Chapter 35: Keeping a Low Profile

The tension finally bled out of Chen’s shoulders.

As he relaxed, he found himself staring at the majestic figure of Gepard, so close he could almost reach out and touch her.

‘A treasure mountain lies before me,’he thought, a familiar avarice glinting in his eyes.’Would it not be a crime to leave empty-handed?’

Without a second thought, he surged forward, extending both hands towards the Silvermane Guard Captain with a performance of utter sincerity.

“Thank you so much, Officer!

If you hadn’t arrived in the nick of time, we really wouldn’t have known what to do!” he gushed, his voice thick with manufactured gratitude.

“You are truly our savior!”

Even as the words tumbled out, his hands had already found their target, enthusiastically gripping Gepard’s gauntleted hand.

The moment flesh met metal, the familiar interface deep within his consciousness flared to life.

A new icon, one radiating a evident sense of duty and unwavering determination, materialized and lit up.

It settled into place beside the cynical, smirking icon of Sampo, the two forming a stark, almost comical contrast.

‘Success!’

Gepard, clearly unaccustomed to such effusive displays of public gratitude, seemed to stiffen.

She made a subtle attempt to withdraw her hand, her professional composure momentarily ruffled.

But Chen had already accomplished his mission.

He released her hand smoothly, the grateful, star-struck expression on his face not wavering in the slightest.

It was in that brief, shared moment of distraction that chaos erupted.

“Ow!

Have mercy, Officer!

I was wrong!

I was truly, deeply wrong!”

Sampo, still held fast by two Silvermane Guards, let out a piercing wail.

Her body went limp, slumping downwards as if her bones had turned to jelly.

The two guards instinctively tightened their grip, trying to hoist her back up.

It was a fatal mistake.

Sampo’s seemingly boneless frame was as slippery as an eel in water.

Using some unfathomable sleight of hand, a cloud of vibrant, multicolored smoke suddenly exploded from beneath her feet.

The smoke billowed outwards with astonishing speed, instantly obscuring vision and carrying a potent, tear-inducing agent.

The two guards holding her, along with the unprepared Chen and his companions, were immediately overcome, dissolving into fits of hacking coughs and streaming eyes.

“Cough, cough!

Stop her!” Gepard’s voice cut through the haze, sharp and commanding.

She had reacted instantly, holding her breath against the acrid fumes.

With her spear already in hand, she executed a swift, precise thrust into the smoke, aiming for where she calculated Sampo would be fleeing.

A muffled, slippery laugh echoed from within the colorful cloud, a clear sign that Sampo had been prepared for just such a counter.

Gepard’s seemingly perfect strike met with little resistance, snagging nothing more than a scrap of torn fur.

When the biting wind finally began to disperse the smoke, all that remained on the pristine snow was a long, shallow trench sliding towards a distant ice crevice.

Of Sampo herself, there was no sign at all.

“Pursue!” Gepard’s face was a thundercloud of frustration.

Without a moment’s hesitation, she gave chase, her figure a blur against the snow as she followed the trail.

“You two,” she barked over her shoulder to the remaining guards, “escort them back to the city!

Do not fail!”

“Yes, Officer!” the two Silvermane Guards snapped in unison, though a flicker of disappointment crossed their faces.

They watched their chance for meritorious action vanish into the blizzard, leaving them with the tedious task of babysitting a few lost “kids.”

Just as Gepard’s form disappeared into the swirling wind and snow, a voice drifted back, faint and distorted by the distance.

It was female, laced with clear annoyance, yet highlighted by a strange, unsettling hint of amusement.

“Little brother—!

This debt, and that kick…

Big Sister will re—mem—ber— this—!”

The voice stretched out, the last word echoing across the vast, empty snowfields before being swallowed by the wind.

Chen rubbed at his eyes, red and stinging from the smoke, a mixture of amusement and exasperation warring within him.

Unlocking Gepard’s icon was a definite win, but it seemed he had thoroughly and completely offended Sampo in the process.

He had a sinking feeling that this world’s “Cold-Legged Big Sister” was even more persistent and held a far deeper grudge than her original counterpart.

“Hey, Chen…” March 7th sidled up to him, whispering as he dabbed at his own teary eyes.

“It seems like… you’re in big trouble?

That woman sounds like the type you really don’t want to cross.”

Dan Heng said nothing, his gaze fixed first on the direction Sampo had disappeared, then on the snow where Gepard had given chase, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Caelus let out a small, delicate sneeze, her nose wrinkling at the lingering, strangely sweet scent of the colorful smoke.

