Chapter 58: Firefly: Huh? There Are Two Stelles?!
In the future foreseen by Elio, the violent clash between the mechanical titan Sam and the Astral Express had always been a fixed point in destiny.
Firefly's script had dictated a cruel, unyielding trajectory: three deaths. The first was supposed to be a suffocating, death-like agony, her fragile body pierced through by the jagged wing-blades of the Memory Zone Meme known as Dormancy. That singular, painful event was meant to set the gears of the grand narrative into motion.
However, Firefly only ever read up to that exact line.
Not too long ago, Elio had abruptly demanded her script back. Right before her eyes, the leader of the Stellaron Hunters shredded the heavy parchment into worthless confetti. As the torn pieces drifted to the floor, he muttered things she could barely grasp. Words like, nothing matters anymore, and, there is no more Finale.
Firefly did not entirely understand the sudden shift, but obedience was woven into her very nature.
Elio instructed her to accompany Silver Wolf to the ice-bound world of Belobog. Her presence there was not originally required by destiny, but the script had changed. She was given strict orders: do not intervene unless absolutely necessary, but maintain a steady line of contact with a specific individual.
Truthfully, Firefly harbored a quiet, growing curiosity about the whole situation.
Her current physical state left her with little else to do but wonder. The Entropy Loss Syndrome ravaging her body had recently worsened. As a veteran of the Glamoth Iron Cavalry, she was a living weapon, a product of extreme genetic modification. To ensure their ultimate weapons would never fall into enemy hands, the ruling council of the Republic of Glamoth had hardcoded a cruel insurance policy into the DNA of every knight.
That insurance was Entropy Loss Syndrome.
Those burdened by the defect experienced a chronic, irreversible dissociation of their physical structure. In simple terms, she was fading away.
The terrifying part was how quiet the disappearance was. To an outside observer, she looked perfectly normal. She could still run, jump, and hold conversations. But internally, a heavy lag dragged at her senses. She was always a fraction of a second slower than the rest of the universe. Then slower. And slower. Eventually, the fragile boundary separating her own existence from the outside world would blur entirely, leaving her unable to distinguish reality from a waking dream.
Because of this cruel decay, Firefly spent the vast majority of her real-world existence confined within the freezing, sterile walls of a medical cabin.
But the dreamscape of Penacony offered a rare sanctuary. There, she could cast aside her doctor's grim warnings. In the dream, she could use her own body to listen to the bustling streets, observe the neon lights, touch the warm air, and truly feel alive. Even if it was nothing more than an illusion, every single sensory input was a treasure she guarded fiercely.
She had actually arrived in Penacony quite some time ago. She adored the Planet of Festivities. In the dreamscape, the heavy lid of the medical cabin did not exist. She could run until her lungs burned and jump without her joints aching.
Silver Wolf: Don't worry. If Elio's new predictions are accurate, your symptoms might actually improve very soon.
Firefly: Huh?
Deep within the cold, metallic shell of the Sam armor, Firefly blinked in genuine confusion.
Really? A cure?
Could it be... because of that person named Leon?
The thought prompted her to open her device and tap on Leon's social account, which she had followed just moments prior. Elio had actually forwarded Leon's contact information to her days ago, but she had brushed it aside, assuming it was just another mundane mission detail.
Despite her failing body, Firefly was far from disconnected from the digital universe. Silver Wolf made sure of that, constantly dragging her into new online experiences, especially the hottest video games sweeping across the cosmos.
Of course, those gaming sessions usually ended with Silver Wolf groaning in frustration. The hacker constantly complained that Firefly's playstyle was completely devoid of strategy. According to Silver Wolf, Firefly's only tactic was to go rat-tat-tat, bang bang... bang! until the screen cleared.
Firefly secretly thought there was absolutely nothing wrong with overwhelming firepower.
Tapping the screen, she loaded Leon's most recently uploaded video.
The next second, her eyes widened. A soft, bewildered sound slipped past her lips.
"Huh?"
W-why were there two Stelles?
Firefly: Aaaaaah! There are two Stelles?!!!!
Silver Wolf: Um... didn't Elio tell you? Yeah, there are two of them now.
Somewhere across the stars, Silver Wolf scratched her head, blowing a bubblegum bubble. She genuinely thought the boss had briefed Firefly on the anomaly.
