"Wildfire" and the trio have united their fronts.
Now, the objective is crystal clear: to negotiate peacefully with Svarog,
as he is the only underground authority likely to know about the "Stellaron."
If that fails, "Wildfire" is prepared for battle.
Once everything was set, Seele led the trio and Bronya to meet the guide arranged by Oleg.
The scene transitions, accompanied by a narrator's voice:
"In the deepest part of the tunnel, under the glow of the streetlights, a small figure harbors chaotic power she is the embodiment of darkness…"
The narrator's deep, resonant tone starkly contrasts with Hook's appearance on screen, leaving the audience in stitches.
[Hahaha, the guide is Hook?]
[This is kinda hilarious, especially with the narrator's dead-serious introduction.]
[I thought it'd be Sampo!]
[Hook, come here, my sweet daughter! So adorable!]
——
"Hook?" Seele stared at the little girl in disbelief.
"I really didn't see this coming!" March 7th was equally astonished, as if she expected Hook to possess greater capabilities.
Dan Heng rested his chin on his hand, analyzing the situation. "So, the Moles are also part of 'Wildfire'…"
Hook, though confused, puffed out her chest and replied confidently, "Yep, it's me, Pitch-Dark Hook the Great! What do you want?"
"Uh, kid, this must be a misunderstanding." Sampo emerged from the shadows, looking disappointed.
"This hurts, you know? You thought of such a little kid but forgot about me?"
"Enough already!" Seele clicked her tongue. "Why are you making a fuss? Everyone knows where Svarog's lair is what do we need you for?"
"Hey, different skills for different jobs! Even if you know the location, who's actually been inside?"
"Oh? You have?"
"Nope! But I've scoured every inch of that mechanical settlement and gathered plenty of intel. I'll definitely be useful."
Caelus eyed Sampo warily. "Oleg actually trusts you?"
"Wow, what's that supposed to mean?" Sampo's voice pitched higher. "You three only got involved with Wildfire thanks to yours truly, Sampo!
I swear on my life, my intentions are pure!"
March 7th shuddered. "Alright, alright, we believe you. Just lead the way already!"
Sampo's expression instantly brightened. "You got it! Stick close, folks."
As Caelus watched Sampo's retreating figure, memories of being scammed resurfaced.
"Honestly, if I'd known it'd really be the great Hook the Darkness,
I'd feel much more at ease.
But whatever, no choice now. Let's go with him."
——
Under March 7th's constant urging, the group of six soon arrived at the lawless vagrant settlement.
Through Seele's conversations and eavesdropping on other vagrants,
the audience learned that while Svarog is domineering,
he never harms humans without cause or orders their expulsion.
Clara even occasionally distributes supplies to everyone.
For instance, the group is currently using medical items.
Sampo glanced around and warned, "This place is a real mixed bag. Keep your wits about you, folks don't get scammed."
March 7th shot him a look. "We'd be lucky if you didn't scam us!"
"You really hold a grudge, don't you?"
When the six reached a sealed gate, the young man's phone started bombarding him with pop-ups.
Over and over.
"What now? Can't even focus on staying up late?" He opened the group chat to find it flooded with messages.
[Honkai Star Rail's Succubus: @everyone, look at this, I'm dying of laughter!]
[Honkai Star Rail's Succubus: @everyone, look at this, I'm dying of laughter!]
[Honkai Star Rail's Succubus: @everyone, look at this, I'm dying of laughter!]
[…]
The young man then noticed a video likely Stelle's version.
Figuring he'd give it a shot, he hit play.
What a coincidence.
The video seamlessly continued from where the Caelus version left off,
with the six standing before a locked gate.
March 7th scrutinized the door from bottom to top, left to right, before reaching a shocking conclusion: "This gate's heavy! Watch me!"
She took a deep breath and yelled, "Open sesame!"
Dan Heng facepalmed, while the others exchanged glances.
The camera cut to Bronya, her face full of confusion. "What was that? A password?"
Stelle stepped forward. "Why not 'pineapple pineapple honey'?" Then she turned to Sampo. "Pick the lock for us."
Sampo immediately shushed her. "Too many eyes watching!
…Ahem! Anyway, don't panic. I've figured out the gate's mechanism you need authentication to enter."
[Silver Wolf's Current Boyfriend: Hahaha, only March 7th would dare do something like this.]
[Asta Is My Wife: Why does she look so proud of herself?]
[I Love Drinking Himeko's Coffee: That was adorable. Dan Heng looks done.]
[Honkai Star Rail's Succubus: Yeah, Stelle's antics are hilarious too. If I were Dan Heng, I'd have given up.]
[Adorably Invincible March's Wife: Oh! This is amazing! So cute, I love it! Gotta grab all the March 7th merch later—figures, soundtracks, everything!]
——
Sampo then explained that to open the gate,
they needed to collect authentication from the verification robots.
With no other choice, they set out to obtain the required credentials.
Bronya observed the camp and mused, "The people here seem ruled by machines. It's hard to imagine in the Overworld, robots are just tools."
"Don't underestimate Svarog! He's…" Seele paused, choosing her words carefully. "He's special!"
Soon,
the group found the first robot.
But it wasn't that simple authentication required answering questions.
Thus,
they decided to ask the nearby vagrants for clues.
By chance, they spotted a rapping enthusiast among them.
Curious, they stopped to listen:
"Yo, yo, all you losers better listen up—
This is the Eighty-Eight Degree Mining Depths, home of the Internal Combustion Rap Champ,
bringing you the underground's dawn, hitting you with soul-crushing truth—
Lonely kids gaze at the moon above,
cold city streets drown in freezing snow,
silent, broken,
blind to the ruins below,
gotta protect you, gotta protect her,
the hollow queen spouts empty words,
born underground, grown underground,
but orders keep her from going home,
no time for pride, no time for life,
just searching for her mom and dad,
a tiny spark, a flickering light,
she flees the city in dead of night.
Pain and hunger scream her name,
she grits her teeth and runs away.
Tick-tock, tick-tock,
in the dark, her claws unlock,
hold her breath, don't make a sound,
heart stops, can't take it now,
cold wind blows, silver glows,
fading fast, her consciousness goes,
snow falls heavy, eyes shut tight,
mom and dad's voices fade from sight,
Belobog's night, lies can't hide the spite,
that woman turns a blind eye to the fight,
Belobog's night, lies can't kill the light,
her final smile heralds morning's bright,
Yeah~ yeah~ yeah~ yeah!"
[Kafka's Dog: ???]
[Silver Wolf's Current Boyfriend: Good thing I checked both Caelus and Stelle versions are up!]
[Domineering Caelus Baby Loves Me: No way, miHoYo actually composed a whole song for this tiny scene?]
[It's miHoYo Not HoYoverse: Sounds great, but I wonder if the lyrics mean anything?]
[I Love Drinking Himeko's Coffee: I'm sold! The attention to detail is amazing!]
——
After the song, the group returned to the verification robot.
"Trial Step One: Answer the following—
Who is the Internal Combustion Rap Champion?"
Stelle thought for a moment. "Eighty-Eight Degree Mining Depths."
"Correct. Authentication result: Success. Remaining authentications: 2.
Extend your right hand!"
"Right hand!" March 7th obediently stuck out her hand. "Here, what're you gonna Ow ow ow!"
She blew on her stinging hand. "So this is the authentication mark?"
Sampo gave a thumbs-up. "Nice! Two more to go. Let's move."
About fifty meters later, they reached another robot.
The subtitles labeled it "Aggressive Robot," with high-contrast coloring.
The audience instantly knew: things were about to get wild!v