Sampo: "No time to waste—shall we head out now?"
Leon nodded: "Lead the way."
"So in the Leon route, we're proactively having Sampo guide us…"
"The closed beta had Sampo knock us out with a smoke bomb and passively drag us to the lower district. Not sure if the Dan Heng route's changed."
"No change? Alright."
"In terms of vibe, I personally think the Leon route's better—more laughs, more initiative.
The biggest thing—"
"Family, have you noticed? When Stelle speaks without giving us dialogue options, it feels so natural, like it's meant to be.
This deserves praise. The plot flows better, the experience is smoother, and the immersion's stronger.
Honestly, sometimes giving meaningless dialogue options is worse than just letting the protagonist speak.
Plus, in gacha games, voice acting's often charged per line. More protagonist lines mean more money for Ms. Hongye!"
Many players nodded in agreement.
No issues there.
From the moment they set foot on Jarilo-VI, Leon had been living up to his catchphrase.
Or rather, his character design: dependable.
He saw through Sampo's shadiness and mitigated the trouble he caused.
He cautiously gathered intel, quietly collected local information, and planned their next moves.
And now, he'd nearly convinced Bronya and roped in Sampo as a guide for free.
It was one seamless step after another, perfectly interlocked.
Someone less adaptable would've slipped up somewhere along the way.
Most importantly, he was incredibly confident.
Walking into custody like it was nothing, with an exit strategy already in place.
Sure, there hadn't been any combat yet, but his reliability in the narrative carried the story.
Stelle's performance wasn't bad either.
Initially thought to be a Wolong-Fengchu duo with March 7th, just there for comic relief, she actually had her own ideas.
This subtly suggested to players: the protagonist isn't a dimwit.
[Follow Sampo to the hidden entrance to the lower district.]
"Uh, this feels a bit off—walking openly on the street with Silvermane Guards nearby."
But they hadn't gone far when a cutscene kicked in.
The cutscene's stellar execution instantly silenced Ah Xian's complaints.
All the characters from earlier appeared, and—rarely—Stelle was carrying Bronya on her back.
The group moved quickly, carefully avoiding populated areas.
[Seele: There's a bull! A bull!]
[Don't talk nonsense. In this world, those two haven't even met yet.]
[Doesn't this feel too smooth?]
[No need for a CG to get to the lower district. If there's a CG, something's about to go wrong.]
And sure enough, it did.
Sampo, leading the way, passed a corner and suddenly slammed on the brakes.
Bang—
He was sent flying over a meter by Leon, face-planting into the ground.
"Ouch… that hurts…"
Stelle and March 7th, having seen Leon's signal, stopped in time.
Looking ahead, their expressions darkened in unison.
The cutscene ended.
Sampo: "Oh no, good brother, there's an ambush ahead!"
Blocking their path was none other than Cocolia, her face grim.
"Yeah, an ambush. Funny how we just happened to run into one, huh?" Leon said with a half-smile.
Sampo's face twitched, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
How was this guy like a ghost, seeing through people better than a Masked Fool?
Admitting anything would get him chopped to bits, right…?
"It definitely wasn't me—"
"Malicious outsiders, put Bronya down, or you'll face consequences you can't bear."
Cocolia's voice was icy.
March 7th gave a carefree laugh: "I knew it wouldn't be that easy!"
Stelle: "Crow-mouthed March."
March 7th shot her a glare: "Can my thoughts control what happens next?"
Stelle: "Hard to say."
"Uh… ladies, maybe focus on how to escape for now…"
Sampo climbed up from the ground, speaking weakly.
Seeing the group still bantering, Cocolia's face grew even uglier.
With a wave of her hand, a dense swarm of Silvermane Guards surrounded the area.
"Don't test my patience!"
March 7th, fuming, made a face in retort:
"You said you'd discuss cooperation with us, then sent people to arrest us!
All sweet talk in public, but a different story behind our backs? Pfft!"
① "Madam, you don't want your daughter to get hurt, do you?"
② "Get this straight—we've got a hostage."
③ "Put her down? Won't that just get us killed faster?"
[???]
[This Stellaron spirit from Edo Star, watch your words!]
Ah Xian couldn't help but pick option one.
Caught off guard, she heard the threatening tone in the voice acting.
"Insane! They actually gave the protagonist that line! I can't imagine those who picked Caelus!"
[This is canon.]
[Canon? Ah Xian's definitely drawing this!]
[Now that you mention it… Cocolia's kind of a looker, huh?]
[I'm not hiding anymore—I'm Cao Cao.]
[Who wouldn't want to be Prime Minister Cao?]
[I'm lowlife—I'll think it first.]
[No one's thinking about a family meal?]
Cocolia's expression turned utterly frigid as she issued a cold command.
"Take them down, dead or alive!"
Sampo panicked, incredulous: "She's your daughter! You don't care about her life?!"
Cocolia's face gradually became expressionless.
"As a soldier, sacrificing her life for Belobog's future is her honor."
March 7th's jaw dropped wide enough to fit an egg, gripping her bow tightly as she glanced back.
The Silvermane Guards were closing in, but they seemed hesitant, moving slowly.
No one had fired yet.
Clearly, the Guards were worried about accidentally hitting Bronya.
"What are you waiting for? Shoot!"
"Holy—tiger moms don't even eat their cubs, but Cocolia's crazier than in the closed beta!"
[Is there a mom that terrifying? She's gotta be adopted, right?]
[New players are shocked, but veteran miHoYo players aren't surprised. Cocolia's got a villain rap sheet next door.]
"Hold on—"
Leon called out sharply.
"What, begging for mercy now?"
Cocolia remained unmoved.
Leon couldn't help but laugh.
"Don't get ahead of yourself. I just wanted to say—you must've been crying your eyes out last night, huh?"
Cocolia's face shifted slightly: "What do you mean?!"
"That wine I sent you was good stuff. Did the taste linger?"
"What did you put in it?" Cocolia's expression grew uglier.
Leon grinned: "Nothing much—just a poison called Three Cries Half-Step Doom.
After taking it, you'll cry once every night, unavoidably. After three cries, half a step will kill you.
If you don't want to spend the rest of your life hopping or in a wheelchair, step aside quietly.
I don't care what you're up to. Don't interfere with our Stellaron hunt. Once we find it, I'll give you the antidote."
Cocolia's face twisted with rage, her body trembling.
"Didn't expect to be outplayed, did you? Heehee. By the way, you didn't go red-hot, did you?"
Leon's final taunt lit the powder keg.
"Mere Three Cries Half-Step Doom? Fine, I'll hop from now on! As Supreme Guardian, I order you—fire!"
Cocolia roared.
Stelle, clinging tightly to Bronya's legs, sucked in a sharp breath.
"You crazy hag!"