—✦Genshin Impact World✦—
Fontaine, Palais Mermonia—
"Wow, how bizarre, how convoluted!"
"It's the kind of story opening I like!"
Furina looked at the opening scene with a surprised expression.
She didn't even notice the cake on her nose.
"I say, Lady Furina."
"Can you please not eat in my office?"
"Cake cream splattering on the furniture will be very difficult to clean!"
Neuvillette sat in his office chair, his face full of helplessness.
"Oh, oh, I'll be careful, don't make such a fuss!"
Furina wiped the cream from her nose, casually brushed Neuvillette off, and continued to watch the video intently.
.. . ..
Liyue, Wangsheng Funeral Parlor—
"A bad start?"
"Something unexpected happened right at the beginning."
"It seems the Astral Express's journey isn't all smooth sailing."
Zhongli couldn't help but sigh softly as he watched this scene in the video.
—
—✦Honkai Star Rail World✦—
"Acheron?! For heaven's sake, is that the Acheron who impersonated a Galaxy Ranger?"
"She's in this live stream too?"
Upon seeing Acheron's comment, Boothill instinctively wanted to question her about why she impersonated a Galaxy Ranger.
"Forget it, let's wait a bit longer."
"First, let's see what this silly woman is trying to do."
Boothill thought for a moment, deciding it was best not to alert her yet.
—
『 Stelle hesitated for a moment, then walked out of the room and to the end of the left corridor.
There, a strange woman was waiting for her.
[ Galaxy Ranger, Acheron…that's what they call me, feel free to use it. ]
Seeing Stelle arrive, the woman stated her identity.
Then, her figure flickered repeatedly, guiding Stelle to a very luxurious hall.
[ Stelle: This… Oh my goodness… ]
Stelle looked around, letting out a faint gasp.
[ Acheron: This way. After you. ]
Acheron beckoned to Stelle.
[ Stelle: Am I supposed to… walk on the wall? ]
Stelle came to the spot Acheron indicated, looking at a puddle of yellow bubbly liquid on the wall, feeling somewhat confused.
[ Stelle: It actually works?! ]
She tried to use the bubbly liquid to walk up the wall, and found herself doing so with ease.
[ Acheron: Why not? ]
Acheron's voice suddenly rang in Stelle's ear.
[ Stelle: Can she hear what I'm thinking? ]
Stelle was somewhat surprised.
[ Acheron: Why not? ]
Acheron still gave the same reply.
Stelle began traversing walls and roofs using the yellow bubbles, and each time she walked onto a wall, the entire scene would flip and reorient itself.
Finally, she arrived directly above where she had first entered the hall.
The entire hall was now essentially upside down.
[ Acheron: We're almost there. Can you still walk? ]
Acheron's tone held a hint of concern.
[ Stelle: I'm on the wall, feeling good. ]
Stelle had calmed down by now, and was gradually showing her true colors.
[ Acheron: Very humorous. Since you have the mind to joke, I assume you're fine. ]
Acheron's voice remained steady, not amused by Stelle.
[ Acheron: Don't stop, don't look back, don't look down, and don't look up. ]
Acheron sternly instructed Stelle a few times, then walked in one direction.
Seeing this, Stelle quickly followed.
However, along the way, she encountered many phantoms.
These phantoms included people she knew, such as Silver Wolf and Dr. Ratio.
There were also people she didn't know.
[ Silver Wolf: How are you going to get them involved? ]
[ ???: Present the truth in its entirety, and they will naturally accept the invitation. ]
Stelle came to Silver Wolf's phantom, watched her exchange a few words with a mech, and then the phantom disappeared.
[ Acheron: These voices… are just shadows of dreams. No need to mind them. ]
Acheron saw Stelle's encounter and explained.
[ The Charmony Festival's stage belongs only to you, little sister. ]
[ But if I cannot sing… what meaning does the stage hold? ]
This time it was a pair of unfamiliar siblings' phantoms.
Again, a brief exchange, and then they dissipated.
[ Dr. Ratio: Ah, the charming audacity! To think that you, of all people, might emerge victorious, dear gambler. ]
[ ???: Three chips are enough. All or nothing. ]
This phantom duo consisted of two men, one of whom Stelle recognized as Dr. Ratio.
