"The Great Guardian's order is to apprehend the criminals. We cannot refuse pursuit just because they fled into the restricted zone. Whether they're dead or alive, I must see it with my own eyes."
Bronya steeled her resolve, leading the Silvermane Guards toward the Fragmentum-corroded area. "What I can do now… is eliminate the villains threatening Belobog."
Stelle and March 7th blatantly eavesdropped. After seeing the guards set off, both turned their gazes to Dan Heng in unison.
"Fleeing to the corroded alleyways is indeed a viable plan for us. Let's follow and see."
He had underestimated Sampo. Smuggling ancient relics required some life-saving skills, and escaping prison was child's play for Sampo—he could get caught and break out just as easily.
"Uh, we're just following them like this? Feels like we're stalkers or something," Stelle remarked, her focus oddly misplaced.
"Don't sweat the small stuff. Our priority is finding the missing Teacher Adrian and clearing up the misunderstanding with the guards. She said she'd invite us to discuss important matters, but then suddenly went back on her word—completely untrustworthy!"
Attacking while someone's sound asleep? How despicable!
"Don't forget, someone was rummaging through trash cans all over town yesterday," Dan Heng reminded. Didn't Stelle think it was weird to dig through bins in broad daylight?
"How is exploring trash cans not a form of [Trailblaze]?" Stelle had a perfectly valid reason.
Without the unknown, how could there be Trailblazing?
…
At the Mechanical Settlement, Clara clutched a steaming cup of milk tea. Sipping warm milk tea in the icy snow lifted her spirits instantly.
"Want some?" Adrian asked for the second time.
Svarog didn't respond. It was busy processing everything Adrian had just said—unfamiliar terms and concepts it had never encountered.
"Importing [Aeon], [Emanator], [Church], [Clara's favorite milk tea recipe] into the database. Progress: 5%… 15%…"
Wait, did something weird slip in there?
"This is the first time Clara has seen Mr. Svarog like this. How did big brother do it?"
"You're on the right track, Miss Clara. You heard my conversation with Svarog—why don't you take a guess?"
"Um… is it the [Church] big brother mentioned?"
"Data import complete. Retrieving term [Church]: The Church is the primary faction under the Aeon of [Eternity]. They are a group of pure followers of [Eternity], characterized by harmony, kindness, and gentleness."
"Conclusion: A partner worth cooperating with."
"Mr. Svarog is amazing!" Clara clapped beside them.
Hearing Svarog's explanation, Adrian nodded in satisfaction.
"Well done, Svarog. You've grasped the true essence of the [Eternity Church]!" As a reward, Adrian offered Svarog a cup of milk tea. Seeing no response, he handed it to Clara instead.
"Eek… too much, too much! Big brother is too enthusiastic."
Looking at the dozen or so fresh, steaming milk teas nearby, Clara, the little angel, stuffed them into a big metal box and carried them off to share with the wanderers gathered there.
After Adrian's barrage of concepts, Svarog came to a realization.
Calculated results didn't always bring happiness to everyone.
If Clara were to say it, she'd probably put it like this:
Even if the world outside the cage isn't all that wonderful… people still want to poke their heads out and take a look.
So… help me, Mr. Svarog!
After Clara left, Adrian brought up the two words Svarog dreaded most.
"Stellaron Core."
In the original storyline, mentioning the Stellaron Core would prompt Svarog to access its database… only to find access restricted, prohibiting discussion with unauthorized targets.
For Belobog, the Stellaron Core was a secret sealed deep within the world, unknown to any human.
Things were different now. Adrian had directly transplanted part of the archive's data, and Svarog had undergone an ideological evolution.
Now, when an outsider like Adrian mentioned the Stellaron Core, it no longer triggered a risk response. Instead, it could engage in calm discussion—a cause for celebration.
Mainly because… hardly anyone in Belobog knew about the Stellaron Core. Successive Great Guardians had chosen to bury this secret in their hearts, never revealing it to the world.
The Architects had also issued an order: any attempt to interact with the Stellaron Core would lead to severe consequences.
There were many ways to handle a Stellaron Core, like Adrian's method of addressing the root by sealing its imaginary energy.
