Astral Express.
The concept of 'Trailblaze' is actually very broad. Back when Akivili was still traveling, the nameless passengers aboard the train were so diverse that practically every faction was represented. This alone demonstrated the true inclusivity of 'Trailblaze'. Anyone has the right to board the train, and the Twelve Golden Progeny are no exception. In fact, Pom-Pom would be overjoyed if they wished to join.
"Why did so many people suddenly come, Pom?"
Pom-Pom observed the scene with a mix of surprise and excitement. It had been so long since the train had welcomed such a throng of new faces all at once. How could Pom-Pom not be excited?
"Leon, these are all the people you brought to join the train, right, Pom?" Pom-Pom hurriedly asked, afraid of getting his hopes up for nothing.
"'Yes.'" Leon nodded. Actually, it had nothing to do with him; these few had directly expressed their desire to board the train. There was no need to ask at all.
"'Wow, what a cute little thing, the same type of creature as Ikka.'" As soon as Firefly entered the train, she spotted the conductor and immediately couldn't resist petting Pom-Pom.
"'Ugh...'"
Pom-Pom was thoroughly ruffled, struggling for a long time before finally breaking free.
"'Ahem, Pom-Pom is the conductor of this train, Pom, please show the conductor the respect he deserves, Pom!'" Pom-Pom cleared his throat, sternly critiquing the behavior of treating him like a mascot.
"'Leon, March 7th, and these twelve unnamed passengers, you have come here, I assume, because you all aspire to Trailblaze.'" Pom-Pom raised a hand to his chest, speaking with utmost sincerity.
"'So.'" Pom-Pom swept his sincere gaze over them. "'I wonder if you are willing to join the Astral Express and officially become a nameless passenger?'"
"'Becoming a nameless passenger means no longer clinging to the past, but choosing to forge the future, bidding farewell to familiar life, and embarking on adventures in unknown worlds.'"
"'And most importantly, becoming a nameless passenger means that the responsibilities you will bear from now on will far outweigh the rewards.'"
"'Even so, are you still willing to become nameless passengers?'"
Pom-Pom fell silent, waiting for their choice.
Counting Cyrene and Demiurge, the Twelve Golden Progeny exchanged glances. Then, smiles appeared on their faces simultaneously. They stretched out their right hands, forming a circle. Their choice was already self-evident.
After extending their hands, the Twelve Golden Progeny unanimously shifted their gaze to Leon. He was their most important pillar. The fate and lives of these twelve individuals were tied to him alone. It could even be said that they were completely dependent on him. These twelve existed in the world because of him; thanks to him, they could welcome the arrival of tomorrow in their truest forms.
Leon felt their gazes. He said nothing, simply walking forward, with March 7th following closely behind. The two extended their hands, and with that, everyone was present.
Pom-Pom spoke first, then the fourteen recited in unison.
"'One, even if the path rises and falls, the Trailblazer must have his own principles.'"
"'Two, even in the face of turbulent waves, the train must move in the same direction.'"
They looked into each other's eyes.
"'Three, even in life and death, we must still resist injustice.'"
With the same smile on their faces.
"'Four, even if forgotten by the world, we must not calculate the gains and losses afterward.'"
They swore word by word.
"'Five, even if the galaxy is shrouded in twilight, we must still illuminate the long night.'"
The fourteen right hands, forming a circle, all began to lift upward.
"'Six, even if the situation is chaotic, we must still move forward and crush the chaos.'"
As if of one mind, they lifted their right hands in unison.
"'May this journey finally reach the stars!'"
Then, as the last sentence was spoken, they suddenly lowered their hands and, finally, scattered with a bang. Just like their predecessors when they first met. Regardless of identity, status, or stance, they simply met as nameless passengers. Young people always gather for a moment of camaraderie; perhaps there will be unexpected changes in the years to come, but no matter the final outcome. At that moment of meeting, they were all sincere.
"'Sniff...'"
Pom-Pom's eyes grew a little moist; he saw shadows of old friends in the fourteen people before him. But when he came to his senses, he realized it was just an illusion.
