"It's better to wait until everyone's here before I explain."
"For now, I can only tell you, Conductor, it's a world even Akivili has never reached."
---------------------------------
...
: Is the intel on the New World coming?
: So early? MiHoYo isn't keeping us guessing this time?
: Excited, so excited!
: But why is it Black Swan again?
: She's not going to make a move again, is she?
...
The intel on the New World made the audience especially excited.
Just then, The Nameless who had returned from Penacony also came back to the Astral Express.
Black Swan temporarily left, giving the space to Pom-Pom and the others.
"How did it go, how did it go, pom?" Pom-Pom's eyes lit up as she asked eagerly.
March 7th and Stelle exchanged a glance. In the end, Himeko stepped forward, sighed, and told Pom-Pom about what happened with Penacony.
"Woo… Pom-Pom…" Pom-Pom lowered her head, her eyes downcast.
It wasn't just the Nameless.
Even the audience watching from their screens saw Pom-Pom show this kind of sadness for the first time.
"Alright, alright, Pom-Pom, cheer up, don't be sad, don't cry…" March 7th whispered comfortingly.
"Wuwu… the conductor doesn't cry, I'm not… I'm not sad…" Pom-Pom couldn't even finish the sentence through her grief but still tried to stay strong.
At that moment, to stop everyone from worrying, Pom-Pom suddenly jumped up.
"I'm not crying, I'm just angry, yes, angry!"
"Every time no matter where the train stops, you always stir up so much chaos. Pom-Pom's carefully planned departure times are never followed by passengers!"
"If this keeps up, the train's fuel will be exhausted, Pom-Pom!" Pom-Pom forced herself to act angry, but her sadness was too great.
"Exactly… wuwuwu… Pom-Pom's just angry, not because of Mikhail, or Tiernan, or Razalina…"
"Wuwuwu waaah!"
Pom-Pom's crying was both cute and heartbreaking.
...
: Sigh, the conductor has been through so much. Friends who once laughed and joked together are gone one by one, it's really too much to bear.
: Think about it, Mikhail grew up under Pom-Pom's watch, and now she has to see him leave too…
: Stop, I'm getting sad as well.
: How many Nameless does Pom-Pom have to say goodbye to in her lifetime…
: Poor Pom-Pom, wuwuwu…
...
The screen was filled with comments expressing sympathy for Pom-Pom.
Fortunately, after crying for a while and venting her emotions, Pom-Pom felt much better.
Himeko suggested letting Pom-Pom have some time alone before the meeting.
She herself stayed in the carriage to comfort her.
Welt took the three back to the lounge car corridor.
Seeing their concern, Welt explained, "No one knows when Pom-Pom boarded the train, but it has certainly experienced unimaginable farewells, so crying like this is actually good, it shows it's venting emotions and hasn't been numbed by time."
Hearing this explanation, the three finally felt relieved.
However, after finishing, Welt also said seriously: "But what the conductor said at the end is correct. Since Stelle boarded the Express, every stop has taken longer than expected. To keep everyone together, Pom-Pom has had to repeatedly delay the warp timetable."
Dan Heng suddenly realized.
"No wonder I often hear Pom-Pom pacing anxiously in the hallway."
In just a few words, the image of a conductor who deeply loves the crew was imprinted in their hearts.
...
: That fuel isn't ordinary fuel, right…? Related to Trailblaze?
: But Pom-Pom really does love everyone. For the train, fuel is definitely top priority, but she still waits so everyone can return together.
: Conductor Pom-Pom is the best in the world!
: But now the fuel seems insufficient, and Pom-Pom is anxious. There must be a way to solve this, right?
: We just need to wait for the next warp, and there will be more new things to discover.
...
While the audience was wondering, Welt took the opportunity to explain things to Stelle, the newcomer on the Express.
"Different from typical vehicles, the Astral Express converts every "Trailblaze" into the energy it needs to run. Ideally, as long as trailblazing expeditions continue without interruption, the Express will receive a constant flow of energy, much like a perpetual motion machine."
Welt shook his head as he continued: "But because of our previous encounters... fuel is being used up much faster than expected. We can probably only pull off two more warp jumps at most."
"Only two more... Isn't that super risky? Ahh! I don't wanna become an ice cube floating around in space again!" March 7th's face paled.
"At least, you'll be an adorable ice cube." Stelle crossed her arms and added.
"Eh, when you put it like that, I'm not that scared anymore." March 7th scratched her head, looking thoughtful.
Their banter didn't interrupt Dan Heng's thoughts.
At this moment, Dan Heng calmly identified the blind spot: "That is to say, we must consider this before choosing our next destination."
Welt's eyes were filled with relief that at least this child was still salvageable, a comforting thought.
"Yes. I've already checked the astral charts - the two nearest worlds to us are the oceanic planet of Lushaka and the Agate World, Melustanin."
"As for which one we're headed to, that still requires a vote..."
After revealing the upcoming destination.
The audience was filled with anticipation.
The ocean planet Lusaka was Mikhail's hometown; going there seemed like a good idea.
As for the unheard-of Merustine, it felt intriguing.
Just as the fans were imagining the new adventure about to unfold.
A mysterious woman finally struck at the right moment, stealthily flashing out from behind everyone.
"...Or, perhaps you might consider a suggestion." Black Swan approached everyone with a smile.
"I-It's you? Why were you just in my room ..." March 7th widened her eyes in anger.
Stelle also looked at Black Swan.
"Memokeeper... Let's put aside how you managed to sneak past everyone and board the Express for now - you mentioned a suggestion ..."
Welt adjusted his glasses and asked seriously.
"I accidentally overheard how the Express obtains fuel."
