Central Starskiff Haven Plaza.
Several new large screens had recently been installed here, turning the plaza into one of the iconic landmarks for Honkai: Star Rail gaming culture on the Xianzhou Luofu.
At this moment, quite a few players had gathered in the area.
On the screens, alongside the interstellar peace news broadcast about Duke Inferno, the PV for Everflame Night: Act 33 was also playing. The stark contrast between the two pieces of content created a darkly humorous vibe—even attracting a few masked players who seemed suspiciously like Masked Fools.
Meanwhile, the central screen displayed content from the official Yu Ling account.
Right now, over half the players online suspected that Yu Ling had something to do with the Duke's death and were actively leaving comments. Many were also curious about how Yu Ling would respond to the incident.
If Yu Ling did reply, a notification would immediately appear here and be publicly broadcast to all players in the plaza.
In a corner of the plaza, Lin Yu and Robin naturally witnessed the entire event unfold.
"I don't think Yu Ling is involved in this..." Robin mused thoughtfully. "As the game's developer, he can do anything within the game itself. Even if Duke Inferno deliberately went against the game's narrative, it wouldn't be worth Yu Ling personally intervening."
"I've dealt with Yu Ling before, and judging from his music, he's definitely not that kind of petty person."
Lin Yu smiled faintly.
It felt pretty nice hearing someone praise him behind his back.
"Yu Ling will probably give a clear explanation," Lin Yu said. "And knowing his style, he'll likely drop something that shocks everyone."
Robin pursed her lips and nodded in agreement. "You're right."
"Ever since I first heard about Honkai: Star Rail, I've been hearing about Yu Ling's unbelievable feats every single day. At this point, even the big shots in the universe are probably numb to it!"
Meanwhile, Lin Yu opened his system, sent out the pre-written message, and attached a video.
He glanced up at the screens.
Things were about to get lively here.
One minute later—
Ding-dong!
A notification chime echoed across the plaza.
Normally, this would have been just an ordinary alert sound. But at this moment, it made everyone's hearts skip a beat.
All activity stopped.
Every single person turned their eyes toward the main screen.
Robin also set down her phone, her expression solemn as she focused on the message.
"AAAAAH!!!"
"Yu Ling responded!!"
"Holy crap! Quick, let's see what's up!"
"No way, did Yu Ling actually do it?!"
The message read:
[I'm sure everyone is curious about the truth behind Duke Inferno's assassination. Let me be clear—this matter is not as simple as it seems.]
[But it can also be very simple.]
[The answers you seek will be revealed in the upcoming Version 2.0 storyline of Penacony.]
[As for Duke Inferno's demise, I offer my deepest condolences.]
[In the meantime, please enjoy this newly produced OP—Sleepless Night.]
...
The message was brief, yet it left everyone momentarily stunned.
"Holy crap, that's loaded!"
"Jokes aside, did anyone actually think Yu Ling would do something like this?"
"Are you kidding? Some nobody from the Annihilation Gang isn't worth Yu Ling's time!"
"But Yu Ling obviously knows how Duke Inferno died."
"Who knows? Maybe Yu Ling was just chilling in space, calmly watching it happen. Now that would be the kind of presence Yu Ling has!"
"Ugh, why couldn't he just tell us outright instead of hiding it in the 2.0 storyline?!"
"When's the update? I can't stand Version 1.0 for another second!"
"Wait, is no one else curious about this OP thing?"
...
After a heated discussion, the attached video began playing.
At this point, no one realized just how insane things were about to get.
Most assumed this was just another showcase of Honkai: Star Rail's in-game landscapes and music—after all, tracks like Wildfire and Water Dragon's Chant had already left the universe in awe. Surely Yu Ling wouldn't drop another masterpiece so soon.
So they settled in, expecting nothing more than a pleasant retrospective.
All the screens went dark at once.
For a brief moment, only the ambient plaza lights remained, creating a theatrical prelude.
Then—
A bright, lively whistling tune began to play.
The video flickered to life.
A man tipped the brim of his hat with a flourish, spinning elegantly as his coat flared behind him.
With his other hand, he tossed a poker chip into the air.
Spotlights flashed, illuminating two separate areas.
The man's full figure was now clearly visible on screen.
The crowd erupted in confusion.
"Who the hell is that?!"
"That's not a character from the game!"
"I know him! That's a high-ranking executive from the Interastral Peace Corporation—Aventurine!"
"Wait, what?"
"Is this video sponsored by the IPC?!"
But soon, the confusion turned into excitement.
Because under the other spotlight stood none other than Honkai: Star Rail's protagonist—Stelle!
Then, to the rhythm of the music, the Trailblazer and Aventurine began to dance.
Their movements were sharp, dynamic, and full of flair—utterly mesmerizing!
The entire plaza fell into stunned silence.
Mouths hung open.
No one had expected the video to take this kind of direction.
But the real bombshell was just beginning.
As the intro faded, the main segment kicked in.
"Outside the window, the night is ablaze with color~"
The scene shifted to a dazzling racetrack, where a sleek sports car cruised into view.
And the passengers inside sent the crowd into total disbelief.
It was none other than the renowned singer of the Sky-Faring Race—Robin!
And her brother, Sunday!
Sunday rested his head against his hand, looking somewhat weary, while Robin smiled warmly, raising a cocktail glass toward the camera in a casual toast—as if savoring every moment of this joyous night.
...
"???"
"!!!"
"HUH???"
"By the Aeons, is that Robin?!"
"I never in my wildest dreams thought I'd see Robin in a Yu Ling video!"
"TWO FANDOMS COLLIDING!!"
"Best update ever!"
"Yu Ling, are you seriously ditching game dev to become a singer now?!"
"This isn't some in-game showcase—it's a full-blown Penacony version trailer!!"
To be continued…