[Telemetry data normal]
[Countdown to entering Amphoreus: 00:04:59]
Inside the detached carriage.
A red countdown was displayed on the main control screen.
Stelle couldn't help but lick her lips.
She turned her attention back to the storyline.
Originally, her focus had been on this luxurious bath palace, thinking that once they arrived in Amphoreus, they'd first beat up those troublesome followers, then, under the warm hospitality of the Chrysos Heirs, settle into Okhema and experience the local bathing culture...
But then,
she glanced at the comments.
Something's off!
Everyone was saying that Aglaea was about to reveal her true intentions...
That she was going to hold Stelle and Dan Heng accountable...
For a moment, Stelle began to doubt it too!
"No way..."
"She gave us such a luxurious bath palace. Wouldn't punishing us now be redundant?"
With these thoughts in mind,
Stelle continued to follow the storyline!
Less than five minutes remained.
No matter the outcome,
she hoped to see the result before entering Amphoreus!
...
"Drifting, sinking..."
"Diving, touching the bottom."
Following Aglaea's guidance,
they submerged their faces in the water.
When they opened their eyes again,
the surroundings had abruptly transformed!
It was as if they had arrived at the far reaches of the starry sky!
Ahead,
besides a large washbasin, there was a galaxy-like expanse of stars in the distance!
Brilliant lights intertwined and coiled at the center,
converging into a vortex.
Dan Heng and Stelle stared in astonishment at everything before them.
Aglaea slowly stepped forward from behind.
"You have arrived at the heart of the world."
As she passed by the two,
her head tilted slightly to the side.
She let out a cold "hmph."
Noticing this detail,
Stelle, who was watching the storyline, felt her heart skip a beat!
Oh no!
The players in the comments were right!
But,
how would Aglaea punish them?
At this thought,
Stelle even felt a flicker of anticipation!
Huh?
Did I just awaken some strange trait?
No, no!
This must be the sense of control from obtaining unfavorable information in advance, allowing for full preparation!
...
"Now, I need your honesty."
After saying this,
she gently turned her palm upward!
Golden threads instantly flowed out!
Like a spiritual serpent, they swiftly coiled around Stelle and Dan Heng's wrists!
From behind,
a purple figure slowly approached.
She lifted the hem of her skirt and greeted them gracefully.
...
"It's about to happen!"
"Do you think this can restrain the two of us? How naive!"
"Acceptable. Aglaea at least shows some of the mettle expected of a leader in a city facing the end."
"Putting ourselves in their shoes, it's not hard to understand—outsiders from beyond the stars, a world hanging by a thread. They can't afford to gamble, and no amount of caution is strange."
"The last race to trust outsiders easily was the Avgin, and by now we've met their entire people ("
"I won't offer any opinion until Dan Heng becomes the High Elder."
...
Separated compartment.
Seeing this method of interrogation,
Stelle was initially slightly surprised.
She hadn't expected Aglaea to move so quickly!
To act directly as soon as they arrived at this place!
She thought there would be procedures to follow, some atmosphere-setting first.
However,
upon seeing that the interrogation merely involved binding their hands with golden threads, she smiled dismissively.
She had expected "grand treatment."
Turns out, this method was even "gentler" than anticipated.
Keep watching!
...
Aglaea stood ahead.
She said coldly, "This is no jest, but an interrogation."
"While you two wandered the city, someone was always observing your movements. Unfortunately... you have broken your promise."
Dan Heng, expression unchanged, replied, "So you already knew... But we were acting to save someone."
At that moment.
In the lower right corner of the livestream interface, Little Gui's eyes lit up!
She exclaimed, "Just as expected!"
"Our Dan Heng anticipated this step in advance!"
"And he's still emphasizing—we were saving someone!"
"So then... Aglaea, how will you respond..."
Aglaya showed no trace of hesitation.
She continued, "The fate of the Holy City is as fragile as a thread. To cut away calamity, I must proceed with caution."