"'Good!'" Pom-Pom wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes and declared with a fist pump. "'To celebrate your arrival, the conductor will personally cook a welcome party today!'"
The usually desolate train, with only Pom-Pom left, finally felt lively today.
...
Humboldt-σ.
The Astral Express arrived, following the originally planned data route. The silver tracks here showed signs of damage, and it was no surprise, given the existence of a Stellaron.
Leon withdrew his gaze from the planet and turned around.
"'Who's coming with me...'" He was just about to ask which of the thirteen people in this newly relaunched Astral Express's first real adventure would accompany him, when he saw 'Strawberry Mint Shortcake' already standing behind him.
"'It's me.'" Yaoqing held the red ticket she had drawn with both hands to her cheeks, smiling at him.
Planet Adventure.
It was definitely impossible for all thirteen to descend; not only would it be chaotic, but the team-building and 'home raids' would also result in each person not gaining much experience. So they came up with a method on their own.
First, Leon was the core. Whether for backup or for their own selfish reasons as Twelve Golden Progeny, he was indispensable.
Since this was established, the only remaining question was, 'How many people should go with him?' The final result: one person. Two people could also work, but one was better for building emotional connections. After all, strictly speaking, these Twelve Golden Progeny weren't very familiar with this savior from beyond the heavens; they only knew he had saved them and Amphoreus. The fact that they now existed as physical beings rather than data was all thanks to him. Now, only Cyrene and Demiurge had ties with him; they wanted to know more about this savior more than anyone else, so having one person accompany him was undoubtedly the best option at the moment.
The method for deciding who would go was by drawing lots. Randomly, they would draw a lot; the one who drew the red ticket would go. After drawing a red ticket once, that person couldn't participate in the next round. This way, they would slowly eliminate people until everyone had gone once, then reset; after the reset, everyone's ineligible status would be cleared. The rules remained the same.
Actually, strictly speaking, it wasn't thirteen people drawing lots, but twelve. March 7th was an exception. She could go with Leon anytime she wanted; no one had the right to compete with her. Drawing lots was just a formality for her. But since she found drawing lots interesting, and so many people had come at once, not only did they need time to get to know Leon, but she also needed time to familiarize herself with them. Thus, this plan was naturally established successfully.
"'I am Hyacine, you can also call me Yaoqing.'" Yaoqing introduced herself, then pointed to the unicorn perched on her head. "'This is little Ikka, my best partner.'"
"'Toot toot~'" The Ikka on her hat happily called out a few times, as if responding to her words.
'What a fat pig,' Leon thought.
"'Leon.'" Leon offered his name to the 'super-large cup value' in front of him.
"'Long Treasure!'" Yaoqing nodded in agreement, indicating she remembered.
"'Wind Treasure.'" Leon didn't mind the nickname. Let her call him whatever; as long as she didn't directly call his name, it was a victory.
"'Then shall we go?'" He invited her.
"'Let's go!' 'Toot toot!'" Yaoqing and Ikka responded together.
...
...
Humboldt-σ.
This was a desolate planet. Primitive algae, fungi, and lichens maintained its barely survivable atmosphere for animals. And among those tenaciously proliferating primitive species, almost none were harmless to humans.
The crackling of matchwood echoed in the dim cave. The orange light of the fire revealed the harshness of the cave environment and the sallow, emaciated faces of a group of children. Sunken eye sockets, lifeless eyes, deformed bodies. All signs of malnutrition.
Several children, clad in tattered protective suits, sat cross-legged in front of the fire. Looking at the meat sizzling in the fire, their usually dull eyes finally showed a glimmer of light, and involuntary swallowing sounds emanated from their throats. Clearly, they were eager to enjoy the meat that was about to be cooked.
Only one girl showed no craving for the meat. She sat in the corner, far from the fire. The firelight cast a shadow on her face, as if a demon was about to devour her. Ginevra remained silent, her mood quite low. The reason was simple: from the sharp five fingers exposed at the top of the fire, it was clear. The meat was an arm, a human arm.
