Chapter 85 - 84:

"You're saying 'Honkai' introduced a new character? The Divine Strategy General Jing Yuan from Xianzhou's Arbiter and Seven Heavenly Generals?" At the space station, within the Master Control Zone, Asta took a deep breath upon hearing Arlan's report. "Good grief, what all has happened in 'Honkai: Star Rail' while I was away working?" "Oh no, oh no! Now I'll never catch up with the players!" Asta hastily launched Honkai: Star Rail. Earlier, she had received news that Screwllum would soon visit. As the station director, managing various tasks and providing guidance was inevitable. After finally finishing her duties, just as she prepared to play the game, Arlan delivered this startling update! "Does this mean my six-soul Himeko will become obsolete now?" "No way, not happening! I'm Himeko-san's ultimate fan!" "Then I'll draw another fully-equipped Jing Yuan to handle mobs for my Himeko!" "Himeko-san can simply enjoy her coffee on the sidelines." Arlan swallowed nervously. Asta knew that from her previous purchase of two hundred million credits, she still had plenty of Stellar Jade remaining. "Miss Asta, as long as you enjoy it, that's what matters." Nodding, Asta began drawing cards. After several hundred attempts, she successfully obtained a six-soul Jing Yuan! "This exclusive weapon, 'Before Dawn,' has impressive stats, but the Light Cone cover features Jing Yuan instead of Miss Himeko with 'Night on the Galactic Railroad.' It just doesn't compare." "A five-layer Stacks buff is sufficient; no need for additional draws for Miss Himeko," Arlan observed from the side, realizing now how his mistress played the game purely based on personal preference. She cared little about power or numerical values. Even acquiring a six-soul Jing Yuan was solely to support Himeko's gameplay! A true epitome of playing by one's own tastes! With card drawing complete, Asta took control of Himeko and joyfully embarked on her adventure. Her progress through the main storyline was slow, spending most of the time aimlessly wandering around the space station map. For Asta, simply watching Himeko run about seemed like pure enjoyment—she had discovered the essence of gaming pleasure. "Oh right, where is Trailblazer heading next on their exploration journey?" Asta suddenly asked. "Miss Asta, have you finally remembered the game's main plot?" "No, I'm curious if there are any upcoming storylines featuring Miss Himeko." Arlan hesitated before responding. "After leaving the space station, the Trailblazers went to a planet named Jarilo-VI, followed by the Xianzhou Luofu." "However, Miss Himeko did not participate in either of these Trailblazing journeys." "Oh, I see," Asta said, slightly disappointed. But soon, her eyes sparkled with realization. "As expected of Miss Himeko—ordinary Trailblazing trips wouldn't even require her involvement!" "Let me check where the latest storyline has progressed to." As she spoke, Asta switched to another screen and opened Little Gui's live stream, which she had been following earlier. "Following tradition, it's about time Feathered Spirit brings Miss Himeko into the story..." Upon entering the live stream, Asta was taken aback. "Why is the map still set in space?" "Arlan, you're not pulling my leg, are you? (chag)" Asta hesitated, momentarily at a loss for words. "No, miss! It's just that..." At that moment, from within the live stream, they heard Little Gui's voice reciting a rhythmic storytelling verse: "With idle time, back to the space station, All side quests, every one, must be undertaken. Blame it on Feathered Spirit for breaking the main thread, Awaiting updates before diving ahead!" After this segment, comprehension dawned on Asta's face. "So the main quest has temporarily paused, and Little Gui has returned to space to complete side quests." Arlan wiped his sweat, marveling at the Xianzhou's poetic prowess—it succinctly summarized the situation in just a few lines. Perhaps the Security Division should consider using such methods for reporting work in the future? "Greetings to those who just joined the stream." "We've returned to the space today due to receiving a mix-up message." "A guy named Lochie confessed his secret crush on a female colleague, ha-ha! But she completely ignored his text. Let's see what happened!" As Little Gui described the situation, Asta was taken aback. "Loki... Loki, isn't that the name of the staff member who submitted a resignation letter this morning?" "Could it be that his resignation is connected to this side quest?" Keep reading! ["Not responding can also serve as a polite refusal..." Little Gui chose this option. Loki instantly panicked, "Impossible! If she wanted to reject