Xiaoguizi's Livestream
"Looks like this Trailblazing journey is going to be different from the previous ones."
"Just now, Mr. Welt said: [On the Family's turf, there probably won't be any thrilling adventures.]"
"In fact, Mr. Welt even thinks: [It's a bit of a shame in my opinion, but since it's a rare chance to relax, let's just enjoy it.]"
"So our main quest this time is… vacation!!"
"There probably won't be any chases, wanted posters, or stuff like that, haha........."
…..
Inside the Express
Guinaifen deliberately switched the BGM to Setting Off on the Journey.
After confirming there were no more hidden dialogue easter eggs, she headed to the observation ca.bin
As she sat down on the sofa, the Conductor's voice rang out:
"Attention—attention—all passengers, please note—"
"The train is about to warp—the train is about to warp—please hold on tight, Pa—!"
It had been a long time since such a formal warp sequence since arriving in the Xianzhou.
Guinaifen was a little excited now, eagerly anticipating the next scene where she'd see Penacony in its entirety—maybe the Astral Express crew being welcomed by the Family and checking into a hotel or something…
Pom-Pom's voice continued:
"Warp sequence initiating."
"5"
"4"
"3"
"2"
When Pom-Pom reached "1," the screen suddenly glitched unnaturally!
A flash of imagery swept by!
Guinaifen was stunned.
Before she could even process it, another rapid series of flashes followed!
Guinaifen caught glimpses of the purple-haired woman from Sleepless Night… and Robin…
There might have been other figures too, but she didn't get a clear look!
"Wh-what's going on!?"
But before Guinaifen could even express her shock…
Something even more absurd happened in the game!
Stelle opened her eyes.
Only to find she was no longer on the train!
Instead, she was in a dimly lit room, sitting on a sofa.
Around her were chairs, a table, a television, and… a Dreamscape Pool.
Guinaifen couldn't help but gulp.
"No way........."
"This can't be happening, right?"
"It shouldn't be possible!"
"This layout is exactly the same as the hotel room I'm staying in right now!"
Stelle stood up from the sofa, scanning her surroundings.
Then, a woman silently appeared in the room without warning.
"Another one…"
"Come with me."
When the camera focused on the woman, Guinaifen gasped sharply!
"It's that woman from Sleepless Night!"
"We're meeting her this soon!?"
"? ? ?"
"Huh?"
"What's going on?"
"This is weird, how did we get here directly?"
"Thinking about the lyrics from Sleepless Night… despair, reincarnation........."
"March 7th: The first one you see is the mastermind behind it all."
Right now, Guinaifen was even more confused than Stelle in the story!
"Weren't we supposed to be on vacation!?"
"Mr. Welt! What happened to [no thrilling adventures]!?"
"We just got here, and already we're hit with something huge?"
"And why does it have to be a hotel room of all places…"
"I'm all alone right now, and I'm kinda freaking out!"
[Where are we going?]
The purple-haired woman sighed softly.
"These questions… are meaningless, but I'll try to explain: This is the boundary between reality and the Memoria, a place… of 'dreams.'"
"Right now, you and I happen to share the same dream, appearing in each other's thoughts. This is the 'Land of Dreams' initial greeting to us."
"Don't worry. Soon, you'll wake from this dream and forget everything that happened here, leaving only a faint sense of melancholy."
"And don't dwell on it. This kind of 'forgetting' happens every morning—it's a mundanity we've long grown accustomed to."
"So, come with me. I'll take you home."
As they reached the door, it creaked open on its own.
Outside was a vast, dimly lit hallway.
The only sound was the echo of Stelle's footsteps on the tiled floor.
Guinaifen couldn't help but comment:
"When I first got here, I thought the decor was super luxurious and classy…"
"But now, in this scene, it looks downright eerie?"
"Kinda creepy…"
At the corner ahead, the purple-haired woman stood waiting silently.
As Stelle approached, the woman introduced herself:
"A Galaxy Ranger… Huangquan. That's what they call me. You can use it too."
Guinaifen's eyes lit up slightly.
"Huangquan!"
"Finally, we have a name and identity for this purple-haired woman!"
"She's actually a Galaxy Ranger?"
However, one viewer in the chat was particularly agitated.
...
"Bullsht!"
"What a load of Wubbaboof droppings!"
"She's no Galaxy Ranger!"
"I'm the real deal! This 'Huangquan' is a fraud!"
"Damn it!"
"Stealing the title of a Galaxy Ranger? This woman's a real piece of work!"
Seeing how worked up this person was—spamming multiple messages—Guinaifen started to doubt things too.
"Is Huangquan lying to us from the start?"
"...Do I even follow her now?"
...
Aboard the Astral Express
March 7th immediately turned to Welt.
"Mr. Yang! You said we could trust her!"
"And she's already lying to us!"
Welt adjusted his glasses.
"Perhaps… she has reasons for doing so?"
"Of course…"
"Until her true identity is revealed, we should remain cautious."
Welt's mind was a little complicated right now.
In the past, running into familiar faces always filled him with unease.
But this time…
He almost wished this woman was that old acquaintance.
Because if so, it would mean she was completely trustworthy.
Unfortunately…
It was just a superficial resemblance.
Her name didn't contain the characters for "Lightning."
...
Penacony – Hotel Lobby
Though the dreamscape had reopened Honkai: Star Rail-related content, many tourists chose to observe first in reality.
The lobby had a large screen set up for public viewing.
Aside from tourists and players, many Family members were also keeping an eye on things.
The suspicion of [Huangquan's Fake Identity] immediately drew the attention of the Bloodhound Family's members!
"Dammit, what are the screening teams even doing!?"
"How did they miss such an obvious flaw in Huangquan's identity?"
"If not for the game's warning, she might've slipped into the dreamscape unnoticed until the Harmony Festival began!"
"We've located her room number!"
"Brothers nearby, follow me! This woman's probably no pushover!"
The Bloodhounds quickly mobilized, surrounding Huangquan's room.
...
Inside the Room
Huangquan massaged her temples.
Clearly, she hadn't anticipated this!
Though she'd gotten what she wanted—seeing her own storyline in the game…
But…
The story had barely begun, and her fake identity was already exposed!?
What now?
Was she doomed to be labeled a stowaway?
Huangquan was frustrated.
Meanwhile, Black Swan shrugged, a smirk playing on her lips.
"See? Sometimes, the smallest choice leads to unforeseen consequences."
She lightly tapped the floor with her toe, floating into the air.
With a graceful motion, she pointed toward the door.
"What did you do?" Huangquan asked.
"Penacony is a galaxy rich in Memoria—my home turf, so to speak."
"I can ensure you remain hidden from the Family… for now."
Black Swan descended gently, walking toward Huangquan with a smile.
"So? As I said… working with me has its perks."
"Before they find you, let's hope the game's storyline proves your innocence."
"Otherwise… our little dance together will have to be cut short."
Huangquan lowered her head slightly.
This was troublesome.
She knew exactly who—and what—she was.
Right now, it was just suspicion of identity fraud.
But if the game revealed her true identity…
The Bloodhounds would be the least of her worries.
The entirety of Penacony would be after her.
"Sigh........."
"What a mess."
Once she sensed the approaching forces retreating, Huangquan sat back down.
Her eyes returned to the livestream.
For now… there was nothing else she could do.
She'd just have to see how the story unfolded and decide her next move accordingly.
Huangquan is a fake name Acheron made up
To be continued…