Chapter 45 - 44: Schrödinger's Storyline - Where Exactly Will the Next Battle Take Us?

"Where will our next destination be?" As they prepared for the upcoming journey within the game, Stelle couldn't help but ask. Pom-Pom's eyes widened fiercely, her demeanor determined. "No matter where it leads, we cannot follow the game's storyline!" "We absolutely won't let it dictate our path!" "If it goes there, we'll deliberately go elsewhere!" Old Yang remained relatively calm. Analyzing the situation, Stelle remarked, "Based on the game's content so far, the next destination is likely to be Xianzhou Luofu." "This is because several controllable characters introduced thus far originate from Luofu." Upon hearing "Xianzhou Luofu," Dan Heng's expression subtly shifted, but he didn't elaborate further. His gaze seemed as deep and vast as the stars outside the train window. "That's fantastic! Our original destination wasn't Xianzhou Luofu anyway, right, Ji Zi?" March 7th exclaimed enthusiastically. Her excitement stemmed from having just made a bet during the live stream. Although no one believed she was truly March 7th, nor did anyone take her up on the wager... Himeko, however, remained less optimistic. She said, "Let's continue watching. I won't offer any opinions until the plot direction is confirmed." Soon enough, it was time for the train's Leap transition. Everyone's focus intensified, their anticipation at its peak! They needed to determine where the game's storyline would lead: Would it head towards Xianzhou Luofu, which had been heavily foreshadowed? Or would it reveal the true, undisclosed destination yet unannounced by the Astral Express Crew? This felt somewhat akin to observing Schrödinger's cat. Himeko refrained from making any statements, fearing her decisions might influence the game's storyline. The best approach was to do nothing—simply observe how the plot unfolds! Pom-Pom's voice echoed, "Apologies for the wait, passengers! Thanks to the exceptional efforts of our three Trailblazers, the rift's activity has been minimized, and all stellar rail readings have returned to normal levels!" "The train is about to resume its journey, departing Jarilo-VI. Please sit back securely and give one final farewell to this planet!" Just as everyone on the Astral Express eagerly awaited the announcement of their next destination... As expected, a surprise occurred! The screen went dark. A line of text appeared at the center: [Luofu Immortal Ferry - The Shackling Prison] "Tick... Tick... Tick..." In the dimly lit corridor, everything was shrouded in a dense fog-like haze. A solitary figure walked amidst this eerie atmosphere. Upon closer inspection: Behind the man, two soldiers armed with long swords escorted him closely. His hands were securely bound. Step by step, he approached the end of the corridor. At its terminus stood two individuals. Within this gloomy prison, they resembled judges awaiting to pass sentence on a sinner. On the left, a youth sat on a bench, his eyes slightly closed. On the right, a man clad in light battle armor bore a golden lion emblem embedded at his shoulder. With hands clasped behind his back and standing poised, he held his breath. Witnessing this scene, the Live Streaming Room erupted instantly! "Holy shit, what am I seeing? It's our main War God, Yanqing!" "Luofu! It truly is Xianzhou Luofu!" "What's going on?! How did the perspective suddenly shift to Xianzhou Luofu's prison?" "The one on the left is Yanqing, so the standing figure must be..." "The Closed-Eyed General! No... Divine Strategy General—Jing Yuan!" "JING YUANNN!! (Already insane)" "Fucking hell! This is insane!" As the prisoner approached step by step, Divine Strategy General Jing Yuan spoke up, "Yanqing, pay close attention to this person once he's near." At that moment, the prisoner had been escorted right below the platform. Jing Yuan asked solemnly, "Do you remember me?" "Yes," replied the man, despite being captive, a peculiar smile flickered across his face. After answering, he abruptly continued on his own, "There were five individuals, with three as the price..." Both Yanqing and Jing Yuan were startled. Yanqing's hand instinctively rested on the hilt of his sword at his waist. The words from the man's mouth seemed like a dreadful curse. "Jing Yuan, you're not among them." In the next instant, as if a candle blown out by the wind, the man's face turned deathly pale. The flickering candlelight reflected in his eyes, fixed intently forward. He raised a battered sword, pointing it directly at Jing Yuan. "You, are one of them!" "Woosh!" The scene shifted abruptly. Dan Heng was now lying in bed, drenched in cold sweat! Appearing trapped in a nightmare, he gritted his teeth, chest heaving violently. Just as the voice faded, Dan Heng jolted awake from the bed. "Pant... Pant..." He gasped heavily for breath, pupils dilated. Within the carriage, everyone simultaneously turned towards Dan Heng without hesitation. The upcoming event involved him directly! Meanwhile, Dan Heng looked equally astonished and bewildered. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead as well; he never anticipated witnessing such nightmare-inducing scenes within the game! His panicked demeanor mirrored that of his character's. "How is this possible..." Dan Heng murmured incredulously, his breath quickening. Himeko handed him a cup of coffee and offered comfort, "Relax, Dan Heng. We're all here with you. No one will harm you." "No, it's just..." Dan Heng took a sip of the coffee, nearly choking to the point of tears. Old Yang, ever considerate, sympathetically patted him on the back with a concerned expression. March 7th whispered to Stelle, "This is the first time I've seen Dan Heng like this." "The man who appeared in that vision... must be his nemesis, right?" "Who do you think that guy is? Even Dan Heng was terrified out of his wits..." Stelle shook her head and replied, "I don't know either, but there's one thing I'm certain about... "As long as we keep watching, we'll undoubtedly learn his identity." "And he might turn out to be a boss, just like Cocolia!" "When that happens, we need to ensure our characters' levels and gear are top-notch so we can help Dan Heng defeat this enemy and conquer his inner demons!"