me, would she have chatted with me so much? Moreover..." "In our communication just before I confessed, she described an extraordinarily magnificent starquake." "You see, it was the decay and demise of a star! Most people wouldn't dare to approach, but my Lily not only obtained firsthand observational data, she even managed to save a stranded galactic traveler on the brink of death." "I wish you could've felt her joyous tone in that reply; even the relay signal conveyed such happiness!" Inside the space station, Little Gui's live stream continuously played on the large screens. Upon witnessing this scene, the surrounding staff burst out laughing. Someone couldn't resist teasing, "That kid Loki is still too naive!" "He's smitten, caught up in love—you know how it goes!" "Women are traps, Loki! This woman clearly wants to keep you hanging!" "Haven't seen Loki around for quite some time now. He must have gone off somewhere again to wallow in self-pity, huh?" In the stream's chatroom, Little Gui also expressed her skepticism about Loki's relationship. Next, they proceeded towards the Storage Zone to locate the relay, aiming to make Loki completely let go of his hopes. This task should conclude swiftly. "What's this?" "Herta Love Poems - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3..." Little Gui clicked and began reading them aloud. "Lily, my Lily..." "Since leaving Herta..." "Apart from the giant ring and starlight..." After finishing, Little Gui commented, "From my perspective, these poems are quite intriguing, possessing a unique sense of humor." At the space station, the observing researchers erupted into laughter once more. "Not surprising for a streamer, such high emotional intelligence!" "High EQ interpretation: Unique humor. Low EQ interpretation: Cringey poetry!" "This Loki! Once I see him, I definitely need to give him a stern lecture—being a love-struck pushover gets you nowhere!" "What do you mean 'pushover'? It's called being a pure-hearted War God of Love! Even in my youth, I experienced similar unrequited infatuations..." Little Gui located the supernickel parts and repaired the damaged relay. Initially planning to leave after that, she had a sudden idea upon noticing the interface displayed an option to view past signal translation records. "Well, since Loki's already like this," "Let's take a look at his chat history with Lily and see if he was just boasting or fooling himself?" Source: Unknown (Beyond Detectable Range) Recipient: [Herta] Loki Martinez Translated Message Content as Follows... Little Gui began earnestly reading through the pages one by one. A few minutes later, confusion showed on her face. "Just from these chat records, it's clear that Loki and Lily have plenty to talk about." "From discussing Lily's situation after landing in the Fertile Star Territory, the usage of the Star Surveying Probe... all the way to their experiences during the starquake..." "These two genuinely cared for each other, occasionally having minor disagreements..." "This—this is unmistakably how young couples behave when they're in love!" "And Lily wasn't leading him on either!" "Why did they suddenly stop replying...?" "What exactly is going on here?" The scientists observing at the space station were astonished. These messages couldn't lie. Their initial assumption that Loki's feelings were unrequited was instantly debunked! "It seems the situation is quite different from what we imagined." "From an objective standpoint, Loki and Leslie indeed appear to be... truly compatible." "So, what happened then?" "Could the issue lie with Leslie?" In Asta's office, She too had put down her phone, now fully engrossed in Loki's unfolding story. "I didn't realize there was such a hidden depth to their relationship." "As the Station Head, it's only right to wholeheartedly support two colleagues who genuinely care for each other!" Meanwhile, in the return capsule of the space station, Loki had already donned his protective suit, ready to embark on his journey! Due to limited funds, he could only afford the most basic, standard spaceship. His future likely held solitary drifting amidst the endless cosmos. He might face shortages of food and supplies or encounter immense dangers... But none of this mattered to him. As long as he kept moving forward, there would still be hope! At his feet lay a massive metallic box—a portable relay module he purchased by spending a significant portion of his savings. With this relay, he could determine Leslie's location within the star cluster and... receive those seemingly unreachable signals from afar. He cradled the relay close to his chest, determination shining in his eyes. "Lily, wait for me."