Chapter 14 - 14: What?! This Game Has Both Herta and The Nameless?

Xianzhou, Aurum Alley. After satisfying their hunger, Lin Yu rented a room nearby the hotel. The room was clean and tidy, with all amenities readily available. Lin Yu sat by the window, sipping on the hotel's signature complimentary beverage while opening the system interface. [Popularity Points: 20,000+] [Premium Points: 0] [Cumulative Points: 20,000] [Congratulations! Host has reached the first milestone, awarded 5,000 points and one small-scale promotion opportunity.] "Promotion opportunity?" Lin Yu's eyes narrowed as he read the reward. Haven't Guinaifen's streams already provided ample publicity? What exactly does this system-promised promotion entail? By clicking on the description, Lin Yu quickly understood its purpose. "It allows unconditional advertising within a certain range?" "That..." Recommended Placement Location: Space Station [Herta] Penacony Lin Yu pondered for a moment. Initially, he considered placing the advertisement at Penacony, as it was a hub for dreams with heavy foot traffic, ensuring the game would attract more attention. However, upon checking the map: He couldn't help but comment, "Isn't this coverage area too small?" "It's barely larger than one attraction in Penacony!" "But placing it at the space station seems to cover almost the entire area." "Alright, let's go ahead and place it at the space station then." As Lin Yu utilized the opportunity, all advertising screens in the space station's Master Control Zone instantly changed color. Advertisements for Seeker Devices, Caliburn, and similar products were swiftly replaced. Introducing the latest mobile game—Honkai: Star Rail! Launch promotion includes three free Astral Express crew members! Plus, Asta and Herta unlocked absolutely FREE! What are you waiting for? Get ahead of the crowd and embark on your Trailblazing journey now! On the advertisement cover, alongside silhouettes of March 7th, Dan Heng, and Stelle, the most striking visuals were the illustrated characters of Asta and Herta. This promotional tagline was specifically tailored by the System to target the space station's audience. The straightforward yet bold approach proved highly effective on these researchers accustomed to routine monotony. Amidst their usual barrage of formulaic ads, encountering something so intriguing compelled everyone to take a closer look. "Honkai: Star Rail? Never heard of this mobile game before." "Free-to-play? And they give away characters just for signing up? That sounds too good to be true!" "What do 'Asta' and 'Herta' mean in the ad? Did they turn Station Chief Asta and Lady Herta into playable characters?" "In that case, I have no choice but to try it out!" "You better deliver, billboard! If those characters aren't free upon launch, you'll hear from me immediately!" Upon seeing the advertisement, numerous staff members paused in their tracks. They quickly pulled out their phones to download "Honkai: Star Rail" right there in the mall. Considering the space station wasn't particularly large, news spread rapidly. It swiftly reached the meeting room where Asta was present. "Miss, here's the situation," Arlan explained with utmost seriousness. "It's as if all the billboards suddenly came under a hacker attack. They're now displaying ads for... Honkai: Star Rail." "Should we cut off power to those billboards?" "No need..." Asta shook her head while glancing at her phone. "This game seems quite intriguing. I'm about to perform my first Transmigration." "Transmigration?" "Yes, that's it! You can summon characters you know from reality, like March 7th, Himeko, and maybe even Lady Herta herself!" As she spoke, Asta tapped the option for "[Transmigrate Once]." A regular train ticket floated through space, followed swiftly by an approaching locomotive. Under Conductor Pom-Pom's watchful gaze, the rear doors opened, revealing a purple glow. Excitedly, Asta noted, "Purple light... Hmm, this must mean I've drawn a four-star character!" Within the radiant aura, an image emerged—a girl seated beside a massive telescope. Asta (New), Fire Attribute, ★★★★, Cooperator Next to her, Arlan was utterly dumbfounded. Asta's mouth dropped open in astonishment, forming an 'O.' Drawing a card...and getting herself? Arlan opened his mouth, struggling for several moments before managing to ask, "Miss, you're...also a character within this game?" "I-I don't know!" Asta seemed flustered; she had never encountered such a situation while gaming before. "But just now, I did indeed see myself as part of the game's storyline." "So that's how it is..." Arlan lowered his head, deep in thought. "Miss, I'll have one of our engineers check if any other programs on the space station were hacked." "Oh, alright. Go ahead." Gradually, Asta composed herself and eagerly opened her character interface to review her skill descriptions. "Skill [Meteor Swarm]... Deals additional damage 4 times..." "Ultimate [Wishes Upon Stars]: Increases Speed for all allies..." "Wow... How did these developers know I love stars?!" Meanwhile, after leaving Asta's presence, Arlan didn't immediately contact his team of engineers. Instead, he returned to his private quarters and pulled out his phone. With slightly trembling fingers, he began searching for "Honkai: Star Rail." Soon, the game finished downloading. As he launched it, he muttered to himself, "I-I must summon Miss Astria too! And protect her at all costs. Even within the game, I cannot allow any harm to come to her."