To untrained ears, Lü Heng's singing might sound like pure noise, utterly unbearable. But even to Lingsha, a professional musician, it wasn't exactly pleasant.
Yet it wasn't entirely without merit. In a word: all heart, no technique. Every note radiated the singer's genuine love for the song.
Daoist Wuwei: "Surprisingly, I find it rather enjoyable?"
Invincible Bro: "???! This guy's on another level."
Ikezawa and Lü Heng continued their conversation about Robin when Shu Cat suddenly chimed in: "@Daoist Wuwei, since you know about Robin's previous life, could you tell us more?"
Shu Cat: "Was she a pop star in her previous world too? What was her world like? I'm dying to know!"
Thanks to their involvement in the Martyr incident, Zhong Wanhong's team had briefly entered the False Penacony and gained some understanding of it. Besides, Robin herself had later sat down with Zhong Wanhong for a detailed conversation (or so she claimed).
Whether this matter should be considered a secret is debatable. It's certainly confidential, known only to a select few. Even those privy to the information, like Zhong Wanhong, only understand a small fraction of the Honkai: Star Rail universe's lore. Ultimately, this stems from the policy regarding Outsiders; understanding their origins is considered of little practical significance.
So, while technically classified, discussing it casually seems harmless enough—just like sharing a story.
Lü Heng pondered briefly but decided not to interrupt Shu Cat or abruptly change the subject.
Daoist Wuwei exclaimed, "You've hit the nail on the head! I know all sorts of things about this!"
"Robin is a world-renowned superstar! Her songs echo throughout the Galaxy, and her fans are countless!"
Shu Cat remarked, "At first glance, that sounds exaggerated, but when I recall her singing, it doesn't surprise me at all."
"Exactly!" Daoist Wuwei continued. "Countless people dream of making her their sweetheart. But the biggest obstacle they'd face would probably be getting past her... Superpower- uh, I mean. Robin has an incredibly protective older brother!"
Shu Cat: "Just how powerful is 'super powerful'? Like the White Eagle Eight level?"
Daoist Wuwei: "I don't know about your 'White Eagle Eight,' but Brother Sunday's power is probably at the galaxy-busting level."
Shu Cat: "What the hell?! WTF?!"
Lü Heng, who was secretly watching the conversation, couldn't help but twitch. He'd actually met Brother Sunday before and personally witnessed him instantly defeat the Martyr, one of the White Eagle Eight, in a single move. Seeing Shu Cat's disbelief, he felt compelled to chime in to clarify.
Red Cape Hero: "Kids, this is true."
Shu Cat: "Wait, was the previous world really this terrifying? People blowing up galaxies left and right?!"
Daoist Wuwei: "Pretty much. Ridiculous Aeons, outlandish Cosmic Civilizations, ridiculously powerful beings—you name it."
Shu Cat: "Tell me more!"
But the scope of the world was too vast to explain easily. After a moment's thought, Ikezawa typed: "Let's start with the Herta Space Station, and how Stelle, a beautiful girl who loves scavenging through trash cans, joined the Astral Express."
He decided to follow the game's storyline—it would be easier on his brain that way.
Shu Cat: "A beautiful girl who likes to rummage through trash cans? Don't you find that combination a bit odd?"
Peace Dove suddenly chimed in, "What's so strange about it? Is there some contradiction between liking trash cans and being a beautiful girl?"
Shu Cat: "Uh..."
Shu Cat had always perceived Peace Dove as a gentle, conflict-averse netizen. Yet, for some reason, he couldn't shake the feeling that she was subtly teasing him.
Daoist Wuwei: "Exactly! Why can't a trash-diving beauty exist? Stelle is absolutely awesome! She's cool, gorgeous, quirky, and incredibly reliable when it matters!"
Why were they only talking about Stelle and not Caelus? Simply because Ikezawa's account was playing as the female protagonist.
Peace Dove: "@Daoist Wuwei, you have excellent taste!"
Daoist Wuwei: "Naturally!"
Peace Dove: "You seem to know a lot about Stelle?"
Daoist Wuwei: "Better to say I know everything about everyone!"
For a moment, Ikezawa considered revealing, "I am Stelle." But his mismatched gender held him back. If he were playing as the male protagonist, he would have confidently declared, "I am Caelus."
Ikezawa was slightly puzzled by Peace Dove's unusual interest in Stelle, but this didn't stop him from continuing his story.
Peace Dove, who was usually relatively quiet, had become surprisingly active, chiming in with comments from time to time as Ikezawa told his tale.
Meanwhile, back in the Main World, Firefly was lounging on the sofa in a loose white T-shirt, her lower half bare except for a pair of white thigh-high socks—the epitome of a stay-at-home otaku.
But since she was alone in the house, why bother dressing up?
Her attention was entirely focused on the Chat Group. Everyone in the group except Ikezawa had already met her in person, and if he were ever invited to their world, he would likely meet her too.
Naturally, he would recognize her immediately. For now, she was simply laying the groundwork in the group, acting in ways consistent with her established persona.
"I hope he's sharp enough not to blurt out SAM's identity when they meet," she thought.
Even if Firefly revealed her identity now, it wouldn't make much difference. SAM hadn't appeared in quite some time, and she trusted everyone in the Chat Group. It wasn't a big deal.
For some reason, Firefly found herself looking forward to it. If Ikezawa knew he was discussing the Star Rail plot with Firefly herself, what kind of expression would he make?
Meanwhile, back at Lingsha's perspective, time passed. After spending a day in the First Laboratory, the monsters that had spontaneously appeared above the facility remained on the second morning, aimlessly wandering nearby.
Through the surveillance equipment, Lingsha spotted several dark figures on the horizon, sprinting rapidly toward the monsters.
"It's Ge Uncle and the others! They're here!" Li exclaimed excitedly, her ears perked up.