Chapter 74 - 73: Bronya's Resolve

While the group was confused by Pei Guang's obscure reference, he proceeded to explain. "There was once a story about a human who fell in love with a robot searching for its heart. When the robot was discovered by enemies and about to be destroyed, it held them off for 251 seconds, using that time to upload all the emotions it had learned—joy, anger, sorrow, and love for its human companion—to a server for safekeeping. The robot's race could manifest planet-destroying weapons instantly from data, yet it took 251 seconds to upload this particular data." Pei Guang's tone was casual, as if the tale were nothing extraordinary. March 7th felt a twinge of sadness from the simplicity of the story. "The full version of that story must be really touching, huh?" Pei Guang nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah... especially when paired with that song..." "Stop, stop, stop!" March 7th interrupted hastily. "Other people charge money to sing. Your singing costs lives! You can write down the lyrics, hum the tune, and I'll sing it!" Pei Guang shook his head. "Unfortunately, I only remember the tune, not the lyrics." March 7th sighed, "Ah..." Stelle lamented, "What a shame." Pei Guang, ever optimistic, added, "It's no big deal. I bet the Interastral Peace Corporation has an AI that can recreate it. I'll get one to restore the song later. Shouldn't be too hard." After all, in an interstellar civilization, even fully sentient artificial intelligence existed. Recreating a song wouldn't be too challenging. Svarog had been listening quietly from the beginning, but now it finally asked, "How do you intend to handle this machine?" Pei Guang thought carefully before responding. "Under current resource constraints, preserve as much of it as possible. If the day comes when it tries to break free of your control, then you can destroy it." After a brief silence, Svarog replied, "Plan recorded. I will regularly maintain its hardware until the resources are no longer sufficient, or until it surpasses my control limits." As a prototype robot, Svarog had an incredibly advanced calculation ability and high-quality hardware. Despite being over 700 years old, it could easily function for several more centuries without issue. Besides, if Clara ever saw this little robot, she would undoubtedly take good care of it. As for the future? Well, that's a matter for another time. As a player, Pei Guang was always hoping for more problems to arise, which would mean more quests! The group had initially come here to deliver the little robot they had found to avoid any unnecessary trouble later. With Svarog now watching over it, Pei Guang felt reassured. However, just as he was about to leave, Pei Guang asked a question out of curiosity, "Svarog, do you have any data on Stellarons?" The question caught Bronya off guard. Her body tensed up, completely unprepared for Pei Guang to ask about something so serious at a time like this. Pei Guang, on the other hand, had asked purely out of boredom, as though making casual conversation or querying an NPC in a game about some random data. But surprisingly, Svarog did indeed know something important. Svarog responded, "Data and recordings related to Stellarons have been compiled. Would you like me to retrieve them, Starship Captain?" To Svarog, Pei Guang was a figure of immense importance to the survival of the Underworld. Simply possessing a starship capable of planetary destruction made Pei Guang a key figure in ensuring the longevity of Belobog and the Underworld. Thus, it would freely share sensitive data with him. Pei Guang waved casually, "Go ahead, show it. There are no outsiders here. I've already got a pretty good idea about the current state of the Supreme Guardian." The data and recordings were displayed, and Bronya's expression grew troubled as she processed the information. The records revealed that the very first Supreme Guardian had made a wish to the Stellaron to eliminate their enemies, which had led to the onset of the Eternal Freeze. Moreover, the information also disclosed another critical detail: the Supreme Guardian often heard a voice in their head. According to the records, this voice was likely the Stellaron itself. Based on this data, her guess might be correct. Her mother, Cocolia, likely couldn't resist the erosion of the Stellaron, and was killed, controlled, or perhaps even worse... As Bronya considered this possibility, her body trembled. But March 7th excitedly slapped Pei Guang on the shoulder: "Wow! You guessed everything right when we were on the train? The leader of this place caused the world's disaster, and the current leader wants to destroy the world. Except