I was transported to a broken world, yet my dreams are connected to Star Iron?

　Bronya shook her head decisively, and then, as if afraid that Suzuma would think she was just being perfunctory, she quickly added, "Really, I've never heard of anything like a star core, nor have I heard anyone around me mention it... If solving the so-called star core can end Beloberg's suffering, then I hope it's real."

　"However, if what you're talking about truly exists, it's probably a secret known only to the successive Grand Guardians. In the entire Beloborg, perhaps only Mother knows what you're talking about..."

　“I see… It’s alright. Didn’t Ms. Cocolia tell my companions that the formal talks will take place tomorrow? I believe she can provide us with some clues. After all… Star Cores aren’t that easy to hide. I don’t believe that no one knows about the existence of Star Cores since the cold wave appeared. That just doesn’t make sense.”

　"unreasonable?"

　Bronya seemed very concerned about this potential source of disaster: "Why do you say that?"

　"Hmm... this might involve a series of complex concepts like destiny and star gods. Let me explain it in a way that you can understand."

　"Because stellar cores cannot be completely regarded as unconscious creations or natural disasters. In fact, there is no absolutely correct conclusion in the universe regarding the appearance and spread of stellar cores, and we cannot even determine the purpose of their appearance."

　"Can't even confirm the destination?"

　Bronya paused for a moment: "Isn't it about destroying the world?"

　"uncertain."

　Lingmo shook her head: "Many civilizations with advanced technology are not afraid of the potential crisis brought by star cores. They may even use star cores as a functional tool. According to current common understanding, there is a type of star core that can respond to people's wishes, but it may not fulfill them in the way you want. It may even bewitch you to fulfill your wishes according to the star core's 'script'."

　"For example, if a powerful enemy suddenly appears on your planet that you cannot defeat, and you wish to the star core to defeat that enemy, the star core will grant your wish by blowing up the entire planet."

　"Has your wish come true? Undoubtedly it has, but it is definitely not the way you wanted it to be achieved."

　"hiss……"

　Bronya gasped, her mind racing with thoughts of everything, from the sudden cold wave that swept across Yalilo VI to her mother's recent erratic behavior: "This, how could this star core be so wicked!"

　"Yes, that's why I say that star cores are very dangerous, especially for civilizations that are still in their infancy and lack sufficient strength."

　Lingmo stood up: "However, we are quite professional when it comes to dealing with star cores... Once we get the star core, we can go back and have the seniors on the train seal it, and then everything will be safe. At that time, the cold wave in your Beloborg will also subside on its own."

　"Are you leaving?"

　Seeing Lingmo stand up, Bronya quickly stood up and said, "Do you need me to arrange accommodations for you? Mother hasn't seen you yet, so she probably doesn't know that there are actually four of you here..."

　"Don't worry about the notifications, but don't bother with the accommodations. I'd rather experience the local culture of Belleburg on my own. I've only explored half of the city this morning."

　Lingmo didn't give Bronya a chance to persuade her to stay. Instead, she disappeared from the spot, leaving Bronya standing there lost in thought.

　After all, according to her thinking, she couldn't explain the Star Core to Bronya in detail. Otherwise, if Cocolia issued an arrest warrant tomorrow, her inducement today would be too suspicious.

　Moreover, some ideas must be conceived by Bronya herself before she will believe them wholeheartedly. If Suzuma tells her these ideas, they might have the opposite effect.

　As for what she's going to do next... actually, meeting Bronya in the Upper City and planting a seed of doubt in her heart is the only reason Suzumo is still staying in the Upper City.

　Now that this goal has been achieved, what's next...?

　She should go to the lower district and have a talk with Mr. Schwarz.

　Chapter 89 Lingmo: Butui, what do you mean by saying Sangbo already knows me?

　As night fell, in the tranquil Beloborg, the three pioneers from the stars had already fallen into a peaceful sleep.

　Well, it seems only March was in a peaceful sleep. Danheng seems to be planning to keep watch at night because of Lingmo's speculation during the day, while Xing...

　She crawled into the closet to scare ghosts, but because no one came in, she fell asleep inside.

　"You've discovered the passage to the lower level?"

　Seeing Lingmo suddenly appear in the room and the message she sent back, Danheng asked with some surprise, "You plan to go down and explore alone?"

　"You can't go down alone even if you want to. That place has been sealed off by the Iron Guards. Even if you sent Pam, she probably wouldn't be able to get in."

　Lingmo shrugged: "Perhaps there are other ways to go down, but I only found this one."

　"Also, I met the High Warden's daughter Bronya this morning, and how should I put it... she seems to be a good person."

　"Uh, is it your old method of judging people by their appearance again?"

　"No, this conclusion is based on my conversations. Bronya doesn't quite agree with Cocolia's way of handling certain things. Of course, I'm not saying there's a conflict between them, but if any problems arise, Bronya might be the one we can win over."

　"Is this so..."

　Dan Heng pondered for a moment and said, "However, I have a feeling that all your current arrangements are based on the premise that Cocolia intends to attack us... Are you really so sure that Cocolia will betray us?"

　"While it's not 100%, it's probably around 90%."

　Lingmo sighed: "I've seen someone who looks like her, and in that world, Cocolia is generally regarded as the Goddess of the Civil War."

　"Of course, if you ask me to give her a personal evaluation... let's put it this way, she's not completely bad, nor is she decisive in being good. You wouldn't call her a completely evil seed, but if you leave her alone, she'll soon show you the destructive power of a civil war god."

　"Hmm... This is the first time I've heard such a sharp evaluation from you. It seems that Cocolia from your world has indeed left a deep impression on you."

　Dan Heng nodded: "I understand. Don't worry, I'll be careful tomorrow. If you're going to explore the lower levels, remember to be careful too."

　"rest assured."

　Lingmo chuckled: "I still have Uncle Yang's secret weapon on me."

　After saying goodbye to Danheng, Lingmo didn't linger and soon arrived at the passageway connecting to the lower area.

　Previously, while blocking the passage, Cocolia also specially dispatched a team of Silvermane Iron Guards to guard the entrance of the passage to prevent some residents who were separated from the upper and lower areas from trying to go to the lower area on their own. However, more than ten years later, such guarding is no longer necessary, and most of the main force of the Silvermane Iron Guards has been transferred to the front line of the Rift, which has given Suzuma a lot of convenience.

　"What? It just crawled through in a flash."

　Looking at the barriers behind her used to block the passage, Lingmo shook her head: "Sigh, the erosion is still too overwhelming... Let me see, according to the map I found in the library..."

　Following a map from over a decade ago, Suzumo began searching for a route through the complex passageways. Based on the map's distance, she estimated she should reach the lower level in about half an hour. However, just then…

　"who!"

　"No, who are you?"

　At a particularly secluded corner, Suzumo, who was just about to continue walking, was suddenly startled by a beam of light.

　Then, the two of them stood there, stunned.

　Lingmo never expected that Sangbo would also take this blocked route.

　Sambo, on the other side, was also startled. After all, in the pitch-black mine tunnel, turning a corner and finding a floating figure in front of you would make anyone shudder.

　"Wait, it's you, Suzumo?! What are you doing here?"

　After seeing Lingmo's face clearly, Sangbo's voice was even more surprised.

　"Huh? You...you know me?"

　Now it was Lingmo's turn to be confused. It was understandable that she couldn't detect Sangbo, after all, he was the Envoy of Pleasure and was smuggling himself in, unlike before when he was outside and he was trying to be discovered by the train crew. It was normal for him to conceal his presence.

　However, it's not normal that Sambo knows her. Putting aside the fact that she has been deliberately avoiding Sambo since arriving in Belloberg, even if Sambo had discovered her, he should pretend not to know her now, because given that Sambo is deliberately hiding his abilities, he has no reason to recognize Lingmo.

　But... the other person not only recognized her immediately, but also acted like an old acquaintance and called out her name?

　However, to Lingmo's surprise, Sangbo immediately performed a lightning-fast slide after hearing Lingmo's voice.

　"Oh dear Miss Lingmo, please don't scare me... My old Sangbo's health can't take your abuse..."

　"I'm still shaken by the pranks you, Ms. Vita, and Ms. Hanabi played last time. Let's talk this over this time, okay? Please stop kicking my butt, alright?"

　"Huh?"

　Lingmo was truly dumbfounded. It seemed that Sangbo... really knew her?

　"Xiaoqi, Xiaoqi, help! What's going on?"

　[Fun fact: You were there when Vita joined the tavern... I can't say more~]

　"No? I was involved in this too?"

　【Otherwise, actually you were specifically in charge of dealing with Vita before… Although you usually suffer a lot, Suzumo, you're surprisingly adept at handling truly 'bad women,' so you were responsible for everything, including restricting Vita.】

　"What do you mean I'm the one who suffers all the mistreatment!"

　"Huh? Wait..."

　A few seconds later, Sambo also noticed the problem.

　"Your power... seems to have weakened considerably compared to before? No, this isn't weakening, it's a deliberate weakening... Alright, haha, I see, hahahaha..."

　After observing for a while, Sangbo suddenly burst into laughter, as if he had seen something incredibly funny. However, after a moment, seemingly remembering a certain being who could casually unleash Commander-level fluctuations, Sangbo decisively suppressed his laughter, cleared his throat, and said seriously.

　"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It seems you really don't remember me. It was my mistake before. I didn't notice that you were in a different state than before. Well then, let's get to know each other again. Hello, Miss Suzumo. My name is Sambo, one of the Masked Fools from the tavern. I am currently residing in the lower district of Beloborg."

　"In your hometown, we had a very successful collaboration before, cough cough... I hope we can have a pleasant collaboration this time as well."

