[Beep—Commission Quest initiated. Asta seems distressed about the impending continuous attacks on the space station by the Antimatter Legion. Please go talk to her.]
It had the distinct vibe of an early MMO directing the 'gofer' character and handing out tasks.
Just as Caelus was about to suggest the System update its quest module descriptions, the detailed task information popped up.
[Quest Content: Assist the Space Station Defense Section personnel in repelling the Antimatter Legion, safeguard the station's assets, and rescue its most precious resource—the researchers.]
[Quest Reward: Based on a combined evaluation of results achieved, number of researchers rescued, and Asta's gratitude level. Maximum reward: 648 Stellar Jade.]
H-How much!?
Caelus's eyes flew wide open.
648 Stellar Jade!!!
Had the System lost its mind?
[Well, this reward amount serves partly as compensation for the disrupted beginner benefits, and it's also slightly related to Asta.]
Hearing the System's explanation, Caelus drew in a sharp breath.
Th-This… is this the influence of a cosmic-level heiress?
Generous enough to even affect System rewards!?
That's right!
I am the gofer!
Please, milady heiress, command me as you will!
Restoring the Herta Space Station's glory—it falls to my generation!
Hesitating even for a second would be disrespectful to the heiress and the reward! With a hand formed from pure intent, Caelus fiercely slammed the 'Accept Quest' button in his mind.
Time is life, and life is Stellar Jade!
[Seele, we're heading into battle. Let me take the controls back for a bit.]
Caelus deactivated auto-battle, reclaiming control of his body.
[O-Okay.] Seele replied meekly.
According to the System's mechanics, once auto-battle was disengaged, the 'Proxy AI's' consciousness wouldn't leave immediately but would shift to the body's background.
Only after a period would it be returned to its own body.
This was to prevent the host from frequently switching between manual and auto-battle, which would force the System to remap consciousness each time, wasting energy and processing power.
Keeping Seele's consciousness linked for longer was simple: just toggle auto-battle on and off within fixed intervals.
Dark Seele was another matter. Currently, Caelus's power couldn't support her frequently impacting the Stigmata to activate the 'ultimate'—Illusory Butterfly.
After slightly tweaking the description of 'auto-battle', Caelus explained the ability mechanics to both Seeles. Only after Caelus promised Seele he could 'call her back periodically' did Dark Seele reluctantly and worriedly have her consciousness link severed by the System.
"Hey buddy, what's gotten into you all of a sudden?"
Her delicate hand held firmly in Caelus's grasp, Stelle let him pull her along without resistance or shyness, just looking at him with slight confusion.
The quest module was one of the core modules, and Stelle could only see and use the System Shop module, so she couldn't understand what Caelus was suddenly freaking out about.
"Saving people, obviously! And smashing those Antimatter Legion creeps!"
"Look at your bat. Listen to its inner voice. Do you understand?"
Blinking her golden eyes, Stelle looked down at the bat grasped in her right hand.
The feeling of cracking the skulls of Antimatter Legion troopers with this bat along the way had been incredibly satisfying, making it hard to stop.
Unfortunately, Tramplers weren't suited for her 'delicate constitution', but Voidrangers…
"I get it!"
She didn't know who she was, she didn't know where she was, but she knew she was about to go on a rampage!
"Excellent!"
Seeing Stelle's enlightened expression, Caelus nodded with satisfaction.
Because he and Stelle were essentially one person on a higher dimensional level, the people Stelle saved and the Voidrangers she killed would be counted by the System towards his quest results.
As for Seele, she was 100% authentically Caelus himself while in control, so that went without saying.
"You guys! Wait for me!"
The hurried shout came from behind—it was March 7th, running to catch up.
She now suspected Caelus was having another 'episode'!
However, if the 'symptom' was an urgent desire to save people, maybe it didn't need stopping.
Unexpectedly, Caelus, who had seemed oblivious to his surroundings moments before, stopped dead in his tracks upon hearing her shout.
This caused March 7th to fail her emergency brake, crashing into Caelus's back with a cute "Wah!"
The soft, springy impact made Caelus's mind waver for a fraction of a second, but only that—he could feel Stelle's chest just by touching his own.
"March, I know things are urgent, but don't rush just yet."
Her ample chest distinctly compressed against his back, March 7th's face flushed slightly. Seeing Caelus's calm expression, she secretly sighed in relief, suppressed her embarrassment, and retorted:
"You're the one rushing!"
