Star Railway: The Beginning of Game Development Shocked the Galaxy

Lin Fan woke up and traveled to the world of Honkai Impact 3rd and activated the god-level mobile game development system.

What? There is no mobile game for Bengtie in this world? Faced with the empty game section in the Galaxy App Store,

Lin Fan raised a smile: Let me fill this gap!

When the game anchor Gui Naifen tried out this mysterious new game live,

The entire galaxy network went wild: This modeling! This plot! Silver Wolf is my wife!

Kafka’s mom stepped on me! How come this game is more real than reality?!

As the game became popular, Star Dome Train crews and Star Core Hunters came knocking on the door.

Walter pushed his glasses: “Young man, do you know us well?

Kafka played with the dagger and smiled: Little brother, explain why I am so shy in the game?

Lin Fan wiped his sweat as he looked at the skyrocketing download volume in the background: System, the next task is… developing Genshin Impact?!

Star Railway: The Beginning of Game Development Shocked the Galaxy
Chapter 1: Activate the God-level System!
Lin Fan squatted in front of the leaky wooden table. The instant noodle soup in the plastic bowl had already gone cold.
He poked the clumped noodles with chopsticks. The words “Xingqiong Instant Noodles” on the package were blurred by water, and the production date was three years ago.
This was the stock he had found after rummaging through the scrap yard on the corner.
“Is this the treatment for time travelers?”
He sniffed his sore nose, and the back of his neck still felt a dull pain from hitting the brick wall when he was pushed by the thugs this morning.
He thought to himself that the 996 days in the Internet company in his previous life suddenly became familiar. At least there were air-conditioned rooms and hot meals.
Unlike now, in the “wasteland area” at the edge of Xianzhou, even clean drinking water requires queuing at public water stations.
Raindrops dripped into the bowl, and Lin Fan finally swallowed the last mouthful of noodle soup.
He wiped the water off his face, unable to tell whether it was rain or his own tears.
“It’s said that a system is necessary for traveling through time, but where’s the golden finger? Where’s the grandfather?
I’ve been traveling for half a month, and I don’t even have a novice gift pack…”
As soon as he finished speaking, a buzzing electronic sound suddenly exploded in his mind.
[The host’s emotions are detected to meet the activation conditions, and the God-level mobile game development system 1.0 has been launched]Lin Fan stood up suddenly, causing the wooden table to bang loudly.
He stared with wide eyes at the translucent light screen that suddenly appeared in front of him, with a light blue data stream flowing on it.
“System? There really is a system?!”
[Ding——The novice gift pack has been distributed, the host can draw a legendary game resource once]A spinning golden roulette wheel popped up in the center of the light screen, and Lin Fan stretched out his hand tremblingly.
As soon as the fingertips touched the roulette wheel, all the light particles suddenly gathered into a beam of light.
[Congratulations to the host for obtaining the complete development package of the initial version of “Honkai Impact 3rd” (including character portraits, plot text, battle system, music soundtrack, etc.)]“Honkai Impact 3rd?”
Lin Fan’s voice trembled.
He was a veteran player of this game in his previous life. He never expected that in this world dominated by Star Railway, he would be able to obtain the development rights for the game itself.
He stared at the prompt “Saved in system space” on the light screen, and his throat tightened.
Suddenly he grabbed the broken cell phone on the table. It was a second-hand item he had exchanged with a garbage collector using three scrap parts.
“System, how do I extract game resources?”
[The host device has been detected to be compatible with the Galaxy standard protocol and the transmission interface has been automatically matched]The phone screen instantly lit up with a dazzling white light. The old model, which originally had only 32G of storage, now had a progress bar jumping wildly, and it only took three seconds to go from 0% to 100%.
Lin Fan hurriedly opened the file manager and saw the folder “Honkai Impact 3rd” lying quietly in the root directory, with a size of 128TB.
“That’s impossible, my phone can’t hold such a large file.
What are you doing with the system? “
[Game resources have been directly connected to the Galaxy server through the quantum channel, and the host device is only an operation terminal]It turns out that the movement of the progress bar only represents the progress of the data connection with the Galaxy server, not that the phone is storing huge files.
Lin Fan finally understood and began to study the game development kit carefully.
After a while, Lin Fan clenched his phone so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
“Uploading to the Galaxy Mall… is that possible?”
[The host needs to complete developer certification.
Tip: During the novice protection period (90 days), the system will automatically block the host’s real identity information]Lin Fan took a deep breath.
It’s not like he hadn’t thought about uploading it directly, but the developer review of the Galaxy Mall is extremely strict, and any mistake would be tracked as a hacker.
But now the system says there is protection…
He clicked on the official website of the mall, and the registration page automatically filled in the virtual identity: “Star Dome Game Studio”, and the address was displayed as “Black Tower Space Station No. 42 Virtual Cabin”, which is the safest anonymous node in the quantum network.
Just as he was about to click to confirm the upload, his phone suddenly notified him of a network fluctuation and the progress bar stopped.
“Oh no, nothing will go wrong.”
[Network fluctuations detected, the connection has been automatically optimized, please continue uploading]The system prompt sound made Lin Fan breathe a sigh of relief, and he clicked to confirm again.
When the progress bar started to scroll, Lin Fan suddenly remembered something and opened the system panel again.
The description of the novice protection period put his mind at ease: in addition to identity shielding, there is also “immunity to abnormal game data” and “basic anti-plagiarism protection.”
He leaned against the moldy wall, staring at the “Upload Completed” prompt on his mobile phone screen, his heart beating so fast that it seemed like it was about to jump out of his throat.
On the new game recommendation page of the Galaxy Mall, the icon of “Honkai Impact 3rd” is quietly staying in the corner.
Unlike other games with fancy slogans, its introduction only has one line of words:
……….
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ActivityRegister as a Filo member and get 200 points![Register Now]Chapter 2: The Star Railway live broadcast went viral! (Old version)
“Take the Starry Sky Train, travel through interstellar civilizations, and search for the truth behind the “Star Core”.”
An old man who collected garbage passed by and glanced at Lin Fan’s phone screen. He said disdainfully, “You want to be famous in Galaxy Mall? Don’t dream.”
Lin Fan rolled his eyes at him: “What do you know? This game will definitely be a hit.”
The old man laughed and said, “Humph, I’ve been doing this for so many years, I’ve seen a lot, and none of them succeeded.”
In the “Expectation Value” column, the interest rate of this newly launched game is skyrocketing at a rate of +1 per second. This is the potential player interest value automatically generated by the quantum network based on keyword matching.
The expectation value of the newly released “Ex Machina 2.0” stopped at 8762, while “Honkai Impact 3rd” has jumped to 3451.
“Will anyone find out?”
Lin Fan was a little worried.
He touched his hungry stomach and suddenly laughed.
“Even if I can only eat cold steamed buns tonight, as long as this game becomes popular, I can get a share of the profits from the Galaxy Mall and completely get rid of the days of the ‘wasteland’.”
The shouting of the scrap collector old man came from downstairs, but Lin Fan did not shrink his neck as usual.
He put the phone in his arms, where he could still feel the residual warmth of the system’s light screen.
At this moment, the push notification from the quantum network suddenly sounded:
[Your game “Honkai Impact 3rd” has been added to today’s live broadcast list by anchor “Fenfen’s Game House”]….
While the data stream of the quantum network shuttled through the starry sky, Gui Naifen was biting a strawberry-flavored energy bar and staring at the new game recommendation page on the holographic screen.
Her small live broadcast room is squeezed into a tin house on the corner of Pam Street. The imitation star lights on the ceiling flicker, and there are three faded “Ex Machina” posters on the wall – that was her “achievement” last year when she relied on live broadcasting this game to barely pay the rent.
“If I’m not popular today…” She muttered as she pressed the “Try It” button. Her twin ponytails swayed with the movement, and the blue highlights on the ends of her hair swept across her collarbone.
A holographic projection unfolded in front of her. The opening animation of “Honkai Impact 3rd” exploded like stardust, and the train whistle mixed with the electronic sound of “Welcome aboard” made her eyes light up.
“Family!” She picked up the rabbit-ear microphone hanging on the back of the chair. The number of viewers in the lower right corner of the screen was rising from 37. “Fenfen will take you to play a new game today. I heard that the planner is a tough guy who dares to make ‘Star Core Hunter’ the protagonist——”
Before he finished speaking, purple ripples suddenly appeared on the platform in the picture.
The woman in the burgundy trench coat walked on the waves in high heels, her earrings gleamed red in the light and shadow, and the teardrop mole at the end of her eye looked like a drop of solidified blood.
Gui Naifen’s strawberry stick fell onto the keyboard with a “click”.
The live broadcast room barrage exploded instantly:
[Oh my god, isn’t this Kafka? The top three dangerous elements on the company’s bounty list! ][Star Core Hunters! Last time they blew up half of the Beloberg Industrial Zone! ][Hurry up, anchor! Aren’t you afraid of being banned by Quantum Network for playing such a sensitive role? 】
Cold sweat broke out on the back of Gui Naifen’s neck.
Of course she recognized that face—three months ago, Kafka’s wanted poster was still hanging on the public screen on Pam Street, and the reward amount was the total of her three years of live broadcast income.
But when she looked down at the audience count, it was skyrocketing at a rate of over 100 per second, from 37 to 2,376.
“Everyone, calm down!” She tugged at her collar, her fingertips trembling on the touchpad. “It’s just a game… maybe the art team is playing a trick? Let’s continue watching the plot—”
Kafka tilted her head and chuckled, spinning the red rope hanging from the end of her hair around her fingertips: “Little Tail, it’s time to set off.” The scene cut to the gray-haired boy beside her, the diamond-shaped mark on his forehead glowing.
Someone in the barrage recognized it as “Silver Wolf”, another hacker classified as “extremely dangerous” by the company, and the number of viewers soared to five thousand.
At the same time, in the data room of the distant Black Tower Space Station, a surprise about the popularity of the game was also taking place. The clerk wearing round-frame glasses suddenly took off his holographic headset.
On the monitoring screen in front of him, the popularity index of “Honkai Impact 3rd” was soaring like a runaway rocket, and in the keyword analysis column, the three words “Kafka”, “Star Core Hunter” and “Silver Wolf” were marked in glaring red.
He remembered that the game development server had previously had abnormal login records, and was shocked. “This is impossible.” He grabbed the mug on the table and poured coffee on the “Today’s New Game Review Form”. “These characters were not included in the game outline submitted last week! Didn’t Pam say that new games now have to avoid content related to dangerous organizations?”
The relevant departments of the company soon received the news and immediately launched an investigation into the game, and even considered suspending the operation of the game.
The news was transmitted through the quantum network. In the rest area of the Cloud Cavalry Army in Xianzhou Luofu, Qingque placed the teacup on the chessboard.
Her crossed legs slid down from the edge of the table, and the jade hairpin in her hair hit the corner of the table with a ding sound:
……
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Chapter 3: Remember to follow! (Old version)
“This game…”
She stared at the live broadcast push that popped up in her private terminal. On the screen, Kafka’s red windbreaker was dyed bright by the glow of the fairy boat. “It’s more exciting than the Mark Six lottery draw I bet on.” Deputy Jing Yuan, who was cleaning his spear next to her, leaned over to take a look. Just as he was about to speak, he saw that she had switched back to the game interface, and her fingertips were pressing the “Download” button until they turned white.
In the dining car of the Starry Sky Train, Ji Zi was adding the third sugar cube to her mug.
Walter was holding the holographic book of “Introduction to Quantum Mechanics”, but suddenly frowned and looked up: “Ji Zi, did you hear any sound?”
“Train announcement?” Ji Zi shook the cup, and the sound of ice cubes colliding was mixed with a faint electronic sound. “Wait, it’s my terminal that’s vibrating.” She took out an old-fashioned mobile phone with a warm glow, and a push notification popped up: [The keyword “Kafka” you followed triggered new content: “Honkai Impact 3rd” is being broadcast live]When the two of them got close to the screen, they saw the red rope wrapped around Kafka’s fingertips suddenly straighten, as if it was about to penetrate the holographic projection.
Walter’s pupils shrank slightly – the texture of the red rope was almost exactly the same as the star core energy fluctuations he saw underground in Beloberg.
“This game…” Jizi took a sip of coffee, with a rare interest on her lips, “It seems that our new friend is going to do something big.”
In the live broadcast room, Gui Naifen no longer had time to wipe the sweat from her forehead.
Kafka’s voice lines continued: “How about having the Antimatter Corps’ ‘gift’ delivered in advance? There are many interesting things hidden in the safe of the Black Tower Space Station.” The barrage of comments was scrolling too fast, and she could only barely grasp a few key words: [Black Tower Space Station?
Are they going to attack the Black Tower? 】【The Star Core Hunters are targeting the Star Core? 】
[Host, hurry up and fight! I want to watch real-life PK! ]She swallowed and maneuvered Kafka to the edge of the platform.
I thought a cutscene would be triggered, but the screen suddenly changed to a battle interface with white text on a blue background. Four character portraits were lined up in a row, and “Quantum Properties” was written under Kafka’s portrait.
“Eh?” Gui Naifen’s voice was filled with disappointment. “Isn’t this a real-time battle? Why is it a turn-based system…”
The barrage instantly changed:
[Give me back my money! Give me back Kafka’s heroic fighting! ][Turn-based? Who still plays this old-fashioned game? ][This game is going to fail. The planner probably found this system from a pile of old Xianzhou games.]Gui Naifen was so anxious that she kept rubbing her hands. She began to explain in detail the characteristics and advantages of turn-based combat: “Family members, turn-based combat actually has its own unique strategy. The order in which each character releases skills is very important. Just like classic turn-based games, if you use strategies well, you can still play well.”
She glanced at the audience count. The number that had been rising rapidly just now suddenly froze and even dropped by dozens.
Some viewers began to reflect, recalling the strategic fun of other turn-based games.
She gritted her teeth and quickly tapped the “normal attack” button – Kafka’s red rope flew out and accurately wrapped around the wrist of the sword-wielding enemy on the screen. Light purple light particles spread along the red rope, and a damage number of “-237” appeared above the enemy’s head.
“Look, everyone!” She raised her voice, “Normal attacks have an electric shock effect!” She clicked “Combat Skills” again, and quantum lines appeared in Kafka’s pupils. The red rope suddenly burned, and the flame wrapped in electricity struck the enemy. “The combat skills are electric shock + ignition! Dual element reaction! Look, everyone, this strategic combat method is very interesting.”
Some viewers began to exclaim in the comments: “Wow, this strategy seems really interesting!” “It can also trigger elemental reactions, not bad!”
The comments gradually quieted down, and knowledgeable viewers began to understand and post comments like [The numerical balance is good] and [The elemental reaction chain is quite complete], and the number of viewers began to climb again.
Gui Naifen took advantage of the victory and controlled Kafka to fill up the energy bar. His fingertips hovered over the “finishing move” button: “The final move is coming! Family members, type “expectation” on the public screen——”
She pressed the confirm button.
The holographic projection in the live broadcast room suddenly expanded to three times its size.
A huge quantum ring appeared behind Kafka, and the red rope turned into chains that penetrated the screen. Each chain was wrapped with the blue flame of antimatter particles.
She raised her chin, the teardrop mole at the end of her eye shone brightly: “It’s time to bow out.”
All the chains exploded at the same time.
The purple shock wave knocked over the enemies on the screen, and quantum fragments poured down like a rainstorm, even Gui Naifen’s tin house shook – it was not an illusion, but the game special effects were too realistic, and even the air was filled with the smell of burnt electronics.
The barrage paused for three seconds.
【I’m going, I’m going, I’m going】
[Can this special effect be viewed for free? ][When the chain penetrated the screen just now, I felt a burning sensation on the back of my hand! ][What engine does this game use? Black Tower’s latest quantum rendering? ]Gui Naifen stared at the live broadcast device which suddenly went black, and then she realized that her hands holding the microphone were covered in sweat.
Just as she was about to speak, the holographic projection automatically switched back to the main interface. Kafka’s back was faintly visible in the platform lights, and her soft laughter rang in her ears: “Next stop, Black Tower Space Station.”
“Family members…” Gui Naifen’s voice was still a little trembling. She reached out to grab the strawberry stick that fell on the ground, but her fingertips stopped in mid-air.
Just now, at the moment when Kafka’s chain exploded, she clearly saw very fine lines wrapped around the red rope, like some kind of ancient starry sky writing.
The texture is too clear, it doesn’t look like a game texture…
“We’ll enter the Black Tower Space Station at the same time tomorrow!” She quickly forced a smile and suppressed her doubts. “Remember to pay attention. Fenfen will show you how Kafka overturns the space station—”
……..
Chapter 4: Developers, wake up! (Old version)
At this time, in a rental house far away in the wasteland of Xianzhou, Lin Fan was staring at the live broadcast on his mobile phone screen. Lin Fan had accidentally obtained a mysterious system light screen during his exploration of the starry sky. It has the ability to monitor quantum network data. The moment Kafka released his finishing move, the system light screen in his arms suddenly vibrated violently, and the light blue data stream condensed into a line of words in the air:
[It is detected that the core data of the game is being scanned by a high-level authority in the quantum network. Do you want to enable the protection program? ]Lin Fan looked at Gui Naifen’s trembling twin ponytails on the screen, and then glanced at the starry sky outside the window that was gradually lighting up.
He stretched out his hand and pressed on the light screen, the corner of his mouth raised: “Open.”
After turning on the protection program, some abnormal fluctuations occurred in the quantum network and some functions of the game were also restricted.
And in the depths of the more distant starry sky, in a burgundy-painted spaceship, Kafka was biting a lollipop and staring at her own game image on the holographic screen.
She tapped the table with her fingertips and said to the Silver Wolf beside her, “This game… drew the position of my teardrop mole correctly.”
Silver Wolf pushed his black-framed glasses, and a line of code popped up on the terminal: [Developer IP locating…Xianzhou Wasteland?
interesting.】
Kafka twirled the red string around her fingertips, smiling with a hint of interest: “It seems our little developer has hidden a lot of surprises.”
When Gui Naifen turned off the live broadcast equipment, she found a message from a viewer in the lower right corner of the camera: [Did the host notice?
The pattern of Kafka’s red rope is exactly the same as the star core energy in reality. The artistic details of this game… are terrifying when you think about it carefully.
She stared at the message for three seconds and reached out to turn off the screen.
…..
“Good evening everyone. Today I’m going to show you a new game that I just got.”
She pressed the start button, and the holographic screen suddenly lit up. The whistle of the Star Train and the buzz of the quantum flow came from the speakers.
In the picture, Kafka is leaning on a throne made of chains, her burgundy hair hanging down like a waterfall, and the teardrop mole at the corner of her eye is shining in the light.
Gui Naifen unconsciously moved closer to the camera and said, “This modeling…
Even the eyelashes are clearly visible, it’s even more detailed than the Galaxy 3A blockbuster I watched last week.”
The barrage exploded all of a sudden.
[Oh my god! The star core pattern on Kafka’s skirt is moving! ][Host, look at the ends of her hair! They are blowing in the quantum wind!][Isn’t this the test footage from the space station that was leaked before? Who got the full version? ]Gui Naifen controls the character to run forward.
“This detail…”
Her voice was trembling, and her fingers were shaking slightly as she used her ultimate move. Kafka’s chains exploded at once, and the familiar scent of jasmine mixed with the crisp smell of star core energy entered her nose, taking her back to the time when she was a child guarding her mother’s old box.
Alarms in the live broadcast room sounded at the same time.
[System prompt: The current number of online users has exceeded 100,000! ][System prompt: The audience’s reward has reached today’s limit! ]“Wait, wait!”
Gui Naifen hurriedly pressed the pause button and said, “Don’t rush to send gifts, I don’t even know the name of the game…”
She turned her head to look at the young boy Lin Fan who was huddled in the corner. Lin Fan was wearing a washed-out gray jacket with some solder marks on the cuffs.
Gui Naifen asked: “Xiao Lin, what kind of game is this?”
Lin Fan pushed his glasses up. The screen of the terminal in his hand was on, showing the real-time data of Galaxy Mall. The download volume was soaring at a rate of three digits per second. This test account with all characters fully trained was created by him when he was developing the game in order to test the final effect. Now that the game is popular, he wants to thank the audience and the anchor through this account.
Lin Fan said, “‘Honkai Impact 3: Sky Railway’ was just uploaded this morning.”
His voice was steady, but his Adam’s apple moved, and he continued, “I developed it.”
The barrage was suddenly filled with “Wow, the developers are on the scene!”
One viewer took a screenshot and said that the arc of the chain exploding in Kafka’s ultimate special effect is exactly the same as the wave diagram of the star core energy in reality. Another highlighted comment posted a comparison picture, saying that the quantum cabin of the Black Tower Space Station in the game and the surveillance footage in the news when the antimatter army attacked three days ago are exactly the same, even the position of the rust on the ventilation duct is exactly the same.
Gui Naifen smiled and reached for the live button, saying, “I want to download it myself!”
As a result, it was blocked by a screen full of “Don’t”.
[You’re running away after just ten minutes of watching? 】
[Host, are you willing to let us watch the recording? ][Please continue! Please ask the developer to answer questions on the spot! ]Lin Fan touched the back of his neck, took out a chip from his coat pocket, and said, “I have a test account here, and all the characters are fully trained.”
When he handed it over, Gui Naifen saw a small weld mark on his fingertips.
Lin Fan said, “For you.”
The barrage was quiet for two seconds, and then became even crazier.
[??? Developer, wake up! This account can be sold for 500,000 credits on the black market!][Host, please say thank you, boss! ][That’s not right. It’s so embarrassing to take something for free. Shouldn’t the host show some appreciation? ]Gui Naifen stared at the gold-plated “Pioneer” logo on the chip and suddenly laughed.
She took out her terminal, checked her credit balance, and said, “Then I… transfer 500,000 to you?”
His finger hovered on the confirmation button, and he said, “Just consider it as… buying the long-term live broadcast rights?”
The tips of Lin Fan’s ears suddenly turned red.
He looked at the five hundred thousand that suddenly arrived in his account on the terminal, and remembered that he was still eating cold compressed biscuits in the garbage area yesterday, and the mold stains on the plastic packaging could not be wiped off.
Lin Fan cleared his throat and said, “Okay. But next time during the live broadcast…”
Gui Naifen rushed to say:…
Chapter 5: Coffee Shock! (Old Version)
“Let’s try the story mode today, maybe there will be a big surprise.”
As she spoke, she asked the audience to guess what characters might appear. Then she clicked the start button, and in the screen, Kafka was surrounded by the antimatter army, and the chains were cracked in the battle.
Just as Gui Naifen tightened her grip on the controller, the screen suddenly flickered, and a silver-haired girl ran out of the screen. Her eyes behind her black-framed glasses flashed with data light, and her fingers typed out a line of code: [Rubbish code, look at this genius]The screen was filled with binary data streams, and the antimatter army’s mechas were instantly shattered into pieces.
The barrage exploded like fireworks.
[This is the Silver Wolf! I’ve seen it on the Star Core Hunter Wanted Poster! ][Her skill special effect is code rain? This is even cooler than Kafka! ][Silver Wolf, is the data stream on your glasses real? A similar pop-up appeared on my terminal yesterday! ]Silver Wolf rescued Kafka and suddenly said, “The old woman in the Black Tower is researching new experimental subjects again. Are you sure you want to get involved?”
Gui Naifen’s hands trembled, and she almost pressed the wrong key. In the news three days ago, the Black Tower Space Station said that it had “successfully stopped the antimatter army from destroying the quantum cabin.” In the picture accompanying the news, the scratches on the outer wall of the space station were exactly the same as the code track typed by Silver Wolf in the game.
Gui Naifen said in a weak voice: “Everyone…
You guys think, this game… is it…”
[It’s terrifying when you think about it! ][Is it possible for developers to predict the future? 】
[Please ask Lin Fan to come out and explain!!!]On the other hand,
Walter spurted out the coffee with a “puff”, and the metal floor of the Star Dome Train was dyed dark brown. He covered his mouth and coughed so hard that a drop of unswallowed coffee was still hanging on the edge of the cup.
Ji Zi was in a hurry, and several drops of coffee splashed on the front of her apron. The coffee grounds on the ends of her hair fell down with her movements.
She asked loudly:
“Laowa! What’s wrong with you——”
“Cough…cough!”
Walter took the tissue handed to him by March 7, wiped the corner of his mouth, then looked up at the crooked coffee stain on the ceiling, and the tips of his ears turned red.
He said:
“This bean… was it picked up from the waste pile of Taipusi? The taste is too bad.”
“How can that be possible!”
Ji Zi squatted down to pick up the broken mug on the ground, with a hint of grievance in her voice.
She said:
“I specially asked my friend in Xianzhou to get me the ‘Luofu Morning Dew’. He said it was watered with the mist from the Scale Abyss Realm… But maybe the water temperature or proportion was not right this time.”
She suddenly stopped, looked up, and saw that Walter wanted to say something but didn’t, and she couldn’t help but laughed out loud.
And he said:
“Okay, okay, I won’t bother Xindouzi next time. Your stomach is more valuable than Danheng’s chess manual.”
Dan Heng was huddled in a corner holding a teacup. When he heard this, he choked on his tea.
He shouted:
“How did my chess record offend you?”
Old Yang, who had been silent, suddenly came over, holding a wet towel and trying to wipe the coffee stains on the cuffs of Walter’s suit.
Old Yang’s hair was all white, and his lenses were still stained with the liquid that Walter had just sprayed with coffee.
“I just said that the heat was overcooked, but you insisted on trusting Xiaoji’s craftsmanship…”
“Old Yang.”
Walter held his hand and lowered his voice.
He asked:
“Last time in Yalilo-VI, you said you saw ‘yourself’…”
Lao Yang’s hand shook violently and the towel fell to the ground with a “bang”.
Jizi stood up immediately, her apron strings swinging behind her.
She comforted Lao Yang:
“Old Yang, that was a coincidence. The personality you separated in the Quantum Ocean disappeared along with the purification of the star core. Now you are Old Yang who has been driving the train for three hundred years, and you are Old Yang who would secretly give Dan Heng ginger tea when he stayed up late to read ancient books.”
She bent down to pick up the towel, and when she handed it to Lao Yang, she gently pinched the back of his hand.
“A new personality? It’s not so easy to just appear like that.”
Lao Yang stared at the water marks on the towel for a while and suddenly laughed.
“I am possessed. Xiaoji is right. It is so nice now—”
He looked up at the people in the carriage: Danheng was secretly hiding the teacup behind March Seventh, who was holding up the terminal and shouting.
March 7 Shouts:
“Everyone, please watch Gui Naifen’s live broadcast!”
Silver Wolf crossed his legs and slumped on the sofa, playing with the game controller.
Old Yang continued:
“It’s much more lively than when I was in the Fire Moth.”
Walter patted him on the shoulder and his eyes fell on the terminal that March 7 was holding high.
Walter said:
“This live broadcast is quite interesting, come and have a look.”
So everyone on the train came over to watch the live broadcast.
On the screen, Gui Naifen’s live broadcast room was full of comments. Her voice was a little nervous and trembling.
She shouted: …
Chapter 6: The hidden plot of the Star Core Hunter line has been triggered! (Old version)
“Family members! The hidden plot of the Star Core Hunter line has been triggered! The group of virtual soldiers – ah, be careful! Behind Kafka!”
Kafka held a cigarette in her mouth, the approaching shadow of the pawn reflected in her red eyes, and she slowly twirled the sickle in her hand.
Until the tentacle of the nearest pawn was about to touch the tip of her hair, a blue light came from the side. It turned out to be Silver Wolf riding a hoverboard into the battlefield, the blue highlights on the tip of his hair exploded with the movement, the terminal screen unfolded in her palm, and the data stream flowed down like the Milky Way.
Silver Wolf shouted:
“Final move!”
Her voice was mixed with the unique electronic sound of the game. On the screen, she raised her hand and pressed the terminal. Countless codes turned into blue blades of light, covering the entire group of virtual soldiers like a net.
The Xu soldier who was hit screamed, and his body shattered into stardust like a crushed glass bottle.
The live broadcast room was flooded with comments:
[My wolf is going crazy! This special effect is even cooler than the space station’s jump engine! ][Why is Sister Ka still laughing? Help me, she is so crazy, I love her so much][Please return the Silver Wolf skin! The official generously points out a dynamic illustration][The above, this game has only been online for three days, do you think it is the Black Tower opening card pool? ]Gui Naifen’s face appeared in the corner of the screen. She was holding the dedicated terminal for live broadcast, and the tips of her ears were red.
“Did you see that, family members? Silver Wolf’s finishing move was designed based on her hacking ability, and even the skill lines are—”
She suddenly stopped. On the screen, Kafka had bent down to pick up the star core on the ground. The purple ball of light was spinning in her palm, trembling slightly like a living thing.
Kafka’s voice was sweet and nonchalant.
“Carrier selects ‘Star’.”
She turned and looked at the girl huddled in the ruins.
The girl was wearing a white shirt with dust on the cuffs and her eyes were wide open like a frightened deer.
Gui Naifen’s voice was weak.
She shouted:
“Wait – aren’t the carriers in the game randomly drawn? Why did Kafka call out the names directly?”
The comments were quiet for two seconds, then became even more lively:
【Thinking carefully is terrifying +10086】
[Is it possible that the developer installed surveillance cameras in Xianzhou? ][Xing? This name sounds familiar——]On the screen, Kafka’s fingers brushed across Xing’s collarbone, and the star core suddenly flew out from her palm and pierced into the girl’s chest with a “puff”.
Xing’s body suddenly arched, a broken scream came from his throat, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
Kafka fiddled with it like a delicate toy, with her finger touching Xing’s brow.
She whispered:
“From now on, you are the container of the star core and your own master. Remember—”
She leaned over to Xing’s ear and whispered:
“Fear makes the core more delicious.”
Gui Naifen’s hands trembled and the terminal almost fell on the table.
She stared at the black game interface and her throat moved.
“Family members…wasn’t that scene just now…too real?”
“really.”
A sudden voice came from behind, which scared Gui Naifen so much that she almost jumped up from her chair.
It turned out that Esta and the others watched the live broadcast on the train and found it interesting, so they came to Gui Naifen’s live broadcast room.
Gui Naifen turned around and saw Ester standing at the door of the live broadcast room, with the ends of her hair still stained with snowflakes from the space station. Sanyueqi and Danheng were clinging behind her, peeking their heads out.
Gui Naifen asked:
“Why are you here? I just got off the air–“
Esta shook the terminal in her hand, and the game login interface appeared on the screen.
“I’m not looking for you. Sanyueqi said that the ‘Sanyueqi’ in the game looks exactly like her, and Danhengfei said that the character’s weapon has a ‘resonance’ with his dragon-shaped light cone. We think this game may have something to do with us, and I want to see what kind of game it is that can make these two usually silent guys anxious.”
March 7th jumped up immediately.
“Really! Look!”
She snatched Esta’s terminal, opened the character interface, and the pink-haired girl’s portrait blinked on the screen.
“Even the plum blossom hair ornament in my hair has been restored! And also——”
She pulled Danheng over.
explain:
“Show yours to Ester!”
The tips of Danheng’s ears turned red, but he still clicked on his character card.
A dragon-shaped light cone unfolded in the picture, and the patterns on its scales were exactly the same as the light cone he carried with him.
Esta’s eyes widened a little and she touched the screen lightly with her finger.
“This…can’t be a coincidence.”
March 7th, with her hands on her hips.
Chapter 7: Snowfield Elite Monster Raid! (Old Version)
“That’s why I said that! It must be that developer named Lin Fan who has seen us in Xianzhou! Lao Yang said that his IP address is located in Luofu, maybe he is in——”
“cough.”
Walter’s voice came from the terminal.
“The train is heading back to the space station. Xiao Ai, are you ready to pick us up?”
Esta responded, and before hanging up the phone, she saw Silver Wolf walking up the stairs behind her, the blue highlights on the ends of his hair shining in the corridor light.
Silver Wolf held the terminal with a faint smile on his face, his fingers against the door to the rooftop.
“Stationmaster, I’m going to get some fresh air.”
I thought to myself: This game is connected to the space station defense system, maybe there is some secret, I have to find out.
Estelle said casually:
“Don’t fall.”
When she turned around, she didn’t notice the code jumping on the Silver Wolf terminal screen – Black Tower Space Station Firewall Cracking Progress: 17%.
Silver Wolf reached the rooftop, placed the terminal on the railing, and tapped rapidly on the virtual keyboard.
Silver Wolf looked at the constantly changing numbers on the screen and suddenly laughed.
“Interesting… How come the game’s server is connected to the space station’s defense system? There must be something going on here. Maybe we can find clues about the train or the star core.”
The terminal prompt sounded and the cracking progress jumped to 23%.
The silver wolf tilted his head, and the ends of his hair brushed against the cold metal railings.
“It seems… we need to add some ingredients.”
She chuckled, and at this moment the terminal suddenly issued a shrill alarm.
Silver Wolf (raised his eyebrows): “Yo, the anti-invasion program of the space station has been activated.”
As she spoke, she took out a blue memory chip from her coat and embedded it into the terminal interface with a “click”.
Silver Wolf: “Let me show you what the Star Core Hunter’s skills are.”
The data flow suddenly became like a waterfall of light, and the originally tight firewall was torn like thin paper under this attack.
Silver Wolf stared at the progress bar that exceeded 90%, leaning closer to the screen with a dangerous yet happy smile on his face.
Silver Wolf: “So the cassette data for ‘Punk Lord Spirit’ is hidden in the core database of the space station?”
“bite–“
The terminal beeped to indicate completion, and Silver Wolf’s finger just happened to press the confirmation button.
She looked at the cassette data compression package that popped up on the screen and saved it into the encrypted space she carried with her.
Silver Wolf: “It’s easier than I thought.”
She muttered as she put away the terminal and turned to see the track lights of the Star Train in the distance.
Silver Wolf: “However, this game is much more interesting than the rumors say.”
At the same time, in Xianzhou Live City, three light years away from the Black Tower Space Station, Gui Naifen’s live broadcast room was packed.
Audience (screaming in the headset): “Fenfen! Try out the new character! I watched Estelle’s skill effects ten times last time!”
Gui Naifen (flusteredly adjusting the game controller): “Don’t worry, don’t worry – this time the official said they’re going to open up the combined skills of ‘Pioneer’ and ‘March 7th’. I’ll try the basic attack first…”
The screen lit up and Gui Naifen held her breath.
She pressed the attack button, and the light blade in the virtual character’s hand emitted a pale golden light. When it slashed at the monster, fine stardust special effects really appeared in the air.
Gui Naifen (raising her voice): “Oh my god! This modeling! This sense of impact!
Audience, look to the left! The particle effect when the monster is hit is gradual! From orange-red to silver-white, it is completely consistent with the fate of the pioneers, “destruction”——”
The barrage was full of “WTF” and reward special effects came one after another.
Gui Naifen swallowed and switched to the role of March Seventh.
Gui Naifen: “Now try March Seven’s finishing move!”
She took a deep breath and pressed the combination key. An ice-blue light burst on the screen, and countless ice crystals fell from the sky, forming a translucent ice shield around March Seven.
Gui Naifen (her fingers almost crushed the game controller): “Who in the family understands! The light and shadow effects of this ice shield are dynamic! There are three layers of gradient from the outside to the inside, and even the reflected aurora is calculated in real time–“
Before he could finish his words, a system prompt popped up on the screen.
System prompt: [Detected that the connection between Pioneer and March 7 has reached 100%, triggering the hidden plot: Snowfield Elite Monster Raid! ]The scene changed, and a large mechanical beast smashed through the ice field, and the ice cone-like spikes on its tail flew towards March 7.
Gui Naifen frantically operated the system and found that the character’s stamina bar was almost gone. She was sweating profusely and was about to apologize and start over when a golden pop-up window popped up in the center of the screen.
System prompt: [The remaining characters in the novice protection period have been unlocked – Dan Heng Yin Yue! ]Gui Naifen (her voice cracked): “Free?!
Official, look at what you are doing? This is the limited role that was said to be 648 in the last live broadcast——”
The comments were all filled with “I’m awesome” and “So official and generous”.
Dan Heng Yin Yue’s shadow appeared on the screen, his long black hair moved on its own, and the golden pattern at the end of his eyes flashed with a bewitching light. He raised his hand, and the green dragon-shaped sword energy split the air, accurately splitting the mechanical beast’s tail spike in half.
Gui Naifen (almost jumped up from her chair) said: …..
Chapter 8: The game is getting more popular! (Old version)
“See? The scales of the dragon-shaped sword energy can move!
When the stinger breaks, the metal fragments fly in hundreds of different trajectories. This detail——”
The system prompt sounded again.
Gui Naifen stared at the screen, suddenly covered her mouth, her eyes turned red.
Gui Naifen: “Family members… it’s Aunt Ji Zi…”
Ji Zi with long burgundy hair stood on the screen, with liquid light particles dripping from the flame gun in her hand.
Gui Naifen said with a trembling voice: “This is… the ‘Hunter’ destiny character in the limited pool…
The official announcement said it would be available after the version update… and now it’s being given away directly?”
The barrage of comments went crazy, full of “wife” and “official, I’ll give you money”, and the light from the reward special effects made the live broadcast room as bright as day.
Gui Naifen wiped her tears and raised the handle to face the camera.
Gui Naifen: “Family, I declare this game the conscience of the year! Right now–“
At this time, the terminal prompt sound interrupted her.
Gui Naifen looked down at the private terminal at her feet and her eyes widened – it was the exclusive communication code of the Starry Sky Train.
She hurriedly pressed the answer button, and Ji Zi’s voice came through.
Ji Zi said with a smile: “Xiao Fen, the live broadcast is very exciting. But…can you send me a copy of the game’s background data? Lao Yang said there is some ‘interesting things’ that he wants to watch with me.”
Gui Naifen looked at Ji Zi, who was still performing her finishing move on the screen, and then looked at Ji Zi’s appearance in the communication interface, and shuddered. She subconsciously looked up at the holographic projection in the live broadcast room, and Ji Zi there just turned her head, and the smile at the end of her eyes was exactly the same as the voice in the communication.
Gui Naifen said in a panic: “Okay, okay! I’ll send it right away–“
After hanging up the call, Gui Naifen’s hands were still shaking. She looked at the game screen again, and there was a drop of light liquid on the tip of Ji Zi’s flame gun that was about to fall off, which was strangely synchronized with the action of Ji Zi holding up the coffee cup in the real communication interface.
In the cockpit of the Starry Sky Train, Walter pushed up his glasses and showed the terminal to Jizi.
Walter: “The data shows that the IP location of the game server is… in Xianzhou Luofu.”
Ji Zi touched the terminal screen with her finger, and a line of flickering code appeared in the shadow of the coffee cup on the desktop.
Ji Zi smiled and said, “It seems… we should go meet this developer.”
In the cockpit of the Starry Sky Train, the blue light of the holographic projection illuminated Ji Zi.
Gui Naifen made a lot of preparations for the live broadcast, and released a wonderful preview of Ji Zi’s skills in the game in advance. At this moment, Ji Zi was holding a coffee cup, her hand suspended in mid-air, the steam from the cup had not yet dissipated, but the numbers on the terminal screen were hotter than the steam.
Jizi said:
“Old Yang, are you sure this isn’t some new type of Star Dome Virus?”
After she finished speaking, she tapped the edge of the terminal with her fingers, and the bottom of the coffee cup hit the metal tabletop with a “ding” sound.
Walter pushed up his glasses, swiped his fingers quickly on the virtual keyboard, called up a string of encrypted codes, and said:
“The server firewall is more stringent than the cloud cavalry guard post of Xianzhou, and the IP location is near Changletian in Luofu. What’s even funnier is——”
He called up the live broadcast room’s real-time screen recording, paused at the scene where Gui Naifen was holding up the terminal and cheering, and said:
“The live broadcast equipment this girl is using is an old model that was discarded by Black Tower Laboratory three years ago. It should have been thrown into the recycling bin long ago.”
Jizi raised an eyebrow and gently placed the coffee cup on the coaster.
She swiped her finger across the screen, instantly erasing all the comments. All that was left in the blue light in the room was Gui Naifen’s shouting:
“Look here, family! Sister Jizi’s passive skill has been triggered! When three layers of flame burning are stacked, it will explode. This damage – wow, this special effect is too awesome!”
The cockpit suddenly became quiet.
Walter glanced at Ji Zi’s expression and saw that she was staring at the game character on the screen holding a flaming spear with red-gold light flashing at the ends of her hair. The smile in the corners of her eyes was more obvious than usual.
Walter asked:
“What are you thinking about?”
