Chapter 32: Walther's Little Idea

【Time Rewind - Late-Night Train Corridor】

Let's rewind the time a few hours, to the moment Walther silently stepped out of his own room.

The reason they woke up in the middle of a rest and were holding a cane was that their mind had undergone a fierce struggle.

They watched Xing, since the Simulation Universe Test, often display a heavy, resolute gaze befitting a Salvation warrior that belied her age and experience, and hearing the heavy words about "Honkai", "sacrifice", and "Salvation" from her mouth filled their heart with worry.

(Walther's thoughts: She shouldn't be like this… She is only a Pioneer who has just begun the journey, and shouldn't be bound by a heavy destiny from another timeline… I must do something.)

However, they are not a "Memory Keeper", lacking the ability to directly manipulate Memory.

Driven by anxiety and some inexplicable inspiration (perhaps stemming from subconscious knowledge, perhaps guided by an unseen "hand"?), a simple, brute, even absurd idea surfaced—using a precisely calculated head strike to cause a brief Memory loss or confusion.

As someone with some understanding of physical structures and human anatomy, they absurdly thought this method… might work?

At least it's worth a try.

So, they quietly went to the corridor and saw Xing sleeping on her side, her back of the head conveniently exposed.

They observed carefully; although Xing's back‑of‑head contour seemed already oddly raised, they still pinpointed a "relatively safe" spot according to their calculations.

Adjusting the cane, they aligned its base with that point, as if conducting a precise yet wicked experiment, inhaled deeply, mimicking the gentle motion of a golf putt, and with a muffled "Bang" they struck down.

The sound was faint, yet unusually clear in the silent corridor.

Walther immediately crouched, anxiously observing Xing's reaction.

Seeing that she merely hummed unconsciously, twitched her body a bit, her breathing quickened then steadied, showing no sign of waking, they finally let out a long sigh.

(Walther's thoughts: It succeeded… probably. Hope she can forget those unpleasant things…)

They returned to their own room with a relaxed sense of having completed the Task and a hint of guilt, completely unaware that before them, Xing's back of the head might already have endured a "precise strike" from a system automaton wielding a small rubber hammer…

【Present - Starry Sky Train Observation Car】

After the farce, the train returned to calm.

Xing, wearing her slightly goofy puzzled expression and that ridiculous gauze bundle on the back of her head, reverted to the familiar Star Core Essence everyone knows.

Although she lost a segment of Memory, she also shed the imposed heaviness.

San Yue Qi was enthusiastically showing her the souvenir photo of the "Wrapped Head Star" just taken, while Dan Heng silently handed a cup of warm water beside them.

Walther stood a short distance away, watching this restored "normal" scene, feeling conflicted inside.

They felt a bit absurd and guilty for having used such unreliable means, but more so, they were gratified to see Xing return to her original state.

(Walther's thoughts: Let it be… though the process was winding, even a bit ridiculous, the result… seems good?)

Jizi watched the revived Xing, a smile in their eyes, but also a hint of apology.

【Time Rewind - Late-Night Train Corridor -】

Xing laid out her carefully chosen "bed"—a few fairly sturdy cardboard boxes.

She stood by the Observation Window, gazing at the splendid nebulae outside, her golden eyes holding a heaviness different from the past.

At that moment, a soft footstep sound arrived together with the rich aroma of coffee (perhaps overly "rich").

It was Jizi.

She carried a freshly brewed, steaming CoffeeCup, a gentle smile on her face, and walked over.

"Can't sleep, Xing?"

Jizi handed another cup to Xing, "Want to try? It's my special brew, helps relax the mood."

Xing looked at Jizi's gentle smile, didn't think much, and took it.

She knew nothing about the "reputation" of Jizi's coffee.

Out of courtesy, she gently sipped a small mouthful.

In that instant, a blend of extreme bitterness, strange sourness, and a taste like a scorched circuit board slammed into her palate and nerves like a battering ram!

Her body jolted rigidly, her brain seemed to be punched hard by this "mind‑awakening" liquid, and stars seemed to flicker before her eyes.

"!!!"

Xing's eyes widened instantly, her body jolted rigidly, and all thoughts were completely wiped out at that moment by the indescribable taste.

Out of courtesy (and a brief brain crash), she didn't spit it out immediately, but forced herself to swallow, then stiffly placed the CoffeeCup on the platform by the window.

She slowly closed her eyes, not to savor, but to combat the overwhelming dizziness and… drowsiness?

"The Star Sea scenery is never enough, right?"

Jizi didn't notice Xing's oddity, also gazed out the window, tone filled with sentiment, "Every voyage brings new scenery, new stories…"

Before she could finish, a muffled "thud" sound came from beside her!

Jizi turned her head in surprise, only to see Xing's eyes tightly shut, her body falling straight backward, the back of her head solidly hitting the cardboard, even bouncing slightly from the impact and emitting a clear "dong" sound, then she lay completely still.

Jizi, who was about to chat with Xing, was startled by this sudden situation.

She looked at the fallen Xing, then at the CoffeeCup in her hand, blinking in confusion.

"This child… could she have been so tired she fell asleep instantly?"

Jizi leaned down to check, found Xing's breathing steady, seeming only to have slipped into a faint sleep, and let out a sigh of relief.

She noticed Xing's back of the head seemed to have bumped, feeling a bit guilty, so she quietly returned to her room and fetched a soft pillow, carefully placing it behind Xing's head.

"Good night, rest well."

Jizi whispered, a hint of regret for not being able to talk fully with Xing, and left carrying two CoffeeCups.

【Return to Present - Starry Sky Train Observation Car】

Jizi looked at the exaggerated gauze bundle on Xing's back of the head, and the guilt in her heart turned into confusion.

(Thoughts: I clearly only saw her fall once… how could it be "multiple impacts"? Did she hit herself a few more times later? Such a poor sleeping posture?)

At that moment, the train conductor Pam, rubbing her head, with a tuft of fur that seemed to have perked up from a bad sleep, walked into the Observation Carriage.

"It's so noisy here, Pa… what happened, Pa?"

Pam's voice carried a freshly awakened softness. When it saw the conspicuous gauze on Xing's head, it jumped in alarm: "Star passenger! What's wrong with your head, Pa?!"

San Yue Qi hurriedly answered, "Train conductor! Xing accidentally bumped her head, but luckily it's nothing serious!"

Pam breathed a sigh of relief, patting her chest with a little paw, "It's fine now, Pa! Everyone be a little more careful, Pa!"

It seemed to suddenly recall something, its long ears twitched, and a still‑shaken expression appeared on its face: "Speaking of being careful… I think I saw a ghost last night, Pa!"

"Saw a ghost?" the crowd reacted in various ways.

San Yue Qi instantly became interested, eyes sparkling: "Really, train conductor? What kind of ghost? Transparent? Floating? Or wearing white clothes?"

Xing looked bewildered, touched the gauze‑wrapped head, and thought that "seeing a ghost" seemed less real than "bumping the head."

Jizi then showed a concerned expression, "Pam, did you have a nightmare?"

And Walther's nerves instantly tightened!

(Inner thought: Seeing a ghost?! Could it be… the train conductor saw me…? No, I checked there were no 'people' around… )