Chapter 19: Silver Wolf Visits the Space Station? Does Nobody Care About Me?
As card-drawing fever swept through the space station, a holographic projection quietly navigated one of the compartments.
"Is the management here really that poor? I've been lurking around for quite some time, and not a single person has acknowledged my presence—it's so dull," Silver Wolf muttered as she scoured the area for clues about the 'Punklord Spirit' game cartridge. During her last visit to the space station, she had come across many intriguing objects, but none were what she sought.
Thus, she had left behind electronic graffiti in various locations, serving as backdoor programs that would facilitate her subsequent infiltration of the space station. This would allow her to return and leisurely search for "[Punk-Lord Spirit]" after completing Elio's scenario.
"If it's not in the Anomaly Containment Center, there's a good chance Herta has hidden it inside the 'Simulated Universe'," Silver Wolf speculated. However, exploring the Simulated Universe came with its own set of risks. It had been designed by teams of geniuses, and any hasty intrusion could spell disaster. She certainly didn't want to jeopardize her efforts.
Just then, she spotted a familiar staff member heading her way. His name was Leonard, a cybersecurity engineer for Herta. Grumbling while clutching some documents, he said, "Dammit, why am I being summoned to review network security management right now? I just got my hands on [Herta], and before I even have a chance to look at it, work duties are piling up!"
"Got"? "Herta"?
Silver Wolf froze for a moment. These words were familiar, yet the combination created phrases that eluded her comprehension. Was it connected to the strange atmosphere she noticed around the space station? Had something intriguing emerged here recently? The corners of her mouth curled up slightly.
She quickly concealed her figure and made her way to the most crowded area—the Master Control Zone.
Before long, Silver Wolf noticed a group of scientists gathered around a large screen, intensely focused on something.
It was a live stream—a gaming livestream, to be specific.
The streamer was playing a game unlike anything Silver Wolf had encountered before. Upon closer inspection, the setting seemed somewhat familiar!
"Hey folks! It seems like the space station's scientists are struggling after the Antimatter Legion's invasion," the streamer commented. "I guess it'll take them some time to recover! Now let's go report to Asta!"
As the streamer controlled a character named Himeko, running through the map, Silver Wolf's eyes narrowed.
The style of the game closely mirrored reality. This map… clearly resembled the layout of the space station! And what had she just mentioned? The invasion by the Antimatter Legion? Wasn't that an event from not long ago?
"Could this game be based on real-life events?"
Even more astonishing developments were unfolding for Silver Wolf. As they approached Asta, a storyline trigger activated! Suddenly, numerous red hazard symbols flashed on the screen in front of Asta.
Everyone gasped in surprise. Suddenly, a claw resembling molten metal descended from the sky, piercing through the space station's force field with alarming speed.
"Take the train and leave; I'll stay behind," Asta commanded decisively.
The scientists, watching the scene unfold, erupted with exclamations of shock.
"Woah! It's really here!"
"I knew this monster would show up! It brings back memories of that horrifying day."
"Asta, the station director, is exceptionally brave."
"We're getting to see how the Trailblazer handles the Doomsday Beast firsthand!"
Meanwhile, Silver Wolf, hidden nearby, felt a slight jolt within her.
What kind of game was this? How could it so accurately depict the Antimatter Legion's creature?
She was no stranger to the Doomsday Beast. During her infiltration of the space station alongside Kafka, she had specifically lured part of the legion's forces in this direction, including the very same beast! This was deliberately done to delay the Astral Express crew.
Could the game's storyline be recreating their experience at the space station? As the Astral Express members arrived at the Supply Zone's Railway Platform for support, the Doomsday Beast made its timely appearance.
When it landed on the platform, it unleashed a powerful shockwave. However, instead of the chaotic battle scene Silver Wolf expected, the screen shattered. Both sides took their positions and faced off against one another.
"Is this... turn-based?" Surprise flickered briefly in Silver Wolf's eyes before she shook her head slightly.
"Turn-based gameplay was popular several Amber Eras ago. In most turn-based games, capturing the intense, high-stakes nature of combat is challenging," she mused. "What a pity; I thought the premise had potential."
Soon, the battle escalated to its peak intensity. The Doomsday Beast's broad attacks caused significant damage to characters without shields. The team's survival hinged solely on March 7th's protective barriers.
Under relentless assault and counterattacks, two characters' energy bars filled completely.
"The line between life and death lies within a single thought."
Dan Heng activated his ultimate ability: "Realm of Illusion, Eternal Slumber."
An ink-wash-style backdrop appeared as Dan Heng opened his eyes and thrust his spear forcefully towards the target.
"Break!"
The Dawn's Left Hand shattered instantly.
Then it was Trailblazer-Stelle's turn to unleash her ultimate move.
"Rules are meant to be broken."
"Finishing Strike!"
Silver Wolf's eyes lit up instantly. "So this is what the Astral Express Crew's Ultimate technique looks like? Impressive work! I admit I may have underestimated them earlier!"
From that moment, she began to pay closer attention to the turn-based combat mechanics of the game.
She soon discovered that each character had distinct roles organized by various attributes. The Doomsday Beast was segmented into three areas, each with its own attribute weaknesses. Moreover, every character had differing speeds that affected their turn order and could initiate their Ultimate at any time, creating a "queue-jumping" effect.
This game was far from a simple back-and-forth battle mode. Just the mechanisms she observed so far allowed for countless varied scenarios.
As Silver Wolf became more immersed in the gameplay, she found herself muttering as if speaking to herself, "In this battle, timing the release of character Ultimates is crucial."
"Since Ultimate abilities can swiftly exploit the Doomsday Beast's weaknesses, it is essential to interrupt its charging with these moves to prevent it from unleashing that powered-up attack."
"But with the characters currently available, they seem insufficiently strong?"
"The Doomsday Beast has three vulnerable spots that are all weak to Fire attribute attacks—Himeko is absolutely key! If only her Ultimate were more powerful; that would make this fight much easier."
Meanwhile, Dan Heng's health bar was nearly depleted.
Guinaifen intended to cast a shield to protect him, but a sweeping attack from the Doomsday Beast interrupted her, rendering March 7th momentarily immobilized.
She couldn't activate her Skill!
The next wave of assault followed swiftly.
Dan Heng collapsed instantly. The remaining characters' health bars were perilously low.
Guinaifen started panicking, unsure of what move to make next.
"Guys! This battle is even tougher than I anticipated!" she exclaimed.
"Dan Heng's down! Miss Himeko won't last much longer either!"
Viewers flooded the chat with comments.
"Is Little Gui Zi getting too nervous? Sweating profusely just from playing a turn-based game?"
"Wipe your sweat, Little Gui Zi! It's alright; it's just one battle in a game. If we lose, we can always try again."
"My advice is to retreat first and level up your characters' ranks with better Light Cones."
Guinaifen's expression flickered between teary and determined as she stubbornly replied, "But our opponents are the Antimatter Legion's Doomsday Beasts! Little Gui Zi really doesn't want to lose to them— not even once!"
"No way; I must continue fighting. Even if only one character remains, we can't give up!" Guinaifen reignited her determination.
Combined with stirring background music, this created an atmosphere reminiscent of heroic defiance against overwhelming odds.
Suddenly, amidst the chat, a line of shimmering blue text appeared.
The font featured unique particle effects, making it impossible to ignore:
"Could the streamer activate Himeko's ultimate ability for me to see? If it's a powerful group attack, there might still be a chance."