Jizi held her chin, put her finger to her mouth and said:
“I’m thinking, if San Yue Qi saw this game, she would probably exchange all the snacks on the train for draw tickets.”
Just as I finished speaking, the terminal rang. It was a message from March 7:
“Old Yang, Old Yang! The staff at the space station said that Station Master Estelle is playing a new game. Do you and Sister Jizi know about it?”
Ji Zi’s finger paused on the send key, and finally replied “busy”.
She turned her head and looked at the screen again. Ji Zi in the game was holding a spear, and the flame at the tip of the spear drew a star track in the void.
Jizi whispered:
“Don’t tell her yet. This game… is more fun than just watching.”
In an attic in Xianzhou Luofu, Lin Fan stared at the prompt “Progress Points +100” on the system panel, his mouth grinning from ear to ear.
The system’s electronic sound is still ringing:
“It has been detected that the popularity of the host game has exceeded 100,000 downloads. The reward is [Galaxy-level Promotional Position] – you can choose any interstellar public area to place an advertisement for 72 hours.”
He scratched his hair, glanced at the real-time picture of the Black Tower Space Station in the terminal, and said:
Chapter 9: How about… just one draw?! (Old version)
“There are a lot of people in the space station, and there’s also someone like Station Master Estelle who loves to try new things.”
He quickly operated the terminal and projected the promotional space onto the public holographic screen of the space station.
In a few seconds, the corridors, laboratories, and even the ceiling of the cafeteria of the Black Tower Space Station all showed dynamic posters of the game. Silver Wolf was holding a tablet and tilting his head to smile, while Bluebird was shaking the dice and saying “It’s worth drawing a card”, and the last scene was frozen at Jizi holding a gun, and a line of small golden words flashed by:
“Download “Echoes of the Stars” and fight with your fellow train riders”
Ajie, a staff member of the space station, was walking down the corridor with a cup of coffee. When he looked up, he was dazzled by Ji Zi on the holographic screen and said:
“Isn’t this Sister Jizi from the train?”
He took out his terminal and scanned the QR code on the poster. As the download progress bar finished, he heard his colleague behind him shout:
“Look, Jack! The holographic screen in the stationmaster’s office is also playing this!”
Estelle is really watching.
She lay on the desk, the terminal screen was dazzlingly bright, her fingers quickly swiped across the card drawing interface, and she muttered:
“Ten consecutive draws… Ten consecutive draws…”
Suddenly her eyes widened – a blue light flashed in the card pool, and a girl in a white coat with curly hair was holding a pile of documents. It was her!
Esta jumped up holding the terminal, almost knocking over the starry sky model on the table, and said:
“This, this is ‘Space Station Captain Esta’? Her skill is ‘Emergency Order’, which can increase the attack of the entire team by 20%? This looks too much like me!”
The news spread throughout the station.
Alan, who was debugging an instrument in the laboratory, heard the noise, stood at the door with his hands folded, and said:
“There have been a lot of strange things related to the star core recently. Suddenly, a game of unknown origin popped up… It may not be safe.”
Having said this, he still took out his terminal and downloaded the game.
The sound of a card being drawn rang out with a “ding” sound, and the tips of his ears turned a little red – the card showed Esta wearing combat uniform, with the star track dome of the space station as the background, and the skill introduction read “Tactical Support: Provide absolute defense for designated targets.”
Alan whispered:
“It’s just… I have to play it myself to check it out.”
As he spoke, he pointed his finger at the “Ten Pulls” button again.
At this time, Gui Naifen’s live broadcast room was almost packed.
Her hands were sweating as she held the terminal, and her voice was trembling with excitement as she said:
“Family! Here comes the point! Sister Jizi’s finishing move – ‘Star Track Burning City’!”
In the game screen, Ji Zi’s spear suddenly emitted a dazzling light.
She looked up at the sky, and a huge star track projection appeared behind her. Many red-gold light particles gathered together in the void, and finally turned into a railgun across the sky.
Someone shouted in the barrage:
“Isn’t this… a smaller version of the train’s main gun?”
Gui Naifen’s breathing became disordered, and she said:
“Look at the skill description! The railgun will lock onto the enemy’s core, and the damage is 400% of the attack power! Three, two, one–“
The railgun fired with a “boom”.
The red-gold beam tore the screen apart, and some viewers in the live broadcast room’s holographic projection subconsciously raised their hands to block it.
When the light faded, only a pile of black residue remained of the enemy on the screen. Jizi put away her gun and turned around. The flames at the ends of her hair swayed gently, and the smile at the corners of her eyes overlapped with Jizi in the train cockpit in reality.
“I declare this Modeling of the Month!”
“The skill’s special effects are more powerful than a star core explosion!”
“Stationmaster Esther just said in the barrage that she wants to drain the Himeko card pool!”
Gui Naifen looked at the constantly refreshing reward record, and then glanced at the download volume in the corner of the terminal – it had exceeded one million.
She swallowed and stared at Himeko in the game again.
The shadow of the railgun was still flickering in her eyes. She opened the card pool interface for some unknown reason, her finger stopped on the “ten consecutive draws” button, her heart beating so fast that it was about to jump out.
Gui Naifen whispered:
“How about… just one draw?”
The sound was drowned out by the cheers in the live broadcast room, but the roommate who just walked in with a cup of coffee heard it.
My roommate came over to look and said:
“Xiao Guizi, are you crazy? The probability of drawing cards in this game is—”
Gui Naifen bit her lip, pressed the button hard, and said:
“Just once!”
At this moment, in the cockpit of the Starry Sky Train, Ji Zi’s terminal suddenly vibrated.
She looked down and saw a message from the Black Tower:
Chapter 10: Xiao Guizi draws cards like crazy! (Old version)
“Old Yang, your navigator’s popularity in the game has surpassed mine.”
Jizi looked up at the star tracks outside the window, the smile on her face became more obvious, and she whispered:
“It seems that we have to bring forward our visit.”
As soon as Gui Naifen’s finger touched the “ten consecutive draws” button, the barrage of comments in the live broadcast room exploded.
“Xiao Guizi rushed!”
“Sister Jizi, look at me!”
“If the anchor goes astray, I’ll give you ten sets of Galaxy Meteors!”
She took a deep breath, and the terminal screen glowed with a faint blue light.
When the first card drawing animation came out, her nails almost dug into her palms.
All that came out were Samsung’s basic light cones.
“ah……”
She made a slight sound, and her roommate came over to take a look, patted her on the shoulder and said:
“I told you long ago that the probability of the general ticket pool is low. Look at the lower right corner of the interface. The limited pool must be drawn using the Star Dome.”
Gui Naifen then saw the small print in the card pool description and read:
“The limited character card pool requires the consumption of the Star Dome. The guaranteed mechanism is that you will definitely get a five-star after 90 draws. After 50 draws, the probability of getting a five-star will increase.”
She quickly ran her finger over the instructions, thinking that she had just used the ordinary ticket given by the system, no wonder it was all crooked.
“I charge the starry sky.”
She grabbed the terminal and opened the recharge interface of the Galaxy Mall.
My roommate gasped and said, “Are you crazy? The exchange rate between Star Dome and credit points is 1:1000, and fifty draws cost fifty thousand credit points! That’s enough to buy half a quantum communicator!”
But Gui Naifen stared at the picture of Ji Zi holding the railgun on the screen and could only hear her own heart beating rapidly.
She remembered the animation of Ji Zi’s ultimate move, in which the orbital cannon blasted away the light particles in the star track, just like the meteors she saw in the Xianzhou Yunqi Army’s training ground when she was a child.
“charge.”
She bit her lip to confirm the payment, and the credit point number in her account jumped wildly, finally stopping at “-50000”.
The terminal vibrated twice, and a notification popped up indicating that 500 Stars had been deposited into her account. She calmed down instead.
“Fifty draws, the guaranteed minimum should come out at least.”
She smiled at her roommate, waved at the camera and said, “Family, please watch me. I won’t leave the show until I get Ji Zi today!”
The light effect of the first ten-shot burst is brighter than before.
Two four-star light cones pop out first, followed by March 7th.
“It’s the same again…”
Gui Naifen was a little disappointed, but the screen automatically jumped to the Star Soul interface.
The star soul icon of March 7 was flashing, and the third star soul read “fire an additional ice spike when counterattacking.”
Her eyes lit up and she said, “So playing with duplicate characters can unlock star souls! What if I get full lives…”
The barrage immediately started:
“March 7th is also very fragrant”
“The anchor has started planning for the future”
Her ears turned red, but she didn’t turn off the barrage. Instead, she held the terminal tighter.
As soon as the second round of ten draws started, the reward reminders in the live broadcast room kept ringing.
This time there was a little more green in the light effect. When the character portrait appeared, Gui Naifen stood up suddenly and the terminal almost fell to the ground.
“Isn’t this Su Shang?”
Her voice was shaking, and the audience in the live broadcast room was also shocked:
“This model is exactly the same as the photo the anchor posted before!”
“I know Sister Suchang. She came to send rockets during the last live broadcast!”
Gui Naifen hurriedly clicked on the skill introduction, and burst out laughing when she saw the special effects of the ultimate skill.
“What kind of special effects is this…”
She smiled and wiped the corners of her eyes, and suddenly heard Su Chang’s voice coming from the terminal:
“What weird game is Xiao Guizi playing again?”
She looked up and saw Su Chang eating an ice cream cone on the video call.
Su Chang said: “I just received a message that someone used my face as a game character?”
Gui Naifen held up the terminal and shook it: “Look, look! The ultimate move even includes Fatty Chicken!”
Su Chang leaned closer to the screen, her eyes widened: “This chicken… isn’t this the ‘General’ I raised? Last month, it stole the fruit and was chased and beaten by my grandfather!”
The whole screen is filled with comments:
“DNA moves”
“Official memes are the most deadly”
Gui Naifen didn’t care about these. She took three deep breaths and threw the remaining thirty draws of Starry Sky into the card pool.
The 30th draw of light golden light rained down, and as soon as a burgundy figure appeared, the barrage in the entire live broadcast room stopped.
“Himeko!!!”
Gui Naifen screamed, blending in with the terminal prompt sound.
In the center of the screen, it flashed “Obtained limited five-star character Himeko (1/1)”.
Her roommate hugged her shoulders, and the reward special effects in the live broadcast room covered the game interface. There were galactic meteors, starry sky leaps, and someone even posted the “star core explosion” that was reported to the entire site.
The barrage scrolls wildly:
“I said that Xiao Guizi is full of European energy!”
“Sister Himeko, look at your commander!”
“Please ask the anchor to record the replay of Ji Zi’s ultimate move!”
The clerk heard the voice in the data room, stuck his head out and said:
…….
Chapter 11: Dan Heng, use your ultimate to attack the weak spot! (Old version)
“Did you hear that? There was a cheer coming from the direction of Station Master Ester’s office?”
Esta is in the office, and the terminal screen shows the game interface.
She passed by the live broadcast room and saw Ji Zi’s orbital cannon blasting open the star track, and the hair on the ends of her hair stood up.
“This character must be on my team.”
She muttered as she opened the recharge interface, and the credit points jumped from “**” to “**”.
“I recharged 20 million credit points.”
“Fifty draws guaranteed? Not enough. I want to get the full number of lives.”
Esta’s fingers holding the terminal trembled slightly, and the hair on the ends of her hair trembled gently with the frequency of her breathing. This was her little habit when she was nervous.
The light effects of the ten consecutive draws exploded on the screen, and six diamond-shaped light pieces fell down in a rotation. Among the ten consecutive draws, only the basic character March 7th was of blue quality.
The first one was purple, with Dan Heng’s shadow printed on it, and the blue fins at the end of his hair swaying gently in the light.
The second one is also purple, a cone of light shining with bronze light, and its name is “Promise with the Planet”.
The third one… Su Chang’s ponytail was swung into the light, and the tip of the gun was sparking.
The fourth Natasha’s needle refracted a rainbow in the light.
The fifth and sixth ones are still purple, they are respectively the hat of the wise general and the medal of the protector.
“ha.”
Ester gave a short laugh and rubbed the edge of the terminal with her fingertips.
She had heard about the star rate of this game a long time ago, but seeing six purples surrounding one blue (although this blue was the basic character Sanyueqi) reminded her of the last time she replaced parts for the space station engine. She had prepared ten sets of backup energy sources, but they were all used to repair the cooling system. It was ridiculous.
“Again,” Estelle said.
She clicked “Ten Consecutive Clicks” faster than before, as if she was afraid of regretting it.
This time the light effect was brighter, with two golden rays breaking through the purple mist.
One of them is the light cone “The Ritual of Breakfast” and the other is Natasha’s constellation.
Esta stared at the hint “Natasha – Same Fate (2/6)” and suddenly laughed out loud:
“If the medical department of the space station knew that their savior had a constellation in my card pool, they would probably all apply for a transfer.”
The credit point number dropped visibly, and when it jumped from “**” to “**”, the terminal suddenly emitted a clear phoenix sound.
Esta’s eyes suddenly widened. In the golden light, there appeared a galaxy-like silhouette under the white coat. The strands of hair on the forehead were blown up by the invisible wind. It was Walter Yang.
Estelle said: “Is there a guaranteed minimum in the novice pool?”
She blinked, her finger hovering over the “Confirm” button without moving.
Walter’s character introduction unfolds on the right side of the screen: imaginary number attributes, group control ability, and ultimate move that can collapse space.
Estelle suddenly remembered what Walter said during his lecture at the space station last week:
“The Star Train needs a partner who can handle all the unknowns.”
She gently poked Walter’s face on the screen and said with a smile:
“So you were waiting for me here?”
But this joy only lasted three seconds.
She quickly switched back to the permanent card pool, and the credit point number had changed to “**”.
Estelle whispered to the screen:
“Himeko… I’ve seen you blast away star tracks with rail guns, and I’ve seen you use fire to protect your teammates. You should stand in the most conspicuous place.”
At the same time, people were drawing cards in Esta’s office, and a slight metal friction sound came from the ventilation duct of the main control compartment of the space station.
Silver Wolf huddled in the pipe, the blue highlights on the ends of his hair sweeping across the dust on the pipe wall.
Silver Wolf thought to himself: I originally came here to look for the game cartridge that was rumored to be “able to connect to the Galaxy Mall”, but I am the most powerful hacker in the entire galaxy, and I have to be careful and pay attention to any technology that can bypass the Star Core Hunter firewall.
At this time, a conversation between two clerks was heard in the corridor below.
Section Officer A said, “Did you hear? Station Master Ester is going crazy when she draws cards!”
Section Officer B said, “Not only that, I just passed by the live broadcast room and saw the anchor named Gui Naifen using her newly drawn Jizi to fight Doommon! The tentacles of that monster are exactly the same as the ones that invaded the Immortal Boat last time, even the weak spots are exactly the same!”
Silver Wolf listened and tapped out the rhythm of Morse code on the pipe wall with his fingers.
The information of Doommon is the top secret of the Star Core Hunters. Even she has only seen the video when she was carrying out missions with Kafka.
Silver Wolf turned over and jumped out of the pipe. The hood of her black sweatshirt slipped down, revealing the silver earring on her left ear, which she had exchanged with the mechanical house using the virus program she had written.
The door of the live broadcast room in the main control cabin was not closed tightly, and Gui Naifen’s voice and game sound effects came out:
“March 7! Give Ji Zi a shield! Dan Heng, use your ultimate to attack the weak spot!”
The moment Silver Wolf pushed open the door, the Doomsday Beast on the screen just raised its tentacles, and dark purple mucus dripped onto the virtual ground, corroding smoking holes.
Silver Wolf’s eyes narrowed into a line.
The model of the Doomsday Beast in the game, even the arrangement of the scales at the joints of the tentacles, is exactly the same as that in the Star Core Hunter file. Even stranger is that when Gui Naifen operated March Seven to deploy the shield, the star track pattern on the edge of the shield was 73% similar to the core code of the Black Tower Space Station’s defense system.
Silver Wolf sneered:
Chapter 12: Sister Jizi, please give me some strength! (Old version)
“Turn-based?”
As she spoke, she tapped quickly on the terminal, trying to hack into the game backend.
But when Ji Zi’s ultimate animation started, her fingers suddenly stopped. The moment the railgun condensed, the energy fluctuation frequency of the muzzle was exactly the same as the resonance frequency of the main gun of the Xianzhou Yunqi ship when she saw it charging last time in Xianzhou…
Silver Wolf said: “This is impossible.”
She took off her glasses, wiped the lenses with the corner of her clothes, and put them on again. On the screen, Ji Zi was holding a rail gun, and the flames flowing on the barrel cast a real shadow in the virtual space.
Silver Wolf suddenly remembered what Kafka often said:
“The most dangerous thing is never the known enemy, but the toy that you thought you were in control but suddenly bit you.”
She took out her terminal and sent a message to Kafka:
“I found something interesting.”
In the live broadcast room, Gui Naifen’s forehead was sweating.
The Doommon entered the third stage, and its twelve tentacles waved together, and the barrage in the live broadcast room turned all red.
The comment said: “Watch out for your left hand!”
“Su Chang uses E to taunt!”
“There aren’t enough March Seven Shields!”
“Dan Heng! Your health bar is about to run out!”
Gui Naifen’s fingers moved quickly on the handle, but she was still a little slow. The tail of the Doomsday Beast pierced through Dan Heng’s shield, and the boy’s character card suddenly became seriously injured.
Sanyueqi’s shield value is only 12% left, and Natasha’s healing skill will take 17 seconds to use. The newly drawn Ji Zi was also swept and her health dropped to 30%.
Gui Naifen’s voice trembled a little, but she soon smiled and said:
“Family members… when we play games, we have to be more courageous after each setback, right? Sister Jizi, give me some strength–“
Before he could finish his words, the tentacles of the Doomsday Beast wrapped in purple mist swept over again, and March Seven’s shield broke with a “ding” sound, and Su Chang’s health suddenly dropped to zero.
The barrage of comments suddenly went quiet for a moment, and then it was flooded again.
The barrage said: “Don’t panic, anchor!”
“And Himeko!”
“Leave it alone!”
Gui Naifen took a deep breath, controlled Ji Zi to retreat, and at the same time cut out Natasha to provide continuous treatment for Ji Zi.
The veins on the back of her right hand bulged, and her eyes were fixed on the energy bar in the upper right corner of the screen. Ji Zi’s ultimate skill required 120 energy points, and now it has accumulated to 115.
At this time, a barrage with the special effects of “Star Core Explosion” exploded, and the sender ID was “Silver Wolf hacked three databases today.”
The barrage said: “Shield! Renew the shield for Ji Zi!”
Gui Naifen didn’t think much about it and switched back to March 7th, putting the shield on Ji Zi at the last second before it disappeared.
The energy bar jumped to 120, and her finger was already on the ultimate skill button. Another “Star Core Explosion” barrage popped up:
“Wait! Doommon’s left hand will be restored from its weak state in 5 seconds!”
Gui Naifen whispered, “Why?”
Her fingers hovered over the keys, trembling slightly.
The Doomsday Beast on the screen was lowering its huge body, and the glowing core in its throat began to gather dazzling purple light, which was a sign of a big move to be launched.
Ji Zi’s railgun hummed in her hand, the flames from the muzzle almost burning through the screen, and the scales on Doommon’s left hand were peeling off, revealing the fragile blue tissue underneath.
The reward special effects in the live broadcast room kept flashing, and Gui Naifen’s headphones were filled with the urging voices of the audience, but her eyes were attracted by the mysterious barrage.
Gui Naifen bit her lip and slowly moved her fingers away from the ultimate skill key.
The purple light of Doommon became brighter and brighter, and Jizi’s energy bar began to flicker, which was a warning that the energy of the ultimate move was about to overflow.
The audience shouted: “Xiao Guizi! Open it quickly!”
“Don’t believe that barrage!”
“What’s the matter with the left hand weakness related to the ultimate move?”
Gui Naifen took a deep breath and operated Ji Zi to adjust the position so that the muzzle of the railgun was facing Doommon’s left hand.
She could hear her own heartbeat louder than the game’s sound effects, and the blue light of the terminal screen flickered in her eyes.
When the weakness of Doommon’s left hand was completely exposed, her finger finally pressed down –
Chapter 13: Little Wolf~Do you want to come? (Old version)
…
The purple light at the throat of Doomsday Beast becomes brightest when Ji Zi releases her ultimate move.
Ji Zi’s railgun shot out with a “whoosh”, accurately piercing the place where the scales on Doommon’s left hand had just fallen off.
“boom!”
The screen was shaking so badly that the audience in the live broadcast room could hear the sound of air exploding in the virtual battlefield.
Doommon roared loudly, and its huge body retreated three steps. It dug its left front paw into the ground, and stones flew out like bullets.
The system prompt sound suddenly becomes louder:
“Additional attack triggered!”
Gui Naifen was so nervous that she could hardly breathe.
She remembered that Lin Fan had said that the “weakness chain” mechanism of this game was his most proud design, and breaking one weakness would reveal other hidden weaknesses.
At this moment on the screen, after Ji Zi’s railgun pierced through his left hand, the patterns on the barrel lit up, and it automatically aimed at the small gap under the shoulder armor of Doomsday Beast, and fired two more shots in succession!
The health bar of Doomsday Beast dropped sharply.
The health bar, which originally occupied two-thirds of the screen, was suddenly reduced to half.
The purple light in its throat disappeared, and the big move it had prepared for half a minute was also interrupted. Its head slammed heavily to the ground, shaking the temporary defense line of the Xianzhou Yunqi Army three times.
The audience in the live broadcast room went wild.
Someone shouted:
“Oh my god! This Ji Zi is so fierce!”
Some people say:
“Were those three shots a combo? Chaining weaknesses is so fun!”
The reward special effects in the live broadcast room were as numerous as the Milky Way, and Gui Naifen’s ears were filled with the screams of the audience. She looked at the screen, Ji Zi carrying a smoking rail gun, her hair blown by the air waves, and suddenly understood what Lin Fan meant by “giving the character a soul” – at this time, Ji Zi was much more powerful than the big sister on the Starry Sky Train who always held a cup of coffee and smiled.
At the same time, in the observation room on the top floor of the Black Tower Space Station, Silver Wolf was curled up in a hover chair with three computer screens in front of him all lit up.
The one in the middle was playing Gui Naifen’s live broadcast, and the ones on the left and right were scrolling the game’s data codes.
Silver Wolf bit the lollipop, suddenly bit it hard, looked at the screen and said:
“I see.”
She said to the person next to her: “In the battle just now, I found that when Sanyueqi put a shield on Jizi, Doommon attacked more frequently.”
The person next to him asked, “What’s going on?”
Silver Wolf said: “At first I thought there was something wrong with the AI, but then Gui Naifen deliberately broke the shield, and Ji Zi’s energy bar suddenly increased by three bars.”
The people around were surprised: “So magical?”
Silver Wolf said as he typed on the keyboard: “Use the shield to attract attacks, and you can accumulate energy by getting hit. The combat method of this game is more powerful than the Star Core Hunter’s tactical manual.”
At this time, Ji Zi’s three rail guns blew up Doommon’s weak point, and Silver Wolf sat up straight.
She looked at the screen and said:
“download.”
At the same time, the noise of the staff members talking could be heard from the corridor outside the observation room.
A clerk shouted excitedly:
“Esther drew a new five-star! I just saw the card she took a screenshot of!”
Another clerk said doubtfully:
“Is this true? Didn’t they say that Su Chang will be the UP this time?”
Another staff member explained:
“Didn’t you read the announcement? There’s a small chance you can draw a hidden character in the limited pool! In Esta’s ten consecutive draws, the light effect of the last card is a gradient of black and red!”
When Silver Wolf heard this, his finger stopped on the download progress bar.
She said to herself:
“The black and red gradient light effect…”
She thought of the suspender skirt that Kafka always wore, and the headband she had made with data in the Quantum Sea.
The computer made a “ding” sound, and the download was complete. Silver Wolf somehow opened the card pool interface, and the picture of the new five-star character had not yet loaded, with only half of the face showing.
Silver Wolf whispered:
“No way…”
“If that guy knew he was made into a game character… Tsk, he might even ask the developer for royalties with a smile.”
The alarm light in the observation room suddenly flashed.
Silver Wolf looked up and saw a projection of the black tower appear on the communicator on the wall.
Black Tower said with a smile:
“Little Wolf~ ScrewGum said he discovered new quantum fluctuations in the simulated universe. Do you want to come…”
Silver Wolf immediately said:
“No time.”
After saying that, she cut off the call and looked down at the icon of the game she had just downloaded.
The icon was a mechanical deer holding a star core in its mouth. She thought of the pet of a lazy girl on the fairy boat.
She tapped the screen and muttered to herself: “The hidden character’s skill description includes ‘data manipulation’ and ‘quantum mimicry’…”
The light of the game loading interface flashed in her eyes.
The silver wolf suddenly smiled, revealing its fangs.
She recalled the scene in the live broadcast where Jiko broke Doommon’s weakness, and Kafka’s excitement when she was causing trouble.
Chapter 14: Silver Wolf Enters the Trap! (Old Version)
“This game is quite interesting.”
She pressed “Start Game”.
A quantum server deep in the Black Tower Space Station suddenly rang.
There is a document called “Silver Wolf Test Data”
The document ends with: “It is recommended to add
‘Data Mimicry’ exclusive skill,
Reference target: Star Core Hunter Silver Wolf.”
The holographic projection of the Black Tower Laboratory flashed three times.
The shadow of the mechanical noble Screw Gum appeared in the blue light.
ScrewGum crossed his mechanical arms in front of his chest, and the red optical module shrank slightly, and said:
“So, Ms. Heita, you asked me to come to the space station in person to discuss the new simulated universe project, and you specifically said that you wanted to ‘teach that little wolf who always likes to tinker with quantum turbulence a lesson’?”
Heita turned around with a strawberry-flavored lollipop in his mouth, and the hem of his white coat swept across the laboratory table piled with starry sky maps.
The hair on her head moved, and her fingers produced a stream of data on the quantum terminal, saying:
“At 3:17 yesterday morning, the quantum entanglement degree of the simulated universe zone VII suddenly increased by 37% – Mr. Screw, you should remember that the last time Silver Wolf used data mimicry to change the trajectory of the star core, there was also a similar fluctuation curve.”
Screw-Gum tapped the edge of the table with his mechanical fingers and said:
“Can we conclude that she did it just based on quantum fluctuations?”
Black Tower produced another surveillance video and said:
“And this. Look at the picture. Silver Wolf is squatting at the ventilation duct on the third floor of the space station, legs crossed, using a terminal to connect to the public network. The purple and blue highlights on the tail of her hair look dishonest under the cold light. She stole Estelle’s employee card to surf the Internet. The girl’s account password is ‘March 7th is the cutest’. Who else, except the Star Core Hunter who loves to play tricks on people, would have the time to crack such a stupid password?”
A white light flashed across ScrewGum’s optical module, and he seemed to be convinced. He said:
“I’ll be leaving right away. Have your staff prepare the quantum stabilizer and don’t let that little girl mess up the simulated universe again.”
Black Tower waved his hand to cut off the communication and said:
“Don’t worry~”
Then she turned to the clerk at the door and said:
“Go to the broadcasting room and inform the entire station that Mr. Screw will be here in half an hour—”
She suddenly stopped talking halfway through.
Ester ran over in a hurry, shouting as she ran:
“Let’s go! I got Yan Qing! I have to go to the Xianzhou map and try out his Yunqi spear skills!”
Heita adjusted his glasses and thought about what happened in the morning.
When I passed by the train stop area this morning, Sanyueqi was standing with his hands on his hips arguing with Danheng. Sanyueqi said:
“I’ve already said that we have to break the shield first to fight Doomsday Beast! Look at Xiao Guizi’s live broadcast room——”
Before she finished speaking, the public screen of the entire space station lit up blue light, and Xiao Guizi’s live broadcast screen popped up by itself.
Xiao Guizi was so excited in the live broadcast room that her ponytail was swinging and she shouted:
“Family! The final battle is coming! The pioneers have already led the Doommon to the Star Core Altar. Let’s see if we can——”
The Doomsday Beast on the screen suddenly roared.
The big guy who was thought to be about to fall shook off the wounds on his body, and his sharp teeth rushed towards March 7th who was hiding behind the bunker.
The Pioneer appeared suddenly, and the star core in his hand turned into an indigo light blade. He did not attack, but stood in front of March 7.
Xiao Guizi screamed, blending in with the audience’s comments:
“careful!”
When the light blade and the beast fang collided, the space was distorted.
The pioneer was sucked into a black crack, and when he reappeared, there were star fragments floating under his feet.
Large dark red eyes slowly opened from behind the clouds, and there was a look of destruction in the pupils – that was Nanook, the Star God of Destruction, watching.
Xiao Guizi’s voice was trembling as she shouted:
“I’m better than you, I’m better than you, I’m better than you—Is this a hidden plot? The system didn’t even give me a hint!”
People everywhere in the Black Tower Space Station gasped.
The staff in the rest area gathered in front of the public screen, not caring about the loose bow in Estelle’s hair. On the train, Jizi put down the freshly brewed black tea, her fingers were white from pinching. Even Walter Yang, who had always been calm, came out of the cockpit and stared at the screen.
In the most hidden quantum server room of the space station, Silver Wolf was holding a terminal and drawing cards in the pipe. At this time, he jumped out like a mechanical doll with fast-forward pressed, and rolled and crawled to the large monitoring screen in the room.
The five-star character “Silver Branch” that she had just drawn in the terminal was still flashing with special effects light, but she didn’t even look at it and directly stuffed the terminal into her trouser pocket – that was a limited character that could control data torrents!
But at this time, all she could see were the big dark red eyes on the screen.
Silver Wolf stood on tiptoe and clung to the edge of the screen, his fangs biting his lips until they turned white, and said:
“Nanook’s ability… How could this game be like this…”
The Star God’s gaze lasted only three seconds.
When the Pioneer was blown away by the aftermath of Doomsday Beast, the star core in his chest suddenly emitted a dazzling white light.
A man came walking on the star tracks, his gray-blue cloak fluttering like waves. As soon as the old crutch fell to the ground, the crack in space closed – it was Walter Young, who looked exactly like the navigator of the Starry Sky Train in reality.
Chapter 15: I remember everything~! (Old version)
The terminal of the black tower vibrated.
She looked down at the monitor and her eyes widened – the temperature monitoring of the quantum server showed that the cooling system of the computer room was working hard. Heita knew that the document marked “Silver Wolf Test Data” deep in the server was glowing with an unknown frequency. She also remembered that Silver Wolf had hacked 76 interstellar accounts last month.
Black Tower’s voice rang out in the computer room through the public address system. His voice was sweet, but a little threatening. He said:
“Little Wolf~ It’s fine if you hide in the server to use the Internet, but you dare to use my quantum channel to connect to the foreign server? I remember that you hacked 76 StarCraft accounts last month~”
There was movement in the ventilation duct.
Silver Wolf poked his head out of the pipe, his hair was covered with dust, and he tilted his head to smile, saying:
“Freeze the account? Whatever.”
She shook the terminal in her hand. The screen still showed the image of the pioneers being watched by the Star God. She then said:
“But can you freeze this game?”
After saying that, her figure suddenly turned into a quantum data stream and ran out along the heat dissipation vent of the server.
Heita looked at the empty computer room in the surveillance video, and then glanced at the number of online game users on the terminal which kept increasing – 2.37 million, and it was increasing by several hundred per second.
Heita stood there with a lollipop in his mouth, staring at the icon of “Honkai Impact 3rd” in the terminal in a daze for some reason.
Heita muttered softly:
“Nanook’s Gaze… How many secrets does this game hide?”
In the rest cabin of the Starry Sky Train, the blue light of the holographic projection danced on Jizi’s teacup.
The game controller in her hand was a little warm.
On the screen, Xing is standing in front of the observation deck of the Black Tower Space Station.
There are two options:
「Follow the train and continue your journey」
“Stay in the space station to study quantum physics.”
In the game, you can occasionally see small Easter eggs related to March 7th.
“Old Yang, what do you think if a star in real life…”
Before she finished speaking, the tail of her words was cut off by the game sound effects. Then, she chose the second option, and the star in the projection blinked, turned around and walked towards the quantum laboratory.
Walter Yang was leaning against the door, but now he leaned forward. He had seen too many forks in his destiny, but this was the first time he saw this possibility in a game—Xing did not become a “pioneer star”, but instead wore a white coat and worked on a particle collider in the laboratory with Heita, occasionally talked to Estelle about the newly developed mechanical dog, watched the star tracks for forty years at the space station observatory, and finally smiled and closed his eyes in front of the quantum projector he designed.
When the ending scene disappeared, Ji Zi found that the back of her hands were sweating.
A line of words popped up on the holographic screen: “When choices are made with tenderness, adventure and stability are never antonyms.”
She picked up the tea, only to find it was completely cold. She continued:
“You understand people’s hearts better than I thought.”
Walter stroked his beard and stared at the photo of Xing and Heita at the end. In the photo, Heita was holding a lollipop and making a “yeah” sign, just like the young scientist who always mentioned “Nanook’s gaze” in real life.
“It even restores the layout of the most hidden observatory in the space station.”
He suddenly stopped talking as the game credits started rolling.
“Special thanks to: March 7 (real identity to be confirmed)”
“Technical Advisor: Walter Yang (Former First Herrscher)”
The last line hit me like a hammer.
Jizi almost dropped the cup in her hand and asked:
“Lao Yang, when did you become the technical consultant for this game?”
Walter’s eyes widened. This name and identity were rarely mentioned on the Star Train. When he looked up, he felt that the star tracks outside the window were distorted. He said:
“I have to meet this developer.”
Just when Ji Zi and Walter were curious about the game developer, something happened on the other side of the Quantum Sea. At the same time, in a floating silver cabin in the Quantum Sea, Silver Wolf was throwing the terminal onto the quantum screen.
Silver Wolf said angrily:
“What kind of shitty server is this? They banned my account because they said my data was abnormal?”
Kafka leaned back in the hover chair, spinning a deck of playing cards with her burgundy-painted nail polish, and said:
“Let me see your precious new game.”
She took the terminal, and the screen just happened to cut to the plot of the Star Core Hunters invading the Black Tower Space Station, which was exactly the same as what they did three months ago.
Kafka raised her eyes and said:
Chapter 16: Wifey Sticky! (Old Version)
“Wait. Even the ‘little scientist’s lollipop is about to melt’ thing I teased Heita about is included in this?”
She slid the screen and saw herself leaning against the terminal, with the curve of her mouth exactly the same as in reality.
Silver Wolf came closer, and the pink hair brushed across the back of Kafka’s hand. In the game, she suddenly raised her hand, and a lavender quantum stream emerged from her fingertips. The special effect was exactly the same as the light pattern when she released “Quantum Erosion” in reality.
Silver Wolf said excitedly:
“Look at the skill animation! But this damage value is wrong – why is Quantum Corrosion Lv.7 only 1200 points? I can obviously deal 1500!”
Kafka smiled and said:
“It looks like our little hacker has met his match.”
She narrowed her eyes and a line of words flashed on the screen: “Special thanks: Star Core Hunter for providing invasion data reference.”
At this time, Silver Wolf’s quantum terminal suddenly vibrated. She casually cut through the group of star core hunters, and the news of the blade popped up, along with a GIF of Zhang Danheng’s dragon form ultimate move.
[Blade: The dragon scale pattern of this move…]That’s all the news.
Silver Wolf raised his eyebrows, and the Dan Heng dragon-shaped special effects rolled on the screen. The pattern on the dragon scales was exactly the same as the totem on the fragments of the ancient book “Drinking Moon Rebellion” that she saw in the Immortal Boat. She was about to reply to the message when Kafka pointed to the corner of the terminal and said:
“Look, that game anchor is getting on the bus.”
At the same time, the Starry Sky Train boarding gate was bustling with activity. Gui Naifen’s live broadcast room was filled with comments. She sat at the boarding gate in a white sweater, and her earphones were filled with the audience’s shouts.
The audience shouted:
“Go ahead, little Guizi!”
“Look at what the train cab looks like!”
“Please trigger the hidden dialogue with Himeko!”
Gui Naifen lowered her head to adjust the live broadcast equipment, and saw on the terminal screen that the Starry Sky Train in the game was emitting a dark blue tail flame and heading towards the star track, just like the train that stopped at Yuehai Pavilion in reality.
Gui Naifen said:
“Then… I’m getting in the car.”
She made a V sign to the camera and just as she stood up, the train whistle sounded.
The moment the door closed, a familiar BGM came out from the terminal speaker, which was the background music for the train departure in the game.
Gui Naifen’s finger paused on the live broadcast button, and vague memories came to her mind, as if she had heard this melody in a room filled with stardust when she was a child.
The conductor shouted:
“Anchor Gui?”
The shout brought her back from her trance. She quickly pressed the button to start the live broadcast. In the camera, Jizi came over with a cup of freshly brewed black tea, followed by Walter stroking his beard.
“Dear audience, our train…is about to depart.”
The metal door frame of the Starry Sky Train closed behind Gui Naifen, and the blue light from the terminal screen just shone on her eyelashes.
The barrage of comments in the live broadcast room suddenly exploded.
“Wifey, stick with me!”
“The train start-up special effects are amazing!”
These colorful words were brushed so fast that the picture was almost blurred.
“Everyone, please wait!”
Gui Naifen tilted her head and smiled at the camera, with the ends of her hair brushing across the light pink birthmark on her left wrist.
She squatted down, and the camera followed to focus on Pam, who was leaning over the console and eating a honey donut.
“Today we are going to follow the train in the game and have a real—”
“A pioneering journey!”
I don’t know who started it in the barrage, but the screen was filled with special effects fireworks of “Pioneering Journey”.
Gui Naifen was amused and poked Pam’s round belly.
“Why isn’t Pam guarding the shelf today? The audience said they wanted to see you eat donuts.”
The pink-haired little robot immediately pricked up its ears, with icing still stuck to its mouth.
“This conductor is experiencing life! Besides–“
She jumped onto the console, making the keys jingle with her paws.
“We will have to activate the star track locator during the jump. This captain needs to check the equipment!”
The live broadcast room rewarded special effects one after another. Gui Naifen was sharp-eyed and saw the large reward from “Golden Star Dome” and quickly said:
“Thanks to the owner of ‘Galaxy Fried Noodles’ for the golden starry sky! The owner asked if there were any special creatures on the train? Of course there were -“
When she turned around, she bumped into Ji Zi who was walking over with a cup of tea.
“careful.”
The blonde officer smiled and handed over the cup.
“Pam is in a tantrum because she knocked the star-track specimen cabinet in the observation room askew yesterday.”
Gui Naifen took the teacup, her throat suddenly tightened, and she thought of the room with stardust floating in it when she was a child, when she lay on the windowsill, listening to the clear sound of the piano.
“It’s time to jump.”
Lao Yang’s voice came from the cockpit.
He stroked his beard and stood in front of the star track locator, looking at the holographic projection through the lens.
“Anchor Gui, are you ready to witness the new planet?”
“certainly!”
Gui Naifen’s fingers were almost pinched into her palms.
She stared at the terminal screen, watching the loading bar of the game interface climb up.
………
Chapter 17: New invitation and game update turmoil! (Old version)
“Dear audience, our train is about to enter the star track!”
The blue light of the transition instantly covered the entire carriage.
The Starry Sky Train in reality made a low sound, and the screen in the game also exploded with a star mist.
When I could see clearly again, the starry sky outside the window turned white.
“Yalilo-VI!”
Gui Naifen shouted, her voice trembling.
She remembered that the new map that players in the game forum had been guessing for half a month was this planet cursed by “eternal winter”.
The comments in the live broadcast room were suddenly filled with “WTF” and “The planner is awesome”, and the BGM in her headset was changed to cold string music and the sound of wind and snow.
“That’s impossible.”
Jizi’s hand holding the teacup stopped in mid-air.
She looked out the window, then at the game screen on Gui Naifen’s terminal.
“When we first jumped to Yalilo-VI, the spire of the mechanical city was at this angle. Even the direction of the snowstorm was -“
She suddenly moved closer to the screen.
“It’s exactly the same as the meteorological data I recorded through the telescope at the time.”
Lao Yang drew several data streams on the holographic projection with his fingers.
“I can’t find any public information about Yalilo-VI in the game database.”
He pushed up his glasses.
“Unless the developers have seen the internal logs of the SkyTrain, or…”
“Or there is a more direct way.”
Silver Wolf’s voice came from the cockpit.
She didn’t know when she sat in front of the terminal, her fingers moving rapidly on the virtual keyboard.
“I hacked into the game’s backend – the firewall was built using the Antimatter Legion’s encryption algorithm, which is really interesting.”
