“Of course we can, pom!
Dear passenger, what…
what are you trying to do?” Seeing Ye Cang lean in, Pom-Pom quickly set down the mini-broom and covered their fluffy face with both hands, looking on guard.
Himeko, however, roughly guessed Ye Cang’s idea.
She spoke thoughtfully, “You mean to use this single terminal as bait to lure that unknown memetic contamination out?” Ye Cang nodded and admitted candidly, “I confess there’s a bit of a gamble here.
But high risk, high reward!
A bicycle turns into a motorcycle, a motorcycle into a Ferrari, a Ferrari into a star-destroyer…” “You’re still obsessed with that star-destroyer?” March 7th was almost exasperated to the point of laughing.
“Am I obsessed with a star-destroyer?
I’m worried about the safety of my rich lady!” Ye Cang declared with a solemn, righteous expression.
Himeko shook her head.
“Whether you’re after the star-destroyer or the rich lady, I don’t approve of you attempting something so dangerous alone…
You aren’t even a Pathstrider.
If you encounter real danger, you won’t even have a chance to fight back.” Ye Cang gave a chuckle, but rebutted with a firm expression, “No, you’re mistaken, Miss Navigator.
This task can only be done by me, and me alone.” “Why?” Himeko was puzzled.
She didn’t understand why Ye Cang, a mere temporary passenger, was so invested in this matter that he was willing to take on such immense risk.
Of course, Ye Cang couldn’t tell her or Little March about his ability to undergo a “Death Loop.” He had to find another excuse to convince them as much as possible: “Precisely because I’m not a powerful Pathstrider, if I get affected, you guys still have ways to save me.
Vice versa?
I have no way to save you.” Himeko froze slightly, her willow brows knitting together.
She accepted Ye Cang’s logic, yet felt as though something was subtly off.
After a long moment, she reined in her thoughts and nodded.
“Alright, we’ll do as you say.
But I have one condition.” “What condition?” “Your reply must be sent under the witness of the entire crew,” Himeko said without hesitation.
“With just me and Little March, we might not be able to guarantee your safety.
But adding Mr.
Yang and Dan Heng, I’m confident that even if you suffer from memetic contamination…” Ye Cang: “You’ll still be able to pull me out of the fire?” Himeko: “We’ll at least be able to collect your corpse.” Ye Cang: “…” After a brief silence, he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“You’ve grown wicked, Big Sister Himeko.” “Didn’t I learn it from you?” Himeko’s lips curved slightly upward.
Clearly, seeing Ye Cang deflated brought her much amusement, easing the gloom brought on by that eerie transmission.
Ye Cang gave a thumbs-up and praised, “As expected of a professional team—so rigorous.
Four people are just enough to carry my coffin, and Pom-Pom can play the trumpet up front…
Oh no, I can already picture it in my head.” Pom-Pom: “?” Under the little creature’s bewildered gaze, Ye Cang flopped lazily onto the sofa, slumping down in a half-dead, relaxed posture.
He chuckled, “Go call the others.
I’ll enjoy the couch’s embrace for a bit, lest I end up lying on a cold coffin board later.” “Alright then.
Rest up for a moment while I head to the archives to see if there are any precautionary measures against memes.” With that, Himeko turned and walked toward the end of the car.
March 7th stood between them, hesitating.
After fidgeting for a while, she gritted her teeth and bade Ye Cang goodbye, saying softly, “Then…
this young lady will go call the others.
Wait here obediently!
And don’t go messing with that comms terminal!” “Definitely.
I’m not the kind of person who seeks death.” Ye Cang smiled faintly, waving at March 7th to urge her along.
The latter departed with a suspicious look, clearly trusting Ye Cang zero percent—or rather, ninety to one hundred percent distrusting him.
Once both of them had departed, the smile on Ye Cang’s face vanished instantly, replaced by a grim, heavy solemnity.
Let the Express crew watch over him while he replied?
How could he?
Even though he possessed the Death Loop, Ye Cang was unwilling to let these people take such a risk.
With a thought, he retrieved the Black and White Mask once more and placed it over his face, allowing it to merge seamlessly with his skin.
At the same time, lines of star-like text floated before his eyes: [Pathless Strider: Ye Cang] Path: None (Pseudo-Abundance) Status: Emanator Light Cone: None Eidolon: None Relic: None Traces: High-Dimensional Overseer, Curse of Eternal Damnation, Turn-Based Game, Phantasm: Right Hand of Remembrance, Phantasm: Left Hand of Remembrance (Replica) Inventory: [Death Diary], Black and White Mask Info: At the end of the Path lies misfortune.
The starry sky is contaminated by sinister anomalies, and the universe is filled with cruelty and madness; all Aeons have become unnamable horrors.
Eerie, ominous, contaminated, dark, corrupt, chaotic, mad, foolish, crimson…
You cannot trust anyone.
The only one you can trust is yourself.
Now, forge ahead through death—Pathless Strider.
———— Because everything had been so rushed before, Ye Cang hadn’t had time to inspect his own Trace effects through [Aha]’s perspective—for instance, the badass-sounding [High-Dimensional Overseer].
[High-Dimensional Overseer] Description: Breaks the fourth wall to observe the whole situation from a god-like perspective.
While in the “High-Dimensional Overseer” state, temporarily removes all negative status effects.
Note: This Trace can only be triggered in the “Dimensional Elevation” state.
Belongs to Character: Ye Cang (Pathless Strider).
“?” Ye Cang stared blankly at the neat lines of text before him.
He recognized every single character, but put together, why did they sound so utterly baffling?
Breaks the fourth wall?
God-like perspective?
And what on earth was “Dimensional Elevation”?
What?
Unable to make sense of it, he didn’t dwell on it too long.
He shifted his gaze downward, landing on the remaining Traces.
There was no need to look at [Phantasm: Right Hand of Remembrance] and [Phantasm: Left Hand of Remembrance (Replica)]—he had already fully mastered those.
As for the rest— [Curse of Eternal Damnation] Description: Granting all sentient beings whatever they desire.
The Nurturer of All Life, the God of the Pure Land, has cast its gaze upon you.
As a result, you bear the Curse of Eternal Damnation and will not enter a dead state due to any negative effects…
Note: However, direct damage from Physical, Quantum, Imaginary, Fire, Ice, Wind, Lightning, etc., can still kill you.
Belongs to Character: Ye Cang (Pseudo-Abundance).
…
Ye Cang’s evaluation of this Trace was: Is this Abundance?
Pretty much!
“Will not enter a dead state due to any negative effects”—didn’t that just mean he’d still take every single negative effect without missing a beat?
In short: Useful, but barely.
A chicken rib—useless, yet still possessing a lingering flavor.
With no other choice, he could only pin his hopes on the final Trace skill—