Chapter 10: Extra Trailblaze Energy?
The gentle hum of the Astral Express provided a familiar backdrop as Himeko and Welt Yang stepped back through the cabin doors. Himeko carried a freshly purchased bag of premium coffee beans, the rich aroma trailing behind her, while Welt had just returned from a rather lengthy consultation at the Artisanship Commission.
Expecting to be greeted by the usual chaotic noise of their youngest crew members, they instead found the corridor surprisingly quiet. Thinking to ask Pom-Pom about the trio's whereabouts, they made their way to the conductor's quarters.
They found Pom-Pom pacing back and forth in front of the main navigation console, long ears drooping and twitching in absolute bewilderment. The conductor held a clipboard, muttering furiously while tapping a paw against the glass of the energy gauge.
'Why did the Trailblaze Energy only increase by such a tiny, microscopic bit?' Pom-Pom thought, scratching their furry head.
There had not been any official Trailblaze expeditions recently. Himeko had been out shopping, Welt was busy on the Xianzhou Luofu, and Dan Heng rarely left the archives without a good reason. March 7th and Stelle were supposed to be grounded on the train.
"How did it increase, Pom-Pom?" the conductor mumbled aloud, sounding exactly like an exhausted accountant who had just found an unexplained three cents in the monthly ledger. "Not being able to figure it out is too frustrating. I will just ask everyone and see if anyone has any clues, Pom-Pom!"
Just as the conductor turned around, Himeko and Welt approached. Pom-Pom immediately voiced their confusion, pointing an accusatory paw at the slightly elevated energy meter.
Himeko exchanged a bewildered glance with Welt. If neither of the senior crew members had done anything to generate Trailblaze Energy, the anomaly had to originate from the three younger ones.
Welt pulled out his phone, his fingers flying across the screen as he checked Dan Heng's location data. A moment later, he adjusted his glasses. "They are in the Parlor Car. Let us go see what they have been up to."
The moment the doors to the Parlor Car slid open, the scene painted a very clear picture. Stelle stood dead center in the room, hands planted firmly on her hips, her chest puffed out as she waited for a shower of praise. On the nearby sofa, March 7th was slumped over like a deflated balloon, looking utterly dejected after clearly failing to stop their resident raccoon from doing something reckless.
"I had a great adventure!" Stelle announced the second she saw the adults, her golden eyes sparkling with unearned pride. "Pom-Pom, Uncle Yang, Himeko, do you guys want to go to another world?"
Welt stopped in his tracks, a look of deep confusion crossing his stoic face. "What other world? Stelle, what exactly kind of adventure did you have this time?"
"Come, Teacher Dan Heng, tell Uncle Yang and the others." Stelle waved her hand at the archivist, looking every bit like a smug, victorious trash-panda who had just dragged a shiny prize into the house.
Dan Heng sighed, closing the holographic interface he had been studying. Stepping forward, he carefully explained the entire situation to Welt, Himeko, and Pom-Pom. He detailed the sudden appearance of the multiversal chat group, the point system, and the strange storefront. He concluded by expressing his analytical opinion: the chat group appeared to possess a neutral-good alignment. It was currently harmless, and it genuinely contained authentic items from entirely different universes available for purchase.
However, he firmly noted that the identity of the entity who created it, and the exact mechanical principles of how it helped cross-world travel, remained a complete mystery.
"Is this true, Pom-Pom?" The conductor's eyes went wide, ears standing straight up in shock. "Before, the Trailblaze journeys with the other Nameless were always about exploring our own universe. Even back when Akivili was around, it was always like this, Pom-Pom!"
Pom-Pom began to hop in place, excitement overriding the previous stress. "You can already contact other worlds and prepare for Trailblazing in entirely new dimensions? That is really amazing, Pom-Pom! But..." The conductor suddenly stopped, their expression turning incredibly serious. "Trailblazing in other worlds is definitely full of unknown dangers, Pom-Pom! Passenger Dan Heng, you must absolutely ensure the safety of yourself, Passenger March 7th, and Passenger Stelle, Pom-Pom!"
Pom-Pom crossed their arms, tapping a foot against the floorboards. "And do not forget, we will be departing for Amphoreus soon, so you need to manage your time properly, Pom-Pom!"
Despite the lecture, Pom-Pom chose to believe Dan Heng's assessment. The conductor had, after all, physically felt that tiny surge of genuine Trailblaze Energy. The long-winded scolding that followed was born entirely out of deep care for the crew's safety.
Welt and Himeko nodded in quiet agreement, their expressions softening. Facing the unknown always required the utmost caution.
"Do not worry, Conductor," Dan Heng said, his voice steady and reassuring. "I will keep a close eye on the two of them."
He glanced over at Stelle, who was currently pouting at the implication that she needed supervision. "Besides, it is still far too early. We are a long way from actually Trailblazing into another world. There will be plenty of opportunities later to see if Stelle can pull the rest of you into the group as well."
Stelle crossed her arms, slightly displeased that Pom-Pom and the others had explicitly told Dan Heng to babysit her. She had not done anything out of line yet, had she?
But hearing Dan Heng mention her utility, her smugness instantly returned. "Pulling people in is a small matter. Do not worry, I am the administrator. This is not a problem at all!"