She stopped suddenly, and a blue light flashed in the data stream in her eyes.
“But at the bottom of the log, I found this.”
She pulled up a screenshot.
“At the end of each updated code of the game, there is a line of very small characters hidden – ‘羽灵·Ω’.”
The appearance of this character is exactly the same as the birthmark on Gui Naifen’s left wrist.
“This is such a coincidence! How can the birthmark and the code characters be the same?” Old Yang said with a frown.
“Maybe there is some big secret in this. Could this Gui Naifen be related to the game developer?” Ji Zi was also full of doubts.
“Hmph, I have to look into the matter behind this.” Silver Wolf’s eyes revealed a fierceness, and he started typing on the keyboard again.
At the same time, outside the Cloud Cavalry Camp in Xianzhou Luofu, Lin Fan was staring at the game data on his mobile phone.
The number of downloads exceeded three million, and news about players’ online time breaking records kept popping up, and the system notification sound made his ears hot.
“Ding – the host’s promotion effect has reached the target, and he has obtained a chance to win a legendary prize.”
He took a deep breath and clicked on the lottery interface.
There were a lot of fragments floating in the purple light mist, and suddenly a golden light came down, and two translucent ability cards slowly unfolded.
“Peeping Eye – can see through the essence of things, can only be used three times a day; I am the master of my own territory – I have absolute control over my own territory, always valid.”
“It’s a big profit.”
Lin Fan pinched his hot earlobe.
He had long been eyeing a lake view villa in the suburbs of Luofu, so he immediately contacted the real estate agent.
“It’s the one next to Jingyuan Lake with a 300-year-old pine tree at the door. Can we sign the contract now?”
The agent’s voice was flattering.
“Mr. Lin, you must be joking. The villa was marked ‘Not for Sale’ yesterday, but it was suddenly put up for sale this morning—”
“I’ll buy it.”
Lin Fan interrupted him.
When his fingers touched the villa’s property certificate, a warm current spread from the palm of his hand throughout his body.
He seemed to be able to “see” that there was a stone slab engraved with the starry sky symbol buried three meters underground in the villa, and there was a flash of energy facing the observation deck on the second floor.
“Mr. Lin?”
The agent’s voice brought him back to reality.
Lin Fan looked up and saw a furry shadow flash past the door. It was a fox girl with twin ponytails and dewdrops on the fur on the tips of her ears.
She held a bouquet of starry sky flowers, wanted to say something but didn’t, and looked towards the villa.
“Do you need help?”
Lin Fan asked casually.
The fox girl’s ears suddenly stood up, revealing her little fangs.
“My name is Su Shang, and I live nearby. This villa has always been locked…”
She stopped suddenly and scratched her head.
“Well, I have a sister named Tingyun, who loves to see ancient pines and lake views. If it’s convenient…”
“You’re welcome anytime.”
Lin Fan took the bouquet with a smile.
“Could this fox lady who suddenly appeared be here for the secret in this villa?” Lin Fan wondered in his heart.
“Hehe, this Mr. Lin seems very generous. I hope he can really let my sisters come and see him.” Su Shang thought to herself, with anticipation in her eyes.
Lin Fan stood at the porch of the villa, watching Su Chang skipping and disappearing on the bluestone path.
His fingers unconsciously stroked the petals of the Starry Sky Flower. He suddenly remembered what was said in the Taibusi book:
Huanlong can transform into many clones, and he likes to transform into a beautiful woman.
He wondered in his heart: “Could Tingyun be that strange imaginary shadow?”
Then he chuckled and said:
Chapter 18: How can I refuse the young master’s enthusiasm? ! (Old version)
“interesting.”
At this moment, his fingers touched a shallow scratch on the porch pillar. He knew that his system had many limitations, but he still activated it. Heat flowed through the veins of his body, and his vision suddenly became frighteningly clear. He saw the star dome symbol on the stone slab three meters underground emitting a lavender light; the eaves tiles of the second-floor observation deck were reflecting regular energy ripples, which were similar to the pulse frequency of the star core in the game.
He silently recited the name of the system capability in his mind and said:
“I have the final say on my turf.”
Then, he tried to direct his consciousness to the half-dead old plum tree in the courtyard. In the blink of an eye, new buds sprouted from the wrinkled branches, and the soybean-sized flower buds bulged visibly, and the pink and white petals opened up in a flash, landing on his shoulder.
Lin Fanle said:
“ha!”
But he soon discovered that the edges of the newly bloomed flowers were a bit abnormally grayish-white. He squatted down and inserted his fingers into the soil next to the tree roots. The system immediately fed back a message – the star energy in the soil was pitifully little, and it was already the limit for the tree to bloom.
He stood up, stroking his chin, and said:
“We need to find some Xingqiong ore.”
He looked towards the bamboo forest behind the villa and found that the ground there was bulging a little, as if something was about to come out. He used his ability to “see” half a broken talisman tablet buried underground, and the patterns on it were the same as the two words “Luofu” in Xianzhou.
At this time, the phone in his trouser pocket vibrated. It was a notification sound from the game background. He opened it and saw:
“1.0 additional content has arrived.”
At the same time, a line of small words popped up on the screen:
“It is detected that the host’s property has activated ‘Absolute Domain’, which can unlock the limited card pool ‘Xianzhou Yaji’.”
Lin Fan became interested and carefully checked the card pool content on the holographic projection, while thinking about the impact of the card pool opening. At this time, the holographic projection showed that the number of online people in the entire server increased by 3,000 per second.
After a while of operating on the virtual keyboard, the announcement of “The Limited Card Pool for “Honkai Impact 3rd: Celestial Railroad: Immortal Ship” is open” was sent to the emails of all servers, and the Galaxy Mall forum suddenly went wild.
【Guei Naifen’s little fanboy】said:
“I knew that Master Lin wouldn’t go back on his word! He said in the last live broadcast that he would release a fairy boat character, and now it’s here?!”
[Silver Wolf’s mechanical arm] is anxious:
“Where are the card pool probabilities announced? Don’t learn from those rubbish games that secretly change the drop rates!”
[The conductor’s teacup] shouted excitedly:
“New characters are waiting in the front row! I heard there are Luofu Cloud Cavalry? I want to draw Su Chang!”
Lin Fan smiled when he saw Su Chang mentioned in the comments, and suddenly noticed the ID “Silver Wolf’s Mechanical Arm”. This was a famous hardcore player in the game, who had just broken the record of the “Eternal Winter City” hidden level he set three days ago.
Just as I was thinking about it, private message notification sounds rang one after another.
The first one was posted by “Silver Wolf’s Robotic Arm”:
“Developer, where the hell are you?”
The second one was posted by “Kafka’s Rose”:
“Mr. Little’s game is quite interesting, but…” It was followed by a virtual rose that was blooming, with the edges of its petals showing a dangerous red.
Lin Fan’s fingers hovered over the keyboard, and he suddenly “saw” two spots of light moving in the imaginary space between the Starry Sky Train and the Immortal Boat within the range of his ability. One was as fast as lightning, with a mechanical coldness; the other was as slow as a walk, with strange ripples appearing with every step.
He gave Silver Wolf a location back:
“The Immortal Boat Luofu, on the west bank of Jingbo Lake.”
I sent Kafka another invitation:
“The coffee on the Starry Sky Train is too bitter. Why don’t you come to my house and drink some freshly picked cloud tea?”
Almost immediately, Silver Wolf replied angrily:
“Kafka, stop messing around! If he dies, no one will update the game!”
Kafka replied sweetly:
“Young Master is so enthusiastic, how can I refuse?”
Lin Fan leaned back on the sofa, looking out the window at the plum tree growing more and more luxuriantly nourished by his own abilities.
At this time, in the cockpit of the Starry Sky Train, Ji Zi was holding a mug, and her hand suddenly stopped. The new card pool popped up on the game interface on the screen, and she stared at the pink-dressed woman holding an umbrella in “Xianzhou Yaji” with her eyes widened:
“This hairstyle… is similar to the hairstyle Dan Heng wore when he was in the Chiming tribe?”
Walter adjusted his glasses and said:
The character he controlled was standing in front of a portal in the imaginary gap. The starry sky symbol floating in the background was exactly the same as the broken monument he had seen in the Quantum Sea that year.
Ji Zi pointed at the small easter egg in the corner of the screen and said:
“Old Yang, look at this.”
Walter came over, his eyes became deep:
Chapter 19: Pause… Pause now!! (Old version)
“This pattern… and the symbol of the Xianzhou ‘Cunhu’ school…”
At this moment, the train alarm suddenly sounded, and March 7’s voice came from the communicator:
“Old Yang! Aunt Jizi!
Silver Wolf said she wanted to go to Xianzhou to meet the game developer, and Kafka actually agreed! “
On the observation deck, Lin Fan looked at the two figures becoming clearer and clearer – one was a silver-haired girl holding a mechanical box, and the other was a beauty in a red and black windbreaker, with a rose between her fingers slowly blooming.
He touched the ability card in his pocket and an expectant smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.
At this time, in the cockpit of the Starry Sky Train, Ji Zi controlled the game character to pass through the cloud street of the fairy boat, and the interface of the newly released limited card pool floated between the blue bricks and black tiles.
Walter’s chair turned slightly towards Ji Zi, his eyes fixed on the screen. Ever since he discovered the details of Dan Heng’s hair accessories, he has become more suspicious.
Jizi pointed at the screen and said:
“Old Yang, look at this plot.”
She clicked on the virtual keyboard, and the character pushed open a red-painted door with a starry sky pattern, and the cutscene unfolded like water waves.
In the picture, on the snow-covered city wall, a woman in a dark purple cloak is facing away from the camera, her silver hair fluttering in the cold wind. At her feet, a girl with twin ponytails is holding a mechanical arm, her goggles reflecting cold light.
Walter’s teacup clanged against the edge of the console. He leaned forward, almost touching the holographic projection, his fingers turning white from the force, and shouted:
“Pause…pause quickly.”
Jizi raised her eyebrows and paused for a moment. The picture stopped at the moment when the woman turned her face to the side – a pale face with a diamond-shaped decoration on her brow bone. It was Cocolia Zaycek.
Jizi said in surprise:
“This is… Colonel Kokolia of the Antimatter Corps? But didn’t she… after the battle in the Quantum Sea…”
Walter took over:
“It’s gone.”
He took off his glasses and wiped them, but his fingers were shaking uncontrollably. The holographic light shone on his gray hair, reflecting the complex emotions churning in his eyes:
“Thirty years ago, I met her in the Quantum Sea. At that time, she was still a general fighting to protect Beloberg. Later… later her thoughts became twisted.”
The screen continued to move. The girl turned her head, her goggles slid down her nose, revealing eyes as sharp as Cocolia’s – it was Bronya Zaychek.
She was more energetic in the game than in Walter’s memory. The blue ribbon wrapped around her mechanical arm fluttered in the wind. The color was the same as the ice-crystal brooch that Cocolia pinned on her collar back then.
Walter lowered his voice, as if something was blocking his throat:
“Even Bronya…”
He reached out to touch the holographic projection and ran his fingers through the girl’s hair:
“This child… I held her in my arms in the underground city of Beloberg. She curled up into a ball, shivering with cold, and kept muttering ‘protect her sister’.”
Ji Zi looked at him silently.
The cockpit warning lights flashed outside the window, but they could not cover the electronic sound effects coming from the holographic screen – Bronya’s voice pack sounded:
“Tactical eyepiece activated, target locked.”
The voice was cold and a little childish, overlapping and staggered with the soft voice in Walter’s memory.
Jizi asked softly:
“Lin Fan’s game… where did he get all this data from? Dan Heng’s hair accessories, Cun Hu’s talisman, and now even Cocolia and Bronya have them… Could it be that he has come into contact with the remains of the Antimatter Legion? Or…”
Walter put his glasses back on, and without taking his eyes off the screen, he said:
“Or maybe this game itself is some kind of imaginary projection. What’s even scarier is… someone is using him to pass on some information to us.”
At this time, the train’s communicator suddenly emitted an electric noise, and March Seven’s voice came out:
“Old Yang!
Silver Wolf said she had found the coordinates of the Immortal Boat, and Kafka actually started making rose tea in the train dining car—are you two still playing games?”
Jizi closed the game interface and saw an unlocked icon at the bottom of the character list before exiting. In the shadows, a girl in a blue and white school uniform turned her face to the side, with star-like light particles on her hair. Her earrings flashed, and it seemed very familiar…
Jizi pushed Walter’s arm and said:
“Old Yang?”
Walter suddenly came back to his senses, and the previous scene was gone. He looked at the black holographic screen, and there was an indescribable feeling in his throat – the earrings looked seven points like the pendant on the neck of a girl rescued in the Quantum Sea.
He stood up, straightened the hem of his suit, and said:
“Nothing. Let’s go check on Silver Wolf and Kafka first. As for this game…”
He looked out the window at the rolling sea of clouds, and saw a faint light flickering in the direction of the immortal boat. He then said: …
Chapter 20: The details, the modeling! ! (Old version)
“Following this, I’m afraid there will be more ‘old acquaintances’ that we can’t imagine.”
.
Walter and Ji Zi walked side by side towards the dining car, the holographic bracelet screen lit up,
The game interface that had just been exited cast a faint blue light between the two of them.
Jizi spoke first:
“Just now you said that there are acquaintances in the game?”
She tapped her bracelet lightly with her fingers. The silhouette of the unlocked character was still lingering in her mind – the blue and white school uniform, the stardust-like hair ends, and the earring that made Lao Yang’s eyes widen a little.
Walter stopped.
“Xi’er Fuleai.”
He spoke in a very soft voice, as if he was afraid of breaking some memory that he had kept in his heart for a long time, and continued:
“Seven years ago, on the shore of the Quantum Sea, I saved a girl who was swept away by an imaginary storm.
She was wearing moonstone earrings around her neck, and their shape was 70% similar to the earrings worn by the character in the game. “
Jizi raised her eyebrows:
“Xi’er in the game?”
Walter called up the game character list and ran his finger over the portraits of Bronya and Jeppard:
“Not just Seele. Bronya’s tactical style is very similar to Beloberg’s law, and Jeppard’s gunmanship is exactly the same as the captain of the Silver Wolf Squad that guarded the fringe area back then.
Even Hook—”
He paused, his throat moving:
“The toy gun she was holding was the same wooden gun that Subject 77 had hidden under his pillow when he was a child at the Anti-Entropy Alliance base. Even the marks on it were the same.”
Jizi leaned against the wall in the corridor, crossed her arms and said with a smile:
“Old Yang, you don’t think this game is a projection of some parallel world, do you?”
“At first I thought it was ridiculous. But Silver Wolf said that the game’s data structure contained quantum entanglement that did not belong to this universe. She also emphasized the important discoveries that this anomaly could bring, so I decided to check it out. This morning I used the Star Train’s observation device to scan the game server and found that its coordinates were located near the Cloud Cavalry Archives in Xianzhou Luofu.”
Jizi’s smile faded a little.
She looked at the light coming from the dining car at the end of the corridor, and suddenly remembered the flashing light of the earring of the character she hadn’t unlocked when she quit the game. She said:
“If I meet someone with the same name again next time…”
Walter put on his glasses again, his eyes shining:
“I will apply to stay on that planet for half a day.
Even if it’s just to confirm whether she has grown up well in some parallel world.”
At this time, March 7’s voice came from the other end of the corridor:
Aunt Jizi!
Kafka’s rose tea is about to overflow—”
The two smiled at each other and quickened their pace towards the dining car.
At the same time, on the other side of the Milky Way, in a live broadcast room with a sign that read “Xiao Guizi’s Game House”, the girl’s scream penetrated the virtual projection and reached the ears of many viewers.
Gui Naifen shouted:
“Family!
Families, watch this! “
Her ponytail swayed as she leaned forward, and her fingers tapped quickly on the holographic console:
“The side quest in the lower city has been triggered!
Dr. Natasha’s clinic was surrounded by the antimatter army, and that little girl Hook was actually trying to rush out with a toy gun—”
The live broadcast room was flooded with comments all of a sudden.
【Xiao Guizi rushes! 】
【Hook is so cute】
[Wait for a Jizi to open up]On the holographic screen, Natasha in a white coat stepped back with a medical sprayer, Hook’s toy gun jammed with a “click”, and the mechanical dog of the Antimatter Legion showed its fangs.
Gui Naifen’s breathing suddenly became rapid. Her finger paused on the “combat skills” icon for half a second, and finally she pressed the “finishing skill” hard.
Wine-red flames exploded on the screen.
Ji Zi’s figure stepped on the flames and rushed into the battlefield. With a sweep of the sword, all seven mechanical dogs were blown away. The fire wave swept over their armor, leaving charred rose marks on the metal surface.
Gui Naifen clapped her thigh and cheered:
“Oh my gosh!
Ji Zi is really good at fighting a group of monsters!
But it would be perfect if there was a character who was good at fighting single monsters in this wave—like Seele?”
As soon as she finished speaking, a new announcement popped up in the lower right corner of the screen:
[Limited five-star character Seele Fleur Aika pool opens]The comments in the live broadcast room were suddenly filled with “Ahhh” and “My wife is here”.
Gui Naifen’s eyes were as bright as two stars. She clicked into the card pool interface, and Xier’s portrait was slowly turning in the blue light – a corner of her blue and white school uniform was blown up by the wind, the stardust at the ends of her hair flowed with her movements, and the moonstone earring on her left earlobe refracted colorful light under the light.
“Family members, look at this special effect!
This detail!
This is modeling!
Did the developers weld a microscope to the character’s face?”
A trial button popped up on the screen, and Gui Naifen clicked it almost reflexively.
Dark purple quantum ripples exploded on the battlefield.
Xier’s figure turned into a phantom and flashed behind the mechanical dog. The rapier in her right hand cut through the air, cutting a crack in the imaginary space.
When she sheathed her sword, purple lightning burst out from the cores of the seven mechanical dogs at the same time. Half of the armor of the one in the middle was cut off, revealing the crackling circuit inside.
Gui Naifen’s voice changed:
“I’m boiling!
This hurts!
This critical hit rate!
This quantum property restraint!
Who in my family understands? When Xier cut it out, I got goosebumps all over my body——”
The reward effects in the live broadcast room started to appear like crazy.
[Captain’s Moonlight] sent out ten sets of “Starry Sky Train”, and [Boiled Duck’s Little Wolf] sent out “Silver Wolf’s Matrix”.
The barrage of comments like [draw to burst], [must marry home], and [Xiao Guizi, hurry up and spend money] were displayed so quickly that they almost blocked the game screen.
Gui Naifen swallowed her saliva, opened her backpack, and said:
“I’ve been saving up for two months for Starry Sky Train tickets and I still have 120 draws left.”
But a new announcement popped up in the upper right corner of the screen:……
Chapter 21: Waiting for a Ten-Consecutive Double Gold! ! (Old Version)
[Xi’er’s exclusive light cone and quantum magician are launched simultaneously][Complete Seele’s story to unlock combo skills with Bronya]Gui Naifen hurriedly clicked on the character plot preview. In the video, Bronya was wearing Beloberg’s white military uniform, and Seele was standing next to her. Their shadows overlapped on the ground to form a quantum ring.
Bronya said:
“Xi’er, this time it’s my turn to protect you.”
Xier tilted her head and smiled and said:
“But Sister Bronya, this time I can run faster than the imaginary storm.”
The barrage was suddenly flooded with comments like “Double chefs are ecstatic” and “I’m addicted”.
Gui Naifen’s finger hovered over the “recharge” button, then quickly retracted it, muttering:
“I just replaced the holographic projection equipment in my live studio last month, and my wallet is empty.”
But Xier’s skill demonstration was still looping on the screen, the sound of the quantum blade light cutting through the air, the crisp sound of the moonstone earrings shaking, and even the trajectory of stardust falling from her hair while she was fighting, all of them were like needles, piercing Gui Naifen’s heart.
Gui Naifen took a deep breath, suddenly raised her phone to her face and said:
“Family members… Today, Xiao Guizi will make an exception—”
She clicked on the recharge interface of the Starry Sky Mall:
“All in!
I want both Xi’er and the light cone!”
The live broadcast room suddenly became as lively as a sea of fireworks.
【Little Guizi is mighty】
【Xier, my wife, come here soon】
【Waiting for a ten-game winning streak】
There were so many comments that the screen was about to break.
Gui Naifen bit her lip and pressed the payment password, watching the number of Xingqiong jumping wildly. Her finger hovered on the “Ten consecutive draws” button, and suddenly she saw a new video pop up next to it –
“Ranking of the five-star characters in the current version of Star Railway”.
In the video, the portraits of seven characters light up one by one: Bai Lu holds a medicine bowl and smiles with her head tilted to one side, Yan Qing holds a spear and raises his eyebrows, Dan Heng Yin Yue sits cross-legged in the dragon’s shadow, and Seele, Bronya, and Jeppard, whom she just saw…
Gui Naifen almost choked on her own saliva:
“I’ll go?
Bailu and Yanqing are both five stars?
Are the developers too daring?
Are Xianzhou’s little genius of the Cloud Cavalry Army and the little genius doctor of Yaolu both put into the card pool?
If the Xianzhou people saw this…wait, can the Xianzhou people play this game?”
Her muttering was drowned out by the cheers in the live broadcast room.
The animation of ten consecutive draws began to play, and the purple light became brighter and brighter, finally stopping on Seele’s portrait.
Gui Naifen screamed and slammed the table:
“It’s out!
It’s out! “
Xier in the holographic projection blinked at her, and the flashing moonstone earrings made her feel uneasy.
She clicked ten times again, and this time a cone of purple light appeared immediately.
Gui Naifen jumped on the chair holding her doll:
Double gold!
Seele and the Quantum Magician are both in hand!
This wave is worth it!
This wave of blood profit——”
At this time, in the dining car of the Starry Sky Train, Kafka sat at the bar with her legs crossed, drinking rose tea and smiling.
Silver Wolf was lying on the table typing on the keyboard, with lines of data jumping on the screen. He said:
“We have located it. The game server is on the third floor underground in the Cloud Cavalry Training Ground in Xianzhou Luofu.”
Walter and Jizi pushed the door open and heard Kafka say:
“Hey, Lao Yang, the ‘old friend’ you’ve been thinking about might be hiding in this game.”
Walter looked at Silver Wolf’s screen, which displayed the announcement of the latest game update:
[Preview of the next version: New character Cloud Riders will be released soon]His fingers unconsciously touched the cuff of his suit, where there was a moonstone cufflink sewn on, exactly the same as Xier’s earrings in the game.
Ji Zi picked up a cup of rose tea, glanced at Walter’s cufflinks, and then looked at the words “Cloud Cavalry Guard” on the Silver Wolf screen.
She took a sip of tea, and the corners of her mouth turned up:
“It seems that our fate with this game has just begun.”
In the lower city of Beloberg in the game, Clara stood in front of the control console holding a wrench. The sparks from the equipment were reflected in her eyes, and she looked very panicked.
Walter squatted beside the power supply device, touched the burnt circuit with his fingers, and said:
“The core coil of this antique is burned out, so we need to find a spare part to replace it. There should be similar parts in the downtown scrapyard. When I helped Hook repair her toy gun last week, I remember she mentioned that she had picked it up in an abandoned transport cabin.”
Jizi patted Clara’s shoulder and softened her voice:
“Little girl, you stay here and look after the equipment. Old Yang and I will be back soon. Look, we helped Natasha out of trouble and repaired Hook’s gun before, didn’t we solve it? It’s the same this time.”
Clara bit her lip and twisted her fingers unconsciously in the pockets of her overalls.
She muttered:
“But…Mr. Swarovski…”
There were still the mechanical parts that Swarovski had sent last time, saying that “we’ll talk after the base is repaired”, but during the last negotiation, the giant drill in the mechanical room almost blew away half of the wall.
Walter put his glasses back on, his eyes sparkling, and said:
“He needs stability in the lower city. The Machinery House needs parts, and you need energy. We are not mortal enemies in essence. Look at this guard. Its design is 70% similar to the defensive machine I saw in the Anti-Entropy Alliance. It is impossible for Swarovski to really want to destroy something he is familiar with.”
Clara’s eyes lit up.
She looked down at the wrench in her hand, then looked up at the dancing fire emblem on Jizi’s waist, and said:
Chapter 22: Flame Dance! (Old Version)
“Then… I’ll wait for you.”
In the scrap yard, Jizi kicked away the scrap armor that was blocking her way, and suddenly bent down to pick up a blue glowing component, shouting:
“Old Yang! Look at this, a quantum alloy coil, it should work!”
She wiped away the dust with her fingers, revealing the words “ME-17” engraved on the side:
“It’s exactly the same model as the core of the energy supply device.”
Walter took the component, his palms felt a little hot:
“It’s the mark of Swarlow’s mechanical house. This should be an old part that he discarded.”
The two looked at each other and understood what the other meant.
Clara was reconnecting the guard’s joints when Himeko and Walter returned with the components.
Seeing the coils in their hands, Clara smiled slightly:
“Thank you…you are different from the others who come to downtown.”
The power supply restarted, making a humming sound.
Blue electricity flowed along the wires, the guard’s red eyes lit up again, and the mechanical joints made a “click” sound.
Clara touched the guard’s head and looked up without avoiding his gaze:
“I…I’ll go talk to Swarovski.”
The metal gate of the station was badly rusted, and when Jizi pushed it, the door hinges made a screeching sound.
In the shadow outside the door, a tall figure slowly straightened up. The drill on the mechanical arm flashed a cold light. The breathing sound under the mask came through the loudspeaker, shaking the air:
“Clara… you finally opened the door.”
Clara clenched the wrench in her hand so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
Walter stood beside her, his right hand gently placed on the emergency switch of the device, and Ji Zi’s greatsword was quietly pulled out a little, and flames danced on the edge of the blade.
The warm light inside the door and the shadow outside the door drew a clear line on the ground, dividing the negotiation that was about to begin into two parts: light and dark.
Before the creaking sound of the metal door hinges stopped, Swarlow’s mechanical arm slowly rose up.
Swarlow said:
“Clara, I think you should understand. The downtown area doesn’t need the pity of outsiders.”
Clara was holding the wrench in her hand, her hand was shaking a little, and her knuckles turned white from the force.
She took a half step forward, the hair on her head swaying slightly in the warm light, and said:
“Mr. Swarlow, they…they fixed the guard.”
“So what? Do you think a few coils can change anything? Or are you in league with those lunatics who came looking for the star core?”
Xing stood next to Ji Zi and felt that the atmosphere was not right.
As the negotiating representative of the train group, he wanted to lead the topic to the key point according to the intelligence he had collected before, so he said:
“Mr. Swarlow, we really need to understand the star core–“
Swarovski yelled:
“That’s enough!”
His robotic arm swung down violently, and the drill bit dug a half-meter deep groove in the ground.
There was still a crackling sound in his voice as he said:
“I have been scanning your brain waves since the first day you entered the Lower City! The star core is the last barrier of the Lower City. No one can take it!”
With a loud bang, the negotiation table was blown into pieces.
Ji Zi pulled out the big sword, and the flame on the blade burned red; Dan Heng gathered dragon-shaped light blades at his fingertips, and the blue-black scales on his arms appeared and disappeared; San Yueqi stomped her feet and summoned ice cones, and the ice crystals at the ends of her hair trembled slightly with her anxious breathing.
Natasha quickly stepped back, the healing device in her hand emitting a warm yellow light; Sambo took out the improved bomb from his waist, winked at Xing, and said:
“Brother, our support is ready.”
“Start the eradication protocol.”
He opened a secret compartment in his chest, and a six-barreled machine gun popped out, and he said:
“Warning, all unauthorized life forms must be eliminated.”
When the first bullet flew over, Ji Zi’s flaming sword energy split the air first.
The red-gold blade light split the bullet and burned a black mark on Swarovski’s chest.
“Xiaoxing, pay attention to the joints of his mechanical feet!”
She swung her sword in a circle and swept it across – she had practiced this move hundreds of times in the game, it was called “Fire Dance”. The flames in reality were hotter than in the game, even burning the metal red.
Ji Zi usually likes to study the game “Honkai Impact 3: Sky Railway” in her free time, and she has memorized some of the methods in it. During the battle, she found that the way Swarovski attacked was a bit like some mechanical monsters in the game, and she immediately remembered the countermeasures in the game.
Dan Heng’s dragon blade arrived soon after, and the blue-black light penetrated Swarovski’s left arm; March 7’s ice cone froze the machine gun on his right shoulder, and ice crystals spread out along the seams of the machine; Sambo’s bomb landed accurately at Swarovski’s feet, and the blast almost knocked him down.
Natasha’s healing light moved back and forth among everyone. There was a cut on the back of Xing’s hand caused by shrapnel. Just as blood began to ooze out, it was illuminated by the warm light and turned into a pink healing spot.
“Is this what the train crew is capable of? I guess I have to change my tactics.”
His blood was visibly decreasing under everyone’s attacks, but his red eyes were getting brighter and brighter, and he said again:
“But the Lower Town…will not surrender.”
Just as Swarovski was about to activate the self-destruct sequence, a small figure suddenly rushed into the battlefield.
Clara always talked about her sister Xier. At this time, her white skirt was blown up by the wind, and she opened her arms to block Swarovski, with blood marks on her face from the wind, and said:
“Stop fighting! Mr. Swarovski is a good man! He’s just… just worried that I’d get hurt!”
Ji Zi’s sword stopped three inches away from Clara’s head, and the flame went out with a “sizzle”.
She saw the little girl’s shoulders trembling, and she also saw the stuffed bear with half its ear missing in her arms – it was made for her by Swarlow using scrap parts.
Ji Zi’s voice softened and she said: …
Chapter 23: Return to the place we should protect! (Old version)
“Clara? Do you know what he is protecting?”
Clara raised her face, tears and blood flowing down, and said:
“I know. The star core can make Swarovski more powerful, but it can also make him uncomfortable. He always says, ‘Clara must grow up well,’ but he himself…he always secretly repairs those generators that leak electricity. His joints should have been replaced long ago…”
Swarlow’s mechanical arm slowly lowered.
A bunch of complicated data streams flashed in his red eyes, and finally he stared at Clara’s face and said:
“Target’s emotional fluctuation value detected is 97%. Reassess…activate emotional priority.”
His mask was torn open, revealing half of his scarred face underneath – it was a human face, as white as the people in the lower city, and he said:
“The star core is in the deepest part of the underground furnace. It is absorbing the energy of the machinery, and in three months… it will explode.”
Suddenly, the alarm sounded.
Lao Yang’s communicator rang loudly in everyone’s ears:
“Abnormal energy reaction detected! Coordinate B-12, a mechanical life form twenty times larger than the standard one is about to wake up!”
Lao Yang said:
“Leave it to me.”
He disappeared at the end of the passage in an instant, and said in a steady voice:
“You guys take care of things here, I’m going to go meet this ‘new friend’.”
Jizi looked up at the sky.
The dark clouds in the distance were torn apart by a large black shadow, and the harsh sound of metal friction was getting closer and closer.
Jizi gritted her teeth, remembered the method in the game, turned to Xing and said:
“Activate the orbital gun support of the Black Tower Space Station. I need three minutes!”
Sanyueqi grabbed Jizi’s clothes and said:
“Aunt Jizi! What are you going to do?”
Jizi patted the tactical terminal on her waist and said:
“Use the dumbest method to buy some time.”
She stared at Swarlow’s battle on the screen and muttered softly:
“If Yugi could know what happens in the future… then maybe we still have a chance.”
As the machine rumbled, Clara’s stuffed bear fell out of her arms.
San Yueqi bent down to pick it up and saw a line of crooked words sewn on the belly of the cloth bear:
“A gift for Clara, from Sister Xier.”
Bronya stood on the core console of the Creation Engine.
Below is a surging stream of blue energy.
Cocolia’s shadow floated in the center of the energy vortex and said:
“My child, do you still insist on this stupid choice?”
Bronya held the pistol on her waist, her knuckles turning white from the force she put on them, and said:
“It’s not a choice.
You were the first to break your promise to keep everyone alive.”
Ice spikes suddenly fell from the dome.
Bronya rolled sideways, her tactical boots creating sparks on the metal floor.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a white skirt flash in the shadows. It was Xier.
Xier’s quantum blade drew a blue light in the air, accurately shattering the second wave of ice cones, and said:
“Bronya, I told you when I brought you here that no matter what decision you make, I will stand by you.
But this time… I’m going to take you back.
Let’s go back to Beloberg, back to the place we are supposed to protect.”
Cocolia sneered and said:
“guard?
You can’t even take care of yourselves.”
The mechanical arm of the Creation Engine hit the ground, and the entire dome shook.
Bronya was blown into the control console by the air wave. Seele rushed over and protected her with her body. The quantum shield emitted a light purple light around the two of them.
Cocolia says:
“Look, this is the force you are fighting against.
Give up, Bronya.
You can’t win.”
Bronya looked at Seele’s face turning pale due to the backlash of energy, and suddenly remembered what the little girl Clara, who was holding the teddy bear, said in the underground city three days ago:
“Sister Seele said that Sister Bronya is the bravest star.”
She touched the necklace around her neck, which was a pendant made from the gear she and Xier had found in the scrap heap. She said:
“Of course I can’t win.
But someone has to step up.
Just like when you blocked the mechanical arm for me, just like Lao Yang insisted on repairing the train, just like… just like someone said, ‘Human courage is always the most powerful weapon’.”
Xier was stunned.
At this time, Ji Zi’s roar came from the communicator:
“Launch the railgun!”
Xing was lying on the operating table of the Black Tower Space Station.
In the holographic projection, the scene of Bronya and Seele fighting was framed by a red alert frame, and the frequency of the mechanical creatures’ attacks increased by 30% per second.
Xing’s fingers moved quickly on the optical computer, and sweat appeared on his forehead.
explain:….
Chapter 24: Appointed by the Star God! (Old Version)
“Parameters have been calibrated! But energy overload will paralyze the space station’s cooling system—”
Ji Zi said: “If it is paralyzed, then it is paralyzed! Lao Yang went to deal with the mechanical life form.
Dan Heng was stabilizing the space anchor, while March 7 took Clara to find shelter.
We only have this one chance!”
Xing was thrown into the air by the robotic arm, his protective suit was cut with several holes, and his blood formed small ice crystals in the low temperature.
But the next second, Ji Zi held her breath.
The star suddenly disappeared ten meters above the ground.
When he reappeared, he was standing on top of the mechanical arm of the Creation Engine, holding a flaming spear in his hand.
The moment Cocolia’s ice spear pierced Xing’s chest, the battlefield suddenly became quiet.
The blood splashed onto the ice, redder than any other ice crystal.
Xing slowly fell backwards, and the burning spear fell to the ground, burning a black mark on the snow.
Bronya wanted to rush over, but Seele held her tightly because the energy cannon of the Creation Engine was charging, and the blue light ball could flatten half of the city.
March 7 Scream:
“star!”
Then, all sound disappeared.
Xing felt himself falling into a white space.
There is no up, down, left or right here, and there is a small yellow light floating in the distance.
Next to the lamp sat a little girl with twin ponytails and a dress printed with stars. She was hugging her knees and eating a lollipop and said:
“Awake?”
Xing covered his chest, the wound was healing visibly, and asked:
“Who are you?
here it is……”
The little girl said:
“This is a spiritual space.
I am the guardian of this world. Anyway, you have to have this gun.”
At the end of the white space, a long spear floated in a pale golden cocoon of light.
The pattern on the gun was exactly the same as the one Xing had just picked up, and it was now glowing with the same light as the Milky Way.
Xing looked at the burn marks on his palms that had not yet disappeared and asked:
“Why me?”
The little girl put the lollipop into his hand and said:
“Because you are a ‘developer’.
Now… go touch it.”
Her voice suddenly became serious, and her eyes reflected the star tracks of the entire universe. She said:
“Your friends need this gun, and the world wants you to prove that the created can also become the creator.”
When Xing’s fingers were about to touch the gun, the battlefield outside suddenly changed.
The creation engine that was attacking frantically suddenly stopped, all the mechanical arms slowly lowered, and the red attack lights turned blue.
Bronya looked at the ice spears floating in the air. They were swaying gently to an invisible rhythm, as if they were waiting for something.
Xier’s quantum blade suddenly rang. She looked at the sky and saw that a purple quantum cloud had gathered at some point.
There was a blurry shadow in the middle of the cloud, similar to the spear Xing had just held.
“He is still alive.
I can feel it. ”
Cocolia’s expression changed for the first time.
She looked at her ice spears, weapons that were meant to pierce the enemy’s heart, but now made tiny cracking sounds, as if she was afraid.
A point of light fell from the clouds.
It was a burning spear, dragging a galaxy-like tail, falling rapidly towards the place where the star fell.
Before Bronya could finish her words, the light trailing the galaxy’s tail pierced through the clouds.
The burning lance carried a star-like light, and the tip of the lance just touched the palm of Xingchuiluo’s hand. As soon as it touched, the boy’s originally pale face was shimmering with a golden and red glow.
At the same time, the sound of the robotic arm being raised was heard.
All the creation engines that were originally motionless suddenly rose up, and the faint blue lights connected into a star map, forming a light cocoon around the stars.
Bronya’s ice spear stopped shaking, but instead emitted a cold light and automatically stopped on the left and right sides of the star; Seele’s quantum blade buzzed into the light cocoon and turned into a purple light band around the boy.
Cocolia’s eyes narrowed.
She could clearly feel that the power that originally belonged to her was slipping away.
“This is impossible…”
Her ice crystal armor cracked into fine lines like spider webs.
“You are just a created vessel!”
Xing tightened his grip on the lance.
The patterns on the gun handle suddenly moved, like glowing streams flowing into his veins.
He could hear many sounds exploding in his ears: the sound of the machines in the Black Tower Space Station, the sound of the whales in the Immortal Boat Luofuyun, and the buzzing sound of the Star Dome Train passing through the Star Gate. All the things he cared about and wanted to protect now turned into power churning in his body.
“Created…”
Xing raised his head, and it seemed as if the stars in his eyes were spinning backwards.
“You can also become a creator.”
He raised his lance and pointed the tip at Cocolia.
The creation engine rumbled, blowing away the wind and snow.
Twelve robotic arms simultaneously emitted dark blue beams of light that crossed in mid-air to form a huge star map.
Although the live broadcast of Gui Naifen was a bit laggy, the screen was still full of comments. She shouted at the top of her voice:
Chapter 25: Preservation and Protection of the Starry Sky Barrier! (Old Version)
“Did the family see it?
The lances in the pioneers’ hands are glowing!
The Creation Engine is actually charging him—this is definitely the most exciting battle scene since the game was updated!”
Cocolia’s ice wall shattered bit by bit in the beam of light.
Xing jumped into the air, and his lance drew a golden arc, exploding the ice cones into ice crystals wherever it passed.
San Yueqi held up his camera and pressed the shutter button desperately, saying:
“If Old Yang were here, he would definitely say ‘Young people are full of energy’ – Danheng, look!
The trajectory of that sword energy is exactly the same as the star map that protects destiny!”
Dan Heng tightly grasped the staff of Homa, and indeed saw a light golden shield appear around Xing.
The ice storm that had just made everyone breathless hit the shield, causing only ripples.
“The protection of the preservation…”
He muttered quietly, “No wonder the armor that was broken before is healed again.”
“drink–!”
Xing yelled and slammed his lance to the ground.
The light beam of the creation engine suddenly gathered into a huge blade of light, slashing towards Cocolia with the light of star tracks.
The Ice Queen’s ice crystal armor cracked like paper under the light blade. She took a few steps back, blood condensed from ice crystals flowing from the corners of her mouth.
“Wonderful!
It’s wonderful! ”
The camera of Gui Naifen’s live broadcast was shaking violently, and it was obvious that she was jumping around while filming.
“Family members, please pay attention to the injury figures—70,000!
Eighty thousand!
Over one million!
Is this the combat power designated by the Star God?”
The audience started to scroll wildly:
[Wife, calm down!]Your phone is about to fly! 】
[The Trail Blazers are so cool! 】
[Cocolia is about to use her ultimate move!]Look at the icicles behind her! 】
Sure enough, Cocolia’s ice crystal armor shattered, revealing the core underneath that was glowing with a faint blue light.
She looked up and said:
“In that case…
Let me show you the true power of the star core!”
The ice spikes began to rotate, forming an ice whirlwind with a diameter of one hundred meters.
A teeth-grinding scream came from the center of the storm, and even the protective shield had tiny cracks.
San Yue Qi grabbed the corner of Dan Heng’s clothes tightly and said:
“This is ten times more powerful than the previous ice spear!
Can we hold out?”
“You have to hold on even if you can’t.”
Bronya took out the pistol from her waist, and the bullets in the magazine flashed a faint blue light.
