'Cyrene' pondered the possibility of her current body becoming Lost.
Looking up, she just caught sight of Khaslana.
Who knows when Divine Herta had separated him out.
And now he was even dressed in farming clothes, shouldering a hoe, ambling slowly over.
"Miss Bai Ming!"
Khaslana looked the complete picture of a country lad.
His smile was bright and relaxed, as if a great weight had been lifted.
'Cyrene' raised an eyebrow, giving him a once-over:
"You've really decided to be a farm boy for life?"
"Well... not exactly. Some friends from the Land of Light descended over at Amphoreus. I heard some stories about the Giants of Light."
Khaslana scratched his head sheepishly, but his eyes were filled with both longing and a touch of unease.
"I always thought being a savior was so exhausting before. Today I learned that so many others have had similar experiences."
"So I want to go to the Land of Light to see for myself. But as you know, the light I carry shines because of this drop of golden blood. Compared to them, my 'purity' is far too lacking."
Hearing this, 'Cyrene' began to understand his meaning.
In his own eyes, the light upon him was ignited by the power of Destruction.
Not by his own will.
Amphoreus having just one Demiurge was manageable enough, but a whole planet full of such people... that probably bordered on genuine foolishness.
"I understand your feelings."
"Mm! I knew you'd get it, Miss Bai Ming! That Mydei fellow even laughed at me for being sentimental!"
At this moment, Khaslana seemed like any ordinary boy dreaming of being a hero.
'Cyrene' laughed: "But you have been a savior, after all. You can't let fear hold you back. Go to the Land of Light. I believe you'll find the answers you seek."
Khaslana scratched his head again, a bit embarrassed.
"You're right. I'll think it over carefully."
Waving to 'Cyrene' and Little Cyrene, Khaslana headed back toward his family's fields.
"Sigh~ After so many lifetimes, he acts like a kid the moment it's all over."
Little Cyrene shook her head with a sigh, smiling at Khaslana's immaturity.
As for Demiurge, she took 'Cyrene's' other hand: "Come on, Peach and I will take you to see the little sprites. It's a secret spot, you know~"
"Really, sis hasn't seen them yet, has she?"
Pulled along by the two toward the secret location outside, 'Cyrene' suddenly asked: "By the way, what do you two plan to do next?"
Her question made the pair glance at each other.
"We're thinking of going to the Land of Light too."
Demiurge pointed upward with a smile.
As the purest light of Amphoreus, Demiurge was the most eager to visit the Land of Light for fun.
As for Cyrene, she chose to accompany Demiurge.
"As for the others... Teacher Anaxa has already decided to go to the Herta Space Station. He says he absolutely must add a 'Dromas' transformation module to himself during the next evolution."
"…"
What a dedicated Dromas fanatic.
"Cerydra believes her ideals don't align with the Land of Light. She chose to take those willing to follow her on an adventure beyond the stars."
"Hysilens just let her go like that?"
Little Cyrene shook her head:
"It's not about letting go. She knows the current Amphoreus isn't suited for her to lead. Hysilens chose to continue following Cerydra."
"Hyacine wants to go to the Xianzhou to study medicine. Tribios and the twins want to stay and enjoy some peace and quiet for a while."
"Of course, there are also those like Mydei and Terravox who haven't quite figured out what to do yet and decided to stay on Amphoreus to see how things develop."
"Aglaea wants to properly open a clothing boutique and has decided to learn about aesthetic styles from other worlds via the StarNet."
"She'll go study on other planets once she hits a creative block."
"Cipher, meanwhile, has firmly latched onto Aglaea."
"Even though we've just made contact with the wider universe and it seems like it'll be very busy, I think everyone having their own aspirations looks even better."
Little Cyrene walked ahead, hands clasped behind her back, bouncing lightly next to 'Cyrene'.
Those bound by the Coreflames and Fate had finally been able to lay down their burdens and walk the paths they each longed for.