　Chapter 90 Lingmo: Logically speaking, a machine of your level has no right to criticize me.

　"Stop, I said stop..."

　Seeing that Sambo seemed about to turn into a riddle-solving man, Lingmo quickly stopped his overly familiar behavior with a headache.

　"Don't talk about cooperation yet. You saw me during your journey to the solar system? Can you describe what I was like back then?"

　"Uh... probably the same as now?"

　Sambo seemed hesitant to say much on the topic, carefully choosing his words as he said, "I can only say that back then, your connection with that being seemed much closer than it is now. At least, dealing with a poor guy like me, whose mask was even taken by my colleagues to play with, was still quite easy."

　"What about fireworks? Since you have memories of me, do you have memories of fireworks too?"

　"I really can't say for sure."

　Sambo shrugged: "Theoretically speaking, Xiaohuahuo's strength is still a little bit lacking, but she happens to have the relevant abilities... You'll have to see for yourself after you meet her to confirm the specifics."

　"Hey, you're not thinking of just waiting to see us have a good laugh, are you...?"

　Lingmo keenly noticed the smile on Sangbo's lips: "You were clearly smiling, you never stopped!"

　"How could I dare! Last time, Miss Vita kicked my butt with that giant robot called the Starferryman. Old Sambo had to go back and recuperate for several months!"

　Sambo immediately looked more wronged than Dou E, saying, "That Vita may be stubborn, but she actually listens to you. What if I tricked you today, and then that possessive Vita comes knocking on my door again someday? It's one thing for her to fight with Hanabi, but she really hit old Sambo hard! I still have some status in the lower district, I can't afford to lose face like that..."

　"Okay, okay..."

　Watching Sangbo's exaggerated acting, Lingmo couldn't help but sigh. She probably knew that she wouldn't be able to get much more out of Sangbo.

　"However, since you say you have some status in the lower district, roughly to what extent... could you offer me some assistance?"

　"This is simple."

　Sambo quickly patted his chest and said, "There's a security organization called Earthfire in the Lower District. Their top enforcer, Seele, has weapons that I sold to her. And have you heard of the Mole Gang in the Lower District? Their leader is a good friend of mine!"

　"you……"

　Lingmo's lips twitched violently. If she hadn't been familiar with Bengtie, she would have been completely intimidated by Sangbo.

　You're a friend of the Mole Gang leader, right? My son Xingbao is an honorary member of the Mole Gang, and Clara is Hook's long-desired teammate! (Note: Clara actually joined the Mole Gang in the end.)

　"Fine, I shouldn't have expected a masked fool to be serious... What about the map of the lower levels? You should have that, right?"

　"That's natural."

　Sambo quickly pulled out a paper map, which looked like it was hand-drawn by Sambo himself, and handed it to Lingmo.

　“I’ve been to all the places on this map, the locations are definitely right. Miss Lingmo, you can go ahead and not say a word. If there are any problems, just come to me, Sambo.”

　"Although this map looks fine, it sounds so unreliable to me..."

　Looking at Sambo's smiling face, Lingmo took the map speechlessly. As everyone knows, when you encounter danger, Sambo is your most reliable support, but when you don't encounter danger... Sambo may be your biggest danger.

　I have a feeling this map will lead me astray...

　"Miss Lingmo, you see... I don't have anything else I can do to help you right now. If you have nothing else to do... I'll take my leave so as not to disturb your continued smuggling."

　Seeing that Lingmo seemed finally somewhat satisfied, Sangbo quickly rubbed his hands together, looking like he was in a hurry.

　"Let's go, let's go, anyway we'll see each other again soon..."

　Lingmo muttered something under her breath, then disappeared without asking any further questions.

　"Phew...finally we got rid of that shrew."

　Seeing that Lingmo had finally left, Sangbo breathed a huge sigh of relief.

　Others may not know Suzuma's background, but Sambo has personally experienced the power of the end. Back when he was tricked by Hanabi into "sparring" with Suzuma, he was almost beaten half to death by Suzuma and Vita, which gave him a sense of shock similar to that of Director Ken participating in the Fourth Shinobi World War.

　What do you mean I was just helping a colleague out in a remote star system, and my colleague ended up giving me two people with Commander powers as my opponents? What do you mean three Commander-level combatants who aren't destined for a specific fate have emerged from some place in this universe that you can't even find?

　Putting everything else aside, just the fact that Lingmo is still directly connected to the power of the End makes Sangbo have to take this matter seriously. Fortunately, Lingmo and her group are not bad people. Even though Lingmo has lost her memory, she still doesn't have any ill intentions. Otherwise, if the other party really had any ideas about Belobberg, he might not have been able to stop her without the mask.

　"However... if this person were involved, the Belloberg affair would probably be handled much better, right?"

　While Sangbo was still lost in thought because of Suzumo's appearance, Suzumo, who had obtained the map, had already started speedrunning without hesitation.