I opened a shop on the Astral Train-Chapter 19

Bronya stared at Svarog, still processing what she had just witnessed. She had never imagined that there could be such powerful mechas in this part of the city. Moreover, judging by Svarog's appearance, it seemed the machine had developed emotions of its own. From what Svarog had just said, it was clear that he had been maintaining stability in the lower city for quite some time.

Curious, Bronya turned to Oleg and asked, "Mr. Oleg, who exactly is Svarog?"

Oleg held up a hand, signaling for silence. "I'll explain later, girl," he said softly, his voice filled with a hint of caution.

Bronya nodded, a little disappointed but understanding. She stepped back, quietly awaiting an explanation.

At that moment, March 7th noticed Bronya standing nearby and her face contorted with frustration. "Great! It's you! How dare you show up in front of us again!" she exclaimed.

Before Bronya could respond, Kevin also readied the Holy Judgment of Heavenly Fire, his eyes narrowing as he pointed it in her direction.

Seeing this, Natasha hurriedly stepped in, her voice urgent. "March, Kevin, don't do this."

March 7th and Kevin both hesitated, glancing at Natasha, who gave them a sharp look.

"Put down your weapons," Natasha continued calmly. "There seems to be some misunderstanding. We should talk, not fight."

Reluctantly, March 7th and Kevin lowered their weapons. Still, March 7th's annoyance was palpable.

"She was the one who wanted to arrest us in the first place! We didn't do anything wrong, and now she's here, acting all high and mighty!"

Bronya responded in a clipped tone. "I don't know what you're talking about, but I was only following orders from the Great Guardian."

Dan Heng furrowed his brow, sensing something amiss. "Wait, you were ordered by the Great Guardian?" he asked, his voice edged with suspicion.

Bronya nodded.

A realization hit Dan Heng, and he turned to March 7th and Kevin, his mind racing. "Do you remember the conversation we had in the hotel?"

March 7th looked confused. "What conversation?"

Dan Heng's gaze hardened. "The Great Guardian... there's something not right about her."

March 7th finally recalled and nodded. "Yeah, you're right. There's definitely something strange going on."

Kevin chimed in, his voice steady but serious. "I've always felt like there was another presence in the room when we spoke with her. More than just the four of us."

Dan Heng nodded grimly. "Exactly. Why would she issue a warrant for our arrest?"

Kevin's brow furrowed as he thought aloud. "Are we a threat to her? Did something happen that upset her?"

Dan Heng exhaled sharply. "I think I have a theory. Cocolia might be connected to the star core. When we brought up the star core before, her attitude changed completely."

March 7th clicked her tongue, realizing the implications. "That explains everything. That woman must be in cahoots with the star core. I knew she was up to something shady!"

Bronya's face flushed, and she shot March 7th a fiery look. "Shut up! I won't let you slander Lady Cocolia!" she snapped.

March 7th's temper flared. "Oh? So, now you're defending her? After everything she's done to us?"

Before things escalated, Oleg suddenly laughed, his voice cutting through the tension.

"Enough, both of you," he said, his tone laced with amusement.

March 7th and Bronya both paused, surprised by Oleg's interruption.

Oleg turned to Bronya, his expression serious. "Come with me, little girl from Uptown. I need to talk to you."

Bronya glanced at him, a mix of confusion and curiosity in her eyes, but she followed him without hesitation.

Once Oleg and Bronya left, March 7th and Kevin finally let out the breaths they had been holding. The air felt a little less tense, but the questions lingered in the back of their minds.

Dan Heng checked the time. It was already past 4 p.m. He decided to ask Natasha, who was standing nearby.

"Natasha," he began, "who's the oldest person in the Lower Town?"

Natasha looked thoughtful for a moment, then responded. "Well, the oldest people would be Mr. Liel in the east and Mr. Andrew in the south."

Dan Heng nodded in acknowledgment. "Thank you. Let's go visit them, March, Kevin."

But just as they were about to leave, Seele suddenly spoke up, her voice full of curiosity. "Shouldn't the oldest person in the Lower Town be Svarog?"

Dan Heng and the others stopped and turned to her in surprise.