for some details, you nailed it!" March 7th clearly remembered Pei Guang's speculations back on the train. When he complained about the limited information they had, everyone thought Pei Guang might get some things right, but no one expected he would guess everything so accurately! Stelle looked at Pei Guang with excitement: "I knew sticking with you was the right choice!" Pei Guang waved his hand dismissively: "Eh, nothing special! This is just a common trope. Guessing it right doesn't mean I'm awesome. It's thanks to Dan Heng's great data collection. If we had no information, I wouldn't have been able to guess anything. Every piece of the puzzle is indispensable!" March 7th gestured dramatically and said: "Oh, come on! It's amazing, alright? I've been to so many worlds, and even with Uncle Yang and Dan Heng gathering information beforehand, I've never seen anyone predict things as accurately as you. Hmm~ I'd say this was the most fun and hassle-free world we've visited so far. Even getting captured wasn't a frantic rush of dodging and fighting~" Stelle: "Of course! Do you even know who he is? He's Pei Guang, the one doomed to lose any gamble!" Pei Guang: "?!?" Stelle: "What's up?" Pei Guang: "Why are you exposing me like this?" Stelle responded confidently: "Isn't that proof of how accurate your predictions are?" Pei Guang: "Fair point. Today, I'll bet you a meal." Stelle: "Heh~ I won't bet." She wasn't going to fall into Pei Guang's trap. Betting with him, where winning brings no reward, was just setting herself up for pain. As the two started bickering, Bronya looked at Pei Guang and asked: "Can I ask... what do you think about what's happening in Belobog?" Bronya's mind was a mess, and she desperately needed Pei Guang's perspective. She wanted to know how he viewed the truth about this place. Hearing the question, Pei Guang put on a thoughtful expression: "What do I think? Hmm... with my brain, of course?" March 7th chimed in sarcastically: "I don't think that's what she meant, but technically, your answer isn't wrong." Bronya quickly shook her head and clarified: "That's not what I meant. I'm asking what you think about these events. Like..." Pei Guang thought for a moment: "What do I think? Not much, honestly. If I had to say something, I'd point out that Seele's outfit is pretty eye-catching, and yours—your tights are quite attractive too. You're both stunning ladies, though, sorry to say, you fall a little short compared to March. She outshines you both in every way!" March 7th looked at Pei Guang: "Are these the things you focus on? But I think Bronya was asking how you view the storyline." March 7th had caught the meaning behind Bronya's words. Despite Pei Guang being highly intelligent at times, he could occasionally be oblivious. In March 7th's view, it wasn't a lack of intelligence—just a failure to connect with Bronya's wavelength. Once they were on the same page, everything would make sense. Pei Guang: "Ah, you should've said so. You're asking what I think about the plot? Ah? Classic trope. A typical top-vs-bottom conflict, a classic villain. I can even guess some of what you're planning to do." Feeling Pei Guang's gaze on her, Bronya trembled: "Me? What could I possibly do?" Pei Guang thought for a moment: "I have a guess, but let me ask you first—what are your thoughts right now?" Upon hearing his question, Bronya combined what she had realized with the information she had just received and shared her thoughts. "I believe my mother was influenced by the Stellaron ever since she decided to close off the lower and upper districts. In recent years, it has completely taken control of her." Bronya continued: "I still believe my mother is a good person. She lacked knowledge in military matters, which is why, when I was young, she sent me to train with the Silvermane Guards. But in recent years, my mother—no, the Stellaron—has been overstepping, giving direct orders, even pushing us to attack outside. I've talked to Gepard many times about it. But my mother—or rather, the Stellaron—keeps ordering us to charge, as if she wants us to... die." With the intel she had and her own understanding, Bronya revealed her plan: "I have a plan, and I want your help. Help me unify the Underworld, and then, together with everyone from the Underworld, we'll go to the Overworld to seek the help of the Landau family. We'll secretly gather forces to confront the Stellaron, and I will personally meet with the current Supreme Guardian." Seeing that Pei Guang hadn't interrupted, Bronya continued: "If, at that time, my mother is not under control and has merely made grave mistakes out of despair, I will personally arrest her and ensure she faces justice. But