Chapter 173: The Problem Has Grown

Ailixiya merely tilted her head slightly, letting the first cone brush past her pink hair, and with a "thud" it drove deep into the wall behind.

Her movements looked leisurely and casual.

Immediately after, her figure blurred like a reflection in water, leaving behind a slowly fading pink afterimage at the spot.

The real her, however, had already appeared on the other side of the lab like a specter, and she also dragged the bewildered Xi Lian to her side.

"Honestly, Dr. Mei Bi Wu Si~"

Ailixiya shielded Xi Lian with one hand, the other hand on her hip, adopting a helpless yet troubled expression, "A messy temper can affect skin condition and cause pimples, you know? A beautiful girl should keep a happy mood at all times, right?"

"Give me… stay!"

Mei Bi Wu Si's voice had grown so cold it could drop ice shards, and more dark‑green energy surged around her, turning into countless finer spikes like a raging thicket of thorns, enveloping Ailixiya and Xi Lian and nearly sealing off any room for evasion.

Yet Ailixiya's smile did not waver at all; it even grew brighter.

"Seems today isn't a good time for deep discussion~ Then, Doctor, I'll take care of this cute 'little trouble' for now, okay?"

The moment the words left her mouth, her figure together with the tightly cradled Xi Lian transformed into a dazzling pink streak of light, moving faster than the eye could follow.

The streak ignored the dense energy attacks ahead, as if passing through an illusory curtain; before the dark‑green thorns could close, it made a swift turn and darted out through the opening left by the shattered door.

Only her smiling, melodious trailing tone, like a song, pierced the lab's wreckage and clearly echoed in Mei Bi Wu Si's ears:

"Next visit, I'll remember to bring a 'souvenir'—perhaps a sturdier door? See you later, my dear Mei Bi Wu Si?"

As the voice faded, the lab was left with the shattered doorway, debris strewn everywhere, the energy cones nailed to the wall, and Mei Bi Wu Si standing in the center of the ruins, her expression so gloomy it seemed about to drip water.

She stared at the empty operating table and the vanished pink streak, then slowly removed her dust‑covered experimental gloves.

"…Ai, Li, Xi, Ya."

She pronounced the name syllable by syllable, and in the depths of her light‑green eyes swirled an even stronger eerie glow than before.

She has recorded this grudge.

Star Core Hunter Base

The data gradually converged, and Kafuka's graceful figure re‑solidified within the teleportation zone.

The composed, mysterious smile she wore when facing the Train Group had faded, replaced by a hint of confusion.

"So, did you finish reciting all the 'lines' smoothly?"

Yinlang didn't even lift her head, her fingers rapidly tapping another Light Screen as if finishing the game round that had just been interrupted, her tone casual.

Kafuka walked to the small bar beside her, poured herself a tiny glass of amber liquor, and gently swayed the cup with her fingertips, not answering immediately.

She remained silent for a few seconds before slowly speaking, "The Script is finished. But… the audience's reaction is a bit odd."

"Ha!"

Yinlang finally halted her actions, turned her chair, her face full of "I've been wanting to say this," "This isn't just 'a bit' weird? The problem's huge, okay!"

She counted on her fingers at a rapid pace: "First, who was the most proactive in taking the cue and weighing pros and cons? It was that bartender robot that only tells dead‑pan jokes! Its presence in today's remarks almost rivals Walter's! Does that make sense?"

Kafuka took a sip of the drink and nodded.

She had also noticed that the Bi Zui (Cocktail Technique) performance far exceeded its usual level, even giving a sense of a real person.

"Then,"

Yinlang continued to rant, "That one called San Yue Qi! Usually either goofy or taking photos, with nothing but pink in his head. But today? He was shouting loudly, didn't miss a single key question, let alone Jizi, who was completely Sleepwalking the whole time!"

"Indeed,"

Kafuka set down her glass, lightly tapping her chin with her fingertip, deep in thought, "It feels like…"

"Like what?" Yinlang asked.

Kafuka mused, trying to find an exact metaphor: "It's like a troupe of highly skilled actors who, during a live performance, each grabbed the wrong character's script."

Yinlang shrugged, replying offhand, "What other reason could there be? It can't really be like those third‑rate novels where they collectively swap souls, can it?"

She said it in a wholly teasing tone, a mischievous smile on her face.

However, the moment the words left her mouth, she herself was momentarily stunned.

Kafuka also lifted her gaze toward her, a sharp glint flashing in her violet eyes.

The air between them fell silent for a few seconds.

Yinlang's smile gradually stiffened; she blinked, incredulously repeating slowly, "No… could it…?"

She shook her head violently, trying to discard the thought: "Wait, that doesn't add up! Even if people can swap, what about that robot's Bi Zui (Cocktail Technique)? Where did its soul come from to swap? You can't just replace the OS with antivirus software, can you?"

Kafuka, however, gave a meaning‑laden expression, nodding slightly to signal Yinlang to keep thinking.

Yinlang furrowed her brows, her fingers absent‑mindedly tapping in the air as if manipulating an invisible console: "Artificial intelligence… soul… *tsk*, a normal robot certainly lacks it. But this is the Star Rail, who knows what's inside, even…"

The more she thought, the more her scalp tingled; finally she snapped her head hard, scattering the gray bangs across her forehead: "Ah! Forget it! I don't want to think anymore, the CPU's about to overheat! Anyway, Ailiou passed on the message, the Xianzhou Luofu coordinates were given, whatever they choose next is up to the Train Group. Our Task is basically done, right?"

She looked at Kafuka, seeking confirmation.

Kafuka drained the remaining drink in her cup in one gulp, her elegant posture masking a lingering doubt in her eyes. "Hmm, Task completed."

She gazed at the boundless starry sky beyond the window, adding softly, "As for what exactly happened with the Train Group… as long as it doesn't affect future trajectories, it's temporarily irrelevant to us. Hope, we're just overthinking it."

Past World Paradise Hall

Unlike the atmosphere of the Star Core Hunter, the Le Tu Hall now resembled a curious baby watching rare animals.

Xi Lian sat upright on a soft sofa, spine perfectly straight, both hands neatly placed on her together‑folded knees, her sky‑blue eyes lowered, staring at the pattern of a small patch of floor before her feet, feeling as if seated on a bed of needles.

She could clearly sense several gazes scanning her back and forth, brimming with unabashed curiosity.