In the real world, from the player's perspective...
"Is this a prelude to a boss fight?" In the live stream, Little Bear steered his character into the elevator.
As the elevator descended slowly, Ruan Mei's colossal experimental facility came into view.
Seeing the scene unfold before him, Little Bear knew they were about to enter the boss battle.
But...
"Are we really going to solo an Emanator? Seriously?"
Ding-dong!
As the elevator reached its destination with a chime, Little Bear voiced a soul-searching question.
[Can a Stellaron Spirit solo an Emanator and win? Of course we can! (Serious)]
[We're the embodiment of the Cancer of All Worlds, what's a mere Emanator to us? I'll make sure it never returns! (Trying not to laugh)]
[A measly little Emanator? If it were a beautiful girl, I might show some mercy, but since it's just a bug, I'll teach it the meaning of cruelty!]
[Propagation [Emanator]? NO NO NO, they're about to become my punching bag, my tool for collecting trash cans across the cosmos!]
[Have you all forgotten about the ring Lumina gave us, the Galactic Baseballer? Even if we can't win, Lumina will step in! (laughs)]
[The sense of security you give me isn't even a billionth as strong as Lumina's. (image.jpg)]
"Right! I almost forgot about the ring Lumina gave me!" Little Bear exclaimed, a look of realization dawning on his face as he read the comments in the live stream.
The miraculous resurrection he witnessed on Jarilo-VI last time had been deeply etched into his memory.
And this time, Lumina had even specifically enhanced the ring!
Knowing this, Little Bear felt completely reassured.
As always, the sense of security from the baseball bat and the [Stellaron] paled in comparison to even one ten-billionth of the security Lumina provided!
With this in mind, Little Bear controlled his character, guiding her toward the mission objective indicated on the map.
Upon reaching the destination, the game immediately transitioned into a brief cutscene.
In the cutscene, the Stellaron Spirit first surveyed the surroundings before slowly approaching the chaotic mess at the center of the area.
Noticing the viscous slime on the ground, Stelle's face momentarily betrayed a hint of distaste. Yet, driven by her "mission," she crouched down, scooped up a small amount of the slime, and examined it closely.
"Better report this to Ruan Mei..."
After a while, finding nothing of interest, Stelle flicked the slime off her hand, slowly stood up, and muttered to herself.
But just as she was about to leave, a massive figure suddenly loomed overhead, casting her entire body in shadow.
As the camera shifted, the colossal Simulated Starcrusher Swarm King appeared behind Stelle, exhaling a soft breath that made her hair and the hem of her robe flutter incessantly.
Stelle's eyes narrowed, and without a moment's hesitation, she summoned her baseball bat and swung it forcefully behind her.
The scene froze, shattering like a mirror as the player was thrust into battle.
"That's a bit creepy, isn't it?" Little Bear muttered, having watched the cutscene.
What's the difference between that and being home alone, then suddenly feeling someone tap you on the shoulder?
If Stelle were replaced with Little Bear himself, he'd probably die of fright on the spot...
[miHoYo, pay up! I wet my pants! (smirking face)]
[No way, no way, surely there aren't actually cowards who'd get scared by this, right? No way, no way? [NoWay.jpg]]
[I almost jumped out of my skin! Thank goodness my wife Lumina pulled me into her gentle embrace just in time to soothe my terror. (happy face)]
[Damn, one's already been scared stiff.]
[Where's my wife Lumina? Hurry and save me! This Propagation [Emanator] is terrifying!]
"Don't worry, even if it looks strong in the cutscene, it's useless. Watch me tear it to shreds."
At the end of the Cutscene, Little Bear glared at his 48k Omega Whale account team, a cold smile playing on his lips.
Trying to scare me, huh? Fine, then die!
Little Bear wasn't about to waste any more time on trash talk. For the sake of his live stream audience, he activated serious mode!
"..."
Under the relentless assault of Little Bear's 48k Omega Whale account, the Simulated Starcrusher Swarm King was driven into its second phase after only a few exchanges.
"All will be revealed..."