The other, dressed lavishly, spoke to him with a cynical tone.
But without exception, after a single line, they completely vanished.
Stelle came before the last pair.
[ A little girl with twin pigtails: Memokeeper… Do you think you can leave safely? ]
[ A mysterious veiled woman: I'm sorry. The dance partner of my choice... I already have someone in mind. ]
With that, there were no more phantoms in the hall. 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "This dream is too bizarre, isn't it? I can actually walk on walls?"
March 7th: "That's not bizarre enough, the most bizarre thing is that they flip with your perspective!"
Klee: "Wow, it looks like a fun amusement park. Klee really wants to have a dream like that too!"
Hook: "Exactly, exactly, Hook also likes dreams like this."
Furina: "By the way, did you see those phantoms? I'm sure there's some shocking conspiracy behind them!"
Furina: "Especially the one called the gambler, look at his statement!"
Furina: "Three chips are enough. All, or nothing!"
Furina: "Listen, just listen! What a domineering and crazy statement!"
Furina: "He sounds like a supervillain!"
....
—✦Genshin Impact World✦—
"Three chips are enough. All, or nothing! To say such a powerful line, if not a villain, then what?"
In the Palais Mermonia, Furina repeated this sentence, feeling that it was simply a line tailor-made for a villain.
It perfectly highlighted the villain's confidence and madness.
—
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Aventurine: "Haha, this Miss Furina certainly knows how to joke."
Aventurine: "I am a law-abiding citizen of the interstellar, how could I be a villain?"
....
—✦In Between✦—
—✦Honkai Star Rail World✦—
In a hotel in Penacony, Aventurine, who had just checked in not long ago, was lying in the bathtub, saw Furina's comment, and quickly defended himself.
The people in this live stream were a mixed bag, and there might be Penacony's main figures among them.
If they saw any clues, his affairs would be difficult to handle.
"Sigh, why did this live stream descend at this particular time? Originally, my plan was foolproof. Now, it's all messed up."
"But… perhaps it might be more interesting this way?"
In the bathtub, Aventurine held a chip, a smile gradually forming on his lips.
—
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Furina: "So the one called the gambler is you?"
Furina: "Are you really not a villain?"
Aventurine: "Miss Furina, I'm really not a villain, absolutely true!"
Aventurine: "Professor, I know you're here, hurry and help me prove it!"
Dr. Ratio: "Heh, foolish gambler."
Dr. Ratio: "Indeed, while he is a brainless gambler, he is certainly not some villain."
Furina: "Oh, then I misunderstood, I'm very sorry."
Aventurine: "It's fine, as long as the misunderstanding is cleared, Miss Furina doesn't need to apologize."
Because Dr. Ratio vouched for him, Furina temporarily believed Aventurine's words.
....
『 The video continued to play.
Stelle followed Acheron and entered a corridor, then began to run hard.
They were chasing a constantly receding large door in front of them.
[ Acheron: …We've arrived. ]
Acheron stopped in front of a door and said to Stelle.
Hearing this, Stelle looked at the door in front of her, and carefully pushed it open.
[ Welcome to the Reverie Hotel, may you have an unforgettable vacation experience! To check in, please proceed directly to the hotel front desk… ]
After pushing open the door, a phantom of a bellhop appeared, bowing to Stelle before dissipating.
[ Acheron: Leave this place, wake up as you usually do, forget this chance encounter, and return to where you came from. ]
[ But before we part, I have a request. ]
[ It may sound strange, even rude, to you, but I wish to know… ]
[ ...Have we met somewhere before? ]
Acheron stared intently at Stelle, her meaning unclear.
[ Stelle: What do you mean? ]
Acheron's abrupt words left Stelle bewildered.
[ Acheron: You evoke memories of an old friend. In the haze of my recollections, she stood shoulder to shoulder with me, much like this surreal dreamscape where we stood close, yet forever out of reach.]