Crackle, crackle, the fire was stirred by a wide palm, increasing the flames. Stonewall took the roasted meat from the fire.
"'...Eat.'" He didn't mind the heat, breaking off the five crispy fingers and handing them to the children. More than a dozen children swarmed, quickly dividing and eating the five fingers.
Stonewall broke the palm in half. One half was continuously divided into small pieces for the children to share, while the other half was handed directly to Ginevra.
"'Eat, otherwise you won't hold up.'"
Ginevra didn't respond, hugging her knees and burying her head deeper. As if she didn't want to see what was in front of her at all. When she was little, her father always told her that people should live with dignity. But who could live with dignity on Humboldt-σ?
"'I'm going to work.'" Stonewall said nothing, simply stuffing the half palm into her hand. He hoisted the hoe, dragging his waist—which couldn't straighten anymore—like an old dog with its spine removed, limping to work.
Ginevra looked at the thing in her hand, not knowing what to do.
"'...Eat.'" After Stonewall left, a weak voice came from beside her. Ginevra turned her head; it was a man with a pale, haggard face, though it was not difficult to see that he was very young. His right arm was empty.
"'Why?'" Ginevra didn't dare to look at her second brother, afraid she wouldn't be able to control her tears.
"'My situation... the chances of survival are slim.'" The man laughed bitterly, "'Since that's the case, it's better to make the most of it.'" Although the human body also has many sources of infection, they were truly at their wits' end. If they didn't do this, they would all die soon; doing this, they could at least struggle on for a while longer, and then it would simply be a matter of who had the better luck.
"'Clearly... if we had received timely treatment...'" Ginevra's eyes were covered with mist, sobbing softly. "'Things wouldn't have turned out this way.'"
Humboldt-σ. One of the star systems protected by the Interastral Peace Corporation, yet it had not received the Preservation it deserved, because the only valuable thing here was the minerals. Just like the Interastral Peace Corporation's previous actions on Adlivun, they sent exiled criminals here to work for them; whether these people lived or died, the Corporation didn't care much, it was just for show.
The conditions for living like a human on Humboldt-σ were actually very simple. That was having money. But money? Money came from the Corporation's pocket, and in the end, it naturally went back into the Corporation's pocket.
If you didn't have any connections, the only job one could get on Humboldt-σ was mining; mining not only carried the risk of infection from smoke and dust, but also the unavoidable natural disaster of mine collapses. It could be said that it was a job where one lived day by day. Then the pay for such a high-risk job must be very high, right?
They did earn a lot of money from mining, but what was left was just a drop in the bucket. If one couldn't pay enough taxes, one was a person without rights, and the Corporation could handle them however they wanted. One person could barely survive, in a state where they wouldn't starve to death, could save some money, and occasionally enjoy a full meal.
Yet, if a single person ventured into the mines, how could they possibly support over a dozen children? No matter how tirelessly they toiled, it was impossible to fill such a bottomless pit.
For years, Stonewall, the loyal knight and former retainer of Ginevra's father, had been raising the orphaned children of his fallen lord. But when one of them nearly starved to death, he realized he couldn't do it alone.
So, when several of the older siblings suggested joining him in the mines, he reluctantly agreed.
Under the relentless, round-the-clock labor, the second brother, who had toiled the hardest, collapsed. The brutal working conditions had left his lungs irreparably damaged.
Yet, it wasn't entirely hopeless. If they could get him to a doctor and secure proper treatment in time, he might not be cured, but his life could certainly be saved.
But where would they find the money? They could barely afford food as it was...
"Haven't you heard about that Ranger causing a stir within the Corporation recently?" the second brother tried to comfort her, suggesting that everything would soon turn around. "Perhaps, with his influence, the Corporation will abolish this system. Just wait a little longer. Good days might be just around the corner."
Just wait a little longer.
For people like them, the phrase 'wait a little longer' seemed to offer a solution to every problem.
