NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2: Chapter 2: The Path Between Fates
[System Notification]
Mission Objective: Stelle/Caelus
Time Limit: One System Hour
Target Emotional Value: 500
Failure Results in Immediate Return
"Hold up, there are way too many issues here!" Gu Fan muttered.
The system remained silent, signaling that the mission had already begun. One system hour equated to a real-world hour—an extremely tight deadline.
Cursing under his breath, Gu Fan stepped forward. Under Silver Wolf's surprised gaze, he grabbed Kafka's hand just as she was about to select the protagonist's gender.
Meeting Kafka's steady gaze, Gu Fan made the choice himself. He had no intention of romancing a male character—when playing Star Rail, he'd always chosen the female protagonist.
After all, with the female protagonist's tall figure and long, shapely legs, why would anyone choose differently?
"Elio said this was an important choice," Kafka remarked, her tone neutral. Gu Fan couldn't detect any displeasure, though he found it difficult to read her emotions in general.
"Didn't Elio also say to bring me along? Maybe this is what she meant," Gu Fan replied.
Kafka said nothing more, seemingly accepting his sudden intervention.
The female protagonist—Stelle—materialized before them, her form "printed" into existence. She stood there, fair-skinned and statuesque, wearing a stylish, designer-quality dark coat and a short skirt. With such looks and figure, in the real world, she'd be scouted by modeling agencies in an instant, with supermodel being her minimum career trajectory.
Gu Fan couldn't help but feel his heart skip a beat.
Unlike in the game, Kafka didn't immediately press the Stellaron into Stelle's body to fully awaken her. Instead, both she and Silver Wolf turned to look at Gu Fan with meaningful expressions, clearly indicating he should finish what he started.
Gu Fan didn't shy away. He carefully took hold of the Stellaron. The sensation was peculiar—despite Kafka and Silver Wolf's presence ensuring safety, it felt like handling nuclear material.
According to the game's lore, Stellaron's could grant wishes, but always in ways the wisher would least want, bringing catastrophes lasting thousands of years.
Gu Fan pressed the Stellaron into Stelle's chest. 'Does this make me Stelle's father?' he wondered absently.
Stelle opened her eyes calmly, as if waking from a night's sleep. Her languid gaze met Gu Fan's, who filled her entire field of vision. "Where am I?" she asked.
"Didn't you say she would remember me?" Gu Fan turned to question Silver Wolf.
Silver Wolf smiled, addressing Kafka instead: "The Herta Space Station personnel will be here soon. If you want to avoid them, you should leave now."
Kafka nodded. Unlike in the game, she didn't speak in riddles to Stelle—she simply left.
Gu Fan's mouth opened slightly. Their next meeting wouldn't be until the Xianzhou—he found himself already missing both Kafka and Silver Wolf.
Suddenly, the ground shook violently. Gu Fan lost his balance and instinctively grabbed the still-dazed Stelle to steady her.
The walls groaned in protest before a several-meter-long gash tore through them. A massive hand, roughly Gu Fan's size, reached through.
Gu Fan immediately recognized its owner—a Destruction creature had arrived.
But this was wrong—it shouldn't appear until much later. Why was it here now?
The beast ripped the wall open further, slowly pushing its pointed head through the gap.
'Getting cocky, aren't you? Coming here to die with two Stellaron Hunters present,' Gu Fan thought with amusement.
However, both Kafka and Silver Wolf's expressions were grave.
'It's just an elite enemy from the early game,' Gu Fan thought. 'Forget Kafka—shouldn't Silver Wolf be able to teleport it thousands of light-years away with a few keystrokes?'
Looking closer at the creature, he noticed it was wrapped in golden light—very different from what he'd seen in the game.
Silver Wolf clicked her tongue.
Gu Fan watched as she opened a light screen and said, "We've got trouble. Sam, get over here."
Sam was coming?
Before Gu Fan could get excited, the golden-haloed beast fired a beam of light two fingers thick. The destructive power it contained was clearly far beyond the mere HP reduction of the game version.
