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Chapter 24 Clara
Starry Sky Train, above the party carriage.
This place was originally intended as a guest room or a storage room for spare supplies.
But now, it's more like a junkyard—old machine parts, scattered books, boxes containing unknown contents, and a few oddly styled decorative items...
They were piled up in every corner of the room, leaving only a few barely enough passageways to step through.
If it weren't for the sudden visit of the fireflies.
It has long belonged to the independent space of the stars—and it will probably remain in this "chaotic neutral" state for several more months.
On March 7th, I pushed open the door and saw a scene almost exactly the same as it had been half a month ago, and sighed, rubbing my forehead.
His tone was full of exasperation: "I mean, your procrastination is just too outrageous! It's been half a month! And you haven't done a single thing!"
Xing immediately shrank back, leaning against Liuying with a pitiful expression, and skillfully grabbed her arm, seeking support: "Liuying! Look at Sanyue, she's so fierce..."
Liu Ying was a little embarrassed by her sudden "coquettishness", but she still patted Xing's hand gently and said softly, "Alright, alright, March is only doing this for your own good."
She glanced around the room and suggested softly, "How about I help you tidy up? I'm strong enough to be of any help."
Xing's eyes immediately lit up, and she nodded vigorously, "Okay!"
This "Sichuan opera face-changing" performance made March 7th laugh in anger: "You heartless bastard! You weren't like this when I told you to clean up!"
— Ugh, this is so troublesome.
—Let's do it another day.
—March, you're the best! Can I sleep in your room for a bit?
Now that you have a new love, you've forgotten your old one, haven't you?
Eh?
That doesn't seem to be the correct way to put it!
I've forgotten how to say that phrase on March 7th.
Xing blinked her innocent eyes.
Liu Ying's cheeks also flushed slightly.
March 7th shook his head, banishing the strange thought. "Oh well, whatever! I have to get this done today!"
With her hands on her hips, she gave the final order: "As for the furniture, just order it online and have Interstellar Company deliver it! Regarding funding, Lin Lin has said he'll sponsor it entirely! Besides, Uncle Yang, Dan Heng, Sister Ji Zi, and Miss Kafka have all said they'll help!"
Looking at the stars, March 7th said earnestly, "You've turned your room into a storage room, what kind of place is this! This is where people will live in the future!"
Xing was genuinely a little wronged this time, muttering softly, "But... this was originally just a room for storing miscellaneous items..."
March 7th raised an eyebrow: "That's not true anymore! Get to work!"
......
Gui Naifen's live broadcast room.
In the story, Seele and Bronya have a brief but sharp argument because of their different views on the current situation above and below ground and their different positions.
Or rather, Seele was unilaterally attacking, while Bronya remained silent in response.
Afterwards, Seele led everyone to meet Oleg, the leader of the Earthfire Organization.
However, before they could have a proper conversation, a new unexpected event occurred—news of unrest came from the center of the mining area.
According to Dr. Natasha, the conflict first arose between the wanderers and miners over the ownership of a newly discovered large mineral vein. Then, the largest power in the lower district, the robot army led by Schwarz, suddenly intervened and took over the area.
Oleg has personally led a team to handle the situation.
At the same time, a game system notification sounded – the player had finally unlocked the "Relics" system.
From now on, I can throw myself into the great task of book-brushing with gusto and anticipation!
The live chat was filled with "blessings" from those who had been there:
"Unlock New Ways to Play"
"Tell me, who wouldn't want to spend a whole week frantically grinding through relic dungeons, only to find that the only useful stat they get is defense or health?"
"This feeling is... amazing! (gritting teeth)"
"Congratulations in advance to all the newbies joining the 'Jail' family!"
......
On the way to the center of the mining area, March 7 took the initiative to act as a "guide" to help players understand the environment.
She chuckled, quite proudly: "Ha, you can absolutely trust my observation skills!"
The live chat immediately started interacting:
"Our teacher is going to teach us geography in March? That's worse than the apple pie the old lady next door made."
"You're still being picky when a beautiful girl personally explains the background to you?"