"Svarog?" Dan Heng repeated, incredulous.

Seele nodded, her expression serious. "Yes, isn't he the oldest? I heard he's been around for at least several hundred years."

Natasha paused, clearly considering this. "That's true. If we're talking about the oldest in the Lower Town, it would be Svarog."

Dan Heng's eyes widened in realization. "You're right. How could we have missed that? Svarog has been around for centuries, perhaps he has clues about the star core in his database."

March 7th's eyes lit up. "Let's go ask him!"

The group quickly made their way toward Svarog. Kevin reached out, patting the mecha's metallic thigh.

"Svarogi! Svarog!" he called, his voice eager. "I have a question for you."

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Svarog turned to face him, his mechanical eyes glowing red. "What is it?" he asked, his voice oddly cold.

Kevin wasted no time. "Do you know about the star core?"

At the mention of the star core, Svarog's demeanor shifted dramatically. His eyes flashed an intense crimson as he declared, "Detected someone touching forbidden information. Annihilation mode, activate!"

The atmosphere shifted immediately. Kevin and March 7th quickly drew their weapons, preparing for an attack. Svarog's missile bays opened, and the threat of an imminent strike loomed.

Without warning, Kevin sprang into action, activating the Heavenly Fire Holy Judgment Greatsword, his movements swift and precise. He dodged the first missile, then dashed toward Svarog, preparing to strike.

Svarog fired several more missiles, but before they could hit their target, a barrage of ice arrows and howitzer fire rained down, intercepting the projectiles mid-air and causing them to explode harmlessly.

Kevin took this opportunity to close the distance, his sword crackling with divine energy as he slashed at Svarog, sending the mecha flying backward with a powerful blow. The mecha collided with a large boulder, sparks and electricity cascading from its damaged body.

Thanks to the combined might of Kevin's Heavenly Fire and the team's careful coordination, they shattered Svarog's defenses quickly. Their synchronized assault disrupted the mecha's program, forcing it to short-circuit.

Just then, Oleg and Bronya returned to the battlefield. Oleg's gaze landed on the scene before him—Svarog lying crumpled on the ground—and he raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"What's going on here?" Oleg asked, clearly bewildered.

March 7th shot a quick glance at Bronya, then turned her focus back to Svarog. Ignoring Bronya's presence, she knelt beside the fallen mecha, demanding, "Svarog, do you know anything about the star core?"

Svarog's body emitted a faint electric hum before a holographic projection flickered to life above him, casting an eerie glow over the scene.

After watching the video that had appeared through Svarog, everyone stood in stunned silence. March 7th, feeling a strange unease, broke the silence.

"I didn't expect Beloberg to still exist after being eroded by the star core for so long," she remarked, voice tinged with disbelief.

Dan Heng nodded in agreement. "Star cores are known as the cancer of all worlds; their destructive power to civilizations is immense. It's a miracle that Beloberg has survived for this long under their influence."

Kevin suddenly felt a shred of respect for Cocolia. "The Great Guardians are incredibly resilient. Each of them has fought to resist the star core's temptation. It was only Cocolia who eventually couldn't hold out."

Bronya, standing off to the side, felt the weight of the truth in her chest. The information revealed by the video mixed with her mother's recent strange behavior made it hard to ignore the worst possibility. What choice would she have to make? The thought spun around her mind as her emotions swirled in confusion.

Kevin, who had been watching the paralyzed Svarog, suddenly realized something. "What about Svarog?" he asked.

March 7th shrugged. "I don't know how to repair machines, do you?"

Dan Heng gave a thoughtful look. "I'll go find Mr. Walter."

With that, Dan Heng sprinted toward the mechanical settlement, leaving the others behind.

March 7th turned to Natasha. "You and the others go back. We'll stay here and keep an eye on Svarog."

Kevin buried the Holy Judgment of Heavenly Fire into the ground and sat down, his expression serious. "We'll watch over it. You can go handle your business."

Natasha nodded and left with Seele, heading toward Panyan Town. Oleg, too, took Bronya aside, leading her to an undisclosed location.

Meanwhile, in Yuri's shop...

