"E-Excellency, I'm a bit nervous about the upcoming Easter egg segment..."
A hint of Cyrene red brushed against Castorice's delicate, warm cheeks, making her look like a peach.
Xu Qiong patted her shoulder to comfort her: "Don't be nervous, believe in yourself."
"That's right, Castorice, we're all here with you~" Cyrene also encouraged her.
Seeing this, Castorice nodded gently.
"By the way, has your sister Polyxia arrived?"
"Polyxia? I told her, she'll be here any moment, Excellency."
"Then it's all good." Xu Qiong smiled.
The perspective returned to the live stream.
With Cipher acting as the main host, she asked the producer, Xu Qiong, some questions about the current version, while Castorice chimed in occasionally to liven up the atmosphere.
It started with some spoilers and questions about the plot, such as what happened to Stelle.
Next was the skill breakdown and introduction for the featured character of this version, Castorice, as well as Anaxa.
As per usual, there was a preview of the new events.
Seeing the massive amount of Stellar Jades in this event, Guinaifen was already eager to start.
[Xiao Guizi: The amount of events this version has increased massively? My Stellaron liver is practically screaming to come out!]
[Whoa, so many events? How many Stellar Jades is that? Is the Author even trying to make money?!]
[The Author is a god! Who knew us hoarders would finally see the light of day!]
[I can't take it, there's even a new map. With so much content, I don't think I can handle it!]
The talk went on for about one system hour.
Himeko followed the entire process.
Although she determined it was likely a pre-recorded broadcast, it still supported Black Swan's previous judgment.
This game certainly couldn't just be a game; it was real. The Chrysos Heirs were real, and so was Amphoreus.
But the core issue was that the timeline was still before the Re-creation; it was impossible to see those people in some preview.
So, just as Black Swan said.
The game developer was likely not in the same time or dimension as them.
If one had to put it into words...
Had the hand of Terminus exerted its power?!
"Hmm..." Himeko continued to watch in silence.
...
"So this version has so much heavy-hitting content~"
The chibi cat gave a thumbs up.
The censored Xu Qiong shrugged and smiled: "Of course, it's more than just that. We have some special preview info today."
"Good, good, good."
The cat nodded repeatedly: "Then next, let's leave the floor to the producer and the Woju Princess!"
With that.
The screen went black, and the scene in the stream changed.
When it reappeared, it was in front of a sofa surrounded by a sea of flowers, with an abstract, giant Pom-Pom plushie placed behind it.
On the other side of the stream.
Xu Qiong was already prepared for a live appearance. Even without a backdrop, he appeared normally on the sofa.
[What? For real? It's not over yet? There's special preview news at the end?]
[This sea of flowers looks so familiar? It seems to have appeared in the PV.]
[Wait a minute! Is this final special preview not a recording?!]
Without a doubt.
After Xu Qiong appeared, his gaze swept over the comments: "Welcome back, everyone."
"Perhaps some friends have noticed that this sea of flowers seems very familiar, right?"
"However, Castorice should know this place better than I do."
Xu Qiong glanced at Castorice, who was sitting to the side with a somewhat apprehensive expression.
Then he changed the subject: "But before that... we have to invite another guest."
"She feels just as deeply about this place as Castorice does. I believe the two of them can provide answers for the players!"
"Castorice?"
As he spoke, Castorice's voice immediately rang out:
"I-I'm here, Excellency! Polyxia, hurry, hurry, hurry!"
Since the characters were still presented in chibi form, Castorice only needed to provide live voice acting and chat behind the scenes.
But the audience in the stream was still incredibly shocked.
Because Xu Qiong read the comments, it was clear that this final scene was a live broadcast!
And then, an even more explosive scene followed.
A chibi Castorice, dripping with sweat, hurriedly wobbled into view, pushing a chibi Polyxia in a wheelchair.
[?]
[?]
[?]
Question marks flooded the comment section; everyone wanted to know who this was?!
Soon, upon reaching the center of the frame, Castorice took a breath and began the introduction: "Hello everyone, I am Castorice."
"This is my younger sister, Polyxia."
Castorice sat to Xu Qiong's left, her throat bobbing as she swallowed.
Polyxia, sitting to Xu Qiong's right, had also been called over suddenly.
"Hello everyone, I am Polyxia."
Her voice sounded even gentler than Castorice's, or perhaps more emotional.
But at that moment, let alone the lore fans like Guinaifen and the others, even Asta, who cared more about combat stats, was completely bewildered.
What on earth?
Castorice has a sister?!
Where did she come from?
Is she pullable?
Is she strong?!
[Oh my god, what a bombshell! Castorice has a sister?]
[Is this right? Is this right? How can Castorice have a sister?]
[Wait, why are you guys so surprised she has a relative? Shouldn't you be happy? It's like you want her to be lonely.]
[No, it's mainly because Castorice was so aloof in the main story. I was even a bit scared of her. Having a relative is truly unbelievable!]
Next.
In front of the sea of flowers in Antilyre, Xu Qiong briefly left the space to the twins.
It was just simple, impromptu chatting—talking about the composition of this sea of flowers and Polyxia's identity.
Castorice was quite nervous at first, but with Polyxia's company, she seemed to settle in quickly.
Taking advantage of the players' enthusiasm, Xu Qiong prepared to release the second PV.
"I think," he interrupted their conversation, "the dialogue between Castorice and Polyxia might not give you all a special enough feeling for the preview."
"So next, why don't we let this 'Epitaph' tell you everything!"
Xu Qiong reached out in an inviting gesture.
The screen of the live stream suddenly dimmed.
For the viewers in front of their screens, it was one wave after another!
A massive wave of question marks swept through again.
Even Fu Xuan, Topaz, and the people on the Astral Express, who were tracking this, hadn't expected there to be more?!
...
Whoosh—!
After the black screen, a wave from the sea came crashing in.
"The four hundred and sixth funeral..."
It appeared, as if someone were writing on the screen, with Castorice providing the voiceover...
"The relics left by those with no one to claim them have already filled the cabinets."
"In the uncommunicative air, I read the pasts of the deceased."
[Explosive! The production capacity is truly explosive, Author!]
[Why does the content output keep increasing instead of decreasing after two versions of updates? The Author is truly a god!]
[Is Castorice the Author's favorite daughter? These resources are clearly on a different level!]
[Not just resources! Two PVs, and her power level is explosive too. I feel like everything else pales in comparison to one blast from Castorice!]
The players watched the brand-new PV with bated breath.
"The five hundred and sixty-second funeral, I dreamed of a sea of flowers..."
"The six hundred and seventy-fourth funeral, the war has never ceased, and death chases every living being like a black tide..."
"I can only run with all my might, until—"