if the Stellaron has truly taken over my mother, I ask you all to help me defeat or seal the Stellaron!" "My mother is human, and humans make mistakes. She taught me that we must take responsibility for our wrongdoings. If she's made mistakes, I will face the consequences with her. Even if we are judged by the people, I will accept it." "But if it's the Stellaron using my mother's name to wreak havoc and destroy Belobog, which the Supreme Guardians have protected for 700 years, then no matter the cost, I will destroy the Stellaron. Even if we can't eliminate it, I hope you'll all fight with me to the very end!" "The will of Preservation will not be extinguished!" Bronya had received extensive formal training since childhood, and her time with the Silvermane Guards had taught her military strategy and tactics. However, after saying all this, she looked nervously at Pei Guang. She had a plan, but she was uncertain, and lacked confidence in herself. Noticing her gaze, Pei Guang asked with confusion: "Why are you looking at me? You've made your decision: how you act is your business. As for us? We'll just go on a rampage when you give the word." Stelle: "Exactly! We don't know who we are, or where we are, but we're going to wreck everything in sight!" Pei Guang: "Hey, don't steal my lines! The Stellaron is the villain, destroying your world and controlling your mother. In the end, we'll just kill the Stellaron as a tribute to the heavens!" Stelle, excited: "Blood for the blood god!!!" Bronya: "Exactly... we'll eliminate the Stellaron, in honor of all those who sacrificed themselves for Preservation!!" Watching Bronya's gaze grow more determined, March 7th took a deep breath. March 7th: "Why do I feel like this girl's a little unhinged?" Pei Guang whispered: "Wouldn't you be? Born, but not raised, and now having to repay the debt. Raised, but not by blood, and now it's a debt no one could repay in a hundred lifetimes. I'm not mistaken—she's the adopted daughter of the Supreme Guardian, right? From the way her story's written, she's a person of deep emotion and loyalty. Imagine the mother who gave you everything being controlled by the Stellaron and leading the world to ruin. Just thinking about it, you can feel her anger." March 7th: "True. If someone important to me was controlled and became the cause of world destruction, I'd tear the culprit apart. No! Into ten thousand pieces!" Pei Guang: "Exactly! But this is also the benefit of complete freedom. In the game world, she wouldn't have that many choices, but here, in such a free world, she can make decisions based on the information she gathers and her own will." While Pei Guang and March 7th were chatting, Stelle and Bronya seemed to be brimming with determination on their side. Up until this point, everything was normal. But slowly, the atmosphere at the scene became a bit off. The first to act strange was Stelle, who, feeling the vibe, planted her bat into the ground and began bouncing around it, full of excitement. Seeing her antics, Pei Guang stepped in to stop her. "Stelle! What you're doing... lacks grace, and is far from enjoyable~" Hearing this, Stelle's eyes lit up. "Oh? What's your great idea, Pei Guang?" Pei Guang took out a speaker from his backpack, and the familiar beat of "dun ts dun ts" started playing. This time, however, Pei Guang switched to a different dance. 〇〇亅 ╲〇丿し〇ノ /| /\ ) 〈 「╲ It was an extremely simple, repetitive set of movements, something that anyone could pick up just by watching. Compared to Stelle's earlier random, chaotic jumping, this dance, which involved looping around the bat to the beat of the music, carried an inexplicable charm. Unlike the chaotic "gangster sway," this was a much simpler dance. After watching Pei Guang complete a round, Stelle quietly joined in. The rhythmic music combined with the hypnotic dance gave the scene an unexpected aesthetic appeal. Bronya, still lost in her rage, muttered words of vengeance under her breath. Meanwhile, behind her, Pei Guang and Stelle were hopping around the bat to the beat. If it had just been the two of them, it wouldn't have been so bad. But after March 7th took a few pictures, set her camera to record and joined them with Seele, it became an entirely different scene. At the same time, outside the robot settlement, Clara was running back with some robots. "Mr. Svarog, we—" When Clara saw the dismantled gate, her heart jumped. And when she entered and saw four people dancing around a stick, with Bronya muttering to herself in the front, she rubbed her eyes. One person deep in thought up front, four people dancing around a bat to a strange rhythm in the back—it couldn't have been more bizarre. Clara: "Uh...?"