Who... is he?
A hint of confusion flashed in the depths of Kafka's eyes.
A person she had never seen, a voice she had never heard... a character who had never appeared in the script.
In Elio's script, this simple mission had no mention of the person standing before her...
In fact... it wasn't just him. Even the Herta beside him did not exist in Elio's script.
The script Elio had given her and Silver Wolf contained only a few simple scenes. The main characters were only the Astral Express and... themselves.
Everything else was to be disregarded... even an Emissary.
Looking at Ron and Herta, though Kafka's eyes held confusion and vigilance, there was not a hint of panic.
Although... whether it was Ron or Herta, neither was an existence she and Silver Wolf could possibly contend with. Putting Elio aside, the Stellaron Hunters would be easily crushed by Herta alone, to say nothing of the unfathomably deep Ron beside her.
But—anything not in Elio's script was truly irrelevant.
Be it an Emissary or an Aeon... no matter how powerful they were, if they did not appear in the script of destiny, then they wouldn't have a part to play in this scene of the drama.
Or perhaps they had already made their entrance, but that was on a much deeper level, something Kafka was powerless to participate in.
But she knew clearly that as long as it was an existence not explicitly marked in the script by Elio, then they were either natural allies, or there was another power of an equal tier preventing their intervention. They would absolutely not interrupt the events that were meant to unfold in the script.
After all... the script given by Elio was a "story" that was bound to happen in the future.
The Stellaron Hunters were merely plucking the strings of fate at its fragile nodes, like a butterfly flapping its wings, attempting to stir up an irresistible storm at destiny's end.
And in this story that was bound to happen, as long as they didn't overstep their bounds too much, the Stellaron Hunters could always guarantee their own safety, surviving under the shroud of destiny...
Therefore, she was not in danger.
The space station's cameras suddenly began to move unnaturally. Herta's brow twitched slightly, and with a snap of her fingers, the cameras that had been hacked via Aether Editing returned to normal, seemingly unaffected.
"...Kafka, someone cut my hack. What's the situation on your end?"
Silver Wolf's voice, now a little more serious, came through her earpiece. Having lost the station's surveillance cameras as her eyes, Silver Wolf was forced into blindness, encountering the first obstacle she had ever faced while infiltrating the Herta Space Station.
"A little bit of trouble..."
Kafka murmured, "A mouse came to the kitchen to steal some oil, but unfortunately, it ran into the kitchen's owner and the house cat—Silver Wolf, what do you think we should do?"
The other end was silent for a full thirty seconds before a voice laced with a hint of disbelief came through.
"...How is that possible?"
"According to the access logs, that woman hasn't logged in here for half a year. The current shelter work is being managed by the acting station master—a person named Asta."
"There are even security logs of Herta departing on her own, flying a starship into the vast sea of stars... How could she have come back so coincidentally? Her name isn't even in Elio's script!"
"But they're right in front of me... though perhaps this isn't a bad thing."
Kafka looked at Ron's gentle expression, which held a hint of a smile, and couldn't muster an ounce of malice towards him.
He stood there as if he just wanted to have a chat...
If it weren't for the faint, prideful divinity and compassionate aura she could sense from him, Kafka might have mistaken Ron for some bird-walking old man she'd met on the streets of the Xianzhou...
He wasn't dangerous.
She confirmed this belief in her heart once more.
Looking at Ron and Herta before her, Kafka slowly raised her hands, letting the two micro submachine guns in them fall to the ground. She spoke calmly.
"You don't exist in Elio's script... but since the master of the house has caught this little mouse sneaking in, what happens next is, of course, up to you."
"Quite confident, aren't you, Kafka?"
Ron teased, "Because we aren't in Elio's script, you think we won't do anything to you?"
"Of course," Kafka's tone was placid. Though she clearly had no means of resisting Ron and Herta, she was certain she wouldn't be harmed. "Elio's script is the future that is bound to happen. In this script, I am not at risk of injury, so you definitely won't do anything to me and Silver Wolf."
