Bab 69: Chapter 68: New Passenger Concerns
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Regarding Bronya's caution,
Bochang understood her concern but reassured her, "Don't worry, I'll control my strength carefully."
"It's not just about controlling your strength." Bronya shook her head, "As our guests, you shouldn't be burdened with Belobog's issues. We will handle it; please rest assured."
Seeing her resolute expression, Bochang pondered for a moment.
"Then, can I at least visit the Underworld as a tourist?"
After a brief silence...
Bronya tried to soften her demeanor as much as possible before responding, "Yes, that's fine."
From Bronya's perspective, she believed her expression was already quite gentle. However, to Bochang, she still seemed icy cold.
If Stelle's aloofness carried a hint of endearingly clumsy charm,
then Bronya exuded an aura that kept people at arm's length, along with a composed and authoritative presence.
This easily stirred a desire to conquer in others.
Upon learning about the Astral Express from Dan Heng, Serval showed immense interest.
"Does your train still welcome new passengers?"
Dan Heng replied, "I'm not sure; you'd have to ask Himeko. If she agrees, then it's possible."
In other words, if Himeko does not consent, Serval cannot board.
"Do you wish to travel with us?" Stelle asked curiously, gazing at Serval.
The blonde big sister had left quite a favorable impression on Stelle.
Serval nodded. "Since there's nothing keeping me here, I might as well join you on this adventure. It sounds much more interesting that way."
Upon hearing this, Cocolia lifted her head and glanced at Serval, puzzled by her decision.
"You're right... You're right... After all, I did such terrible things... It was all my fault..." Cocolia painfully bowed her head.
Having escaped Stellaron's influence, once she recalled her past actions, she felt too ashamed to say anything further.
Bronya was also taken aback by Serval's intention.
Leaving Belobog would essentially mean abandoning their homeland, wouldn't it?
Bronya had no desire to leave Belobog.
It was her home and the place she needed to protect. With Cocolia now so disheartened,
Bronya must shoulder the responsibility of safeguarding Belobog. After all, she wasn't alone; behind her stood millions of citizens who called this city their home.
Despite her curiosity about the vastness of the cosmos, Bronya would never spare it more than a fleeting glance.
With arms crossed, Dan Heng said, "This decision... you need to think it through carefully. Our journey is not as leisurely as you might imagine. Incidents like today can occur at any moment."
"For members of the Astral Express crew, danger lurks everywhere. No one can guarantee absolute safety." Dan Heng's words echoed the caution Himeko once gave to Bochang and Stelle, now directed towards Serval.
The rock star took a deep breath, reflecting on her life thus far. When she opened her eyes again, she declared, "I've made my choice."
"Let's wait for Himeko to come down before discussing further," Dan Heng nodded.
And so... Serval approached Cocolia and Bronya. She had many words she wanted to share with her former old friend.
["Rewards being distributed - Congratulations! You have successfully recruited Serval to join the Astral Express."]
Hearing the System's notification chime, Bochang gently sighed with relief.
Just moments ago,
after waiting for some time, Himeko descended and sealed the Stellaron.
The process was quite straightforward:
Simply placing it into a specially designed container marked the end.
Further processing would be conducted aboard the Astral Express, as it couldn't be completed here.
Apparently, this task was initially meant for Welt Yang to handle. However, upon hearing that someone wished to join the Astral Express... Himeko decided to come personally.
Poor Welt Yang had to remain on guard at the Astral Express, keeping Pom-Pom company.
After asking Serval just a few questions, without any extensive examination, Himeko readily agreed to allow her to board the Astral Express.
Bochang tilted his head, recalling how eagerly he had attempted using the Dragon Talisman back when trying to obtain his ticket.
It seemed that Bochang had vastly overestimated the difficulty of boarding the Astral Express.
Judging from how easily Serval passed the assessment...
This... essentially made it seem like there was no challenge at all.
"It's possible that Dan Heng had already informed Himeko about Serval's cooperation in battles, which would explain her leniency."
Unbeknownst to Bochang, Serval had indeed engaged in arduous fights. The blonde big sister wielding a black guitar skillfully manipulated lightning, eliminating numerous rift creatures during their encounters.
Even now, Bochang could still spot charred marks on the ground left by electrical strikes.
Since rift creatures gradually disintegrate after death due to Honkai,
there were no gruesome scenes visible here.
Smiling warmly at Serval, Himeko said, "You can play the guitar and sing, while Bochang knows bass guitar and breakdancing. It seems our train journey is about to get lively."
Upon hearing this, Bochang scratched his head.
Although he did possess these skills, it didn't mean he particularly enjoyed showcasing them.
Ironically... Bochang had initially performed on stage just to get closer to Serval and extract information more easily.
The thought of performing aboard the train already seemed somewhat bothersome to him.
"I'll give it my best!" As Serval spoke, she glanced at Bochang.
Even Serval couldn't fully explain why she was so eager to ride the Astral Express... Perhaps it was because she didn't want to lose Bochang as her bassist. Recalling her dream self, tirelessly searching for him across vast landscapes, Serval felt confident that her decision was the right one.
"Lynx, Gepard... from now on, I won't be able to stay by your sides anymore, and... Cocolia..."
Seeing her former close friend, Serval experienced a mix of emotions.
After being defeated by the Trailblazer squad, Cocolia had lost all her previous sharpness. Even now, she appeared dazed, with no clear indication of what she might be thinking.
Earlier, Serval had tried conversing with her briefly, but it was mostly one-sided as Cocolia silently listened.
Regardless,
the current Cocolia had already been freed from Stellaron's influence.
She would likely recover in due time, so Serval didn't dwell on it further.
Himeko scanned the crowd around them.
"Alright, is there anything else you need to discuss? If not, I'll be taking Stellaron back now."
There were only eight people present at this moment:
Himeko, Dan Heng, March 7th, Bochang, Stelle, Serval, Cocolia, and Bronya.
Before Himeko descended, Sampo had already made his swift exit.
As a wanted criminal, he dared not linger under Bronya's watchful gaze for too long. After informing Bochang that they could find him in the Underworld...
Sampo promptly left ahead of everyone else.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone