"You invaded the dining car's kitchen, declared to everyone that it needed sterilization, causing forty-two crispy, fragrant Pam-Pam Pies to vanish without a trace. Then you took the last bowl of Train Hotpot from the top shelf of the fridge, leaving the Conductor to starve—"
"Do you plead guilty, Pom?"
On the screen, Pom, the Conductor of the Astral Express, was aggressively interrogating the camera.
"You made this up yourself... but I did take the Train Hotpot."
The person answering was labeled [Akivili?].
Because this was a dream bubble.
According to Dr. Edward from the "Dreams for Sale" shop, the contents of this memory... belonged to the deceased Aeon, Akivili.
Ahem. "Don't get smug, I haven't finished listing the charges yet, Pom!"
"Along with the 'Collective Disappearance of Train Data Bank Entries,' 'Watering the Observation Car Plants with SoulGlad,' 'Noise Harassment Against the Conductor During Rest Hours,' and the 'Invasion of the Conductor's Exclusive Snack Vault'—"
"And so on, totaling forty-six malicious incidents! Do you admit that all of them were your doing?"
[Akivili?] replied, "I'm sorry... I really am the worst Nameless in the world."
"No, you're not, Pom."
"There's someone worse than me?"
"Of course."
"Who?"
"The one who blew the train in half, Pom."
After watching this dream bubble, Aventurine shook his head helplessly.
"Akivili was this mischievous?"
"And... Pom existed even back then?"
Topaz took a sip of her drink, unfazed. "This is just a meme dream bubble. You're not taking it seriously, are you?"
"If I saw it in reality, of course not. But this is in Yu Ling's game. He deliberately included this segment in the main storyline—it's hard not to think this dream bubble is hinting at something."
Just then, a mature woman's voice came from behind:
"Looks like our Director Aventurine is planning to switch careers and join the Intelligentsia Guild to unravel the mystery of Akivili's demise."
Hearing this voice, Topaz and Aventurine immediately stood up.
The newcomer was none other than Jade, another member of the "Ten Stonehearts."
After exchanging greetings, Jade got straight to the point:
"The tech department has finished."
"I've brought the video compilation."
"I've also secured a partnership with the cinema manager. He agreed to lend me the hotel's screening room."
Aventurine was taken aback.
"Extracting my storyline is enough—why rent a cinema?"
Jade smiled faintly. "So all the IPC employees in Penacony can come and study together, of course."
For Honkai: Star Rail, the Interastral Peace Corporation (IPC) had placed great importance on the game.
Before the Penacony storyline began, they had already established a dedicated tech team to advance the plot as soon as updates dropped.
They extracted Aventurine's storyline and compiled it into videos, ensuring he could review all his in-game content immediately.
Now that the storyline was complete, the specifics of how to proceed would depend on Aventurine's assessment after watching.
Hearing Jade's words, Aventurine was surprised. "You've already seen it?"
"Your storyline is quite lengthy. It was delivered to you as soon as it was finished—I didn't have time to peek."
"But the results should be good. Otherwise, the tech department would've flagged it."
Aventurine's eyes flickered with understanding.
He had a rough idea now.
However, he suddenly thought of something.
Narrowing his eyes, he asked, "The situation in Penacony is already turbulent. Won't such a high-profile move be too conspicuous?"
"It doesn't matter. You're already in the storyline. Any hidden tactics will be exposed sooner or later."
"This time, we're making the IPC's methods public."
"Besides, the Family has its own problems."
Aventurine chuckled.
Hearing Jade's words, he instantly felt his bargaining chips grow even stronger.
"Then let's go."
"To the cinema."
"The Trailblaze journey is interesting, but right now, I'm more curious about my own storyline!"
Beside him, Topaz's eyes flashed with surprise.
Could it be...
In the game, Aventurine had actually succeeded?
Had he truly created an opportunity for the IPC to reclaim Penacony?
How did he do it?
Topaz grew intrigued as well, eager to witness her colleague's true tactics.
---
Xianzhou Luofu
Jing Yuan, Jingliu, Blade, and Dan Heng stood before the dragon statue in the Scalegorge Waterscape.
The events of Clouds Leave No Trace were still fresh in their minds.
The ending had taken all four of them by surprise—it concluded with a duel between Jingliu and Blade.
Blade was granted a brief death by Jingliu's sword, after which they each walked their own paths.
Having witnessed this storyline, Jingliu and Blade no longer felt the urge to fight in reality.
