Plot Choice: Stay at Herta Space Station? / Simulated Universe: Akivili, the Ghostfire Kid

Story Choices: Stay at Herta Space Station?

The Official Account's launch announcement had barely gone up before the comments flooded in!

"Ten-year fan, reporting in uninvited!"

"This game is way too realistic! Whether it's the characters or the plot, you can actually find their real-life counterparts!"

"Which company is the official team from? How have I never heard any news about this game before?"

"Even the Destruction Star God has shown up now. I don't even dare imagine what's coming next!"

"Thanks for the invite, I'm with the Annihilation Gang and just became a Great-Eradicator!"

"The in-game mail gives you 20 pulls, go get them!"

"Waaah, can you increase the odds for Standard Banner characters separately? I want Clara! cries"

"The Interastral Peace Corporation's flagship product, spending across the galaxy every day! You top up 6,480 Credits, I'll foot the bill! Click my profile picture to apply now!"

"Type one for The Abundance's blessing!"

"What's going on? The comments are rising so fast?"

Most people hadn't read the game announcement right away. They had simply opened the comments first to vent their feelings.

Once everyone noticed the contents of the announcement, their breathing grew noticeably heavier!

"Oh my god, am I seeing this right? These are launch rewards?"

"H-how many?!"

"One ten-pull, two ten-pulls... Adding it all up, that's 70 pulls!"

"But they're all Stellar Jade Tickets. I saw there are also Star Rail Special Tickets, which should be for pulling Limited Characters, right?"

"Be content. Didn't they also give 1,600 Stellar Jade? The developers need to eat too!"

"Yuan Nong Zhou only gave 20 pulls at launch next door. This is insane!"

"Yuanbao, don't contact me anymore. I'm afraid Star Treasure will misunderstand!"

"The developers are way too generous! I'll top up ten 6,480 packs to support them!"

"Holy shit! Thanks, big spender!"

"And these free characters they gave us—Ms. Herta is actually among them!"

"That should be Ms. Herta's puppet. Otherwise, with Ms. Herta's status and strength, she'd have to be a five-star main DPS at least!"

"I disagree. Herta clearly looks like an A!"

"You little punk.jpg"

Seeing that he was only one Trailblaze Level away from claiming the event reward of ten Stellar Jade Tickets at level five, Lao Mu was suddenly brimming with motivation to clear the early game.

"Charge, charge! Let's go, brothers!"

The story had currently reached the point where the protagonist was gazed upon by Nanook and was about to lose control before Welt interrupted. After waking up, Dan Heng had told him to find Himeko.

"The time is about right. The person I'm waiting for should be here soon."

As Himeko finished speaking, Herta, who had just returned to the Space Station, appeared.

"I was only gone for a few months. Hm? And the Space Station ended up like this?"

"You're back, Herta."

Looking at the image of her puppet in the game on the projected screen, Herta found it amusing while also wondering how the other party had learned all this and turned it into a game.

"Interesting. A game with that Stellaron girl as the protagonist..."

Herta began predicting the story to come. If she wasn't mistaken, her Simulated Universe Project would be next. She wanted to see exactly how this game planned to present it.

"This is the true master of the Space Station, Genius Club #83, Herta."

Herta was clearly dissatisfied with the number 83.

"If you're going to introduce me, do it properly. Why mention the club? Of all my extraordinary accomplishments, which one doesn't sound better than #83?"

That disdainful remark instantly struck countless people right in the knees.

The Genius Club was a place only geniuses who had earned The Erudition's gaze could join. Every single genius within it had achievements capable of influencing the development of the universe!

As long as these geniuses were willing, every major power in the galaxy would scramble to seek cooperation. Wealth and status were simply there for the taking!

And Herta was actually complaining that being ranked 83rd sounded too low...

The divide between mortals and geniuses was a threshold countless people dreamed of crossing!

But Herta's achievements were indeed exceptionally outstanding even within the Genius Club, and she was also an Emanator of Erudition!

She was merely stating facts!

The Herta in the story was clearly somewhat interested in Star, who had absorbed the Stellaron. She circled Star's body several times, continuously inspecting her with curious eyes until Star felt uncomfortable all over.

"Heh heh, this is truly miraculous. To contain an unactivated Stellaron and spare Jarilo-VI from disaster, I built an entire Space Station. Yet someone went back to basics and solved it with this kid's body alone—how did they do it?"

Herta and Himeko discussed it face-to-face, and three choices appeared in the story.

[I am not a kid.]

[My name is Star.]

[Do you have to discuss me right in front of me?]

Lao Mu chose the third option in an attempt to protest, but the geniuses' discussion clearly wouldn't care about a mortal's opinion.

After his protest failed, Herta looked at Himeko and asked whether she could use Star for some experiments.

"I can't make that decision. You'll have to ask Star herself..."

Three choices appeared before him again.

[No way!]

[What kind of research?]

[How much?]

"Fuck, how am I supposed to choose? This is so hard. Will picking wrong affect how the game develops later?"

Lao Mu stared at the three options before him, torn.

"Why even think about it? Of course you pick how much! Mainly because I want to contribute to science, definitely not for the money!"

