Chapter 63 - 62: Svarog Chooses to Follow Orders

If Svarog could swear, he would probably let out a string of expletives right now. Fake? How could it be fake? The data calculations and feedback from the starship, along with Svarog's own data records, confirmed that an Imperial-class starship was indeed on its way to Jarilo-VI through continuous warp jumps. Moreover, this identification was enough to allow the starship's immense computational power to invade and destroy Svarog. However, what Svarog didn't know was that Pei Guang wasn't yet aware of his starship's capabilities. He was still thinking about how to learn some hacking skills. After all, he hadn't actually boarded the starship yet; he had only set up some tasks and base protocols. The only thing that puzzled Svarog was why the foundational protocol had a repeated directive. Two protocols should be enough, so why was one repeated? What if it's fake? Even if it is, the massive amount of calculated data from the starship could instantly destroy Svarog's core. According to Svarog's calculations, there was a 70% chance the starship was real, and a 90% chance his core would be destroyed if he refused Pei Guang's orders. And the requests Pei Guang made didn't violate his core laws. His demands were simply to follow his orders as long as they didn't conflict with Svarog's baseline protocols. Refusing meant the Underworld's destruction, while agreeing meant the Underworld would continue to be safeguarded. Svarog had no choice, none at all! Svarog tossed the starship certification back: "New task, follow the commands of starship holder 'Pei Guang' to a certain extent, without violating core principles." Clara: "Huh?" Seele: "Huh?" Bronya: "Huh?" Both Seele and Bronya had already given up thinking too much, but now they realized they hadn't given up enough! How long had Pei Guang and Svarog been talking? Two sentences! And in just two sentences, Svarog had switched sides? What kind of tactic was this? Seeing the result, March 7th clapped Pei Guang on the shoulder: "Pei Guang! Impressive! I had no idea your starship could be used like that!" Pei Guang crossed his arms proudly, head held high: "Ha! Do you know who I am? I'm an experienced player. Who else would skip grinding quests and straight up challenge the boss?" Stelle mimicked Pei Guang, crossing her arms: "Exactly, do you even know who Pei Guang is? His experience is unparalleled. Oh, Pei Guang, I want a starship too~" Pei Guang waved her off: "Get your own!" Stelle pulled out her Findie. At that moment, the Compass felt an overwhelming sense of destruction emanating from Stelle. She hadn't spoken, but it felt like Stelle was saying: "If you don't find me a trash can, you'd better be prepared for what's coming." Pei Guang, understanding the value of both carrot and stick, knew that just threats wouldn't be enough. What if Svarog found a chance to betray them? Even though Svarog was a machine, he figured it'd be easier to complete his mission if he threw in a little reward along with the threats. Pei Guang turned to Svarog: "Svarog, my main mission is to find, seal, or destroy the Stellaron. If the main mission fails, humanity's last refuge will face annihilation. But I can take the people of this world to the nearest habitable planet." After hearing this, Svarog updated his task: "Task update: assist starship holder 'Pei Guang' to the fullest extent, as long as it does not violate core principles." This time, Seele wasn't bothered. Fewer fights and still surviving? What could be better than that? As for the process... that didn't matter. Bronya, on the other hand, had a lot on her mind. Her expression was very complicated at this point. She had initially wanted to ask Pei Guang to help ensure the survival of the people in this world, but now... After hearing Svarog's task update, March 7th couldn't help but comment: "Wow, another upgrade. You just made the robot kneel! Pei Guang, you're like a god! Teach me how to speedrun the world!" Stelle: "Celebrate! Celebrate!" Stelle said "celebrate" while lightly tapping Pei Guang with her bat, accompanied by a burst of fireworks appearing around him, as if she were really celebrating his achievement. Pei Guang: "Stop, stop! If you're celebrating, fine, but don't hit me!" Stelle, deep in thought, finally came up with a better target for celebration. She turned to a large, chubby robot standing next to Svarog and began tapping it with her bat. Stelle: "Celebrate!" The robot, now covered in confetti and fireworks: "Celebrate!" Dan Heng: "..." Dan Heng couldn't help but admire Pei Guang's adaptability. So many worlds, so many people coming and going on the Astral Express, but this was the first time he had seen someone like Pei Guang. He really did use every tool available to him. Dan Heng had thought the starship would only be for escape plans, but who could've guessed it would have such an impact? Seeing that Pei Guang had yet to give further commands, Svarog prepared to leave. He needed to recalculate based on the new data. Not only because Pei Guang was such an unpredictable variable, but also because the starship's shared data had revealed a critical piece of information: "The Supreme Guardian intends to use the Stellaron to destroy Belobog." With this new information, Svarog had to figure out how to prevent Cocolia's plans without relying on Pei Guang's intervention. "We're leaving, Clara. The furnace core needs guarding. Starship bearer, if you have any commands, I'll be at the furnace core waiting." After saying this, Svarog left with a still-bewildered Clara. Raised by Svarog, Clara had developed strong logic and reasoning abilities, but Pei Guang's maneuvering had given her a crushing blow of realization beyond her understanding. Watching them leave, Seele muttered to herself: "We won? Svarog's switched sides? And we can leave the planet?" Bronya, on the other hand, was completely lost in thought. She turned to Pei Guang: "Uh... can I have another cup of coffee?" Pei Guang shook his head: "Nope, it's a hassle to carry you back. I'll give you more when we return. Didn't think you'd actually like that stuff." March 7th stretched with a yawn: "Hmm~ Didn't expect this mission to be so easy? Let's head back and rest, I'm wiped out after all this running around." From the trip to Rivet Town to now, the group had barely rested. March 7th had initially thought they'd have to fight Svarog, but who would've thought Pei Guang could solve the problem with just a few words and even recruit an ally? This kind of outcome was something she had never experienced on other planets, and it was fascinating to her. But despite the excitement, she couldn't ignore her exhaustion. She really needed some sleep to recover from the mental strain. Dan Heng felt the same way. If they didn't rest soon, his brain might explode. As for Stelle? Right now, she only wanted to hug her Findie and find more trash cans to open. She was determined to get herself a starship!