The next day, Honkai: Star Rail finally went live.
Siberian Duck started streaming immediately and dove into the launch-day grind.
Comments like [Go, go, go!], [It's here!], and [All aboard!] flooded the screen.
Kafka appeared, interspersed with scenes of the Antimatter Legion invading the space station. Asta, Arlan, Dan Heng, and March 7th also flashed across the screen.
"Ah! Mommy! That's the woman!" Siberian Duck shouted on the spot. "You've been haunting my dreams!"
Then, with an explosion, the game's story officially began.
Siberian Duck raced through the story and soon guided Kafka and Silver Wolf to the Stellaron. A brand-new Stellaron Gremlin was about to be born.
"Female protagonist, obviously! The male protagonist is handsome, sure, but I can relate better to the female one. Hehehe..."
Siberian Duck let out a lecherous chuckle and entered her name: "Xiboliyaya Ya."
The cutscene began, and Kafka placed the Stellaron inside Stelle.
Siberian Duck immediately cried out, "Mommy, stop pressing! You're flattening my chest!"
[Xibo Little Black Duck: Cringe streamer, do you even have a chest?]
[Xiboliyaya's Little Sidekick: A pair of A's. I'll pass.]
[Wake-Up Master: What's wrong with you? You're streaming! How can you fall asleep?]
Siberian Duck ignored the viewers' mockery, mostly because she had no grounds to argue.
She continued through the story.
Soon, Kafka and Silver Wolf left, abandoning Stelle at Herta Space Station.
Siberian Duck remembered that the famous mouth-to-mouth scene was coming up next. To avoid embarrassing herself on stream by getting too excited, she began mentally preparing herself.
The comments scrolled rapidly, filled with [Here it comes!].
Then came the scene where Dan Heng leaned close to give mouth-to-mouth, only to be pushed aside by March 7th.
The viewers heard Siberian Duck scream, followed by a clatter.
The virtual avatar in the bottom-right corner instantly tipped backward, eyes shut and mouth open, and stayed motionless for a long time.
[Emanator of Aha: The pilot has ejected from the cockpit.]
[Thirty-Six Hundred Lands: I've exited the capsule. Feeling good.]
[Desolation Everywhere: I've unloaded my cargo. Feeling great.]
The cutscene kept playing.
The camera focused on the Blue Planet. Suddenly, a crimson meteor shot out from behind it, then hurtled straight toward Herta Space Station, trailing a long tail of flame!
A moment later, the meteor collided with Herta Space Station in a violent explosion. It plunged straight inside, smashing through countless facilities and walls before knocking Stelle to the floor under Dan Heng's and March 7th's stunned gazes.
"Hey! They changed this part! It used to go straight into dialogue!" Siberian Duck finally climbed back into her chair.
But when the flames cleared and the figure came into view, Siberian Duck's eyes widened.
"Holy crap! A white-haired sword immortal!"
Inside the game.
Jiang Yu rubbed his head and stood up, grimacing.
The system had kept its word and given him a spectacular entrance. Unfortunately, his poor handling had turned that spectacular entrance into a spectacular disaster.
The system had generously provided a disposable flying sword and even thoughtfully teleported him near the Blue Planet.
But this was his first time Sword-Riding in either of his lifetimes. Though he'd more or less gotten the pose right, it was still quite different from skateboarding.
Fortunately, the system had protected him, so he hadn't died on impact.
He looked at the charred flying sword on the floor, then at Stelle, who lay beside him with her brow furrowed but was still alive, before looking up at Dan Heng and March 7th and their strange expressions.
Jiang Yu gave an awkward smile.
"Ahaha... hello there... It was my first time Sword-Riding. Didn't expect to get into a sword wreck."
March 7th was still in shock, while Dan Heng looked utterly exasperated.
A freaking sword wreck?!
Looking sheepish, Jiang Yu pulled Stelle to her feet and looked up at the Stellaron Gremlin who had been born a tall beauty. "Are you okay?"
Stelle shook her head.
"That's a relief... That's a relief..."
Jiang Yu patted his chest, then feigned complete ignorance as he asked, "Say, this place looks pretty trashed. That wasn't my doing, was it?"
Dan Heng shook his head. "No. The Antimatter Legion attacked this place."
"Nanook's minions? That's way too dangerous! Let's get out of here..." Jiang Yu had no idea which way to go, so he simply pointed down a random path.
As luck would have it, several Voidrangers: Tramplers approached from that very direction...
Jiang Yu looked awkwardly at the Voidrangers, and they stared back at him.
What a damned coincidence. Curse you, Aha!
The dependable Dan Heng reacted quickly, immediately summoning his spear, Cloud-Piercer. Stelle and March 7th followed suit. Though Stelle was unarmed, she instinctively assumed a defensive stance, while March 7th formed a bow and arrows from Six-Phased Ice.
Voidrangers were warriors who had yet to fully die, walking the Path of Destruction. Antimatter energy surged within them, and two long imaginary blades extended along their arms.
As Nanook's rabid dogs, Voidrangers were typically filled with an endless lust for destruction and devastation.
Dan Heng stood guard in front of the others, his expression serious and his steady voice reassuring.
"March, prepare to fight. Keep them safe."
"Leave it to me!"
March 7th stepped forward, drew her bow, and took aim.
The Voidrangers didn't hesitate. Pushing off the floor, they surged toward them in a flash!
Dan Heng and March 7th braced themselves, ready to counterattack, when they suddenly felt a gentle breeze sweep past!
The figure in blue-green robes moved swiftly, yet seemed to drift past the Voidrangers like a leaf carried on the breeze.
In the next instant, the Voidrangers froze. An invisible gale tore at their powerful bodies until they split in two at the waist!
That single move, Pure as the Wind, instantly dispatched the Voidrangers.
Their corpses collapsed inward and vanished.
Jiang Yu turned around, his white hair stirring gently in the breeze. His gray eyes settled on the three members of the Astral Express Crew, who had been stunned by his display, as he said:
"The Voidrangers are taken care of. Shall we get out of here?"
"You're pretty strong! Almost as good as me!"
March 7th slipped in a compliment for herself while praising Jiang Yu.
Stelle, who had only just woken up, looked slightly dazzled but said nothing.
Dan Heng shook his head. "That's the wrong way... March, take the two of them back to the Master Control Zone first."
Everyone turned to look at Dan Heng.
The ever-reliable Dan Heng continued, "We've lost contact with Arlan from the Security Department near here. I need to bring him back."
"Okay, sure. Be careful on your own, then." March 7th didn't object.
Dan Heng nodded.
"In that case, how about this? I'll go with you to find Arlan, and these two ladies can head back to the Master Control Zone together," Jiang Yu offered. "That way, no one has to travel alone. It'll be safer."
Dan Heng lowered his gaze and considered it for a moment. Judging that Jiang Yu was quite capable, he nodded in agreement.
"Then make sure you remember me. After braving the Antimatter Legion together, we've practically become friends who've faced death side by side. I'm Jiang Yu, from the Xianzhou Luofu."
"I'm March 7th!" Naturally, March 7th wouldn't miss a chance to make a new friend, and she immediately began introducing herself. "The guy beside you is Dan Heng!"
Still groggy, Stelle mumbled her name as well.
"All right, time is short. Let's get moving," Dan Heng said.
Then the four split into two groups and set off separately.
The two groups headed in opposite directions.
Before you continue