"Oh... so everything is within Elio's script, within the Stellaron Hunters' plan?"
Ron hinted meaningfully, "I never thought that besides that one, there was someone else who could hold everything in their hands... How fascinating."
But a trace of confusion appeared in Kafka's eyes. She didn't understand what Ron was saying at all. She just shook her head slightly and said:
"Don't flatter us... The Stellaron Hunters are merely dancing on the strings of fate."
"We can't create such a detailed plan. We only saw the [future]... We interfere with countless future possibilities, trying to turn the best [future] into reality."
"We are nothing more than [slaves of destiny]... but for now, none of that matters."
She smiled warmly, showing no intention of resisting.
"Go on, you two—I surrender. I'm at your mercy."
"Hmm... You're right. I'm starting to suspect that Elio might have factored our existence into his plans after all..."
Ron said casually, pointing lightly at the air beside him.
"Silver Wolf, you should come out too. This reality coordinate will only be open for a little while. If you don't warp over now, there won't be a place for you here in a moment."
"...Why should I listen to you?"
A voice with a childish lilt came from an unknown direction. Soon, flashing pixel particles flickered where Ron had pointed. A coolly dressed, exquisitely featured young girl with silvery-gray hair tied in a single-turbine ponytail materialized from the pixelated outline.
She was chewing bubblegum, casually blowing a pink bubble, but the look in her eyes was not as relaxed as her demeanor suggested, instead revealing a clear vigilance.
Ron looked at this Silver Wolf, who looked like Bronya's own sister, and couldn't help but feel that this world was truly strange.
"I can't believe you look so similar in reality..."
Silver Wolf raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"
Ron's lips curved. "You'll find out in a bit..."
"But for now, that's not important."
As Ron spoke, he snapped his fingers. A marvelous sensation swept over everyone's minds. Silver Wolf was suddenly alarmed to find that the surrounding reality coordinates had been sealed by some unknown power. Her usual Aether Editing was rendered half-useless. It seemed no one could warp to the Herta Space Station until this seal was lifted.
And if one were to look from outside the station, they would see a brilliant golden, spherical energy field rapidly expanding, completely enveloping the station, sealing it off entirely.
Ron used the power of [Salvation] to communicate with the infinite Imaginary energy, directly locking down the surrounding spatio-temporal conduits, temporarily shielding this branch of the Tree of Existence. This would prevent the Antimatter Legion from warping in endlessly, which would save him a lot of trouble later.
He clapped his hands casually and looked at Kafka and Silver Wolf.
"If I'm not mistaken... next, you're going to look for the Stellaron, right?"
The two said nothing, but Ron took it as a confirmation and turned to Herta.
"Then lead the way, Herta... Let's drop them some loot. The plot doesn't need to change, but it can be accelerated."
"Let's get this part of 'destiny' over with quickly, and take the future into our own hands..."
"...I have to think about where I threw that thing."
Herta thought for a moment, recalling the location where she'd tossed her trash, and then took the lead.
Ron followed relaxedly behind Herta, but after just two steps, he turned his head back to look at Kafka and Silver Wolf, whose feet seemed to have taken root, holding them fast to the ground. He blinked and said:
"What, you don't want to complete your script?"
"Come on, I'm your important NPC. This is a precious speedrun plot. Are you sure you don't want to take this quest?"
For a moment, Silver Wolf and Kafka looked at each other, seeing a sliver of confusion on the other's face.
What on earth is this guy talking about?
But no matter how bizarre they found Ron's actions, now that they were in his hands and had completely lost the ability to resist, it was better to just obediently follow their lead.
After all... what came next was still following Elio's script. As long as they could complete it, they could guide this world toward the ending they desired.
With this thought in mind, Silver Wolf and Kafka followed Herta and Ron. It wasn't long before they arrived at the Herta Space Station's monitoring room—
"Huh, the storage device for this terminal is gone..."
Kafka glanced at the empty surveillance terminal, and Silver Wolf, beside her, quipped:
"This is the monitoring room... Deleting the database and running is an industry classic."
