Having witnessed everything, Stelle nodded and then shook her head.
Clearly, her mind couldn't quite handle so much information.
At that moment,
Her phone chimed. Fresh from experiencing the memory bubble, she received a message from an unknown sender.
The profile picture was Black Swan's.
Fortunately, Stelle was sharp and nearly fell for a Sparkle impersonating Black Swan.
Just as she put down her phone, Black Swan sent another message.
"What a persistent trickster!"
But after a series of tests by Stelle, she realized this might actually be the real Black Swan?
Finally, with Black Swan's parting blessing, the film came to a complete end.
—
The audience in the Interactive City looked as if they were constipated.
They kept gasping in disbelief.
"Hiss… Sure, there's no miHoYo-style cliffhanger this time, but something feels off!"
"Honestly, it's like they gave us a ton of info, yet also nothing at all."
"More precisely, they gave us a bunch of useless information."
"So, what did we come here for today?"
"Weren't we here to send miHoYo some razor blades? Why are we still standing around?"
"Right!!! Don't be swayed by these petty distractions. We need justice for Miss Firefly and Miss Robin!"
At that moment,
A figure appeared on the screen, speaking in an extremely clipped voice,
"Hey, hey, can everyone hear me? Can you hear me?"
The crowd stared at the screen, all turning into subway grandpas.
"Who's that on the screen, with a mask on their head?"
"Yeah, all we can see is her head. Is she really that short?"
"Seriously, with such a clipped voice, it's too hard to guess."
—
The figure in the video jumped vigorously, finally revealing Sparkle's face.
She seemed to be reaching for something but kept failing.
In the end, she gave up resisting. "Boss Su Chen, adjust the camera for me."
Su Chen, off-screen, lowered the camera significantly, finally capturing Sparkle's full silhouette on the screen.
"Ta-da—Hello, everyone, I'm Sparkle!"
"Boo!" The Interactive City erupted in jeers.
Sparkle smiled. "Don't be so impatient, everyone! I know you're all hung up on Firefly's and Robin's deaths, but every grievance has its debtor. Don't disrupt the order of miHoYo's Interactive City, right? The character deaths are all the writer's fault. Want to know who miHoYo's writer is?"
"Who! Who! Who!"
The audience's voices rose wave after wave, desperate to know who the writer was!
"The writer is actually…" Sparkle stuck out her tongue at the screen. "I'm not telling you. Take that, take that, take that!"
The crowd gritted their teeth, watching Sparkle on the screen.
"Ugh, come on, Sparkle's jumping ship too!"
"Where is she? Where is she?"
"Don't think being cute means I won't hit you! I'll smack you and be done with it!"
—
"Hey, just kidding! Why so serious?" Sparkle lowered her voice, whispering to the crowd, "Don't worry, you'll meet them again in Season 4 soon. No need to wait too long. And miHoYo's writer is…"
Sparkle mouthed the words "Su Chen" silently.
She chuckled, sensing a good show coming. "Alright, audience friends, go find who you need to find!"
As she turned to leave,
"Whoops!" Sparkle tripped and fell flat on her face. She looked at her sandals, realizing the laces on both sides had somehow been tied together?
"Who did this! Who's so lacking in public decency!"
Su Chen, watching Sparkle on the screen, smiled faintly. "Little trickster, you dare betray me? Think I can't see through your schemes?"
—
In the Interactive City,
After much discussion, the fans reached a majority consensus.
They concluded: Sparkle's mouthed words were exactly those two—"Su Chen."
"Brothers, are you sure? Sure that miHoYo's web drama writer is miHoYo's boss?"
"Wasn't it obvious? Sparkle's mouth clearly said Su Chen."
"Who'd have thought miHoYo's boss is the same person as the writer?"
"Could Sparkle be messing with us? With her personality, she's totally capable of doing this to shift the blame from the real writer."
"Whatever! True or false, false or true. Someone's gotta take responsibility!"
"Exactly!"
At that moment, a person arrived panting before the crowd.
"I found Su Chen's trail!"
"Where?"
"Outside the server room. Su Chen dyed his hair white to avoid notice! He's even wearing a blue trench coat."
"Hahaha, Su Chen, oh, Su Chen, you think dyeing your hair means we won't recognize you? Let's go, brothers! Show him the harshness of society!"
—
Time passed quickly.
As Sparkle promised, Season 4, Part 2 was now before the audience.
Season 4, Part 1 had sparked a massive uproar online, but it also drove huge traffic.
Many knew how Season 4 would wrap up its story.
After all, the plot had been stretched so dramatically that if the story wasn't compelling, it'd be hard to tie up.
Thus, Season 4, Part 2's viewership surpassed all previous records, reaching a new peak.
Honkai: Star Rail had truly become a household name, the web drama with the largest audience base.
Everyone held their breath, waiting for Season 4, Part 2 to air on time.
"5!"
"4!"
"3!"
"2!"
"1!"
"It's starting!"
—
The scene picked up right after the end of Season 4, Part 1.
Aventurine and Caelus stood before the Dreampool.
Caelus was still reeling from the shock of discovering Robin's body!
Aventurine, seemingly consoling, said to Caelus, "Hey, friend, when I saw this scene, my expression wasn't much better than yours. You're not mistaken—it's her, the renowned singer 'Robin.'"
Caelus shook his head. "This… how is this possible?"
Robin, the big star!
A web drama? Playing this big?
Aventurine watched Caelus's incredulous expression and sat down on a sofa.
"Let me clarify—this has nothing to do with me. I'm just an unlucky guy who stumbled onto the scene. The Family can vouch for me. If you don't believe it, ask someone from the Bloodhound Family. They hate me, hate the company, so they'd never lie.