"I will give you both one more chance to mend the torn fabric of trust. The golden threads will deliver the verdict—honesty brings life... deception brings death."
Her gaze shifted to the girl behind.
"Castorice will be your executioner."
Dan Heng spoke again, "Miss Aglaea, we cannot deny that our carelessness broke the agreement. But you never explained the potential consequences of revealing the world beyond the heavens."
"I wish to know—exactly how grave is the crime we have committed?"
...
"Teacher Dan Heng is still fishing for information!"
"Even at a time like this, he remains expressionless and speaks calmly! Truly worthy of being the Astral Express Crew's intelligence pillar!"
"But I'm not doing badly here either—still looking perfectly calm, almost like I'm about to fall asleep."
"Me: The interrogator lacks energy, and still calls herself a Chrysos Heir?"
"If Aglaea were a fool, there might be danger, but she clearly isn't. So we can be certain that during this trial, Aglaea wouldn't dare to do anything out of line."
"I'm sure that even if an execution were to happen, someone would definitely appear to interrupt it."
"One playing the good cop, the other the bad cop? That's an old, worn-out trick even in our Xianzhou ("
...
After Dan Heng raised his doubts...
Aglaea nodded slightly.
She said, "A reasonable request. It was my failing not to have told you everything in time."
Her gaze grew somewhat distant.
Slowly, she began to reveal Amphoreus's long-buried secret.
"Amphoreus has never lacked those who yearn for the world beyond. Once, a usurper lord exhausted the strength of an entire nation to build a celestial ship, intending to breach the firmament and reach the stars..."
"But at the moment the ark set sail, the divine punishment of Aquila (the Sky Titan) descended. An entire city-state, along with all its subjects, was reduced to ashes in an instant."
"Amphoreus was not unwilling to journey toward the stars, but all who dared to defy the heavens angered the gods, causing the lands of the living to burn and mortal nations to perish. The Eye of Twilight (the Sky Titan) is but one example."
"That is a forbidden land that must never be set foot upon."
...
"They almost managed to join the Xianzhou Alliance (what)"
"Xianzhou Alliance welcomes you.jpg"
"It seems... if we want to return to the train, we're destined to fight the Sky Titan."
"Hey hey hey, here comes the intel!"
"Dan Heng, such a reassuring teammate!"
"Weren't there people earlier saying the Little Azure Dragon was stubborn and just a warrior? Come out and apologize!"
...
[Is turning a blind eye and deaf ear truly right?]
Dan Heng also remarked calmly, "People will always yearn for the sky. You cannot stop them."
Aglaea showed a hint of helplessness: "Divine punishment knows no fairness, and as the guardian of Okhema, I too am bound by duty."
"This is a world ruled by Titans, one that must be overturned by the Chrysos Heirs."
"Regarding this, there is only one thing I can do: ensure that the two of you... harbor no divided loyalties."
"Three steps, Castorice."
Aglaea's voice suddenly turned sharp.
"I will test you with four questions. Dishonest answers will cause the golden thread to tremble, while sincere responses will leave it calm."
"And the number of times the golden thread trembles... is the number of steps the executioner will take."
"After the four questions, if she has not reached behind you, you will have passed the test. Otherwise, your journey ends here."
Castorice then said meekly, "It's just falling asleep in the gentle land of flowers, without a hint of pain... I promise."
Seeing this.
The many players in the livestream grew even more excited!
...
"Pulling this kind of stunt, huh?"
"You might not know, but death is just our passive ability. Last time Dan Heng got stabbed, he directly transformed into Imbibitor Lunae. Last time I got stabbed, I directly received the Amber King's glance."
"After Dan Heng transforms into the Imbibitor Lunae Stance. Aglaea: Holy shit, Ocean Titan, what brings you here?"
"Daring to push me to the brink of death, you're something else [thumbs up]"
"If you really set off the Stellaron, you won't be happy either."
"Fool, do you truly dare to kill me! I'm going to choose all lies!"