Ever since being captured, Phantylia had remained completely silent.
No one knew whether she was recuperating or simply playing dead.
However, Su Ran could clearly sense that the Heliobus within the cage and the fragment of Heliobus stored in his memories formed a complete whole when combined.
In other words, Phantylia had no other fragments hiding elsewhere.
So why the silence?
"Come on, say something now!"
March 7th pointed at Phantylia's cage with one hand while resting the other on her hip, looking extremely pleased with herself.
"Yeah, say something!"
Stelle chimed in from beside her.
The truth was, neither of them had been much help against Phantylia.
The best contribution they could make was staying out of the way.
Reality had been harsh.
During the battle, both Mr. Yang and Dan Heng had deliberately protected them from harm.
They hadn't contributed even one percent of the damage dealt.
Instead, they had only given Dan Heng and Welt two extra things to worry about.
But now that Phantylia was imprisoned, they finally had the confidence to stand in front of her and taunt her.
They might not have won the fight.
But insulting her afterward was surprisingly satisfying.
"Come on, say something!"
Bailu also joined in.
After all, she'd heard that this person was responsible for all the chaos on the Luofu.
Though she couldn't understand why a terrifying Lord Ravager was just... a Heliobus.
Shouldn't it have been something scarier?
"Su Ran is amazing. He actually captured this old lady."
March 7th stretched lazily.
Stelle copied her tone exactly.
"Su Ran is amazing. He actually captured this old lady."
March froze, then looked at Stelle suspiciously.
"Are you copying me?"
"Mhm."
"You're like a broken recorder!"
March complained.
"It's fine. I'm a recorder, you're a camera. We're equally bad."
Stelle readily accepted the title March had given her.
Then she turned her attention back to Phantylia.
However, a trace of confusion appeared in her eyes.
When that power of Destruction had entered her body...
Who exactly had that man looking at her been?
Could he have been... an Aeon?
But she didn't feel like she'd become an Emanator.
"Careful not to bully my Miss Phantylia into tears. I still need her power."
The moment Su Ran returned to his room, he found March 7th, Stelle, and Bailu gathered around Phantylia's cage.
He was genuinely worried they'd verbally abuse the Phantylia he'd worked so hard to capture into shutting down emotionally.
Though, to be fair, he wasn't sure if the eternally silent Phantylia had already reached that point.
"Eww~ 'My Miss Phantylia'? That's such an intimate way to say it."
Stelle crossed her arms as goosebumps spread over her skin.
If Phantylia still looked like that gorgeous woman from before, that would be one thing.
But right now, she was literally just a ball of fire.
And he still had interests in her?
People's preferences might be free...
But maybe they shouldn't be that free.
Compared to Su Ran, Stelle felt like she was the more normal person.
"What's wrong with that? Miss Phantylia is going to become my hot weapon, so can't I be a little affectionate?"
Su Ran winked at Stelle.
A chill immediately ran down her spine.
After hesitating for a while, she finally asked, "Um... if you really want to do this... does Kafka know?"
Kafka was practically qualified to be her mother.
Su Ran had referred to himself as her father.
Didn't that make Kafka Su Ran's woman?
Cheating on your wife with a mistress was one thing.
Cheating with a Lord Ravager?
That was insanity on an entirely different level.
"What does this have to do with Kafka?"
March 7th had no idea what sort of relationship existed between Stelle and Kafka.
"That depends on him."
Stelle stared at Su Ran.
"..."
March also looked at him curiously, hoping for an explanation.
Well...
To be honest, she was just eager for gossip.
Su Ran had become one of the hottest topics in the universe recently.
If he was involved with the Stellaron Hunters too, that would be explosive news.
Of course she wanted firsthand information.
Bailu was equally curious.
Kafka's wanted posters had covered the Luofu not too long ago.
They'd only recently been taken down.
How could she not be interested in Su Ran's relationship with Kafka?
Especially since Kafka had actually stayed in this very room recently.
"Alright, since you're all so curious, I'll tell you."
Su Ran took a deep breath.
Then, wearing an expression of absolute gentleness, he looked at Stelle.
"The truth is..."
"Stelle is the daughter of Kafka and me."
Hearing this revelation—one that could shake the entire universe—March 7th immediately covered her mouth.
This...
This was way too crazy!
Setting aside her own missing memories, Stelle's background was ridiculously dramatic.
March's desire for gossip nearly overflowed.
For the first time ever, she found herself more interested in someone else's origins than her own.
Meanwhile, Stelle remained completely calm.
"So I've inherited Kafka's beauty and your intelligence?"
That would make her the perfect person.
Honestly, that sounded pretty good.
"Uh..."
Stelle's response instantly extinguished March's excitement.
She leaned close to Su Ran and whispered, "Could there have been a mix-up at the hospital? I don't think she inherited either of your strengths..."
Then March realized she'd been a little too harsh.
"Although... she definitely inherited your narcissism."
If there was one obvious trait Stelle possessed, it was her self-confidence.
Beyond that, there wasn't much resemblance.
People always said that two negatives made a positive.
But she'd never heard of two positives resulting in a negative.
"You're right."
Su Ran nodded.
"Stelle isn't actually biologically related to Kafka or me."
"..."
The smug expression on Stelle's face vanished instantly.
She stared blankly at Su Ran.
"Then... where did I come from?"
"Picked up from a trash can."
Su Ran answered without hesitation.
Stelle fell into silence.
Stelle began thinking.
Stelle gradually reached enlightenment.
"No wonder I've always loved digging through trash cans..."
"So that's where I was born."
At last, she understood why she'd always felt compelled to search through the trash cans aboard Herta Space Station.
It had been in her blood all along.
"Don't blame all your problems on that so easily!"
March 7th stared at Stelle speechlessly.
At the same time, she couldn't help but sympathize with her.
After all, in March's mind, Su Ran didn't seem like the type of person who would randomly decide:
"You know what? This girl looks gullible enough. I'll mess with her."
So she believed it.
She genuinely believed that Stelle had been picked up from a trash can.
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