“Svarog, I want to know why you required us to show you our strength.”
Having learned the origin of the conflict, Su Yan stepped up to Svarog.
Dan Heng and the others followed close behind.
Hearing the question, Svarog turned his gaze to Su Yan.
Having witnessed Su Yan’s sheer power, he was now willing to cooperate.
“…To access information on the Stellaron, you must demonstrate your strength.
Anyone whose strength does not exceed my own is unqualified to receive information regarding the Stellaron.”
“Then why didn’t you just say so?!
Why jump straight to attacking us?” March 7th put her hands on her hips, feeling both speechlessly annoyed and helpless.
“According to my calculations…
even if I had explained beforehand, the process would still end in combat.
For those incapable of defeating me, prior explanation serves no utility.”
“Conclusion: Direct combat was the optimal choice…”
“No, it wasn’t optimal at all!” March 7th threw up her hands, utterly exasperated by the robot’s blunt logic.
“I think it makes sense.
Saves time,” Stelle said, agreeing with Svarog’s explanation.
“Your logic is way too direct as well,” March 7th deadpanned at Stelle.
“Now that we have defeated you, you can share the intelligence regarding the Stellaron…”
Dan Heng interjected, steering the conversation back onto track.
“Affirmative.” Svarog’s optical visor flickered a few times as he looked at Dan Heng and the group.
“I require an external interface device…”
Dan Heng handed over his phone, while Su Yan thawed Svarog from his icy prison.
“Scanning…
Connection viable…”
Svarog then proceeded to display his recorded logs regarding the Stellaron for Su Yan and the group.
For entries lacking video footage, Svarog provided verbal explanations himself.
Seele, Su Yan, and the others listened quietly to the historical data.
A short distance away, Sampo silently observed the unfolding situation…
“…What an unexpected turn of events!
I’d better step up my game too!”
With a quiet mutter, Sampo slipped away.
He had been trailed constantly by Dan Heng recently, leaving him no opportunity to carry out his plans.
Now that all the Nameless were occupied listening to Svarog’s history lesson, he finally had his chance to move…
Nobody noticed Sampo’s departure.
Su Yan and the group were engrossed in the video logs, while several Wildfire members marveled at the bizarre mass Su Yan had created, and the rest busied themselves clearing the streets.
The Eternal Freeze blanketing the planet was created by the Stellaron, and the person who commanded the Stellaron to bring forth the Eternal Freeze was none other than the first Supreme Guardian, Alisa Rand.
The Stellaron was corrupting Belobog’s Supreme Guardians—perhaps every single generation of them.
One or two…
might have resisted the Stellaron’s corrupting whispers, but to say every single Supreme Guardian was immune…
Dan Heng deemed the likelihood exceedingly low.
He suspected the worst-case scenario had already transpired: Belobog’s high-ranking leadership was corrupted by the Stellaron, making them enemies.
After all…
He looked up toward the ceiling above.
An ordinary person…
or rather, a rational leader, wouldn’t cut off the Overworld from the Underworld like this!
To seal the Stellaron, they had to ascertain the Overworld’s true stance first!
If the leadership proved to be enemies, contingency plans needed to be drafted in advance to avoid being stabbed in the back during the final confrontation…
Dan Heng shared his suspicions with the others, and both Stelle and March 7th agreed.
“Dan Heng’s right, that’s definitely possible.”
“Corruption?
That’s actually very plausible…” Oleg had once served in the Silvermane Guards and had seen Cocolia in her youth.
The Cocolia back then was night and day compared to who she was now; they were practically two entirely different people.
“The video logs mentioned that the Eternal Freeze was caused by the Stellaron.
Once the Stellaron is sealed, will the Eternal Freeze disappear?”
Rather than Cocolia, Natasha cared more about a practical matter directly tied to daily life.
If sealing the source of disaster changed nothing and life didn’t improve, what point was there in sealing it?
“Once the Stellaron is sealed, the Eternal Freeze will dissipate, and the Fragmentum will cease expanding,” Dan Heng explained to Natasha and the locals.
“The existing ice, snow, and Fragmentum will gradually recede, though it will be a long process…”
“Knowing it will recede is enough for us,” Natasha said softly.
Seele and Oleg wore matching expressions of quiet resolve.
So long as a better future was possible, they were willing to fight for it.
“I have a way to accelerate the retreat of the Fragmentum.”
Su Yan’s abrupt statement immediately drew everyone’s attention.
Dan Heng looked flabbergasted—the more one knew about the cosmos, the more astounding such a claim was.
Within the wider universe, technology capable of purging the Fragmentum might exist—at least, Dan Heng believed a Genius could devise such a thing.
But…
As far as Dan Heng knew, no such product was currently circulating on the market.
Dan Heng cast a thoughtful glance at Su Yan.
*Another miraculous item?*
The Fusion Gun, the special armor manufacturing device, the scanner, the Infinite-series Curios, and now an item that could clear the Fragmentum.
One after another after another…
Over the past three days, the sheer number of Curios Su Yan had produced was far too high.
Having a dozen Curios of the exact same type was beyond bizarre.
Unlike Dan Heng’s analytical doubts, Natasha, Seele, and the others were overjoyed.
Given Su Yan’s track record, they were fully inclined to believe him.
Seele and the locals hoped with all their hearts that Su Yan was telling the truth.
Any rational person wanted a better future.
At the same time, their favorability toward Su Yan’s group surged, evidenced by the string of system notifications sounding off in Su Yan’s mind.
With hope restored for the future, Oleg and the others became even more energized.
“Where were we earlier?
Right, investigating the Overworld…”
Oleg steered the conversation back to the main topic.
“How do we confirm whether someone has been corrupted by the Stellaron?”
“It’s simple.” Su Yan presented the scanner device to the group and explained its function.
“This scanner can analyze and display personal information…”
As he spoke, he scanned Seele with the device, and the corresponding data appeared on a holographic screen:
[Name: Seele] [Race: Human] [Status: Healthy] [Energy Level: C] [Info: Pathstrider (The Hunt)…]
The displayed information was brief.
Su Yan pointed to the status bar and explained, “If someone is corrupted by the Stellaron, it will be flagged right here in the status column.”
“An unexpectedly high-tech solution…” March 7th remarked.
“Technology improves lives,” Stelle added in agreement.
Hearing the duo’s banter, Oleg swallowed what he was about to say and switched to a different question: “Next problem—who should handle the investigation?”
Hearing this, the group exchanged glances, but nobody spoke up immediately.
“I’m willing to give it a shot, but…” Stelle turned to Seele and the locals.
“I only know people from the Underworld.
Do any of you have photos of Belobog’s high-ranking officials?”
“I’ve lived in the Underworld my whole life.
I don’t know anyone from the Overworld,” Seele admitted.
Stelle looked at the others, but they shook their heads in turn.
Perhaps photos had existed once, but…
Ever since the Underworld was sealed off, the resentment of the populace needed an outlet.
Not a single portrait of the Supreme Guardian could remain intact in the Underworld!