Chapter 20: All are neighbors!

In the System Space, Bai Hang huddled with her knees drawn up in a corner, her snow‑white Fox Ears drooping listlessly; her mind had already mixed and matched the keywords "master", "imprisonment", "Fen Mao girl", "chains", staging countless dramas ranging from tragic to terrifying.

She even began to worry that the fur on her Tail might also be taken to make some strange decoration.

Finally, the vanished black door silently reappeared and then opened.

Black Curtain Lady stepped out from behind the door, her expression as calm and unruffled as ever, as if the dozens of NG takes downstairs, making the little girl cry, and then fleeing in panic had not been her at all.

(Her actual thoughts: She had crouched on the stairs, clutching her head and letting out a silent scream for a full three minutes! "Ahhh, what did I just do?! Hugging someone and saying sorry then running off?! What kind of pure‑hearted boy fleeing the scene?! Even though Xi Lian really is soft and soft when hugged… stop! Heimu! Your character! Your cool!" After a fierce inner struggle and a deep breath, she forced down that mortifying feeling and a faint, inexplicable pleasure at having embraced someone, restoring her cool, elegant composure.)

She walked to the side without glancing sideways, summoned the System Panel, and began scrolling through the rolling data, as if conducting some important research.

Bai Hang cautiously lifted her head, looked at the door that had reappeared, then glanced at Heimu's expressionless back, and at the oddly shaped "System" doll standing silently beside her.

Her intense curiosity scratched at her heart like a kitten's claws.

She began moving bit by bit, extremely slowly, like a small animal trying to approach dangerous food, inching toward the door.

"You can go in and have a look."

Heimu stood with her back to her, suddenly spoke in a flat tone that gave no hint of joy or anger.

She did not turn around, her gaze still fixed on the panel, as if she had merely made an offhand comment.

"She… might need someone to keep her company and talk."

This actually amounted to tacit approval and an instruction for Bai Hang to comfort Xi Lian, who had just gone through a bewildering "drama".

Bai Hang was first startled, then broke into a delighted smile, her azure eyes lighting up instantly: "Thank you, master!"

She immediately forgot those frightening associations, and like a pardoned little rabbit she happily thanked him, then dashed forward at a trot into the black door.

Only Heimu and the System remained in the space.

Heimu closed the panel, tilted her head slightly, and looked at the System doll beside her, her voice carrying a barely perceptible fatigue: "Just how much Repair Degree is needed to completely rescue them… from this state?"

She was referring to all Golden Descendants bound or affected by the Iron Tomb's power.

The System doll's purplish‑red inverted‑cross eyes flickered, and it gave a precise figure: "Miss Hui, preliminary estimate: Core Repair Degree must reach 50%."

"50%…"

Heimu closed her eyes and repeated the number.

A deep weariness suddenly welled up.

Since inexplicably becoming like this and being bound to the System,

she has hardly ever stopped—being hunted, saving people, acting as a villain, performing, stealing things…

Her spirit has remained in a state of tension.

Although this body is not of flesh and blood, her consciousness still feels fatigue.

She needs rest, needs a place where she can truly relax.

She glanced around the endless, pure white space that felt oppressively blank, furrowed her brows, and said, "Here… can we change something? It's hard to look at."

She longed for a bit of color, a hint of life's atmosphere.

The System doll's reply remained formulaic: "Sorry, miss. To alter the basic rules and decor of the System Space, your Repair Degree must reach over 50% to unlock permission."

Heimu sighed helplessly.

Indeed, it wasn't that simple.

"Then… there ought to be a place to rest, right? Not mentioning me, that girl Bai Hang definitely needs a bed."

"Please wait a moment."

The System doll bowed slightly, then raised a hand and waved it in the air.

A rather ordinary door frame with wood grain appeared out of thin air, standing firmly on the pure white floor.

Inside the door was no longer that empty white, but a warm glow spilled out.

The System doll turned sideways, made a standard "please" gesture, her posture elegant as if inviting a guest into a top‑tier salon.

Heimu raised an eyebrow, a hint of curiosity in her step as she walked inside.

The System followed silently behind her.

The sight inside the door made her blink in surprise.

