But just when the audience thought today's content had come to an end, a new story suddenly appeared in the long-silent Pom-Pom's Favorites.
It seemed… related to Boothill?
-----------------------------
The video's name is: Sailing Toward a Second Life.
The cover shows Boothill with his eyes closed, seemingly in the middle of undergoing a transformation.
This new video appeared.
Immediately, it sparked heated discussion among fans.
...
: Oi! Go check Pom-Pom's Favorites, looks like there's a personal story in there?
: It shouldn't be in the style of a PV, otherwise it would have been included in the main plot.
: Is miHoYo about to surprise us again?
: It's Boothill! That handsome guy! Is his story finally going to be explored more deeply?
: This story should also be pretty funny, right? After all, Boothill is clearly a goofball too!
...
Fans were discussing it in various groups while impatiently opening the new video.
The screen starts.
It's set in a dark, gray place.
Mechanical components are everywhere, along with wires sparking with electricity.
A voice, mixed between male and female, rings out.
"Some say..."
"Memory is a deep sea."
"But if you ask me..."
"Memory is a mine."
"It is the most precious treasure in the universe."
"Within these mines lie fragments of civilizations, of individuals, of paths."
"Perhaps with just the slightest effort, you can unearth the most valuable ore."
As the voice continues.
The camera slowly pulls back.
The audience gradually sees the place more clearly.
It seems... a medical room.
Those messy mechanical drills and surgical tools scattered everywhere all ultimately point toward the man standing in the center with his eyes closed, Boothill.
He, along with the surrounding machines, stands motionless.
As if time itself had stopped.
As the view keeps widening.
The audience realizes that all of this, including Boothill, is sealed within a crystal overflowing with light.
A Light Cone.
"And now, I will give this precious ore a name unlike any other."
The blended male-and-female voice overlapped heavily.
The sound gradually faded.
The image began to turn white.
Along with the spreading whiteness, a vivid blue sky seamlessly entered the frame, transitioning directly to the next scene.
The sky was so clear.
A few drifting white clouds were thick and fluffy, glowing with life.
The scene froze there.
From off-screen, faint sipping sounds could be heard.
Then suddenly.
A rough male voice rang out.
"Graey, look in the snow, that's a child!"
"In a place like this?"
"Don't worry about that now! Quick, let's go check!"
A man and a woman's voices followed one after another.
Not long after.
The camera suddenly rose up, and two faces entered the frame.
The man had a thick beard, his skin weathered by hardship.
The woman's skin was somewhat dark, likely from working long hours underground.
Neither could be called very attractive.
But at that moment, both of their faces were lit with delighted smiles.
Bearded Nick grinned foolishly: "Hey, little one, you sure are lucky."
Graey shot him a look: "Nick, don't scare the child!"
Then, she turned toward the camera with a gentle smile and reached out to play with it.
Only now did the audience finally realize.
The camera's view had been from the perspective of a baby.
With Nick and Graey appearing.
The first-person perspective shifted into a third-person shot.
Under the bright blue sky, the two of them held a baby.
The baby didn't cry, but instead curiously studied the two strangers, even softly sucking on its fingers.
...
: That's Boothill?
: Boothill as a baby?!
: Damn, little Boothill was such a quiet and well-behaved child?!
: Oh my god! The contrast is insane!
: I thought something sounded off when we saw that shot of the sky just now.
: Man, I never would've guessed why Boothill would grow up into the way he is now. As a baby he was so obedient!
...
The contrast was just too strong.
Especially when the audience realized.
When the camera lingered on the bright blue sky earlier, that was Boothill's perspective.
An abandoned baby, at such a time, just quietly staring at the sky, sucking on his fingers.
It was just... Too well-behaved!
[ T/N: No, in the HSR wiki, it's said that he was a red-faced crybaby]
In this world, could there really be a baby this good-natured?
Full of joy and surprise. The audience kept watching.
Graey and Nick took the baby back to their home.
Following them along the way.
The camera displayed the scenery of their journey.
A vast, fertile grassland. Rivers winding their way through it.
On the prairie, cattle and sheep grazed slowly, occasionally startled by the sound of Nick and Graey riding past on horseback, lifting their heads to look.
Peaceful, warm. A thriving planet unfolded before the viewers' eyes.
"Aeragan-Epharshel." That was the name of the planet.
Nick and Graey's home was a farm.
They grew crops and also raised herds of cattle and sheep.
When they got back, they prepared food for the baby.
After feeding him, Graey stayed in the room to lull him to sleep.
Nick, on the other hand, opened the door and walked to the depths of the farm.
As soon as he arrived. Many boys and girls in cowboy attire, with guns on their hips, came running out.
"Papa Nick!"
"Welcome home!"
"Did you catch any of those nasty critters today?"
"Papa Nick, look! This is a treasure I just dug up today!"
These boys and girls, were all children Nick and Graey had adopted.
"Alright!"
"Kids, I've got great news for you!"
Stopping their roughhousing, Nick smiled from the heart.
"What good news?" The kids were full of curiosity.
"You're getting a new little brother!" Nick said proudly: "Just earlier, Graey and I found an abandoned baby. Just like you, we've decided to adopt him!"
"OOOH!!!" The kids' reaction was explosive. Boys and girls alike jumped up in excitement!