Meanwhile, one month before the official launch of Star Rail, on the evening of the public beta preview livestream:
At 7:20 PM, a single livestream dominated the trending topics across all major streaming platforms:
[Star Rail Special Preview Livestream Starts at 7:30 PM! Hot!]
[Seriously? People still play turn-based games these days? Hot!]
[Can Star Rail become the next big gacha? Hot!]
Everyone stared at their computers and phones, eagerly counting down the minutes to 7:30 PM. The livestream chat overflowed with impatient messages:
[You seem pretty hyped too. Why not just launch the game now?]
[Open the gates! Open the gates! Open the gates! Open the gates!]
[Turn-based? Even dogs wouldn't play that garbage!]
[Look how fast the monsters respawn!]
The chat was a mix of anticipation and criticism, inevitable for any game before its official launch. But controversy also meant the game was generating massive buzz.
If a game launches without any controversy, it's likely doomed to fail.
Fortunately, Mihoyo's previous flagship title, Genshin, became a global phenomenon, providing an incredibly solid foundation for promoting their new game, Star Rail.
As the clock struck 7:30 PM, the Star Rail public beta preview special officially began, with the Astral Express train streaking across the cosmos.
A familiar violin melody filled the air as a figure appeared on everyone's screens. With bated breath, viewers watched the camera slowly zoom in, revealing Brother Da Wei.
[Brother Da Wei Sawing Wood.gif]
[Elegant! So elegant!]
[Brother Da Wei is already making this so awkward.]
Despite the chat's banter, everyone's eyes remained glued to the screen, captivated by the scenes unfolding with the music.
A humorous interlude followed, eliciting laughter from the audience as Brother Da Wei introduced himself. With that, the preview stream officially transitioned to its main content.
The live stream began with a promotional video, followed by explanations of the game's mechanics, target audience, and other key features.
The livestream then moved on to introducing the characters.
As the game's mechanics were explained, most viewers in the live stream seemed uninterested. But the moment the exquisite character art appeared on screen, the chat instantly erupted into a flurry of comments:
[Panting~ They're all my wives!]
[WOOO! The Intertwined Fate has come to life!]
[So cool, so beautiful, so cute—they're all mine!]
With the character introductions and voice actor reveals complete, the livestream progressed to the next segment: introducing the story and the various major factions.
Most viewers paid little attention to this exposition, finding it overwhelming to absorb all the information at once. They generally preferred to wait for content creators to summarize it later.
Soon, the livestream reached the gacha section and the featured character banners.
The launch version would feature only two 5-star characters: Seele in the first half and Jing Yuan in the second.
As the gacha banner appeared on screen, a small group of viewers with insider knowledge flooded the chat with advice:
[Launch recommendation: Endure for 20 days and save your tickets to pull for Jing Yuan at E0S1! He will define the meta!]
[Jing Yuan at E0S1 guarantees you a relatively successful life!]
Most players completely ignored these comments.
However, a small minority took the advice to heart, resolving to endure the next twenty days and save all their tickets for Jing Yuan's banner in the second half of the event.
With the gacha drama concluded, the subsequent announcement of event rewards sparked another wave of excitement.
[Hilarious! The big sister game couldn't get her desired 5-star, but the little sister did!]
[Maybe that other two-word gacha game could take notes?]
As the event rewards were detailed, the live stream showcased actual gameplay footage.
When the camera returned to Brother Da Wei, everyone knew the preview stream was nearing its end.
"Pre-downloads for [ Honkai: Star Rail ] will be available on April 23rd, with the official public launch on April 26th!"
"Welcome aboard the Astral Express, Trailblazers, as we embark on this pioneering journey together."
"Let's set off as one!"
"May this voyage ultimately lead us to the stars!"
As Brother Da Wei's voice faded, the live stream screen went black.
["May this voyage ultimately lead us to the stars!"]
[Missed it! Missed it!]
["Not enough! Can we get another PV?"]
As the live stream screen went black, some viewers immediately left.
But others, knowing Mihoyo's penchant for grand reveals, suspected something big was coming.
Their hunch proved correct. Five seconds into the black screen, a vast cosmos unfolded before the audience.
Within this boundless universe, countless stars twinkled brightly, while dim, decaying dead stars gradually collapsed. Amidst this cosmic tapestry, a streak of green light shone, illuminating a lone figure.
As the camera slowly zoomed in, the figure became clearer: the back of a woman.
Her waist-length white hair gradually faded into emerald green at the tips, and her spotless white dress hinted at an otherworldly purity. Even from this rear view alone, one could imagine the breathtaking loveliness of her face.
"Hmm?"
As if sensing the camera's gaze, the girl abruptly turned around, her stunning face suddenly revealed to the audience.
The image froze, followed immediately by a replay countdown.
[I know, I know! I got this! It's you! The Greater Lord Rukkhadevata!]
[My waifu! My waifu! My waifu!!]
[Stop acting like a maniac!]
[No wonder the Tree Queen's gone missing next door. She ran over here!]
Even this fleeting appearance of the girl ignited fierce debate in the real world.
[The Mysterious Girl from the Preview Stream! Trending!
"Looks like the response has been pretty good," Lumina said, nodding in satisfaction as she watched the Mysterious Girl trend on social media.
"So, how many Resonance Points do I have now?" she asked the System, munching on potato chips as she watched a documentary about prominent figures from the Amber Era at the Interstellar Peace Corporation. When her own caricature flashed across the screen, she turned to the System.
[Not many, actually—just over eight thousand.]
[Remember, only genuine resonance counts. Likes and thirsty comments don't count.]
[Almost all eight thousand were contributed by Genshin players.]
"Alright," Lumina nodded, unfazed.
Player adoration and Resonance Points were ultimately meaningless to her. She couldn't care less about the quantity.
She slumped back on the sofa, radiating an aura of utter sloth, and asked:
"Will eight thousand Resonance Points be enough for my next move?"
[While you're in the Star Rail world, any actions you take won't cost Resonance Points.]
[In the real world, intervening in promotional videos shown to players will cost five thousand Resonance Points.]
[Creating your own promotional video will cost one hundred thousand Resonance Points.]
[Developing an entirely new version of the game—including a new planet and everything—will require one million Resonance Points.]
"Mmm, mmm," Lumina mumbled casually, sprawled on the sofa, munching on potato chips.
"I'll head back to the space station later. Just let me slack off a bit longer before the story really begins."
Lumina finished her chips, tossed the empty bag aside, closed her eyes, and promptly drifted off to sleep.
Meanwhile, on the television screen, which hadn't been turned off, a documentary about her legendary exploits was playing:
[Lumina, an outstanding figure of the Amber Era, wanders the cosmos, unconditionally healing all life without seeking reward. From single-celled organisms to entire planets and galaxies, countless beings have benefited from her restorative touch.]
[As a Cosmic Physician, she embodies the Path of Abundance. During the previous Amber Era alone, the number of individuals who publicly acknowledged her treatment reached a staggering tens of trillions!]
[It is thanks to Miss Lumina's existence that the universe is such a beautiful place.]
[Let us dedicate a precious few moments to celebrate this remarkable individual!]
As the stirring narration reached its crescendo, the screen displayed a montage of radiant photographs showcasing Lumina's healing acts, each frame glowing with pristine, divine light.
The System watched the heroic figure on the screen, then glanced at Lumina, who lay slumped on the sofa like a salted fish. A profound contemplation seized it.
[Is... is this even the same person?]