In Little Gui Zi's live stream:
"Hey folks, let's put our exploration of the Simulated Universe on hold for now."
"While the rewards are generous, these battles are quite challenging. It's better to wait until our characters' levels and gear improve before tackling them again."
"What Little Gui Zi is most curious about right now is—"
"Now that the crisis at the space station has ended and our protagonist has boarded the train, does this mean the game is essentially completed?"
The night had grown deep.
Yet Guinaifen was fully immersed in this game, unable to tear herself away!
Within the live stream,
over 20,000 viewers were following along with her, eagerly watching the unfolding narrative of the game!
"3 A.M. with 20,000 viewers? Little Gui, you're becoming a top-tier streamer now!"
"I'm here to follow the Trailblazer's journey."
"Tonight, I must see Stelle board the train before I can even think of sleeping!"
"Preparing for the final completion and commemoration."
Many viewers shared Guinaifen's thoughts.
The game was developed based on the backdrop of the legion invasion disaster that occurred before the space station era.
After defeating the Doomsday Beast, the protagonist also received an invitation to board the Astral Express.
What followed were events currently unfolding in reality.
There likely wouldn't be any new content beyond this point.
All that remained were some side quests within the space station and assisting Herta with testing the Simulated Universe.
Inside the vast space station,
a somber yet melodic background music echoed softly.
Not just Little Gui, even the viewers in the live stream felt fully immersed as if they were there themselves.
The sensation of facing an uncertain future—both bewildered and anticipatory—overwhelmed her instantly.
"Even when retracing known paths, there are always new discoveries to be made. That's the essence of Trailblazing."
In response to the Trailblazer's question, Himeko shared openly, speaking with the patience and gentleness of a caring teacher:
"In the past, we've docked at several worlds, and in the future, we will continue to do so—the galaxy holds countless destinations yet unexplored.
"The vast expanse of stars is not just my dream but also the train's aspiration. I yearn to explore new worlds, while the train longs to reclaim its former routes."
After concluding her conversation with Himeko,
Guinaifen chose "I want to board the train."
Instantly, background music began playing!
["The way"]
["To celebrate"]
["I'll be waiting"]
["Till we make it..."]
Guinaifen, usually lively, fell silent, immersed in this indescribable atmosphere. It felt as though her very soul embarked on the journey alongside the train, bidding farewell to everything at the space station, venturing into the boundless cosmos under Asta and Arlan's watchful gaze.
["Oh~"]
["We will see"]
["Come with me, take the journey"]
"The background music is absolutely divine!"
"Holy shit, I'm downloading Starglobe right now!"
"I'm crying! I wish I could be The Nameless!"
"If not for life's responsibilities, who wouldn't want to be a free-spirited traveler?"
"My dreams can only live on through this game."
Even Guinaifen's eyes grew slightly teary.
Of course, it wasn't due to sleepiness!
Instead, she was reminiscing about her childhood spent wandering from place to place.
Dependent on others, uncertain of even basic needs.
Thankfully, upon arriving at Xianzhou, things gradually began to improve.
While not yet famous or wealthy, she could say she had achieved some modest success.
Guinaifen, usually lively and enthusiastic, suddenly felt a wave of melancholy and introspection wash over her.
All blame lay with that evocative background music!
It instantly brought back memories from her past.
Suddenly, the gloom vanished from Guinaifen's face, replaced by surprise and delight!
"Thanks to [Cat Whisperer 8190] for gifting the Listening Storm! Generous boss!"
"[Quick, check out this new thing on the train]... No problem, boss, I'll investigate right away!"
On the train, a pair of large, crystal-clear eyes gazed intently at the Trailblazer.
"Hey! Hey, you!" someone called out.
Wearing a tall red hat, with two long ears drooping down on either side, the figure stood out.
Guinaifen hastily explained, "Boss, this isn't just any creature!"
"It's a mystical being that appears during each jump."
"The chances of getting gold or purple items greatly depend on it!"
"Little Gui Zi suspects that this little fellow is unique to the train."
As expected, the subsequent introduction confirmed Guinaifen's guess.
"I am Pom-Pom, the conductor here. If you encounter any issues onboard, feel free to approach me."
"It's actually the conductor? No wonder it stands guard at the door during jumps."
"What a fierce mascot!"
"I had no idea the Astral Express was this massive and luxurious!"
"Well then, we've officially boarded the train!"
Curious, Guinaifen embarked on a tour of the train.
Apart from the outer Parlor Car, there were passenger cabins inside as well. However, currently only Dan Heng's room, which served as the information archive, and March 7th's cabin were accessible.
Dan Heng's space featured a simple makeshift bedroll on the floor.
In contrast, March 7th's cabin felt much more cozy with its photo wall, sofa, computer desk, plush toys, soft bed... all the comforts one could wish for.
Their styles formed a striking contrast!
Guinaifen meticulously explored March 7th's room, not missing any detail, exclaiming she could easily live here for a year!
Suddenly, the conductor's voice echoed through the train.
"Testing—testing—"
"Ladies and gentlemen, please pay attention. All passengers, please pay attention."
"The train is about to initiate a jump. Kindly gather promptly at the main hall."
Guinaifen was taken aback. A few seconds later, her face lit up with ecstatic joy!
"People, did you hear that?!
"This game isn't over yet! We're going to participate in another jump!"
"We might even reach the next destination!"
"Forget 'completing' the game—it feels like we've just begun our journey!"