“But now…”
She looked at Xing who had stood up again. The young man was sticking his lance into the ground, and the light from the cocoon spread along the handle of the lance to the entire battlefield.
“We are not fighting alone.”
“Protect the Starry Sky Barrier!”
The voice of the star and the voice of the star god mixed together, making everyone’s ears hurt.
The light cocoon suddenly exploded, turning into countless golden stars that enveloped everyone.
When the ice storm hit the starlight, it actually made a sound like metal colliding.
In Gui Naifen’s live broadcast, the shield value bar was jumping wildly, but it never dropped to the red zone.
“Is this the ultimate move to save your destiny?”
Lao Yang’s voice came from behind.
Everyone turned around and saw the conductor walking slowly towards them holding the terminal.
“I felt the star core fluctuations on the train, and I thought I needed to come to support quickly…”
He shook the terminal in his hand, and the screen showed real-time images of the battle.
“It turns out you guys were having a lot of fun.”
“Old Yang!”
San Yue Qi ran over to grab the terminal, “You were actually watching!”
“It’s called tactical observation.”
Old Yang smiled and dodged, looking at the battlefield.
“and……”
He pointed at the terminal screen and said, “The battle perspective synchronized in the game is clearer than watching it in person.”
In the middle of the battlefield, the ice storm gradually weakened.
Cocolia’s core light also dimmed, and she knelt on one knee, ice crystals falling from between her fingers.
Xing slowly walked in front of her, and the light of the lance became weaker, but there were still star tracks rotating on the lance.
“it’s over.”
He said.
Cocolia raised her head, the madness in her eyes was gone, only a look of relief remained.
“I should have thought of it earlier…People who are surrounded by love will eventually become a more powerful light.”
Her body began to break into ice crystals.
“Apologize to Bronya… for me.”
When the last ice crystal disappeared, the snowstorm stopped.
Sanyueqi jumped up and hugged Xier, shouting:
“We won! We really won!”
Bronya said nothing, walked to the edge of the battlefield, picked up the ice spear that once belonged to Cocolia, and gently touched the marks on the handle with her fingers.
Gui Naifen was still live streaming, holding up her phone and filming everyone, saying:
“Families witness a historic moment!
The Trail Blazers defeated Cocolia!
Now let’s interview——”
“bite.”
Xing’s phone suddenly vibrated.
He lowered his head and clicked on the message, which was a video sent by Ji Zi.
His eyes narrowed as the picture lit up—that was his spiritual world, clearer than he remembered: the floating star tracks, the sleeping star god, and…himself?
The “him” in the video is holding a lance, and the light cocoon behind him is the same as when he was fighting just now.
“This is……”
Xing looked up at Lao Yang and saw the conductor fiddling with the terminal with his head down, a smile on his lips.
“Let’s go, let’s go!”
San Yue Qi pulled his sleeve and said, “Let’s celebrate on the train!
I asked Aunt Jizi to bake a cake!”
Xing was pushed forward, but his eyes were still fixed on the phone screen.
In the last frame of the video, a blurry figure pops out from behind the star trail – it looks very much like Dan Heng, but with pixelated edges that don’t look like those in reality.
Danheng walked at the back and took out his cell phone unconsciously.
The screen lit up at some point, showing a screenshot of a battle: he and Xing were back to back, with exploding ice spikes and light blades behind them.
The strangest thing is that there is a line of light blue small words on the edge of the screen:
Chapter 26: Witness of the Star God! (Old version)
[Current copy progress: 100%][Achievement: Witness of the Star God]He paused for a moment, and just as he was about to take a closer look, March Seventh called out in front:
“Dan Heng!
What are you daydreaming about? “
The boy quickly locked the screen and put the phone back in his pocket.
At this moment,
Ji Zi was holding a cup of coffee, her hand suspended in mid-air.
The hot steam from the cup was blown away by the electronic sound.
The promotional animation of “Honkai Impact 3rd” was playing on the holographic screen in a loop.
The train, the star core and their faces all became clearer in the virtual world.
Walter pushed his glasses, tapped the terminal on the table with his fingers, and said:
“So,
This game that suddenly appeared in the Galaxy Mall recorded everything we experienced from Yalilo-VI to Xianzhou Luofu?
Even the clip of me being chased by the Black Tower for my thesis in the space station?”
San Yueqi’s hairband had somehow become crooked behind her ears. She stared at the virtual character on the screen who had twin ponytails, held up a camera and shouted “My photo shoot for the Starry Sky Train is the best.” She swallowed and said:
“Then, the scene where I chewed the candy painting and got the sugar residue stuck to my teeth… was that true too?”
Xing tugged at the corner of his clothes and said in a muffled voice:
“And the way I fell into the snow in the underground area of ​​Beloberg…”
His memory as a pioneer was not very clear to begin with, and now looking at himself in the game holding a cone of light and rushing forward, it was as if someone had opened his most private diary.
Dan Heng leaned against the wall, his fingers unconsciously touching the hilt of the sword at his waist.
He sighed softly and said:
“Even Long Zun’s past is written…”
Pam jumped onto the dining table, her tail puffed up, and yelled:
“cough!
Now is not the time to be in a daze! This game has exposed all our privacy. Is the privacy law of the Galactic Federation just for show? We must hold a meeting!”
Its fleshy paws slapped on the metal tabletop, making the coffee cups clink.
March Seven poked Xing’s arm at the conference table and asked:
“Do you think this game has a card drawing system? I just saw a girl wearing fox earrings in the character pool…”
Pam stamped her feet angrily and shouted:
“March 7!
The point is that we were exposed! It’s not you who got to draw the card!”
March 7 pursed his lips and whispered:
“But……
The game even drew the strawberry candy I hid under my pillow, maybe there really is something good in the card pool…”
Seeing Pam’s beard was twisted with anger, she sat up straight and said:
“Okay, okay, listen to the conductor!”
Jizi put down the coffee cup, looked at everyone, and said:
“In fact, I care more about—
Do you remember when I asked you to return to the train early in the Immortal Boat? I said there was an emergency, but if we follow the timeline in the game…”
Before he could finish his words, the holographic screen suddenly flashed and turned into a live broadcast interface. Gui Naifen’s voice came out from the speaker:
“Next is the preview of ‘Future Trajectory’ that players are most looking forward to!
Let’s see what happens with the Trail Blazers and March 7 in Belloburg—”
In the picture, March 7 is wearing Beloberg’s thick cloak and is standing on tiptoe to look at the platform.
Xing was standing next to her and was swayed by the crowd.
The camera pulls away, and Bronya stands in the middle wearing a silver general’s uniform, with ordinary people holding torches below her.
San Yueqi’s milk tea fell on the table with a “bang” and shouted:
“This is……
Didn’t we say we were going to get some hot cocoa? How did we end up at the inauguration ceremony?”
Xing stood up suddenly, the chair scraping on the ground with a harsh sound, and said:
“But we returned to the train early! The scenes in this game…”
His voice suddenly stopped, because the “self” in the picture turned to look at the camera, and his eyes met his own in reality.
He went on to say:
Chapter 27: Like another possible future! (Old version)
“Like another possible future.”
Pam’s tail drooped, and Walter took off his glasses and wiped them, but his eyes became more serious.
Dan Heng walked to the holographic screen and stretched out his hand to touch the “Dan Heng Yin Yue” who was holding the spear, but his fingers passed through the blue light and touched nothing.
Jizi suddenly smiled, picked up the coffee again, and said:
“perhaps……
This game is not necessarily a bad thing. At least we know that no matter which path we choose, we are living a good life. “
She tapped the screen showing herself drinking from a bottle and said:
“Look, even the way I taught Xing to make a mojito is recorded here, and it’s clearer than I remember it myself.”
The atmosphere eased a little.
Sanyueqi leaned over the table and leaned close to the screen, pointing at Kafka’s character interface and asked:
“This red-haired sister is so charming. Is she really a star core hunter?”
Walter narrowed his eyes and said:
“Kafka…
The game says that she will take the initiative to contact us in Xianzhou?”
Dan Heng folded his arms, his eyes never leaving Kafka’s portrait, and said:
“Maybe it’s a trap.”
Just when everyone was chatting animatedly, the holographic screen suddenly made a “crackling” sound of electricity.
The screen was covered with snowflakes, and Gui Naifen’s voice became blurred:
“Received an emergency live broadcast – a player claimed to have photographed a mysterious figure near the train…”
The screen flashed twice and then stopped on a blurry purple light.
You can barely make out that it’s a man wearing a hat, looking up at the camera with a half-smile on his face.
Sanyueqi leaned in so close that his nose was almost touching the screen, and asked:
“Who is this?
It’s a bit like what I saw in Beloberg…”
Xing suddenly said:
“Sambo?”
He remembered the businessman in the underground area who always said “Life is about enjoying life while you can” and who always liked to wear his hat low.
Dan Heng frowned and said:
“But shouldn’t Sambo be in Belloborg?”
Pam jumped up on the table, clawed at the edge of the screen, and said:
“Whoever dares to spy on our train…”
Before he could finish his words, the holographic screen returned to normal, and Gui Naifen’s voice became clear again:
“It seems that the live broadcast is faulty. Let’s go back to the game analysis—”
But everyone’s eyes were still fixed on the blurry light and shadow.
At this moment, the snowflakes on the holographic screen suddenly turned into people.
The man in the hat walked out of the blurred purple light, as if he was dragged from the data into reality. He tilted his head, half of his smiling face was exposed under the brim of his hat, and in his left hand he carried a canvas bag full of copper bells, and in his right hand he held a terminal flashing blue light. This man was Sambo.
Sambo shook the terminal and said:
“Hey, good afternoon, everyone.
Was the live stream stuck just now? I was just about to say hello to you guys.”
San Yue Qi stood up suddenly, his hairband completely askew, and shouted:
“Sambo? Didn’t you say you’d be selling hot drinks in Beloroberg for the rest of your life? Why are you hanging around near the trains?
Also, did you secretly look through my pillow? Even the packaging of my gummy bears in the game is exactly the same as in real life!”
Sambo pushed his hat back, revealing the small mole on his brow bone, and said:
“The winter in Beloberg is so boring. I heard that the Galaxy Mall has released a game where you can see ‘another self’, so of course I want to join in the fun.
As for the gummies…
Maybe the Sanyueqi in the game is so cute that even the system couldn’t help but add a few more strokes?”
Xing frowned and recalled:
“When we said goodbye in the underground area, you said you wanted to go to the Iron Guard restricted area to collect old machinery.”
Sambo shook the canvas bag, and there was a sound of metal colliding inside, and he said:
“It’s true that we collect old machinery, and it’s also true that we join in the fun.
Besides——”
He suddenly moved closer to the holographic screen, looked at the hilt of the sword at Dan Heng’s waist, and said:
“Don’t you think this game is interesting? Even the dragon horns of Lord Yinyue are drawn more clearly than in the ancient books of some old scholars.”
Dan Heng gripped the hilt of the sword with his fingers and warned in a low voice:
“How much do you know?”
Sambo took two steps back and looked in the direction of the train. The copper bell on the canvas bag rang and said:
“I know much less than you think.
But…”
He suddenly pointed the terminal at himself, and the game interface on the screen turned into a character card. Kafka’s portrait was blowing a kiss to the camera. He said:
“Someone asked me to give a message to the developers –
‘The trajectory of fate is interesting, but don’t make other people’s stories too rigid.'”
Walter pushed his glasses and asked in a low voice:
“Who asked you to bring it?”
Sambo, who had retreated into the shadows, with his hat pulled down low, said:
“Of course…”
His words were interrupted by a sudden electronic prompt sound, and the terminal screen flashed the words “Signal Interrupted”.
When the snowflakes filled the holographic screen again, all I could hear was his last sentence stretched out into an electric current:
“…a person addicted to stories.”
The cafeteria was quiet enough that you could hear the tip of Pam’s tail twitching.
San Yue Qi was the first to react. He grabbed the milk tea on the table and took a sip, saying:
“What destiny track? I think he just wants to take advantage of the game’s popularity! Last time in Beloberg, he said ‘businessmen don’t make money without confidence’, and now he comes here to play mystery!”
Jizi turned the coffee cup and looked at where Sambo had just stood.
explain:…….
Chapter 28: The cocoon of reincarnation will eventually break out in blood! (Old version)
“It’s not necessarily a bad thing.
At least he confirmed that people outside the game were paying attention.”
She tapped the table and asked:
“Walter, do you remember the ‘Multiverse Observation Plan’ that the Black Tower mentioned last time?”
Walter touched the legs of his glasses and said:
“That’s a hypothesis that requires a lot of computing power to support…”
He suddenly stopped, looked at the stars, and said:
“But if there is some system that goes beyond current technology…”
San Yue Qi slammed the table, splashing milk tea onto the holographic screen, and shouted:
“etc!
Do you think Sambo is an NPC in the game? The terminal he just held is exactly the same as the game interface! “
Dan Heng shook his head and said:
“impossible.
NPCs don’t have that kind of…
The feeling of a living person breathing.”
Xing stared at the promotional animation that was looping again and whispered:
“Perhaps the ‘future trajectory’ in the game is not a prophecy, but…”
Walter continued:
“It’s countless possible fragments.
Just like Sambo’s appearance here, it was both unexpected and foreshadowed.”
Pam jumped onto Xing’s shoulders, patted his face gently, and said:
“Anyway, this game has now become our ‘Train Diary’!”
It turned its head and glared at Sanyueqi who was still studying Kafka’s portrait, and said:
“No sneaky use of train funds to draw cards!”
March 7th stretched out his tone and said:
“I know, I know~”
Her finger had already swiped to the character pool interface on the terminal and said:
“But look, why hasn’t this Sambo character card been unlocked yet? Maybe…”
Everyone shouted:
“March 7th!”
Everyone’s laughter and the sound of the train engine rang out in the cafeteria.
On the holographic screen, the background music of the game turned into a brisk melody.
The frame of a character that has not been unlocked is flashing blue light, and the pattern of half a copper bell can be vaguely seen in the corner of the frame.
Just like the decoration on the Sambo canvas bag.
The train leaves the Yalilo-VI track.
Seele leaned against the porthole and Bronya walked up to her.
Bronya: “I don’t know what’s new about this game recently. Maybe a new area will be opened.”
Xier: “Who knows, it would be fun if there were new areas.”
“Sister Fenfen! Look at the comments!”
In Gui Naifen’s live broadcast room, the little assistant’s voice was trembling with excitement.
The female anchor was sipping a frappuccino through a straw when her hand shook and the sweet drink splashed onto her live broadcast uniform. She didn’t even bother to wipe it off and quickly moved closer to the holographic screen.
Full screen barrage:
“A new main line is about to open?”
“The CG trailer is moving!”
“The developers have done something big again!”
She tapped into the game interface, and just as the loading bar jumped to 99%, a black text announcement with a gold background suddenly popped up:
[New area: Xianzhou Luofu is about to open – “When the clouds rise, the dragon shadow appears”]Gui Naifen: “Oh my gosh! My family!”
“It’s really the Immortal Boat line! Look at this loading screen – the flying boat holds the clouds, Taibusi’s Bagua Banner, and… Danheng’s new portrait! Why is there a dragon scale pattern on his back?”
The barrage was instantly:
“Ah …
“Wife Sticker”
“I’ve been waiting for the Immortal Boat for half a year”
The screen was flooded with messages, even the usually calm Captain’s fan group was flooded with dozens of 99+ messages.
The people on the train received news about the game update. In the cockpit of the Starry Sky Train, the protagonist stared at the flashing star map on the navigation screen.
Protagonist: “Where is the next stop?”
He turned and asked Walter.
Walter pushed up his glasses and looked at the game interface floating in the air.
Walter: “Combined with the new Taibu Si hexagram in the game, and the newly added keyword ‘Prisoner’ in the Dan Heng character story… our old friend General Jing Yuan is probably going to prepare to welcome guests.”
Ji Zi leaned back in her chair, spinning her coffee cup, and said with a smile, “Yes, it looks like there will be something exciting to watch.”
Pam: “Jump preparation complete.”
Just as everyone fastened their seat belts, the lights in the cockpit suddenly dimmed.
The holographic screen should have displayed the star trails during the jump, but now it was replaced by a blue-gray stone wall.
It was a prison embedded in the mountain. On the stone platform at the end, Jing Yuan stood with a fan in his hand, while Yan Qing, who was standing next to him, held the long sword at his waist with sharp eyes.
“It can’t be locked.”
A hoarse male voice sounded in the cabin.
Everyone looked up suddenly, and saw the prisoner in the shadows slowly turning his head. There was a dark red mark on his forehead, which was somewhat similar to the silver scale pattern between Dan Heng’s eyebrows.
“The cocoon of reincarnation will eventually break out in blood.”
As soon as the words fell, the picture suddenly shattered, and the cockpit lit up again, with only the blue light of the star track flashing in everyone’s eyes.
March 7: “Dan Heng?”
The boy who was originally sitting in the corner held the armrest of the chair tightly, his knuckles turned white and cold sweat appeared on his forehead.
Dan Heng: “That place… I’ve dreamt about it.”
Everyone came closer and could clearly hear his rapid breathing.
Danheng: “The stone wall, the chains, and the man’s eyes… and what I saw in the mirror…”
He suddenly stopped talking, as if he was choked by something.
Protagonist: “Dan Heng, don’t be anxious, speak slowly.”
Chapter 29: The one holding the sword must cut off the cause and effect! (Old version)
Dan Heng: “I…I can’t say it.”
Ji Zi: “Don’t push him yet, he’s not in a good condition right now.”
Immortal boat Luofu, top floor of Taibusi.
Qingque lay on the table, staring at the terminal screen.
The “Fairy Boat Preview” CG that has just been unlocked in the game is playing in a loop: the flying boat breaks through the clouds, Fu Xuan stands with a divination plate, and the narration says: “The Taibu Si has predicted an ominous hexagram, and the star tracks will lead to changes.”
Qingque’s heart was beating fast, and her finger was hovering over the “Developer Updates” button. This was the hidden link she had found after browsing the game announcement seventeen times this morning. The title was just four words:
【To the Immortal Boatman】
“Greenbird.”
The cold female voice scared Qingque and he almost dropped the terminal.
Fu Xuan stood at the door holding the divination plate.
Fu Xuan: “Taibusi is not a place for you to be lazy and slack off.”
Qingque hurriedly hid the terminal behind him, but felt it was inappropriate, so he simply raised the screen.
Qingque: “Master Taibu! Look at this game! It says that something big is going to happen to our fairy boat!”
Fu Xuan raised his eyebrows and walked over slowly.
Fu Xuan: “Can the games in the market catch the eye of the Grand Master?”
Qingque was so anxious that the tips of his ears turned red.
Qingque: “It’s not made up by the game! Look at the developer’s new video – he said, ‘The locks of the prison can’t hold back those who need to wake up’, and also said…”
The video loading prompt sounded, and Fu Xuan’s gaze moved from the hexagram plate to the screen.
Qingque swallowed and pressed the play button with trembling fingers.
The moment the holographic projection lit up, Fu Xuan’s eyes narrowed slightly. The picture showed something she had never told anyone before: the backs of Jing Yuan and Jing Liu confronting each other outside the You Prison.
recently,
There are some mysterious rumors circulating in the Galaxy Mall about the past of General Jing Yuan of the Immortal Boat.
But no one has actually seen the relevant video.
A cold white light was projected from Taipusi.
Fu Xuan also saw Jing Yuan’s figure in the picture, and his throat suddenly tightened.
She thought to herself, this is Jing Yuan, but not exactly the Jing Yuan in her memory.
In the video, the young general has his hair tied up and is not wearing a hat.
He had an unsharpened jade-handled sword hanging on his waist, and was looking up at the woman standing on the high wall of the prison.
Mirror Flow spoke:
“He who holds the sword must cut off the cause and effect.”
She placed her fingertips on Jing Yuan’s forehead and continued:
“You keep hesitating, is it because this sword is too heavy, or is it because you are too soft-hearted?”
Qingque glanced at Fu Xuan secretly.
Fu Xuan usually looked aloof, but at this moment he even held the divination plate loosely, and the golden butterfly pattern at the corner of his eye trembled slightly with his eyelashes.
In the picture, Jing Yuan tightly grasped the hilt of the sword, his knuckles turned white, and said:
“Those soldiers who have acquired the devil’s Yin body…they once shed blood for the Immortal Boat.”
Jing Liu’s voice suddenly turned cold:
“So you want to sacrifice more new blood for the past blood?”
As she spoke, she swung her wide sleeves, and dozens of distorted figures suddenly appeared under the high wall.
There was a strange green glow in the eyes of those soldiers, their nails pierced their palms and black blood was dripping. One of them was holding a broken spear and staggering towards Jing Yuan.
Jing Yuan took half a step back and then stopped suddenly.
He drew his sword and stabbed at the figure closest to him, but it missed by three inches and only broke the opponent’s shoulder armor. He said in a crying voice:
“They can still be saved!”
Jingliu suddenly laughed, and the sound was like broken ice hitting a jade plate.
She turned around and several silver nails flew out from her sleeves, accurately piercing the vital points of those evil spirit soldiers.
Then he looked at the people who had collapsed on the ground, his eyes turned red under his white hair, and he said:
“Save? When they bite the throat of the first innocent citizen, what will you do to save them?”
Fu Xuan’s fingernails dug into his palms.
She suddenly recalled the stormy night twenty years ago when Jing Yuan knelt in front of the Taibusi gate, covered in blood, and asked to borrow the “Prison Nail”.
At that time, she thought that it was just the willful young master of the general’s mansion, but now she understood what kind of struggle and pain was hidden in that blood.
The scene changed and the chains of the Prison broke.
Jingliu’s hair suddenly turned completely white. He looked at the black lines on his palms as if he had seen something particularly funny, and said:
“It turns out… I have become the person I hate the most.”
Jing Yuan rushed forward and tried to grab her hand, but she slapped him to the ground.
Jing Liu shouted in panic:
“Go! Don’t let me… don’t let me hurt you.”
The projection went black when Jing Liu turned around and jumped into the Prison.
Qingque then realized that he had been crying without knowing when, and quickly wiped his face with his sleeves, saying:
“So the general… So the Immortal Jingliu…”
Fu Xuan said nothing, took out a handkerchief and handed it to her, but his fingers were shaking.
Taibusi’s divination plate had never been in disorder since she took over. At this moment, the tortoise shell in the plate was trembling slightly, as if responding to her unspoken anxiety.
Fu Xuan said:
“This video…cannot be spread out. Jing Yuan’s prestige is the pillar of Xianzhou. If those common people knew that he hesitated back then…”
Qingque pointed at the terminal screen and said anxiously:
“But the developer has already released the video!”
I don’t know when, the video page automatically jumped to the comment section of Galaxy Mall, and the top popular comment was:
Chapter 30: The hexagram seems to be changing again! (Old version)
“So General Xianzhou can cry too?
I suddenly don’t feel that he is out of my reach anymore.”
There are still nine thousand reposts below.
Fu Xuan’s eyes suddenly widened.
She grabbed the terminal and hurriedly left Taibusi, thinking about what to say to Jingyuan when she saw him.
Arriving at the Military Academy, Fu Xuan lifted the curtain and went in.
Jing Yuan was holding a teacup and looking at the terminal. He looked up and saw Fu Xuan. He smiled and shook the screen and said:
“I watched Xiao Guizi’s live broadcast. When she was explaining the ‘Immortal Boat Map’, she described the Taibusi’s Guaxiang Terrace as the ‘most suitable viewing platform for slacking off’. It’s much more interesting than your pile of tortoise shells.”
Fu Xuan’s words were on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed them back.
She saw a game guide on Jing Yuan’s desk, with the words “Newbies must read: How to catch General Jing Yuan in the game” written crookedly on the cover. Suddenly, she felt that she might have underestimated this general who always smiled with his eyes narrowed, so she asked:
“You knew that a long time ago?”
Jing Yuan stood up slowly, drank the Xing Qiong milk tea in the teacup, and said:
“Know what? Do you know that the kid named Lin Fan dug up my dark history in the game?
Do you know that every time Gui broadcasts live, he bets whether I will finish reviewing the military newspaper today? “
He tapped the terminal screen with his fingers and continued:
“The tortoise shell of the Taibushi can predict the heavens and the earth, but it cannot predict the human heart. If these videos are spread, ordinary people will only think that the general is also a flesh-and-blood person.”
Fu Xuan suddenly remembered the secret report he had received this morning: the common people at the junction of the three cities spontaneously placed Jing Yuan’s longevity tablet on the street, and in front of the tablet were piled up portraits of the general drawn by children – some were holding candied haws to tease the little fairy beasts, and some were squatting on the roadside to help an old man repair bamboo baskets.
She thought to herself that it turned out that those “dark histories” had long since turned into something warmer among the people.
Jing Yuan picked up the silver mask on the table, put it on his face, and said:
“So, Master Taibu, why don’t we go meet your ‘people’?”
The interface of the Galaxy Live Room popped up on both of their terminals at the same time, and the screen was filled with comments rapidly.
“Where’s Xiao Guizi? She just said she wanted to connect with the developers, why is there no signal all of a sudden?”
Some speculate:
“Could it be that he was called in for a talk by the Xianzhou officials?”
Someone else retorted:
“Don’t talk nonsense! I just received a system notification in the game saying ‘The host is temporarily away and will be replaced by a special guest’——”
Jing Yuan’s terminal suddenly vibrated.
He looked down and saw that his game account “Yunqi Laozu” automatically logged into the live broadcast room, with the title “Xianzhou Special Consultant”.
Fu Xuan’s “Taibu·Xuan” account also followed in, and the barrage of comments exploded all of a sudden.
“Oh my god! It’s the general!!”
Someone exclaimed:
“Master Taibu!! The tortoise shell on her divination plate is glowing!!”
Someone else asked:
“So the video just now was real? Did the general really shed tears for the evil soldier?”
Jingyuan took off his mask, smiled gently at the camera, and said:
“It’s true.
But what is more true is that I can now protect everyone who needs to be protected.”
Fu Xuan’s hexagram plate suddenly made a sound.
She looked down at the tortoise shells that were automatically arranged on the plate. When she looked up, there was a smile in her eyes and she said:
“The Grand Astrologer has calculated a new hexagram – the star tracks may not necessarily lead to disasters.”
The barrage of comments was full of comments like “I’m crying”, “The general is so handsome”, “Master Taibu is so gentle”, but the host’s avatar in the lower right corner of the live broadcast room remained black.
Where Xiao Guizi should have been, there was only a line of system prompts:
“The host [Xiao Guizi] is temporarily offline due to special reasons. The estimated recovery time is…to be determined.”
Jing Yuan’s finger paused on the terminal for a while, but ultimately he did not click the “private message” button.
He looked at the black screen of the anchor position, and the tips of his ears felt a little hot. Last night, he secretly gave Xiao Guizi’s live broadcast room a limited edition “Cloud Rider General Figure” and left a message saying “Next time I broadcast live, I will leave you a viewing seat on the top floor of Taibusi.”
When Fu Xuan put away the hexagram plate, the tortoise shells suddenly collided heavily with each other.
She looked at Jingyuan thoughtfully and said:
“The Taibusi’s hexagram…seems to be changing again.”
The audience in the live broadcast room didn’t notice that while Jing Yuan and Fu Xuan were talking, Xiao Guizi’s terminal lit up in an empty storage room of the Starry Sky Train.
A line of blood-red words appeared on the screen:
“Special visitor detected, live streaming function locked.”
A black-gloved hand reached out and gently closed the terminal.
Kafka’s laughter came from the shadows: …..
Chapter 31: Oops, I was seen through?! (Old version)
“Little anchor, we, the Star Core Hunters… want to talk to you about the developer named Lin Fan.”
..
In the storage room of the Star Train, Kafka was holding Xiao Guizi’s terminal.
The red light on the screen flickered on the teardrop mole at the end of her eye. Xiao Guizi knew about the Yuling developer before, and Kafka asked her with a smile:
“Little anchor, what expression would that developer named Yu Ling have if he knew that his game had bewitched the entire galaxy?”
She tilted her head and chuckled, tapping the edge of the terminal with her black gloves, and then said:
“But wait, until we finish talking–“
The terminal suddenly vibrated, and Jing Yuan’s reward notification popped up.
In the holographic projection, the action figure of General Yunqi was holding a spear and posing as he was patrolling the city, and the words in the message box were shining with golden light.
Kafka raised her eyebrows and swiped her finger across the screen, and the terminal suddenly issued a sharp alarm.
“Developer association signal detected, live broadcast function forced to resume.”
As soon as the mechanical sound came, she quickly retreated into the shadows, opened her black umbrella, and hid all traces.
At this time, on the top floor of Xianzhou Luofu Taibusi, Jing Yuan was looking at the live broadcast room that had lit up again, tapping his fingers on the stone table.
Fu Xuan’s tortoise shell gurgled on the hexagram plate. She looked up and said:
“The hexagram…is stable.”
In the live broadcast room, Xiao Guizi’s avatar lit up.
She frantically adjusted the camera, with water droplets on her hair, and said:
“S-Sorry, everyone!
I just went to the bathroom on the Starry Sky Train to touch up my makeup, but the door card suddenly broke, and it took me a long time to get out!”
She saw the comments saying “General Figure” and “Taipusi Viewing Seat”, her ears turned red, she covered her face and said:
“General Jingyuan…Master Fuxuan, I, I will tell you in advance next time!”
Jing Yuan paused for a moment as he held the teacup, letting the tea sway.
Fu Xuan put the tortoise shell into the brocade bag, curled his lips slightly, and thought to himself that this young anchor was cheated by the old equipment on the train.
In the security room of the Black Tower headquarters, Sha Jin slapped a stack of documents on the table. In addition to the time overlap, the documents also contained preliminary test results of some mysterious code traces of Sangbo. He said to Sangbo:
“Mr. Sambo, we found out that the first test of “Echoes of the Starry Sky” was when you were ‘repairing machinery’ in Beloberg.
What’s even more coincidental is that every time an update announcement was released, you were in a place where no one was around, and we also found some mysterious code traces related to you.”
Sambo quickly raised his hands and stepped back, his greasy overalls rubbing against the security robot, and shouted:
“stop!
stop!
I was helping Mrs. Cocolia fix the heating pipes!
Besides, how can I develop games if I can’t even use a terminal? “
His eyes suddenly lit up and he added:
“That’s right!
Last time at the space station, Ms. Jizi said that my hands shook more than Pam’s when I drew the cards! “
Sha Jin looked at the surveillance records. In the video, Sambo was yelling at the card drawing interface, and his fingers were poking at the “ten consecutive” button like a woodpecker.
Suddenly, the security system alert sounded:
“Abnormal energy fluctuations detected, coordinates B3 storage room.”
Sambo turned pale and shouted:
“Wait, I released an…experimental mechanical bug this morning!”
After saying that, he ran out the door.
There was a muffled “bang” sound, and a charred iron ball rolled out of the smoke, still emitting sparks.
Sha Jin tugged at his tie, looked at Sambo’s dusty appearance on the surveillance video, and helplessly drew a cross on the information.
He thought that this unlucky guy must not be a mysterious developer, but just a troublemaker who always made repairs result in explosions.
In a hidden attic in Xianzhou, Lin Fan looked at the note Gui Naifen left for him. His system had said before that it could detect signs of forgery, and at this moment, the system prompt sounded in his head:
“Traces of forgery were detected, with a similarity of 92.7%.”
Lin Fan whispered:
He called up the system’s “Peeping Eye”.
He saw Kafka’s figure appear from the void, with a lavender “acting value” floating on her body – 99.9%.
There is a blurry figure in the shadows, and the system can only display “Prophet Elio”.
Lin Fan said to the air:
“It seems you can’t wait.
But Yuling’s game will not be disrupted by your little tricks.”
Kafka’s laughter came from all directions:
“Oh my, have you been seen through?
But this is interesting – this is the first time I’ve seen a developer who can let Elio change the prophecy. “
The sound of a mechanical bee came from outside the attic, and Elio said slowly:
“Abort the operation. The target’s vigilance exceeded expectations.”
Kafka looked at Lin Fan for a while, then turned around and the wind from her umbrella blew away the notes on the table, and she said:
“Xiao Yuling, next time we meet… I will bring a more interesting gift.”
On the Starry Sky Train, March 7 held up the terminal and shouted:
“I drew the Silver Wolf!
Still full of life!”
She rushed to Jizi with her phone and said:
“Take a quick look, isn’t this skill’s special effect more impressive than General Jing Yuan’s?”
Dan Heng came over with a teacup in his hand, looked at the screen and saw Silver Wolf holding the game controller and making a “V” sign, and said:
“Indeed, the modeling accuracy is 20% higher than last time.”
Jizi held the coffee and said with a smile:
“It seems that Yuling put a lot of effort into this update.
I don’t know when this mysterious developer will be willing to meet with us.”
Pam flew to the control console, suddenly pricked up her ears and said: …..
Chapter 32: Wait for the family! The screen seems to be off! (Old version)
“The train detected… an unregistered energy response approaching.”
Everyone looked in the direction she was looking, and at the end of the star track, a shadow was slowly approaching along with the quantum flow.
The shadow looked like an open black umbrella.
When the alarm of the Starry Sky Train suddenly sounded, March 7’s hand holding the terminal was still hanging in the air.
Silver Wolf’s full-life special effect exploded into a purple rain of light on the screen, but was abruptly interrupted by Pam’s sharp mechanical voice:
“A quantum life form has been detected anchoring! The coordinates are locked at the connection between the carriages—”
The sound of the black umbrella tip piercing the air arrived before the alarm.
Kafka walked into the carriage with a lazy pace that was totally inconsistent with the alarm frequency. The edge of the black umbrella was still dripping with quantum droplets from the star tracks, spreading lavender water marks on the metal floor.
She was wearing a moon-white modified cheongsam, with a section of her snow-white calves exposed at the slit. The blue-purple highlights at the end of her hair swayed slightly with her movements, and the teardrop mole at the end of her eye looked like a crushed star. “Ah, it seems that Miss Pam is still so strict.”
“Kafka.” Jizi put down the coffee cup and tapped her knuckles on the wall of the cup, making a crisp sound.
Her sitting posture did not change, but her back was as tense as a bowstring – as a train conductor who had seen too many dangerous people, she knew too well that this woman who always smiled had barbed hooks hidden under every inch of her gentleness.
San Yueqi immediately stuffed the terminal into his coat pocket, took a half step back, stiffened his neck and raised his chin: “How did you get on the train? We are not just anyone who can–“
“The little girl is quite alert.” Kafka tapped the ground with the tip of her umbrella, and the quantum flow suddenly surged at her feet. “But I’m not here to fight.” She looked up at Ji Zi, and her smile became serious. “I need you to change the destination of the next stop.”
“Go to the Immortal Boat Luofu.”
Dan Heng’s fingers unconsciously clasped the hilt of the sword at his waist.
He could feel the train’s star core resonating, a sign of approaching danger.
Old Yang adjusted his glasses and glanced at the faintly visible Star Core Hunter badge in Kafka’s hair: “Reason?”
“Save him.” Kafka turned the umbrella handle, and the umbrella drew a semicircle above her head. “My companion Blade is now imprisoned in the Taibusi Prison by the Chiming tribe of Luofu.”
“Impossible.” Ji Zi’s voice was like ice. “Our cooperation with Xianzhou is based on the principle of non-interference. Not to mention Luofu’s defense system, just to rescue people from Taibusi -” She paused, “You should know that this will drag the train into the internal struggle of Xianzhou.”
“That’s why I came to see you.” Kafka tilted her head, her hair brushing across her shoulders. “Elliot said that the trajectory of the Star Train will affect the fate of many people at critical junctures.” She suddenly laughed out loud. “But it seems that the prophet’s script needs some adjustments this time–“
Just when everyone was puzzled by Kafka’s words, March 7’s terminal suddenly vibrated. It turned out that at the moment Kafka boarded the train, some mysterious force had quietly connected to March 7’s terminal.
She took it out in a hurry, and the screen that was originally displaying the game interface switched to the live broadcast screen at some point.
Gui Naifen’s face took up half of the screen. The little girl was holding up the game controller and dancing with joy: “Family members, who understands! The newly updated version actually hides Kafka’s exclusive plot! Now the live broadcast triggers the hidden copy——”
The picture suddenly blurred.
The blue light of the holographic projection poured out from the top of the terminal and condensed into another Kafka in the center of the carriage. It turned out that there was a powerful force behind this game, and they were able to connect the game data with reality through special technology. This projection was wearing a pure black combat uniform, with seven rotating quantum blades floating behind it, and the teardrop mole at the end of the eye glowing coldly: “It is detected that the player has triggered the “Star Core Hunter’s Invitation” side quest. Mission objective: Assist Kafka to rescue the imprisoned companions. Mission reward: Limited character Ka Kafka (full life), rare light cone “Thread of Destiny”.”
“Is this… Yu Ling’s new update?” Dan Heng leaned closer to the screen, “But how can Kafka’s data in the game be synchronized with the real person?”
“What’s even more strange is the terminal permissions.” Lao Yang called up the train system interface and frowned slightly. “This live broadcast signal bypassed all firewalls and directly connected to the train’s public channel.” It turned out that the mysterious force took advantage of some loopholes in the train system and bypassed the firewall.
Pam flapped her wings and crashed into the console: “Warning! Warning! The holographic projection is interfering with the train navigation system!” Due to the special connection between the holographic projection and the forces behind the game, it can interfere with the train navigation system.
The carriage suddenly became chaotic.
Sanyueqi ran after the projection with the terminal in hand, trying to poke the blue light with his fingertips; Danheng drew out half of his sword and then took it back, after all, it was meaningless to attack the game projection; Jizi pressed her forehead, and the bottom of the coffee cup left a shallow mark on the table – what made her most uneasy was the expression of the real Kafka at this moment: the nonchalant smile faded a little, and a look of understanding like “as expected” appeared in her eyes.
“It seems that ‘they’ are more anxious to show you this than I am.” The “they” Kafka was referring to was the mysterious force behind the game. They had their own purpose and wanted to push the Star Train to participate in the rescue of the Blade. Kafka tapped the holographic projection with the tip of her umbrella. The blue light suddenly twisted, and Gui Naifen’s voice came from it: “Wait, family! The picture seems to be out of place–“
The live broadcast screen suddenly switched.
Everyone’s breathing stopped.
Chapter 33: Those special effects just now were not created by me! (Old version)
It was a prison covered in purple lightning.
The blue-gray stone walls were engraved with talismans to exorcise evil spirits. Chains hung from the dome, with a bloodstained figure locked at the end.
He lowered his head, his long hair covering his face, but one could see the scaly wound on his wrist – that was the mark left by the cursed power of the Chiming Clan Raven.
“Blade.” Kafka’s voice was as light as a sigh.
The holographic projection suddenly went out at this moment.
San Yueqi’s terminal fell to the ground with a “thump”. When she squatted down to pick it up, she caught a glimpse of a line of small words flashing in the corner of the screen: “The live broadcast will continue in three hours.”
The carriage was so quiet that you could hear Pam’s mechanical heartbeat.
Jizi stared at Kafka, who was slowly adjusting the cuffs of her cheongsam, as if the chaos just now had never happened: “Do you believe me now?”
“Do you believe you need a reason to risk the train?” Ji Zi asked back, “Or do you believe this drama is to lure us into the game?”
“Don’t jump to conclusions.” Kafka bent down to pick up Sanyueqi’s terminal. Her fingertips slid across the screen, and Silver Wolf’s character card suddenly popped up. “The game your young developer made is very interesting, especially… he seems to know something he shouldn’t know.” She handed the terminal back and gently rubbed Sanyueqi’s back of the hand with her fingertips. “Why not wait until you finish watching the entire live broadcast? After all-“
She turned and walked towards the connection between the carriages, the black umbrella opened behind her, and the quantum flow surged under her feet again: “The real script has just begun.”
The alarm gradually subsided as she left.
San Yueqi’s hand holding the terminal was still shaking a little. Dan Heng bent down and picked up the game card she had just dropped. The metal edge still had body temperature.
Old Yang looked in the direction where Kafka disappeared and whispered, “Could the ‘they’ she mentioned be the Yuling who created the game?”
Jizi didn’t say anything.
She looked at the star tracks outside the window and suddenly remembered the notification she received from the Galaxy Mall a few days ago: the number of downloads of “Starry Sky: Departure” exceeded 30 million.
At this moment, the destination display bar of the train navigation system is flashing slowly – the originally set “Yalillo-VI” is being rewritten by some force.
“Pam, lock the navigation system.” Ji Zi’s voice became more stable. “Also… connect to Gui Naifen’s live broadcast room.” She looked at San Yueqi who was still in a daze. “Give me the terminal.”
Please hand it over quickly on March 7th.
When the live broadcast screen came back on, everyone saw Gui Naifen holding the game controller, and the electronic screen in the background suddenly exploded with a dazzling red light.
The little girl’s voice was trembling: “Family! The picture just now was not a bug! The system prompt said… this is a ‘reality and game overlap test’? Now-“
In the last second before the screen went black again, everyone could clearly see the words on the electronic screen: “Next chapter, Blade’s Shackles.”
On the holographic projection screen in the main cabin of the Starry Sky Train, snowflakes flashed for three seconds, and Gui Naifen’s face illuminated the cabin again.
There was a thin layer of sweat on her forehead, and the ends of her hair were stuck behind her ears. It was obvious that she had just been in a rush.
That special effect just now was not created by me!”
Gui Naifen raised the game controller and shook it, her knuckles turning white from the force. “The system prompts something like ‘Reality and game overlap test’, I’m confused now too——”
Before he could finish his words, the electronic screen suddenly emitted a blinding blue light.
The scene changed and everyone gasped. It turned out to be a black cage suspended in the void with a person entangled in chains.
The man’s hair was loose, revealing half of his pale face. The teardrop mole under his left eye glowed blue in the dim light. It was the Star Core Hunter Blade.
“look!
It’s a blade!”
Gui Naifen’s voice rose. “In the game, he is a character that can be conquered, but I’ve never seen such a scene before—”
The barrage of comments suddenly exploded.
[Is this fake? Can the games in Galaxy Mall be synchronized with reality? ][How much money did the anchor receive? He used to praise this game as a masterpiece, but now he is broadcasting a supernatural live show? ][Train passenger intrusion warning! I saw Sister Himeko frowning in the back! ]Gui Naifen stared at the comments that were refreshing frantically on the terminal, and her Adam’s apple moved.
She could hear the curses from outside the live broadcast room penetrating the virtual barrier. After all, “Starsky: Departure” had just become popular throughout the galaxy thanks to her live broadcast, and now suddenly this “reality overlap” thing came up. Everyone would suspect that it was hype.
In the main cabin, Ji Zi was holding the March 7 terminal, and her fingers pressed so hard that ripples appeared on the edge of the screen.
“Pam, put the live sound on.”
Her voice was icy cold.
When the mechanical sound rang out, Lin Fan was leaning against the cabin wall and rubbing his temple.
Chapter 34: Because You Need Me! (Old Version)
He stared at the blade on the screen, remembering what the system had prompted him this morning:
[An abnormal overlap between the game data and the real data of the Starry Sky Train has been detected. The host is advised to remain observant].
Combined with what Kafka said yesterday, “They will come looking”, he knew that this must be a trap set by Kafka.
“Stop the live broadcast.”
A lazy female voice suddenly interrupted.
Kafka didn’t know when she leaned against the hatch, spinning a silver hairpin on her fingers. “If the following content gets out, the sweet cookies, the little poets in your car, and this anchor who is desperately explaining… “
She raised her chin towards Gui Naifen and said, “They will all be treated as experimental subjects and sliced into pieces by the Galaxy Security Bureau.”
Ji Zi turned around suddenly, and her military boots made a crisp sound on the metal ground:
“You’re good at making excuses.
You said you wanted to find a star core, and now you’re doing this kind of trick. Who knows if you’re stalling for time?”
She walked up to Kafka, the stars on her shoulder straps almost poking her nose, “Do you believe I’m going to throw you off the train right now?”
“Aji,”
Walter held Ji Zi’s shoulders and said softly, “Since Kafka dared to say it, she must have her plans.”
He looked at Kafka again. “Explain.”
Kafka laughed softly and snapped the hairpin back behind her ear:
“What you saw was the real-time footage of Blade being imprisoned by the ‘Antimatter Legion’.
I have some connection with the Antimatter Legion. This time the search for the star core and the rescue blade are connected.
My little anchor was broadcasting a game, but the system…”
She glanced at Lin Fan, her voice trembling slightly, “Maybe more interesting data has been detected.”
Lin Fan’s eyes narrowed.
Kafka’s look was so accurate, as if to say “I know you have a system.”
He lowered his head and took out the terminal, his fingers typing quickly on the keyboard: [Don’t believe her, but don’t be tough, change the subject].
Gui Naifen and Lin Fan had cooperated several times before and had a good understanding of each other. As soon as the message was sent, Gui Naifen’s eyelashes were seen blinking quickly a few times. This was her habitual action when she received a private message.
Actually…actually this might be a test of a new feature in the game!”
Gui Naifen suddenly raised the handle and shook it, forcing a smile full of energy on her face, “Look at this button——”
She pressed the blue button on the side of the controller, and the image on the electronic screen suddenly changed to the main interface of the game, “This is the hidden easter egg I found yesterday!
You can switch between reality and game scenes~”
The comments were quiet for two seconds, and then started to fill with comments like [Anchor, you were obviously scared to tears just now] and [You’re holding the handle upside down, idiot], but there were obviously fewer comments of doubt.
In the main cabin, March Seventh laughed, and Dan Heng’s tense shoulders relaxed a little.
Kafka glanced at Gui Naifen, then turned her gaze to the others:
“Now, I have a deal.”
She walked over to the holographic projection screen and ran her finger over the image of the blade, “If you help me save him, I will tell you…”
She turned to look at Walter, “Where is the ‘Honkai Core’?”
“impossible.”
Ji Zi immediately spoke up, “We won’t get involved in the Star Core Hunter’s mess.”
Walter said nothing.
He stared into Kafka’s eyes, as if trying to see something deeper through that smile.
Lin Fan noticed that the old man paused for a moment while touching his beard. This was his usual action when he was thinking, but this time the pause was too deliberate, as if he was hiding something.
“Mr. Walter?”
Gui Naifen’s voice came out from the terminal, a little worried, “Are you… okay?”
“fine.”
Walter came back to his senses and nodded gently at the screen, “We are just discussing what to do next.”
He looked at Kafka again, “Let’s not talk about the deal first, why do you think we will trust you?”
“Because you need me.”
Kafka tapped her heart with her fingers, “Just like I need you.”
At this moment, the train suddenly shook violently.
Jizi’s heart tightened, knowing that something was wrong. While talking to Kafka, she quickly grabbed the safety rope next to the seat and threw it to Sanyueqi:
“Hold on! Dan Heng, activate the backup energy!”
Dan Heng rushed to the operating area, and the hem of his clothes created a gust of wind.
Kafka was still standing there, looking at the swaying star track window, the smile on her lips becoming more obvious.
Lin Fan held onto the bulkhead to steady himself, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Walter staring at Kafka’s back.
The old man’s eyes reflected the rolling star trails outside the window, as if he could see farther through the starlight.
After shaking for half a minute, the train slowly stopped shaking.
Pam’s voice sounded again: “The damage to the thruster has been controlled, and we are checking outside…”
“Report!”
Dan Heng’s voice came from the control room, “Orbital scanning found… a small spaceship is adjusting its angle, as if it wants to stop us.”
Everyone in the main cabin looked at each other.
Jizi held the holster at her waist tightly, Kafka twirled her hairpin, and Walter tapped his fingers on the console.
Lin Fan looked at the blue light outside the window that was getting closer and closer, and suddenly remembered another reminder from the system this morning: [Be careful, an uninvited guest is coming].
Chapter 35: Interesting, let’s see how this play is performed! (Old version)
When the vibration stopped, Gui Naifen’s live broadcast camera shook. She frantically held onto the stand.
There were still some biscuit crumbs in his hair that had just fallen off the shelf.
“Did you see what I just saw?
There is something wrong with the propulsion system of the Star Train——”
She was about to make a joke when Dan Heng’s voice came from the control room:
“Orbital scan confirmed that the small spacecraft is adjusting its angle and is thirty kilometers away.”
Jizi took off the holster and put it on her arm.
Jizi: “This situation is a bit strange.”
Walter walked to the operating table and started operating.
Walter: “We must be prepared to deal with it.”
Kafka leaned against the bulkhead, playing with her hairpins.
Kafka: “Interesting, let’s see how this play plays out.”
Qingque suddenly appeared from the corner.
Qingque: “Let me try to track the source of the signal.”
She revealed a half-rolled confidential document of the Cloud Cavalry Army from her trouser pocket.
Qingque: “This is a ‘toy’ I picked up while slacking off.”
She took out a communicator that was not much bigger than her palm, with a crooked talisman paper stuck on it.
Qingque: “This is the homemade equipment of the No. 1 slacker of this immortal boat. It can even tinker with the encrypted channels of Luofu Taibusi.”
Before anyone could react, a string of garbled characters lit up on the communicator screen.
Qingque held a lollipop in his mouth and pressed the keys quickly.
Qingque: “Locate… lock… wow, the transmitter is in the cockpit of the spacecraft.
What is the employee number of the Black Tower Space Station? C-731, isn’t this the clerk who always hides in the warehouse to eat snacks? “
Pam poked her head out of the ceiling vent.
Pam: “What? The coward who fell three times while carrying the Quantum Cube? Why is he chasing us in a spaceship?”
As soon as he finished speaking, the holographic projection suddenly flickered, and a pale face squeezed in.
Officer: “Yes, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it! They threatened me with my quantum hamster–“
Lin Fan took a step forward.
Lin Fan: “Who are they?”
He noticed that the clerk’s Adam’s apple moved and his left hand unconsciously clutched his cuff, revealing half of a silver bracelet.
Lin Fan: “This is the locator that Black Tower Company gives to its grassroots employees. What’s wrong with you?”
The clerk said in a crying voice:
“I… I just adjusted the orbital parameters according to instructions!
I really didn’t know we had to stop the train! They said if I did it, they would let my little fur ball go—”
Gui Naifen moved closer to the camera.
Gui Naifen: “Little fur ball?
The audience said that it would be very pitiful for the hamster to be frozen in the vacuum.”
She winked at the clerk, and his shoulders visibly relaxed a little.
Lin Fan observed the clerk carefully.
Lin Fan: “I think there’s something wrong with you.”
He thought of the “uninvited guest” the system had prompted this morning, and also of the “Honkai Core Fragments” that Kafka had mentioned during a casual chat three days ago.
Lin Fan: “Anchor Gui,
Can you talk to the audience about the recent popular “Star Core Simulation Game”? I heard that some people want to get their hands on real cores in order to collect virtual cores? “
Gui Naifen immediately understood what he meant and adjusted the live broadcast angle so that the camera would scan in Kafka’s direction.
Gui Naifen: “Yes, yes! I saw a comment yesterday saying that if there really is a core that can control energy in reality, someone might do something wrong~”
Kafka’s hairpin stopped with a click.
Kafka: “Kobayashi-san seems to be paying close attention to current events lately.”
Qingque suddenly closed the communicator.
Qingque: “I suggest leading the spacecraft to the maintenance bay for docking.
The train propeller is damaged and needs repair; that guy’s spaceship is also emitting black smoke and needs repair as well. Why not let him in and ask questions while we repair it?”
Jizi held the handle of the gun.
Jizi: “No. What if there’s an ambush——”
Walter spoke up.
Walter: “Pam can hold the quantum barrier in the maintenance bay.
We need more information.”
When the clerk was taken off the train, Lin Fan quietly grabbed his sleeve.
Lin Fan: “The little fur ball is in the B3 warehouse of the Black Tower Space Station, right?
I was delivering documents for Ms. Heita yesterday and saw you hiding behind the shelf feeding the hamster.
Now tell me who gave you the order. I will ask Anchor Gui to contact the space station security and rescue the little fur ball within half an hour.”
The clerk’s lips trembled and he finally told the truth.
Clerk: “It’s… a girl wearing cat-ear headphones. She showed up at the warehouse last week and said that the compensation I owed the company could be written off as long as I adjusted the orbit of the spacecraft according to the coordinates she gave. She… she called herself ‘Silver Wolf’.”
“Silver Wolf?”
Kafka’s voice suddenly sounded behind him.
Lin Fan turned around and saw Kafka standing in the shadows.
Lin Fan: “What you said before about the blade has nothing to do with the star core.”
Kafka walked forward and tapped the clerk’s locator gently.
Kafka: “That was… one of the last people Blade came into contact with before he disappeared.
What they wanted was the technology that Blade mastered to suppress the collapse.
Now it’s relevant.”
She fished out a crystal that was glowing with purple electricity from her coat.
Kafka: “This is a fragment found in Xianzhou Xuling Cave. It is 87% similar to the model of the ‘Honkai Core’ in your game.”
The alarm suddenly sounded.
Dan Heng shouted in the control room: …
Chapter 36: The real hunter will open his eyes! (Old version)
“Second impact!”
The train shook violently.
Gui Naifen: “Oh, protect the live broadcast equipment!”
Qingque: “Oh my god, I almost fell flat on my face!”
The bluebird emerged from the biscuits.
Qingque: “Interference device! That spaceship is releasing quantum interference waves, and the error of the navigation system is growing exponentially!”
Lin Fan held onto the bulkhead.
Lin Fan: “What should I do?”
Jizi swung towards the control room by grabbing the safety rope.
Ji Zi: “Old Yang! How long can the backup energy last?”
Lao Yang responded below the console:
“Ten minutes!
Dan Heng, hand me capacitor number three!”
Lin Fan suddenly remembered the system’s reminder this morning.
Lin Fan: “When the core resonates, the true hunter will open his eyes.
This is troublesome.”
The train made another metallic twisting sound.
Gui Naifen grabbed Lin Fan’s wrist.
Gui Naifen: “Come on!”
Lin Fan: “I’ll go to the operation area. Maybe I can use the quantum network to reverse locate the source of interference.”
Kafka looked at the crystal in her palm and said softly:
“Silver Wolf, can’t you hold back after all?”
Lao Yang’s voice came:
“Dan Heng, pay attention to the energy fluctuations of the main engine!”
Danheng’s voice was drowned out by the vibration.
Lao Yang’s wrench clanged loudly under the console. Dan Heng half-knelt on the ground.
He handed over capacitor No. 3, with traces of oil still on his fingertips.
The train rumbled, like a wounded beast struggling.
Gui Naifen was thrown and hit the operating table. Her wrinkled nose flashed in the live camera, but she immediately smiled and said:
“Family members, look at how powerful these special effects are!
I will show you later that the host and the conductor are repairing the spaceship together.”
Lin Fan grabbed her wrist, pulled her behind him, and said:
“Xiao Gui, move the camera away.”
He glanced at the red alarm that was flashing on the dashboard.
The system’s morning reminder rang in his head:
“When the core resonates, the true hunter will open his eyes.”
Now the blue dots had gathered into a fog that enveloped the train. He could feel a hot, corrosive energy crawling in along the quantum network like a poisonous snake spitting its tongue.
Dan Heng’s voice was broken by the electric current. He pressed his temple and said:
“Main engine energy fluctuations are abnormal!
It’s not a mechanical failure, it seems something is interfering with our positioning system.”
Old Yang emerged from the equipment pile, his hair sticking to his forehead with sweat and a black mark on his face. He said:
“Xiao Dan is right. The frequency of this interference wave…”
He took out a small silver instrument, and the waveform on the screen suddenly turned into sharp sawtooth. He continued:
“It’s a mixture of quantum energy and star core energy. I’ve been repairing spaceships for half my life, and this is the first time I’ve seen something this weird.”
Lin Fan’s fingers moved rapidly on the console of the game server.
Last night, he had just adjusted the inter-galactic transmission module for the new game “Trails in the Sky”, but now he was disassembling the code in reverse. The system-bound development knowledge automatically generated an analytical diagram in his mind, and the appearance of those sawtooth waves gradually became clear, which was 70% similar to the “Honkai Core” energy spectrum he had seen in the system space.
He said in a low voice:
“It’s the residual energy of the Honkai Core.
They are mimicking the frequencies of our quantum network and trying to trap the train in this area.”
The operating cabin suddenly became quiet.
Kafka had been leaning against the door at some point, her black windbreaker stained with rain, spinning the dark blue crystal between her fingers.
She smiled, raised her eyes, without her usual lazy look, and said:
“My friend, you are quite perceptive. I have seen this kind of energy before in the Immortal Boat.”
Ji Zi’s voice exploded from the communicator. She should be in the cockpit at this moment. She said:
“What did you say?
Kafka, you’d better explain yourself.”
Kafka shook the crystal and said:
“Don’t worry.
The core of this jammer is made of a mixture of star core fragments and Honkai energy. To crack it, we need to find someone who understands both quantum technology and star core energy. “
She glanced at Lin Fan and continued:
“For example, our young developer, or…”
Dan Heng held the spear at his waist, his eyes glowing with a cyan-gold light, and asked:
“Or what?”
Kafka whispered:
“Or, let the train change its route to Xianzhou Luofu first.
I can help remove the interference, but the condition is that you have to take me to my destination.”
Jizi immediately raised her voice:
“Impossible! Trains have fixed routes, we can’t…”
Lin Fan interrupted her, called up the real-time comparison chart of energy fluctuations, and said:
“Aunt Jizi.
The interference source is now absorbing the train’s quantum energy. In ten minutes, the main engine will overload and explode. The route to Luofu only has three more jump points than the original route, but Kafka’s method can save at least twenty minutes.”
He paused and continued:
“and……
What she has in her hand may be the key to cracking the code.”
Gui Naifen suddenly tugged at the corner of his clothes.
Her live broadcast interface was full of comments, some of which were “Support the train”.
Some shouted “Sister Kafka is so cool”, and the top anonymous message was particularly eye-catching:
Chapter 37: Silver Wolf’s Mechanical Pet! (Old Version)
“Don’t trust the red-eyed woman. She doesn’t want help, she wants bait.”
Lin Fan’s fingers paused on the phone screen.
Silver Wolf’s ID popped up in his head. That hacker who always liked to use binary code as her name, no one else would use such a thorny warning method except her.
He calmly put the phone in his pocket and looked at Kafka with a little more suspicion.
Gui Naifen suddenly raised the camera to face herself. Raindrops dripped down her hair onto her collar, but she smiled brightly and said:
Now we need everyone’s help to inject specific energy interference signals into the train’s quantum network. It will take time for the interference source to process these signals, so that we have more time to respond to the crisis! “
The comments were filled with compliments and words of encouragement. She made a “done” gesture to Lin Fan and said:
“Many viewers have already injected energy into the interference signal. It takes time for the interference source to process the data!”
Lao Yang cheered at the control console and shouted:
“Xiao Dan! Open the backup energy valve! My friend, send me the reverse positioning code of your server!”
The tip of Dan Heng’s spear suddenly flashed with green light and pierced through a flashing red dot on the dashboard. He shouted:
“Interference source coordinates locked!”
Kafka’s crystal suddenly glowed, and she moved her fingers quickly a few times. The dark blue energy from the crystal crawled along the line toward the source of interference, wrapping around it and crushing it like a snake.
The alarm suddenly stopped and the train stopped shaking.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and started talking to each other.
Kafka shook the rain off her hair, and the crystal returned to her hand, saying:
“Well done.
Now, it’s time to fulfill my terms.”
Lin Fan’s heart tightened.
Kafka looked at the star trails outside the window, which were gradually becoming clearer, and said:
“After arriving in Luofu, I need you and Xiaogui to accompany me to the Taibusi dungeon.
My companion Blade is imprisoned there. The cage that holds him is reinforced with the power of Eternal Tribulation and quantum locks.”
She turned to look at Lin Fan and continued:
“Only your game development system can generate a virtual program to crack the quantum lock. Xiaogui’s live broadcast equipment has a special function that can interfere with the dungeon’s monitoring system, making it easier for us to act.”
Gui Naifen secretly hooked her fingers around Lin Fan’s little finger.
She didn’t say anything, but the warmth from her palms came over me.
Lin Fan asked:
“Why us?
You yourself…”
“I’m good at ‘guiding’, not ‘cracking’.
Besides, my friend’s system can connect to the Galaxy Mall, which has the richest virtual program library in the universe. Why do you think I have been following the train?”
Dan Heng knocked his spear heavily to the ground and said:
“This is too risky. The Xianzhou is more cautious about ‘dangerous elements’ than the space station. If you go in, you will be walking into a trap.”
Kafka said in a softer voice:
“But Blade’s situation can’t wait.
The power of “eternal calamity” in his body is almost out of control. If he delays for another three days…”
She didn’t finish, but everyone fell silent.
Lin Fan looked at the game server still running on the console, and the test data of the new game was scrolling.
The system suddenly pops up a prompt:
“An event related to the key figure ‘Blade’ has been detected. Do you want to accept the hidden mission?”
His throat moved. This was the first time that the system proactively released a task that had nothing to do with the main development, which meant that this matter must have a huge impact.
“I’ll go.”
Gui Naifen immediately clenched her fingers, but did not object.
Dan Heng shouted anxiously:
“Lin Fan!”
Lin Fan pulled up the Luofu Star Map and said:
“This is the best way.
I have studied the dungeon’s defense system, and virtual programs can indeed bypass biometrics. And…”
He glanced at Gui Naifen’s live broadcast interface, where the anonymous warning was still flashing, and continued:
“If the Silver Wolf is really watching us, this might be an opportunity.”
Kafka suddenly laughed and said:
“My friend is more interesting than I thought.”
Suddenly, Lin Fan remembered the strange signal fluctuations he occasionally discovered when he was looking at system prompts and analyzing interference sources, and suspected that it was related to the Silver Wolf.
At this moment, a black shadow flashed outside the porthole, like a mechanical butterfly spreading its wings, or like a shadow in a quantum state.
Gui Naifen’s live broadcast camera just happened to capture that shadow, and the comments immediately exploded:
“What the hell!”
“Silver Wolf!”
“It’s Silver Wolf’s mechanical pet!”
Dan Heng immediately drew out his spear, and Lao Yang also gripped the wrench tightly.
Kafka looked out the window, touched the crystal lightly with her fingers, smiled softly, and said:
“It seems that our guests have arrived early.”
Lin Fan stared at the black shadow that disappeared in a flash, and felt a chill on the back of his neck.
He recognized the frequency of that quantum fluctuation; it was exactly the same as Silver Wolf’s “quantum projection” technology.
He thought:
What is she here for?
warn?
Temptation?
still……
Ji Zi’s voice came from the cockpit, saying:
“Prepare to jump.
Target, the Immortal Boat Luofu.”
The train engine started to sound and quantum foam appeared ahead.
The train rumbled as it jumped, making the portholes buzz. Lin Fan placed his fingers on the cold conference table and scanned the people sitting around.
Gui Naifen muted the live broadcast equipment and pointed the camera at the emergency lights on the roof. The barrage of comments was still rolling wildly, and the nervous breathing of everyone in the car was clearly audible.
Lin Fan spoke first, his voice low:
Chapter 38: The highest level of slacking off is to turn your work into a side job! (Old version)
“Danheng, how’s the carriage patrol going?”
He noticed that Kafka’s fingertips were still against the crystal on her neck. The amethyst usually glowed lazily, but now it was emitting a light blue color, which meant that she was having emotional fluctuations.
Danheng said:
“The cabin and cargo hold have been checked, and no signs of intrusion were found outside.”
“However, quantum interference caused the monitoring system to go black three times, each time for 0.3 seconds, and the timing matched exactly when the black shadow flashed by.”
Lao Yang threw the wrench onto the table, and the sound of metal collision made Gui Naifen shrink her shoulders.
“The quantum barrier of the defense system is 20% thinner. That thing is not a real thing. It’s like a key made of Honkai energy, specifically looking for loopholes in our system.”
Kafka laughed suddenly, without her usual frivolous expression.
“Silver Wolf’s ‘Quantum Projection’ is more than just a shadow. Three years ago in the immortal ship ‘Taibusi’, she used this trick to render the entire martial arts arena’s protective shield useless. At that time, she wanted to steal half of the Dragon Blood Crystal of the Chiming Clan.”
“Now, her target may be more dangerous.”
Lin Fan felt a chill on the back of his neck again.
He remembered the “unknown threat” prompt that was always flashing on the system panel. This prompt had never disappeared since the first abnormal quantum fluctuation was detected at the Black Tower Space Station.
Lin Fan said:
“It could be directed at me, too.”
“The ‘full analysis’ function of my system can theoretically reverse engineer any technological product. If Silver Wolf wants to crack the star core or the train engine…”
Kafka immediately responded:
“So she’s testing your defenses, like a cat teasing a mouse, patting it twice to see if its prey will get angry.”
Gui Naifen suddenly touched the back of Lin Fan’s hand.
Her live broadcast interface was shrunk in the corner of the terminal, and the red prompt was flashing violently.
“I just used the excuse of equipment failure to switch the camera to the automatic coffee machine in the dining car.”
“But the private messages went viral. Thirty-seven anonymous accounts kept repeating one sentence in different languages: ‘He has hidden something more important than the game.'”
As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the conference room suddenly froze.
Lao Yang’s wrench fell to the ground with a clang, and Dan Heng’s fingers were tightly gripping the gun handle.
Lin Fan stared at the screenshot of the message on Gui Naifen’s terminal. He was familiar with the arrangement of the letters. It was the “quantum ciphertext” that Silver Wolf liked to use. Each character had a little double image, like a ghost soaked in quantum foam.
Lao Yang bent down to pick up the wrench and said in a muffled voice:
“There are only 43% of the energy reserves left. If it is disturbed twice more, the jump engine will have to be reduced to safe mode. By then, let alone going to the immortal ship, it will be difficult to even maintain the temperature of the life chamber.”
Lin Fan unconsciously rubbed the edge of the terminal with his thumb.
A prompt suddenly popped up on the system panel: [The similarity between the quantum interference frequency and the Silver Wolf core code is detected to be 89%. It is recommended to build a temporary shielding device].
He looked up and met Gui Naifen’s eyes. There was no fear in them, only trust.
Lin Fan knocked on the table:
“Old Yang, go to warehouse number three and retrieve the discarded modules.”
“Gui Fen, contact Qing Que and tell her that we need her to help modify the Xianzhou-style shielding device. Didn’t she secretly learn the formation of Taibusi when she was slacking off in Luofu last time?”
Gui Naifen blinked, with a slight smile on her lips:
“How do you know? That little girl said in her last live broadcast, ‘The highest level of slacking off is to turn your work into a side job.'”
Lin Fan curled his lips:
“Because she helped me modify the model of the fairy boat scene in the game, and she used the energy circuit diagram of Taibusi.”
Old Yang stood up suddenly:
“I’ll go to the warehouse right away! Maybe I can find a usable quantum receiver among that pile of junk.”
Dan Heng said coldly:
“etc.”
He pointed his spear at the ceiling, the tip of the spear trembling slightly:
“There are footsteps on the roof.”
Everyone stopped breathing at once.
Gui Naifen quickly turned off the live broadcast, Dan Heng rushed out, and Lin Fan and the others also ran to the top of the train.
Lin Fan took out the tactical dagger given by the system. Although it was a game prop, in this world, it could cut through the quantum barrier.
On top of the train.
Dan Heng pointed his spear at the empty roof of the car.
Lin Fan squatted down and saw a piece of metal in the gutter.
The metal piece is about the size of a thumb, with twisted spiral patterns engraved on its surface.
As soon as he touched it, a pale blue light crept up through his fingers, and the burning sensation was the same as when he first touched the star core fragment.
Kafka said from behind:
“This is Honkai energy, and its purity is more than three times higher than what’s on the market.”
Dan Heng held up the metal sheet with the tip of his gun and held it up to the moonlight. In the middle of the spiral pattern, he could vaguely see a small letter “W”, the mark of the Silver Wolf, which appeared and disappeared in the quantum fluctuations.
Lin Fan stood up:
“She left it there on purpose, like a cat that caught a mouse and peed at the hole.”
At this time, the sound of the train engine changed, and the red light of the jump countdown began to flash.
A message from Qingque popped up on Gui Naifen’s terminal:
“The shielding device materials are ready. The fairy boat parts that I hid while fishing can be put to use.”
But Lin Fan’s eyes were still fixed on the metal piece. The frequency of the blue light fluctuations was exactly the same as the quantum signal that the black shadow had flashed before.
He put the metal piece in his pocket and it felt like a piece of red-hot coal.
Although the shadow of the immortal boat Luofu could be seen in the distance, the pair of gilded pupils in the shadow of the star tracks were still staring.
This time, Silver Wolf left more than just a warning.
Chapter 39: What she left behind was not a warning! (Old version)
The train’s jump engine was humming, and Lin Fan put his fingers against his chin, and the metal pieces in his hands were warmed up.
He could hear his own heartbeat, mixed with the sound of quantum fluctuations. He thought that the frequency of the blue light was exactly the same as the frequency of the abnormal signal that appeared on the train observation screen three days ago.
He suddenly said:
“The Silver Wolf is marking us.”
After saying this, he gently placed the metal piece in the middle of the conference table.
In the conference room of the Starry Sky Train, Ji Zi was holding a coffee cup with the cup suspended in mid-air; Qing Que was standing on tiptoe, nibbling on the osmanthus cake brought from the fairy boat. Upon hearing this, he was choked by the sweet icing and started coughing.
Jizi put down the cup, and the bottom of the cup made a crisp sound when it hit the metal tabletop, and asked:
“Mark? Who is she trying to lure here?
Is it the Antimatter Legion?
Or…an old acquaintance of the Star Core Hunter?”
She glanced at Kafka intentionally or unintentionally. At this time, Kafka was leaning back in the chair, twirling her fingers painted with scarlet nail polish, with a faint smile on the corner of her mouth.
“More likely positioning.”
As he spoke, he called up the terminal and superimposed the quantum signal fluctuation diagram he had previously written down and the blue light frequency of the metal piece.
The two clusters of light overlapped perfectly in the void, like two keys that could fit together. He continued:
“What she left behind wasn’t a warning, it was a tracker.
When we get close to the immortal boat, those who follow this signal will definitely not be good things.”
Qingque sniffed, stuffed the last half of the osmanthus cake into his mouth, tapped his fingers quickly on the terminal, and said:
“If you want to block the signal, I have some old shielding equipment materials discarded by the Xianzhou ‘Cloud Cavalry’. I helped someone solve a small problem in Xianzhou before, and they gave me these parts to thank me.
Don’t look at me like that, I didn’t do anything bad.”
She shook the parts list in the terminal, and the jade hair ornament on the end of her hair moved with it, and then said:
“But to disguise it as a fake signal… we have to adjust the frequency.”
Ji Zi said coldly:
“It’s too risky.
If the shielding fails, wouldn’t that be a direct signal to the enemy? If the disguise is discovered, we won’t even have a way to retreat.”
She tapped the table with her fingers and continued:
“This is not just a game test, this is gambling with the lives of everyone on the train.”
Walter pushed his glasses, looked at Lin Fan’s tight mouth, and said:
“But this is the only way at the moment.
The quantum fluctuations observed three days ago have the same frequency as the ‘ghost ship’ incident recently reported by Xianzhou.
If the Silver Wolf’s target is… something that cannot be exposed, we must actively interfere.”
He looked at Ji Zi again, his eyes gentle but firm, and said:
“I trust Xiaolin’s judgment.”
Lin Fan lowered his head, and the system prompt sound flashed a light blue light on his retina.
His fingers quickly typed on the terminal’s virtual keyboard, and the simulation module of the development system was calculating the optimal false signal parameters at a speed of one million times per second. This was the golden finger he got after traveling through time, which could turn real-life problems into code logic in game development.
When the lavender data stream on the terminal turned into “frequency 147.9μHz, amplitude 0.31”, he looked up and asked Qingque:
“Can you do that?”
Qingque rolled his eyes and said:
“Look down on people?”
But she had already stood up to pull the parts box, her long black hair brushing across the tabletop, and she continued:
“Give me half an hour and I’ll make sure this fake signal is more real than the real thing—that is…”
She suddenly stopped, took out a palm-sized silver disk from the pile of parts, and said:
“Why does this thing look so similar to the star track simulator parts of the immortal ship ‘Taibusi’?
Never mind, it was included in the parts they sent me before, and it’s very useful.”
At this time, Gui Naifen’s live broadcast screen lit up in the corner. She blinked at the camera, and the hair on the ends of her hair bounced with the slight vibration of the train. She said loudly:
“Family members, don’t panic!
The jolt just now was a normal phenomenon during the jump. Watch Fenfen show you how to make a galaxy milk tea with one hand—”
She turned her wrist and the milk tea cup spun around her fingertips, while her other hand was quickly memorizing the key words such as “coordinates” and “hunter” that suddenly appeared in the barrage on the terminal.
Lin Fan knew clearly that these seemingly idle live broadcasts had long become their secret means of collecting intelligence from the outside world.
Qingque shouted at the console:
“The device is activated.”
The lights in the conference room suddenly dimmed, and ripples appeared on the star track chart on the observation screen.
Lin Fan stared at the metal piece. The blue light changed frequency along with the humming sound of the device, and slowly became consistent with the parameters calculated by the system.
Kafka suddenly said:
“Here I come.”
Her pupils flashed amber in the shadows as she watched the few small red dots that suddenly appeared on the observation screen. It turned out that three small diamond-shaped spaceships emerged from the shadow of the fairy boat, and the red light from their engine nozzles was like three eyes ready to attack.
Ji Zi put her hand on the pistol at her waist, the leather of the holster made a slight friction sound, and said:
“The Antimatter Corps’ reconnaissance ships are few in number, and they should be here to confirm the signal.”
Lin Fan stared at the moving trajectory of the spacecraft and said:
“They are hesitating.
The frequency of the false signal deviates by 0.01μHz from the original mark left by the Silver Wolf, which makes them suspicious but not completely see through it. “
He put his finger on his chin and said:
Chapter 40: Standing together through thick and thin, a brilliant plan to overcome the crisis! (Old version)
“This is just a delay. It can only last two hours at most.”
Kafka tapped the tabletop with her fingers, her scarlet nail polish gleaming dangerously under the light, and said:
“You can get a lot done in two hours.
For example… talk to Silver Wolf.”
The air in the conference room suddenly froze.
Ji Zi’s holster buckle popped open with a “click”, Walter’s brows were furrowed like the Chinese character “川”, even Qingque stopped adjusting his gun, and forgot to swallow the osmanthus cake in his mouth.
Ji Zi said in a tense voice:
“Are you crazy?
Silver Wolf is a star core hunter, the kind of madman who would save the enemy’s brain signals into a game file!”
“But she’s also a player.
The game you developed is ranked second in popularity in the Galaxy Mall. Do you know who is ranked first?”
She pointed her finger and a ranking list popped up on the terminal. The top game icon was a girl wearing cat-ear headphones. She continued:
“Silver Wolf’s Quantum Puzzle. She made it herself.”
Lin Fan’s eyes narrowed. He remembered that the system had previously prompted that the data of this game was abnormal. It turned out that…
Kafka lowered her voice, as if telling a secret:
“She left a mark for you, not a threat.
It’s an invitation.
Just like players leaving clues of hidden levels for their peers – after all, the person who can make a game that players all over the galaxy stay up late to play…”
She glanced at Lin Fan and said:
“In her eyes, it’s much more interesting than a star core.”
Lin Fan’s voice was calm, but his fingers were slightly clenched under the table, and he asked:
“Why should I trust you?”
The system suddenly pops up a warning:
“An unknown quantum signal was detected invading the terminal.”
Kafka threw a silver chip over to Lin Fan. The chip was still a little warm in Lin Fan’s hand. She said:
“Based on this.
Three days ago, she hacked into my terminal and left a message: ‘Let the guy who made the game take over.'”
She tilted her head and smiled, then asked:
“Now, do you still think she’s just here to grab the blade?”
Qingque’s terminal suddenly emitted a sharp beeping sound.
She hurriedly tried to press the close button, but was swept into the screen by a blue light. It turned out to be an encrypted video. In the video, Silver Wolf was holding a game controller, and the quantum flow at the end of his hair turned into text in the void:
“The coordinates in the tracker are fake. The real thing is here… Hehe, let’s see if you can find the Key to the End~”
Gui Naifen said in the live broadcast:
“The Key to the End?
Isn’t this the hidden item that will only appear in Chapter 6 of our game?”
Lin Fan’s temples were throbbing. He remembered that during the live broadcast a few days ago, a viewer had commented that “The Key to the End exists in reality”. At that time, he thought it was just a player’s imagination…
“boom–!”
The train suddenly shook violently.
Gui Naifen’s live broadcast cup fell to the ground with a “bang”, and the milk tea splashed onto the light screen, dyeing Yinlang’s smiling face into a blurry purple.
Qingque rushed over and hugged the console, with parts scattered all over the floor; Jizi almost lost her balance and held on to the corner of the table, with her pistol almost falling out; Walter stood steadily, but also tightly grasped the cuffs of his suit.
The train’s intelligent system sounded:
“Power compartment alarm!
It was detected that the pressure of the energy pipeline in area B3 was abnormal and the temperature exceeded the critical value——”
Kafka said excitedly:
“It’s internal sabotage.
Looks like someone can’t wait to see how our game ends.”
Lin Fan bent down and picked up the piece of metal that had rolled to his feet.
The blue light is still flashing, but the frequency is a bit messed up.
He looked up and saw that the three spaceships on the observation screen had disappeared. The blue-gray outline of the immortal boat Luofu was right in front of him, but the burnt smell coming from the cockpit came into the conference room through the ventilation duct.
Lin Fan said calmly:
“Go to the control room.
Gui Naifen, continue the live broadcast and keep the audience calm; Qingque, follow me with the device; Kafka…you have to give us an explanation.”
Ji Zi opened the safety of her gun, the cold light of the gun reflected her tense chin, and said:
“I’ll be the last one.”
Walter pushed his glasses, glanced at everyone’s face, and said:
“Remember, we are all in the same boat.”
They pushed open the door to the conference room and the emergency lights in the corridor flashed red.
There was the sound of breaking glass in front, mixed with a faint laughter. The laughter was accompanied by electronic noise, like the prompt sound when a game was completed.
Lin Fan reached into his pocket to touch the system terminal. The moment his fingers touched the metal sheet, the blue light suddenly became brighter.
This time, he could clearly see the coordinates flowing in the metal sheet.
Not the depths of the universe.
It’s the interior of the train.
Chapter 41: Traitors emerge, trust split! (Old version)
There was a girl named Gui Naifen in the team, who was following behind nervously.
Qingque’s voice trembled:
“The control cabin is the third corner to the right front.”
“I helped Lao Yang repair the circuit before. The backup circuit diagram of the navigation system is in this device.”
As she spoke, she hugged the silver device in her arms tighter.
Lin Fan asked Qingque to walk on the inside of the team and said:
“Don’t panic, breathe normally.”
He was also a little panicked and his heart beat faster than usual, not because he was afraid, but because the feeling of being stared at came back.
The metal sheet in his pocket was so hot that the blue light shone through his pants, casting a spot on his leg. The spot was getting closer and closer, and it felt like it was going to burn his thigh.
When I arrived at the place, I saw a clerk standing there.
The clerk quickly explained:
“I rushed over when I heard the explosion. I was really just passing by!”
Jizi immediately raised the gun and pointed it at the clerk’s head:
“Will people passing by stand in the center of the explosion?”
Walter bent down and picked up the wire on the ground, saying:
“This is the grease for the engine room. The engine room of the navigation system is at the rear of the train, and this is the control room. You said you came from the residential area, so how come there is high-temperature grease on the soles of your shoes that is only found in the engine room?”
The clerk’s face turned pale, and he stepped back, bumping into the console with a loud bang.
Lin Fan stared at the clerk’s shaking hands. The scratches on the circuit board were the same as the metal piece he picked up.
He said to Gui Naifen:
“You go to the cabin to reassure the passengers and say it’s just a circuit malfunction.”
Gui Naifen hesitated:
“But……”
Lin Fan nodded:
“Believe me.”
Gui Naifen bit her lip, turned and left.
After she walked away, Lin Fan slowly walked towards the clerk, pretending to check the scene, and when he touched the corner of the clerk’s clothes, he activated the scanning function.
Soon, they discovered that there was a piece of metal in the clerk’s left breast pocket, which was engraved with the pixelated wolf head that Silver Wolf liked.
Lin Fan grabbed the clerk by the collar and pulled out the piece of metal. The clerk screamed like a mouse.
The clerk cried and said:
“No, it’s not me!
She forced me to do it!
Silver Wolf said that if I didn’t destroy the navigation system, he would tell the space station about my gambling debts in Beloberg!
She gave me a tracker and said she would come pick me up when the system crashed…”
Ji Zi sneered and put the gun to the clerk’s neck:
“It’s too late to talk about this now.”
Kafka leaned against the door frame, spinning the coin:
“Don’t jump to conclusions. We need to know her plans, such as when she plans to board the train and whether there is anyone else besides you.”
The clerk huddled together:
“I have no idea!
