
"A simpler method?"
"Exactly, Uncle Yang, don't you remember?" Lynelle waved the card in her hand.
"While a Herrscher of the Void's power might not support an interstellar leap for the Express, a short-distance jump just through the True Sting's inner wall should be easily manageable."
"...Right, I almost forgot about your ability." Welt was taken aback for a moment, then smiled.
"Back then, even Kiana, with her unrefined teleportation, managed to send the Hyperion into the Theater of Dominance. A short jump like this probably isn't an issue at all."
"So, what do you think, Mr. Argenti?" Lynelle blinked. "Much safer than your method, right?"
"Indeed... It's just, viewed this way, my arrival seems to have only caused you all unnecessary trouble. I truly feel rather apologetic."
"It's fine. Since you're often roaming all over the universe, and we're often roaming all over the universe, we're bound to meet again someday."
Lynelle crushed the card in her hand.
Her figure instantly shrank slightly, transforming into a dainty young girl with flowing purple hair, hovering half in the air.
"Next time we meet, you can help us out then."
"Then I shall graciously accept," Argenti said with a slight bow. "Please wait a moment. I shall go and attach my 'Rarity' to the rear of the train."
"Mm, okay... Wait."
Lynelle's brow furrowed slightly, and her figure instantly appeared in front of the two of them.
"What is it, Miss Lynelle?"
"No, you're fine..."
Lynelle's gaze was fixed on the company employee, Velite, who had arrived with Argenti—specifically, on the gap in Velite's collar.
"Wh-what is it?"
Under the stare of Lynelle's golden eyes, Velite couldn't help but shrink his neck.
"Don't move."
As she spoke, Lynelle swiftly reached out and plucked a miniature True Sting bug from Velite's collar.
"Almost missed one... This bug's mental fluctuations are a bit unusual. If I'm not mistaken, it's probably a royal bug, or something of that sort, among the swarm."
Lynelle breathed a sigh of relief, then found a small vial and tossed the bug inside.
"That was truly well-hidden..." Argenti couldn't help but remark. "However, Miss Lynelle, why are you bottling it? Why not simply eliminate it?"
"Oh, this?" Lynelle's voice paused slightly. "We'll be returning to the space station soon. Consider this bug a little gift I'm bringing back for a friend."
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.