Wait a little longer, and life would sweeten once money flowed.
Wait a little longer, and everything would improve once help arrived.
But how much longer could they wait?
"Second brother, what about you?" Ginevra asked, her voice thick with tears. He had told her to wait, that good days were coming, so why wasn't he waiting anymore?
"I'm tired," the second brother said with a relieved smile. "I couldn't protect our father and mother. Our homeland was destroyed, and we had to flee in haste. I was powerless, and I've only been a burden to Uncle Stonewall."
He wasn't one of those who constantly spoke of death but feared it most. "Honestly, it's better to end everything early. With one less person, Uncle Stonewall's burden will be lighter, and your chances of survival will be greater."
Ginevra knew.
Her second brother had wanted to die for a long time.
He had worked so hard only to leave behind as much as he could before his life ended, to increase their chances of survival.
Ginevra took a deep breath and wiped away her tears. "Second brother, let's go see a doctor." She gently took his hand, then stood up and spoke to him with grave seriousness.
The second brother shook his head, a bitter smile the only thing left on his face.
"If we don't go, I'll die with you." The frail girl spoke words that defied her small body, brimming with an uncharacteristic resolve.
"Big brother." Ginevra's plea startled her second brother. He knew she wasn't joking and looked toward Lancelot, who held the most authority when Stonewall wasn't present.
"What, don't want to go?" Lancelot's words left no room for argument. "Then you don't have a choice."
With that, several of the older siblings present stood up in unison.
"This life is truly something."
"At least we used to be a noble family. Even if we can't be lions now, we don't have to be dogs."
Lancelot had reached his limit. "Fuck the Corporation. Let's rebel. If we die, we die. At least we'll have no regrets."
The others who had risen remained silent, but their collective stance conveyed clear agreement.
They picked up their hoes, and their backs, once bowed by oppression, now stood straighter than ever.
"Have you all gone mad?" The second brother asked in a helpless tone, looking at Lancelot, who was about to carry him.
"In this environment, who isn't mad?" Lancelot hoisted him onto his back and then picked up his own hoe. "Hold on tight. I won't be able to take care of you once the fighting starts."
The second brother hooked his left arm around Lancelot's neck, a look of utter resignation on his face.
They all knew they were probably not coming back this time, but being able to give the Corporation's dogs a good beating was worth it.
But when they stepped out of the cave, reality dealt them a crushing blow.
A massive, monstrous shadow loomed, blocking the few who had just emerged. The Stormbringer reared its powerful forelimbs, ready to deliver a swift end!
"Damn it, how did a Voidranger get here?" Lancelot gritted his teeth, instinctively blocking with his hoe. He recognized the monster immediately.
"You fucking Corporation dogs, I'll interpret your dreams!" Lancelot cursed, understanding that the Voidranger's presence meant the local leaders were aware and had deliberately done nothing. The worsening injuries from their mining over the past few days made it clear that the situation on Humboldt leaned toward the latter interpretation: someone had been seduced by the Stellaron!
"Vera, go find the communication equipment!" Lancelot shouted to his sister.
She was the most agile among them. If there had been a chance to retreat before, there was none now.
If they failed to call for reinforcements, Humboldt would eventually be slaughtered by the Voidrangers.
Ginevra, momentarily stunned by the monster, snapped back to reality at Lancelot's shout. Gritting her teeth, she ran toward the IPC outpost on Humboldt. Her footsteps pounded against the ground.
She didn't dare to stop. Every second she delayed, one of her family members might die.
Along the way, she witnessed many tragedies, but none of them made her pause.
Until, in the corner of her eye, as she ran, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure.
For the first time, she froze.
Ginevra looked at the corpse before her, frozen in place. Stonewall's head was slumped, leaning against the dilapidated house. A large hole marred his abdomen, and the spilled blood had long since dried. His damaged hoe lay beside him.
'Uncle Stonewall...?' Ginevra couldn't help but step forward, as if to check for signs of life. 'Was he still alive?'