Really don’t know!
She just said that once the navigation system failed and the train lost its coordinates, she would be able to…”
Lin Fan continued:
“It can enter through the loophole just like a virus invading the host. You know Silver Wolf is a game expert. To her, physical locks and electronic firewalls are the same. She wants to paralyze the navigation system and create chaos, just like a game bug, the system will crash.”
After hearing this, the clerk shuddered all over.
“The tracker she gave you was actually a positioning beacon. The explosion just now was because she was measuring the signal strength. The piece I picked up was used to frame someone after her plan failed.”
At this time, Lin Fan heard some movement in the ventilation duct, but didn’t say anything.
The clerk burst into tears:
“I just want to pay back the money… I shouldn’t have believed her. She said she would help me pay off my debts after doing it once…”
Jizi is impatient:
“That’s enough. Lock him up first and wait until Silver Wolf is dealt with.”
She was about to pull the clerk away, but Kafka stopped her:
“etc–“
Suddenly, an alarm sounded, and the sound of Silver Wolf’s laughter and the sound of the game being completed came from the radio:
“Oh my, your little mouse confessed so quickly~”
The lights suddenly went out.
Lin Fan quickly turned on the night vision mode and saw that the safety door at the rear of the train was open and a man in a black sweatshirt was standing there.
Lin Fan shouted:
“Qingque, get Lao Yang’s backup route map!
Jizi, protect the clerk; Walter, block other exits!”
He took out his tactical dagger and said:
“Silver Wolf, do you think this will work?”
Silver Wolf’s voice came from above:
“Lin Fan~ Do you really think I would use such an old-fashioned way to make an appearance?”
As she spoke, she flicked a blue ball of light down.
By the time Lin Fan realized it was a flash bomb, the white light had already exploded.
When I could see clearly, there was only a sweatshirt left in the ventilation duct, and Kafka was gone.
Jizi was surprised:
“Kafka? When did she—”
Walter held her shoulders:
“Shhh.”
Footsteps were heard in the darkness, and Silver Wolf’s laughter echoed on the radio:
“The game has just begun~”
Lin Fan clenched the dagger tightly. He heard his own heartbeat and the sound of another footstep.
Suddenly, the lights came on, and everyone saw that the safety door at the end of the carriage was open, and outside was the void of the universe.
Kafka stood at the door, holding the same tracker as Silver Wolf in her right hand.
Chapter 42: Qingque, act according to the plan! (Old version)
It was exactly the same as the one Silver Wolf had taken before.
It turned out that when the flash bomb exploded, Kafka took advantage of the chaos and
Snatched the tracker from Silver Wolf.
At the other end of the carriage, Silver Wolf had walked five steps away from them without them noticing.
She was wearing black combat boots, and every step she took on the metal floor made people feel nervous.
Silver Wolf spoke, his voice carrying an electric noise:
“Are you finally willing to open your eyes?”
She raised her hand and showed the small device in her hand. The blue light emitted by the device was three times brighter than the tracker:
“This is a Honkai Jammer, which can turn the train’s core system into a pile of scrap metal within thirty seconds.”
She tilted her head, and a cold light flashed in her red eyes under the brim of her hat:
“Guess what, should I let you float in the void to feed the star beasts first, or should I ask for the coordinates of Kafka’s hidden blade first?”
Lin Fan’s throat moved.
Before, Qingque was just wandering around on the train.
In the third carriage, we found that the metal plates at the joints between the ventilation ducts and the floor were quite thin.
I also told Lin Fan about it.
When the flash bomb exploded, Lin Fan instinctively went to protect Gui Naifen beside him.
When I looked up again, Kafka was gone.
——It turned out that the woman was well prepared and took advantage of the chaos to run behind the security door.
But now she is holding Silver Wolf’s tracker. Is she being forced by Silver Wolf, or does she have other plans?
Lin Fan lowered his voice and said to Qingque:
“Qingque, remember what you said last month about whether the metal plate at the joint between the ventilation duct and the floor of the third carriage could be pierced?
Try that inspection hatch with your Yuhengsi key.”
Qingque raised his eyebrows and turned the lollipop in his mouth:
“Master Designer Lin, are you asking me to dig a tunnel?”
She tapped the copper key of Yuhengsi hanging on her waist with her fingers and suddenly laughed:
“Okay, let’s just treat it as an early experience of the ‘Underground Palace Escape’ level in the new game.”
After saying that, she crouched down and crawled under the seat. Her movements were much more agile than when she usually slacked off.
Lin Fan turned to Gui Naifen and said:
“Anchor Gui, switch the live broadcast to the train sightseeing mode and tell the audience, ‘Star Track Train is offering a special live broadcast of the space aurora today.'”
He quickly flipped through the system panel and called up the pre-recorded passengers’ chatter:
“Cover up the noise at the scene and don’t let people outside know that we are fighting.”
Gui Naifen blinked her eyes, and her ponytail swayed as she nodded:
“clear!
It’s a good time to try out the new live broadcast filters.”
Her fingers moved quickly on the device, and the screen in the live broadcast room suddenly turned into a galaxy star map, and the laughter of the passengers could be heard:
“Look here, passengers. Today’s space is much more romantic than usual.”
Silver Wolf paused for a moment and looked at Gui Naifen’s live broadcast equipment with red eyes:
“A fake signal?
Do you really think I’m a newbie on the Internet?”
She suddenly raised her voice, and the blue light of the jammer became brighter:
“Three seconds ago you cut off the surveillance of the first five carriages, and now you want to use live broadcast to cover up the vibration frequency.”
“That’s enough.”
A cold voice came from the right.
Kafka didn’t know when she left the security door. Her black windbreaker swept across the back of Lin Fan’s hand, helping him block the Silver Wolf’s sight.
She looked down at the tracker in her hand, with her usual lazy smile on her face:
“I’ll give you the position of the blade you want.
But the people on the train, including the little developer who always tells ‘Star Hunter’ as a bedtime story, must survive.”
The silver wolf’s red eyes narrowed into a line.
She stared at Kafka as if she wanted to see through her face.
The carriage was eerily quiet, with only Gui Naifen’s live broadcast still ringing:
“Look at that shooting star!
Is it like Miss Qingque’s Star Track Chess?”
Lin Fan’s fingers moved quickly on the system panel.
The virtual communication module of the God-level development system is lit green.
He quickly called up the encrypted frequency band of the Black Tower Space Station and synthesized a voice using Walter’s voiceprint template:
“Silver Wolf, stop what you are doing.
The space station has locked onto your coordinates. In three seconds…”
Silver Wolf suddenly laughed and turned the jammer in his hand:
“There is a 0.3 second breath missing from Walter’s voice. The Black Tower’s permission code is still the old version.”
She pressed her finger on the jammer button:
“But it reminds me that I need to speed up.”
Lin Fan was anxious and tried to think of a solution. He lowered his voice and said to Qingque:
“Qingque, act according to the plan.”
“boom–“
Lin Fan almost fell down and quickly held onto the chair.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Qingque crawling out from under the floor of the third carriage.
I even gave him a “done” gesture – the shaking just now,
It was Qingque who used the Yuhengsi key to pry open the two metal plates.
A gap was revealed underneath, big enough for a person to squeeze through.
“Want to run?” Silver Wolf’s voice became sharp and high.
The blue light of the jammer turned into a dazzling ball of light:
Chapter 43: Rex, the interstellar mercenary! (Old version)
“Give me……”
“Everyone squat!”
Dan Heng roared loudly, and his voice mixed with the sound of metal tearing.
He stood in front of everyone with a long spear in his hand. His black clothes were blown up by the shock wave and his back hit the armrest of the seat heavily.
Lin Fan saw blood flowing from the corner of his mouth and his hand holding the spear was shaking.
But he never let the blue light hit Gui Naifen and Qingque behind them.
The opportunity has come!
Lin Fan tightly grasped the micro tracking chip in his sleeve and took advantage of the shaking of the train to crash into the Silver Wolf.
Before, someone on this train occasionally said that there was an interstellar mercenary chasing Silver Wolf.
But no one took it seriously. Just as Silver Wolf was confronting everyone, a loud noise came from the rear of the train.
A man in a leather windbreaker broke in through the window, sending metal fragments flying everywhere.
There was a scar on his face that went from the end of his left eye to his chin. In his hand he held a particle gun that flashed with cold light. As soon as he opened his mouth he let out a hoarse laugh:
“Little wolf girl, you owe the Starry Sky bounty board three million credits, it’s time to pay it back.”
The silver wolf’s red eyes suddenly shrank into needle points.
She looked at the man who suddenly appeared, then looked at the people blocked by Danheng, and finally her eyes fell on Kafka.
“You can’t escape the fate of the Key to the End.”
She curled her lips at Lin Fan, and rushed towards the security door the next second.
The wind rushed into the car, blowing her hair. When everyone reacted, there was only the empty universe outside the door.
The scarred man raised his particle gun and asked:
“Chase?”
Lin Fan held his wrist and said:
“Need not.”
Lin Fan stared at the red dot that suddenly jumped on the system panel – that was the signal of the tracking chip:
“She left behind something more important.”
The scarred man turned around, his scar glowing light pink under the light, as if it was a fresh injury.
He raised his chin towards Lin Fan:
“Rex, interstellar mercenary.
I chased the Silver Wolf for three months, from the Immortal Boat to the Space Station.”
He looked at Danheng’s injury, then at Kafka:
“But now it seems that your train is more lively than the bounty list.”
Gui Naifen quietly tugged at the corner of Lin Fan’s clothes. The audience in the live broadcast room were still saying “The Aurora is so beautiful”. She lowered her voice and asked:
“What is the ‘Key to the End’ that Silver Wolf mentioned just now?”
Lin Fan said nothing.
He looked at the red dot jumping on the system panel.
Listening to Rex’s hoarse voice inspecting the damage to the train, I suddenly remembered what Kafka said this morning:
“Little developer, do you think you are here just to make games?”
The train alarm finally sounded.
The footsteps of Jizi and Walter were heard in the distance. Rex turned the particle gun in his hand and suddenly said:
“Next stop is Xianzhou?
I know a pub that can fix your floor – the owner owes me a favor.”
Lin Fan tapped his fingers quickly on the system panel.
The red dot of the tracking chip is moving northwest at a speed of 0.3 light years per second.
——Was that left by the Silver Wolf, or was it a bait placed there intentionally by someone?
Lao Yang shouted in the cockpit:
“Half of the navigation system’s quantum circuits have burned out.”
“It will take at least three hours to repair it.”
“But the energy reserves are only 17% left. If we keep dragging our feet, we’ll fall out of the curvature channel before the repairs are completed.”
The particle gun in Rex’s hand emitted a faint blue arc of light. He leaned against the deformed metal door frame, and the scar on his face twitched slightly as he spoke. He said:
“My Grey Falcon has a tractor beam that can tow you out of the danger zone.”
“The condition is – you have to help me catch up with the Silver Wolf.”
“That little girl stole her employer’s belongings, a fragment of the map of the ‘Key to the End’.”
Gui Naifen plucked the corner of Lin Fan’s clothes with her fingers, and the barrage of comments in the live broadcast room flowed in her pupils. Some viewers were typing “Anchor, please ask about the map fragments”, and some old fans were worried “Is the train going to explode?”
She quietly pinched the back of Lin Fan’s hand with her fingernails and asked, “Can he be trusted?”
Lin Fan did not answer directly. He looked at the Starry Sky Coin pendant on Rex’s waist. It was the cloud whale pattern unique to the immortal ship “Changle Tian”, and it was a bit similar to the pattern on the emblem of the antimatter army that they had repelled this morning.
A risk assessment suddenly popped up on the system panel: Rex’s credibility was 62% and the benefit of cooperation was 89%.
Lin Fan quickly weighed the pros and cons in his mind. The train’s energy was about to run out. If he rejected Rex now, the train might fall out of the curvature channel. Although his credibility was only 62%, the benefits of cooperation were as high as 89%, so it was worth taking the risk.
Lin Fan extended his hand and said, “Deal.”
Rex’s palms were as rough as sandpaper, and they smelled of rust when he held them.
Lin Fan added: “But I need to know more about the ‘Key to the End’.”
Kafka leaned against the wall at some point, her red eyes shining in the shadows, and said:
“Little developer, you need to find out who this mercenary’s employer is first.”
“Antimatter Legion?”
“Or… a star core?”
The scar on Rex’s face suddenly tightened. He took out a yellowed parchment from the inner pocket of his coat. The edges were burnt black and there was a cross star track totem printed in the middle. He said:
“The employer, an old fellow in a top hat, said the map was a relic from a pre-civilized era.”
“It’s labeled ‘Sky Ruins’ and says the key to the end is hidden there.”
He paused, then asked, “Is the blade you mentioned earlier related to that place?”
Lin Fan’s system suddenly vibrated, and data streams exploded on his retina – in the test version of “Starry Sky Adventure” he developed three days ago, there was a hidden copy called “Sky Ruins”, and the BOSS’s skill description read “Imprisoned God Killer”.
He calmly withdrew his gaze and said, “Maybe.”
Qingque’s voice came from under the floor: …
Chapter 44: The Key to the End will make all of you regret it! (Old version)
“Hey, are you guys done talking?”
“There’s something stuck in this damn jammer!”
She had crawled into the ventilation duct at some point, holding a palm-sized black device in her hand. She shook it, and the metal shell made a crackling sound.
Qingque said curiously: “The things stuffed in this broken jammer may be related to Silver Wolf’s plan.”
Lin Fan nodded, took the jammer, and scanned it using the system’s built-in decryption module.
The blue light wandered across the surface of the device, and suddenly a string of garbled characters popped up – 0-7-Δ-Ψ-ζ.
Lin Fan input the “Honkai Energy Frequency” commonly used by Silver Wolf as the key, and the garbled code was reorganized at once, projecting a distorted star map, with the coordinates pointing to the edge of the “Wuwang Sea” on the east side of the Immortal Boat Luofu.
Lin Fan stared at the flashing red dot in the star map and said, “Silver Wolf’s target is not Blade.”
“She’s leading us here.”
Gui Naifen came over, and the audience in the live broadcast room immediately filled up the news with “dangerous sea area” and “fairy boat no-fly zone”.
She recalled the news from Luofu this morning and said, “Recently, people there have been saying that they saw the aftermath of the star core. Qingque’s master also said…”
Greenbird came out of the pipe, the ends of his hair stained with motor oil, and said, “Shh.”
“I secretly checked the files of the Star Track Administration. There is a record point of ‘Reverberation of Annihilation’ deep in the Wuwang Sea. It is said to be the remains of a war from a long, long time ago.”
She yawned and added, “But Silver Wolf is the best at packaging traps as gifts.”
Just as he finished speaking, Rex’s spaceship communicator suddenly started to crackle.
He rushed over, grabbed the microphone, his face suddenly turned livid, and said:
“It’s the Silver Wolf’s pursuers!”
“At least twelve Star Destroyers of the Antimatter Corps!”
He kicked the door open and shouted:
“We’ll be there in five minutes!”
“Everyone board the Grey Falcon. I’ll drag you away!”
Gui Naifen picked up the live broadcast equipment and ran, and Lao Yang followed closely behind with the toolbox.
Lin Fan was about to catch up, but he saw Kafka standing there, her fingers gently touching the Honkai Jammer he had just put down.
Lin Fan called out, “Kafka?”
Kafka smiled at him, with a light in her red eyes that he couldn’t understand, and said:
“Some debts have to be paid off by yourself.”
After saying that, she quickly stuffed the jammer into the secret pocket under her skirt.
Lin Fan felt a chill on the back of his neck, and a warning suddenly popped up on the system panel: Kafka’s behavior was abnormal, and the correlation degree increased to 91%.
He tried to catch up, but was pulled onto the spaceship’s gangway by Rex.
The roar of the Grey Falcon’s engine drowned out the train alarm.
Lin Fan leaned on the porthole and looked back. The last thing he saw was Kafka standing in front of the wreckage of the train, holding up the jammer towards the sky. A dark purple energy wave shot out from the device and rushed into the deep space like a poisonous snake.
Rex roared:
“Fasten your seatbelts!”
“Those Star Destroyers have thrusters that go faster than I thought!”
The spacecraft suddenly rushed into the curvature channel, and the violent turbulence caused Gui Naifen’s live broadcast equipment to fall to the ground.
Lin Fan grabbed the handrail and looked up, and saw through the porthole that the starry sky behind him suddenly twisted – twelve points of faint blue light were tearing through the darkness, stabbing at them like twelve swords.
Rex’s hands were busy on the operating table, and he shouted:
“Be prepared to evade!”
“These mad dogs have been chasing me for three months. I’m afraid today they’re going to—”
The voice was interrupted by a loud noise.
The spacecraft suddenly shook violently, and dazzling sparks flew from the starboard side shield.
Lin Fan looked through the shaking porthole and saw a scorching red light on the nose of the nearest Star Destroyer – that was the signal to fire the main gun.
Gui Naifen grabbed his wrist, her fingers cold, and shouted, “Lin Fan…”
Lin Fan protected her behind him and said, “Hold on tight.”
He looked at Rex’s tense back, Kafka’s empty seat, and the approaching death beam in the distance, and suddenly remembered what Silver Wolf said before he left:
“The Key to the End will make all of you regret it.”
The spacecraft suddenly shook violently, and the metal was twisted and made strange noises.
Jizi took the joystick from Rex, her knuckles turning white.
She glanced at the holographic projection behind her and said:
“Twelve Star Destroyers are coming in a diamond formation, and the blue light muzzle energy is even stronger than before.”
Walter shouted from the engine room:
“The thruster output is only 60% left. If we take another salvo, the shield will be shattered.”
Jizi gritted her teeth and pressed the joystick to the bottom, saying:
“If it breaks, just use the hull to bear it. Rex, open the backup fuel valve!”
Rex was anxious:
“Are you crazy? That would overload the engine!”
Jizi stared at the red light on the dashboard:
“We need to overload now! Gui Naifen, set up the live broadcast equipment! Let those lunatics chasing us see what tricks they can play on their ‘prey’!”
Gui Naifen was squatting on the ground, frantically picking up the live camera, with starberry juice still on her hair.
She was a little panicked, but when she thought of what Lin Fan said, her eyes became firm.
She smiled at Lin Fan, tapping her fingers on the tablet and said:…..
Chapter 45: You should be thankful that your system is not useless! (Old version)
“Brother Lin, you said that the essence of live broadcasting is to ‘turn crises into stories’, right?”
Lin Fan tightened his grip on the armrest of the chair.
He saw Kafka sitting in the corner, her fingers resting on her chin, the teardrop mole at the corner of her eye looking strange in the red light.
There was a small silver device on Kafka’s legs. Lin Fan’s neck tightened when he saw it. It was a Honkai jammer.
Lin Fan asked in a low voice:
“Kafka, what are you signaling?”
Kafka looked up at him and said:
“Little Painter, some battles have to be fought alone. Remember, I didn’t lie to you about the direction you were going.”
Lin Fan saw the warning on the system panel, then looked at the star map and shouted:
“You moved the navigation!”
The starboard side shield shattered, and the explosion drowned out Lin Fan’s words.
The spaceship was flying towards the planet like a fallen insect.
Rex cursed and lunged for the emergency brake valve.
Jizi yelled:
“Emergency landing! Secure everyone! Walter, hold the engine for thirty seconds!”
Walter said with difficulty:
“Fifteen seconds at most!”
Gui Naifen was thrown into Lin Fan’s arms, and the live camera was tilted to capture the debris falling from the cabin ceiling.
She said anxiously in Lin Fan’s ear:
“I posted a message on my live streaming account, saying that we went to the Xianzhou Cloud Cavalry Exercise Star Region. Silver Wolf needs to spend some time to verify whether it is true or not.”
When Lin Fan saw the starberry juice on her hair, he remembered that three days ago she had asked him how to film the boss battle in the game.
Gui Naifen handed the tablet to Lin Fan with shaking hands:
“Brother Lin, look, there are 100,000 viewers commenting ‘Hold on, anchor!’ They can be used as bait.”
Rex turned around and smiled:
“You’re quite brave, little girl. Go ahead! This is an anti-tracker. I owe you one.”
The impact of the spacecraft landing was so strong that everyone’s teeth chattered.
Dust poured in and I couldn’t see anything clearly.
Kafka stood by the hatch and said:
“Come with me.”
“here it is…?”
Kafka says:
“The collapsed laboratory of the previous civilization. I have seen something similar in the Quantum Sea before, and got some clues. The blade is not here, but the last door requires your system permissions.”
Lin Fan stared behind her ears and said:
“You knew about this place? Did you lead us here on purpose?”
Kafka sneered:
“Why else can the Silver Wolf Fleet chase so accurately? She wants the secrets here. I need you to help me get ahead of her.”
Gui Naifen suddenly stopped, and a series of large footprints appeared in the live broadcast camera.
Rex took out the particle gun:
“Something is nearby.”
“It’s the Silver Wolf’s advance team. Little Painter, you have two choices: take your companions and hide in the spaceship until the Silver Wolf has finished dismantling it before chasing; or follow me in and see who is the chess player in this game.”
Lin Fan looked at the approaching fleet and Gui Naifen’s hair soaked with starberry juice.
The system panel displays:
“Location of the fragments of the Key to the End: the core cabin on the third floor of the building.”
Lin Fan took a deep breath, took out his laptop and said:
“Guinaifen, you, Rex, and Jizi guard the door, and Senior Walter stabilizes the system. I haven’t come out for half an hour…”
Gui Naifen smiled and said:
“You will come out. The audience is waiting to see the big boss battle.”
Kafka walked to the door of the building, and the symbols on the stone wall glowed.
Lin Fan followed with his laptop.
Lin Fan followed Kafka across the threshold and suddenly felt a chill on the back of his neck.
He stretched out his hand and pressed the wall. As soon as his fingertips touched the wall, the light brain in his palm became hot.
The holographic screen opened automatically, and the algorithm matrix originally used for game development overlapped wildly with the patterns on the wall, with green codes everywhere.
“These symbols…are they the programming language of pre-civilization?”
Kafka leaned against the door, spinning a silver coin between her red-nailed fingers.
She smiled and said:
“Little developer, you should be thankful that your system is not a waste.”
She tilted her head to glance at his laptop and said:
“Three hundred years ago, I saw similar patterns in Xianzhou Xuling. At that time, an old scholar said that this was the ‘source code of the universe’ and could rewrite the rules.”
“Rewrite the rules?”
The system prompt sounded in his ears, and he looked down to see the matching degree on the optical computer rising rapidly: 78%, 89%, 95%… and finally with a “ding” sound, all the symbols stopped moving, forming a three-dimensional gear structure on the wall.
“Forest!”
Rex shouted from outside, “Silver Wolf’s transport plane has already flown over the second sand dune. It will find this place in ten minutes at most! Miss Gui asked me to hurry you—”
He stuck half of his face in, with sand on his beard, “If you dawdle any longer, we’ll all be doomed!”
Lin Fan responded, but his eyes were still fixed on the wall.
Chapter 46: Three Minutes Is Enough! (Old Version)
He suddenly realized that when he was developing the game, he always felt that the “optimal code” prompted by the system was a little familiar. It turned out that those inspirations did not come out of thin air – at this moment, the gear structure on the wall was exactly the same as the core program he designed for the “Key to the End” level.
“It seems your little gadget is quite useful.”
Kafka pushed him away and said, “Follow closely, the core module is inside.”
Kafka stopped in front of a metal door engraved with star maps and said:
“Help me.”
“Put your optical brain in.”
“Why?”
Lin Fan didn’t move.
“Because this door only recognizes the ‘outsider code’. Lin Fan’s optical computer system was developed according to the highest technology of the previous civilization. It has a special basic code structure that is particularly compatible with the ‘outsider code’ that this door is waiting for. The Star Core Hunter’s key and Silver Wolf’s quantum computer don’t have this thing, so only your optical computer can make the door respond. Three hundred years ago, Blade and I tried to use the Star Core Hunter’s key, but the door didn’t move at all; three months ago, Silver Wolf came with her quantum computer, and the door still didn’t open.”
She smiled. “But when you were standing outside just now, the symbols on the wall lit up—they were waiting for you, or rather, for something in your brain.”
Lin Fan’s finger was hovering over the outer shell of the optical computer.
He remembered the prompt when the system was first activated:
“This system is developed based on the highest technology of previous civilizations. The host must use the game to reconstruct the world line.”
It turns out that the so-called “reconstruction” is not about creating something out of thin air, but about awakening the sleeping fragments.
“put.”
Kafka’s voice turned cold, “Otherwise, when the Silver Wolf’s men rush in, you won’t even be able to touch the fragments of the Key of the End.”
The moment the optical computer touched the dent, the whole building made a sound.
Flowing star tracks appeared on the surface of the metal door, overlapping with the game map in Lin Fan’s brain – that was the “Pre-civilization Ruins” level he designed, and now it became the key to opening the door.
As soon as the door opened, Kafka rushed in.
Lin Fan followed him in, and all he saw were holographic projections: a broken spaceship, a burning planet, and a mechanical device suspended in a dark blue energy field – it had twelve rotating tentacles, and each tentacle had a diamond-shaped fragment embedded on the tip, exactly the same as the “Fragment of the Key to the End” prompted by the system.
Lin Fan subconsciously touched his computer, and a warning suddenly popped up on the system panel:
“High concentration of Houkai energy detected, evacuation recommended!”
“This is the prototype of the Key of the End.”
Kafka stood in front of the terminal, her fingers tapping quickly on the holographic keyboard, “The blade once cracked its energy core and used it to blast open the star barrier of the immortal ship. But then…”
She paused, “Then someone tampered with the program, and he almost suffered a backlash.”
“Who did this?”
Lin Fan immediately caught her words and asked, “Were you there at the time?”
Kafka did not look back.
The image on the terminal screen became clear, and Lin Fan saw a man in a black windbreaker with his back to the camera, inserting a purple crystal into the core of the device – that was the blade.
A red shadow flashed by the edge of the screen, like the corner of someone’s clothes, but the key part was blocked by snowflakes.
“Does it matter?”
Kafka pressed the last button and the terminal rang, “Now it needs the seventh fragment to start, and the seventh fragment…”
She turned her face to the side, and the teardrop mole at the corner of her eye looked a little scary in the blue light. “It’s behind this door.”
There was a sudden violent tremor outside the laboratory.
Rex bursts open the door, gun still smoking:
“They’re coming! Three transport planes, with quantum locks!”
His arm was bleeding, and he had obviously just fought with the patrolling mechanical guard. “Ms. Ji Zi is holding on outside, but Mr. Walter said that the communication was interfered with. We have three minutes at most!”
After Rex finished speaking, everyone fell silent, and the atmosphere became extremely tense. Lin Fan tightly grasped the laptop, feeling extremely anxious. At this time, Kafka suddenly spoke.
“Three minutes is enough.”
Kafka put her hand on the last door, “Back off.”
“Are you crazy?!”
Rex pointed his gun at her, “The Silver Wolfs can blow this place up!”
“Then try to stop me.”
Kafka put her other hand on her waist, and Lin Fan realized that there was a bulge under her coat—it was a miniature Houkai bomb. “On my count of three, either you open the door or we’re all doomed.”
“Kafka!”
Lin Fan took a step forward and stood between Rex and her.
He could hear his own heartbeat louder than the noise outside. “What do you want? The Key to the End? Or…”
“the truth.”
Kafka pressed her thumb on the bomb switch. “Three.”
“etc!”
Lin Fan grabbed her wrist and used his other hand to quickly operate the computer.
He called up the terminal data he had just written down and used his body to block Kafka’s movements. “I will cooperate with you, but you have to promise—”
“two.”
Rex’s voice changed, “The door… the door is moving!”
Lin Fan looked back and saw the metal door slowly sinking, revealing a dark passage underneath.
“one.”
Kafka shook off his hand and walked in first.
When her figure was about to be blocked by the fog, she turned around and smiled:
Chapter 47: Do you think my spaceship is a toy?! (Old version)
“You’re braver than you look, little developer.”
Rex put the gun down.
He grabbed Lin Fan’s arm:
“Let’s go! If we’re any later we’ll have no chance!”
Lin Fan took one last look at the terminal screen – the image that was just blocked by snowflakes became clear, and the owner of the red shadow revealed half of his face. It was… Silver Wolf?
No, that hair color is lighter, like dyed moon white.
“Walk!”
Rex dragged him into the passage.
“Speed up!”
Rex’s voice came from the front, “Is this passage… changing?”
He pressed against the wall, and what his fingers touched was not cold metal, but something sticky.
Lin Fan looked at Kafka’s back and suddenly remembered what she had just said:
“If you want to know the truth, just follow along.”
Lin Fan’s temples were throbbing, and he felt something beneath his skin crawling along his blood vessels toward his heart.
He quickly pressed the light computer, and a red warning popped up on the system panel:
“Honkai energy erosion rate is 17%. It is recommended to leave the current area immediately.”
“Old Yang! Can you get through over there?” Rex shouted, panting.
Old Yang squatted at the corner of the passage and pried the metal plate. His mechanical prosthesis glowed as he said:
“The communication module of the spacecraft wreckage has been burned through, but Gui Naifen’s live broadcast terminal has an independent communication system, so it should still be usable.”
As he spoke, he pulled a piece of metal out of the metal crack and said:
“Is this an energy buffer? No, the weight is wrong.”
He swept the prosthetic laser pen again, and liquid oozed out of the groove, and shouted:
“It’s the key!”
Gui Naifen held up the live broadcast terminal and shouted excitedly:
“Look, family! Lao Yang has found a treasure in the wreckage of the spaceship! Could this be the key to the maze?”
The barrage of comments instantly exploded, and the various comments made her dizzy.
She quietly made an “OK” gesture to Lin Fan.
“The barrier is shrinking!” Kafka said coldly.
She touched the wall and said:
“The frequency is wrong. These barriers are adjusting their resonance waves based on our location.”
Lin Fanguang’s brain vibrated, and the scanned waveform was displayed. He shouted:
“It’s harmonic resonance! These barriers are standing wave fields of Honkai energy, which can be offset by waves of the same frequency and opposite direction. Rex, can the energy module on your spacecraft adjust the frequency?”
Rex pulled off his goggles and cursed:
“You think my spaceship is a toy? But I have an emergency oscillator in my spare energy tank. I bought it on the black market in Xianzhou last month. It can interfere with the healing waves of the people of abundance. How do I use it?”
Lin Fan pointed at the key device and said:
“Tear it down and connect it here. The structure of this thing is 90% identical to the barrier harmonic matrix. It’s the terminal for inputting the code.”
Gui Naifen suddenly said:
“My family said that the Silver Wolf’s troops were divided into three groups, and one of them is right above us!”
Kafka stopped in front of the stone tablet, touched the lines and said:
“This is Blade’s handwriting.”
Lin Fan took a closer look and called up the system calculation module. The optical computer sounded an alarm:
“Paradox warning! Parameter adjustment will cause the Honkai energy to increase exponentially.”
Rex smashed the oscillator and said:
“I blew up the passage ahead, which can hold them off for five minutes.”
Lao Yang held his arm and said:
“No! The maze’s support structure and barrier are integrated. If the passage is blown up, the mountain will collapse.”
The screen of Gui Naifen’s live broadcast terminal went black and then lit up again, with the barrage filled with warnings.
Lin Fan looked up and heard the voice of the Silver Wolf Mechanical Hound.
Kafka pointed to the secret door and said:
“Take the left fork! According to the blade’s formula, the left path has the lowest probability of collapse.”
Everyone turned around, the stone tablet glowed white, a holographic image appeared, and the man said:
“The ‘Key to the End’ is a lie of the Star Core.”
“The real answer… is in the ruins of the sky.”
Everyone was stunned and exchanged glances briefly.
The image faded and a sound of metallic tearing was heard from above.
Rex dragged Guinevere over.
Lin Fan was bleeding from his nose and staggering. He wiped his face and held the key device. The system showed that the password input progress was 92%.
Old Yang roared:
“run!”
Everyone was running wildly, Lin Fan was exhausted, Rex was moving slowly, and behind them was the sound of the Silver Wolf Army.
Lin Fan turned around and saw Kafka with a strange smile on her face.
Gui Naifen’s live broadcast terminal lit up again, and Rex pushed her to run:
“Don’t stop! The Silver Wolf’s men are catching up!”
Lin Fan Optical Computer Tips:
“The coordinates of the Sky Ruins have been locked, and the distance from the current location…”
Before he could finish his words, a burst of blue light appeared at the cave entrance.
Lin Fan’s tactical boots sank into the soft silver sand.
The picture on Gui Naifen’s live broadcast terminal became stable, and everyone saw it.
They accidentally entered a cave where a small spaceship was parked.
“Stop!”
Rex suddenly grabbed Gui Naifen’s backpack strap and said in a hoarse voice with vigilance:
Chapter 48: I’ve had enough of scientists’ confession dramas! (Old version)
“There’s something wrong with that boat.”
The particle gun on his waist was half ejected, the muzzle was still trembling slightly, and the hatch of the spacecraft was slowly opening.
The first thing to come out was a pair of leather shoes stained with motor oil.
A man in a lab coat adjusted his glasses, his white hair was shining, and his eyes were wrinkled. He said:
“Don’t be nervous, I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”
“My name is Andre. I was previously involved in the ‘Key to the End’ project as the chief researcher.”
Lin Fan’s light brain vibrated.
The system prompts a warning: A person who matches the high-risk person database is found – Andre Krauss, he is a former special researcher of the Star Dome Academy, and was permanently expelled three hundred years ago for “violating the Civilization Survival Convention.”
Everyone was shocked when they heard this. Rex held the particle gun tighter, and Gui Naifen hid behind Lin Fan unconsciously.
Lin Fan appeared calm on the surface, but was nervous inside. He said:
“We are the fugitives being pursued by the Silver Wolf Force. Is the ‘right time’ you’re waiting for now?”
“Only now,”
Andre pointed to the murals on the cave wall and said:
“You are willing to listen to the truth.”
He took out half a dark golden fragment from his arms and said:
“The Key to the End is not a weapon, it’s a shackle.”
“We wanted to lock up the Houkai energy, but it ended up becoming the tip of a knife that pierced the universe.”
Kafka leaned against the stone wall, twirling her revolver, and said:
“I’ve had enough of scientists’ confession dramas.”
“When you blew up the Immortal Boat’s rudder under the pretext of ‘for the sake of civilization’, no one shed tears.”
Rex loaded the particle gun and shouted:
“Old man, what does this have to do with us?”
“Relationships are—”
Andre raised his voice, looked at everyone, and finally stared at the light computer on Lin Fan’s waist, and said:
“Each of the key fragments you found is stained with the ashes of three civilizations.”
“Silver Wolf is chasing you not for the key, but for the core research data on the ‘Key to the End’ hidden in the spaceship.”
From outside the cave came the sound of mechanical hounds’ claws scraping the ground, and the shouts of the Silver Wolf soldiers:
“The target is in the cave!”
“Seal all exits!”
“Come with me to the spaceship.”
Andre turned and walked towards the cabin door, saying:
“I can let you go, but in exchange.”
He stopped and said:
“Mr. Lin Fan, show me the core data of your development system.”
Gui Naifen’s live camera shook, and she quickly grabbed Lin Fan’s wrist and said:
“Afan, this…”
“make a deal.”
Lin Fan interrupted her and tapped his fingers rapidly on the computer.
A system prompt rang in his mind: Data interception request detected, do you want to start the camouflage program?
He nodded without saying anything, and the code on his retina turned into garbled text, saying:
“But it can only give you the basic framework.”
Andre didn’t notice anything wrong, pushed up his glasses and said:
Everyone boarded the spaceship. Gui Naifen connected to the live broadcast terminal while muttering, “This spaceship doesn’t look reliable.”
After the hatch of the spacecraft was closed, Gui Naifen squatted in front of the control console and connected the data cable of the live broadcast terminal to the spacecraft communication system, saying:
“Don’t worry, I added ten layers of interference waves to the signal. Even if they chase us to the imaginary space, they will be blinded by their own radar.”
She blinked at Lin Fan, her hair still dusty from her escape.
The engines started and the boat began to vibrate.
Andre sat in the main driving seat, with the star map projection on the console, and said:
“Fasten your seatbelts, we’re about to hit the atmosphere.”
Andre sighed and said, “The experiment of the Immortal Boat was intended to bring hope, but it ended up causing disaster.”
Kafka suddenly spoke, pressing the revolver against the back of Andrei’s neck:
“What exactly is the price of the Luofu experiment that you just mentioned?”
Andre’s fingers rested on the lever.
The spacecraft jolted violently, and snowflakes appeared on the star map projection.
“You remember it better, don’t you?”
Andre lowered his voice and said:
“Three hundred years ago, in the underground laboratory of Xianzhou Luofu, the girl in the white coat cried and said, ‘This is not the result we want.'”
Kafka’s pupils shrank, and her fingers unconsciously touched the silver lines on her cuffs.
Lin Fan’s optical brain vibrated, and the system prompted: Kafka’s emotional fluctuations were detected to be abnormal, and it is recommended to retrieve the Star Core Hunter file.
He pretended to fasten his seat belt and watched the two men out of the corner of his eye: Kafka was still pointing the gun at Andrei, his knuckles were white; Andrei’s back was straight, not panicking at all.
“So you’ve been hiding here for three hundred years, just to say this today?”
Kafka lowered the muzzle of her gun and said:
“Or…”
She suddenly laughed, her voice was sickeningly sweet, and said:
“Are you waiting for someone who can bring back your memories?”
Rex slammed the armrest of the seat and shouted:
“Let’s talk about the past after we get off the boat – look out the window!”
Everyone looked toward the porthole.
In the moonlight, a dark shadow rushed over like a giant whale.
Silver Wolf was wearing a battle suit, his white hair was blown up by the airflow inside the ship, and his finger was on the launch button.
“It’s a homing missile!”
Gui Naifen’s live broadcast terminal screamed and said:
“They cracked the jammer and locked onto us!”
The spacecraft shook violently and the alarm sounded.
Andre turned the rudder sharply, and the spacecraft flew past the missile’s tail flame, and the portholes were burned hot.
Lin Fan’s laptop fell to the ground. He bent down to pick it up and saw half a piece of dark gold fragment hidden under Andre’s console, which could be pieced together with the half hidden in Kafka’s sleeve to form a complete key.
“pay close attention!”
Rex roared and rushed to the backup operation position, pointed the particle gun at the missile, and shouted:
Chapter 49: I don’t believe I can’t break through this broken iron shell! (Old version)
“I don’t believe I can’t break through this broken iron shell!”
Kafka sheathed her gun, pressed her finger on the ship’s communication button, and said with a smile:
“Silver Wolf, after chasing you for so long, what you want is the key, or…”
She glanced at Andre and said:
“He’s been hiding something for three hundred years?”
The red light of the missile became brighter and brighter outside the porthole.
The spacecraft alarm sounded shrilly.
The spacecraft’s gravity system failed during the violent turbulence.
Gui Naifen’s live broadcast terminal hit the console and bounced up again. She staggered and grabbed the back of the chair.
“Seventeen seconds until impact!”
The terminal’s automatic broadcast of mechanical sounds mixed with the alarm sound pierced the eardrums like needles.
Lin Fan’s light brain flashed at his feet. He squatted down to pick it up. His eyes swept under Andre’s control console. The half piece of dark gold fragment revealed more patterns, and together with the other half vaguely visible on Kafka’s sleeve, they formed a complete key shape in his mind.
At this moment, the spacecraft suddenly turned sharply, and his forehead hit the operating table heavily, and blood flowed into his eyes along his brow bone.
Rex yelled:
“Hold on, everyone!”
“That damn missile has chased me for three star tracks. Today I must blow it into pieces!”
His particle gun burned scorch marks on the porthole, and shrapnel flew past his shoulder guard. He pulled the trigger, and the particle beam was deflected two meters away from the missile, burning a black hole in the bulkhead.
Lin Fan wiped the blood off his face and said:
“Don’t waste energy. They’re not targeting heat sources.”
He called up the trajectory diagram of the system simulation and continued:
“Look at this. There are Houkai energy fluctuations in the missile’s tail flame. Our spacecraft is releasing Houkai energy signals, which are ten times stronger than a star core.”
Andrei tightened his fingers suddenly, his knuckles turned white, and said:
My anti-entropy shielding device…”
Lin Fan interrupted him:
“The shielding device has been compromised. Now you have to shut down all non-essential energy sources, including your laboratory power supply and the medical cabin’s constant temperature system.”
Andrei slammed the table and stood up, the chair scratching the ground with a harsh sound, and shouted:
“Are you crazy? The main engine and the life support system share the same energy pipeline. If we turn off the non-essential energy, the pressure in the power reactor will drop sharply, and we will fall into the gravity well like a stone!”
