"After the Geomarrow ore is mined by the mining teams, it is sent up to the surface via transport pipelines. At the same time, the Overworld uses the same pipelines to send daily necessities and other supportive supplies down to the Underworld," Serval continued explaining.
"As for the structure of Belobog, it's like two large discs connected together, linked in the middle by the transport pipelines we just mentioned. The Overworld is responsible for administration and trade, while the Underworld handles energy supply and resource extraction." Serval changed the subject. "However, due to an order issued many years ago, travel between the Overworld and Underworld has dropped significantly, and not long ago, Supreme Guardian Cocolia issued an order completely sealing off the Underworld."
"Oh my, look at me, why on earth did I start blabbing about such boring stuff?" Realizing she had said things she shouldn't have, Serval immediately looked up at the ceiling.
"Alright, I still have a lot of work to finish, so I won't keep you all here. By the way, you're pretty quick with your hands and have high comprehension; ever considered becoming my assistant? The pay might be average, but I won't treat you poorly in other aspects." Serval tried to persuade Stelle to stay like a cheap laborer.
"Sure, no problem." Stelle was as eccentric as ever.
March 7th was thoroughly startled. "Huh? You're way too easily tempted!"
"Hahaha, just kidding, don't take it seriously." Seeing March 7th's objection, Serval immediately clarified it was just a joke.
The group left the workshop. Looking at the time, it was getting rather late, so they decided to head to the hotel to rest.
Walking along leisurely, they unconsciously arrived in front of the alley guarded by the Silvermane Guards that Gepard had mentioned. They originally intended to walk right past, but March 7th, who loved watching the commotion, noticed a middle-aged citizen negotiating with a guard and pulled the others to a stop.
They saw a stern Silvermane Guard shouting loudly, "Step back! This is your final warning."
The citizen was terrified by the guard's angry shout, but instead of stepping back, he stammered anxiously, "B-but all my proof of property is in there! I have nothing..."
Without waiting for him to finish, the stern Silvermane Guard directly interrupted, "The Fragmentum has eroded the district! You can submit a property retrieval application to the Architects, but non-guards are strictly forbidden to enter."
Hearing this, March 7th sighed, "The Fragmentum erosion has even spread inside the city; the only ones who suffer are ordinary people."
"This world is truly plagued by disasters. Good thing we're here—once we resolve the Stellaron issue, they won't have to endure so much misery," Mr. Shen Wan sighed as well.
Seeing that the middle-aged citizen still hadn't left, a gentle guard said to him, "Old man, you should give up on that thought. The Corridor is extremely dangerous right now, and we're doing this for your own safety."
The citizen remained extremely panicked, "If I can't get my proof of property, what difference is there between me and a dead man? Move aside, let me in..."
Hearing this, the guards sighed, having no choice but to keep blocking the citizen who kept trying to rush into the Corridor.
Watching this scene, a shadow fell over everyone's eyes. Losing their appetite for drama, they silently walked toward the hotel by the street.
Arriving at the hotel and speaking with the front desk, they received the keys to the four rooms officially reserved for them in advance, and everyone prepared to have a proper chat.
"Ah... I'm so exhausted. Right now I just want to collapse onto a soft, giant bed and sleep..." March 7th began by whining, then continued to complain, "It feels like on every single Trailblaze expedition, we get put through the wringer on day one. Right, Dan Heng?"
"That's entirely because you have too much energy," Dan Heng said concisely.
March 7th once again tried to change the subject. "Such a bright lobby! Tonight we get soft mattresses and bouncy pillows! Should we have a pillow fight tonight? Should we, should we? I bet the pillows in this hotel are made of velvet~"
Dan Heng tried to steer the conversation back on track. "March, back at Qlipoth Fort..."
"Stop! I know what you're going to say: 'March, you talked too much back there,' 'March, you shouldn't have revealed our motives to someone we don't trust'... I know, I know, who told you guys to talk in circles and not speak plainly?"
"But look, didn't the outcome turn out pretty good? We got VIP treatment, a super luxurious hotel, and the full support of the local faction! Looks like this Trailblaze mission is going smoothly!"
Dan Heng was speechless. "No... actually, that's not what I wanted to say." March's Maginot Line was completely useless.
"Fine, fine, go ahead," March 7th said without a shred of embarrassment.
"Back at Qlipoth Fort—did you notice that 'Supreme Guardian'?"
"Of course I did. Having been with you guys for so long, my observational skills have been honed into—heh, something exceptionally sharp."
"Then, did you notice anything?" Mr. Shen Wan spoke up.
"Nah, she seemed like a pretty normal lady. Aside from being a bit hard to talk to at first, she was quite gentle once we reasoned with her." She changed her tone. "It's just that her gaze had a kind of penetrating quality to it. It felt like she wasn't paying attention to us at all, but rather looking at something behind us."
"Mm, I had a similar feeling, as if there were more than just the few of us in that room," Dan Heng added.
"Hey, now that you mention it, that's a bit... creepy..." March 7th was fearless about most things, but supernatural phenomena like ghosts terrified her.
Stelle chimed in with her usual absurdity, "It must have been an invisible man."
Mr. Shen Wan rubbed his temples. "She was probably just looking at the Stellaron."
"!!" Everyone looked at Mr. Shen Wan.
Dan Heng spoke first, "Did Mr. Shen Wan discover something?"
Mr. Shen Wan said, "I have previously encountered worlds affected by Stellarons, so I have some understanding of their nature. Some Stellarons possess a consciousness of their own, which they use to bewitch people's hearts. Inside Qlipoth Fort, I felt a very dense concentration of Path Energy of Destruction. In all likelihood, the Stellaron has already bewitched Cocolia."
"What should we do now?" March 7th panicked slightly.
"Don't worry. If I didn't still need to find out the exact location of the Stellaron, I would have taken down both the Stellaron and Cocolia right then and there. For now, everyone should go get some proper rest, since today was indeed exhausting." Mr. Shen Wan didn't take the matter to heart at all. After all, as an Emanator of Erudition and Genius Society #50, these were mere trifles. In other words, as long as he was willing to act, the trio's Trailblaze journey was purely sightseeing. If not for wanting to hitch a ride on the Astral Express, Mr. Shen Wan wouldn't have bothered staying with them.
"Then where should we go to find out the exact location of the Stellaron? Why don't we just tie up Cocolia? She definitely knows where it is." Stelle proposed a viable plan.