"Who knows what experiments Herta plans to do on us? Maybe she'll carve out our kidneys in a second! Definitely the first one!"

"How about picking the second one first and seeing what happens?"

"Actually, I also have an experiment regarding Propagation that I need to conduct with Herta!"

"Wake up, that's a puppet!"

"Hmph, that just means your faith in Propagation isn't profound enough!"

"It's all the same. Choices in games like this won't affect story progression anyway, so just pick one!"

"Exactly, exactly! Streamer, hurry up!"

Seeing the Barrage urging him on, Lao Mu chose the third option. Sure enough, the story eventually circled back to Herta wanting Star to remain at the Space Station so she could study the Stellaron, while Himeko extended an invitation to Star as well.

"Star... you know you have another choice. A Star Rail Express is parked at the platform. If you're willing, you can come with us."

"Fuck, is that even a choice? Of course I'm traveling the universe aboard the Star Rail Express!"

But after the earlier choices, Lao Mu suddenly had a thought: what would happen if he kept choosing to follow Herta?

The same thought occurred to the members of the Train Crew.

March 7th looked at Star and asked curiously.

"Star, if I chose for you to stay at Herta Space Station now, what do you think would happen later? Would you still board the Star Rail Express?"

"There probably isn't a choice like that. Although the dialogue options in the previous conversations were indeed a little different, key event nodes probably won't change. I'll definitely board the train in the end."

Star rubbed her chin and thought for a while before answering.

"Then let's try it now. Maybe we'll unlock another timeline!"

Simulated Universe, Acheron the Ghost-Flame Youth

Faced with Herta and Himeko's invitations, Lao Mu discussed it with the Barrage as well.

On one side, he could cooperate with Herta's research and remain at the Space Station. But Herta had clearly stated in the story that she was only temporarily interested, and once the research was over or she lost interest, he would have no value.

On the other side, he could join the Star Rail Express. The Star Rail Express's understanding of Stellarons could help him too.

Most normal people would choose the Star Rail Express. It wasn't that the Star Rail Express option was especially great, but that Herta had already made her attitude clear in the story.

In reality, there would naturally be no need to think about such a choice. But in a game, many people's curiosity began to surface uncontrollably.

"Brothers, if I choose to accept Herta's invitation and join the Space Station here, what'll happen afterward? They won't just send me back to the Star Rail Express, will they?"

Lao Mu looked at the discussion in the Barrage, where everyone was telling him to give it a try.

"That's possible. Games like this usually don't give you choices that affect the entire game's progress!"

"But maybe they will! After all, Honkai: Star Rail is different. Maybe you really can join Herta Space Station!"

"Streamer, try choosing Herta for everyone! I'll send you a Great Lord House!"

"Fortune is sought amid danger!"

Lao Mu thus made up his mind. Just as he was about to make some changes in the upcoming choices, the story suddenly ended!

What followed was a text message from Herta.

Herta: [Hey, Star, it's Herta. I have something good for you.]

Herta: [Get to my office now! I'll be waiting!]

Star: [But you're right beside me.]

Herta: [Auto-reply: Hello, I am currently unavailable and will not be contacting you later either.]

Looking at the phone messages in the story, Lao Mu was deeply puzzled. Hadn't they just been discussing things right next to each other? How had the story suddenly shifted elsewhere?

Lao Mu didn't think too much about it. He assumed that after the Main Story had reached a stopping point, some side content had been inserted in the middle, so he followed the story to Herta Office.

After seeing this part of the story, Herta on the Space Station curled her lips slightly.

"I didn't expect even the Simulated Universe Project I made to appear. At this stage, it should still be a test version. I just wonder how it will be presented?"

When the story reached Herta Office, they saw a Herta Puppet standing before a massive computer.

"Yo, you're finally here."

After some conversation, Herta explained why she had called Star to her office.

"No more beating around the bush, Star. A few colleagues and I are working on a major project. If it succeeds, we'll solve the ultimate problem that has troubled us for thousands of Amber Eras in one stroke: the secrets of Star Gods."

"Star Gods—just think about it, what wondrous existences! Some Star Gods were once ordinary humans just like you and me, yet somehow they gained power beyond our imagination! They are mysterious, powerful, silent, terrifying! The mysteries surrounding them can't possibly be explained in just a few words."

"How were they born? Why were they born? What were they born for?... Tell me, Star, have you ever considered these questions?"

"Have you even been listening to me? We want to uncover the secrets of Star Gods! Now we want you to join this project!"

The long string of dialogue left the viewers utterly dumbfounded, and they only came to their senses at the final sentence.

"My god, is this what geniuses research? They're actually studying Star Gods!"

"That's the Genius Club for you!"

"But what does this have to do with me, Pork Butcher?"

"Damn, my head is itchy. It feels like a brain is growing in!"

"From now on, I'm someone who has participated in a major project too. I'll put 'participated in Ms. Herta's Simulated Universe Project' on my resume! Let's see who dares look down on me then!"

"Fuck, is he actually a genius?"

"Then I'll write that I was once gazed upon by Nanook, the Destruction Star God!"

"Well said. Your reward is becoming the main carry for the Anti-Matter Legion!"