His voice suddenly lowered:
“I can’t let things here get ruined.”
Rex slammed the particle gun onto the table, causing the coffee cup to jump, and said:
“Old man, do you want to be blown to ashes by missiles now, or do you want to take a gamble? I was chased by an energy storm on the Black Abyss Star for three days. I turned off all the lights and survived by chewing compressed biscuits. Now this broken ship is much better than that broken meteorite!”
Gui Naifen suddenly pressed the microphone of the live broadcast terminal and said:
“I just used the live streaming platform to post a holographic video, simulating a spacecraft escaping towards the Orion Arm.
It will take at least three minutes for the pursuers to confirm the coordinates.”
She winked at Lin Fan:
“Besides, I have the first aid kit in the medical bay.”
The cabin suddenly became quiet, and Andre’s rapid breathing could be heard.
Andre stared at the star map above the console, thinking that the giant ship might have something to solve the energy crisis and fight against subsequent threats. Even if the forced landing was risky, it was worth a try. Then he slammed the control panel and said:
“Countdown three minutes, I want to see the power reactor pressure value remain above 2.0.”
The energy system shutdown prompts sounded one after another. The main light turned to emergency yellow, and Gui Naifen’s live broadcast terminal became the brightest thing in the cabin.
She comforted the audience:
“Just a little space junk.”
At the same time, he secretly handed Lin Fan a pack of hemostatic cotton.
In the second minute, something unexpected happened.
The sound of Kafka’s high heels could be heard behind him. Lin Fan turned around and saw her finger on the start button of the backup engine, with half of the snake tattoo showing on the edge of her black glove.
“You’re too slow.
The backup engines will allow us to jump in ten seconds.”
Lin Fan’s brain suddenly started to ring. He rushed over and grabbed Kafka’s wrist, saying:
“Don’t touch that. The backup engine core is embedded with a Houkai bomb, with enough power to blow us to atoms.”
Kafka’s pupils shrank, she twisted her wrist, grabbed Lin Fan’s pulse point, and asked:
“How do you know? My little developer, how many secrets do you have?”
Lin Fan gritted his teeth:
“It’s like you’re hiding half a key. What can the other half Andre hid and the one on your sleeve open?”
Kafka suddenly smiled, released her hand and said:
“Smart kid. But remember, I compromised only because it would be a waste to blow you up now.”
The alarm suddenly changed its tone.
The Gui Naifen terminal pops up a prompt:
“The missile signal source is 27 degrees off!”
Lin Fan looked at Andre. Andre’s fingers moved quickly on the star map.
Lin Fan remembered what Andre said, “We can’t let the things here be destroyed.” He moved his Adam’s apple but said nothing.
The last missile flew past the tail fin and exploded in space.
Cheers from the audience came from Gui Naifen’s live broadcast terminal. Rex slapped the table and laughed, throwing the particle gun into the air and catching it again.
Andre slumped in his chair, covering his face with his hands and letting out a low laugh.
Kafka leaned against the porthole with a smile on her face.
But Lin Fan’s computer was getting hot, and the system prompt sounded urgent: …
Chapter 50: An experimental ship is missing! (Old version)
“Abnormal space fluctuations detected, it is recommended to adjust the course immediately.”
“Look outside!”
Rex says:
“That’s… my grandfather said that during the Great Collapse, an experimental ship disappeared. It was said that it was carrying something that could rewrite civilization.”
Andrei stood up suddenly, knocking over the chair, and said with eyes shining frighteningly:
“It’s the prototype ship of the ‘Key of the End’!
I’ve been looking for it for three hundred years, and here it is! “
The spacecraft alarm sounded again, this time indicating insufficient power.
Lin Fan stared at the energy value on the optical computer, which was only 12%. He looked at Andre, who was frantically inputting something, and the coordinates on the star map pointed to the giant ship’s landing pad.
Lin Fan took a deep breath and said:
“Prepare for an emergency landing.
Gui Naifen, contact the live broadcast platform to apply for emergency energy supply;
Rex, check the landing thrusters;
Miss Kafka, if you don’t want to be broken into pieces with us, you’d better give us a hand.”
Kafka tilted her head and smiled:
“With pleasure, little developer.”
The spacecraft rubbed against the metal shell of the abandoned warship, creating a trail of sparks.
Lin Fan’s finger joints were stretched white from pressing on the operating table.
The thrusters hummed so loudly that it almost pierced the eardrums.
Gui Naifen was thrown and hit the armrest of the chair, but she was still trying hard to adjust the angle of the live broadcast equipment.
Her trembling smile can be seen in the camera.
“Family members, witness this historic moment!
The first time in the history of Starry Sky Live that an abandoned experimental ship made an emergency landing!
Can you play a game of ‘Fen Fen Come On’ so I can see it?”
“Hold on tight!” Rex yelled, his voice drowning out the alarm. His big body pressed down on the safety lock, and the particle gun at his feet first slid out half a meter, and then got stuck under the seat.
Kafka was like riding a sightseeing cable car, her snake-shaped earrings swaying gently with the bumps, and her fingers slowly twisting a strand of silver hair.
“Little developer, your boat driving skills are far inferior to Dan Heng’s.”
“That’s because someone insisted on drilling into the cracks on the apron.” Lin Fan gritted his teeth and corrected the course. The energy value displayed on the optical computer was dropping.
Andre seemed not to sense the danger. His hands full of age spots tightly grasped the edge of the seat. His eyes were cloudy but frighteningly bright. He kept muttering “prototype ship” and “key to the end” in his mouth, as if the entire spacecraft that was about to crash was not as important as the rusty hatch outside the porthole.
“Ka——”
The screeching sound of metal rubbing against each other suddenly stopped.
The cushioning airbags at the bottom of the spacecraft broke through a layer of ice shell, and it slid twenty meters on the tarmac before coming to a stop.
Gui Naifen’s live broadcast screen was filled with comments such as “Fenfen is safe” and “May you live forever”. She rubbed her aching shoulder and stood up.
“That just now I lost at least ten powders. Mr. Lin has to treat me to Xianzhou wonton noodles to make amends.”
“Let’s save our lives first.” Rex kicked away the particle gun stuck under the seat, with half a piece of the shattered spacecraft hull still hanging on the barrel.
He pulled off his protective mask, revealing a scary old scar on the left side of his face.
“The radiation level in this lousy place is three times higher than the standard, and there’s corrosive gas in the air. You’d better wear a breathing mask.”
Lin Fan had already put on the homemade filter device. The blue light of the development system flashed on his retina, and the scanning results were displayed like a data stream.
“Ninety-seven percent of the battleship’s structure was destroyed, but there was an energy reaction in the core area.
We have to find a backup power module, otherwise the spacecraft will be completely out of power in two hours.”
He glanced at Andre, who was wearing a glove and touching the marks on the tarmac. Those dark silver lines were exactly the same as the symbols of the “Key to the End”.
“Mr. Andre, you should be more familiar with the structure here than we are.”
The old scientist’s fingers suddenly stopped.
When he looked up, a trace of panic flashed across his eyes behind the lenses, and then immediately turned into a fanatical look.
“I participated in the design of this ship three hundred years ago!
After the experiment failed, they sealed all the data with a Honkai energy barrier.
But I know that the key code is hidden in the main control room!”
Before departure, Andre looked at an old document in the spacecraft’s data room. It vaguely stated that he might have been to a similar experimental ship and had used insulating stickers to solve a problem.
“Wait.” Lin Fan stretched out his hand to stop him. The system scanned and detected weak energy fluctuations near the hatch.
“According to the scan, there is an invisible trap within ten meters behind the door. The trigger mechanism is…”
“It’s a bioelectric signal!” Andre suddenly grabbed his wrist, his nails almost digging into his skin.
“They were afraid that the experimental subject would escape, so they used living contact as a trigger!
Use this, the insulation sticker I secretly copied back then! “
Lin Fan took the sheet and found tiny scratches on the edge, as if it had been used many times.
Without saying anything, he pressed the sheet against the door handle.
The system prompt sounded in my ears: The trap was lifted.
The hatch creaked open slowly.
Gui Naifen held the live broadcast light close to the wall.
“Family members, look at this pattern. Doesn’t it look similar to the symbol of the star core in “Breaking Iron”?”
The barrage was suddenly filled with “Fenfen professionalism” and “archaeological site”.
Andre suddenly stopped.
He raised his hand, his fingers almost touching the marks on the wall, and his voice was so quiet that it sounded like a sigh.
“Here… here originally there was a log of success engraved.
On a winter night three hundred years ago, I wrote down ‘The 17th fusion experiment is completed, the core is stable’ in front of the console.
But the next morning, the alarm sounded throughout the ship.”
………..
Chapter 51: Some secrets should not be explored! (Old version)
“You said it was because the symbols were misinterpreted.” Lin Fan’s system was scanning the incisions, and the data stream showed that these symbols had three more lines of encryption code than the known “Key to the End” formula.
“But according to the records of the Star Dome Academy, when the prototype ship disappeared, all experimental data was destroyed.”
Andre’s back suddenly tensed.
He turned, his eyes hidden in shadow behind his lenses.
“Young man, there are some secrets that you shouldn’t dig into.”
As she passed the terminal, Kafka glanced at it several times and muttered something under her breath.
“This terminal might have some tricks.”
Then she didn’t know when she walked to the front, tiptoed to touch the terminal embedded in the wall, and her fingers slid across the dusty operation panel.
“Mr. Rex, don’t look at me like I’m a bomb.
I’m just curious, will there be any news about Blade in this terminal?”
“Ms. Kafka.” Lin Fan walked forward, and the system had already begun copying the remaining data on the terminal.
“The energy core of this machine is powered by Honkai energy. If you mess with it, it might…”
“drop–“
The terminal suddenly lit up red.
A shrill alarm sounded, the entire battleship shook violently, and rust debris from the ceiling fell down.
Gui Naifen’s live broadcast equipment fell to the ground. In the camera, Rex could be seen quickly raising the particle gun, and Andre stared at the terminal screen, his lips trembling as he recited a string of alien words.
“The passage is blocked!” Rex kicked the metal door in front of him, and a faint blue light appeared on the door panel. It was the collapsed barrier that the system had scanned before.
“Even a particle gun can’t penetrate this damn thing!”
“Family members, stop sending gifts!” Gui Naifen rushed over to pick up the device. The live broadcast interface was full of comments such as “Don’t be afraid, Fenfen” and “Find the pattern”. Her eyes suddenly lit up.
“Mr. Lin!
The audience said that the frequency of the collapse barrier is the same as the counting array of Xianzhou Taibusi, and there may be a fluctuation pattern! “
Lin Fan immediately brought up the energy spectrum of the barrier.
The system quickly calculated based on the prompt in the barrage “weaker by 0.3 seconds every 13 seconds”. He took out the engineering pen he carried with him and drew the fluctuation curve on the palm of his hand.
“Rex, aim the particle gun at this location – three, two, one!”
The dark blue light curtain suddenly dimmed.
Rex’s particle beam accurately passed through the gap and burned a hole as high as a person in the barrier.
As soon as everyone squeezed over, they found some abandoned equipment and strange footprints on the ground.
Then, Gui Naifen’s live broadcast light shone forward, and twenty combat robots emitting cold light walked out of the darkness, and the red scanning light swept over everyone.
“Family, this is going to be an action movie—”
The metal box Andre was carrying emitted a signal related to the modification of the core program of the mechanical guards. Lin Fan’s system had already recognized the models of these guards, which were mass-produced during the Great Collapse, but the core program seemed to have been modified.
Just as he was about to analyze the attack pattern, he discovered that the mechanical guard suddenly stopped moving.
The one in the front slowly raised his arm and pointed his gun at Andre.
“Click.”
Andre’s hand was halfway out of his sleeve.
He held a metal box with symbols engraved on it and pressed his thumb on a raised button. At this moment, the temperature of the surrounding air suddenly rose a little, and the scanning light of the mechanical guard flashed more intensely.
“Mr. Andre?” Lin Fan’s voice lowered.
The old scientist suddenly loosened his grip, and the metal box fell to the ground with a clang.
His forehead was covered in sweat, but he was still forcing a smile.
“I… I just wanted to see if I could turn them off.
During the experiment, the control terminal of the guard system was at…”
A muffled sound came from deep within the battleship, as if some ancient gear had started to turn.
The ground shook slightly, and the marks on the wall suddenly glowed red. The encrypted codes that Lin Fan had scanned seemed to come alive and flow.
Andrei’s face turned pale.
He staggered and held onto the wall, his voice filled with tears.
“No… Impossible. The sealing protocol has long been invalidated… Did we trigger the awakening program?”
“Wake up what?” Rex’s particle gun had been pointed at the mechanical guards, who were still holding their guns, as if the pause button had been pressed.
Kafka licked her lips, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
“It seems our little developer guessed right – there’s more than just backup energy hidden in this broken ship.”
Lin Fan stared at Andre’s metal box on the ground. The system quickly analyzed its material and found that it came from the same source as the encrypted code in the terminal.
He looked in the direction where the roar came from. The energy reaction there suddenly surged, and even the system got stuck.
“Let’s go.” He bent down, picked up the metal box, and put it into his tool bag.
“Go see what’s making that noise.”
Gui Naifen quickly followed, and the live camera swept across the nervous backs of everyone.
“Family members are witnessing—Fenfen’s expedition team is heading to the core of the battleship!
Remember to follow us, and you can win a redemption code for ten servings of Xianzhou wonton noodles after the show ends! “
The roar became clearer and clearer, as if a giant monster that had been sleeping for three hundred years had finally woken up.
Chapter 52: I give you ten seconds to leave the core area! (Old version)
Lin Fan’s ears were pierced by the roar.
The sound suddenly became deafening after turning the last rusty metal corridor.
He raised his hand to protect the loose hair on his forehead, and finally saw clearly the huge object that occupied the entire cabin.
It was a 30-meter-high mechanical device. Andre said in a trembling voice:
“The Key to the End…”
“This is the core component developed by our team back then!”
“But it should be sealed at the bottom of the Xianzhou database. How could it appear in an abandoned warship?”
As he spoke, he staggered two steps, the metal heels of his boots making crisp sounds as they hit the ground.
Rex turned the particle gun in a circle in his palm, with the muzzle still pointed at the mechanical guards that were stagnant around the device, and said:
“Old man, don’t rush into nostalgia.”
He pointed to the red numbers jumping under the crystal:
“The countdown has been going up since we came in, and now there are only seven minutes left.”
Gui Naifen suddenly zoomed in the live camera, and the audience’s barrage was instantly filled with comments like “What the hell is this black technology?”
She swallowed and turned the camera to Lin Fan:
“Fanfan, can the system scan anything?”
Lin Fan’s pupils contracted slightly, and the data stream projected by the system appeared on his retina.
He blurted out:
“It was left by the blade.”
“Three days ago, I saw a similar mathematical model in the ancient book maze of Taipusi. It was the encryption method used by the immortal boat ‘Chiming’ to seal dangerous objects.”
“As a fairy boat killer, Blade is best at setting up this kind of ‘living defense line’. This device is not a simple self-destruction program. It is screening those who can pass the test.”
Kafka came over at some point and said:
“So what does the young developer mean?”
“Need us to solve a code puzzle?”
As she spoke, she lightly ran her fingertips across the surface of the device, and purple-black energy condensed into tiny sparks at her fingertips.
Andre suddenly grabbed Lin Fan’s wrist, his nails almost digging into his skin, and shouted:
“Don’t touch any buttons!”
“When we were testing it, an intern accidentally triggered the verification procedure, and the entire lab exploded into space junk.”
“The self-destruction logic of this thing is recursive. Forcibly terminating it will trigger a secondary explosion, covering half a star region!”
Gui Naifen bit her lip and suddenly raised the live broadcast terminal:
“Family!”
“Now I need your help to decipher the code!”
“Fanfan said that this device requires a specific code sequence to delay the explosion. Send out all the numbers, symbols, and even hidden Easter eggs in the Star Dome Railway that you can think of!”
“Ten more prizes for those who want to win the wonton noodle redemption code!”
The barrage of comments instantly filled the screen, and Lin Fan’s system terminal began to frantically receive information from the Galaxy Mall.
March 7th sent a message from the train:
“Try the pinyin initials of ‘Star Train’!”
“Last time Aunt Jizi lost this, she opened the coffee machine!”
Kafka suddenly chuckled, strode towards the crystal, and said:
“Instead of waiting for a bunch of netizens to guess, it’s better to just tear it down.”
Lin Fan rushed over and grabbed her wrist, and the system alarm exploded in his ears:
“The Honkai energy pattern flows 30% faster when you are close!”
“Forced demolition will reset the countdown to zero!”
Kafka turned her head, her snake pupils glowing coldly under the dark blue light, and said softly:
“You think I want to keep it?”
“This thing will be a disaster if it falls into the hands of any force – including you.”
“If you can’t take it away, you should make it disappear completely.”
Rex’s voice came from the cabin entrance:
“Five more minutes.”
“There’s movement.”
Everyone turned their heads at the same time.
Then came a familiar electronic voice:
“Target location, core device coordinates have been locked.”
Silver Wolf walked in holding her game console, followed by five mechanical soldiers equipped with quantum armor.
With a provocative look on her face, she said:
“Lin Fan, I want to take back what I didn’t get in the space station last time, with interest.”
Rex asked:
“Is it from the Star Core Hunters? Or the Antimatter Legion?”
Lin Fan stared at the purple lines on the Silver Wolf’s shoulder armor and said:
“Neither. She is here to find the ‘Key to the End’.”
Silver Wolf snapped his fingers, and the mechanical soldiers raised their guns at the same time:
“I’ll give you ten seconds to vacate the core area.”
“otherwise……”
She shook the game console and said, “I don’t mind turning this broken ship into fireworks ahead of time.”
“Fenfen!”
“Keep collecting clues!”
After Lin Fan dragged Gui Naifen to hide behind the control console on the side of the device, he said to Rex:
“Rex, hold down the mechanical soldiers!”
He looked at Kafka:
“Kafka…if you don’t want to be blown to pieces with us, help me hold off the Silver Wolf!”
Kafka tilted her head:
“Little developer, you are getting better and better at commanding people.”
As she spoke, a slender energy blade popped out from her fingertips and headed towards Silver Wolf’s mechanical soldiers.
Rex’s particle gun fired first, and the scorching beam tore through the armor of the nearest mechanical soldier.
The screen of Silver Wolf’s host computer lit up red, and the remaining soldiers suddenly accelerated and directly passed through Rex’s attack trajectory.
Lin Fan’s system pops up a prompt:…….
Chapter 53: Target, Sky Ruins! (Old Version)
“Quantum Phase Shift!”
“They can briefly enter a quantum superposition state, making physical attacks ineffective!”
Rex pulled off the metal pendant from his neck and shook it at the mechanical soldier:
“Then I’ll use mental attacks!”
“Go away, monsters and demons!”
The mechanical soldier’s movements paused noticeably, and the light of the quantum armor flickered.
Gui Naifen shouted excitedly:
“Fanfan!”
“There’s progress on the clues to the password!”
She handed over the live broadcast terminal:
“User ‘Cloud Cavalry Xiao Zhu’ said this is the ‘number of reincarnations of the Vajra Master’ recorded by the Taibusi, and user ‘Black Tower Laboratory 007’ added the correction value of the quantum entanglement formula. Together, it is…”
Lin Fan’s fingers moved quickly on the console, and the system merged the two sets of data into binary code.
When the last character was entered, the sound of the device suddenly became quieter, and the red countdown stopped at 03:17.
Gui Naifen grabbed his arm:
“Successful?”
But the next second, the blue crystal suddenly trembled violently, and a line of words composed of light particles appeared on the surface:
“The real key is hidden in the ruins of the sky.”
Andre’s voice suddenly became hoarse:
“Ruins of the Sky?”
Only then did everyone realize that he had left their sight at some point and was standing on the other side of the device with his palm pressed in the groove under the crystal.
Lin Fan noticed the dark red blood seeping from his cuffs and said:
“He is inputting biometrics. The core components of the Key of the End require the developer’s gene lock to be fully activated.”
Silver Wolf walked up to Lin Fan holding the console and said with a smile:
“You cracked the first layer, but the second layer…”
She pointed to the words on the crystal:
“Can you guess the coordinates of the Sky Ruins?”
Kafka put the energy blade against the back of Silver Wolf’s neck:
“No need to guess. I know the place.”
“Three hundred years ago, the last battle between the Immortal Boat Alliance and the Antimatter Legion took place in the Sky Ruins.”
Silver Wolf’s pupils shrank slightly, but he soon returned to his playful attitude:
“So what?”
“By the time you find the key, it will have been taken away by someone else.”
She snapped her fingers, and the mechanical soldiers began to retreat:
“but……”
She looked back at Andre and said, “I would like to remind you that the obsession of some old guys is more dangerous than Honkai energy.”
The cabin fell silent, with only the device still humming.
Lin Fan looked at Andre, who was staring at his bleeding palm in a daze.
Rex kicked the remains of the mechanical soldier on the ground and asked:
“What should we do next? Go to the Sky Ruins?”
Lin Fan took out the medical spray from the tool kit and walked towards Andre:
“Treat the wound first.”
The old man took two steps back, dodged his hand, and whispered:
“You wouldn’t understand.”
“The Key to the End is not a weapon, it is…”
He looked up at the suspended crystal, “It’s hope.”
Lin Fan tightly grasped the metal box in the tool kit, realizing that every step taken by Andre since entering the abandoned warship seemed to be deliberately guiding him.
Gui Naifen quietly tugged at the corner of his clothes, and a private message popped up on the live broadcast terminal. It was from March 7:
“I heard there is a Xingqiong Mine in the Sky Ruins!”
“Remember to bring some back for me~”
Lin Fan smiled at her, then looked up at the crystal in the center of the device.
Everyone knows the coordinates of the Sky Ruins.
Silver Wolf’s joking and warning words were still ringing in his ears.
Andre said, “The key to the end is not a weapon, but hope.” These words were like a fog, covering the road ahead for everyone.
Lin Fan took a deep breath and looked at the people around him.
Kafka still looked as cold as ever, but there seemed to be something different in her eyes, perhaps because she had some special feeling about the words “Ruins of the Sky”.
Rex moved his arms and legs, and the metal prostheses creaked. This rough mercenary was looking forward to the next challenge.
Gui Naifen put away the live broadcast equipment. She knew what was going to happen next, so she couldn’t let everyone know too early. But the look in her eyes when she looked at Lin Fan was full of trust.
“Target: Sky Ruins.”
“Mr. Andre, you said you knew that place?”
Andre shuddered, raised his head, and a complex light flashed in his cloudy eyes. He said:
“Yes, I did some research there many years ago. The space there is unstable, and there are energy turbulence and space cracks everywhere left over from the war three hundred years ago. Ordinary jump routes cannot get close at all.”
“If you want to go, I can show you a relatively safe way.”
Kafka snorted, raised the corner of her mouth, and said:
“Humph, old fox.”
But she didn’t object. She felt that Andre had suspicious motives like Silver Wolf, but for now, their goals were the same.
Rex grinned, patted the gun at his waist, and said:
“Old man who’s scouting the way, leave the vigilance to me. If that silver wolf plays tricks again, I’ll let her have a taste of the power of this big guy!”
Lin Fan nodded and said:
“Okay, Mr. Andre will be in charge of navigation, and Rex will be in charge of alert and cover. Gui Naifen, remember to record the data along the way. It may be useful for the live broadcast in the future, but make sure you are safe first.”
He then said to Kafka:
“Ms. Kafka, your experience and skills are very important to us.”
Kafka shrugged indifferently.
After everyone discussed it, they quickly boarded a modified assault ship. The ship was not big, but it had a powerful engine and thick shields, so it could handle any emergencies.
Andre led the way, and the spaceship entered stealth mode, quietly leaving the abandoned warship wreckage area and flying into the depths of the universe.
“Everyone, please be careful. The situation ahead may be bad.”
Arriving at the place, Andrei shouted:
“Hold on tight!”
Gui Naifen held on to the handrail tightly, her face turned pale, but she still held on.
After the spacecraft stabilized, Gui Naifen immediately adjusted the live broadcast equipment and said to the camera:
“My family, I am now at the legendary place where the Immortal Boat Alliance and the Antimatter Army had their final battle – the Sky Ruins!”
“Next, let’s find the secret here!”
She opened some live broadcast permissions, and instantly a lot of barrages came in. The audience was very curious about this place.
The spacecraft landed on a floating island in the ruins.
Andrea says:
“According to my previous research, there is an underground temple at the core of the ruins.”
“The clue to the ‘Key to the End’ may be there.”
Everyone followed Andre into the ruins. The further they went, the stronger the energy fluctuations became. Lin Fan’s system kept sounding the alarm, saying that there was energy field interference around.
Finally, they found an entrance.
“Here it is.”
When we entered the underground palace, it was damp and cold.
In the middle of the palace there is a statue several dozen meters high, holding a blue crystal in its hand. It seems that there are stars rotating inside the crystal, and the energy fluctuations are very scary.
Rex’s eyes lit up and he shouted:
“key!”
As he spoke, he rushed forward.
Gui Naifen also excitedly pointed the camera at the crystal and said: ….
Chapter 54: The legendary ‘Key to the End’?! (Old version)
“Family members, could this be the legendary ‘Key to the End’?”
Lin Fan’s heartbeat quickened. The energy fluctuation of this crystal was the same as what he had measured in the metal box dropped by Andre before, but it was many times stronger. He was just about to start the system analysis.
At this moment, Andrei suddenly stretched out his hand to stop him and said anxiously:
“Don’t touch it!”
“That’s a trap! I’ve seen people die after touching this crystal. My research materials also wrote that this place is dangerous.”
Kafka frowned, looked at Andrei coldly, and said:
“A trap? How did you know? Maybe this isn’t the real key at all. You have other plans, right?”
Andrei became anxious, turned around and said:
“I just don’t want you to die in vain! This statue and crystal are cursed! Three hundred years ago, many powerful people wanted to take this crystal, but they all turned into ashes here!”
Kafka sneered and said:
“Cursed? That’s too old-fashioned an excuse. Mr. Andre, you’ve been leading us away since we boarded that abandoned warship. Now you don’t let us take the ‘key’. What do you want to do? Do you want to keep it for yourself?”
Andre shouted excitedly:
“I don’t have that idea! I just know some secrets that you don’t know!”
Rex’s face darkened, his hand on the gun, and he said:
“Old man, don’t play guessing games with us. Tell us what secrets you have!”
The atmosphere suddenly became tense.
Gui Naifen turned off the live broadcast microphone and looked at the people on both sides anxiously. Although she believed in Lin Fan, she was also a little panicked in this situation.
Lin Fan frowned, looked at Andrei, then at Kafka, and said:
“Everyone calm down, Mr. Andre, if you know anything, just tell us. We are a team.”
But his words were useless. Kafka’s energy began to fluctuate, and Andre stared at the crystal.
At this tense moment, something happened!
There was a loud rumbling sound, and the entire underground palace began to shake violently. Stones fell like rain, and the ground cracked. The statue’s eyes emitted red light, and the crystals shone brightly. A terrible energy storm blew over!
“Oh no! This place is going to collapse!”
As he said that, he quickly put up a shield to block the stones.
Lin Fan made a prompt decision, grabbed Gui Naifen and shouted:
“Retreat quickly!”
He quickly activated the system and analyzed the safe passage.
“Follow me! It’s safer here!”
He shouted, dodging rocks and energy turbulence.
Andrei shook himself, a desperate smile appeared on his face, and said:
“Sure enough…it was triggered…”
Kafka stopped arguing with Andrei. She flashed and hid flexibly in the collapsed palace, using her energy blade to cut away anything that blocked her way.
The statue began to break, and the crystal became more and more violent in the energy storm.
At the critical moment, Lin Fan led everyone to rush out from a door that was about to be sealed.
There was a loud noise and smoke behind me, and the underground palace collapsed completely.
Everyone ran back to the ground in a panic, looking at the collapsed area, they were all terrified.
The joy of surviving the disaster did not last long, and everyone began to have doubts in their hearts. Andrei’s warning was correct, but his behavior was still suspicious. Although Kafka stopped arguing for the time being, there was still distrust in her eyes. Rex had a stern face and looked at the people around him warily.
Gui Naifen followed Lin Fan and asked in a low voice:
“Lin Fan, what should we do next?”
Lin Fan wiped the dust off his face, looked at everyone, and said:
“Let’s find a safe place to rest first. Then, we need to have a good talk.”
The people who survived the disaster, under the leadership of Lin Fan, made many detours.
Finally, we found a relatively hidden, dilapidated building as a temporary shelter.
This seemed to be the archive room of some institution.
Everywhere there were metal cabinets and paper debris that had been eroded beyond recognition by the wind and sand.
The air was filled with a pungent smell of rust and dust.
Rex leaned against a crumbling wall, breathing heavily, with sweat mixed with dust on his forehead and dirty marks all over his face, looking extremely miserable.
He never put down the energy gun in his hand, and looked around vigilantly from time to time, at everyone around him, especially Andre.
Gui Naifen sat next to Lin Fan on a relatively flat stone slab, her little face still a little pale.
She clutched the corner of Lin Fan’s clothes tightly, as if only in this way could she feel at ease.
The horrific scene of the underground palace collapse just now was still lingering in her mind.
Like a black panther, graceful yet dangerous, Kafka occupied a corner of the room by herself.
She wiped the dust off the energy blade slowly. Her eyes flashed strangely in the dim light, as if she was thinking about her search for the “Key to the End”.
Andre was the quietest of the group.
He huddled in the shadows, hugged his knees, lowered his head, as if still immersed in the despair and self-blame he had felt before. He was carrying an old little device that he kept close to his body, and no one knew what secrets were hidden inside.
However, Lin Fan was sharp-eyed and discovered that although he looked decadent on the surface, he was actually hiding a sense of anxiety.
Lin Fan cleared his throat, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
His voice was not loud, but it was quite powerful and immediately attracted everyone’s attention.
“Now, we need to have a good talk.”
He first looked at Andrea and said:
“Mr. Andre, what did you mean by ‘it was still triggered’? You seem to know everything about that statue, that crystal, and the self-destruct mechanism of the entire underground palace.”
Andre slowly raised his head, his eyes full of bloodshot, and said tiredly and tangledly:
“That…that was a…defense system that I helped design many years ago.
The power of the Key of the End is too strong and too dangerous. If someone steals or destroys it, the entire ruins will activate the self-destruction program and bury everything. “
His voice was hoarse and a little desperate.
Rex asked in a hoarse voice, suspiciously:
Chapter 55: I am Ji Zi from the Star Train! (Old version)
“‘Key to the End’?
What on earth is that? Is it worth dragging us all into this?”
Andre smiled bitterly and said:
“The ‘Key to the End’ is not an ordinary ‘key’, it is… an energy core left behind by an ancient civilization, the power inside it can change the structure of the galaxy.
I…I have to keep it from falling into the wrong hands.”
“I have to go back and see what’s going on with it, and if I can, take it back.”
Rex jumped up immediately, pointed at the collapsed area outside, and shouted:
“Go back? Are you crazy?
We almost died there! Now that place is more dangerous than hell! Do you still want to go back and die?”
Gui Naifen also whispered:
“Yes, Mr. Andre, it’s too dangerous. Didn’t Lin Fan say that safety comes first?”
Lin Fan didn’t speak immediately, staring at Andre with a fierce look:
“You seem to be particularly obsessed with the ‘Key to the End’. Are you trying to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands? Or… do you have other ideas?”
Andre’s face changed, his lips moved a few times, as if he wanted to say something, but finally he sighed:
“You won’t believe me even if I tell you this now. But I swear, I am not greedy for the Key of the End.”
Kafka’s cold voice suddenly interrupted:
“Your oath means nothing now.
You’re hiding a lot, old man. Your identity, your past, and your relationship to this ruin.”
At this time, footsteps were heard outside.
Rex immediately raised his gun and shouted:
“Who’s there?!”
Lin Fan and Kafka also became alert, but Andrei froze suddenly when he heard the footsteps, with an expression of disbelief on his face.
A clear and steady female voice came from outside the door:
“Don’t be nervous, I’m not your enemy.
In fact, I may be here to help you solve some mysteries.”
Just as he finished speaking, a woman appeared at the door.
She was wearing a red uniform and had long neat brown hair. She was pretty and had sharp eyes, and it was obvious that she had been through a lot.
She was carrying an old-fashioned suitcase and seemed to have a coat draped over her shoulders.
Lin Fan looked at her, feeling a little wary, and asked:
“Who are you……”
This place is full of dangers, and it’s hard not to be suspicious when a stranger suddenly appears.
The woman smiled, and her eyes swept around everyone, finally stopping at Andre, with a complicated look in her eyes:
“I’m Himeko from the Star Train.
As for this… Mr. Andre, maybe I should call you the former core researcher of the ‘Apocalypse Project’, Dr. Andre Korsakov?”
When these words were spoken, everyone was shocked except Andre, who turned pale.
Rex’s eyes widened:
“The Star Train? Is it the legendary train that travels between different worlds?
What is Project Apocalypse? “
Ji Zi turned her eyes away from Andre and looked at Lin Fan and said:
“‘Project Apocalypse’ was a secret project undertaken by some extreme scientists decades ago. They wanted to… create an ultimate weapon that could artificially control the energy of the universe.
The ‘Key to the End’ is the most critical part of this plan, and also the most dangerous.”
She paused, and her tone became serious:
“According to the information we have, Dr. Andre ran away in the late stage of the plan because of different ideas, and took away some important information. Therefore, he has been watched by several organizations, and the Interstellar Peace Company is also wanted for him.”
All of a sudden, everyone stared at Andre, their eyes filled with shock, suspicion and scrutiny.
Gui Naifen covered her mouth and looked in disbelief at the old man who had looked a little pitiful before.
Kafka’s lips curled up into a strange smile:
“I see. No wonder you care so much about the ‘Key to the End’ and no wonder you are here.”
Lin Fan’s heart sank.
If what Ji Zi said was true, then Andre was in great danger.
He is not only a scientist who knows the core secrets, but also a fugitive being pursued by many forces.
Lin Fan asked in a deep and powerful voice:
“Andre, is what she said true?”
Andre suddenly collapsed on the ground, as if he had aged ten years.
He closed his eyes, and after a long while he sighed and admitted in a hoarse voice:
“Yes… everything Ms. Himeko said… is true.”
He opened his eyes, full of pain and regret:
“‘Project Apocalypse’ was a mistake from the beginning! They wanted to be gods and control everything! That would only bring destruction! I saw with my own eyes that the experiment went out of control and many innocent people died… I can’t let them succeed!”
Jizi asked:
“So you ran away? And took the key technology of the ‘Key to the End’ with you?”
Andre shook his head:
“Not entirely.
What I took away was a way to prevent the abuse of the Key of the End, and its… initial sealing data. I came back because I felt that someone wanted to reactivate it. I have to stop this, even if it means…”
He took a deep breath, and his eyes became particularly firm:
“No matter what the cost, including… betraying your trust, I must ensure the absolute safety of the ‘Key to the End’. If I can’t stop it, I would rather destroy it myself than let it become a new source of disaster!”
After Andrei’s confession, the atmosphere in the room became even more depressing.
Chapter 56: On the eve of the decisive battle! (Old version)
His words were full of paranoia and madness, but also a bit tragic.
Rex spat:
“Mad man! A complete mad man! Is it worth it for a piece of junk?”
Andre roared:
“You don’t understand how terrible it is.
Once the ‘Apocalypse Project’ is restarted, the threat posed by the Silver Wolf will be nothing compared to it!”
Lin Fan frowned.
The situation was more complicated and difficult than he had imagined.
The threat of the Silver Wolf has not been resolved yet, and now there has emerged the “Apocalypse Project” and the “Key to the End” that can destroy the galaxy. In this makeshift team, there is still distrust between them, and someone might betray them.
He took a deep breath and calmed himself down.
The most important thing now is to sort out your thoughts and decide what to do first.
Lin Fan turned to Ji Zi and said:
“Ms. Jizi, thank you for the information. Since you are from the Star Train, you must know something about this ruin and the ‘Key to the End’. Are you here this time to stop the ‘Apocalypse Project’?”
Jizi nodded:
“The Star Train is for exploration and protection. We cannot ignore something like the ‘Apocalypse Project’ that threatens the balance of the universe. My mission is to check the current status of the ‘Key to the End’ and assess the risks. If possible, bring it back safely or seal it permanently.”
Lin Fan said decisively:
“Then maybe we can cooperate first.
The current situation is that Silver Wolf and her people may also be looking for the “Key to the End”, Mr. Andre wants to protect or destroy it, and Miss Jizi wants to control or seal it on behalf of the Star Train. And we, at least Gui Naifen and I, originally wanted to complete the game development task, but now we are also involved. “
He paused, then added in a more emphatically tone:
“I propose that we form a temporary alliance first. No matter what we each intend to do in the end, at least we have common interests in dealing with the Silver Wolf and other possible enemies. Before resolving the external threat, let’s put aside our internal conflicts and distrust for now.”
Rex snorted but didn’t object immediately. Obviously, he knew that working alone in this place would only lead to death.
Gui Naifen definitely supports Lin Fan unconditionally.
Jizi thought for a while and nodded:
“I agree with your proposal. The more strength we have, the more chances we have of winning.”
Andre also struggled to stand up:
“As long as we can prevent the ‘Key of the End’ from falling into the hands of the bad guys, I am willing to cooperate.”
Just when everyone was about to reach a consensus, Kafka, who had been silent, suddenly spoke.
Her voice was still lazy, with a hint of joking:
“Alliance? Sounds good.
Unfortunately, I don’t like being constrained.”
As soon as she finished speaking, her figure flashed back like a ghost and disappeared into the shadow outside the door.
Rex said anxiously: “If Kafka leaves like this, will she find the ‘Key to the End’ and keep it for herself?”
Gui Naifen said worriedly, “Yes, and if she goes out alone, she might attract more enemies.”
Andre frowned and said, “If she attracts the enemy here, we will be in even more trouble.”
As everyone was discussing, there was suddenly an explosion in the distance!
Rex exclaimed:
“What is that?!”
As he said this, he quickly raised his gun and stood on guard.
Ji Zi’s face also turned serious:
“It seems that a new ‘guest’ has arrived. And he is not friendly.”
Lin Fan’s eyes became particularly sharp. He first summarized: “Now that Kafka is gone and there are explosions, there may be new enemies. All our previous plans have been disrupted.” Then he ordered the remaining few people:
“The situation has changed! We have to think of a new way to deal with it!”
The aftermath of the explosion shook everyone all over the place.
Lin Fan hurriedly tried to regain control of the situation. Rex was furious because Kafka ran away, and Guinephine looked worried.
Everyone had heard that Shimeko was very calm and rational during the battle, and Walter was an experienced veteran. At this time, everyone was looking forward to Walter’s arrival, thinking that Shimeko and Walter might be able to give everyone some advice in this crisis.
Rex said angrily:
“That damn woman! We can’t just let her get away with the ‘key’ she wants. Someone has to go after her! The rest of you stay here to deal with these new guys.”
As soon as these words came out, everyone started arguing.
Just when everyone was arguing fiercely, Walter, who had promised to help, appeared in his spaceship.
Walter said: …
Chapter 57: That damn woman! (Old version)
“I brought news of Operation Silver Wolf. These guys are a big threat.”
This stumped Lin Fan, and he had to make a difficult decision quickly.
Lin Fan started his game development system to analyze the situation.
System prompts:
“Enemy force: overwhelming advantage. Optimal strategy: feint to the east and attack in the west and precision strike. Resource allocation: crucial.”
Lin Fan began to assign tasks according to each person’s abilities, thinking that Ximeco was good at fighting, Walter had a lot of experience, Guinephene could attract everyone’s attention, and Rex could take on responsibilities.
In order to give everyone more confidence and to get more external support, Guinaifen started a live broadcast.
“Hey, everyone! Your favorite anchor Gui is here, and things are really serious right now! We’re about to take on some really powerful bad guys, but with Lin Fan leading us, it’s no problem! Cheer us on!”
In the chat box on the screen, words of encouragement were scrolling rapidly.
Lin Fan looked into the distance. The enemy’s movements were heard, but he didn’t know where Kafka had run to.
The explosion threw everyone all over the place.
Lin Fan suppressed the tinnitus in his ears, quickly steadied himself, and scanned the scene.
Rex roared angrily, his eyes red, staring in the direction where Kafka disappeared.
He said loudly:
“That damn woman!
We can’t let her get away with the ‘key’ she wants!
