Earth, April 26th, shortly after 8:40 AM.
As with any miHoYo game, those eager to snag a UID or play early were already online, staking their claim.
Meanwhile, in Xiao Hunhun's live stream on Bilibili, he was still going wild over the Mysterious Girl.
"I don't care! Even if she's the ultimate villain, I'll still love her!"
"You're right, she's a villain, but sorry, my moral compass follows my eyes."
Xiao Hunhun shared his own thoughts in the live stream.
Although the opening cinematic had been released the previous day, based on available information, there was an 80% chance the Mysterious Girl was the mastermind behind Xianzhou's troubles.
But so what? I'll switch sides on the spot when the time comes!
[What? The Mysterious Girl is a villain? That just makes me love her even more! (^_^)]
["The Mysterious Girl is the villain? You're right, but she's so stunningly beautiful!"]
["Don't fall for it! Has no one suspected this is just a PV scam?"]
Xiao Hunhun ignored the chat comments, glancing at the clock: 8:46 AM.
"Hmm... I guess I'll just tap here."
He casually tapped the screen, and the train icon vanished, soaring into the starry sky. Instead of the expected pop-up, a loading bar appeared, followed by a massive space station materializing on the screen.
"It's live!" Xiao Hunhun exclaimed, his excitement bubbling over. He wished he could teleport to Xianzhou instantly to meet the Mysterious Girl in person.
The chat exploded with new comments:
["The servers are live! See ya!"]
["Mysterious Girl, here I come!"]
Unfazed by the dwindling viewer count in the live stream, Xiao Hunhun focused intently on progressing through the game's story.
Time flew by, and Xiao Hunhun quickly reached the final segment of the prologue.
"When you have the chance to make a choice, don't let yourself regret it."
As Kafka spoke these last words, the screen went black again, entering a loading sequence.
"That line seems to have some deeper meaning," Xiao Hunhun murmured, pondering the words.
Seeing Xiao Hunhun lost in thought, the chat exploded with comments once more.
[Stop overthinking it, sweetie! Just focus on the story. With your brain, you'll never figure it out anyway.]
[Streamer! Streamer! Hurry up and advance the plot! There's a big twist coming up!]
Xiao Hunhun glanced at the scrolling comments, snapped out of his reverie, and clicked the mouse to continue the story.
"Hmm..." As the game's protagonist slowly regained consciousness, their vision gradually cleared. A warm, soothing voice filled the air, reaching everyone's ears.
"Oh? You're finally awake."
As the words faded, a short CG sequence appeared on the screen.
A gray-haired girl lay with her head resting on the white-haired girl's lap. As the gray-haired girl slowly sat up, the white-haired girl smiled gently, revealing a breathtakingly beautiful smile.
"Aaaaaahhhh!!!" Xiao Hunhun screamed, frantically snapping screenshots of the scene.
"Lap pillow! Lap pillow! Lap pillow! She has feelings for me! She has feelings for me!!!"
[Well, another one's gone mad.]
[This is hilarious! The mastermind behind the Xianzhou arc, who everyone said would be introduced later, is already making her debut at the Space Station?]
[I wasn't sure if the PV was misleading before, but now I'm certain—this is blatant PV bait!]
The short CG sequence instantly caused a sensation in the live stream.
Within hours, it had skyrocketed to the top of trending topics:
[Hot Topic: Beautiful Girl's Lap Pillow Right at the Start—My Galactic Harem Life Begins!]
Looks like my lap pillow is quite charming~
Lumina watched with satisfaction as Resonance Points steadily accumulated on her System interface. Her gaze toward Stelle softened considerably.
"I'm Lumina. What's your name?"
"I'm... um... I don't know..." Stelle rubbed her head, her memories still muddled.
Seizing the opportunity to deepen their connection, Lumina gently reached out and stroked Stelle's head. "There, there. It's alright now."
"I don't know what you've been through, but rest assured, I'll protect you from now on."
Under Lumina's soothing touch, Stelle felt her discomfort vanish completely.
"I'm... Stelle."
"Stelle—what a lovely name," Lumina complimented, withdrawing her hand.
The warmth of Lumina's touch faded, leaving Stelle with an unexpected sense of emptiness. Though she longed for the touch to linger, she reconsidered and decided against it.
"I don't know how much you remember, but this place was attacked by the Antimatter Legion. Asta, the acting head, sent me to rescue survivors."
Lumina helped Stelle to her feet, then released her arm and explained. She added apologetically:
"It's still a bit dangerous here, and I can't take you to a safe place just yet," Lumina said. "That's because I haven't found someone else yet. Until I do, or until I get word of him, you'll have to stick with me for now."
"Don't worry, I'll protect you!" Stelle declared confidently, planting her hands on her hips and flashing a bright smile. (Sister Lumina, you'd better protect me well!)
"System, what was that last part? Why am I seeing a bubble above Stelle's head?" Lumina asked, her eyes fixed on the words inside the bubble.
[Because you've entered the main quest. The bubble indicates that the player has two choices. You only need to answer the words inside silently in your mind.]
Lumina nodded, understanding how to proceed.
"Then I'll gladly accept your protection, Stelle," Lumina said with a smile, answering both questions. (Alright, I'll make sure Stelle stays safe.)
"Anyway, let's hurry. If I waste any more time and something happens to the person I'm looking for, I'll never forgive myself."
"Mhm!" Stelle nodded, picking up a baseball bat lying nearby and flashing Lumina a bright, toothy grin.