Stelle had ford a team with Bucket. Since she had accidentally ended up here, Stelle had no idea there was a massive incubator in this place, let alone what she was about to face.
All she wanted was to happily track down where the anomalous object had last appeared, help Herta retrieve it, and finish this light and cheerful little quest.
As she followed the bucket forward, Stelle couldn't help but complain a little. "Ah Guang was right: rewards in missions are always proportional to their complexity. I'm just helping track down a missing object, there's no way they'll throw a tough battle at ~"
She watched as the bucket casually took out all the bugs hiding in the dark. She had no idea why there were bugs here, but who cared? She had a carry on her team.
Finishing the mission happily sounded way better.
Soon, she and Bucket arrived at the experint zone, and the surrounding darkness completely disappeared once they entered.
"So this is where the anomaly went missing… Let check around and see if there's anything!"
Stelle was just about to investigate when she suddenly spotted an incredibly cute little creature. This creature had a shell like a plum blossom, and inside was… a cat?
The little guy spotted Stelle too. The mont their eyes t, it let out a pitiful little "ow~"
"So cute!!!"
In an instant, Stelle felt like her heart had been lted by the creature's cuteness. "I didn't think a simple mission like this would have such an adorable little animal!"
"ow~"
Stelle could sohow understand what the creature was saying. It called itself Gray Bean Paste and clutched its tiny paws, looking at her expectantly, then started crying.
"Wuwuwu, I'm not… not a creation recognized by Ruan i… wuwu! I have too much negative energy, and I hate eating when I'm full of negative energy… wuwuwu… Ruan i, why… why am I… a failure…"
Just as Stelle was about to comfort the creature, Bucket ca walking over with its arms crossed. The mont Gray Bean Paste saw the bucket, it didn't act scared. It just owed again.
Hearing those ows, Bucket shook its head, then raised a fist.
Even if it was a completely different species, Stelle could now understand a bit of the communication between them.
Gray Bean Paste: "Ruan i, Ruan i… you sll like Ruan i~ That's the scent of being acknowledged by her! Wuwuwu… Please teach —how can I get Ruan i's recognition?"
Below One Bucket didn't respond with words. It simply stood with its arms crossed, silently emanating elegance. It was showing this creature, also a creation, what the aning of life was.
Gray Bean Paste: "So if we stop relying on Ruan i and show our own dignity, Ruan i will recognize us?"
Bucket still said nothing, but at that mont, its pearly pink and white form glead with its own aura and will! With its arms crossed, the bucket radiated the dignity and resolve of a true trash can.
Even Stelle, who had been quietly watching, had stars in her eyes!
So dazzling… It was blinding, like a sun rising in the dark.
Gray Bean Paste: "Then what should we do? Can we follow you?"
The little creature had only just been born and didn't know what to do. That's why it hoped the large being in front of it, the one that carried the scent of Ruan i's acknowledgnt, could guide them, and help them earn recognition too.
Bucket didn't reject them. It opened its lid. Without saying a word, the little creature understood.
"Thank you!"
Even though it still didn't understand why Ruan i didn't approve of them, it knew that if it followed this large, recognized being, one day it would be acknowledged too.
As the little creature joined them, more of Ruan i's creations ca and entered the bucket's body as well.
Bucket accepted them all without hesitation.
Being a trash can didn't an only holding garbage: it also ant providing warmth to life. Whether it was soone who believed their life was trash, or a stray cat or dog that had been abandoned, this trash can would use its body to protect these small lives.
It would use its "trash" to help them grow!
Even if the entire world rejected them, Below One Bucket can would use its sturdy fra and its unwanted contents to nourish these beings that still wanted to live.
If preventing garbage from scattering everywhere was the dignity of a trash can—then helping life survive was its honor.
Ruan i's creations followed Bucket in hopes of earning her recognition. Bucket would protect them whenever they needed it.
When all of Ruan i's creations entered the bucket, when dignity and honor intertwined, Stelle couldn't help but cry at the sight.
Wiping her tears, she looked at the tiny creatures peeking out from the top of Bucket: "Sorry to interrupt, but I'm actually here on a mission. Have any of you seen a missing anomalous object?"
She forgot they might not know what an "anomalous object" was. But they were smart: they understood what "sothing strange" ant. Even if they didn't know why Stelle was looking for sothing odd, they still pointed her in the right direction.
"ow~"
"ow ow~"
"ow~"
Stelle: "Oh? Is that so? A special place on the lowest level, and there's a clue inside? Thank you! I'll go check it out!"
With a clue in hand, Stelle was ready to continue her search for the anomaly. Bucket didn't say anything but silently followed. Not because it was following her, but because their goals were aligned: to destroy the biggest piece of trash here.
Earlier, it had acted alone because it had sensed scattered garbage that needed to be cleaned up. Now that those were dealt with, and it had adopted so small creatures, it was ti to take out the biggest trash.
It could sense the overwhelming strength and destructive power of the target ahead. But as a trash can, it feared no enemy.
Even if it were trampled underfoot by humans or lted down into slag, it would still shout in its decaying voice:
"Trash belongs in the trash can!"
Stelle, Bucket, and the newly joined creatures all moved together.
Stelle headed to the place they ntioned to look for the clue. She left the room, but just as she was about to descend to the lower level, she fell silent.
Because the way back was now completely bathed in festive red, and the cheerfully echoing "Good luck is coming!" across the silent space station didn't give her any sense of luck at all.
While Stelle was now facing sothing out of an Eastern horror story, on the other side, Pei Guang's expression had beco much more serious.
Because during his continued exploration, soone blocked his path.
This person had a plaster cast on his head, a book in his hand, and muscles that told Pei Guang clearly: this was soone you didn't ss with.
And it wasn't just Pei Guang thinking that. The man with the headgear, Veritas Ratio, had also spotted Pei Guang wandering around with his loudspeaker and musical instrunts.
Seeing Pei Guang stop, he imdiately spoke: "You look distressed. Is sothing troubling you?"
Pei Guang: "Nope! Are you a companion? Will you help deal with a terrifying monster that's about to be born?"
Veritas: "No. I won't."
Pei Guang: "Oh! I see!"
Veritas: "You don't have anything else to ask?"
Veritas had grown curious about Pei Guang. It was the first ti he had seen soone casually rearranging things in Herta Space Station, even running around with a loudspeaker.
Pei Guang: "I do! Then if I can't beat the monster below, will you help out?"
Veritas: "No."
Hearing that response, Pei Guang looked troubled, then continued, "You're not a companion, you won't help , then what are you doing here?"
Veritas: "Think for yourself."
That remark lit up Pei Guang's eyes: "Think for myself? I get it—you want to use my brain, right? My brain's always working! Look! I brought it all the way here, and hey! Now I've moved it over here!"
"…"
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