Himeko looked at Stelle, then at Nero, her tone gentle.
March 7th saw the confused, puzzled expression on Stelle's face from the side and asked, "You don't know about the Astral Express?"
Stelle shook her head blankly.
Nero raised his hand excitedly. "I know, I know!"
"Very good, contestant Nero, you answer!"
March 7th slipped behind Nero and pressed down on his shoulders. A warm, clean scent slipped into her nose.
"I heard plenty of stories about the Nameless in the Xianzhou!"
Although he had only stayed in Luofu for three days, listening to Mr. Xiyan tell stories every day made it easy for him to spout nonsense to fill in his own 'background.' Besides, counting his previous life, what he said wasn't really a lie.
"The Astral Express travels along the starry tracks of the cosmos, connecting countless worlds and planets, continuously exploring the universe. It's the train the Pathstrider Aeon Akivili once rode! The Nameless on the train follow in the footsteps of the Trailblaze Aeon, embarking on one adventure after another across the universe!"
"Correct!" March 7th stayed behind this "sun-scented" child named Nero. "And as for Himeko, since she's the navigator, it means the train's operations all follow her instructions!"
Himeko let out two light laughs. "I've been keeping an eye on March and Dan Heng. Along the way, March must've caused you all quite a bit of trouble."
"Indeed." Nero put his hands on his hips. "She almost lost the key to unlock the elevator permissions. Big sis Himeko, you should scold her!"
Stelle nodded in deep agreement. "I've never seen such a scatterbrained girl."
"Huh?"
March 7th panicked for a moment, then stiffened her mouth. "I mean, that's just my personality! And besides, I didn't cause any trouble this time… you'll get used to it! Look, even Dan Heng didn't say anything!"
Dan Heng closed his eyes and sighed helplessly.
"I reserve the right to remain silent."
As he said that, he walked forward with a cold face, pulling Nero and March 7th apart and placing himself between this Xianzhou compatriot and the troublemaker March.
March 7th froze on the spot…
"Hehe…" Himeko covered her mouth and lightly laughed.
"Young people are full of energy and bond quickly. It seems you've become quite close already." Then she turned around.
"Alright, let's go. That's enough chatting for now. Asta is probably worried sick about you."
"Tracking radar projection normal. Remote sensing signal frequency too high, must maintain at average level."
Inside the main control cabin, Asta was busily directing the station's operations and defending against the enemies. From a distance, the group could already see the girl's beautiful pink hair.
Her steady emotions, reassuring voice, and composed yet precise commands all clearly demonstrated the outstanding ability of this young Lead Researcher.
Despite her age, she naturally made people want to sigh in admiration, "As expected of someone highly educated."
The Legion's attacks had not stopped. The girl's expression was firm as she instructed the researchers to prepare for defense and battle.
"Lead Researcher Asta! We're back!" March 7th was the first to greet her.
Asta turned around, her eyes loosening a bit as she let out a gentle breath. "As long as you've returned safely. Arlan came earlier and told me everything about the containment sector. Thank you for all your help."
Then, Asta spoke as if sighing. "When disaster strikes, you really experience how the researchers are the most valuable asset of the space station… sigh, we truly lack preparation for an emergency like this. We neglected security and combat staffing."
Her gaze swept across the group, and her words became clearer in meaning. "But the members of your Astral Express are all incredibly capable…"
Understanding the implication in Asta's words, Dan Heng asked directly, "What is the current situation in the space station?"
Asta briefly explained the station's current condition. The damage to facilities and the rewriting/corruption of data were still within acceptable limits. The bigger issue was the researchers who trusted Madam Herta absolutely.
Their trust in Herta had reached an extremely blind level. From the beginning, they had never imagined that Herta Space Station could be invaded.
Undeniably, the antimatter Legion's sudden attack and successful infiltration dealt them a heavy blow. Psychological panic is extremely difficult to handle.
Himeko said the train crew would go speak with the researchers to try to calm their emotions, then asked Asta whether they had contacted Herta regarding the situation.
Asta gave Nero a strange look, then said, "The emails I sent earlier all vanished without reply. Miss Himeko, you know how it is, the station is nothing more than a storage warehouse for her collectibles and followers. But…"
"But?" Himeko looked at her, puzzled.
"Just now, she suddenly replied, saying she'll be coming soon to handle things here."
"That works out perfectly." Himeko nodded. "We'll go check on the researchers first."
"Mm." Asta nodded, then called out to Nero, who was about to leave with the train crew.
The train crew quickly left. In the end, only Nero and Asta remained.
"Nero, first allow me to once again express my gratitude. Thank you for saving Arlan." Asta was the first to speak.
Nero nodded, looking a little nervous and panicked as he stared at Asta.
He didn't believe Asta kept him behind just to thank him. As Lead Researcher, she could not possibly be unaware that he had crashed into the space station. She was probably here to hold him accountable and demand compensation.
"Arlan told me everything, including the part where you damaged the station."
'As expected!'
Nero's heart sank. The moment the others left, Asta was getting down to business.
Even though this rich lady wasn't lacking money, she clearly had no reason to clean up after someone else's mess for free.
"Ahh… hahaha… accidents, all accidents…" Nero laughed awkwardly, already mentally prepared for judgment.
"I think you've probably realized it, the reason Madam Herta suddenly decided to return is because she saw you cross cosmic space from the far side of Blue Star and crash into the station…"
"Um… will I still be allowed to leave the station normally?" Nero asked cautiously.
"I don't know." Asta shook her head. "Madam Herta clearly intends to deal with you personally…"
A trace of helplessness appeared in the pink-haired girl's eyes. "The space station belongs to Madam Herta, so even if I wanted to help you, I can't. What happens next depends entirely on what she decides."
"I understand." Nero nodded and turned to leave.
Being targeted by Herta was something Nero had more or less expected. When the cart reaches the mountain, there will be a road; when the boat reaches the bridge, it will naturally straighten. He was a little anxious, sure, but only a little.
Worst case, he would gather his energy, form a blue exclamation mark above his head, pay a few hundred Stellar Jade, and let the Trailblaze Will save him.
That's what protagonist plot armor is for.
After leaving Asta, just as Nero was about to look for the train crew, he suddenly felt his phone vibrate.
He took it out to check.
This phone was a parting gift from his friend, Meng Ming from Xianzhou and Mr. Xiyan before he left for the space station.
Those two said it was easier to contact each other since they had jade tokens.
Currently, the only contacts in the phone were Meng Ming and Mr. Xiyan.
But the message came from a stranger.
The profile picture was a blank silhouette, the default image strangers use. The username was three question marks.
And the first message this person sent was…
[I am Aha. Bro, come to the tavern for a drink!]