"You're the one who sold that game cartridge to Kevin?" Silver Wolf folded her arms, giving Yuri a scrutinizing look.

Yuri smirked. "Yeah. How was it? Fun?"

Silver Wolf's expression shifted from critical to playful. "Do you have any other game cartridges? Let's see what you've got."

Before Yuri could answer, a flood of door requests appeared in his mind.

[Venti applies to enter the store!]

[Venti applies to enter the store!]

[Venti applies to enter the store!]

Yuri frowned and quickly accepted her request, annoyed by the constant pinging. The door swung open, and Venti rushed in, quickly closing it behind her.

Venti let out a relieved sigh.

Yuri raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing here, Venti?"

Venti floated over to him, looking mischievous. "I'm here to buy something."

Yuri rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed. "You? Everyone who knows you thinks you're broke."

Venti pouted. "What are you talking about? I'm not broke!" She slapped a rough stone down onto the bar. "Look, it's a genuine raw stone!"

Yuri picked it up, inspecting it closely before tossing it onto the exchange scale. A golden coin with a "star" engraving appeared, signifying its value.

"Yeah, it's real," Yuri confirmed, his expression unchanged.

Venti, now satisfied, grabbed the juice next to her and poured herself a drink. "Then it must be genuine. Give me some wine from another world! I want to try it."

Silver Wolf, who had been quiet until now, suddenly spoke up. "What's going on here? You're jumping in line, Venti. You can't just cut in front of me."

Venti snapped back. "I'm not a child! I'm an adult!"

Silver Wolf rolled her eyes, pushing Venti aside with a smirk. "Yuri, find that game cartridge I asked about."

Venti, about to sit back down, heard Yuri speak. "Venti, Silver Wolf got here first. You'll need to wait."

Venti fumed, but didn't argue. "Fine," she grumbled, taking a seat.

Yuri turned to Silver Wolf. "What type of game are you looking for?"

Silver Wolf rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "I liked the 'Wolf' game that Kevin got last time. Anything similar?"

Yuri quickly scanned his inventory and pulled up a product. "How about this: 'Elden Warrior'. It's a challenge, but fun. After finishing, you'll get a weakened version of the Immobilization Spell."

He pulled up the details, showing the game's description and the price: 10,000 Star Coins.

Silver Wolf eyed the screen skeptically. "Is it really that good?"

Yuri grinned, his voice low and confident. "It's fun. Trust me."

Silver Wolf leaned in, her curiosity piqued. "What's a star coin?"

Yuri pulled out a Stellar Jade, explaining. "Stellar Jade are the local currency here. You can exchange them for Star Coins. The exchange rate is 1 to 100."

Silver Wolf's eyes widened in understanding. "So that's how it works..."

"Exactly," Yuri said with a nod. "Now, if you want to make a purchase, let me know."

Silver Wolf gave him a long look before turning toward Venti, who was still sulking. "You should buy something while you're here, Venti."

Venti, ever impatient, slammed her raw stones down on the table, totaling 1,300 of them. "I want some wine. Give me the best you've got!"

Yuri rifled through the system and found a "Wine Gift Pack," which contained 100 bottles of wine from another world. It cost 100 Star Coins.

Venti didn't hesitate. "Give me 1,000 Star Coins' worth! I'll take 1,000 bottles."

Yuri accepted the payment and processed the transaction, handing over ten gift packs. Venti beamed as she stuffed them into her personal storage space.

"Alright, I'm off to taste some of this wine," Venti declared, already heading for a nearby booth, eager to try her new purchases.

Silver Wolf, on the other hand, turned to Kafka over the comms. "Kafka, do you have any Stellar Jade?"

Kafka's voice came through, smooth as ever. "Of course, darling. What do you need it for?"

Silver Wolf remained vague. "Just give me 100 Stellar Jade."

Kafka, without hesitation, responded, "No problem. How should I deliver it? Should I leave it by your transmission channel?"

Silver Wolf smirked. "Yes, that'll work."

And with that, the deals continued, each person pursuing their own interests, while the mystery surrounding the star core loomed ever larger.