It was a space furnished quite cozily, similar to a spacious living room.

Soft, comfortable sofas, a woven rug, and even a small bar and bookshelf beside them.

Warm‑toned light poured down, dispelling the System Space's chill.

Most astonishingly, one side was not a wall but a huge Observation Window; outside lay the boundless Star Sea, stars like diamonds studded across a black velvet curtain, drifting slowly backward.

"Tsk tsk," Heimu glanced around, her tone tinged with surprise, "I didn't expect you to hide such a nice place."

This setting is far more comfortable than that endless white outside.

But soon she sensed something odd.

She realized she seemed… able to use some of her powers?

No longer the total isolation inside the System Space.

Moreover, a regular vibration came up from beneath her feet.

She instinctively focused her mind, extending her perception.

The next second, her face turned a little strange, then gradually shifted to utter disbelief.

This familiar layout… this Observation Window's view…

This is absolutely not some independent Safe House!

This damn thing is a car of the Star Rail train!

And her position seems to be the rear car of the train!

This realization hit like a hammer, leaving Black Curtain Lady dazed.

She snapped her head around, her gaze like lightning shooting at the System doll idly arranging the cushions on the sofa nearby, her eyes full of the demand "You'd better give me an explanation."

The system doll felt her gaze, stopped its hand movements, turned around, and began to explain in that emotionless electronic voice:

"Hui, this residence is a 'small gift' gifted by the Joyful Star God."

It paused, seeming to retrieve precise records: "His original words were: 'Hehe, did you really think we only blew up the train back then? Haha, of course we also snatched a few cars along the way! Keep looking for fun! Poor thing!'"

Heimu: "……"

The corner of her mouth twitched violently, and she felt her blood pressure rise a bit.

She looked around this warm, comfortable car again—no wonder it felt both familiar and off!

And this car was actually stolen from the official Astral Express!

Aha, your handiwork is too "Joy"!

"Then... won't it be discovered?"

Heimu asked, pressing his throbbing temple.

"Please rest assured, Hui."

The system doll replied, "The few cars we are in are protected by the power of the Joyful Star God, forming an independent cognition barrier. As long as we do not actively open the door connecting to the main train,"

It pointed to a door at the other end of the living room that looked ordinary and blended with the interior decor.

"From the perspective of the main train, we do not exist here, even the Silent Lord's aura can be effectively blocked. Of course, if that door is opened, the barrier will temporarily fail, but we have enough buffer time to close it again and activate concealment."

Heimu looked in the direction it pointed; that door really does look ordinary.

"So, what's behind that door is..."

"Yes, Hui."

The system doll confirmed, "Beyond the door is the normal Astral Express car corridor. According to current monitoring, most members of the Train Group are still active inside the Black Tower Space Station, and only the train conductor Pam is doing routine cleaning inside the car."

It even added a sentence in that flat tone, as if introducing a tourist spot: "If you are interested, Hui, you can also go to the train bar through that door. The bartender Shut Up (Cocktail Technique), after some 'small negotiations', can already be considered our external assistance personnel."

Heimu rubbed his forehead, feeling speechless.

What the heck is all this!

Stealing a car is bad enough, but even NPCs have been turned?

This is really abstract—his mom even opened the door for abstract—abstract to the extreme!

She let out a long sigh, giving up on worrying.

Exhausted in mind and body, she chose to temporarily compromise with this absurd reality.

She lazily walked over to the incredibly soft sofa, sank into it, and elegantly lifted her legs.

The system doll beside her immediately produced a cup of faintly bubbling, dreamy-colored drink from somewhere and respectfully handed it over.

Heimu took the drink, gently swaying it, and gazed toward the nearby Black Tower Space Station through another observation window.

The Astral Express was quietly docked at the platform.

This feeling is indeed very... peculiar.

Just like a mysterious behind-the-scenes boss stirring up the winds and clouds, not lurking in some dark corner or other dimension, but openly living next to the protagonist team, even sharing the same train with them, able to hear the train conductor Pam humming a song while cleaning in the adjacent car.

This extreme contrast brings an absurd feeling and hidden stimulation, which perhaps... is also a kind of 'Joy' in some sense.