Given the severity of his injuries, survival was practically impossible. 'But why did I still take that step? What I should be doing now is hurrying to call for reinforcements...' Ginevra couldn't find the answer. The shadow of a Voidranger loomed behind her, threatening to ensure she'd never get the chance to find it.
Unexpectedly, at that moment, Ginevra's mind suddenly flashed with the image of the Ranger her second brother had mentioned not long ago.
She was twelve years old now. Her family had been destroyed four years prior. The peaceful days, when her family had been whole and her parents alive, hadn't lasted long before they were forced to flee to Humboldt due to the Antimatter Legion. Eight years had passed since then; she had lived and waited through all of them.
'How much longer would the good days her second brother spoke of take to arrive?' Ginevra thought. 'Perhaps not until the next life.'
"There are a lot of wild dogs around here." A casual male voice sounded.
Immediately after, countless bright purple arrows materialized from the horizon, falling swiftly and accurately, eliminating all the Voidrangers present!
Amidst this overwhelming display of force, not a single innocent civilian was harmed. This was what true power looked like.
"Please step aside. I am a doctor." Yaoqing gently but firmly pulled Ginevra away. "His condition is not good. I must treat his injuries quickly."
With that, she checked his breathing. A faint breath still lingered. This will to live likely stemmed from some unresolved attachment. Though the breath was weak, it was a stroke of luck in this misfortune.
"Little Ikka, I'm counting on you!"
"Toot toot!" Ikka, instantly shifting into its unique operational mode, spread its wings. A healing rainbow light enveloped Stonewall, slowly stitching his wounds.
"I'll go recover the Stellaron first." Leon stated. He could sense the Stellaron's presence at any time. With no one here capable of stopping him or blocking even one of his attacks, Yaoqing could focus on her patient with complete peace of mind.
Leon hadn't forgotten the purpose of his trip: the Stellaron. In the formula left by Zandar, a large amount of it was needed as an essential ingredient to perfectly replicate the described effects. Leon planned to collect all the Stellarons and destroy them together, to prove his Trailblaze path.
Yaoqing didn't respond, entirely focused on treating the patient before her. Leon didn't mind; he was about to leave.
Ginevra looked at the person who had appeared without warning before her.
"...Who are you?" she instinctively asked, calling out to him just before he left.
"Just a Ranger passing by," Leon replied casually, then instantly vanished.
"Ran...ger..." Ginevra muttered to herself.
...
...
Humboldt, IPC Outpost.
"You deceived me!" The middle-aged man, codenamed "Mining" by the Corporation, shouted angrily at the Stellaron festering inside him.
"Who deceived you? Hasn't the quality of the ore you've submitted recently improved?" The Stellaron's seductive voice responded. "I helped you improve the ore's quality, earning you significant attention from the Corporation. Isn't that what you wanted?"
"But you didn't tell me you would do this!" Mining shouted.
The Corporation wasn't stupid. Once the Voidrangers appeared, they would definitely notice problems. It wouldn't be easy to clean up the mess then!
"You can't have everything. I promised you a future, but in return, I will take everything from you!" The Stellaron let out a sinister laugh, beginning to exert control over his body.
"Wait!" Mining noticed a strange corruption spreading inside him. "What are you doing? Stop!"
Suddenly, a black, shadowy void opened beneath his feet. Several black, ethereal tentacles snaked up from it, grabbing his pant legs and pulling him down, as if attempting to drag him into an unseen abyss.
"Ahhhhh!" Mining could feel his consciousness fading. The Stellaron sought to replace him, to control him as its puppet. He screamed in terror.
But the next second, the scream stopped abruptly.
"Excuse me." A figure wrapped in blue flames appeared behind him with imperceptible speed. By the time the flames dissipated moments later, the Stellaron was already floating in Leon's palm.
Mining, who had been instantly bypassed by Leon's appearance, was caught in the lingering aetheric energy and disintegrated into ash. He was gone without a trace.Astral Express.
"The Trailblaze" is, in truth, a Path of vast conceptual breadth.
