Chapter 676

"So, are you staying? Newcomer." The staff member crossed their arms, "Someone like you, just squeezing into the Black Tower Space Station has already used up all your luck in life, but I'll still make a symbolic check. You know, the work in the Geophysics Section isn't as easy as you imagine."

Check punctuation: we have a period after "imagine." inside quotes? The original ends with a full stop inside the Chinese quotes. We'll keep.

You don't know me? You must be the newcomer, right?

Translation: "You don't know me? You're the newcomer, right?" We'll keep quotes.

"You don't know me? You're the newcomer, right?"

Hmph, when I first got here, I thought I was hot shit just like you. After a while you'll see that here you're just an ordinary staff member, and all that cleverness you think you have amounts to nothing in anyone's eyes.

Translation: "Hmph, when I first arrived, I also thought I was hot shit, just like you. After a while you'll realize that here you're just an ordinary staff member, and all that cleverness you think you have amounts to nothing in anyone's eyes."

Hmph, hot shit—after a while, an ordinary staff member, all that cleverness you think you have amounts to nothing in anyone's eyes.

Thus:

"Hmph, when I first arrived, I also thought I was hot shit, just like you. After a while you'll realize that here you're just an ordinary staff member, and all that cleverness you think you have amounts to nothing in anyone's eyes."

I'm actually the Galaxy Baseball Hero!

I'm the Galaxy Baseball Hero!

""I'm the Galaxy Baseball Hero!""

The other party lightly raised an eyebrow in disdain: "Is that all? I'm still a Geography Research Hero."

""I'm a Nameless! I don't belong here!""

Xing again emphasized loudly, but all she got was the other's merciless ridicule: "Are you sober? Want to take a leave to go to the medical department and get your brain checked? Come to think of it, I'm also half a Star Rail fan. I know that all the Nameless who ride it have experienced amazing adventures. So tell me, what great achievements do you have?"

Xing slightly raised her chin: "I took the apocalypse beast's ultimate move with my face!"

——

Naruto

""What a realistic illusion, just like the Dream of Taiyi.""

The scene before her made Sakura inexplicably think of the illusion that had enveloped the whole world not long ago on Xingqiri.

""No, compared to that, the difference is still quite big."" Kakashi denied Sakura's comment beside him: "The Dream of Taiyi would be better, but the illusion created by this Caster is more realistic, simply… another branch of Xing's life."

""Another branch?"" Sakura didn't quite understand Kakashi's meaning.

"Do you remember when Xing first woke up at the space station? If I recall correctly, there were two paths before her then: one was to follow the train and blaze a trail, the other was to stay at the space station and become an ordinary staff member. This illusion seems to show the second path that Xing originally did not choose to take."

""Eh? I actually kind of want to see what happens if Xing takes the second path."" Sakura instantly became interested.

""Hmm, I'm also curious, but…""

Kakashi observed the furnishings in the space station; even if Xing realized that everything before her was false, there was still no fluctuation—this differed greatly from the Dream of Taiyi… How could Xing escape this illusion? And what is the ratio of this illusion's time flow to real time?

It seems that in some illusions one can stay ten or twenty years, but in reality only a few minutes have passed. If the Caster's illusion has this effect, then it would be a bit troublesome.

——

""Hey, I've heard about this! I heard that a treasure on the space station was stolen, swallowed by an intruder of unknown origin, which even provoked an attack by the antimatter legion. If it weren't for Ms. Black Tower stepping in to resolve the crisis, we'd all have turned to ash. Do you know who that unidentified intruder is?""

The other party smiled meaningfully: "That's right, I won't keep you in suspense—it's you, Miss. It's because Miss Elsie, the station chief, showed special leniency and sent you here to find a job."

""I repelled the Phantasm on the Immortal Vessel!""

""You mean the Overlord of Extinction who recently appeared on the Immortal Vessel and caused a huge ruckus?"" The other party cleared his throat and spoke solemnly: "According to recent news I've heard, her plan was thwarted by the general of Luo Fu… but the people of the Immortal Vessel also paid a huge price. Friendly reminder: don't use others' disasters as your bragging material."

""I awakened Pinokangni from its eternal slumber!""

""Let me guess—are you going to say next that you were invited to participate in the Harmony Grand Festival and even became a superstar of the event in Pinokangni?""

""Exactly right, bro!"" Xing even suspected this guy had read the script.

However, the other party merely looked at her with a face full of helplessness, struggling to swallow his retort.

""Do you have anything else to say?""

""I, I have nothing to say…""

The other party put on an expression of "I knew it all along": "Recently, the Department of Applied Physics imported a batch of dream bubbles, and many young staff members who had never seen the world are completely immersed in them all day, even neglecting their work. You must be one of those whose mind is filled with the essence, haunted by hallucinations, right? Otherwise, how could you think you've become a Nameless on the train?"

——

Marvel Universe

""Pause for a moment.""

In front of the arc-shaped floor-to-ceiling windows of Stark Tower, Tony suddenly spoke, drawing everyone's attention.

"I have an idea, guys. What if—let's say what if—this space station right before us is the only reality. Xing isn't some pioneer; she's just a regular employee working nine to five, occasionally putting in overtime. The snowy plains of Belobog, the Luo Fu of the Immortal Vessel, Pinokangni… all these grand adventures are merely a dream she experienced in a dream bubble. Just imagine what would happen."

"Oh… Tony, that's even scarier than Grendel's horror movie." Dr. Banner couldn't help but curl his lip: "This means her entire sense of identity and everything she holds dear are fake. However, Tony, experience shapes a person's personality—if those battles, those friendships, those sacrifices aren't real, then how can her growth be discussed?"

"The dream bubble is realistic enough that she thinks everything in it is real. She doesn't have a Star Core; she's just an ordinary person." Tony continued to add.

"I don't know, but she'd probably break down." Banner shrugged: "Your guess is like giving her life a nasty, vulgar joke—frankly, it's terrifying. If you put yourself in his shoes, Tony… the so-called legends of Iron Man are just a dream you had while captive in Afghanistan; once you wake up, what will you be like?"

"Not much different; I'll keep thinking of ways to escape."

"I guess so too." Banner said: "If Xing decides to embark on the path of exploration, when the Star Rail next stops at the space station, she will surely try to board the train and start her own adventure."

——

""Well… I can kind of understand. I heard the train originally invited you to join them on the journey, but you refused. So, are you regretting it now?""

""I did get on the train!""

Xing tried to shout at the staff before her, but her voice trembled as she gave a completely different answer.

""I… I don't know.""

Xing tried to recall what had happened before, but it became increasingly unreal. Memories of the Star Rail, of the Nameless, were like sandcastles washed away by seawater, scattering everywhere. You understood Saber's feeling of wanting to linger a moment.

"Why did you, by a hair's breadth, fail to board the Star Rail back then? That doesn't matter now. The staff member before you, perhaps offering organizational comfort, or perhaps just making a few jokes to get past this awkward, heavy atmosphere, finally spoke up—"

""Looking at your résumé, you don't seem to have any special talents, so I'll first assign you some light work.""

The work he assigned Xing was to collect research proposals from all levels of staff; before leaving, he suddenly couldn't bear to turn and look at her.

""I sometimes regret not having pursued Quantum History at age fourteen and instead choosing Universal Geography—I thought back then… math was too hard. I often ask myself, if I had made a different choice, would I still be in this miserable state today?""

""Pfft, all just wild thoughts. Newcomer, don't regret the choices you've already made. Look at me—isn't this pretty good?""