Black Swan squinted her eyes with a charming smile: "I just wanted to chat with everyone to see if we could work together, but now, it appears my suggestion could be the very lifeline that saves everyone."
"Please speak candidly. Depending on what you say, we could very well ask you to disembark." Dan Heng said coldly from the side.
"Ah, the Permanence's descendant... What a charming little dragon, especially with those mired memories of yours."
In just a few words, Black Swan managed to shake the group's composure.
It had to be said… She really was always making moves.
Sensing that everyone's gazes were turning dangerous, Black Swan no longer hesitated and spoke out her thoughts.
"But I digress. If the Astral Express is in urgent need of a special trailblazing expedition to recharge its engine..."
"Have you all considered this? Perhaps your destination could be a world that even the renowned Akivili never reached ..."
"Should you be able to lay down a new stretch of silver rail, the Express may never have to worry about energy ever again."
As soon as these words were spoken, even the well-informed Welt's eyes flashed with brilliance.
And the chat completely exploded.
...
: As expected of Black Swan! She makes a move and it's extraordinary. Akivili never went there? Is that for real?!
: Damn, Black Swan looks so elegant and composed, but when she does something, it's always huge!
: Oh my god, shocking!
: No wonder she's always so confident, turns out she really has mysterious knowledge of the unseen path.
...
Nowadays, the Honkai: Star Rail worldview was already well known to the audience.
They could understand that in this universe, it was rare to find places even Akivili had never visited.
If Akivili's era of Trailblazing was the Age of Sail.
Then the present was a period of rapid growth for the entire universe, with almost no hidden corners left in the cosmos.
If there were, they must have been sealed away long ago. A world like that must have enormous secrets behind it!
"Continue, Memokeeper. This destination of which you speak, what sort of world is it?" Welt asked.
"A world that many across the universe don't even know exists ..."
"A world hidden away from outside observation, its presence only revealed by the light from the mirror of the Garden of Recollection..."
"A world fettered by three Paths, its destiny hanging in the balance ..."
Black Swan looked toward the stars outside the window, as if gazing at the hidden planet.
With a trace of yearning, Black Swan turned her head and spoke its name:
"The Eternal Land, Amphoreus."
With Black Swan's narration.
A mysterious and enigmatic planet was planted into the audience's imagination.
They longed to hear more from Black Swan, but just at that moment, the screen went black.
The story ended.
...
: ???
: One day I'm definitely gonna kill miHoYo!
: Damn it, another cliffhanger! Holy crap!
: Damn! What kind of planet is Amphoreus, just tell us already!
: Damn, the fact that Black Swan is still alive and hasn't been beaten to death, that's really her luck, wow.
: My fists are clenched so hard right now!
: I'm going crazy, every time it's just a tease, you're not letting us in, huh?!
...
The comments section instantly went crazy.
But before they had time to think.
After the black screen ended, the screen lit up once again.
Sunday, bound to a chair, was freed by Jade.
Unlike what Sunday thought, Jade didn't come to mock him.
But to give him freedom.
"Go now. You are free - 0 chosen one, who dared to exceed his bounds. Sever your wings, descend to the mortal realm, and walk their lands. See what this world is truly like."
Jade didn't give Sunday any choice.
"As I mentioned earlier: It's a trade, and you don't have to give me an answer right now. Rewards are not reaped in a day, and if there's one thing I'm best at, it's waiting. The sweet dream still continues, and the night is still long - you have plenty of time to contemplate your answer."
"Life is too short to miss out on golden opportunities."
[Stranger in a Strange Land.]
And with that, the epilogue came to an end.
At the final moment, miHoYo planted two foreshadowing hints, driving the audience crazy.
Because even though the information was short.
It sparked endless imagination.
...
: Damn, it's really over, crap!
: Sunday's free now, and the Express's headed to Amphoreus, they should meet again later, right?
: Sunday's fine, but I really want to know what kind of world Amphoreus actually is.
: From the revealed info, it's definitely a big deal, Penacony was such an amazing place, and honestly, it was still Harmony-dominated territory, but Amphoreus is different, it's clearly three intertwined Paths!
: Memory has to be one of them, maybe we can explore that Garden of Recollection zones there?
: The other two Paths are also intriguing, I wonder which ones they are.
: After carefully re-reading the dialogue, I think it actually helped narrow it down.
: Exactly! IPC, Xianzhou, those big forces definitely don't know, otherwise Black Swan wouldn't describe it as a place most of the universe doesn't even know about, meaning most histories avoided it.
: I guess it must be a very mysterious Path, one that doesn't show off and we know very little about.
: Finality and pure beauty?
: Could also be Erudition, the Genius Society is a big force, but it's pretty scattered.
: If it's Erudition, maybe the next big story will give us deeper insight into the Genius Society characters, like Polka Kakamond.
: Whatever the case, I only have one request! Can the next story please kill off fewer people?!
: Exactly! Trailblazing with the little trio should just be wholesome and hot-blooded, not full of tragedy and pain all over the place after exploring dangerous worlds!
: I mean, we Nameless are truly big shots now, we have connections, strength, with this setup, the next big story should totally be a power fantasy!
: Can't win? Just call in Kafka, call in the IPC, call in the Xianzhou people!
...
Just as everyone was heatedly discussing, suddenly, news came.
A new announcement and two videos appeared on miHoYo's official website!
The discussing audience was stunned.
Videos?
When people left the stream and switched to the official site.
Sure enough, they discovered.
The broadcast that had already ended, actually wasn't over at this point.
A new collection tab was added. Categorized separately from the main Myriad Celestia Trailers and called "Pom-Pom's Favorites…"