In the era when Akivili was still present, the Nameless aboard the train were so diverse that they essentially encompassed every faction.
From this point alone, one can see just how inclusive "The Trailblaze" truly is.
Anyone is qualified to board the train, and this is even more true for the Twelve Golden Progeny.
Rather, seeing that they wanted to join, Pom-Pom was practically dying of happiness.
"Why did so many people suddenly come, Pom!"
Pom-Pom looked at this lineup with some surprise, and even a little excitement.
How long has it been since the train had such an influx of fresh blood all at once like this?
How could this not make Him excited?
"Passenger Leon, these are all people you brought to join the train, right Pom?"
Pom-Pom hurriedly asked Leon, afraid that he might be celebrating for nothing.
"Yes." Leon nodded.
Actually, it really didn't have much to do with him; these individuals wanted to board the train straightforwardly.
There was absolutely no need to ask.
"Wow, what a cute little fella. It's a creature of the same type as Ikka."
Yaoqing had just walked onto the train, and upon seeing the Conductor, she immediately couldn't control herself and went to pet him.
"Woo woo woo..."
Pom-Pom was rubbed ruthlessly for a good while before finally managing to escape.
"Ahem, Pom-Pom is the Conductor of this train, Pom! Please maintain the proper respect due to the Conductor, Pom!"
Pom-Pom cleared his throat, seriously critiquing the behavior of treating him as a mascot.
"Passenger Leon, Passenger March 7th, and these twelve passengers whose names are yet unknown—since you have come here, presumably you all hold admiration for The Trailblaze."
Pom-Pom raised a hand to his chest, speaking with incomparable seriousness.
"Therefore."
Pom-Pom scanned them with a sincere gaze.
"I wonder if you are willing to join the Astral Express and formally become a Nameless?"
"Becoming a Nameless means no longer clinging to the past, but choosing to blaze a trail into the future. You must bid a temporary farewell to your familiar life and head toward unknown worlds to unfold adventures."
"And most importantly, becoming a Nameless means that the responsibilities you bear henceforth will far outweigh the gains."
"Even so, are you still willing to become Nameless?"
Pom-Pom spoke no more, waiting for them to make their choice.
Counting Cyrene and Demiurge, a total of twelve Golden Progeny glanced at one another.
Then, smiles emerged on their faces in unison.
They extended their right hands forward, forming a circle.
The choice they made was already self-evident.
After extending their hands, the twelve Golden Progeny unanimously shifted their gazes to Leon beside them.
He was the most important pillar.
The causality and lives of the twelve of them were entirely tied to him alone.
One could even say it was purely about volume.
The fact that the twelve of them could exist in the world relied on him; thanks to him, they could greet the arrival of tomorrow in their most authentic forms.
Leon felt the gazes of the twelve.
He didn't say anything, simply walking forward. March 7th followed close behind.
The two extended their hands. With that, everyone was present.
Pom-Pom spoke first, and then the fourteen people spoke in unison.
"One: Even if the Path waxes and wanes, the Trailblazer must hold to their convictions."
"Two: Even when facing stormy seas, the Express must move as one."
They looked into each other's eyes.
"Three: Even in matters of life and death, one must still resist injustice."
Identical smiles hung on their faces.
"Four: Even if forgotten by the world, one must not calculate the consequences."
Word by word, they swore the oath.
"Five: Even if the galaxy's twilight is vast and hazy, one must still illuminate the long night."
The fourteen right hands gathered in a circle all showed signs of lifting upward.
"Six: Even if the situation is chaotic and disordered, one must still forge ahead and crush the chaos."
As if their hearts were linked, they raised their right hands in tacit agreement.
"May this journey finally reach the stars!"
Then, as the final sentence left their mouths, they brought their hands down fiercely, finally scattering with a boom.
Just like their predecessors when they first met.
Regardless of identity, regardless of status, regardless of stance—they met simply as Nameless.
Young people will always gather together for a moment of shared spirit; perhaps sudden changes will occur in the years to follow, but no matter the final outcome...
