Aboard the Astral Express.
"IPC employees really are the epitome of pragmatism..." March 7th sighed after finishing her conversation with Velite.
The young corporate worker had long abandoned his dreams, now wholly preoccupied with making money—even proposing the "brilliant" idea of packaging Argenti as an idol and becoming his manager.
Suddenly—
"AAAAAH—!!"
Pom-Pom's scream echoed through the cabin.
"We were so busy dealing with Argenti and Velite, we almost forgot the Express is in danger! Quick, check it out!"
The crew rushed over to find Pom-Pom already curled up in terror, clutching his paws.
"Th-There's a weird sound… scary, scary! D-Did you hear it?!"
"I know this train inside out—that was NOT a normal noise, Pom!"
"It came from the passenger cabins… or maybe the Conductor's Room, Pom?!"
The team split up to inspect their quarters.
When March 7th returned to her room, she expected, at worst, a dangerous enemy.
Instead—
Another March 7th stood before her.
Identical in every way—except for the other March's far more profound gaze.
In a hauntingly hypnotic voice, the doppelgänger whispered:
"I know your past. What you long to see… touch… understand…"
"Your home. Your family. Friends. Emotions. Love and hate..."
"I am the complete March 7th—the one who remembers everything you've forgotten..."
March 7th (the player) felt chills.
Memories of the companion quest [Total Recall] flooded back.
"Don't tell me…"
"It's the Memokeepers again?!"
Himeko leaned forward, intrigued.
"'Night of Universal Hallucinations'… This quest is far more layered than it seems."
Meanwhile, Stelle stared at the screen excitedly:
"It's happening! March 7th (Complete)—the 5-star version is coming!"
"This isn't funny! Something's seriously wrong here!" March 7th snapped.
Then—Himeko's voice crackled through the comms:
"March? March—can you hear me?"
"March, you should—"
The other March 7th smirked.
The screen cut to black.
March 7th's heart pounded.
"Am I… about to die in this storyline?!"
Soon, the crew barged into her room—only to find not a mirror image, but a grown adult-sized Voidranger Reaver!
[BATTLE START]
"MY ROOM HAD A GIANT BUG THIS WHOLE TIME?!"
"HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO SLEEP HERE NOW?!"
She immediately activated [Lunar Phantasm, Azure Dragon's Emergence]!
The bugs had Quantum and Imaginary weaknesses, making Dan Heng (Imbibitor Lunae) the perfect counter.
But the real horror?
They exploded upon defeat.
"Huh?!"
"Waaahhh…"
"My room's tainted by bugs… It'll never be my cozy little sanctuary again..."
"My bunnies and bears… I've failed you all! Letting bugs defile you after all this time!"
Welt calmly interjected: "March, stay calm."
"This is just in-game. Our real Express isn't infested."
"Ohhh—"
March 7th exhaled in relief, then snapped to attention.
"Conductor! We CANNOT let the Express fall into this kind of danger! We must act now!"
Pom-Pom puffed his chest. "I fully support Passenger March's proposal!"
---
Dan Heng consulted the archives.
"According to the Data Bank, Voidranger Reavers shed hallucinogenic scales when their wings flutter. March's 'double' was likely an illusion from inhaling them."
The investigation soon took a dire turn.
Dan Heng's voice grew grave.
"The situation is critical. Traces of a hive are everywhere—some eggs are already hatching."
"They're still in embryonic stages, but their growth rate exceeds expectations."
Himeko added, "We're racing against time now."
The next objective: Use the camera to scout for clues.
[You notice the eggs emit a faint hum—almost melodic. Yet, as the saying goes, some creatures 'speak sweeter than they sing.']
[Your sense of justice compels you to destroy the eggs.]
"E-Eggs…?!"
March 7th and Pom-Pom gasped in unison.
March shuddered, turning to Stelle.
"How are you so calm obliterating these things?! Aren't they… gross?!"
Stelle scratched her head. "Well… the game doesn't show close-ups, so…"
Pom-Pom nervously examined his fluffy tail, suddenly paranoid about hidden eggs.
The thought alone made him shiver.
---
Then—Argenti got infected too.
In Dan Heng's room (the Data Bank), he gazed lovingly at thin air.
"You must be the creature she described. Surely, you're often called 'adorable'—does it trouble you? Believe me, no single word could encapsulate your essence. O spherical marvel, your true name is… 'Charm.'"
"No more words: Meeting you moves me deeply. Yet I shan't forsake my knightly vows. If we fail here, I shall die upholding the glory of—"
In Argenti's eyes: A harmless Puffball.
On the surveillance feed: A pitch-black Voidranger.
The crew rushed in to exterminate it.
March 7th sighed. "Welp, Dan Heng's room got hit too. Now I feel slightly better."
"Though his place is always a mess anyway—unlike my perfectly tidy space! I still lost more!"
[BATTLE END]
Argenti solemnly declared:
"Even in death, such vile creatures may speak truths. 'Dying bugs whisper kindly…'"
"I shall relay its last words: 'Celebrate your shallow victory. You'll never perceive the true Sovereign…!'"
Dan Heng's eyes narrowed.
"The Data Bank's 'Chronicles' mention a theoretical species—one so massive it could swallow a warship whole. Researchers dubbed it the 'Voidranger Tramplers.'"
"I suspect… the 'Sovereign' Argenti heard refers to precisely such a beast."
Argenti nodded. "Then it's clear. We… are likely inside its stomach."
"That explains mine and Velite's earlier ordeal."
"When we met, he was trapped in a vast, lightless 'cavern'—one that pulsed with the sounds of digestion..."
The Astral Express… had been swallowed by a Voidranger Trampler?!
The revelation stunned everyone.
Himeko and Welt exchanged grim looks—they'd theorized anomalies, but not this.
Now, not only was the Express infested internally, its outer hull was dissolving!
Pom-Pom's eyes bulged. He leapt onto the table.
"Passengers! This is the GREATEST CRISIS in Express history!"
"We CANNOT let this stand!"
---
Meanwhile, on a desolate planet…
Velite sat on a rock, staring blankly at Boothill's wrecked ship.
"What even is today…?"
Suddenly—a fleet of resplendent vessels descended, forming a majestic line.
Knights in gleaming armor disembarked, their leader proclaiming:
"To encounter a soul as steadfast as yours is our honor. We are the Knights of Beauty—offering the devotion upon our lances."
The once-barren wasteland now glowed with radiant warmth.
Velite's jaw dropped. "Am I… dreaming?"
Argenti stepped forward.
"I am Argenti of the Knights of Beauty. Mr. Velite, you seem unharmed—the Voidranger has left this sector."
Velite blinked. "How do you know my—?!"
"Well, compared to being digested, I guess this isn't so bad..."
Another knight smiled. "Then… let us reassess your plight. What do you require?"
Velite shrugged. "Just… hitch a ride to the nearest IPC-controlled planet?"
The knight nodded. "Understood. We shall deliberate thoroughly. Until then—please wait patiently. Savor the moment."
"The Knights of Beauty shall defend your safety to our last breath."
Cue an endless committee debate.
Velite: "???"
"Are these people for real? They're worse than corporate bureaucracy!"
Then—his phone buzzed.
An all-staff IPC notification:
[Department Head: Everyone, pause your tasks! Topaz's livestream is starting! This is a rare chance to experience corporate culture!]
[Mandatory 500-word reflection reports due afterward.]
Velite's soul left his body.
Resigned, he plopped back onto the rock and opened the company stream.
To be continued…
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