Conquering Mount No. 1: Gotta Catch em All!

The flames coiled around their body, but they showed no intention of attacking.

On the contrary, while the trampler beneath her struggled less and less, their aura only grew stronger.

"Roar..."

Soon, the trampler's resistance faded entirely. Silver Wolf's eyes widened in shock as she noticed something strange—the flames consuming the trampler had merged into its very being.

It had completely transformed into a creature wreathed in eerie blue-green fire.

There was no trace left of its former identity as an elite unit of the Antimatter Legion.

"Wait, wait, when did you become this strong?"

Silver Wolf hovered around the newly-formed monstrosity, scanning it with keen interest.

Her analysis quickly confirmed something startling: not only had the trampler not weakened, but it had actually gained new abilities thanks to Lin Shuang's transformation.

"You just controlled it for a moment, and now it listens to you??"

Silver Wolf watched as Lin Shuang retracted her silk threads, yet the monster remained still, waiting obediently for orders.

No way.

Where did she even get this kind of power?

She had abilities on this level and never mentioned it?

"How does this even work? Path energy? A special relic? Some kind of manipulation technique? Can it work on machines? What about carbon-based life forms?"

Silver Wolf's processing speed wasn't enough to decipher everything at once, but one thing was certain—Lin Shuang's ability had ignited her curiosity.

Now, it wasn't just Herta who would want to study her. Silver Wolf herself couldn't resist the urge to dig deeper into Lin Shuang's abilities.

"Curious? Like I know the specifics. I just know that as long as something can be used as a mount, I can control it like this."

Lin Shuang casually responded while adjusting to the sensation of her new ride.

She quickly realized that once the ability activated, controlling the beast wasn't just a matter of taming—it was as effortless as moving her own limbs.

She had only been testing whether she could catch a Doomsday Beast, but the results had exceeded all expectations.

With nothing but a thought, the flame-clad centaur galloped toward the monitoring room.

Silver Wolf trailed alongside, reaching out to touch the trampler's head.

The flames didn't burn. Instead, they radiated a comforting warmth, like a steady pulse of life.

"You can give orders just by thinking? That's insanely useful."

Silver Wolf couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy. If she had this ability, she wouldn't have to waste time hacking through layers of security firewalls.

Just sit in the cockpit, and the whole system would be hers.

"I haven't really used it much before, but this skill is way more useful than I thought."

"Tsk, if Herta saw this, she'd want to dissect you even more."

Silver Wolf had given up on trying to fully understand it. She wasn't a researcher, after all. She was just amused and intrigued by Lin Shuang's strange abilities.

"She can study me if she wants—as long as she pays."

Lin Shuang smirked. As long as the deal was fair, she didn't mind being a research subject.

"..."

Silver Wolf squinted at her before suddenly realizing something.

"Wait a second, are you planning to use this as a bargaining chip to get that woman Herta to give you a doll?"

"It's worth a shot. Nothing to lose. Anyway, we're here. Hey, looks like we've got company. Maybe step aside for now?"

In the span of a few sentences, Mount No. 1 had already carried Lin Shuang straight to the monitoring room.

Inside, Arlan remained stationed, seemingly unharmed.

Silver Wolf noticed him immediately and clicked her tongue. "You're seriously lucky."

Without another word, she dissolved into a stream of data and retreated into her phone.

Lin Shuang dismounted and approached the door, only for a voice filled with wariness to call out from behind her.

"Who are you? And what is that creature?"

"ROAR—!!!"

Despite its newfound loyalty, Mount No. 1 was still a trampler of the Antimatter Legion at its core.

Just because it obeyed Lin Shuang didn't mean it wouldn't get pissed off when someone showed hostility toward her.

CLANG—!

A spear clashed violently against the beast's flaming hoof.

A black-haired man wielded the weapon, steadying himself as he was forced back several steps, absorbing the impact.

Mount No. 1, however, stood firm, raising its massive bow in response.

Lin Shuang immediately recognized the man.

"Oh, it's you—Astral Express."

She raised a hand and gave a lazy wave. As if on cue, Mount No. 1 obediently lowered its weapon, suppressing its flames slightly.

Dan Heng remained silent, his stance defensive, though he refrained from outright attacking.

"Station Master Asta asked me to find someone. And you are?"

"You were sent by Station Master Asta as well?"

Dan Heng looked surprised, but quickly composed himself.

"I'm Dan Heng, from the Astral Express. Just a passing traveler. I was also commissioned by Station Master Asta to locate the missing security officer, Arlan."

As he spoke, he pulled out his phone and showed his correspondence with Asta.

Wow, so professional.

Lin Shuang had expected a more complicated conversation with someone as reserved as Dan Heng.

So, she simply took out her own phone and showed Asta's messages as well.

With mutual understanding established, the two lowered their guard.

Just then, the door to the monitoring room creaked open.

Arlan stepped out, his movements strained from injury.

He recognized both of them instantly.

One was the guest personally invited by Herta.

The other was an unknown passenger from the Astral Express.

If these two ended up fighting, it would be a disaster.

So despite his injuries, Arlan forced himself forward.

Luckily, Lin Shuang and Dan Heng had already come to an understanding, and Arlan breathed a sigh of relief.

"I can confirm that Lady Herta's guest, Ms. Lin Shuang, and the Astral Express's Mr. Dan Heng, are both here under Station Master Asta's orders."

"Arlan, how bad are your injuries?"

With Arlan's reassurance, Dan Heng fully relaxed, putting away his spear before stepping forward to support him.

"Not great, but I'll live… Were you both sent here to reinforce the space station?"

"Alright, enough chit-chat. Get on. We're leaving."

Lin Shuang waved off the conversation and gestured for Dan Heng to help Arlan onto Mount No. 1.