At the moment of meeting, they were all sincere.
"Wuwu..."
Pom-Pom's eyes were a bit moist; he saw shadows of old friends in these fourteen people before him.
But when he came back to his senses, he realized it was just a hallucination.
"Good!"
Pom-Pom wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, clenching his fist to pump himself up.
"To celebrate your arrival, the Conductor will personally cook today to hold a welcome party!"
Usually, only he remained alone; the cold and cheerless train finally had some lively atmosphere today.
Humboldt-σ.
The Astral Express arrived here following the originally drafted data route.
The Star Rail here showed traces of having been destroyed; barring any accidents, a "Stellaron" should exist here.
Leon withdrew his gaze from surveying the planet and turned around.
"Who is with m—"
He just wanted to ask which of the thirteen people would accompany him on the newly set sail Astral Express's first true adventure, only to see that the little strawberry-mint cake was already standing behind him.
"It's me."
Yaoqing held the red lot she had drawn up to her cheek with both hands, smiling faintly at him.
Planet Grand Adventure.
It was definitely impossible for all thirteen people to go down; that would not only be chaotic as hell—like a team-building exercise to raid a house—but would also lead to everyone having very little sense of experience.
So, they discussed a method of operation on their own.
First, Leon is the core.
Whether used as a safety net or for the selfish motives of the Golden Progeny, he was indispensable.
Since that was determined,
The only question remaining was "exactly how many people should go along."
The final result was one person.
Two people would effectively work too, of course, but one person is better for heating up feelings.
After all, strictly speaking, these Golden Progeny were not actually familiar with this Savior from beyond the sky; they only knew he saved them and Chiro-loss.
That they existed now not as data but as physical entities was all thanks to his blessing.
Currently, only Terra and Demiurge had existing bonds with him. The others wanted to understand this Savior more than anyone, so pairing up one-on-one was undoubtedly the best plan for the moment.
And the method to decide the candidate was a lottery system.
Random drawing; the person who draws the red lot goes.
After drawing the red lot once, that person cannot participate in the next round.
Elimination proceeds slowly like this until everyone has had a turn, then it starts to reset. After the reset, everyone's non-participating status is cleared to zero.
The rules remain as above.
Actually, speaking truthfully, it wasn't thirteen people drawing, but twelve.
March 7th was an exception.
If she wanted to go with Leon, she could go anytime; no one was qualified to fight her for it.
The lottery was just a decoration to her.
But because she personally felt the lottery was quite interesting, and with so many people arriving at once, not only did they have to spend time getting to know Leon, but she also had to spend time getting familiar with them.
Thus, this plan was established logically and successfully.
"I am Hyacine, you can also call me Yaoqing."
Yaoqing introduced herself, then pointed to the unicorn lying on top of her head.
"This is Little Ikka, my best partner."
"Doo-doo~"
Ikka, lying on her hat, called out happily a few times, as if responding to her words.
What a fat pig, Leon thought to himself.
"Leon."
Leon returned the introduction with his own name to the super-sized version of himself in front of him.
"Baby Leon!"
Yaoqing nodded with an 'mm-hmm', indicating she remembered.
"Baby Yao."
Leon didn't care about the address.
Let her call him whatever; as long as she didn't call him directly by his name, it counted as a victory.
"Then, shall we go?" He invited her to travel together.
"Depart!" "Doo-doo!"
Yaoqing and Ikka replied together.
Humboldt-σ.
This was a barren planet.
Primitive algae, fungi, and lichens maintained an atmospheric environment that could barely support animal survival.
And among those native species that struggled to reproduce, almost none were non-threatening to humans.
The crackling sound of firewood rang out in a dim cave.
The orange color reflected by the firelight.
It illuminated the harshness of the cave environment, and also illuminated the sallow and emaciated faces of a group of children.
Sunken eye bags, listless eyes, deformed bodies.
These were all manifestations of malnutrition.
Several children wearing tattered protective suits.
They sat hugging their knees in front of the fire.
