Chapter 14

In a somewhat resigned tone, Adonis clicked on the sign-in button.

[Ding, Adonis completed today's check-in and earned 120 points.]

[Kaede: …]

[Anna Kushina: …]

[A2: Impressive, as expected of a Grand Guardian.]

[Shiina: Sister A2, aren't you being pursued by YoRHa?]

[A2: Yes! I'm still evading them. I'll take my leave for now.]

[Shiina: ...]

Adonis grinned contentedly and decided to leave the chat group for the time being to attend to some of the remaining paperwork on his desk. 

A while later, he stretched his body and muttered, with a hint of tiredness in his eyes, "I really hate doing paperwork. Perhaps I should dump the rest on Cocolia for the main time." 

With that, Adonis left his office and headed home for today.

Today, Adonis acquired two valuable skills and decided to experiment with them. 

After practicing the Cloud Knights' spear technique, which he learned from Dan Heng, and thoroughly mastering it, Adonis commented, "This technique is impressive, as expected from one of the Xianzhou Alliance's foundational marksmanship styles. However, it's not suitable for the Silver-Maned Guard."

The Silver-Maned Guards primarily consist of heavy soldiers, whereas the Cloud Knights' spear technique is better suited for lighter soldiers. 

However, his focus wasn't on the Xianzhou's marksmanship, rather, Adonis focused most of his attention on perfecting the skill of creating meteorites. 

Little by little, he grew more proficient. And as he grew more proficient, he gave the skill a new name: "Skyfall."

...

A little while after Adonis had left his office. 

Cocolia completed her day's work. Stepping out of Fort Creeper, she gazed in the direction of Permafrost Ridge, her expression a mixture of complexity and resignation. She let out a soft, contemplative sigh.

"So, not even a Stellaron could defeat Adonis," she muttered to herself, her brow furrowing in deep thought. 

The thought left her somewhat disheartened. She couldn't help but lament her past self's naivety, remembering how she had once placed her hopes on the Stellaron to save Jarlio-Vi.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Cocolia refocused on the path ahead. As she looked forward, her gaze fell upon Bronya, who stood at the foot of the stairs as she always did, patiently waiting for her. 

Cocolia's tense shoulders relaxed as a sigh of relief escaped her lips.

"What a naive child," she whispered to herself, a faint smile playing on her lips.

With the Stellaron, which she had once placed all her hopes upon, now sealed away, Cocolia seemed to have come to a profound realization. A sense of determination and purpose welled up within her, and a smile, one that had been absent for a long time, graced her face.

"To atone for my past mistakes, I will give my all to protect you, Bronya," she vowed silently, her heart resolute.

….

The next day.

Accompanied by Dan Heng, March, and Stelle, Adonis made his way to the Astral Express for his scheduled meeting with Welt Yang. 

Since the other party had expressed a desire to meet him, Adonis was curious to see what it was all about. Plus, he was interested in meeting Himeko.

For the sake of convenience, Himeko had stopped the train in a snowy area on the outskirts of the city. 

Adonis couldn't help but marvel at the technological marvel that was the Astral Express. Despite its exterior appearance being similar to Earth's trains, it possessed the incredible capability of interstellar travel.

Rumors circulated that somewhere within the Astral Express train lay the heart of the pioneering star god Achivelli, which could potentially be the source of its extraordinary power. Of course, these were nothing more than speculations shared among Adonis and his companions.

With a resounding bang, the doors to the Astral Express swung open. Adonis stepped onto the train and spotted Pom pom, who had been waiting for their return at the entrance.

"What a cute doll, is it the gift you prepared?" Adonis raised his eyebrows, pretending not to know Pom pom's identity, and asked with a smile.

Pom pom narrowed its eyes and walked back and forth unhappily: "Please take a good look, I'm not a doll!"

"That's really embarrassing, I didn't expect you to not be a doll, you look like one after all…" Adonis joked as he chuckled.

Pom pom, on the other hand, stomped its foot and said angrily: "Ahh! I'm really angry! I really am, tch, the person who wants to see you is in the innermost part of the train, hurry in."

Adonis smiled and walked past Pom pom, entering the part that looked like a living room. At a glance, he saw the beautiful figure sitting on the burgundy sofa, enjoying tea.

Himeko.

Adonis's expression became complicated. Before he crossed over, as someone who played Honkai Impact 3rd, he didn't know how to feel seeing this woman in front of him. So, seeing that elegant lady before him, Adonis didn't know what to say.

"Hi, first meeting, I'm Himeko, the navigator of the Astral Express." Himeko slowly put down the teacup, stood up, walked to Adonis, and smiled.

"Thank you for taking care of Little March this time," she added.

Adonis, seeing this woman's warm smile, subconsciously replied, "It's nothing, Teacher Himeko."

As soon as the words came out, whether it was the three people who had just boarded the train or Welt, who was waiting in the innermost part of the carriage, they all looked over in amazement.

Even Himeko herself didn't seem to be offended by being called "teacher." Instead, she seemed amused and covered her mouth as she chuckled, saying, "Oh? Teacher? I didn't expect that."

Realizing his mistake, Adonis didn't panic. He simply shook his head and said, "Sorry, I just recognized the wrong person."

Welt, who had been observing the interaction, remained silent. "….."

"Hello, Miss Himeko, this is our first meeting. I am Adonis, the Great Guardian of Beloberg," Adonis introduced himself.

However, Himeko seemed more interested in something else. She wore a surprised expression and asked, "Have you ever seen someone who looks like me?"

Adonis sighed, realizing she wouldn't back down, and said, "Well, if my memory serves me right, she looks the same as you, but her personality is quite fierce. If you were to call her 'aunt,' she'd be very angry."

Himeko put away her elegant smile. Adonis's tone and way of speaking had hinted at a closeness to someone who looked like her. The thought crossed her mind: had that person passed away?

"I see," she responded.

Adonis shook his head and chuckled, "It's been a long time since I've seen her."

"To make you miss her so much, she must have been a good person, right? I really want to hear her story, but for now, Mr. Yang wants to talk to you more," Himeko said with a touch of regret.

Welt, on the other hand, couldn't help but glance at Adonis before shifting his gaze to Himeko.

Adonis nodded and replied, "If I have the opportunity, I will tell you about her."

"Okay," Himeko replied with a bright smile.

Adonis reciprocated the smile and then made his way towards Welt Yang.