“Alright, everyone,” one of the remaining Silvermane Guards announced, stepping forward.

His tone was professional, but a bit weary.

“Please follow us.

We must return to Belobog immediately.”

Chen nodded, pushing his thoughts of Sampo’s promised retribution to the back of his mind.

The primary objective was to get inside the city.

Sampo’s grudge could be a drama for another day.

Under the escort of the two guards—one leading the way, the other bringing up the rear—the small group began their silent march along the increasingly rugged, snow-covered path.

The colossal city walls ahead grew clearer with every step, their sheer scale becoming more and more apparent.

March 7th, however, was practically vibrating with a bellyful of questions and complaints.

He waited for the perfect moment.

The lead guard was preoccupied, squinting to identify trail markers nearly buried in the snow, while the guard at the rear had fallen back a few paces to inspect their tracks.

He seized his chance, leaning into Chen and nudging him with an elbow.

“Hey, Chen!

I’ve been meaning to ask!” he whispered urgently.

“Why didn’t we just tell that impressive officer who we are?

Just say we’re from the Astral Express, here to help with the Stellaron crisis!

If we did that, we might’ve gotten to see their top leader directly.

Wouldn’t that be way more efficient?”

The question ‘Doesn’t this go against our straightforward Trailblazer style?’ was written all over his face.

Chen was momentarily taken aback.

A half-pitying, half-exasperated expression crossed his face, as if looking at a hopelessly naive child.

“Oh, March, you’re thinking too simply,” he whispered back, his words quick and low.

“We just got here.

We’re strangers in a strange land.

Who knows what their protocols are?

What if they think we’re scammers or some kind of suspicious element and just lock us up?

It’s better to follow them into the city first and get a feel for the situation.”

That was the official story, anyway.

His mind, however, was racing with a completely different, far more alarming set of calculations.

‘If we actually revealed our identities and went straight to the Supreme Guardian,’he thought frantically,’that would be the real disaster.’He dredged up his memories of the original game’s plot.’According to the storyline I know, the current Supreme Guardian of Belobog, Cocolia—or, uh, in this world, it’s probably Mr.

Cocolia—is likely about eighty percent corrupted by the Stellaron by now.

Marching right up to his front door?

That’s not a plan, that’s just walking into a trap!

We’d be labeled rebels and slapped on a city-wide wanted list before we could even say ‘Stellaron’!’He shuddered internally.’Forget investigating the crisis; we’d be starring in a real-life version of Escape from the Eternal Freeze!’He probably wouldn’t be too afraid if he had to transform and fight his way out, but… his gaze unconsciously drifted to Caelus, who was walking quietly beside him.

The girl seemed to have become fascinated by the grand city walls, her head tilted back as she took in their immense scale.’The most important thing is… Caelus’s Path of Destruction hasn’t awakened yet!’This was Chen’s deepest, most pressing concern.

Jarilo-VI was a planet deeply intertwined with the Path of Preservation.

In the original plot, this was where the Trailblazer first awakened that very power.’If, because of my meddling, she doesn’t awaken Destruction and I somehow mess up her connection to Preservation…’

The joke would be on him, and it would be a cosmic one.

The thought solidified his resolve.

They had to enter the city quietly, observe from the shadows, and find opportunities to contact key figures on their own terms.

He had to cautiously guide Caelus’s journey.

Unlocking his Gallery of transformations was important, but ensuring the proper development of Caelus’s Paths was absolutely vital.

This was about the very foundation of her future power, something that could influence the fate of worlds.

“So,” Chen concluded, patting the shoulder of the still-dubious March 7th.

He adopted a sage, I’m-doing-this-for-the-greater-good tone.

“Let’s just play the part of some lost, wealthy kids for a few days.

We’ll get a clear picture of the city’s situation, especially the high-ranking figures and the attitudes of the various factions, before we make our move.”

He paused for dramatic effect.

“This is called… strategic low-profiling!

Dan Heng, wouldn’t you agree?”

Suddenly pulled into the conversation, Dan Heng gave Chen a faint, knowing glance before offering a curt nod.

“…Gathering sufficient intelligence before acting is the correct approach.”

Caelus turned her head, her silver eyes moving from Chen, who was proudly sharing his “experience,” to March 7th, who was nodding along as if he only half-understood.

Finally, her gaze passed over them both, settling on the approaching gate of Belobog.

Even under its thick, ancient coating of ice and snow, it looked impossibly heavy.

[Elysian’s Note:

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