Watching the meat roasting in the fire pile, emitting sizzling sounds, their highlighted-less pupils rarely had a bit of light, and swallowing sounds rang out involuntarily from their throats.
Obviously, they couldn't wait to enjoy the meat that was about to be cooked.
Only one girl showed no sign of craving the meat.
She sat in the corner, even very far from the fire.
The shadows cast on her face by the firelight were like a demon about to swallow her whole.
Ginevra was silent, her mood quite low.
There was no other reason; one could understand just from the five angular fingers exposed at the very top of the fire pile.
That meat was an arm, a human arm.
Crackle crackle, the fire was disturbed by the wind brought by a large hand reaching out, increasing the intensity of the flames.
Stonewall took the roasted meat out of the fire.
"...Eat."
Not minding the heat, he broke off the five fingers that had been roasted crisp and handed them to the children here.
A dozen children swarmed up, and very quickly, the five fingers were divided and eaten completely.
Stonewall broke the palm in half.
One half was constantly broken into small pieces for the children to share, while the other half was handed entirely by him toward the girl.
"Eat. Otherwise, you won't last."
Ginevra didn't respond; hugging her knees, she buried her head a bit deeper.
As if she completely didn't want to see the thing in front of her.
When she was small, Father always told Ginevra that people should live with dignity.
But who can live with dignity on "Humboldt-σ"?
"I'm going to work."
Stonewall didn't speak further, simply forcefully stuffing half the palm into her hand.
He shouldered his hoe, dragging a waist that hadn't been able to straighten for who knows how long, like an old dog whose spine had been pulled out, and walked with stumbling steps to go to work.
Ginevra looked at the thing in her hand, at a loss.
"...Eat."
After Stonewall left, a weak voice came from the side.
Ginevra turned her head; that was a man with a pale, haggard face, yet it wasn't hard to see his age was very young.
His right arm was empty.
"Why?"
Ginevra didn't dare to look at her Second Brother, afraid she wouldn't be able to control her tears.
"In my situation, the chances of not surviving are high."
The man gave a few bitter laughs. "Since that's the case, might as well make the best use of it."
Although the human body also has many sources of infection, they were truly at a dead end.
If they didn't do this, they would all die before long; doing this, at least they could linger on for a period of time. What followed would just be a gamble on whose luck was better.
"Clearly... as long as you received timely treatment..."
Ginevra's eyes were covered with a mist of tears as she sobbed quietly.
"Things wouldn't have become like this."
Humboldt-σ.
One of the star systems sheltered under the banner of the Interastral Peace Corporation, yet it did not receive the due "Preservation," because the only things of value in this place were minerals.
Just like the Interastral Peace Corporation's previous practices toward Asdana, they sent exiled criminals here to work for them. The Company didn't pay much attention to whether these people lived or died; it was just a facade.
To live like a human being in this place, Humboldt-σ, the condition was actually very simple.
That is to have money.
But money?
Money comes from the Company's pocket, and in the end, of course, it returns to the Company's pocket.
If you don't have any connections or relationships.
The only work you can get on Humboldt-σ is mining, and mining not only carries the risk of infection by dust but also unavoidable natural disasters like mine collapses.
It could be said to be a job where you live day by day.
Then such high-risk work must have very high wages, right?
The money they earn mining is indeed not small.
[But] what is left is nothing more than a drop in the bucket.
If you don't pay enough tax, you are an existence with no human rights, to be handled however the Company pleases.
A single person can temporarily linger on, in a stage where they won't starve to death, can save some money, and occasionally have a full meal.
____
New Story: Stardew Valley: What Do You Mean They All Became My Servants
🔥We're handing out that '25% bonus' that makes your wallet smile. 😄
✅ Read 40 chapters ahead of everyone else.
✅ Get cool exclusive stuff and updates!
Let's hit these goals:
🎯 100 Powerstones = 1 extra chapter for the public!
🚀180 MEMBERS = 5 extra chapters on all stories for supporters!
👻 P - Walnutchan