"Running off so fast… Saving people is good, but do you even know where the next Legion attack is?"
Halfway through her sentence, feeling her good intentions shouldn't be met with blame, March 7th's tone softened, becoming gentler.
"Nope, that's why I stopped to wait for you guys."
Caelus replied matter-of-factly, looking at the silently following Dan Heng.
"Oh, omnipotent Teacher Dan Heng, please lead us to the battle map!"
Stelle and Seele both turned their gazes to Dan Heng at these words. Bearing the weight of two pairs of excited eyes and one pair influenced by them, Dan Heng remained expressionless, sighing inwardly.
However, his opinion of Caelus had improved significantly. Someone whose 'episodes' involved wanting to save people spoke volumes about his true nature… kind.
"Follow me."
Led by Dan Heng, using the keycard Asta had given them earlier, the group took an elevator to the Base Zone.
The place where Stelle and Caelus had woken up was the Containment Zone, which, like the Base Zone, flanked the Master Control Zone.
"Help! I don't want to die!"
Hearing the cry for help, Dan Heng immediately drew his Cloud-Piercer spear, becoming alert: "Prepare for—?"
Before he could finish, a figure shot past him from behind, swift as a weasel glimpsed out of the corner of one's eye.
"Hold on! Hold on! I'm coming!"
Gripping his yo-yo tightly, Caelus shouted as he charged towards the source of the sound.
On the way here, he had already taken the Badge from Seele and equipped it himself.
Fighting elites requires concentrating gear on the main DPS, but for rescue missions like this, shoring up the weakest link is more efficient.
What stunned Dan Heng wasn't just Caelus's speed, but mainly his reaction.
Those golden eyes, seemingly blazing with fury, filled with indignation and urgency, as if the person calling for help wasn't a stranger he'd never met, but his closest kin.
He harbored a deep-seated hatred for the enemies who dared to harm them, wishing he could tear those fiends limb from limb.
Though mentally unstable, he was definitely a good person.
At that moment, Dan Heng reached this conclusion.
Following closely behind Caelus was Seele. The Honkai energy deep within her surged. Her British-style black leather shoes slammed onto the ground, propelling her even faster than Caelus.
"Me too!"
Stelle, bat in hand, charged at the Voidranger that appeared in her vision. Pulling her right leg back in a large stride, she swung the baseball bat with all her might!
Before the Voidranger could react, it felt its body uncontrollably tumble backwards through the air.
Stelle's hands were itching for a fight!
Watching these reckless fools, Dan Heng opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing.
Don't be impulsive; acting calmly is the best policy... but saving lives is urgent.
Cloud-Piercer tore through the air with a sharp whistle.
"Hey, I'll back you up!"
March 7th drew her composite longbow. Her Six-Phased Ice arrows froze and hindered the Voidrangers' movements, or spread out as solid ice shields to block attacks for her allies.
"Thank you! Thank you!"
The female researcher, having survived the ordeal, pushed herself up from the ground on trembling legs, excitedly gripping Caelus's arm to thank him.
"You're welcome. Are you injured?"
A gentle voice reached her. The moment the female researcher looked up, she froze on the spot, her fear completely vanishing.
Starlight filtering through the viewport seemed to shatter against the grey-haired young man's form, adding a delicate, ethereal charm to his inherent quiet temperament and flawless features.
She felt instantly ready to surrender her rational thought to sheer adoration.
The researcher instantly decided how she would repay this kindness.
—Milord's kindness is too great for this humble woman to repay; I can only offer myself!
But Caelus didn't wait for her to say it.
After confirming the rescue target was not in mortal danger, under that gaze that seemed glued to him, he quickly moved to the next injured researcher.
Offering a full suite of care: concern, bandaging, the works.
Simultaneously providing perfect emotional support to the injured researchers.
"..."
Watching the grey-haired figure who had seemingly transformed into a knight of Pure Beauty, March 7th looked on, utterly dumbfounded, as if seeing a ghost.
If she hadn't witnessed the underhanded, bizarre tactics Caelus used when fighting with Stelle, she might have actually been fooled by this sunny, warm-hearted facade.
Yep, his 'mental illness' must be acting up again, right?
March 7th's gaze towards the female researcher gradually filled with pity. She looked at the smitten woman, hesitating, unsure if she should shatter her fantasy.
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