Chapter 37: Stelle and the Others Uncover Clues About the Stellaron

Bronya stared at Svarog, having just witnessed his combat prowess. She had not expected to find such a powerful automaton in the Underworld. Furthermore, judging by his demeanor, it seemed as though Svarog had developed sentience of his own. From his earlier words, it appeared he had been maintaining order in the Underworld all along.

Bronya asked Oleg with curiosity, "Mr. Oleg, this Svarog..."

Oleg made a gesture for her to be quiet. "Lass, I’ll explain everything to you in a moment."

Bronya nodded and stood quietly to the side. At this point, March 7th noticed her.

"Oh, it's you! You actually dare to show your face in front of us!" March 7th exclaimed, ready to teach Bronya a lesson. Stelle also ignited the Trailblazer's lance, aiming it at Bronya.

Natasha quickly intervened. "March, Stelle, stand down."

The two looked at Natasha, who continued, "Stelle, there might be a misunderstanding between you. Put your weapons away and let’s talk this through properly."

Stelle and March 7th lowered their weapons. March 7th snorted coldly, "She was the one who tried to arrest us without a word. We haven't done anything wrong; we're here to help deal with the Stellaron."

Bronya replied, "I don't know the specifics. I was simply following the orders of the Supreme Guardian."

Dan Heng sensed something amiss. "You mean you were acting under the orders of the Supreme Guardian?"

Bronya nodded. Dan Heng stroked his chin, lost in thought.

March 7th placed her hands on her hips and looked at him. "What is it, Dan Heng?"

Dan Heng snapped back to reality and looked at March 7th and Stelle. "Do you remember our conversation at the hotel?"

March 7th racked her brain but couldn't recall. "What conversation?"

"The one about the Supreme Guardian," Dan Heng said. "I felt something was off about her."

March 7th finally remembered. "Oh, right, right! It was definitely strange."

Stelle agreed, "Yeah, I had the feeling there was someone else there too. It wasn't just the four of us."

Dan Heng continued, "Think about it—why would she issue a warrant for our arrest?"

Stelle pondered. "Are we a threat to her? Did we interfere with something she's doing?"

Dan Heng nodded. "Exactly. I have a bold theory: Cocolia is likely connected to the Stellaron. Her attitude changed significantly the moment we mentioned it."

March 7th thought it over and realized it made perfect sense. "Then it all adds up! That wicked woman must be colluding with the Stellaron! Ugh! I can't believe she's actually a villain!"

Bronya could no longer remain silent. "Silence! I will not allow you to slander Lady Cocolia!"

Everyone turned to look at her. Seeing Bronya dare to shout at her, March 7th's temper flared. "Hey, do you really want to fight? Cocolia is the one who framed us—can't we even complain about it?"

Bronya said righteously, "I don't know what this 'Stellaron' is that you speak of, but from what you’ve said, it sounds like something that threatens Belobog. I believe Lady Cocolia would never do anything to harm this city!"

March 7th rolled her eyes in frustration. "Tch! You're in league with her, of course you'd take her side."

Just as the argument was about to escalate, Oleg laughed. "Alright, that's enough arguing."

His sudden interruption left both March 7th and Bronya stunned. Oleg looked at Bronya and said, "Little girl from the Overworld, come with me. I have some things I need to tell you."

Bronya followed Oleg as he left the scene. Once they were gone, the tension between the others subsided. Dan Heng checked the time; it was past 4:00 PM. Deciding to find the oldest person in the Underworld, he asked Natasha, "Natasha, who is the eldest person in the Underworld?"

Natasha was puzzled by the question but recalled, "If you're talking about age, Old Man Lier on the east side of town and Old Man Andrew on the south side are the oldest."

"Thank you," Dan Heng said. "March, Stelle, let's go pay these two gentlemen a visit."

Just as they were about to leave, Seele spoke up. "Shouldn't Svarog be the oldest person in the Underworld?"

The three stopped and turned around. "Svarog?"

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

Natasha thought for a moment. "Hmm, that’s true. If we're talking about the oldest entity in the entire Underworld, it really is Svarog."

Dan Heng looked toward the machine in the distance. "Of course! How did I not think of that? Svarog has been here for so long; he might actually have clues about the Stellaron in his database."

"Let's go ask him," March 7th suggested.

The group approached Svarog. Stelle patted his leg. "Svarog! Svarog! I have a question for you."

Svarog looked down at her. "What is it?"

Stelle asked directly, "Do you know about the Stellaron?"

Suddenly, Svarog’s demeanor shifted violently. "Forbidden information detected. Annihilation mode: Initiated!"

The group quickly drew their weapons, guarding against him. Svarog’s eyes glowed red, and his missile bays opened. Seeing this, Stelle activated the greatsword form of the Trailblazer's lance and charged. Svarog fired a volley of missiles, which Stelle dodged with a side-step before rushing toward him again.

Svarog fired more missiles, but before they could fly far, several ice arrows and grenade blasts destroyed them in mid-air. Stelle accelerated to reach Svarog, who swung a heavy fist in an attempt to parry her blade. At that moment, Dan Heng’s Cloud-Piercer arrived, striking the iron fist with precision.

An opening appeared, and Stelle swung her blade, sending Svarog flying. He crashed heavily into a large boulder, electricity crackling across his body. With the power of her weapon, the group didn't get bogged down in a long fight; they had broken through his defenses in a single strike.

After a thorough beating, Svarog’s programs malfunctioned. Just then, Oleg returned with Bronya. Seeing Svarog lying on the ground, Oleg asked, "What happened here?"

March 7th glanced at Bronya, ignored her, and asked Svarog, "Svarog, do you have any clues about the Stellaron?"

Svarog emitted a burst of static, and the next second, a projection popped out from his chest.