Inside the villa.
Tatsuke opened the [Heliobus Perfect Utilization Device].
"As expected of Phantylia, this energy reading is off the charts!"
"It's equivalent to capturing a hundred ordinary Heliobi the hard way."
This perfect utlizer contained its own sealed space designed to imprison Heliobi-like creatures.
Without his permission, escape was absolutely impossible.
Moreover, Tatsuke could even enter it at will.
With a single thought, he stepped inside.
The interior was pitch-black, like the cold, desolate void of the universe.
Only a single golden flame hovered at the center.
"You... just who... are you...?"
Phantylia's voice was hoarse, a far cry from the regal, commanding tone she once had.
Now, she sounded weak—as if thoroughly drained.
"Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is my current identity—your master."
"Insolence!"
The golden flames surged violently, as if desperate to lunge at Tatsuke.
"I am a Lord Ravager! If you dare treat me like this, the vengeance of [Destruction] will hunt you down!"
"The Lord Ravagers will burn everything you hold dear to ashes—"
"Then tell them to come find me."
Tatsuke smirked, almost amused by his own audacity.
But seeing the once-indomitable Phantylia reduced to his plaything…
This feeling was downright exhilarating.
"From what I've heard, Heliobus originally had no consciousness of their own—they only developed distinct personalities after devouring the emotions and desires of countless living beings."
"Don't worry, Phantylia."
"I know you're strong. And this energy of yours will continue to serve me… until the day you acknowledge me as your master."
Exiting the Utilizer's space, Tatsuke decided to experiment with this energy.
Not long ago, a delivery bird had dropped off a package—a crate of SoulGlad he'd ordered online.
Tatsuke opened it and took out one bottle.
After infusing it with Heliobi-converted energy, he imbued the drink with an [exhilarating] effect.
He took a sip.
A faint smile curled on his lips.
"So that's how it is..."
"Not bad at all! This sensation..."
Sparkle, drawn by the commotion, leaned in, expecting something delicious.
But seeing it was just SoulGlad, she pouted. "Tch, this stuff is everywhere in Penacony..."
"This one's different. Try it."
Sparkle took a hesitant sip.
Instantly, her eyes lit up.
"Ahhh—!"
"This feeling... Elation! I see Elation!"
"No—!"
"I... am Elation itself!!"
Half a minute later, Sparkle slowly calmed down, the flush of excitement fading from her face.
"What kind of SoulGlad is this...?"
"Why did it make me feel so hyped up?"
"But... it's just the original flavor..."
As Sparkle puzzled over the drink, Tatsuke had already reached his conclusion.
"Looks like a full bottle induces about a minute of euphoria."
"If I'm selling this, diluting it to 0.1% concentration would be best."
"Though for personal consumption, the full-strength version is obviously better."
Sparkle took another sip before sidling up to Tatsuke.
"You said if I helped you retrieve that thing, you'd let me leak some info."
"So, what's the scoop?"
Tatsuke pulled out his phone.
Ding!
He sent two character splash arts to Sparkle.
She glanced at her phone.
The first image showed a spread of divination cards, followed by tarot-related books, crystal balls, and other mystical items.
Sparkle's eyes gleamed with realization.
"Ohhh~"
"So the new character's a fortune-teller?"
Then, the image zoomed in on the character's face.
A woman draped in violet gauze, her pale lilac hair cascading down.
Her eyes brimmed with playful mischief, her lips curled in a sly, amused smile.
She reclined gracefully on the ground, her posture light and languid.
At the bottom-left corner was her name:
[Black Swan]
[Wind Attribute | The Nihility Path | 5-Star Character]
"Black Swan..."
"If I'm not mistaken, she's a Memokeeper from the Garden of Recollection?"
"If she's really joining the gacha, things are about to get interesting..."
"Now, let's see who's next."
Sparkle swiped the screen.
The next image was filled with red goldfish.
"Not bad taste."
But the moment after, her smile froze.
Because staring back at her was an exact replica of her own red-and-white fox mask!