And it was aimed directly at Gu Fan. The dazzling beam left him frozen—as a modern Earth citizen, he had no contingency plan for life-threatening situations.
Kafka pushed the stunned Gu Fan aside and commanded the beast to stop.
As a Discourse Master, Kafka possessed the power to control intelligent beings. The golden halo around the beast fluctuated briefly before her power dissipated ineffectively.
Another beam shot toward Gu Fan.
Instinctively copying moves from Souls-like games, Gu Fan rolled away. The beam left a scorched depression in the floor.
In the game, these beams couldn't even damage the Space Station's flooring.
Silver Wolf's fingers flew across her keyboard, launching data attacks against the beast. The golden light pulsed again, but her attacks proved futile.
"Stelle, do something with that invincible bat of yours!" Gu Fan couldn't help shouting.
But Stelle neither had her bat nor seemed fully aware yet, still dazed like a newborn trying to comprehend their surroundings.
Silver Wolf entered full keyboard warrior mode, her fingers leaving afterimages as she launched rapid quantum attacks against the beast.
The golden light protecting the beast kept fluctuating. Perhaps annoyed, it began firing beams randomly and swinging its claws without aim.
Dust filled the air. A claw swept toward the unresponsive Stelle.
Gu Fan grabbed Stelle, and searing pain shot through his back.
[System Notification: Fatal damage detected. All points consumed to prevent lethal damage. Cooldown: One month]
'So I did have plot armor...' was Gu Fan's last coherent thought before overwhelming pain consumed him.
Kafka and Silver Wolf continued fighting, the dust cloud hiding Gu Fan's injuries from them.
Three horrific, fist-sized wounds ran across Gu Fan's back.
Stelle noticed his injuries and panicked, unsure what to do.
[Received 100 Emotional Points from mission target]
At least she wasn't completely emotionless—there was still hope for completing the mission.
Unable to do much else and confident he wouldn't die immediately, Gu Fan used the 100 emotional points for a gacha pull.
The system displayed an elaborate animation on the light screen before him but kept delaying the prize reveal.
The golden energy still protected the beast, though it gradually weakened under Kafka and Silver Wolf's sustained attacks.
Silver Wolf glanced at Kafka, who understood without words. She drew her close-combat weapon and leaped, her strike finally shattering the beast's golden energy shield.
The creature howled in pain but didn't fall. Instead, it calmed down and quickly found its target in the confined space.
Countless beams charged above the beast's head, all aimed at the immobilized Gu Fan.
As the dust settled, Silver Wolf spotted the beams' trajectory and cursed—he was Elio's designated VIP. Her fingers danced Chopin across the virtual keyboard, making countless beams vanish, but one still headed toward Gu Fan.
Severely wounded, Gu Fan couldn't move. Unable to pull him away, Stelle stood to shield him.
'That beam could easily incinerate both of us! I have plot armor, but you don't! You should run!' Gu Fan thought desperately.
The system finally finished its animation, revealing the prize—an unnamed healing medicine developed by Longevity Pathfinder (can heal any external wound, effectiveness varies by development stage).
Though exactly what Gu Fan needed, it was—
Too late!
Kafka charged forward with her blade.
Gu Fan's pupils dilated as everything seemed to slow down, his mind blank.
Kafka positioned herself between Gu Fan and Stelle.
'Every Stellaron Hunter has planet-destroying power. Kafka's a Discourse Master—her physical durability might not match her ability, but this beast's attack shouldn't be much to her,' Gu Fan reasoned.
When the dust settled, Kafka lay curled on the ground, face contorted in pain. Silver Wolf ran over, her furrowed brow suggesting Kafka's injuries were severe.
[Emotional Points +120]
Gu Fan looked at Stelle, whose expression revealed intense internal turmoil.
As the beast raised its claw for another attack, energy began radiating from Stelle.
Gu Fan felt a pulling sensation from her.
He quickly tossed the "miracle medicine" to Silver Wolf—his life wasn't in danger, but Kafka seemed half-dead.
Silver Wolf caught the vial, giving Gu Fan a surprised look.
Then Gu Fan found himself in a strange space.
End of Chapter