"March Teacher! If possible, could you tutor me one-on-one? (Raises hand obediently.jpg)"
"The abacus beads upstairs are flying all over my Immortal Boat Luofu's face!"
……
In the game screen, Xing, March 7, and Danheng followed a little behind Seele and Bronya, discussing March 7's "observation report" in hushed tones as they walked.
March 7th cleared his throat: "The lower district is all rock walls, with no clear regional divisions, only scattered mining areas and small town settlements, like... the outskirts of Beloborg."
"That massive pillar, visible from everywhere and extending straight to the ground, is called the 'hearth'."
"Based on our observations, the residents of the town are mostly miners who do manual labor, and their living conditions... are definitely not as affluent as those in the upper districts."
"However, the miners also come to watch boxing matches during their breaks, which is much more down-to-earth than those 'high-class' opera houses in the upper districts, isn't it?"
"Also, the people in the lower district seem to be in a hurry, walking with a brisk pace, their lives are too fast! Compared to here, the bustling upper district seems much more comfortable and leisurely."
Danheng calmly added, "Sangbo said that people used to use this 'hearth' pillar for transportation."
Xing then raised the crucial question: "Aren't there any Silvermane Iron Guards here?"
March 7 recalled: "After arriving here, apart from Bronya who was brought down by Sambo, I really haven't seen any Silvermane Iron Guards."
Dan Heng provided an additional clue: "While I was at the Fight Club, I overheard some miners chatting. They said the Iron Guardians completely withdrew from underground many years ago, and that the order was supposedly given personally by the then 'Great Guardian.'"
What you see is what you get. The three of them organized their observations and experiences along the way, adding their own thoughts and deductions.
These dialogues are primarily for players to supplement the world-building background information.
But to Bronya, who was listening silently ahead, these words struck her heart like heavy drumbeats.
Looking at the dilapidated, crowded, and bustling scenes of people struggling to survive along the way, and comparing them with the education they received from childhood and the relatively affluent life in the upper-class areas, they felt a sense of loss.
A complex mix of guilt, confusion, and a heavy sense of responsibility welled up in her heart.
Seele, who was standing to the side, caught a glimpse of Bronya's silent, self-reproachful, and confused expression out of the corner of her eye. She felt inexplicably irritated and couldn't help but snort coldly, but she didn't say anything to mock or argue as she had before.
......
Belleburg, Cripperburg.
Bronya, watching the live stream, fell silent again upon seeing her past self on screen, her brows furrowing slightly.
See, when faced with a difficult question, you fall silent again.
Seele, who was watching alongside her, couldn't stand her attitude the most and said irritably:
"This isn't your fault! Why are you blaming yourself? Either cry it out, or don't make that face!"
Bronya said helplessly, "Seele, I just..."
"No—I won't listen!" Seele covered her ears and shook her head, her posture very willful, but her eyes held a hint of disappointment.
The scene left Pera, who was also secretly watching from the side, in awe.
I sighed to myself: How exactly should I define the personalities and way these two interact?
Family, I'm a little confused!
It seems I still need to delve deeper into my field of "special couples' emotional analysis"!
Pera thought about the special community she had just joined, where the relationships between various couples were an eye-opener for her.
Indeed, there is no end to learning!
The same situation applies to the two people in the mechanical house.
Cocolia watched Bronya's struggle in the video, and the consequences of her past orders.
"Don't you also think... I was a pretty awful person in the past?"
Hiluva, who was debugging a new machine, nodded without looking up, "That's absolutely right! Luckily, you still have some self-awareness!"
Cocolia: "..."
Why are you behaving like a dog!
She felt depressed:
I asked you to say a few words of comfort, not to add insult to injury!
……
The story continues.
The group continued deeper into the mine tunnels and finally arrived at the heart of the conflict.
There, they met the legendary Schwarzkopf, and standing quietly beside him, a barefoot, white-haired, red-eyed little girl with a timid expression—Clara.
Clara's appearance instantly made the "composition" of the bullet comments more complex:
"Clara!!! So cute!"
"Jade feet! Bare jade feet! Step on me! Please!"
"My God! How could there be such a coincidence in the world? Clara has a pair of beautiful feet, and I... just happen to have a mouth!"