"But why did we come here? Does the esteemed Lady Herta like to store her curios in places like this?"
Hearing Silver Wolf's teasing, Herta raised an eyebrow slightly, glancing at Silver Wolf for the first time.
"Oh, so you're the poor kid who got played by Screwllum. No wonder you have a bit of hostility towards me... but it doesn't matter. I do like to throw my trash around randomly. You're right."
Herta shrugged nonchalantly and snapped her fingers lightly. The giant screen in the monitoring room suddenly flickered with a dancing light. A moment later, a section of the screen dissolved into scattered pixel particles, revealing a simple, empty space.
Seeing this, Silver Wolf murmured to herself.
"Curio No. 211, 'Field of View Blind Spot': a simple light-refracting field that makes objects in the area difficult to notice... You actually used this to hide it?"
"Come in. The Stellaron is my least interesting collectible. You can have it."
Herta stepped directly into the empty space. Ron followed closely behind. Silver Wolf and Kafka exchanged a look and, similarly, didn't lag behind.
They stepped into a simple hologram, but it concealed a spatial coordinate... In the blink of an eye, the surrounding scenery changed completely.
They appeared inside a tightly sealed room. The room was empty, its walls painted with the orange Herta Space Station insignia, indicating that this place was quite dangerous.
And in the center of the room, there was an extremely exquisite force field generator, controlling a dazzling, floating Stellaron.
Brilliant golden light flowed over the Stellaron, and a dangerous aura pulsed from it, making one feel a little uneasy.
Looking at this scene, Silver Wolf casually tapped the light screen that appeared beside her. She saw the brilliant golden light flashing from the force field generator before them, sealing the Stellaron tightly, and couldn't help but find it a little funny.
"So this is your 'least interesting collectible'? It has thirty-three layers of protective encryption alone. I can't see your lack of interest at all."
"Don't challenge my preparations with your cognitive limits... Just because I don't like it, what does that have to do with me giving it proper encryption?"
Herta pressed her palm on a nearby controller. The light from the force field generator gradually dimmed, and the seal slowly dissipated.
"Alright, this thing is yours now..." she said, her gaze shifting to Ron. "Ron, what's next?"
"Next?" Ron smiled, retreating with Herta to stand behind Silver Wolf and Kafka. "The mission NPC has led them through the plot quickly. Next, of course, is the main characters' cutscene..."
"The mission is theirs. Now, it's their time."
He said softly, and Kafka and Silver Wolf ceased their vigilance... Elio's script had been correct up to this point. It seemed their mission this time would conclude smoothly.
Next... they just needed to complete their final scene in this script, and it would be enough.
Kafka walked towards the Stellaron. She took the temporarily docile Stellaron, which was under a tight seal, into her hand, feeling the faint warmth it emitted, watching the light flow over it. She said softly:
"I'll leave the preparations for the receptacle to you, Silver Wolf."
"Already done."
Silver Wolf blew a pink bubble, then let it pop. The tip of her pink tongue licked the bubblegum stuck to the corner of her mouth. Chewing, she tapped the Aether screen in front of her.
Within the complex data on the screen, two human figures were being outlined—
"You choose, Kafka."
She gave the Aether screen a push, sending it in front of Kafka.
But Kafka hesitated slightly. "Elio said this choice will change many things..."
"Elio also said that the person who makes this choice must be you."
Silver Wolf's casual sentence shut Kafka's mouth. Kafka fell silent for a long time, hesitating, unable to make a decision.
Silver Wolf raised an eyebrow. "What are you waiting for? Can't bear to part with it?"
Kafka shrugged. "I can. We've always been the ones stealing Stellarons from others. This is the first time we're giving one away."
"What's more..." she said, meaningfully glancing at Ron and Herta who were standing quietly behind them, "this is a gift from that Emissary lady. It really makes it hard to decide."
Silver Wolf was silent for a moment. "...Elio's script didn't mention any of this. This decision probably isn't that important, Kafka."