Firefly: Then what about our mission...
Silver Wolf: Elio said it's fine.
Firefly: Oh...
The frantic beating of Firefly's heart slowly settled. If Elio said the timeline was fine, then there was no reason to panic.
She turned her attention back to the video. Leon's relaxed figure appeared on screen time and time again. She studied his face, tracking his movements. This complete stranger somehow radiated a bizarre sense of familiarity, pulling her in.
She scrolled down, letting the videos auto-play one after another.
'They get along so well...' she thought.
Watching Leon, the two Stelles, and the rest of the crew laughing and joking, the corners of Firefly's mouth curled upward. The warm, breezy atmosphere radiating through the screen planted a quiet seed of longing in her chest.
[Ding-dong — The user you follow has published a brand new game!]
"Oh? What a coincidence."
Firefly blinked, her gaze dropping to the vibrant game cover. A pink-haired girl—March 7th—was winking playfully at the camera. Beneath her, the bold, stylized title caught the light: Honkai: Star Rail.
"March 7th... she really is cute."
Seeing the energetic archer frozen in that cheerful pose brought a genuine smile to Firefly's face. Thanks to her recent binge of Leon's videos, she already felt like she knew the lively girl.
She hit the download button and launched the application.
A slow, melancholic, yet deeply beautiful melody drifted through her speakers. The screen faded from black, revealing the vast, lonely expanse of the cosmos. A sleek train—the Astral Express—cut through an asteroid belt, leaving a trail of golden light as it traced an elegant arc against the void. The cinematic quality was stunning, dripping with a dreamlike, ethereal atmosphere.
"Is this... a game where the Astral Express is the main character?" Firefly murmured, her curiosity fully ignited.
[Please select game mode: Gaming Pod / Non-Gaming Pod]
During the development phase, Leon had factored in the massive technological disparities between different star systems. To ensure maximum reach, the game supported universal cross-platform play. Whether a player used a cheap datapad, a high-end PC, or a fully immersive virtual reality rig, the engine adapted perfectly.
Firefly did not even have to think about it. She selected the Gaming Pod mode. Her life-sustaining medical cabin was already wired with top-tier neural interface capabilities.
[Please select game type: Turn-based / Real-time Action]
Firefly blinked at the prompt, then instantly locked in the Real-time Action mode.
Leon had gone out of his way to build two entirely different combat engines. The classic turn-based system remained intact for casual players, or for planets running on outdated hardware where split-second rendering was impossible. For those people, a relaxed, strategic experience was ideal.
But for a Glamoth Iron Cavalry veteran? Action was the only language she spoke.
The moment her selection registered, the UI melted away. A stunning view of deep space slowly panned across her vision. A massive, ringed structure—the Herta Space Station—floated in the silent void, orbiting a brilliant blue planet. The rendering was flawless. The delicate interplay of shadow and starlight created a magnificent, hyper-realistic interstellar landscape.
The camera pushed forward, gliding through the station's corridors until it settled on a very familiar figure.
Standing in the center of the screen, dressed in a crisp white shirt, black high-waisted pants, a cape-style jacket, and burgundy tights, was Kafka. The elegant woman was swaying gently, her eyes closed as she played a phantom violin to the rhythm of an invisible orchestra.
Firefly froze.
Firefly:!!!
Panic spiking in her chest, she violently swiped her interface open and slammed her fingers onto the Stellaron Hunters' encrypted group chat.
Firefly: Something is wrong! The entire operation where we invaded the Herta Space Station... Leon turned it into a video game and just released it to the public!
Elio: Don't worry. It is fine. Nothing is wrong at all. (Smile)
Silver Wolf: Oh, the game Leon was hyping up is finally live? Give me a sec, I'm logging in right now.
Kafka: Firefly, relax. There is no need to be nervous. Leon already discussed this with us beforehand, and Elio gave him full permission.
Blade: Of five people, three must pay a price...
Silver Wolf: Boss, Blade's Mara-Struck condition is acting up again! Kafka, quick—
Kafka: Listen to me...
Firefly stared at the chaotic scrolling text.
"So Elio knew about this all along..." She let out a long, heavy exhale, the tension draining from her shoulders. "Then it really is fine."
Smiling softly at her teammates' usual antics, she closed the chat window and eagerly returned to the game.
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