"Gaia!!"
"That damn old Yu, cutting off at such a critical moment again!"
"Yu Ling, you've done nothing but harm!"
"It's over, it's over. Something big is really about to happen at our space station!"
Space Station.
Numerous staff members gathered around the holographic screen, each wearing an expression of excitement!
Originally, everyone had been peacefully watching the latest storyline together, but the end of the main plot suddenly dropped a bombshell!
The perspective suddenly shifted back to Herta Space Station!
As players who hadn't seen the space station appear for several versions, they undoubtedly felt excitement and surprise at that moment!
However,
the scene that followed caught everyone completely off guard!
Lady Herta herself had arrived!
But she,
intended to use all the Energy of the space station to pose a question to the Aeon of Erudition!
"Good news: our space station is back in the plot. Bad news: this might be its final performance!"
"Looking at the end, only Lady Herta is left alone. Could it be that the space station turns to dust when Nous descends?"
"Please no! This is where I've poured my youth and realized my dreams!"
"Even so, if I could see Nous in person in my lifetime, it would be worth it..."
"But according to discussions on the trending topics, some players believe that Lady Herta is not meeting the real Nous, but rather the Aeon from the Simulated Universe..."
Just as the staff were arguing endlessly,
Station Manager Asta appeared before everyone.
"Everyone, I've just received a message from Lady Herta. She requests all research personnel to pack up everything within half a system hour and evacuate the space station."
"Please prepare as quickly as possible."
Upon hearing this,
all the staff were utterly shocked!
"Miss Asta, are you sure this order was issued by Lady Herta in reality, and not in the game?"
Asta took a deep breath.
He said, "I understand everyone's doubts. Unfortunately, this isn't just something happening in Honkai: Star Rail... In reality, Lady Herta also seems to be planning some major move."
"Everyone, prepare as quickly as possible. I still need to check on other departments."
Asta had just left.
The emergency evacuation indicator lights in the cabin section began flashing!
An electronic prompt sounded: "Please evacuate the space station in an orderly manner..."
"Damn! She's serious!"
"Why do I feel like we've seamlessly transitioned into the game's storyline?"
"Alright, alright, now we're jumping straight to version 3.0!"
"Stop making sarcastic remarks and hurry up packing your things, everyone!"
"Although I'd love to witness Lady Herta's grand audience with Nous firsthand, I doubt my physical endurance would last until then..."
"Let's go! As the ancient Xianzhou saying goes: 'As long as the green hills remain, there will be no shortage of firewood!' Only by surviving can we continue as players and watch more of Star Rail's future storylines!"
...
Inside Herta's office.
Displayed on the projection screen was the final scene of the main storyline.
—The image of Nous appearing against the cosmic backdrop.
Red light flooded the entire office.
It also cast a reddish glow over her face.
That's right,
standing here,
was not a Herta doll.
It was Herta herself!
At this moment.
She watched the scene from the storyline, a flicker of keen interest flashing in her eyes.
"Would my future self choose to question the machine head at the space station?"
"Hah..."
For Herta,
watching the storyline of Honkai: Star Rail wasn't as straightforward as conducting scientific research.
Because she, too, couldn't confirm whether certain events in the storyline were real or not.
Take, for example, this scene of her audience with Nous.
Although she instinctively felt this wasn't the real Nous,
what if it was?
Perhaps she had a sudden whim to summon the machine head itself here?
Herta was quite confident in her ability to stir things up.
"Well, never mind..."
"After all, that's something happening at another point in time."
Herta crossed her arms.
Calmly sitting in her chair.
The chair hovered in the air, ornately decorated like a queen's throne.
It carried Herta to the other side.
From here, the monitors showed that the researchers had already begun evacuating the space station.
If following the game's storyline, Herta should be mobilizing the entire space station's energy at this moment, including her own Herta dolls...
But in reality,
she did nothing.
She simply sat there quietly, continuously observing, as if... waiting for something simultaneously.
Perhaps,
only Herta herself knew
what she was truly doing at this moment...
Not to have an audience with Nous, nor to conduct any scientific research...
Her goal was singular...
That was: to make the event of "researchers evacuating the space station" happen in reality,
thereby,
achieving the same progress as the Honkai: Star Rail storyline!
"In this way..."
"I can verify my conjecture."
Herta lightly tapped her fingertip.
Another screen split open in the air.
It displayed the content of [Yu Ling]'s account.
That's right!
From beginning to end,
the entity Herta wanted to influence was this existence—
the developer of Honkai: Star Rail!
Herta was certain!
Yu Ling must be observing everything happening in the universe through some means.
Once a situation identical to the plot occurs in reality as well,
it signifies the convergence of the game and reality.
Yu Ling will undoubtedly respond at the first opportunity.
That is, in his own way,
releasing new content!
This is a feature of Honkai: Star Rail!
"I've already sent the signal. It's your turn now..."
Herta, who had long grown numb and indifferent to many things, felt a long-lost excitement at this moment!
It was as if standing opposite her was none other than Yu Ling.
Just as the last escape pod left the space station.
Indeed!
Yu Ling's account instantly updated!
New content was posted!
"Ding!"
"Ding!"
The notification sounds for new updates echoed throughout the entire office!
A slight smile curled at the corner of Herta's lips!
Her eyes shone brightly!
"You truly didn't disappoint me."
Not only was new content posted.
But it was updated twice in a row!
When Herta looked at the first update.
Her smile instantly froze.
[Character Preview: The Herta]
The woman in the image wore a purple gown and a pointed hat, holding a staff in one hand.
Her pose was incredibly lively, glancing back over her shoulder as if taking one last look before returning to the mirror world.
Herta's gaze lowered slightly.
She looked at the clothes she was wearing.
They matched the image in this illustration perfectly.
She took a deep breath.
Then chuckled softly.
"How amusing."
Herta now felt somewhat uncertain—was this Yu Ling's response to her?
The newly revealed character just happened to be her own self.
It truly felt "deliberate."
She then looked at the second update.
[Honkai: Star Rail Short: The Herta's Magical Kitchen]
"Uh..."
Now,
There was no doubt about it!
It was definitely Yu Ling's doing!