"This is insane! Boss @Honkai: Star Railway official, requesting 'Box' to crack down on this!"
"Honkai Impact: Star Railway Official (Max Level): Location found, address.jpg"
"The boss's message: Launch is permitted!"
"Don't move! He's closest to me, and my urine is yellow; let me spray him to wake him up!"
"666, at least he got something sweet!"
……
The story continues.
Based on databases and logical calculations, Schwarzro believed that the people of the Earth Fire posed a huge threat that could bring "uncontrollable variables".
He then led Clara away from there.
The group finally met Oleg, the leader of the Earth Fire, who had finished dealing with the small-scale conflict and arrived to join them.
This calm and experienced leader seemed much more reliable than Sambo.
However, after some discussion, the result was frustrating.
To obtain detailed information about the Star Core, it seems impossible to bypass the powerful figure Schwarz, who controls the strongest underground force.
After a long and tiring day, everyone returned home for the time being.
Goethe Hotel.
The name "Goethe" instantly evoked some unpleasant memories of March 7th.
March 7th sighed and rubbed his shoulders: "It's rest time again... I hope nothing unexpected happens this time."
She looked at Xing and Danheng, trying to find some common ground: "However, that Oleg, at least seems much more sincere—what do you think?"
Xing crossed her arms, pretending to be deep in thought. After several seconds, she shook her head very seriously: "I have no opinion."
March 7th immediately pointed at Xing and complained to Danheng, "Look at her! She delivered such an irresponsible line with such nonchalance!"
Dan Heng nodded in agreement: "You do look a lot like me."
He then changed the subject and offered a practical suggestion: "However, in my opinion, one should always be wary of others."
March 7th wholeheartedly agreed: "I'll listen to you! After all, it feels like just yesterday that I was stabbed in the back."
Dan Heng then suggested, "In that case, let's arrange for a night watch."
March 7th was shocked: "A night watch?! Such an outdated arrangement?"
Her eyes darted around, and she suddenly pretended to yawn loudly, swaying her body as she said, "Ah... yawn! That's strange, I suddenly feel sleepy... It must be because I walked too much today..."
The comments section burst into laughter instantly:
"It Feels Like Yesterday"
"Be confident, March, and remove the 'as if'!"
"Haha, it was yesterday! Maybe even just a few hours ago!"
"I love the realism of March! Even skipping night duty is so adorable!"
"Irresponsible"
"I didn't expect the boomerang to arrive so quickly!"
......
In the end, it was Bronya, who couldn't sleep, who kept watch.
Xing arrived at the guest room and gave it a five-star review!
The scene shifts, and the plot unfolds:
Inside Cripper Fort.
Sad background music begins to play.
Cocolia said sadly, "I've lost her... My 'wish,' your so-called plan... What's the point of all this now?"
A peculiar voice rang out.
"Abandon despair...abandon sorrow...abandon useless emotions..."
Cocolia instantly transforms into a "desktop cleaning master".
The books and broken teacups on the ground spoke volumes about her anger.
"Shut up! She's my daughter, she's my only one..."
"What do you know, soulless things? You'll never understand... never!"
The tone suddenly changed: "You haven't lost her... She's waiting to reunite with you in another world."
Cocolia seemed to be tempted, whispering, "The New World..."
The voice continued its seductive plea: "Stand up... Guardian..."
"Fulfill your destiny...fulfill the wish of a 'mother'."
The screen went black, and Xing was woken up by the noise.
"That voice again... This dream is so bizarre."
Bullet comments:
"That voice couldn't be..."
"Hilarious! Even an idiot could guess what it is."
"???"
"Hahaha, there's an idiot upstairs, everyone laugh at him!"
"The last part was about Cocolia when she was little, so what about this part?"
"Shouldn't it be now?"
"You can call Cocolia bad, but you can't criticize her maternal love for Bronya!"
"I thought Cocolia had lost a child in the past, and Bronya had adopted her later."
"At first glance from behind, I thought it was Shiluva!"
"Are you happy now?! You cold-hearted person, I will never forgive you, never!!!"
"The Fairy Castle?"
"It's none of your business"