Please support me on Patreon, where you can read a bunch of extra chapters, not just for this novel, but for all the novels I'm translating. I upload at least 2 times daily for each novel.
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******
"Oh my gosh! Is this real? There's more to the game?"
"Now we truly become The Nameless!"
"No way! But the upcoming storyline aligns with current events; can the development team improvise it on the fly?"
"If there's indeed a map for the next trailblazing phase, I'd kneel down to worship the dev team right now!"
"I'm ready to spend 10 sets of 648 Premium Points instantly!"
Guinaifen's gaze also held anticipation and excitement, yet she felt nervous at the same time.
She feared this might just be an Easter egg, with no new map as she eagerly hoped for!
After all, it was already astonishing to see the recent disaster at the Herta space station depicted within a game. Could they possibly create gameplay based on what the Trailblazers were currently experiencing? That would truly defy belief!
However, there seemed to be no limit to what these developers could achieve; only constraints to players' imaginations.
Following the train's jump, the scene revealed a planet covered entirely in ice and snow.
According to the Astral Express Crew:
This white world was named Jarilo-VI!
It was precisely the destination of Stelle, Dan Heng, and March 7th's expedition—to find the Stellaron on Jarilo-VI and clear its obstruction from the stellar rail.
A thrilling adventure begins amidst the barren winter nights!
"A new main quest has actually started?" Guinaifen herself couldn't help but feel uncertain. "By continuing now, aren't we essentially witnessing the Trailblazers' experiences in real-time?"
As soon as she spoke, numerous informed replies flooded the chat.
"No way! It's been some time since the space station incident. If the Trailblazers were efficient, their exploration of this planet would have already concluded. Even if slower, they should be nearing the final stages."
"Can anyone from the Astral Express Crew confirm whether the Trailblazers indeed went to this planet?"
"This is Welt—give me a 648 boost, and I'll share updates on March 7th and the others' situation. My account number is..."
Meanwhile, aboard the Astral Express...
Himeko and Old Yang had absolutely no inclination to interact with the stream's viewers! Their attention was fully captivated by Stelle, March 7th, and Dan Heng boarding Jarilo-VI and navigating through the snowy wilderness.
Inside, they were experiencing a storm of shock and disbelief!
"How is this possible?"
"Dan Heng only sent his exploration log today; we just saw it now, and yet the game has already turned it into a storyline?" Old Yang fell into deep skepticism.
"Welt, something isn't right!" With a serious expression, Himeko turned the computer screen towards him and said,
"I searched through all the content on the Intergalactic Peace Network, and this game appeared completely out of nowhere. There were no prior hints or indications."
"And the developer, [Feathered Spirit], yields absolutely no relevant information when searched for."
"Beyond this alias, we know nothing about them."
Old Yang took a deep breath.
After pondering for a moment, he spoke up, "Now, things have become even more bizarre."
"The various details shown by the space station earlier could still be logically explained."
"But replicating their ongoing Trailblazing journey, including what Little March and the others are experiencing now? That's not something an ordinary game development team could achieve."
"I suspect that this developer named [Feathered Spirit] possesses some form of 'precognition' and 'insight' abilities."
Himeko nodded. "If that's the case, why would they create this game? Surely it can't just be for profit?"
"Of course not."
"Perhaps if we continue watching, we'll find out."
"While Dan Heng's exploration logs are meticulously detailed, complete with photographs taken by Little March, they're ultimately not firsthand experiences."
"Luckily, we can use this game to see exactly what they've encountered over these past few days."
"It'll also be helpful to compare this gameplay with Dan Heng's journal entries."
"I'm curious to see just how far the game's storyline can progress."
Meanwhile...
On the rooftop terrace, the wind was strong.
Yet it had no effect on Silver Wolf's swift navigation through the system.
Kafka continued playing Honkai: Star Rail, occasionally glancing at Silver Wolf to check her search progress.
"Wait, seriously? No traces whatsoever...?"
"Not even a hint of information left behind? It's as clean as a blank sheet!"
Silver Wolf slumped back in her chair, dejected.
For a hacker, failing to find any relevant data about their target was undoubtedly a crushing blow.
"Even you couldn't uncover information about the developer?" Kafka sounded surprised.
"That's right, 'Feathered Spirit' hasn't left the slightest digital footprint! The only way is to trace its release point by reverse-engineering the game distribution channels.
"I even infiltrated the company's distribution system, and guess what?
"While tracking 'Feathered Spirit,' all related data vanished instantly, as if they exist within an impenetrable void!
"Do you know what this implies? It means their defense system surpasses even the company's firewall—unbelievably robust!"
"No, you could even say they're on completely different levels!"
Seeing Silver Wolf's agitation, Kafka gently patted her back to offer comfort.
"Alright, Silver Wolf, the universe is vast, and even we can't achieve everything as desired."
"By the way, what did Elio have to say?"
"Elio reached the same conclusion; this game's emergence was entirely unexpected, leaving him equally puzzled."
"I see..." Kafka wasn't sure how to respond further.
Compared to direct sabotage and combat, such matters indeed seemed more complex. However, she held high regard for the developer 'Feathered Spirit.'
The game created by this individual truly showed promise.
Just then, Silver Wolf, who had been slumped in her chair, suddenly sprang up like a coiled spring and excitedly rushed to the computer.
"We've got a lead!"
"[Feathered Spirit] finally revealed themselves online!"
"Huh? This is...the first-ever game announcement from them!"