"I'm getting tired of waiting here. They're staring at us, and it's creepy... If you don't choose, I'll choose for you."
"Don't rush me, Silver Wolf... This is a very important decision."
Kafka said softly. After a long moment of contemplation, she finally tapped the Aether screen pushed over by Silver Wolf and entered a familiar name.
"Not even going to pick a new name? Okay, whatever you want."
Silver Wolf shrugged and retrieved the Aether screen. She pressed a small data block on it. In the next moment, dense pixel particles flashed in the air beside her. The specks of light gradually scattered, and from within emerged the figure of a sleeping, gray-haired young woman.
Kafka walked over to the young woman's side, looking at her face, slightly startled.
"How much... does she still remember?"
Silver Wolf replied calmly, "She at least remembers you."
Kafka smiled faintly. She said nothing more, just gently picked up the girl and whispered in her ear.
"Stelle... it's time to wake up."
The dazzling Stellaron pulsed in her hand and was then instantly pressed into the young woman's chest...
In the next moment, the girl's long eyelashes fluttered. She slowly opened her eyes. Her golden irises were as brilliant and translucent as the Stellaron, exuding a purity that had not been tainted.
She looked at Kafka before her dazedly and subconsciously murmured:
"Kaf... ka?"
A slight smile appeared on Kafka's face. "That's great, you still remember me..."
However, she didn't linger on this topic. Instead, she grabbed Stelle's shoulders, her tone becoming strangely distant.
"Listen to me: your mind is a mess right now. You don't know who you are, why you're here, or what you're supposed to do next. You find me very familiar, yet you don't know if you should trust me—"
"—But none of that matters. What matters is that I'm leaving, and I have to leave you alone in this space station. So from now on, you don't have to think about the past, and you don't have to doubt yourself."
As she spoke, Stelle's consciousness gradually grew hazy. She had clearly just awoken from a deep sleep, yet she was slowly drifting back into slumber.
"Listen to me: you will encounter many dangers and face terrifying predicaments; but you will also experience many wonderful things. You will have companions who are like family and embark on an adventure you could never have dreamed of..."
"And at the end of your journey, all the riddles that trouble you will be solved."
Kafka smiled faintly. "This is the future that Elio foresaw and the one you will reach... Do you like it?"
Stelle forced herself to stay conscious and asked, "Where... are you going...?"
Kafka shook her head, not giving a direct answer.
"That's also a good answer."
She spoke again, her voice now tinged with that inexplicable power.
"Listen to me: Elio can see the future, but he cannot interfere with your choices."
"Reaching that ending with your own will—that's the you I like."
Hearing Kafka's long speech, Silver Wolf grew a little impatient.
"How much longer are you going to take? According to the script, the Astral Express crew is almost here. We're not supposed to meet them."
"I know, Silver Wolf. Just a little longer, just a little longer."
Kafka looked at Stelle again, her voice gentle.
"It's almost time. I have to go... Listen to me: someone will find you soon. Go with them, and don't worry. Besides me, you don't remember anything."
"No... don't..."
Stelle grabbed Kafka's sleeve, but having just awoken from slumber, her strength was weak, her grip powerless.
Her consciousness grew chaotic, and she was about to fall unconscious once more.
But...
"Listen to me."
A voice, gentle yet filled with undeniable authority, as if a great sound from the edge of the sky, came to her ears.
Everything around her fell silent... The words Kafka had been trying to engrave deep into her consciousness grew hazy, no longer so deeply etched into her being.
In a daze, she thought she saw a lantern, a translucent lantern.
A brilliant golden stream of fire flowed out from the lantern, instantly enveloping her vision.
A gentle and refined young man strode forth from the darkness. The golden fire crawled obediently at his feet, welcoming his arrival, praying for his grace and radiance.
He held the lantern, illuminating Stelle's chaotic consciousness, as if to sweep away all the darkness.
He opened his mouth, his voice calm.
"The destined fate is a thing of the past... You no longer need to reach that ending."
"Listen to me... This story has no ending."