Chapter 924

Stop Cloud? What a lovely name… Now it belongs to me, this young woman.

The woman seated atop the pavilion gave a faint smile, her whole body sinking into shadow, save for a pair of pupils bright red as blood.

"Your destination should be… there. A beautiful, splendid end……Destruction."

She stepped back; there lay the familiar bustling lantern‑lit streets, old friends calling from afar, waiting for her to resume her merchant trade. But the black mist emanating from that woman surged forward, instantly turning the market into rotting wood and ash.

The past flickered like flowers in a mirror and moonlight, like a revolving lantern, vivid before her eyes—from childhood to adulthood, from the fox‑eared girl beside Yun Kong to a capable leader of the Minghuo Trade Guild's liaison, until…… she was entwined and engulfed by the flames of Destruction, fire serpents coiling around her, squeezing the life from her.

"I can only go forward." she told herself.

"But how can I move forward?" she asked herself.

"Raise your hand." a cold voice echoed from afar.

She lowered her head, gazing at the wound piercing her palm. Still clutched in her hand was that folding fan; she remembered it turning to gray‑white ash in the fire, yet now it was there, right in her hand.

The black mist surged toward her once again.

"Go forward."

She lifted her hand; the wound in her palm glowed. The light pierced the darkness, but also illuminated her.

"Go forward."

She raised the fan—once a leisurely cooling accessory—now it was about to burst into flame.

The black mist stretched on endlessly, yet the farther she pressed forward, the brighter her light grew.

"Go forward." the cold voice grew clearer, "Don't look back."

Stop Cloud sprinted forward with all her might.

"Among the myriad worlds of this star‑sea, I have far from seen enough……"

Behind her, five plush tails unfurled completely, turning into blazing flames that lit the endless night that had trapped her.

「……」

Laboratory.

The girl's fingertips trembled slightly; a crystal‑clear tear rolled down from the corner of her eye. The aloof scientist gazed into the chamber, her expression finally shifting a little.

"Congratulations on choosing this side of the world."

——

Attack on Titan.

"Five tails?! She's even changed species!"

Eren's eyes widened; he never expected the change to be this huge!

"Are these five tails transplanted, or has her body itself undergone some change due to the ancient beast's remains?" Han Ji pushed up his glasses, "Moreover, Stop Cloud's combat ability has become extraordinary—she seems far stronger than before…… Now she should meet the condition for 'Violent Assault'."

"I wonder what Yun Kong would think seeing this? At first she believed Stop Cloud had met a terrible fate, never expecting that Rui·Mei would rescue her. But I recall Lady Rui·Mei is usually quite reclusive—why would she suddenly decide to help Luofu?" Almin asked curiously.

"It's likely that the Astral Express and Lady Rui·Mei have reached some kind of agreement, right? You all remember that not long ago, the Yao Guang General of the Jade Void Astral Express wasn't interrogating Mirrorflow and Rakshasa, and obtained a fragment of the Procreation Star God's remains." Han Ji paused, "Given that Rui·Mei had already wanted to study Procreation, it's probable that any future cooperation between them will be based on that foundation. The Astral Express hopes to deepen its research on Procreation through Rui·Mei, killing the apothecary; while Rui·Mei wishes to obtain firsthand Star God relics via the Astral Express as research samples…… This is a win‑win."

"If reviving Stop Cloud could earn Luofu Astral Express's friendship, that would be quite worthwhile. Moreover, she is one of the few who managed to survive the Destruction emissaries by sheer luck—such individuals are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. As an excellent research specimen, I doubt any scientist could refuse."

——

"After emerging from the Simulated Universe, Star also received a message from March 7th, and came to the carriage named Expansion to discuss the upcoming itinerary together."

Star had never been in this carriage before; upon first entering, she felt it resembled a bar, with a dazzling array of drinks, and behind the counter stood a drink‑mixing robot called 'Shut Up.'

Walter, Himeko, and the others had already gathered, beginning to discuss the train's next destination.

"Eternal Land……Ophyrus…" Walter repeatedly chewed on this unfamiliar place name.

"There's no record of this world in the Archives, not even its name," Dan Heng said.

"Yeah, didn't Black Swan Miss also say—it's hard to observe from outside, only able to be reflected by the Memegarden Mirror—a mysterious, mysterious world." March 7 looked worriedly at Star, "You've only just boarded the train; won't this journey be too difficult?"

"I've been on this train for almost two years."

"What are you saying? There's no way it's been that long."

"Himeko laughed and reassured, "Don't worry. To us today, a world that the Archevians have never touched is a rare concept. But for the original train, this is practically routine—touching the edge of worlds is precisely what Expansion means."

After a round of discussion, they decided to tentatively keep Ophyrus as one of the destinations, planning to first consult other allies about the region before proceeding further.

In other words, they intend to stay a while longer in Penacony. Everyone can also treat this time as a vacation and enjoy it to the fullest.

——

The Valkyrie of the End.

"Eternal Land…" Zeus gazed upward longingly, "It sounds like a place where the gods dwell—surely it must be very beautiful."

"But old man, if that place were truly as wonderful as you imagine, why didn't the Pioneering Star Gods go there in the first place? The Archives have no information… I suspect it's likely a world sealed off by the forces of Memory through some means." Shiva guessed with great interest.

"Memegarden?"

"It probably isn't Memegarden; it could be Memegarden's arch‑enemy." Shiva frowned slightly, "For instance, the Incinerators? That faction is quite mysterious… seemingly opposed to Memegarden. If the Incinerators turned Ophyrus into a 'trap' to lure Memegarden members to their doom, why else would only Memegarden people be able to observe Ophyrus? The intent seems too strong."

"Hahaha! Shi Po, you're actually quite good at guessing, you know!" Haigesisi laughed heartily, walked to his side and patted the shoulder heavily, "I didn't expect you to know so much about the various forces in the heavens on a regular basis, you know; your mind is also quite sharp, you know."