"Bzzzt!!"
Two Voidspawn guarding the platform exit trembled violently before collapsing to the ground. Two needles, formed from the Lightning element, had silently pierced the back of their necks, killing them instantly.
"Wow! Wende, you're so cool! You took care of them that easily?!"
March 7th looked at Wende, who had just made his move, with stars in her eyes. She and Dan Heng had been planning to coordinate and take one each, but she never expected Wende, who had been following behind them, to step forward and effortlessly defeat the enemies with a single throwing-needle technique.
"No, no, it was just a sneak attack," Wende said with a gentle smile to the adorable March 7th.
Dan Heng, standing to the side, was also momentarily stunned by Wende's incredible skill. But for some reason, he couldn't shake the feeling that this move looked... familiar.
Dan Heng's eyes narrowed slightly as he watched the lightning needles dissipate along with the two Voidspawn. The feeling of déjà vu grew stronger.
"Alright, let's go. I have a bad feeling the space station is in serious trouble."
Dan Heng shook his head. Now was not the time to get lost in thought. Figuring out the station's current situation was the top priority.
"Oh! Let's go!"
Putting her camera back on her belt, March 7th very naturally removed her arm from around Wende's neck, picked up her longbow, and once again took the lead.
"Uhh..."
Wende awkwardly touched his neck. Being pulled into a picture by a girl... that was a first for him in two lifetimes combined...
After dealing with the two Voidspawn guarding the platform, the path ahead was much clearer.
They followed the platform into the Support Zone. Along the way, they encountered a few more Voidspawn, but the three of them dealt with the enemies with ease.
Looking at the sealed hatch before them, Dan Heng frowned.
"Hey! Anyone in there! Open the door for us!"
March 7th walked up to the hatch, knocked on it forcefully, then planted her hands on her hips and yelled at the door.
"March, there might be..."
Seeing March 7th shouting at the door, Dan Heng immediately realized this could attract more Voidspawn. But just as he was about to tell her to stop, the door actually opened!
Dan Heng: "......."
"Huh? What did you say, Dan Heng?" March 7th asked, looking at the expressionless Dan Heng with a confused face.
"No, it's nothing... Let's go in."
Dan Heng was the first to step through the doorway. A bewildered March 7th followed close behind, and behind her was Wende, who had witnessed Dan Heng's entire failed prediction and was struggling to hold back his laughter.
Inside the cabin, several people in station staff uniforms were talking with Dan Heng. Judging by their expressions, they seemed extremely anxious.
"So that's how it is. The station's signal is being jammed, so no information can get out. And at some point, a lot of Voidspawn appeared outside. You don't have any combat personnel, so you couldn't get out." Dan Heng stroked his chin, analyzing the situation carefully.
"That's right. It's not just the platform out here; there are many Voidspawn inside the Support Zone as well. We could only stay trapped here and wait for rescue," a station staff member replied helplessly. He was just an employee responsible for receiving visitors; he had no combat ability whatsoever, and the other staff members were all clerical workers you couldn't rely on in a fight.
"If that's the case, doesn't that mean Himeko is in danger!?" March 7th exclaimed, thinking of Himeko who had entered the station from a different platform.
"Don't worry, Miss Himeko is very strong."
Dan Heng recalled the elegant figure who controlled drones to wreak havoc during their trailblazing journeys. It was truly hard to reconcile that image with the gentle Miss Himeko he knew day-to-day.
"However... for such a major problem to occur here, and for the station's Defense Section not to have arrived yet, it seems there must be enemies inside the main station as well."
Dan Heng lowered his head in thought, then turned to the person in charge of the platform staff.
"For now, you should all stay here and don't go outside. We've cleared the enemies on this side of the platform, but we can't rule out the risk of stragglers."
"We understand."
After nodding to the staff leader, Dan Heng looked over at Wende and March 7th, who were chatting about something, and reminded them, "March, Wende, let's go. This attack on the space station doesn't seem to be a simple one."
The trio continued deeper into the Herta Space Station.
...................
The Real World
A famous streamer from AC Station, "Kakaya," was live-streaming his first playthrough. As someone who'd had internal beta access, he had already experienced this masterfully crafted turn-based game. Thanks to the two closed betas, he already knew the early game plot by heart.
"Alright, next up is choosing the character! I'm definitely picking Stelle!"
Kakaya interacted with his chat while selecting the female vessel and naming his character "Kakayat."
He had seen the following string of dialogue countless times, but for the sake of his viewers' experience, he always let the full subtitles play out, only making a choice after the audience had finished reading.
"I have to go now. I'm going to have to leave you all alone on this space station."
The beautiful woman with purple hair spoke softly to Stelle, her brow filled with gentleness and reluctance.
[MOM! DON'T GO!]
[KAFKA IS MY FOREVER WIFE!]
[WHAT! YOU UNFILIAL SON! HOW DARE YOU LUST AFTER YOUR OWN MOTHER!]
.....
Looking at the waves of feral comments on his stream overlay, Kakaya was very satisfied. This was the kind of viewer engagement he lived for!
He dragged his mouse and chose the [No, I don't want that] option. As Kafka's figure walked away, the wails in the stream chat grew even more intense.
[MOM! TAKE ME WITH YOU, MOM!]
[KAFKA! HOW CAN I LIVE WITHOUT YOU!]
[WHAT A DEADBEAT! GIVES BIRTH BUT DOESN'T RAISE YOU, HUH!]
[TAKE ME WITH YOU! WAAAAH]
The drama queens in the chat were more invested than the last, acting as if they were the ones playing the game.
With Kafka's departure, the protagonist's vision in the game gradually faded to black. Shortly after, an energetic girl's voice reached the ears of the viewers.
"Huh? Weird? Why is someone passed out here?"
[MARCH 7TH! MARCH 7TH! MY ETERNAL WIFE!]
[YOU PSYCHO! YOU JUST SAID KAFKA WAS YOUR WIFE!]
[IT'S THE VOICE OF AN INTERTWINED FATE DEMON!]
"Don't worry, leave it to me."
Suddenly, a gentle male voice that had never been heard before echoed through the stream.
"Huh? Did they change the plot? I don't remember the story going like this," Kakaya muttered, stumped in front of his computer. Wasn't the next part supposed to be Dan Heng telling March 7th to prepare for CPR?
"Okay! I'm counting on you, Wende!"
[Wende? Who's that? Why is this the first time I'm hearing of him?]
[Could it be a new character released for the official launch?]
[No way, right? They'd change the main story for one new character?]
While the viewers were buzzing with discussion, in the world of Honkai: Star Rail, Wende looked at the unconscious gray-haired girl on the floor, overcome with emotion for a moment.
"So, this world chose Stelle, huh. Looks like I won't get the chance to say any 'savior' lines in front of Caelus in the future."
Looking at the girl's tranquil sleeping face, Wende sighed and shook his head. He then extended a single index finger, aimed for the philtrum beneath the girl's nose—precisely at the spot one-third down from the nose and two-thirds up from the lip—and discharged an arc of electricity...