Penacony.
Oti Mall.
In front of a shop, though it wasn't yet opening time, a long line of waiting customers had already formed.
This seemed completely out of sync with Penacony's service-first ethos!
The customers were even more eager than the shop owner!
They had spontaneously formed an orderly queue at the entrance.
Not only was there no complaining, but these strangers were chatting and laughing, even though they came from different planets, they had endless common topics to discuss.
The area in front of the shop was filled with laughter and joy!
This,
Was in stark contrast to the deserted luxury shops nearby!
The shop's sign was made up of roses.
It read: The Rose of the Future.
This,
Was Cocona's shop.
Thanks to the influence of the side quest Envision a Rose Forthcoming, she had been encouraged by many players to start anew.
Now,
Cocona was the owner of this shop.
She had discontinued all the luxury goods she previously sold.
And turned it into a shop specializing in Honkai: Star Rail merchandise.
From the window display outside, you could see.
A life-sized Sam armor, a model of the Astral Express, a model of The Architects' lance, and more…
All crafted with incredible accuracy and reasonably priced!
It had become a must-visit spot for Star Rail fans in Penacony!
Inside the shop, songs from Honkai: Star Rail were playing on loop.
At that moment, Hope Is the Thing With Feathers was playing.
The shop owner, Cocona, finally arrived to open up.
"Cocona's here! It was worth coming so early to queue!"
"Finally seeing her in person, she's even more beautiful than in the side quest!"
"Hey hey hey, Miss Cocona, I'm back! You have to save a Sam mecha set for me today!"
"Boss, how can you be lazier than us customers? I strongly suggest starting work two hours earlier every day!"
Cocona greeted the player-customers with a smile.
In the past, she had lost her dreams and was deeply depressed.
But now, her face was always lit up with a genuine, sunny smile.
A profound experience can truly change a person.
"Friends, I'm not here to work today."
"I want to tell you all that today, The Rose of the Future is closed!"
The crowd erupted in surprise!
Cocona explained, "Because, today is Sunday!"
"Isn't today Monday? I didn't go to school much, don't lie to me!"
"Miss Cocona, have you been staying up late these past two days playing through the storyline and forgotten the date?"
"Since we're already here, why not open the door before leaving?"
Cocona chuckled helplessly.
"It seems everyone was too busy chatting. Just now, Yu Ling released a new character illustration."
"After seeing it, you'll understand why I said today is a holiday."
As she spoke.
She turned on the large screen by the entrance.
With a sacred melody playing.
Sunday's image leaped onto the screen!
"Huh?"
"No way! What am I seeing?"
"Miss Cocona, are you sure this isn't your fan creation?"
"Wow! It really was just released!"
"Thank goodness Miss Cocona reminded us, I almost missed out on a fortune!"
"Sunday! Is he really joining the character pool?"
"No doubt about it, this is an extraterrestrial satellite broadcast! He's definitely joining the pool!"
The live comments mirrored the reactions of those present!
They clicked in the moment they received the notification!
...
"!!!"
"Emperor Zhou!"
"Great, it's Sunday! We're saved!"
"Huh? He's really coming out!"
"Finally! [crying]"
"I can't believe my eyes! What am I seeing!"
"Sunday reaching upwards, is he about to unleash 'The Primordial Existence'?"
"I really like this one!"
"For the Seven-Day Rest! I'll lead the charge!"
"Exclusive Light Cone: 'Endless Holidays'"
...
Just as everyone was marveling.
On the streets of Oti Mall.
All advertisements switched simultaneously!
It seemed someone had bought them out immediately.
All replaced with Sunday's illustration!
The staff of other stores were stunned!
Soon,
someone caught on.
"Today really is Sunday, my friends!"
"This magnificent image, this compassionate pose! I willingly join the Sunday Sect!"
"To embrace the concept of the Seven-Day Rest, I'm quitting my job right now!"
"Look at Cocona's shop, so humane, so free and joyful! Yet here I am, guiding customers like a dog for that damned owner, I quit!"
"I've had enough! There's no hope in this life! Now that even Sunday is joining the character pool, it's time for us to make a change!"
"Lord Sunday, please come back, your devout followers are waiting for your return!"
Sunday's appearance.
Seemed to ignite the spirits of countless workers in an instant!
At Oti Mall,
Many workers went on strike!
And this trend was gradually spreading throughout Penacony!
Shop staff across the city took it upon themselves to close their stores.
Giving themselves a holiday!
Joining the revelers on the streets!
On a bench outside the park.
An Intellitron sat quietly, observing everything.
Of course, this was just how others saw it.
And his true identity.
Was none other than the very person everyone was talking about.
—Sunday.
Even he himself hadn't anticipated it.
The mere release of an illustration.
Had caused such a massive uproar in Penacony.
"It seems there are still many people living in pain today."
"People need holidays, freedom, and more space to express themselves."
"This journey is indeed of great significance."
"I should engage more with the perspectives of ordinary people to better find the path forward."
Sunday took out his phone.
And opened the forum for Honkai: Star Rail.
In the past, he wouldn't have wasted time scrolling through these posts.
But now.
He understood.
This was a unique gathering place for players from across the universe.
Different voices could all be heard here.
However,
Soon.
Sunday's lips twitched slightly!
The moment he entered, he saw something utterly absurd.
Yu Ling had released his own illustration, and Sunday himself was quite satisfied with it.
The details on the clothing, the imagery of the surroundings, even the light in the background were meticulously crafted, aligning with Sunday's self-perception.
Yet.
In this Honkai: Star Rail community.
The freshly released illustration had taken on a completely different tone.
In the original artwork, he was depicted mid-air, raising a hand to catch golden feathers.
But some enthusiastic netizen had photoshopped him into an air conditioner repairman!
If it were just a private joke, that would be one thing.
But this parody image had an astonishingly high click rate!
It was almost hitting the front page!
Scrolling down.
The next image.
He had been turned into a light bulb repairman!
Sunday took a deep breath.
Trying to accept this "corporate culture shock."
Continuing to scroll.
Even more outrageous images appeared.
Playing basketball, baseball, badminton…
Wait a minute?
How long had it been since the illustration was released?
Were there really so many Pathstriders of Elation online?
Where was the Order?
One might think he had already joined the Elation faction.
The most absurd part was…
His image had even been swapped with that of a president assassinated on some planet.
According to the player comments below.
He had actually become a candidate for that country's election.
In the past, Sunday had lived entirely within the bounds of Order and rules.
Without the slightest deviation.
He would never have been exposed to such absurd online content.
But now.
He felt as though he had opened the door to a new world.
This content was utterly dazzling to him.