Sure, others might like red goldfish too—but a Fool's mask? That couldn't possibly be a coincidence!
And sure enough, the next close-up confirmed it.
It was her own smirking face!
"Wait…"
"Am I seeing things?"
Her eyes darted to the name at the bottom-left.
[Sparkle]
[Quantum Attribute | The Harmony Path | 5-Star Character]
Confirmed.
It really was her!
Sparkle's expression instantly lit up like fireworks, shifting between shock, disbelief, and sheer delight.
But then, she suddenly turned to Tatsuke.
"Hold on, hold on!"
"How is this possible? The next version's new character is... me?"
"Are you messing with me?"
She scrutinized Tatsuke's face, half-expecting him to burst out laughing and say, "Gotcha!"
Fortunately, Tatsuke's expression remained dead serious.
"Unlike you, I keep my promises."
Assured that this wasn't a prank, Sparkle exhaled, rubbing her hands together as excitement reignited in her eyes.
"Does this mean..."
"I'm really going to be a playable character in Honkai: Star Rail?"
"Ahahaha! I knew it! How could the Masked Fools—such an entertaining bunch—escape Yu Ling's notice?"
She paced around the room, admiring her own splash art, her grin widening by the second.
"♡〜٩(^▿^)۶〜♡"
"This is amazing! Absolutely amazing!"
"Let me think of the perfect way to leak these character arts and troll the hell out of everyone!"
Tatsuke nodded.
"Leaking new characters ahead of time? Yu Ling's gonna be furious..."
"Exactly! This is peak Elation!"
As Sparkle excitedly drafted her forum post, Tatsuke took another sip of SoulGlad and opened the System Shop.
Refresh!
[Honkai: Star Rail OP: "Sleepless Night"]
[Price: 10 billion points]
Tatsuke's eyes gleamed.
Finally, it's here!
And below it, another similar item appeared.
[Honkai: Star Rail Animated Short: "Stellar Odyssey: A Fable of the Cosmos (Part 1)"]
[Price: 10 billion points]
"Two big drops in one refresh?"
Without hesitation, Tatsuke purchased both.
These kinds of promotional videos weren't tied to version updates—their appearance was entirely random.
Today's luck was clearly on his side.
After checking player progression data, he set the release schedule.
First, he uploaded "Stellar Odyssey: A Fable of the Cosmos (Part 1)".
Time to give all players a small taste of cosmic horror—courtesy of the Aeons!
---
Penacony – Hotel Lobby
A shimmer of blue light materialized into the elegant figure of Black Swan.
She had been invited to Penacony as a guest for the Charmony Festival.
But her purpose ran deeper.
She knew Honkai: Star Rail's next story chapter would take place here.
On the surface, all seemed peaceful.
Yet beneath the glamour, factions like The Family and the Interastral Peace Corporation were already maneuvering in the shadows.
Black Swan, however, was in no hurry.
She chose a quiet corner and conjured a divination table with a wave of her hand.
Tarot cards lay facedown, accompanied by a crystal ball, candles, and astral instruments.
Even without a sign, any passerby would recognize her setup at a glance.
—Fortune-telling.
Resting her chin on one hand, Black Swan smiled, radiating serene amusement.
Though few wandered this way, she had all the time in the world.
Patience always rewarded her with intriguing encounters.
With her free hand, she scrolled through her phone, browsing the latest updates.
Though Star Rail's in-game dialogue hinted at Penacony as the next destination, no actual content had been released yet.
She wondered what kind of story would unfold in this city of dreams.
But one thing was certain—
This journey would be anything but dull.
Suddenly, a notification popped up.
[Yu Ling has released new content – "Stellar Odyssey: A Fable of the Cosmos (Part 1)"]
[Let's watch it together~]
To be continued…
Guys, I have been moving from one province to another for the sake of my job that is why I have been very busy and have been unable to post in the time being, I am new in this work place rn and work requires 10+ hours of physical presence so please bear with me. I will adjust my schedule asao.
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