--+--
After wandering around Amphoreus for a few days, the city-states were now revitalized. Many city-states that had long been ruined in the game—and thus had no maps at all—were now bustling with life.
Then 'Cyrene' saw the Astral Express descending from the sky.
The Astral Express, hired at great expense by the Interastral Peace Corporation.
Its second great voyage of adventure, under the leadership of the new generation's navigator, Himeko.
It was charting brand-new stellar routes for this universe.
The original route to Amphoreus was not only long but also extremely remote.
Now, a new route connected it to a thriving trade world.
The Interastral Peace Corporation could trade with Amphoreus at much lower cost.
And Amphoreus, in turn, gained an excellent window to the wider galaxy.
The Astral Express was docked near Amphoreus's ring.
'Cyrene' and Evernight boarded the train's carriage.
The newly launched carriage was somewhat simple, lacking the stylistic flair of the one in the game.
"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Himeko. I'm very glad to meet the navigator of this generation."
'Cyrene' smiled, extending her hand to shake Himeko's slightly calloused one.
"The honor is mine."
The current Himeko was still very young, probably only in her twenties.
Her eyes, fresh to the galaxy, held a touch of naivety and wonder.
Crimson curls tumbled down, making her look like an impassioned young noblewoman.
Quite different from her in-game appearance.
Evernight studied the Astral Express.
According to 'Cyrene', if she chose to abandon her past completely and be reborn, then the Astral Express would be the home chosen by the girl named 'March 7th'.
And curiously enough, even after the convergence of the Fourth Instant, which condensed other worldlines into fragments of memory, Evernight found no memories related to March 7th, only a certain blurred symbol.
As if it had been deliberately concealed.
Who knows what strange mechanism had been triggered.
'Cyrene' released Miss Himeko's hand and gestured to the pink-haired girl beside her:
"You can call her Evernight. As for me, just call me Cyrene. My real name... I'll tell Miss Himeko next time we meet."
"Heh~ I'll look forward to it then."
Though the other party openly admitted to hiding her true name, Himeko surprisingly sensed no malice.
"Well then, Miss Cyrene, if you don't mind, could you show me around Amphoreus? This miraculous world is quite the hot topic across the entire StarNet."
Before launching, Himeko had been focused on repairing the Express, paying little attention to galactic affairs.
Only after flying out did she discover so much had happened while she was fixing the train.
Naturally, she was immensely curious about Amphoreus, the epicenter of these events.
Himeko had always dreamed of adventuring among the stars.
And upon emerging, she learned the universe was even more spectacular than she'd imagined.
First, someone had prophesied the Astral Express's relaunch, so the moment she appeared, various factions took notice.
Fortunately, the Corporation and the Land of Light—the old guard and the new power—were both relatively restrained.
Otherwise, this journey as a Trailblazer might not have been so peaceful.
And just after handling these matters, Himeko discovered the dangerous Irontomb disaster had already been thoroughly resolved through the cooperation of various factions.
Sanctioned by the combined efforts of several geniuses, the all-destroying Irontomb had been transformed into a giant of light that protects.
The first genius, Zandar's ambition, had come to naught.
The world of Amphoreus, of Data and Memoria, manifested in reality.
Himeko had already wanted to come and trailblaze this incredible world, and it just so happened the Interastral Peace Corporation offered a hefty sum to invite her here to forge a new Star Rail.
With that, travel funds for many years to come were assured.
Seeing Himeko brimming with curiosity, 'Cyrene' naturally wouldn't refuse her wish to explore Amphoreus.
And coincidentally, she was somewhat interested in the young Miss Himeko herself.
"Of course. I'd like to learn a bit about you too, Miss Himeko."
'Cyrene' chuckled and waved at Pom-Pom who was walking over.
The real Pom-Pom was even cuter than in the game.
Pom-Pom, however, stared at 'Cyrene' with a puzzled look, glancing left and right.
As if he had noticed something.
But in the end, he said nothing, only reminding Himeko to learn more, observe carefully, and stay safe.
--+--