Chapter 30: Oh No, Everyone in Belobog Is Familiar!
The silver-haired woman on the screen turned her back to the camera, her long hair ending in distinct triple helix curls. Old Yang froze as recognition hit him like a bolt of lightning.
Bronya?!
As the woman turned around, Old Yang's suspicions were confirmed. It was unmistakably Bronya—her name, appearance, and demeanor all aligned perfectly with someone he knew. But why was she here? And why was she playing the role of the grand protector's daughter?
Old Yang's thoughts raced. Wait, no! The grand protector is Cocolia, and Bronya is indeed her daughter. But you two… did you accidentally switch scripts to become actors here? Have you completed your mission on Earth and found new employment in this world?
This wasn't the first time someone familiar had appeared in this game. Silver Wolf had already surprised Welt once before, but now there was no denying it—this grown-up version of Bronya bore an uncanny resemblance to the one he remembered. The scene passed too quickly for him to analyze further, but Old Yang felt certain she would reappear as the story unfolded.
Putting down his phone, Old Yang stood up and began pacing the train compartment. He gazed out at the vast cosmos and shimmering Milky Way, trying to suppress the absurd emotions rising within him.
Just then, Himeko let out a surprised exclamation. "Hmm? The developers gifted us 1600 Stellar Jade and announced a new limited-time character banner. Oh, it's already live?"
"Welt, look! There's a new character named 'Seele.'"
Old Yang froze mid-step. "Who?" he asked, his heart racing once more.
When he saw the illustrated image on Himeko's screen, he was utterly dumbfounded. That hair color! The butterfly motif! The iconic scythe weapons! This was clearly an older version of Seele.
First Bronya, and now Seele?! Old Yang couldn't believe it. Did everyone secretly collaborate on a game script while I was away? Belobog seemed filled with familiar faces!
"Welt, what's wrong?" Himeko asked, noticing his reaction.
Feeling that keeping this to himself might cause internal harm, Old Yang decided to share his observations with Himeko. After listening carefully, she pondered for a moment before responding thoughtfully:
"I've encountered similar situations myself. Some souls are exceptionally brilliant, leaving comparable imprints even across different worlds."
"However," she added, "encountering one or two is understandable. But if you claim every person on this planet resembles someone you know… that indeed seems quite peculiar."
"Uh… not all of them are familiar faces," Old Yang admitted reluctantly. "For instance, Sampo and Gepard at the beginning weren't people I knew."
"I see," Himeko replied with a nod. "In that case, I still lean toward the idea that they are merely coincidental resemblances."
Old Yang nodded helplessly but resolved to continue watching closely. If another familiar face appears… yes! If there's one more individual with the same name as someone from my past, I truly must visit this planet personally. Perhaps it would feel just like coming home.
---
Meanwhile, in Guinaifen's livestream…
Her game progress had been swift—she had already reached Belobog's Lower City and encountered Seele (an elite member of [Wildfire]), Natasha (an ordinary healer), and Hook (leader of The Moles).
Guinaifen is prepared to assist [Wildfire] in resolving a conflict between miners and vagrants over a new mineral vein.
Without hesitation, Guinaifen activated Himeko's ultimate ability. As Heavenfall Flame descended upon the battlefield, three vagrants were instantly defeated—followed by Himeko's additional attack that concluded the battle in one move.
"Himeko is truly amazing against groups!" Guinaifen exclaimed enthusiastically. "Except when facing elite enemies like Bronya—she might struggle slightly there—but otherwise she's incredibly useful."
She then had an idea: "What if I draw another character with extreme single-target capabilities? Wouldn't that make us perfectly equipped for any situation?"
The live chat erupted with responses:
- "Genius!"
- "How did you know I got Welt on my tenth pull?"
- "Heh heh, I just defeated Bronya with Welt in one go! His skill for breaking Imaginary Weakness Shields is incredibly fast!"
- "You both have five-star characters now? Can someone please tell me where to claim mine?"
As Guinaifen continued admiring Himeko's abilities, she equipped her with the best Relics available from her collection to maximize her potential. Then she opened the teleportation interface with excitement: "Fam, should I try my luck at drawing Mr. Welt? Wonder if he'd be incredibly powerful paired with Miss Himeko?"
Just then… a new banner appeared next to the regular card pool featuring Seele's image alongside a Light Cone themed after her.
Initially thinking it might be a glitch, Guinaifen checked her inbox after receiving a notification—and found an unexpected bonus of 1600 additional stars points!
"Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed in disbelief. "How did 1600 extra Stellar Jade appear in my inbox? Did the development team send out more rewards again?" Pausing briefly, she added with mock exasperation: "Wait… why did I say 'again?'"
Reading through the game announcement carefully, Guinaifen realized what had happened:
"What? A new five-star limited-time character?! I haven't even familiarized myself with all the characters in the regular pool yet—and now there's another one?! They made Seele a limited five-star right at the start?"
Her astonishment turned into admiration as she concluded:
"Feathered Spirit… your development speed is insane!"