After all, the game had already portrayed their entangled grievances. Reenacting it now would just feel... overly sentimental.
As in the game, after touring the Luofu, Jingliu willingly turned herself in to face judgment in the Shackling Prison.
Just then, Blade received a message.
Jing Yuan's expression turned intrigued.
The only people who could message Blade... were naturally the Stellaron Hunters.
After the previous incident and the game's revelations, the Stellaron Hunters had quietly become potential allies of the Xianzhou.
After reading the message, Blade spoke abruptly: "I have to go."
Facing the trio's gazes, Blade hesitated for a moment before explaining:
"Kafka says... Penacony is about to erupt in an unprecedented battle."
"I'm going to assist."
Jing Yuan's lips curled slightly.
Blade had changed.
In the past, he would never have explained himself.
Now, he seemed to regard them as... friends again.
He even informed them before leaving.
It had to be acknowledged—Honkai: Star Rail had changed many things!
Time had passed, and people had changed.
Yet over these days, the four of them had quietly rebuilt a faint but tangible connection.
Dan Heng's expression shifted slightly.
He recalled the message the Astral Express crew had sent him earlier.
They were already on their way to Penacony.
If a major battle really was imminent...
The Express crew would likely be caught in it!
Dan Heng immediately declared, "I'm heading to Penacony as well."
Blade shot Dan Heng an annoyed look.
First, it was me chasing you—now you're chasing me?
Dan Heng offered no explanation, simply pulling out his phone to check on the Express crew's safety in the Astral Express Family group chat.
Watching the two's urgency, Jing Yuan spoke leisurely:
"Hah... It seems both of you have found your own paths."
"That the four of us could reunite here for these fleeting days... is fate's work."
Pausing briefly, Jing Yuan's tone deepened:
"At this point, I'll no longer hide the truth."
"I once received a warning from Yu Ling in a dream."
"He... foresaw the battle that would unfold in Penacony!"
The moment these words were spoken, Dan Heng and Blade were visibly startled.
Even Jingliu looked up at Jing Yuan, sighing:
"Still the same as always, Yuan."
"Silent on the surface, yet orchestrating everything behind the scenes?"
Jing Yuan dropped all pretenses.
"That's right."
"After Yu Ling's warning, I immediately prepared the Luofu."
"In that glimpse of the future, Dan Heng, you and I fought side by side—with countless Xianzhou fleets at our backs."
"It seems the time has come."
"This battle will not proceed without the Xianzhou Alliance."
"And this time, our preparations are even more thorough. The Xianzhou's might will be on full display!"
Jing Yuan's words were firm and confident.
Beside him, Blade's face remained expressionless, but his mind was in turmoil.
Because—
Kafka hadn't mentioned who they'd be fighting in Penacony!
And Jing Yuan explicitly stated he'd stand with Dan Heng.
Blade instinctively wondered:
Was this a clash between the Stellaron Hunters and the Astral Express?!
He quickly sent Kafka a message to confirm.
Kafka didn't reply, but Silver Wolf sent a video.
Blade opened it to see Sam locked in combat with a purple-haired woman.
The woman's expression was icy, her crimson blade light overwhelmingly fierce—even Sam was barely holding his own.
"It seems our enemy is... her."
Blade relaxed.
At least it wasn't the Express versus the Hunters.
Otherwise, facing the Xianzhou's endless armada would've been... troublesome.
Just then, Jing Yuan activated the Jade Abacus, projecting intelligence from the Divination Commission.
An image of the purple-haired woman appeared.
Jing Yuan explained:
"According to the Master Diviner's analysis, our greatest foe is likely this woman..."
"Earlier, Yu Ling released a video."
"Her name is Acheron."
"The video showcased her terrifying power—a being drenched in bloodshed, her memories so deep even the Memokeepers of the Garden of Recollection couldn't fathom them..."
"The Divination Commission's assessment: Acheron possesses at least Emanator-level combat power!"
"At the bare minimum, she ranks among the most formidable of Emanators!"
As Jing Yuan spoke, Blade's gaze sharpened.
It matched!
She was also the Stellaron Hunters' enemy!
This time... they'd be fighting alongside the Xianzhou again?
Excitement surged in Blade's heart.
Could this Emanator's blade finally grant him the death he sought?
To be continued…
Advance 100 Chapters are up on my Patreon!
pat reon.com/AlphaSenatus