Himeko chuckled, offering the praise the girl was so desperately fishing for. Satisfied and thoroughly validated, Stelle trotted over to the sofa, immediately bothering March 7th like a hyperactive puppy.
Meanwhile, far across the multiverse within the cozy lounge of Random Play on Sixth Street, Wise and Belle were deeply engrossed in a strategic discussion regarding their newly acquired system points.
After a lengthy debate, Belle ultimately conceded to Wise's logic. Her brother simply had far more experience analyzing game mechanics and resource management.
They concluded that green-tier items were cheap enough to purchase directly from the mall. However, anything of a higher grade was clearly designed to be obtained through the gacha mechanics, especially since the system allowed them to set up five custom prize pools.
As for what specific items to target, they needed to deliberate carefully. Points were incredibly hard to earn, and wasting them on a bad roll was not an option.
Stretching her arms above her head, Belle let out a long sigh. They needed to get back to work. Staying hidden in the staff lounge for this long was putting entirely too much pressure on Eous and Eighteen, who were currently managing the storefront by themselves.
From this day forward, Belle realized she could no longer slack off or sleep behind the counter. The system explicitly required them to complete daily operational tasks and hit specified turnover quotas to earn a steady stream of points.
Over in the vibrant, sun-baked region of Natlan within the world of Teyvat, Traveler Lumine and Paimon had logged off the chat group hours ago to focus on their journey.
Traveling to other universes was a distant dream right now; their immediate priority was accelerating their search across Natlan. Fortunately, picking up the pace did not mean they missed out on the crucial encounters destined for them.
They spent the entire afternoon under the sweltering sun. They activated a new Teleport Waypoint, rescued a little Tepetlisaurus, visited the bustling Children of Echoes tribe, officially met Kachina, and finally connected with the towering Statue of The Seven.
By the time evening fell, Lumine and Paimon were thoroughly exhausted. They opened the multiversal chat group late in the night, finding the interface already flooded with lively conversations.
[Genshin Impact · Paimon]: "Good evening, everyone, we're here."
[Honkai: Star Rail · March 7th]: "Paimon! Was your afternoon journey smooth? Did you guys find anything good?"
[Genshin Impact · Paimon]: "Of course, we gained a ton! We activated a Teleport Waypoint, met a cute little guy, went to the Children of Echoes, met Kachina, and even saw the Statue of The Seven!"
[Genshin Impact · Paimon]: "I was so busy all afternoon, my legs are completely sore."
[Genshin Impact · Lumine]: "Paimon, you have been floating this entire time. I am the one who has been walking."
[Genshin Impact · Paimon]: "Hey! Floating all the time gets tiring too, you know!"
[Zenless Zone Zero · Belle]: "Wait, so Paimon can fly? That is amazing."
Realizing that they might actually meet these people in person one day, Paimon quickly snapped a photo of herself and Lumine, uploading it directly to the chat to ensure everyone knew what they looked like.
[Genshin Impact · Paimon]: "It's not that amazing. Anyway, this is me and Lumine! The one flying is me, and the one with the golden hair next to me is Lumine."
[Genshin Impact · Paimon]: "Everyone else, send photos too!"
The rest of the group eagerly followed Paimon's lead. Wise and Belle uploaded a picture from behind the counter of Random Play, their sibling resemblance making them easy to identify.
The Astral Express crew sent a group photo taken in the Parlor Car. Dan Heng was immediately recognizable to the others; his calm, steady demeanor in the chat perfectly matched the quiet, handsome young man holding a spear in the background.
Stelle and March 7th, however, had to physically jump into the chat and point themselves out before the others could tell who was who.
[Honkai: Star Rail · March 7th]: "Great! This way we definitely won't mistake each other when we finally meet. I am seriously looking forward to crossing into your worlds."
[Zenless Zone Zero · Belle]: "Speaking of which, has everyone thought about how they are going to use their points?"
Paimon gasped, floating in a quick circle around Lumine's head. "Oh right! There are points! Lumine, how should we use them? We were running around so much this afternoon I completely forgot to think about the shop."
Lumine leaned against a nearby rock, smiling faintly. "No need to rush. Let's see what ideas the others have first."
[Zenless Zone Zero · Belle]: "My brother and I plan to save up. According to the mechanics Wise figured out, ten-pulls are the most optimal strategy. The first two ten-pulls have an 80% discount, which essentially gives you two free pulls."
[Honkai: Star Rail · March 7th]: "Same here. I originally wanted to go on a massive shopping spree, but I didn't expect to be so broke. I can't afford anything except basic daily necessities right now."
[Honkai: Star Rail · Stelle]: "What's there to wait for? Watch me do a single pull tomorrow and trigger a lucky burst. I'm going to pull a purple-tier item right off the bat. Don't you guys get jealous when it happens."
Stelle typed the message with absolute, unwavering certainty, acting as if the grand prize was already sitting in her pocket.
Reading the raccoon's confident declaration, Paimon's eyes turned into sparkling stars. The gambling temptation was highly infectious. "It is decided! Lumine, I am going to try my luck with Stelle tomorrow too!"
Paimon pumped her tiny fists in the air. "If I can get a super strong item, I can actually fight alongside you instead of just watching!"
Lumine looked at Paimon's shining, determined eyes. Her expression softened into a warm, genuine smile as she reached out to gently pat her floating companion on the head. "Alright. Then I look forward to fighting alongside my little Paimon."
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