[ May I ask you a few more questions? I… often forget things, so rather than recalling, I'm more accustomed to using "feelings" to grasp something. Whether the answer is correct or not isn't important; what matters is your immediate reaction. ]
[ For example, when you woke up in the guest room, you murmured a few names. Were they your companions? Family? Enemies? You seem to have formed unbreakable bonds with many people and many things… ]
[ May I ask, would you be afraid of losing these bonds? ]
Acheron's tone was calm, but the question she asked made Stelle's heart clench.
[ Stelle: I… I don't know. ]
Stelle pondered for a moment, not giving an answer.
[ Acheron: Hmm… What if there was a vast dream, so realistic that it was indistinguishable from reality? There would be no separation of life and death, everyone would achieve their deserved happiness and joy, and live happily forever. ]
[ May I ask, would you wish to stay? ]
[ Stelle: No matter what, I would not be willing to live in a dream! ] Stelle was very firm this time.
[ Then… what if this beautiful dream is destined to shatter, and everything will depart: friends, family, strangers; then the light wind, flying birds, the stars… and finally yourself. ]
[ Every single person, everyone in their memories, those smiles and tears, fulfilled and unfulfilled promises… all will eventually move towards a predetermined end. If, at the very beginning of the journey, you already knew its destination… ]
[ May I ask, would you still embark on this journey? ]
Another heavy question was posed by Acheron.
[ Stelle: I would embark on it without hesitation! ]
Stelle answered with conviction!
[ Acheron: I know it's difficult, no need to rush to a decision. As I said… the answer isn't important. ]
[ Listen, touch, think, and from this, you will gain feelings—cherish them, for by feelings, we make choices. So, back to the original question… ]
[ May I ask… do you still remember me? ]
Acheron asked this question again.
[ Stelle: No, this is our first meeting. ]
Stelle thought carefully and gave a definite answer.
[ Acheron: …I see. ]
[ How interesting. For that fleeting moment, it was as if millions of similar yet different versions of you gave completely different answers. ]
[ This truly is the last question, thank you. We both have our own paths to walk, so let us part ways here. ]
The questions had been asked, and Acheron had no other requests.
[ Stelle: You haven't told me how to leave… ]
Seeing Acheron about to depart, Stelle quickly pressed.
[ Acheron: The golden dream is beginning to stir. In the long night to come, you will likely encounter many setbacks, witness numerous tragedies, and finally… what you see… will only be black and white. ]
[ But please believe, in that black and white world, a flicker of red will pass, but when you make your choice, it will surely reappear… ]
[ And you, must carefully chew on its meaning— ]
As she spoke, Acheron walked behind Stelle, a saber appearing in her hand.
[ —Then, return to the waking world. ]
A tear of blood flowed from Acheron's eye.
Subsequently, Stelle's pupils rapidly dilated, as if she had suffered a heavy blow, and a burst of colorful blood erupted from her body!
She began to fall backward, her consciousness gradually dissipating.
When she awoke again, she found herself still sitting on the train's sofa.
Unexplained tears fell from her cheeks, leaving Stelle bewildered yet somewhat wistful. 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
March 7th: "Whoa! That last scene… so… so scary!"
Acheron's final move against Stelle gave March 7th a fright.
Hook: "She's… she's a bad woman! A very, very scary bad woman! Even scarier than an old witch!"
Natasha: "Scarier than an old witch?"
Natasha: "Hook, be good, come here and do your homework with big sister. (Benevolent.jpg)"
Hook: "Na… Natasha sis, Hook was wrong! (Scared.jpg)"
Hook shivered, looking at Natasha's comment.
Sampo: "I'm a little curious, what in the world was this Acheron sister rambling about?"
Paimon: "It feels too profound, Paimon doesn't understand."
Lumine: "I don't quite understand either."
Zhongli: "It feels like it has a hidden meaning."
Hanabi: "Eh? Haven't you guys figured it out yet??"
Hanabi: "She's clearly speaking in riddles!"
Hu Tao: "Riddles? But why would she do that?"
Hanabi: "Do you need a reason to speak in riddles? Hehe, perhaps you do~?"
Hanabi: "But, what if she is a Riddler? Then maybe she doesn't need any reason at all~ Heh."
Sampo: "Oh~"
Sampo: "That makes a lot more sense now that you put it that way."
Sampo: "So, this sister is a Riddler!"
....