Watching Jingliu, now fully buffed, Little Bear confidently clicked her Ultimate and switched to 1x speed.
"...in lunar flame!"
As the White-Haired Mad Beauty unleashed her Ultimate, the one-sided battle finally reached its inevitable conclusion.
"Little Starcrusher Swarm King, down!" Little Bear roared triumphantly, recalling his supposedly "god-tier" but utterly inept performance.
Hearing this, some viewers in the live stream immediately fired back with their own snarky comments.
[Holy 48k Omega Whale account! (Covers face, laughing)]
[Little Bear, you're so clueless! You should've played it up for the viewers. If you haven't cleared the challenge yet, you'll be trending tomorrow!]
[Yeah, if you can't even beat a Story Boss with a 48k account, either miHoYo will get roasted for being incompetent, or Little Bear will get trashed for being a bot (laughs).]
[When you can't clear the 48k Omega Whale account challenge, you really need to ask yourself if it's a brain issue.]
"If I fail against the Story Boss with this level of account, I'll trend the next day. That's actually a great idea... Too bad I can clear it even without using my Ultimate, just spamming Skills and normal attacks."
Reading these comments, Little Bear sighed, seemingly resigned.
But was he truly resigned? Absolutely not.
Anyone familiar with him knew this was just Little Bear flexing.
Yet, the viewers in the live stream paid little attention to his boastful remark.
After all, someone who'd spent 48k on the game was entitled to flex a little, right?
Seeing the lack of reaction to his flexing in the comments, Little Bear shifted his focus back to the game.
As the White-Haired Mad Beauty unleashed her Florephemeral Dreamflux, obliterating the Simulated Starcrusher Swarm King's health bar, the game screen went black, transitioning into another cutscene.
This cutscene presented a stark contrast to the gameplay battle. In the game, the Player's Omega Whale account had effortlessly shredded the Simulated Starcrusher Swarm King, but in reality, Stelle was being utterly overwhelmed by this very creature, utterly defenseless against its attacks.
Throughout the cutscene, Stelle desperately swung her baseball bat, yet every strike failed to inflict even a scratch on the Simulated Starcrusher Swarm King. Each counterattack from the creature left Stelle reeling, unable to block or dodge, starkly illustrating the colossal gap in power between them.
Oddly, despite this overwhelming disparity, the Simulated Starcrusher Swarm King's strikes seemed precisely calibrated to send Stelle flying without causing any actual harm...
"Strange... Could Ruan Mei have programmed this thing with a directive: Do not harm humans?"
Watching the cutscene unfold, Little Bear couldn't help but feel a little puzzled.
This so-called "fight" is basically just playing pretend, isn't it...?
Not a single person or object has been harmed in this entire battle...
The stalemate dragged on, neither side able to gain an advantage. However, as the battle dragged on, Stelle gradually began to tire, even teetering on the brink of collapse.
After all, being trapped—unable to leave, yet unable to inflict any real damage—would test the patience of ninety percent of people.
In the scene, Stelle glared at the Simulated Starcrusher Swarm King before her, clutching her baseball bat tightly, teeth clenched, her gaze sharp enough to kill the creature a million times over.
To Stelle, what difference was there between this mockery and a child's game of pretend?
You can mock anyone, but you don't mess with the Galactic Baseballer!
Dare to mock me? Dare to mock me?!
Damn it, I'm going all out on you!
Stelle activated the ring on her finger, and waves of green light surged from it into her body, gradually amplifying her aura and strength.
Once the energy reached its peak and stabilized, Stelle gripped her baseball bat tightly, her gaze toward the Simulated Starcrusher Swarm King icy cold.
At that moment, the aloof Galactic Baseballer had made a limited-time comeback!
Without hesitation, the aloof Galactic Baseballer raised her bat and charged forward.
Empowered by Lumina's Power, Stelle immediately pinned the Simulated Starcrusher Swarm King to the ground and began grinding it mercilessly.
"Whoa... Can this ring be mass-produced? I want one too!" Little Bear exclaimed in the live stream, watching Stelle's godlike display in the game.