This isn't the crime scene either. What I'm showing you is a 'memory'—the simplest light cone projection technique, authorized by the Garden of Recollection, owned by the company.
At this point, do you still think that 'Galaxy Ranger' is an outsider?
Penacony solemnly promised: In the sweet dream woven by the Family, every guest's safety is assured. Anyone in danger will be forcibly awakened, safely returning to reality.
What gives them the confidence to make such a claim? Because behind that promise is the blessing of 'The Harmony': The Family's dreamweavers link their minds as one, building an unbreakable safety net.
To breach this net and create 'death' in the dream… without the Family's permission, even a Memor can't do it.
Who can? Friend, it can only be her—the woman claiming to be a Galaxy Ranger… an uninvited guest hiding her true identity, an 'Emanator'…
Ifrit's death is already set in stone, and Robin… her tragic state is right before you. Who will be the next victim?"
Caelus clearly wasn't swayed by Aventurine's words. "That's just your side of the story."
[Big bro, I didn't skip anything, what's that mean?]
[Roughly, it means Acheron is super powerful. Black Swan can't do it, but she can. She can kill in this dream.]
[Oh, isn't Acheron already stronger than Black Swan? She nearly plucked all her feathers.]
[Wait, guys, wasn't Firefly killed by a monster? What's that got to do with Acheron?]
[That's why this blond Aventurine is so sneaky. Hate him!]
[Exactly! Hate him! Can't stand these rich heir types—the richer, the worse!]
[Agree!]
—
Aventurine wasn't annoyed, giving a faint smile. "No worries, you can have your own judgment. Building trust takes time, and I'm willing to wait. Just hope you understand, surrounding that so-called 'legacy'… Penacony is swirling with undercurrents, everyone with their own schemes.
Don't stand on the wrong side. If I were you, I'd keep my distance from Acheron. After all, schemes out in the open are far better than monsters hiding in the shadows… right?"
Black Swan suddenly pushed open the door. Aventurine visibly froze upon seeing her.
Black Swan picked up where Aventurine left off. "But who says schemes in the open don't hide deeper conspiracies?"
"Memokeeper, I thought our deal was long over," Aventurine said with a hint of displeasure.
Black Swan, sensing his irritation, added, "Aventurine is telling the truth. This 'memory' is real, with no distortions or fabrications."
Caelus nodded, sinking back into silence.
Aventurine's lips curved slightly. Since Black Swan vouched for him, he didn't make a fuss about her intrusion.
"The company isn't the Garden of Recollection. Our capabilities are quite limited—you know that better than anyone.
Friend, no more beating around the bush—straight to the point. I want to personally strike a deal with the Astral Express.
I told you early on, I'm not interested in the legacy scramble. I'm in Penacony for work. I need to reclaim some lost assets for the company, you know… the ownership of the 'Frontier Prison.'
Thanks to the Cancer of All Worlds, it's become a bad debt. The company tried to negotiate several times, but the Family wouldn't even open the door.
You don't know how tough these people are. Let's put it this way—they hid 'death' before, and this time, they'll surely cover up Robin's death too.
Silently dissolving into foam, with no one ever knowing…
That's not fair, is it? So, friend, I need your help."
Caelus shook his head, still not fully letting his guard down, though his attitude softened compared to the start. "I have my own plans."
"No problem, I won't force you. But I don't want much. Hear me out, alright?
I have one goal: The Family's gate is a high wall. To topple it, I need to poke a few holes first. Once there's a crack, the company has plenty of ways to act. Now, the opportunity's here. If we can uncover the truth behind 'Robin's death,' we can give the deceased justice and gain leverage to bring the Family to the table.
A once-in-a-lifetime chance… I've been investigating Penacony, making friends everywhere, all for this moment.
This bad news is extremely damaging to the Family, so they'll spare no effort to block outsiders, especially the company.
But I believe some factions are exceptions, which is why I need you all. The Astral Express has a stellar reputation, and 'The Harmony' will give you the fairest judgment.
You can uncover the truth and deliver justice, while I complete the company's mission… that's a win-win."
[Whoa, why does this feel so familiar?]
[It's like the news, you see it every day.]
[This businessman's face, this capitalist attitude—can we send him to the gallows?]
—
"I can't decide alone…"
Aventurine was pleased to hear this. "No rush. Why not go back to your companions and talk it over?
That navigator lady is smart. She'll understand the value of this deal. Here's my contact info—reach out when you've decided.
Oh, and… take this! You'll need some spare cash for the investigation. Don't be shy!"
Another stack of credits landed in Caelus's hands.
"See you, friend. I'm really looking forward to uncovering the truth of 'death' with you all."
Caelus pocketed the credits first. "Aventurine's so rich, I'm just helping him spend a little. He left on his own… he didn't force me, but something feels off…"
Black Swan didn't leave. "What's next? What do you plan to do?"
Caelus set aside his reservations and started talking with Black Swan.
After some discussion, many of his doubts were cleared.
Finally, under Black Swan's guidance, Caelus reached the exit of the dreamscape.
Black Swan pointed to a crack. "Leave from here. Then we'll part ways. This all feels like… a nightmare.
Unfortunately, memories don't lie… What we just saw was the 'reality' that happened, not something that fades upon waking.
But don't be afraid. Follow your heart's choices. That's how we walk through the world, leaving shadows of varying lengths, and in the end… leaving precious memories."
Caelus nodded, about to leave when Black Swan stopped him. "Ah, wait a moment."
Black Swan gently brushed Caelus's earlobe, leaving a cool sensation.
Then, she handed him a card.
"This will do, a small parting gift. If one day you're lost in the deep sea of the memory zone without a Memor by your side—this will guide you out in my place.
I'm quite particular about social graces… Consider this my apology for keeping something from you."