As Topaz continued speaking, Leon did not expect that somewhere in the Lower District, there was still a hidden arms factory.
Inside, it stored countless automatons. Its scale was large enough to crush an entire Legion vanguard team.
The locals were completely unaware of it, while Svarog clearly knew but had never revealed a single word about it.
How interesting.
Topaz put away the source code, full of confidence.
"This is my bargaining chip for negotiating with the higher-ups. I need to convince them and make them believe that Jarilo-VI can occupy a place in the long-term strategy."
Svarog remained silent for a long time before asking in return:
"Does your so-called long-term interests include the livelihood of the current residents? What plans do you have for the humans living in the present?"
Topaz's expression gradually became serious.
"Their future has already been bought out. I can only do my best to make them accept this fact with a relatively peaceful attitude."
Svarog: "Understood. I will assist you with your plan."
Topaz was surprised: "You're so easy to talk to? I thought you were a stubborn robot."
Svarog said honestly: "The future you mentioned is beyond the scope of my calculations, but emotional readings tell me that you are indeed trying to consider ways to let this world continue to exist."
"Additionally, calculations show: if I refuse to cooperate, there is a 96.4% probability that you will force me to obey."
Topaz smiled, her tone full of confidence and dominance.
"It seems your calculations are still somewhat conservative. Then, I wish us a pleasant cooperation. I'll have to trouble you to lead the way, Mr. Svarog… Hmm?"
Her gaze suddenly turned sharp, as if piercing through the clutter and shooting straight toward a certain spot.
At the same time, an unknown firearm appeared in her hand, and she suddenly pulled the trigger—
The piled-up clutter was penetrated by the bullet, but there was no further movement.
Svarog saw the reason she fired but could not understand it.
"No life readings were detected there. There is no feedback from organic life heat sensing either. Miss Topaz, you are overthinking it."
"…Perhaps."
Topaz frowned slightly and put away her gun with some confusion.
This scene fell into the players' eyes, sparking all kinds of discussion.
Some said it was Sampo, some said it was Leon.
Others said Svarog's words were the truth and there was actually nothing there.
The camera slowly moved to the position Topaz had aimed at, only to find that no artificial traces had been left behind.
…How strange.
...
Far away from the mechanical settlement, in a remote and rarely visited place.
Leon appeared silently in front of two figures like a ghost.
"Wah—"
"Why are you pretending to be so shocked? It's not like you were actually scared."
The man reacted like an animal with its fur bristling, while the girl pursed her lips with a speechless look on her face.
Sampo swallowed a mouthful of saliva, not wanting to respond to Sparkle.
Could he say he was really scared?
The other party was not some random stray cat or dog on the roadside — it was Leon!
A man against whom he wouldn't feel confident of winning even if he put on his mask and regained his Emanator power.
The conclusion had no basis, but it was the sharp intuition of a profiteering merchant.
"How was it, Big White Hair? Was there any fun over there?"
Sparkle put her small hands behind her back, leaned her upper body forward, and asked Leon with a smiling face.
Leon answered irrelevantly, "Where is Mr. Giovanni?"
"He said he needed to prepare in advance for a grand competition match and left on his own."
Sampo answered without thinking, then guessed:
"As far as I know, it should be that game called Aether Frontline."
Leon nodded casually, not caring that Giovanni had left.
That person was different from the two Fools in front of him. The Elation aesthetics he pursued were more refined, and he also had proper game promotion work.
In contrast, the other two Fools—
One acted as a profiteer, swindling and scamming for small gains, while the other drilled wherever there was fun to be had. Their bottom lines only retained the most basic ones.
When he saw Sparkle at the highest peak of Jarilo-VI earlier, he was still a little surprised.
She said she was coming to find Sampo, and she actually came.
Leon did not hide his inner thoughts; they were basically all written on his face.
Sparkle saw it at a glance, and her smile became even brighter.
"Aiyo, of course I know you were fooling me. Sampo here is clearly deeply favored by the Aeon of Elation, yet he refuses to expand and strengthen his performance. Tsk…"
She clicked her tongue, instantly switching to a heartbroken expression.
"Such a waste, too much of a waste. This kind of Elation aesthetics isn't satisfying at all!"
"With his cowardly appearance, how could he possibly dare to steal my mask?"
Sampo's mouth twitched fiercely.
This guy…
It was one thing to mock him in front of a primordial beast, but she even exposed his old secrets.
Where was her bottom line?
Uh, well…
He couldn't expect Sparkle to have such a thing. It all depended on her mood.
"But since you mentioned Sampo, of course I had to consider the deeper meaning behind it."
"What if it was the Aeon of Elation who told you to say this to me? If I remained indifferent, wouldn't I possibly miss out on a great source of fun?"
"So, I came to Jarilo-VI."
"By the way, Sampo, what exactly is the Great Calamity of Jarilo-VI? I remember half a year ago, when you came to Penacony to ask me for the mask, you didn't say it clearly."
"As an old friend from the tavern, won't you have a round of honesty with me?"
Sampo waved his hands repeatedly. "No thanks. I already told you before — the best honesty I can give you is to stay far away from Jarilo-VI."
Sparkle showed an injured expression.
"Sigh… Why doesn't anyone believe that I really value friendship, old friend?"
Sampo said helplessly: "Fine, fine. But you have to make the same guarantee as when you helped me get the key back—"
Sparkle became interested and agreed directly. "No problem. Say it."
"But I haven't stated the conditions yet…"
"I already know your conditions. It's nothing more than leaving immediately after learning the truth, right?"
"…To be honest, the Great Calamity has already ended."
"You're playing me?" Sparkle was unhappy, her face full of suspicion.
Sampo shrugged indifferently. "Guess which world Leon and the others arrived at before heading to the Luofu, and what they did?"
He wasn't really deceiving Sparkle. The facts were exactly like this.
There were two Great Calamities on Jarilo-VI.
The first one was—
If the sudden variable of the Nameless had not appeared back then, the Lower District operation would have failed, and they would have been unable to join forces with Bronya to successfully overthrow Cocolia—
At that moment, he would have stepped onto the stage and solved the Stellaron, even if it meant making a fool of himself.
It was a pity, yet not a pity…
The Nameless lent a hand without regard for gain or loss and solved the trouble for them.
Life is always accompanied by the unexpected. Only such a fate is interesting, isn't it?
As for the hidden dangers left behind by the seven-hundred-year cold tide triggered by the Stellaron… the people of Jarilo-VI were not that fragile.
Even if hope was slim, there was still the possibility of self-salvation.
Before confirming that this sliver of possibility could become reality, he needed to hold onto the mask as a small insurance.
That was all.
Sparkle knew Sampo fairly well. Seeing his attitude, she understood that he was most likely not lying.
"~~Then it's fine."
Sparkle shifted her gaze to Leon and revealed a charming smile.
This person could even influence the future of the Xianzhou Luofu, let alone Jarilo-VI?
A Fool's curiosity was not small.
She really wanted to know about his past…