บท 96: Chapter 95: Invitation to Rivet Town
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Upon hearing this,
March 7th and Stelle were taken aback.
Then... the pink-haired girl, holding her stomach with one hand and pointing at Bochang with the other, laughed so hard that tears streamed down her face.
Stelle, puzzled, asked, "Why 'worse than a beast'?"
Uninterested in explaining, Bochang simply looked speechlessly at March 7th.
To be fair, during last night's sleep, this guy had been the most restless, constantly flirting with the boundaries of propriety like playing near a field of mugwort.
Bochang barely managed to restrain himself; otherwise, he would have faced consequences for his actions.
[Rewards being distributed - Congratulations! You have received a 100% increase in mental energy.]
Feeling a surge of clarity within his mind, Bochang sighed, "Earning these rewards is truly no easy feat."
March 7th's laughter echoed unabashedly.
Hearing the commotion, Dan Heng approached and knocked on the door, asking, "Bochang, may I come in now?"
Realizing their disheveled state, March 7th and Stelle quickly straightened their clothes, including Bochang himself.
After drinking all night, everyone's attire was somewhat messy.
Taking just two seconds to tidy up,
"Come in," replied Bochang.
A moment later, Dan Heng pushed open the door, slightly frowning at the lingering scent of alcohol in the room.
"You didn't drink the entire night, did you?"
Dan Heng was aware that Bochang and the others played games together, but he preferred not to join the commotion, having no interest in drinking or card games.
"No... we got completely drunk halfway through." Bochang spread his hands, explaining honestly. Even now, his body still felt somewhat uneasy. They had indeed consumed too much liquor last night.
For ordinary people, such excessive drinking could have been fatal.
Yet for Bochang, March 7th, and Stelle, they merely became intoxicated without even vomiting, showcasing their robust tolerance.
This indicated that their digestive systems and stomachs were quite robust.
Dan Heng crossed his arms and said, "Excessive drinking is harmful to your health. In the future, try to exercise some restraint."
"Don't worry, Teacher Dan Heng. We know our limits; such a small amount of alcohol doesn't even..." March 7th confidently patted her chest with bravado.
Bochang retorted, "You were the first one to pass out last night... Hardly 'a thousand cups without drunkenness' material."
"That was...that was just an accident!" the pink-haired girl vehemently defended herself.
Dan Heng shook his head. "These matters aren't important. Everyone, go change your clothes, have breakfast, and prepare for the trip to the Overworld. Once we obtain Bochang and Stelle's DNA test results, if there are no further obligations, we can return to the Astral Express."
It was already the seventh day since the Trailblaze squad's arrival in Belobog.
Originally, they had planned to stay for exactly seven days before departing.
Today marked their final scheduled day.
"I... don't seem to have anything else either. With my teleportation ring, it's easy enough to return if needed," Bochang remarked.
March 7th and Stelle nodded in agreement.
Dan Heng said, "Then let's pack up and prepare to leave."
Following the stoic little azure dragon's suggestion, everyone sprang into action immediately.
Just as the Trailblaze squad finished their breakfast brought by automatons, Bochang noticed within his portion of "takeout" paper wrapping... a black invitation card.
Upon opening it, bold blood-red letters caught his eye:
"Bochang, please arrive at Rivet Town before noon. We'll meet without fail."
March 7th leaned over and asked, "What's this? An invitation? Why does it look so eerie? Who could be so bored... The members of the Trailblaze squad are quite busy, Bochang. Let's ignore it and just move on."
As soon as March 7th finished speaking, the invitation in Bochang's hand burst into flames.
Whether it was an illusion or not, amidst the raging blaze, he seemed to glimpse an orange clown mask.
His pupils slightly contracted.
Chills ran down Bochang's spine as he murmured, "This is... Aha?"
The Aeon of the Elation fate path - Aha, known as the Cosmic Joker.
In the past, to prank the Aeon from the Trailblaze fate path and his follower, The Nameless, Aha had deliberately transformed into a mortal and infiltrated the Astral Express for an entire year.
Ultimately, he seized an opportunity to blow up half the train and an entire planet, reducing them to mere dust.
Being targeted by such a chaos-neutral entity like Aeon was far more thrilling than facing the Stellaron Hunters.
[Dating Options activated.]
[Option 1: Proceed alone to Rivet Town - Completion Reward: Praise of High Morals, Access to Belobog's Administrative District Central Plaza Fountain. You can consume one Praise of High Morals to retrieve a treasure from the fountain once. Note: This type of item will...]
[Option 2: Going solo is too dangerous; instead, take the entire Trailblaze squad with you to Rivet Town - Completion Reward: Death within twenty-four hours.]
[Option 3: If unable to overcome, flee immediately back to the Astral Express - Completion Reward: Death within twenty-four hours.]
"Not serious, System? Facing danger all by myself only earns me a single Praise of High Morals? Isn't that a bit unfair?" Bochang muttered inwardly.
Considering options two and three, it was clear that the enemy was overwhelmingly powerful, far beyond his capabilities.
Then... with high probability, this adversary must be the Age of Joy - Ah, Aha.
Or perhaps one of its avatars?
An Emanator is also possible.
"So last night wasn't March, but Him?"
The thought of an Aeon secretly observing me from the shadows is genuinely unsettling.
Especially dealing with such chaotic-neutral lunatics, there's no telling what their intentions might be.
"Option One."
Bochang had no real choice. Apart from heading to Rivet Town, the other two options were dead ends.
He took a deep breath and said, "Although I don't know who sent the invitation, since it has already been delivered into my hands, naturally, I must take a look."
"I'm going too." Stelle nodded firmly.
March 7th and Dan Heng's expressions changed as well.
They all noticed that when the invitation burned earlier... it was not due to Bochang's doing.
If it were due to the black-haired youth's power, the invitation would not only burn but also continuously explode.
That is what Dragon Blast entails.
However, this instantaneous combustion method had no connection with anyone present.
Bochang shook his head, "No... This is my matter alone. The other party invited only me. Stelle... I'll leave handling the DNA test report to you, and the issue at Rivet Town... I will resolve it by myself."
"I think... it would be better if we all go together. You... I can't feel reassured," Dan Heng closed his eyes, shaking his head.
Bochang smiled. "Don't worry. Even if I encounter real danger, I can use the teleportation ring to escape."
"Why do you want to handle this problem alone? We crew members of the Astral Express are like a family; wouldn't it be better to act together?" March 7th voiced her disagreement as well.
Bochang responded, "I've already made my decision, there's no need for further persuasion."
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