Wherever it went, it left ruin and devastation in its wake. To the civilizations plagued by it, the Stellaron Core was a symbol of destruction.
When it came to handling Stellaron Cores, people first thought of the Astral Express and the Stellaron Hunters—experts in the field.
Then came the infamous… or rather, renowned [Eternity Church]. Not only did they thrive on planets with abundant natural water resources, but they also had some expertise in handling Stellaron Cores.
Rumor had it that deep within the church was a perpetually sealed iron gate. A priest once asked Bishop Blake what lay behind it.
Bishop Blake replied with a single sentence:
"An unknown [Eternity] sanctuary. If you're fearless, you can experience Eternity there."
The answer was obvious. Beyond the iron gate was a bottomless black hole—Eternity's Grace!
A small trick Adrian had casually performed back then was discovered by Bishop Blake and repurposed as a place to store Stellaron Cores and exile sinners.
Why exile sinners? Well, that's a question for the mysterious Bishop Blake.
No reason other than it sounded cool—though the church didn't really have any actual sinners.
The only one who'd ever erred was the Priestess, who wasted too much paper drafting doctrines—writing, tearing, and rewriting. Blake locked her in a dark room for half an Amber Era to reflect.
Poor Priestess. She was the church's founder, yet the newcomer Blake usurped her authority, leaving her crying, throwing tantrums, and rolling on the floor in frustration—oh, so pitiful~
Usurped, sure, but she didn't want to deal with the responsibilities anyway. After handing the Bishop's seat to Blake, she ran off.
This wasn't slacking off. Traveling while spreading the word of [Eternity]? In the eyes of the old slacker Aeon Ite, that was downright diligent!
…
At the Edge Passage, the trio followed Bronya. Stelle looked around—the Fragmentum's corrosion had even reduced the number of trash cans.
Despite the corrosion, this was still part of Belobog. The guards knew the area like the back of their hands. Bronya quickly devised a battle plan, splitting a group of soldiers to encircle the area.
"Looking at it this way, Sampo's kinda pitiful… being hunted by so many guards," Stelle remarked.
"That includes us," Dan Heng reminded. Stelle was still reveling in the [Eternity] spell of invisibility.
First time experiencing it—felt great!
Following Bronya through the alleys, they reached a corner where the smell of rust and dust flooded their throats. Amid the rhythmic dripping of a metal pipe, Bronya's silver hair trembled slightly.
"Huh? Why'd she stop?"
March 7th poked her head out. The second team of guards Bronya had just dispatched… all of them were unconscious on the ground.
"This… it's only been a few minutes, and they're already wiped out?"
Bronya cautiously approached, confirming the guards were still breathing. Then she noticed a plush doll leaning against the stone wall.
Upon closer inspection, it was a doll of Sampo.
"A Sampo doll? Ha? That's just…"
Before March 7th could finish, their hidden forms materialized beside Bronya, along with Stelle and Dan Heng.
"Eh… ehh?!"
The scene turned awkward. March 7th looked at Bronya, flustered.
What happened to absolute safety? Why did it fail?
Teacher Adrian, dropping the ball at a critical moment!
Bronya immediately stepped back, creating distance. "Pela's analysis was correct. You're indeed in league with the fugitive, sneaking into the alley."
"Misunderstanding… it's a misunderstanding!"
The familiar scenario repeated. Back in the snowfield, Gepard had mistaken them for Sampo's accomplices. Now it was Bronya, meaning conflict was imminent.
"Ugh… this girl is relentless, not even giving us a chance to explain. What crime did we even commit?"
"I'll tell you—it's my orders to apprehend you. As for the specific charges and penalties, the tribunal will explain."
"Everything changed overnight. It's hard for us to accept too."
Dan Heng tried to communicate peacefully. Force wasn't the only way to resolve things.
They hadn't met this commander yesterday, which made communication difficult.
"The Great Guardian investigated your backgrounds. She summoned me last night, saying you deceived her. Your identities and motives are fabricated, aimed at undermining the Architects' control over Belobog…"
"…Villains of [Eternity] Ite."
The trio: ???