"This is…"
Gazing out of the porthole, Welt couldn't help but murmur to himself as he looked at the incredibly familiar celestial body.
"Mars…"
He silently mouthed the word, his heart in turmoil.
He was back in the solar system? Had he truly returned to the solar system? Shock gave way to doubt, then to certainty. He was indeed back, but was this his home?
Welt couldn't be sure. Perhaps this was just a star system similar to his own, or a parallel solar system, like a World Bubble…
Until he saw that azure planet, until he saw that fiery red figure, he couldn't allow himself to get his hopes up too high. And besides…
He could feel it. He could feel… [Honkai].
Was this world also being encroached upon by the power of the Honkai?
Welt's mind was exceptionally calm. Although the environment here was very similar to the solar system, he couldn't be certain that this was the place he had left.
"This is… an unrecorded planetary system."
After scanning the entire system with the train's telescope, Dan Heng found no records of it in the Archives. This meant that it was a system that had never been [Trailblazed]. Furthermore, expanding the reconnaissance range based on the star rail navigation records, he found no recent star rail activity nearby.
"Signs of life detected. On an azure planet."
Himeko projected the image of the planet into the center of the car. Gazing at the all-too-familiar sphere, Welt's eyes instantly widened in astonishment!
This… was indeed Earth! But…
Welt had an indescribable feeling. Although it looked identical to his home, his senses told him that this might not be his world… He would have to land and investigate to know for sure.
"Wow! What a beautiful planet! It's like a blue jewel! Wait! Doesn't this planet look a little familiar?"
Gazing at Earth from the depths of space, March 7th was first captivated by its elegant appearance. This was a much better sight than Punklorde or Belobog! But then, as if remembering something, she turned her head to look at Welt.
"Uncle Yang! This place looks just like the home you mentioned before! And this planet is also about three parts land and seven parts ocean, exactly like the one you projected for us!" March 7th said with sudden excitement.
"Does that mean we found Uncle Yang's home? Yay! We have to go down and have a huge feast at Uncle Yang's old place!"
"Welt…"
Himeko seemed to notice that something was off about Welt's expression and called his name softly, her face showing concern.
"Mm… I'm fine. This is indeed Earth…"
Welt nodded, his gaze fixed on the projection before him, the look in his eyes growing even more complex.
"We should go down and land first. Only by making true contact with this world can we discover its nature," Wende suggested to the group.
"I think that's feasible, but there is one thing I must make clear." Welt's expression turned serious as if he had thought of something.
"Go on," Himeko said, nodding at Welt's solemn expression.
"The train's docking point cannot be too close to the Moon—that is, Earth's satellite—or to Earth itself."
If this was a Honkai world, but not his own, then Welt had reason to suspect that its timeline was not aligned with his. This Earth could be in the Previous Era, or it could be in the Current Era… but for him, neither was a particularly good thing.
"I understand. For this mission, your Uncle Yang will be the team leader. I will remain on the train this time to provide necessary support," Himeko assented. "Pom-Pom will handle the docking point. They'll find a perfect spot."
"Then the next issue is the roster for this [Trailblazing] mission. The situation this time is somewhat special, so a large group would be too conspicuous," Welt reminded everyone.
"Tingyun and I will sit this one out. Since Mr. Welt has said this place is very dangerous, Tingyun and I will remain with Miss Himeko to guard the train," Jingliu, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly said. Although she and Tingyun had only experienced one [Trailblazing] journey, this one likely had nothing to do with them.
After all, she and Tingyun… were a bit too eye-catching.
Unconsciously stroking Tingyun's soft fox ears, Jingliu gazed at Wende, feeling a hint of regret.
Phew…
Seeing Jingliu's decision, Wende breathed a silent sigh of relief. One of his biggest worries was that Jingliu and Wendy would clash if they went down together. But since Jingliu had voluntarily opted out of this mission, then…
Then again, that didn't make things much better, because…
Looking at the expectant faces of March and Stelle, Wende sighed again.
This was bad. His secret of raising another daughter was about to be discovered by his first and second daughters!
And… what reason could he use to explain why he already knew Wendy, Kiana, and the others?
Hmm… that was a problem, but not one without a solution. He had never told them what he experienced inside the wormhole on Punklorde, had he? It seemed he could use that as an excuse when the time came…
"Ha. You've got quite the convoluted thought process for dealing with your own people. Isn't it exhausting?"
The system screen had reappeared in front of Wende at some point, its words dripping with sarcasm.
So you're alive now? Why didn't you show your face earlier?
Wende was first surprised by the Dragon's appearance, then retorted with a blank expression in his mind.
"You mean I should have just appeared directly inside [The Tree]? And been discovered by the other Aeons? Please. Why do you think you, the inheritor of [Order], haven't been discovered until now?"
You mean… you've been masking my presence?
Wende's brow furrowed in thought, but on the surface, he continued to listen to Welt's arrangements—especially the part about staying away from an organization called [Schicksal], and in particular, a man who looked like that Luocha fellow.
Welt had even drawn a big, emphatic circle around Otto's projection. The depth of his Otto PTSD was truly severe…