[Herta] Space Station, Meeting Room.
A group of people sat in stunned silence, watching the unfolding story on the screen.
"So this is how the Trailblazer came to be?"
"The Stellaron was physically shoved in!?"
"Is this something I'm even allowed to see?"
"This confirms it! The game's plot is based on real events from not long ago, and it includes details even we weren't aware of!"
"Quick, go get Station Manager Asta!"
Soon.
Asta arrived in the office, surrounded by a group of people.
A staff member had already recorded the entire livestream.
Seeing the scene of the Antimatter Legion invading the space station and the ensuing chaos.
Asta's jaw dropped in shock.
It was all so vivid.
The aftermath of that disaster was still being cleaned up.
So, the Antimatter Legion was lured here by the Stellaron Hunters!
Those despicable Stellaron Hunters!
They casually strolled through the space station's containment sector.
Despite being here to steal the Stellaron, they acted like they were right at home.
And they so nonchalantly broke into Lady Herta's collection room.
Shoving the Stellaron into a young girl's body.
Wait!
Why does this girl look familiar?
Oh my, isn't that the Trailblazer!?
So she was a vessel created by the Stellaron Hunters!
In just a few minutes.
A flood of information crashed through Asta's mind.
It was like having three months' worth of shopping bills dumped in front of her all at once.
"Miss Asta, is the Trailblazer actually a mole planted by the Stellaron Hunters?"
"Nonsense! This is just a game. We can't maliciously speculate about our friends like that," Asta said, hands on her hips, clearly displeased.
"But the game's plot seems to perfectly match real events," the staff member argued.
"Uncertain. Let's keep watching."
Asta had the main screen switch to the livestream.
The streamer, Xiao Guizi, was in a small window in the bottom right corner.
The rest of the screen was dominated by the game Honkai: Star Rail.
......
Silver Wolf: "How much longer are you going to talk? According to the script, the Astral Express will be here soon. We shouldn't run into them."
"I know, Silver Wolf. Just a little longer, just a bit."
Kafka spoke, then turned to the screen and said,
"Time's almost up. I have to go… [Listen to me]: Someone will find you soon. Don't worry, go with them. You won't remember anything except me."
[No, don't…]
[Goodbye…]
[Kafka…]
Though there was no voice acting, everyone watching could feel—
The protagonist was still in a state of confusion and disorientation, having just awakened.
"When you have the chance to make a choice, don't let yourself regret it…"
As Kafka finished her final line, the screen slowly faded to black.
Signifying the protagonist falling back into unconsciousness.
It was unclear how much time had passed.
A male voice spoke.
"This person's coordinates weren't sent by the space station…"
A female voice urged, "Why are you worrying about that now? This person is right in front of us. They can't be fake."
"Heartbeat and pulse are weak. March, get ready to perform CPR."
"Huh?! I… I don't have much experience! Dan Heng, you do it!"
At this moment.
The protagonist's perspective finally reopened.
What greeted them was the enormous face of a man.
It looked so large because it was practically pressed against the screen.
"Stop—hold it!"
A hand reached in at the last moment, pushing the man's face away.
Then the hand's owner leaned in instead.
Pink short hair, bright multicolored eyes, and a cheerful smile.
"She's awake!"
"Are you okay? Can you hear me? Do you remember your name?" the pink-haired girl asked.
Seeing this scene, Asta was too shocked to speak.
Wasn't that March 7th and Dan Heng!?
Though their identities had been hinted at in the dialogue, seeing them so vividly portrayed left her in disbelief.
It really was the Astral Express crew!
This Trailblazer had even helped out a lot at the space station.
Who would've thought she was born this way?
Better contact the Express crew right away.
Asta picked up her phone.
Just as she was about to look up the Express crew's contact information, she suddenly stopped.
A thought occurred to her.
"If our space station staff have already come across this game, the Express crew must know about it too, right?"
"Never mind. The game has just started. No need to jump to conclusions yet."
Closing the contacts app.
She opened the app store.
Searched for Honkai: Star Rail.
And quietly began downloading it.
This game, just based on the story alone, was a must-play for her!
It was sure to bring her even more surprises.
......
Astral Express.
Welt and Himeko exchanged glances.
Having played this far.
Everything had started to connect.
After a moment of silence, Welt spoke first. "From the reports Dan Heng submitted, he and March 7th did indeed find her in Herta's Curio collection room."
"So you're saying the game's plot is really based on real events?"
"At this point, it's highly likely."
"With the Stellaron Hunters' technology, could they have created a game like this?" Himeko mused, as if asking herself.
"Probably… yes."
Welt wasn't entirely sure either.
"From what we've seen so far, the developer, [Yu Ling], must have an incredibly detailed understanding of Kafka and Silver Wolf from the Stellaron Hunters. Otherwise, they couldn't have included details even we weren't aware of."
"What about the Express? Don't forget, the game is named after the train."
Himeko took a deep breath, her eyes sparkling with intense interest.
"Welt, I have a feeling this game is just getting started."
"Look, a new feature has been unlocked—[Characters]."
"I'm already curious about March 7th and Stelle's skills."
To be continued…