Herta Space Station.
The post-disaster reconstruction work had been completed.
The surviving staff had returned to their usual peaceful and leisurely routines.
In the conference room.
A staff member, slacking off, secretly scrolled through his phone under the table.
Compared to the colleague droning on at the podium, he felt it was more meaningful to spend his time on a game.
Opening the "New Games" section.
Scrolling down.
He suddenly saw the words [Honkai: Star Rail].
"Star Rail?"
"Isn't that the Astral Express, the train used by those Nameless who helped us a while back?"
"I remember it even stopped at the space station's platform for some time!"
"How fascinating!"
"Let me check it out!"
...
Xianzhou, Luofu.
Qingque was slacking off as usual.
But recently, he had been severely warned by the terrifying leader of the Divination Commission, so he couldn't slack off openly anymore.
He could only sneak out his Jade Abacus during breaks to browse.
"Xiao Guizi has been doing livestreams lately. I should go take a look."
"Huh? Why isn't she doing her usual acrobatics but instead streaming a game?"
"Wait, wait, wait!"
"Are you sure this is a game?"
"Isn't that the wanted criminal Kafka? I just saw her bounty poster this morning!"
"Ohoho, this is interesting!"
"I'm skipping mahjong after work today. I need to see what this game's story is all about!"
...
Astral Express.
In the spacious train car, aside from Conductor Pom-Pom, only Welt and Himeko remained.
Old Yang was sitting by the window in the observation car, reading a book.
Outside the window was a snow-covered planet.
But he wasn't reading very attentively, occasionally glancing at the scenery outside.
Himeko sat down beside him with a cup of coffee.
"Worried about the kids?"
"Well, it's their first time on a Trailblazing journey. It's natural to feel a little uneasy."
Old Yang smiled. "No, young people need opportunities to grow."
"Then relax a bit. Try this new blend of coffee I made."
Looking at the dark liquid in front of him, he suddenly felt his throat tighten and his mouth go dry.
He quickly opened his phone.
"Uh… no, thanks."
"I prefer playing games to relax."
In truth, Old Yang didn't have any games installed on his phone.
So he opened the "New Games" section, planning to download something random to pass the time.
However.
Among the dazzling array of new game titles, he suddenly noticed one that caught his attention.
Honkai Star Rail.
Sensing Old Yang's change in expression, Himeko asked, "What's wrong?"
"Take a look at this game."
"Honkai: Star Rail? It seems to be a game themed around our Astral Express."
"No mistake about it." Old Yang adjusted his glasses. "Its logo is the train's icon."
"In the past, some developers have incorporated train-related elements into their designs. But since they've never been Nameless who boarded the train, their works often end up being too fantastical, far removed from the true essence of [Trailblazing]."
Old Yang knew Himeko was being polite.
Rather than "fantastical," it was more accurate to say those games were a mess.
They were just cheap attempts to ride the train's popularity.
Himeko clearly thought this game was similar and wasn't particularly impressed.
However.
Old Yang didn't think so.
More than the latter part of the title, he was concerned about the prefix.
—"Honkai"!
He hoped the game developer had used the term as an adjective.
Not the [Honkai] he was imagining.
"Since we have some free time now, why don't we check out this game together?"
"Sure."
Himeko agreed readily.
"But let me make this clear: if it turns out to be one of those poorly made, low-quality games, I won't stick around."
...
Tatsuke had no idea that the mobile game he had released was starting to attract the attention of certain individuals across the galaxy.
At this moment, through Guinaifen's livestream.
The turn-based gameplay of *Honkai: Star Rail* was about to be revealed—
Another voice from the Stellaron Hunters came through the screen:
"Can I have some fun this time? The last few missions were so boring."
"Sorry. Today's mission is very dull: just [putting the target in place]."
Then, Kafka's tone shifted.
"—But if you want to have some fun, I won't stop you. After all…"
As her words trailed off.
The cabin door behind Kafka automatically opened.
She walked forward, placing her hands on her hips.
And in front of her.
Were three Voidrangers, glaring menacingly!
"—After all, anything not written in Elio's script is irrelevant!"
Drawing her twin guns.
Her pupils dilated in an instant.
A smirk curled on her lips.
As if the impromptu performance had reached its climax!
It seemed like the next moment would show Kafka mowing down the Voidrangers with her submachine guns.
Most viewers, including Guinaifen, didn't fully understand the earlier dialogue.
But they knew one thing.
The Stellaron Hunters were about to cause trouble!
A battle with the Antimatter Legion was inevitable!
This scene confirmed their expectations.
But just as the dramatic tension reached its peak.
The screen suddenly froze.
Cracks appeared across the display.
What followed was a turn-based combat scene, with both sides divided into camps, standing in place.
...
[Chat]
"???"
"I was all hyped up, and you show me this?"
"Am I seeing this right? It's a turn-based game?"
"Kind of disappointed. I thought it would be a grand spectacle."
"I was really interested, and the opening was hype, but it's a turn-based game."
"This kind of gameplay is so outdated!"
To be continued…