Aboard the Astral Express
After the massive update, the crew imdiately launched Honkai: Star Rail. Following their prior agreent, they decided to prioritize story content related to the Express.
Hiko, Welt, March 7th, and Stelle logged into their accounts, navigating the flood of new content.
"If we're focusing on the Express, we should check the crew's ssages first!" March 7th sifted through the overwhelming inbox, her eyes suddenly lighting up.
"This one!"
"This ssage has to trigger a quest!"
"And it's definitely about us!"
Hiko, Welt, Stelle, and Pom-Pom crowded around March 7th's screen. The ssage was from Pom-Pom:
[Pom-Pom: AHHHHHHHH]
[Pom-Pom: MarchStelle, ARE YOU THERE?!?!]
Stelle raised an eyebrow.
"Your in-ga na is... MarchStelle?"
March 7th laughed awkwardly. "W-Well, since you're the protagonist but I'm the player, it felt fitting, haha..."
"Whatever makes you happy," Stelle deadpanned.
March 7th replied:
[What's the ergency?]
[Did sothing happen?]
[Pom-Pom: SUPER ULTRA GA ERGENCY]
[Pom-Pom: Pom-Pom can't even process it]
[Pom-Pom: The Express's once-in-an-era deep-cleaning day is HERE AHHHHHHH]
[...Huh?]
[Oh.]
[You want to help scrub the floors.]
[ (T_T) ]
[Pom-Pom: No!]
[Pom-Pom: But if MarchStelle wants to volunteer, Pom-Pom won't say no!]
[Pom-Pom: We're heading to the nearest Washtopia soon!]
[Pom-Pom: When can you visit the Express, Pom?]
After the dialogue, a prompt appeared:
[Accept Quest: [Night of Universal Hallucinations]?]
[Watch the preview trailer first? [Click Here]]
"Night of Universal Hallucinations?" Hiko mused. "Sounds Express-related... and oddly poetic."
"I vote for this quest."
Welt adjusted his glasses. "The description ntions a 'Washtopia.' Let's preview the trailer to gauge its urgency."
March 7th pouted. "Mister Yang, that's spoiling it!"
Hiko explained, "With so much new content, we should prioritize. If this is just a scenic detour, we can tackle heavier plots first."
"Ooooh!" March 7th nodded. "Fine, let's watch—but no major spoilers!"
As they clicked the link, Pom-Pom scurried closer, eyes wide with curiosity.
---
The Trailer
The screen erupted with frantic "DENG DENG—!" beats. The Express hurtled through crimson nebulae, its windows streaking with light. Suddenly, the cabin lurched violently—March 7th and Stelle tumbled to the floor.
Pom-Pom gasped. "Just a Washtopia trip... Why's it so dangerous?!"
Before it could react, the cabin lights flickered into strobes, converging on a single figure—
"SMACK—!"
—Pom-Pom, frozen in shock.
A voice bood:
"Legends speak of a lone beast lurking in the cosmos..."
"Its scales harder than armor..."
"Its claws sharper than divine blades..."
Pom-Pom's ears drooped. "W-Wait... Is this implying I'm the beast?!"
Golden light flooded the cabin, revealing a red-haired man in radiant armor. He leveled a spear—its blade gleaming crimson and gold—and advanced.
March 7th and Stelle gasped.
"Who's that?!"
"How'd he board the Express?!"
"How dare he threaten our precious conductor?!"
In the trailer, Pom-Pom bolted (impressively fast for its stubby legs), but the man pursued, narrating:
"Yet its corpse lies impaled... by a knight's spear."
"WHOOSH—!" The spear stabbed into the floor, barely missing Pom-Pom. As the conductor collapsed, its shadow morphed into a grinning demonic visage.
The knight raised his weapon—
—and the cabin dissolved into blood-red darkness, monstrous silhouettes writhing within.
Then, black screen.
---
Back to Reality
The crew slowly turned to Pom-Pom, who backed away nervously.
"W-Why's everyone staring at Pom-Pom?!"
"You don't actually think I'm so... harbinger of doom, right?!"
March 7th burst out laughing. "Pfft—of course not! We'd never let anyone bully you!"
Stelle smirked. "Only we get to do that."
Pom-Pom exhaled, then huffed.
"That narrator sounded super shady!"
"Fighting on the Express is absolutely forbidden!"
"And targeting Pom-Pom? UNFORGIVABLE!"
"Let's start this quest now and stop whatever's coming!"
March 7th bit her lip. "Also... Did anyone else see bug-like things in that darkness?"
"Ew! No way I'm letting bugs infest our ho!"
"Hurry—we gotta prevent this!"
---
Guinaifen's Livestream
Guinaifen's face glowed like a starved hobo stumbling upon a royal feast. Overwheld by options, she flailed.
"TOO MANY QUESTS! WHAT DO I PICK?!"
"Pom-Pom wants back on the Express!"
"Dan Heng needs on the Luofu!"
"Bronya's inviting to Belobog's Sunfest!"
Suddenly, donations flooded her chat:
[Do Bailu's Feet Stink? gifted 5 'Tempest of the Hunt'!]
"Xiao Guizi, play the 'Aetherium Wars' event! It's INSANE!"
[Stellaron Simp gifted 5 'Super Star Rails'!]
"Check your texts—talk to Welter to unlock it!"
[Gambling My Life Away gifted 20 'Star Rail Passes'!]
"Just saw the character poses—YOU'RE THE HOTTEST, GUI!"
Guinaifen blinked. "Wait... I'm in the ga?!"
She'd never dared hope—a street perforr like her, lucky to be a background NPC. Yet here she was, officially in Star Rail!
Trembling, she searched forums. A viral video appeared:
[Qingque's Reminder: No drama here! Just event character poses. 5 sec to react.]
The screen lit up: A red-haired man (Luka) punched a sandbag into orbit, flashing a dal. Then—
"NÉNG CHUÀ—!!" (A slang from southern chinese dialect)
Guinaifen's avatar appeared, winking at the cara, a firecracker in one hand. Behind her, a pack of hoarding warp creatures scampered. One lit a massive firework—
"BOOM—!"
—blossoming into a sky-filling explosion. She caught the falling creature, which proudly held a gold coin.
Silence. Then—
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!" Guinaifen scread, vibrating with joy.
"I'M IN STAR RAIL!!!!!"
"Yu Ling ACKNOWLEDGED !!!!!"
To be continued...
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