Chapter 24: The Stellaron Hunters Take Notice
Bzzt!
Silver Wolf jolted violently as her consciousness snapped back from the Herta Space Station to the skyscraper where she and Kafka stood.
Seeing her startled reaction, Kafka raised an amused eyebrow. "That's quite the dramatic return. Did they finally catch you red-handed?"
The hacker's expression remained icy—this was no time for jokes. Immediately, she pulled out her phone and began frantically checking systems.
Moments later, her face twisted in dismay. "Gone... everything's gone! Not even fragments left... This is unacceptable!"
"Now, now," Kafka chided, "you're too old for tantrums."
"I'm not throwing a tantrum," Silver Wolf snapped, taking a deep breath to compose herself. Her sharp gaze refocused. "Kafka, there's something you need to see."
"Not that 'Punklode Spirit' again? You know I—"
"A different game."
Kafka fell silent.
"Silver Wolf," she sighed, "I get your passion, but can't you just hack a Miyatsuko server to restore your accounts? No need for such despair."
"You don't understand. This game... it's special."
With a swipe, Silver Wolf projected her phone's display between them. Kafka resigned herself to humoring her distraught companion—until the screen flared to life.
Honkai: Star Rail launched.
A vintage steam train glided through cosmic vistas.
"The Astral Express?" Kafka murmured. "A train-themed game? How quaint."
"Don't ask me—I'm new to this too," Silver Wolf said, excitement creeping into her voice. "But here's the thing: its plot mirrors real events. We might even be in it!"
Kafka's lips curved. "Now that intrigues me. I wonder how they'll depict—"
Her smile froze.
Silver Wolf's breath caught.
She'd speculated about their in-game appearances—but nothing prepared them for the immediate close-up of Kafka playing her Akashic Violin in the opening scene! No preamble, just their space station infiltration at its climax!
Kafka's playful demeanor evaporated. "Was our incursion recorded?"
"Impossible!" Silver Wolf countered. "I severed all surveillance links. Not even detection signals penetrated. And if we were monitored, why no resistance? Our exit was suspiciously smooth."
Kafka didn't argue. She knew their operation had been undetected—which made this flawless recreation unnerving. Every detail matched reality with terrifying precision.
Then came Kafka's ultimate ability animation—[Tragic Crescendo]—unfolding in stunning detail.
"Setting aside how they obtained this..." Kafka admitted, "they've captured my essence perfectly." The artistry impressed even her—a seamless blend of combat pragmatism and lethal elegance.
Silver Wolf grinned. "Told you this was cool! Now watch my move!"
Her excitement peaked as she triggered her ultimate:
[Account Permanently Banned!]
"What kind of ultimate name is that?!" Silver Wolf nearly choked.
The subsequent rhythm-game-style hacking assault left her nodding approvingly. "Not bad! They incorporated Ether Editing into the mechanics!" Then she frowned. "Wait—why's mine single-target while yours is AoE? And your single-target damage outpaces mine!"
Kafka shrugged. "I didn't code this."
"Ah!" Silver Wolf's eyes lit up. "My skill must have hidden effects! There's definitely—"
"Yes, yes," Kafka chuckled. "I believe you."
Beyond combat, they scrutinized the narrative's progression—until reaching the Stellaron chamber. Watching their digital selves implant the Stellaron into its carrier felt like rewatching security footage.
"Never thought I'd revisit this moment," Kafka mused.
"Enough!" Silver Wolf slammed the table. "The developers know too much! Even Elio's secrets aren't safe!"
Kafka's eyes gleamed with screen reflections. "Elio scripts possible futures. These developers have gamified our past."
"I'm alerting the group," Kafka decided.
The Stellaron Hunters' private chat—hosted on Silver Wolf's unhackable local network—soon pinged with her message.
Sam responded first: "Star Rail? Kafka, shouldn't you prep for Elio's next script?"
Kafka typed back: "Noted. Preparations underway."
Sam went silent—possibly downloading the game despite his dismissiveness.
"We're missing someone," Silver Wolf noted, aggressively tagging Blade.
After prolonged silence, he finally replied:
"Don't care."
Silver Wolf smirked and sent Dan Heng's ultimate animation clip.
Three seconds later:
"Inbibitor Lunae?!"
"Where was this recorded?"
"This isn't actual combat footage?"
"HIS LOCATION. NOW."
Silver Wolf replied with a devil emoji: "Game footage~"
Blade stopped responding.
Turning to Kafka, Silver Wolf grinned. "Think he'll play? I'd pay to see Bladie gaming."
Kafka smiled. "Hard to say. But for matters involving that man, Bladie becomes... remarkably attentive."