Lumina had mentioned earlier that the ring could temporarily grant its wearer a portion of her Emanator's power...
But no one had expected that with just a fraction of that power, Stelle could pin down a Simulated Starcrusher Swarm King—itself an Emanator—and utterly crush it without any resistance.
If a mere fragment of Lumina's power could achieve this, was it because Lady Lumina was overwhelmingly strong, or because this Simulated Starcrusher Swarm King was pathetically weak?
I think it's probably the former...
This is what Little Bear thought to himself.
After all, based on Lumina's current performance, Jing Yuan, Phantylia, and even Herta's main body (who hasn't even appeared yet) likely stood no chance against her...
[You're right, but that's just Lumina for you. Her story moments are constantly highlights, her in-game strength is absurdly powerful, and her skill effects are dazzling...]
[I don't understand, I'm just here to play Lumina. [Suppressing Laughter.jpg]]
[If I get Lumina's Ring, can I rule the world?]
[Hey, wake up! Stop dreaming. You can't rule the world in real life, no one's going to give you a ring, and you'll never have a wife as gentle as Lumina!]
[Does anyone know where to buy this ring? I want one!]
In the live stream, viewers flooded the comments section, marveling at the magical ring and clamoring to buy their own Ring.
While the real-world version wouldn't be as miraculous as the game version—unable to channel Lumina's stored power in times of crisis—the mere thought that it was "personally crafted" by Lumina sent her devoted fans into a frenzy.
They were practically itching to buy ten rings each, one for every member of their families...
"Once Lumina is added to the gacha in the next version, they'll likely release a whole series of merchandise. Everyone, there's no need to rush," Little Bear said with a smile, looking at the comments in the Comment Section.
With Lumina's popularity, it would be sheer stupidity for the official channels not to release merchandise or collaborate on promotions.
When the time comes, there will undoubtedly be a deluge of merchandise and collaborations. This ring, which shines so brightly in the story, is almost certain to be included.
But buying ten rings to deck out the whole family? Isn't that a bit excessive?
Little Bear silently grumbled to himself.
His gaze then returned to the game, silently watching the cutscene where Stelle, empowered by Lumina's Power, brutally pummeled the Simulated Starcrusher Swarm King...
The beatdown didn't last long. As the battle neared its end, a verdant figure appeared behind Stelle, gently calming her slightly berserk inner turmoil.
"Lady Lumina!"
As the cutscene concluded with a close-up of Lumina's flawless face, Little Bear let out a cheer, as if welcoming her arrival.
[Hail the Saintess's descent!]
[Hail the Saintess's descent!]
[Hail the Saintess's descent!]
The moment Lumina appeared, the Comment Section erupted in a frenzy of activity, showcasing her immense popularity.
[Lumina doujinshi, 250 yuan each!]
[? Shouldn't the price be going down if you're not scamming anyone? Why is it getting higher, you little rascal? (confused emoji)]
[Duh, some suckers must have fallen for it.]
Amidst the orderly stream of comments, a few bizarre ones occasionally surfaced, such as the "Doujinshi Seller".
"Kick them immediately and ban them permanently," Little Bear ordered his moderators without hesitation, his zero-tolerance policy for such spammers.
Instantly, the Comment Section returned to harmonious order.
"I never imagined this thing was created jointly by Ruan Mei and Lumina..."
Watching the harmonious Comment Section, Little Bear nodded in satisfaction. Then, listening to Lumina's words in the game, he couldn't help but sigh in awe.
Any lingering reservations he had about Ruan Mei instantly vanished.
After all...
Mommy Lumina would never harm us, right?
If she and Ruan Mei created a Propagation [Emanator] together, it definitely wouldn't affect any innocent people—and might even benefit us!
Sure enough, just as Little Bear had predicted, Lumina ultimately gifted the Trailblazer with the Simulated Starcrusher Swarm King, shrunk down to the size of a fist.
After completing this storyline and leaving the Containment Zone, they followed Lumina to the platform.
Staring at the screen displaying the naming prompt, Little Bear fell into deep thought...
"Hmm... What would be a good name for it...?"