Chapter 22: "76 Accounts Banned? Time to Start Star Rail!"
An Aeon!
In this universe, Aeons stand as the supreme embodiments of their Paths, wielding power to reshape reality itself.
And now—impossibly—one had manifested within this game!
Though not the true entity, the game's content had mirrored reality with frightening accuracy thus far. This suggested the unfolding scene might depict the Trailblazer's actual experiences! Through this digital recreation, long-hidden secrets from that fateful moment could finally be revealed!
Every observer—streamers, viewers, researchers alike—leaned forward, terrified of missing a single frame.
As the Trailblazer stood frozen, the spectral voice continued:
"Reach the end."
"Arrive at that conclusion through your own will."
Suddenly, fragmented visions flashed like lightning—
Himeko's determined gaze.
The space station in ruins.
Kafka's haunting smile.
The Trailblazer shielding March 7th amidst a storm of stars.
Unfamiliar faces flickering too quickly to recognize.
"He has taken notice of you now."
A resonant hum vibrated through the air as golden eyes materialized, their oppressive gaze pinning the viewers in place. Nanook's true form unveiled itself in terrifying clarity.
Since the voice referred to Nanook in third person, it couldn't belong to the Aeon. Yet now, the protagonist stood irrevocably tied to Destruction's avatar. This single scene would undoubtedly become sacred text for every Aeon researcher across the cosmos.
Silver Wolf's mind reeled as the sequence concluded.
"They actually recreated this?"
"No wonder Kafka was so intrigued!"
"But how does the game know these details?!"
Her fingers twitched toward the now-launched Honkai: Star Rail on her display. The Astral Express glided silently through pixelated stars, and she suddenly understood—everything witnessed so far was merely the prologue.
A giddy grin split her face.
"Time to play this game seriously!"
(...)
Back in Little Gui's stream, the narrative resumed.
The Trailblazer convulsed under the Doomsday Beast's residual energy—until golden light erupted from their chest.
The Stellaron's awakening.
With a cataclysmic pulse, the Beast disintegrated instantly. But the explosion didn't stop—the Trailblazer levitated, body glowing like a supernova. The resulting shockwave nearly blew March 7th away as Himeko and Dan Heng raised defensive stances.
Just as the energy peaked—
Tap.
A red cane struck Stelle's forehead with surgical precision. All raging power dissipated instantly. The Trailblazer collapsed into March's arms as the cane's owner adjusted his glasses mid-descent.
Welt Yang.
"Uncle Yang, is she—" March began.
"Stable. We'll debrief elsewhere."
Chat erupted:
"Who's this DILF?!"
"Five-star energy right there!"
"The Station Head wasn't kidding—Welt's been sandbagging this whole time!"
"That's UNCLE YANG to you!"
Silver Wolf's eyes locked onto Welt's cane. Something about it thrummed with restrained power. If this weren't just a game scene, she'd have hacked its schematics already.
"Why theorize when I can just pull him?" she mused. "If characters mirror their real counterparts, this could be a goldmine of intel on the Express crew..."
Her gaze flicked to the Star Rail loading screen. Anticipation crackled through her—partly a hacker's thirst for data, mostly a gamer's euphoria at discovering hidden depths.
Then—
"Hello, Stellaron Hunter."
A Herta puppet materialized nearby, addressing her projected avatar directly. Silver Wolf's stealth mode should've made her invisible, but Herta had always been annoyingly perceptive.
"Your infiltration's unusually sloppy this time," Herta smirked. "Leaving digital breadcrumbs? I almost thought this was a trap."
Silver Wolf dropped the camouflage with a shrug. "Oh hey Herta! Honestly, I got distracted."
"By what? That Curio you wanted is already integrated into my Simulated Universe."
"I know."
Herta's puppet tilted its head. "Then why linger? To watch these plebs play mobile games?"
"You're half-right. This 'mobile game' happens to be fascinating."
"Pfft. My Simulated Universe is the pinnacle of gaming. Nothing else compares."
"Spoken like someone who hasn't played it." Silver Wolf's retort died as a notification flashed—her 76 Immortal Boat accounts had been banned for data leaks.
Herta's grin turned predatory. "Ah yes, I froze all your network accounts. Including save files. Still finding this interesting?"
For half a second, Silver Wolf's mask slipped—then she glanced at Star Rail's title screen and relaxed.
"Ban them. I've found better entertainment."
With that, her projection winked out.
Herta stared at the empty space, arms crossed. "No Curio. No accounts. Why isn't she furious?"
Her puppet turned toward a nearby ad screen displaying Honkai: Star Rail's promo art. For the first time, genuine curiosity flickered across Herta's features.
"...Is this game truly that compelling?"
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(To be continued—Will Herta become a gacha addict? Find out in the next chapter!)