"Hey, hey, hey! Don't go in yet! You forgot Lumina!"
"Without Lumina, I don't feel safe..."
In reality, Little Bear, who was live-streaming his Honkai: Star Rail playthrough, watched as the Astral Express Crew followed Tingyun into the Palace of Astrum without Lumina. He immediately typed a comment:
[You give me less than one ten-thousandth the sense of security Lumina-waifu provides. (Laughing emoji)]
[You're right, but that's just Lumina. She forgets everything before and after too. (Trying not to laugh)]
[Little Bear can stream at my place! My room's huge, you can nap whenever you're tired, and I guarantee 120% security!]
[Upstairs, is that "security" even legitimate?]
Little Bear ignored the blatantly suggestive comments. After thanking his viewers for their gifts, he fully immersed himself back into the game's story.
Before long, he finished the Palace of Astrum segment and stepped outside.
Gazing at the bustling city streets, he couldn't help but wonder, "Why does Jing Yuan seem so much happier than he did during the Closed Beta?"
It felt as if the Astral Express's arrival had become a crucial piece in his strategic game.
[Streamer, stop overthinking! Hurry up and catch Kafka! I want to see Fu Xuan's debut scene!]
[Streamer, stop overthinking it! Don't forget who else showed up in the story.]
[You're right, but that's just Lumina for you. Forgotten in the beginning, forgotten in the end...]
[Lumina doujinshi! Ten yuan each!]
"Kick that doujinshi peddler out of here," Little Bear growled, his sharp eyes locking onto the spam comment amidst the rapidly scrolling chat. He immediately issued the command to his stream moderator.
Within seconds, the seller was permanently banned from the live stream.
Little Bear nodded in satisfaction, watching the user disappear from the chat.
His gaze fixed on the screen, he began to ponder the implications of the earlier comments.
It seemed Jing Yuan's recent shift in demeanor was indeed triggered by Lumina's arrival.
But what role was Lumina truly playing on the Xianzhou?
Could she really be the main antagonist?
Her identity as an Emanator of Abundance, the ominous scenes in the promotional video, her presence in Cloudford... everything seemed to point to Lumina being the Xianzhou's primary villain.
And what about Qingque, who had spent time with Lumina, and Tingyun, who had spoken with her at length? Were they also involved?
Could Qingque and Tingyun be Lumina's accomplices, helping her sow chaos across the Xianzhou?
The thought gnawed at Little Bear's mind.
-
"Not even a single Mara-Struck soldier in sight," Lumina muttered to herself as she walked alone through Cloudford, having not seen a soul for several minutes. "If only I hadn't let Qingque leave..."
Recalling her words at the entrance of the Palace of Astrum, where she had told Qingque to attend to her own matters and not follow, Lumina couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.
But dwelling on it now was pointless. Qingque was already gone.
Shaking off her thoughts, Lumina mentally addressed the System:
"In the game, are the timelines for different perspectives presented in chronological order?"
[All perspective switches on the Xianzhou are chronological.]
Hearing Lumina's question, the System seized the opportunity to prove its worth, promptly answering with childish eagerness.
"Hmm..." Lumina nodded faintly, ignoring the System's childish excitement.
Closing her eyes, she extended her spiritual sense to detect any signs of life in Cloudford.
"Found them."
Opening her eyes, Lumina quickly pinpointed the person she was looking for.
Locking onto their aura, she didn't hesitate. Without another thought, she strode purposefully toward the source.
Somewhere in Cloudford, a handsome young man with golden hair walked along, carrying a massive coffin on his back.
Suddenly, he stopped. With a slight tilt of his head, he glanced sideways in a particular direction.
"I am Luocha, merely a passing merchant. May I ask what business Miss Lumina has with me?"
As Luocha finished speaking, his gaze remained fixed on that spot, as if convinced someone was hiding there.
Unfortunately for him, the merchant named Luocha had guessed wrong.
No sooner had his words faded than a pure white figure materialized behind him.
"Though you called out in the wrong direction and looked the wrong way, I could sense it," the figure said with a gentle smile. "You were calling for me, weren't you?"
Her voice was soft and melodious.
Startled by the voice behind him, Luocha's heart skipped a beat. He tightened his grip on the coffin, leaped back, and quickly widened the distance between himself and the person who had suddenly appeared.
Once he had created some space, Luocha finally had time to properly observe the pure white figure before him.
White dress, white hair, an utterly breathtaking face, and an aura of immaculate purity—there was no doubt about it: the person standing before him was none other than Lumina!
"Hmm... I don't think I look that terrifying, do I?" Lumina murmured softly, feigning confusion as she observed Luocha's reaction. She struggled to suppress a burst of laughter.
"The Emanator of Abundance..." Luocha narrowed his eyes warily, clearly recognizing Lumina. After a moment of contemplation, he abandoned his guarded demeanor, adopting a polite and courteous manner instead.
He offered Lumina a warm smile, lowered himself slightly in a gentlemanly bow, and introduced himself. "I am Luocha, a humble merchant passing through. May I ask your name, Miss?"
Luocha subtly lowered his posture, signaling his intent to ingratiate himself with Lumina. In this situation, offending a universally renowned Emanator of Abundance would be unwise. He much preferred making a friend to gaining another enemy.
"I am Lumina, an Emanator of Abundance," she stated plainly, making no attempt to conceal her identity.
Luocha: ?!
Luocha's smile froze instantly upon hearing Lumina's blunt declaration.
Noticing the change in Luocha's expression, Lumina smiled and continued, "You brought the Stellaron onto the Xianzhou, didn't you?"
Luocha: ...
Another blunt statement left Luocha speechless. His mental fortitude was strong, however, and after a brief silence, he forced a puzzled smile. "Miss Lumina, what are you implying? I'm merely a merchant. How could I possibly come into contact with something like a Stellaron?"
As Luocha finished speaking, Lumina simply smiled in response, offering no further explanation.
But then, countless figures materialized around them.
Luocha's smile gradually faded as he surveyed the dozens of Mara-Struck soldiers encircling them. He finally understood... Lumina was the enemy.
Just as Luocha prepared to strike, Lumina glanced at the Mara-Struck soldiers and slowly approached him. Under his bewildered and wary gaze, she sighed and said, "I didn't summon these Mara-Struck soldiers. They appeared naturally, which means I'm just as much a target as you are."
Luocha: ?