Someone has to chase her! The rest of you stay here to deal with the new ‘guest’!”
This proposal caused a disagreement within the team. Chasing Kafka was important, but the unknown enemy was also a big threat.
At this time, the Starry Sky Train arrived.
The hatch opened and Walter appeared. He said in a steady voice:
“This is an emergency, everyone. Based on the latest movements of the Silver Wolf, we are in big trouble.”
He told everyone about Silver Wolf’s troop deployment, and everyone calmed down.
Lin Fan started the system, and after the system analysis, his heart sank.
He began to assign tasks:
“Rex, go after Kafka, the system will give you the location.”
Rex nodded and said:
“Leave it to me! If you don’t find her, I’ll write my name backwards!”
He immediately picked people and prepared to set off.
Lin Fan said to Ji Zi and Walter:
“Jizi, Mr. Walter, the defense of the camp depends on you. The silver wolf may come for us. This is the main battlefield.”
Jizi smiled and took out the energy gun. Walter pushed his glasses and said:
“We will hold this place.”
Lin Fan said to Gui Naifen:
“Guinaifen, don’t stop your live broadcast. We need support. Let the universe see how we fight.”
Gui Naifen nodded and said with a smile:
“Hey everyone! Your favorite anchor Gui Gui is back!
The situation has become extremely serious!
We have to face powerful bad guys, but with Lin Fan leading us, we can do it!
Family members, type “Guardian” on the public screen and cheer for us!”
She adjusted her equipment and started posting barrages of comments, adding a bit of warmth to the battlefield.
Rex left with his men. Lin Fan looked at Kafka’s red dot on the game development system and realized that she was in the abandoned industrial area.
Lin Fan turned around and arranged defenses with Ji Zi and Walter, preparing energy shields, machine gun towers and explosives.
When Rex’s team arrived at the industrial zone, a mercenary whispered:
“Boss, we’re almost there.”
Rex gestured for everyone to be careful.
He saw Kafka standing in front of the mechanical device and operating it.
He whispered:
“There she is! Be careful, this woman is evil.”
They were preparing to outflank the enemy, when Kafka suddenly said:
“Come out, I know you are here.”
Rex walked out, pointed the gun at Kafka and said:
“Kafka! You can’t run away, just surrender!”
Kafka turned around and said calmly:
“I’m not planning on running.”
Rex approached and asked:
“So what the hell are you doing here?”
Kafka pointed at the device and said:
“Activate it, an ancient portal.”
Rex asked cautiously:
“A portal? Where do you want to go?”
Kafka did not answer directly, but said:
“You don’t understand. This is the only way.
I have to find the location of the ‘Key to the End’, otherwise, not only this planet, but the entire galaxy will be in great danger.”
Rex was confused and didn’t know whether to believe her.
Lin Fan heard this through the communicator in the camp. He felt that the matter was not simple and said:
“I have to go see her.”
Ji Zi advised him:
“But, Lin Fan, it’s too dangerous now!”
“I know, but there are some things I need to confirm with my own eyes. I will be careful.”
Just as Lin Fan was about to go to the industrial area, the camp alarm sounded.
Lookout shouts:
Chapter 58: There are too many enemies and their firepower is too strong! (Old version)
“Enemy attack! It’s the Silver Wolf’s troops!”
Walter ordered:
“Everyone, get to your combat positions! Activate the highest level defense protocol!”
The warriors began to fight.
Lin Fan stopped and looked outside. He knew the camp was dangerous and he couldn’t go any further. He said:
“It seems that we have to deal with these ‘guests’ first.”
A soldier in charge of reconnaissance, his voice trembling with nervousness, said to everyone through the internal communication:
“Commander, we are completely surrounded! The enemy numbers… are at least three times ours!”
Walter’s face was particularly grim. He quickly scanned the tactical screen. The red dots representing the enemy on the screen almost covered the entire area. He said:
“All units, maintain your formation and conserve your ammunition! Prepare to meet the enemy’s attack!”
At this time, a huge virtual projection suddenly appeared above the camp. It was a girl with silver hair and red eyes, Silver Wolf. She appeared in front of everyone, high above.
Silver Wolf said with a contemptuous smile on his face and a look of contempt and cruelty in his eyes:
“Lin Fan, we meet again. Oh, no, I should say, I had a blast playing your ‘game’.”
“I heard that you are quite interested in the ‘Key of the End’? Unfortunately, I know a lot of secrets about this thing. For example, it can change the fate of the entire galaxy.”
Her eyes seemed to be able to see through everything. She stared directly at Lin Fan and said coldly:
“Now, I give you a choice. Hand over the part of the ‘key’ in your hand, or… watch as this galaxy is buried with your stupid resistance.”
Many young soldiers in the camp were angry and upset after hearing this. One soldier couldn’t help but say:
“The fate of the galaxy? This is too exaggerated. We dare not even think about it!”
Lin Fan stood at the observation post of the command tower, facing the virtual image of Silver Wolf, with a calm face and a particularly deep look in his eyes. He slowly raised the communicator in his hand and said loudly:
“Silver Wolf, you talk too much nonsense. If you want the key, come and get it if you have the guts. You can’t threaten us!”
Silver Wolf smiled and said:
“Oh, you’re still so stubborn. It seems like you won’t behave if I don’t give you a little ‘surprise’.”
As soon as Silver Wolf finished speaking, the enemy mechas surrounding the camp suddenly began firing crazily.
Jizi shouted loudly:
“Hold on! Increase energy output! Repair the damaged nodes quickly!”
Rex drove his modified heavy mecha like a mad rhino, rushing towards the place where the enemies were the most, shouting as he rushed:
“A bunch of bastards! Come and have a taste of your Grandpa Rex’s power!”
But the enemies were getting more and more, and Rex was under increasing pressure. He shouted in the communication channel:
“These guys… are wrong! There’s something wrong with their attack pattern. It’s like they’re trying to chase us away!”
At this time, on the edge of the battlefield, Gui Naifen was still broadcasting live. She said to the camera:
“Family members, did you see that? This is the Silver Wolf’s army. They are so despicable that they actually threatened Lin Fan with the safety of the entire galaxy!”
“But we won’t surrender! Lin Fan and his friends on the Star Train are fighting desperately!”
The comments in the live broadcast room were flashing very fast.
Someone said: “Gui Bao, hold on! Come on, Master Lin Fan!”
Someone cursed: “How shameless! Silver Wolf is a lunatic!”
Another person analyzed: “I found that the enemy’s attacks were mainly concentrated on the southeast and northwest sides of the camp, and the firepower in the middle was weak. Is there some conspiracy?”
Another person also said: “Yes, I noticed it too! They seem to want to drive the people in the camp to the center!”
Gui Naifen quickly told Lin Fan about the audience’s analysis.
Lin Fan stood in front of the holographic tactical sand table in the command center, his eyes fixed on the changes in the enemy and our situation. As he watched, he said to the person next to him:
“Rex’s reminder and the audience’s analysis are somewhat consistent with what I thought. Silver Wolf’s attack looks fierce, but it actually has a method. The enemy’s firepower and mecha’s advancement direction are all directed at the abandoned warehouse north of the center of the camp.”
“She wanted to guide us, or guide me to that place.”
Someone nearby asked, “So what do you think the Silver Wolf’s goal is?”
Lin Fan stroked his chin and said, “Could it be that she doesn’t want to destroy us, but wants to seize or use something? That warehouse might be the key.”
The battle became more and more intense, the energy shield could no longer hold out, many fortifications were destroyed, and reports of casualties continued to come in.
Walter said anxiously: “We can’t go on like this. There are too many enemies and their firepower is too strong!”
Ji Zi gritted her teeth and said, “Hold on, hold on, we must hold on!”
Just when the camp’s defenses were about to be breached, Silver Wolf suddenly gave an order through the battlefield communication:
“All units, retreat!”
Those enemy mechas that were originally charging and attacking fiercely immediately stopped attacking, retreated in an orderly manner, and soon disappeared.
Rex stuck his head out of the mecha cockpit and said in confusion:
“What the hell? Why did these guys just leave like that?”
The virtual image of Silver Wolf was still there above the camp. She smiled and said:
“Don’t get me wrong, Lin Fan. This is just to whet your appetite. I want you to know that I can take care of you at any time. As for the ‘Key to the End’… hehe, the real battle has just begun.”
After saying this, her image disappeared.
Everyone was stunned, and the scene was eerily quiet.
Walter frowned and said: …..
Chapter 59: Your live broadcast cannot stop! (Old version)
“What does Silver Wolf mean? Why did he suddenly withdraw?”
Ji Zi was also confused: “What is the ‘real battle’ she is talking about?”
Lin Fan stared at the direction where the silver wolf disappeared, pondered for a while, and then said:
“This is definitely not the end. It’s more like a test and warning from her. She may know something about us and may have set a trap.”
“Now is not the time to be confused. Everyone go count the casualties, treat the wounded, and repair the fortifications.”
“Mr. Walter, Ji Zi, Rex, Gui Naifen, all core members, in ten minutes,
Let’s go to the command center for a meeting. We need to quickly discuss what to do next.”
The atmosphere in the command center was very depressing.
Lin Fan stood in front of the crude tactical map, his back straight. He was still covered in dust from the battle, but his eyes were like an eagle’s, not confused at all.
He looked around. Gui Naifen was staring at him with worry, Walter and Jizi looked serious, and Rex was rubbing his hair in annoyance, obviously still angry about the enemy’s inexplicable retreat. In the corner, Dr. Andre crossed his arms, and the look behind his glasses was unpredictable, as if it had nothing to do with this place, but also seemed to be thinking about something.
Lin Fan spoke first:
“It’s very strange that Silver Wolf retreated.
She had the ability and opportunity to wipe us all out, but she didn’t do it. This was more like testing our bottom line. She wanted to know how powerful we were, and at the same time, she was telling us that she was in the upper hand. “
Jizi continued:
“That ‘Key to the End’,
I seem to have seen this word in the old documents of the Star Train, but it was not clearly written, just saying that it was related to some destructive force. Silver Wolf specifically mentioned it, I guess this is her next, or real, target. “
Walter said in a deep voice:
“Star Core Hunters have always loved to get Star Cores. But this time, Silver Wolf seems to be… clearing obstacles, or in other words, preparing to grab the ‘Key to the End’.
She warned you, obviously thinking that you, or we, would ruin her business.”
Rex slammed his fist on the table and shouted:
“Damn, these people love to play charades!
Can’t you just say it directly? If you want to fight, just fight hard, why bother with all this nonsense! “
Lin Fan raised his hand to signal him to calm down:
“Rex, don’t get angry. Getting angry won’t solve the problem. Silver Wolf wants to play a game of cat and mouse, so we have to be more patient than her and see through her tricks as soon as possible.
From now on, we have to do two things: first, strengthen the camp defense and prepare for more severe attacks; second, find out what the “Key of the End” is and where Kafka is. If the Silver Wolf’s target is the “Key of the End”, then Kafka is also a star core hunter and must be related to this matter. “
Rex said in a muffled voice:
“As for defense, I’ll do my best.”
At this time, Andre, who had been silent all the time, suddenly spoke:
“If you don’t mind, I might be able to help with the defense system upgrade.”
Everyone stared at him with suspicion in their eyes. After all, this scientist’s origins were unknown and his motives were mysterious. He had been suspected during the war before.
Andre pushed up his glasses and said:
“I’m not interested in your enemies, but I know something about the ‘Key to the End’. In fact, I’ve participated in related research before, but that experience was not a pleasant one. I see that the defense system here is full of loopholes. If you don’t want to become ash in the universe after the next wave of attacks, I suggest you listen to the advice of professionals.”
Gui Naifen looked at Lin Fan worriedly. She instinctively felt uneasy about this scientist who never showed his emotions.
Lin Fan looked at Andre calmly and asked:
“What conditions?”
Andre seemed a little surprised, then he curled his lips and said:
“Conditions? It’s simple. I want the highest authority, and you have to stay alive. If the ‘Key to the End’ falls into the wrong hands, no one will ever see the sun tomorrow.”
Lin Fan thought for a while, weighing the pros and cons. In this situation, the opportunity to strengthen the strength cannot be missed. Andre is indeed capable, even if he is hiding something, but in the face of this common threat, cooperation first will have more advantages than disadvantages.
“Okay. I’ll leave the improvement of the defense system to you. The staff will cooperate with you. But you have to let me know what you do.”
Andre nodded slightly and said nothing more.
Lin Fan said to Walter and Rex again:
“Mr. Walter, Rex,
The inspection and maintenance of weapons and equipment is up to you. You have to make sure every weapon and every mecha is in good working order. The next fight will definitely be worse than this one.”
Walter and Rex said together:
“clear!”
Lin Fan looked at Ji Zi:
“Jizi, I’ll leave the intelligence to you.
Use all available resources to keep an eye on Silver Wolf’s movements and analyze what she wants to do next. At the same time, continue to collect information about the ‘Key to the End’ and Kafka.”
Jizi said with a firm look in her eyes:
Finally, Lin Fan looked at Gui Naifen, his expression softened a little:
“Naifen, you can’t stop your live broadcast.”
Gui Naifen was stunned and asked:
“Now… still live streaming?
I thought we should keep a low profile at this time.”
Lin Fan said with certainty:……….
Chapter 60: I didn’t get enough fun beating those bastards during the day! (Old version)
“Yes. Silver Wolf wants to crush us with fear, but we won’t let her have her way. We will broadcast our preparations live so that the whole universe can watch. This will not only encourage those who support us, but also put some pressure on Silver Wolf. Let her know that someone is watching her no matter what she does.”
Gui Naifen immediately understood what Lin Fan meant and nodded vigorously:
“I understand! I will tell everyone about our efforts and perseverance!”
The meeting ended and everyone took action immediately.
Andre said: “I will start to work on the defense system, you all should do as I say and don’t mess around.”
Rex grumbled in dissatisfaction: “He is always so troublesome. Who knows what he is up to.”
Walter advised: “The situation is urgent now, let him try first, and we will adjust it if there is any problem.”
Gui Naifen also said to Lin Fan worriedly: “Lin Fan, is it reliable to let Andre build the defense system? He is too mysterious.”
Lin Fan comforted her: “There is no other way now. He does know something about this. Let’s keep an eye on him first.”
Rex and Walter came to the hangar, and Rex was still complaining: “I really don’t want to cooperate with that weird scientist. Who knows what kind of trouble he might come up with.”
Walter said, “Stop complaining and do our own thing first.”
While collecting information, Ji Zi muttered to herself: “What secrets are hidden by this Silver Wolf and the ‘Key to the End’? I hope I can find clues soon.”
Lin Fan stood at the highest point of the temporary command tower, knowing that the sneak attack by the Silver Wolf during the day was just a side dish, and the real storm was coming tonight.
At this moment, the personal communication terminal on his wrist vibrated. It was an encrypted short message from the Walter intelligence network.
Lin Fan quickly clicked on the message. The sender was Walter’s intelligence officer codenamed “Night Owl”.
The information says:
“Coordinates XXX.YYY, abandoned industrial area, a large number of abnormal energy signals, suspected armed personnel gathering. Highly dangerous, please handle with caution.”
Lin Fan wondered, the abandoned industrial area was only 30 kilometers away from the camp, what were the Silver Wolf people doing there? He felt that this must be something serious.
He immediately called Rex and Himeko via the internal communication:
“Rex, Himeko, emergency, come to the control tower, three minutes.”
Rex and Jizi soon arrived at the command tower.
Rex asked loudly, “Boss, what’s the hurry?”
Ji Zi glanced at Lin Fan’s serious face and said, “Is it the Silver Wolf that’s making a move?”
Lin Fan nodded and showed them the encrypted information: “Walter’s intelligence officers found suspicious people and energy signals in the abandoned factory area. I suspect that Silver Wolf is making a secret deployment. We have to go and confirm it.”
Rex patted his chest:
“I’ll go with you!
My hands are itching to beat those bastards. I didn’t have enough fun beating them during the day!”
Ji Zi calmly analyzed: “The terrain there is complex and it is easy to defend but difficult to attack. If we rush in rashly, we may alert the enemy or even get ambushed. We need a detailed plan.”
Lin Fan said, “I agree. We are not going to fight. Our main mission is reconnaissance. Rex, you will be responsible for close guard and handling emergencies. Jizi, you have more experience, so you will be responsible for outer security and route planning. I will go infiltrate and collect intelligence. Mr. Walter will stay in the camp to prevent this from being a distraction. Let Gui Naifen continue to appease the people and maintain the stability of the live broadcast room. Don’t let her know our specific actions, so as not to worry her.”
The three of them put on their light combat gear and quietly headed towards the abandoned industrial area.
Half an hour later, they arrived at the outskirts of the factory.
Ji Zi found an observation point, and Lin Fan activated the micro reconnaissance drone.
The drone sent back images showing that the center of the factory was brightly lit and many soldiers in black combat uniforms were moving boxes under strict security.
Lin Fan pointed at a person in the picture and whispered, “Look over there, the one giving orders. Judging from his figure and equipment, he might be a senior official under Silver Wolf.”
At this moment, the man’s communicator rang. He asked everyone around him to be quiet and then connected the call.
A hoarse but majestic electronic synthesized voice asked:
“Leon, what’s going on?”
The man called Leon bowed slightly and said proudly:
“Master Silver Wolf, everything went well.
We have used the remaining information from the ‘Guide’ to roughly locate the area where the ‘Key to the End’ may exist.
The next step is to pinpoint its exact location.”
Silver Wolf chuckled from the other end of the communicator:
“very good.
‘The Key to the End’… something that so many people in this universe are crazy about will soon belong to us.
Follow the plan, clear any obstacles, and don’t let anyone stop us.”
“Understood, sir,” Leon replied.
Lin Fan, Ji Zi and Rex were all shocked when they heard this.
Rex whispered: …
Chapter 61: I plan to find Kafka! (Old version)
“It looks like we’ve caught a big fish.”
As he spoke, his fingers unconsciously reached for the weapon at his waist.
Ji Zi said calmly: “They have more people, and Leon is not easy to deal with. Our current mission is to bring back information, not to fight head-on.”
Lin Fan nodded: “Ji Zi is right. The Silver Wolf’s target is the ‘Key to the End’, which is more complicated than we thought. We must go back and tell everyone the information.”
He quickly operated his personal terminal and implanted a micro positioning beacon into Leon’s communication device.
“Done. Let’s retreat.”
On the way back to the camp, Rex said, “This ‘Key to the End’ sounds incredible. We have to find a solution quickly.”
Ji Zi frowned: “Yes, Silver Wolf’s target this time is too dangerous.”
Lin Fan silently thought about his next plan.
After returning to the camp, Lin Fan immediately called together the core members of the Star Train, Andre and Gui Naifen. Gui Naifen looked worried.
Lin Fan told the story of what happened in the abandoned factory, the “Key to the End” and the conversation between Silver Wolf and Leon, and the atmosphere in the conference room suddenly froze.
Walter stroked his chin and said, “‘Key to the End’… I seem to have seen this name in ancient interstellar documents, but the records are not clear. I only know that it is related to the ancient power that can subvert the order of the universe. I didn’t expect that Silver Wolf is looking for it.”
Gui Naifen held Lin Fan’s hand fearfully and asked, “Is that… that thing dangerous?”
Lin Fan patted her hands: “It’s not clear what it is yet, but it must be something that Silver Wolf attaches so much importance to.”
Andre, who had been silent, suddenly spoke, his voice trembling a little, and his face turned pale:
“It’s not just simple,
If it really is the ‘Key to the End’, then we will be in big trouble… No, it will be a disaster!
That relic is said to have the power to create or destroy the world!”
Everyone gasped after hearing this.
Andre took a deep breath and his eyes brightened:
“Silver Wolf has found clues through the ‘Guide’, which means they are not far from their goal.
We can’t just sit there and wait!”
He stood up and spread out the electronic star map, marking a few points:
“According to my research, if the ‘Key to the End’ is in this star region, it is most likely hidden in these places.
We can find it before the Silver Wolf does!
As long as we get it first, we can take the initiative!”
After hearing this, everyone started to think.
Walter frowned and said cautiously: “Mr. Andre, you seem to know more about the ‘Key to the End’ than we do. And the locations you mentioned span a large area. It is too risky for us to split our forces to act.”
Ji Zi also said: “That’s right, since the Silver Wolf has discovered it, they will definitely set up surveillance in these places. If we act rashly, we may fall into their trap.”
Andre was anxious:
“Risk and opportunity go together!
Are we going to watch Silver Wolf gain that kind of power?
I am sure, as long as I follow my plan…”
Lin Fan interrupted him: “Mr. Andre, your information is very important, but the action plan needs to be carefully considered.” He felt that Andre was too obsessed with the “Key to the End”.
The meeting ended in a strange atmosphere. On the surface, everyone agreed to strengthen the camp’s defense and let Walter’s intelligence network verify the location Andre said before making a decision. But everyone knew in their hearts that their trust in Andre had been broken.
Lin Fan stood at the edge of the camp, thinking that Andre’s plan was too risky. He felt that Andre must be hiding something. The silver wolf moved quickly and secretly, and with their current strength, it was difficult to stop the silver wolf.
He thought about the Star Hunters, the Company, and Kafka. He wondered how much Kafka knew about the Silver Wolf’s plan, and what she meant by “We’ll see each other soon.”
He withdrew his gaze from the darkness in the distance and had already made up his mind.
Ordinary methods cannot break the situation. Andrea’s plan is full of strange paranoia. If you want to find out what Silver Wolf is trying to do, or even go against her, you need extraordinary power.
Kafka, the name became clearer and clearer in his mind.
The Star Core Hunter is a woman who walks on the edge of order. Her smile is puzzling, and her actions are always confusing.
“We’ll see each other again soon.”
I am not just saying this casually.
He took a deep breath and his eyes became fierce.
He turned and walked towards the camp where the lights were on. Gui Naifen was wrapped in a blanket, whispering something to Qingque. When she saw him coming, she hurried over to him, with a little worry in her big eyes, and said:
“Lin Fan, are you okay? The atmosphere in that meeting just now was very scary.”
Lin Fan forced a smile and said:
“I’m fine. Guinevere, I’m going to go look for Kafka.”
“ah?”
Gui Naifen was surprised, but immediately nodded vigorously and said:
“I’ll go with you! There’s strength in numbers, and I also want to ask her in person why she caused so much trouble!”
She spoke with a bit of the stubbornness of a little girl, and had unconditional trust in Lin Fan.
Lin Fan felt warm in his heart. He knew that Gui Naifen was quite good at fighting. More importantly, she was optimistic and energetic, and could make the depressing atmosphere a little better.
At this moment, a calm voice interrupted and said:
“If you go find the Star Core Hunter Kafka, maybe I can help.”
Iris didn’t know when she came behind them. The intelligence officer of the Star Train still had that professional smile on his face, but his eyes were very serious. He said:
“My intelligence network mainly deals with data from companies and the old world, but I also have some clues about celebrities who work in the dark. Also, if I really find her, I might be able to more quickly determine whether what she says is true or false.”
Lin Fan looked at Iris, nodded, and said: …..
Chapter 62: I knew you would come! (Old version)
“Okay, then the three of us. Don’t waste time, just prepare and set off right away. Our goal is to find Kafka and find out what she is thinking, and how much she knows about the ‘Key to the End’ and the Silver Wolf Project.”
The three of them did not alarm Walter and Ji Zi, and Lin Fan did not want Andre to know.
Relying on the vague information given by Iris and Lin Fan’s understanding of Kafka’s working style, they decided to find a place in an abandoned industrial area on the edge of the city.
There are all kinds of people here, and the signal interference is severe, which is perfect for Tibetans to carry out secret activities.
“According to the latest intelligence, Kafka’s last traced signal was in sector A3 in this area.”
Iris fiddled with the small terminal on her wrist, and a three-dimensional map was projected in front of her. She continued:
“There’s an old energy transmission node there that has not been used for a long time, but there seems to be abnormal energy fluctuations recently.”
Gui Naifen clenched the weapon in her hand and whispered to Lin Fan:
“It’s so spooky here, even scarier than the confinement section of the Black Tower Space Station.”
Lin Fan patted her shoulder and told her not to be afraid, while looking around carefully.
He was so focused that no movement escaped him.
When they arrived at sector A3, the surrounding houses became increasingly dilapidated. Finally, they saw a large circular device flashing a faint blue light in the middle of a relatively empty area.
The device looked very old, with strange symbols all over its surface, and it was obviously not something from this era.
In front of the device, there was a familiar figure standing quietly. It was Kafka.
She seemed to be playing with the old portal. Her slender fingers drew incomprehensible lines in the air, and the faint blue light flickered with her movements.
Lin Fan shouted in a low voice, breaking the silence here.
Kafka heard the voice, turned around slowly, and said with a calm and playful smile on her face:
“I knew you would come, Lin Fan. You came a little faster than I thought.”
She looked at Gui Naifen and Iris behind Lin Fan and raised her eyebrows slightly.
“Why did you do that?”
Lin Fan stared into her eyes, his tone suppressed with anger, and said:
“Do you know what the consequences will be if you activate this unclear device? What on earth is the ‘Key to the End’?”
Kafka sighed softly, her smile faded a little, and she said:
“I’m doing all this to prevent a bigger disaster. I have to find the ‘Key to the End’, otherwise the entire galaxy will fall into a crisis it has never seen before.”
Her voice was not loud, but it carried a chill that made people dare not doubt it.
“Crisis? What you are doing now is not a crisis?”
Gui Naifen could not help but take a step forward and loudly retort, saying:
“You and Silver Wolf have messed up everything. How many people are in danger because of you! If you really want to prevent the disaster, why don’t you work with us? Isn’t it better for us to work together to find a solution?”
Kafka looked at the excited Gui Naifen and was silent for a while.
Her eyes moved back and forth between Lin Fan and Gui Naifen, as if she was thinking about something.
Finally, she nodded slightly, her tone still cold, and said:
“Cooperation? It’s not impossible. But you have to understand that the path I’m taking is full of unknowns and will cost a lot. Are you sure you want to get involved?”
There was still a hint of hesitation and scrutiny in her eyes that was hard to fathom.
“We are not afraid to take risks as long as it can prevent a bigger disaster.”
Lin Fan answered straightforwardly. He could tell from Kafka’s words that she was a little relaxed, but he also sensed the pressure she was hiding.
They hurried back to the brightly lit makeshift camp. Along the way, the three of them briefly talked about their conversation with Kafka. The atmosphere was quite solemn.
Back at the camp, the atmosphere changed subtly because of the news that Kafka was willing to “cooperate”.
After listening to Lin Fan, Walter and Ji Zi both looked very serious.
They knew too well who Kafka was. The promise of the Star Core Hunter had always been a double-edged sword.
“Did she really say that? Is she willing to share information with us and find the ‘Key to the End’ together?”
Jizi asked again, her tone cautious.
“Yes, but she didn’t say more about the details of the ‘Key of the End’. She just said that it was extremely important and dangerous. Moreover, she seemed to be very clear about some of Silver Wolf’s plans.”
“Humph, how much can you trust the Star Core Hunter’s words?”
Andre came out from the corner, his face gloomy, his eyes full of distrust and anxiety, and said:
“She must have other bad intentions! Lin Fan, you are so gullible! We can’t put our hopes on such a capricious and dangerous person!”
He became even more excited, took a step forward, spread out a new star map, and said:
“Since she also knows about the ‘Key to the End’, we have to act quickly! Based on the latest astrological and energy sensing, I have calculated another possible hiding place, which is more hidden and more dangerous than the previous ones! We have to act immediately and get it before Silver Wolf and Kafka!”
Seeing Andre going crazy and the new plan he proposed which was almost like sending him to his death, everyone became even more suspicious.
This man’s obsession with the “Key to the End” has reached the point where he is determined to get it no matter what the cost.
At this moment, Iris’s bracelet, which had been flashing, suddenly rang rapidly.
She looked at it quickly, her face changed suddenly, and she said:
“Latest intelligence! The main force of the Silver Wolf fleet is flying towards our star region. At the same time, large-scale energy reactions have been detected in at least three directions. They are her ground forces! They are closing in, and our position may have been exposed! It is estimated that the first wave of attacks will arrive within ten minutes!”
Before he could finish his words, a shrill alarm suddenly sounded outside the camp!
Chapter 63: My gun barrel can’t wait any longer! (Old version)
The red emergency lights suddenly illuminated the entire command center, and the sharp beeping sound broke the silence of the night.
The enemy is really here! And faster than expected!
“Everyone on alert!”
Lin Fan’s voice suddenly drowned out the alarm, calmly and decisively saying:
“According to Plan A, activate the defense matrix! All combatants to designated positions! Prepare for battle!”
The order was quickly passed down, and the camp was suddenly filled with tense and orderly movements.
The soldiers ran to their respective posts, the energy shield generator started buzzing, and the weapon system began to charge.
It’s a fierce battle that can’t be avoided.
Lin Fan stood in front of the command desk, looking at the red dot representing the enemy on the screen getting closer and closer, with a lot of questions in his mind.
Lin Fan’s temples were throbbing, and he tightly grasped the tactical tablet, his knuckles turning white. Three hours ago, the satellite scan said that there was no one in the area, but the Silver Wolf troops were able to bypass the Immortal Boat’s Star Dome Radar. This was not something that an ordinary mercenary group could do.
Lin Fan lowered his voice and said:
“Everyone enters level one combat status!”
Gui Naifen was debugging the live broadcast equipment. She paused for a moment, looked up with shining eyes, and said:
“Understood! I’ll start the live broadcast right now so that the whole galaxy can see our preparations.”
As she spoke, her fingers quickly swiped across the light computer, and a light blue virtual live broadcast room appeared above her head. The number of viewers was rising in an instant, and the barrage of comments flashed past her ears, but her eyes were always fixed on Lin Fan, as if she wanted to remember his tense jaw in her heart.
The heavy particle cannon on Rex’s shoulder hummed. The muscular interstellar mercenary tugged at the bone chain pendant around his neck, and the broken iron pieces on the ground creaked as his iron boots stepped on them. He said:
“Young sir, I just replaced the antimatter core of my gun barrel yesterday. I guarantee it can destroy three mechas. But…”
He suddenly narrowed his eyes, looked at Kafka not far away, and continued:
“If that woman dares to stab me in the back, I don’t mind blasting her into pieces.”
Walter’s voice came from the communicator:
“Rex, check the interface of your energy backpack. Last time in the low temperature environment of Yalilo VI, this type of backpack is prone to leakage. In addition, since Miss Kafka is standing here, it means that her interests are consistent with ours at the moment. At least wait until the threat of the Silver Wolf is eliminated.”
Jizi came over, holding a pile of intelligence projection boards she had just received, with oil on her hair from debugging the drone, and said:
“The Silver Wolf’s troops are divided into three echelons. The vanguard is a mass-produced combat robot, the backbone may have mechanical life, and the rear team…”
She suddenly stopped talking, and the image on the projection board made her eyes widen – it was a girl wearing a cat ear headband, who was tilting her head and making a scissors hand gesture to the camera, and behind her was a row of quantum portals.
“She will personally lead the rear team.”
Lin Fan’s throat moved. He could hear his heartbeat, once, twice, hitting his ribs. The blue light of the development system flashed in his eyes, and the data stream frantically analyzed everyone’s combat parameters: Rex’s firepower could cover a radius of 50 meters, but it took 17 seconds to reload; Ji Zi’s flaming sword could increase the damage of mechanical units by 30%, but it would consume 60% of her physical strength if she kept hitting them; Walter’s space control could hold the enemy back, but it took three minutes to cool down each time she used it…
Lin Fan suddenly said:
“Rex, you and Walter guard the left wing. There is an abandoned giant reactor on the left wing. Walter will use the gravitational field to create some obstacles. Rex will set up the artillery at a high point. When you change the ammunition, let Gui Naifen’s live broadcast drone locate you.”
He then said to Himeko:
“Take Andre to the right wing. His improved defense system relies on your fire coverage to activate the energy nodes. Andre!”
Andre was squatting in front of the defense tower, his calloused hands busy on the circuit board, and he said without looking up:
“Don’t rush! This broken system can at least withstand three rounds of salvos, but if there is a quantum attack…”
He suddenly pulled off a copper wire, sparks splashed on his greasy white coat, and then continued:
“We need to let Kafka use her ‘Destiny’ to interfere with the enemy’s coordinate calculations, otherwise the defense tower will be directly transported into the core area and explode.”
Everyone looked at Kafka. Kafka noticed everyone’s gaze, smiled, and said:
“Little developers, guess why I’m helping you? Because Silver Wolf moved something he shouldn’t have moved—”
She ran her finger across her heart and said:
“My toys.”
Lin Fan’s breathing stagnated. He remembered that the system said that Kafka and Silver Wolf were both star core hunters, but the coldness in her eyes at this moment was even more severe than the cold wave in the Immortal Boat.
Lin Fan took out a light computer from his tactical belt and said:
“Cooperation agreement. You can take your ‘toys’ after the war, but on the condition that -“
Kafka took the optical computer, paused her fingernails on the confirmation key for three seconds, and said:
“Only if I don’t finish you off when you’re at your weakest? Deal.”
She threw the laptop back to Lin Fan, her red hair brushed across the back of Lin Fan’s hand, and said:
“But young developer, don’t count too much on the agreement – fate won’t always go your way.”
Walter suddenly raised his voice:
“Alert! The enemy’s vanguard is three hundred meters away!”
Rex placed the particle cannon on the reactor, his muscles tensed, and the crow with a bullet in its mouth tattooed on his shoulder moved. He said:
“Young sir, my gun barrel can’t wait any longer!”
Gui Naifen pointed the live camera at Rex, and the comments were all “Rex, my husband” and “Mom, I’m in love”, but she quickly adjusted the camera to capture Lin Fan’s profile. Lin Fan was staring at the tactical tablet with his jaw clenched.
Lin Fan shouted: …
Chapter 64: Make the most beautiful explosion fireworks! (Old version)
“Fire!”
The first particle cannon whizzed out, and Ji Zi’s flaming sword had already smashed the three combat robots in the front. Metal fragments and sparks flew everywhere, and one of them brushed against Gui Naifen’s hair. She didn’t even blink, and the live broadcast screen followed Lin Fan all the time, saying:
“Did you see that? Mr. Lin is directing the overall situation. His tactics——”
Lin Fan suddenly grabbed Gui Naifen’s wrist, pushed her into the protective shield that Andre had just adjusted, and said:
“Guigui, retreat behind the defense tower!”
Almost at the same time, a mechanical hound jumped out from the darkness, and its steel claws made a harsh sound as they scratched the protective shield.
Andre slapped the control panel and cursed:
“I said I wanted Kafka’s interference! Where is that woman?”
Kafka’s voice came from above:
“Here.”
Everyone looked up and saw her standing on a 20-meter-high ventilation duct, with a strange purple light flashing in her red eyes. The quantum portal of the Silver Wolf Force suddenly turned into the shape of a Möbius strip, and the mecha group that was supposed to be teleported was thrown into a scrap heap 300 meters away, with parts smashed everywhere.
Kafka tilted her head and smiled.
“Sometimes, fate needs someone to pull its strings. Little developer, don’t forget to calculate my assist fee after the battle.”
The battle lasted for forty-three minutes. The core of the last combat robot exploded. Rex’s particle gun barrel was still smoking. He pulled off his bloody scarf to wipe his face, grinning and saying:
“What a pleasure! I haven’t had such a satisfying fight in ten years—”
At this time, a mechanical synthesized voice sounded over the battlefield:
“retreat.”
Everyone looked up and saw the shadow of Silver Wolf floating above the ruins. The cat-ear headband swayed as she tilted her head. She said:
“The real battle has just begun~”
Before the projection disappeared, she made a shooting gesture to Lin Fan and said:
“Next time, I will turn your game code into the most beautiful exploding fireworks.”
The camp suddenly became quiet.
Gui Naifen’s live broadcast was still on, but there was no movement in the barrage, with only a few “Come on” and “Wait for your victory” flashing.
Lin Fan looked down at the tactical tablet. The damage statistics on it made his throat tighten: 40% of the defense towers were damaged, Rex’s particle cannon needed an overhaul, and Ji Zi’s flaming sword had a crack on the edge… But when he looked up at everyone, those tired, bloody, and gunpowder-smelling faces, his heartbeat suddenly became light and steady.
Rex patted Lin Fan on the shoulder and said:
“Young sir, I’ve lived for forty years and have never fought against such an interesting team. Next time someone tries to destroy your platform, I will be the first one to kill him with my gun.”
Jizi stuck the sword into the ground, tilted her head back and took a sip of vodka, which dripped down her chin onto the charred ground, and said:
“Silver Wolf always likes to make threats sound like love words. But Lin, I am beginning to look forward to the ‘final battle’ you mentioned – after all…”
She pointed to Andre who was doing emergency repairs on the defense tower not far away and said:
“This old lunatic was able to modify the defense system for you, which shows that you are indeed quite capable.”
Walter walked to Lin Fan, his white hair was a little messy due to the night wind, and said:
“I have been in the interstellar world for nearly a hundred years, and I have seen too many teams that came together for profit. It is rare to see a team like yours that comes together because of belief.”
Lin Fan looked at everything in front of him and smiled. He bent down to pick up a bloody piece of mecha debris, and gently touched the mark on it with his fingers – that was the symbol of the Silver Wolf, a mechanical cat holding a data link in its mouth.
Chapter 65: Mad Old Man! (Old Version)
“The real battle has just begun? Then let her see…
How far can we go to protect something important?”
After Silver Wolf’s Quantum Shadow was gone, the camp became uncomfortably quiet.
Lin Fan stood next to the remaining ashes of the campfire. His tactical boots stepped over a piece of burnt metal debris, which cracked with a “crack” sound, scaring the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up.
He looked at the dots of light outside the dome that appeared and disappeared, and wondered:
“Is that the surveillance node left by Silver Wolf?”
“Or is it the quantum cloud further inside that’s churning?”
Gui Naifen spoke behind him, deliberately lowering her voice:
“Mr. Lin.”
She handed me a cup of hot cocoa with water droplets on the wall.
“Everyone is in the temporary meeting room. Rex said to wait for five more minutes. He needs to tighten the last piece of armor screw.”
“That guy always says:
‘Before going into battle, the equipment doesn’t make any noise, only the heartbeat makes it loud.'”
Lin Fan took the cup, and when his fingers touched the hot steam, he suddenly remembered that during the battle just now, Gui Naifen was rushing to the front holding the live broadcast equipment, and her goggles were full of blue light from lightning-attribute stray bullets.
She always says:
“The audience needs the most realistic perspective of the battlefield.”
But the bruises at the corners of her eyes had not yet disappeared, and her eyelashes were covered in dust, like a little animal whose fur had stood up and was trying hard to preen its feathers.
“Thanks.”
He took a sip of cocoa, and the sweet taste spread in his mouth, but it still couldn’t suppress the discomfort in his throat.
He turned and walked towards the temporary meeting room, and touched the secret compartment of his tactical belt. There were fragments of the Silver Wolf Mechanical Cat logo inside, the edges of which were sharp enough to cut the skin.
When we arrived at the temporary meeting room, we found that it was modified from the broken shell of the defense tower.
Jizi leaned back on a folding chair in the corner, with the flaming sword leaning against the side. The scorch marks on the scabbard were about the same red as the ends of her hair.
Walter sat at one end of the long table, tapping his fingers on the table lightly, and each tap seemed to be tapping the gears of some precision instrument.
Kafka was half leaning against the door, spinning a coin in her black gloves. When she saw Lin Fan coming in, she raised her eyebrows and said:
“Little developer, are you going to say ‘complete the game’?”
Lin Fan spoke directly:
“Silver Wolf has important information about the ‘Key to the End’.”
He called up the tactical tablet and a holographic projection unfolded on the table, showing the trajectory of the last data fluctuation before the Silver Wolf retreated.
“Her quantum communication keeps showing ‘coordinates X-7’. According to the Black Tower’s database, that place is the ruins of the first generation of the ‘Key to the End’ experimental site.”
There was a sound of chairs scraping against the floor from the other end of the long table.
The veins on Andre’s hand that was holding the teacup were bulging, and the tea spilled out of the cup, spreading a dark brown color on the metal table.
He moved his throat and said:
“This is impossible… I participated in the blockade of the first generation experimental site. All data should be…”
Kafka’s coin fell on the table with a clink, and she said:
“Destroyed? But someone obviously didn’t burn it completely. Mr. Andre, your ‘participation’ wasn’t just making coffee in the lab, was it?”
Andrei’s face turned red all of a sudden, and he said like an old dog whose tail was stepped on:
“I’m the chief researcher! In order to prevent the ‘Key of the End’ from getting out of control, I personally designed the triple self-destruct program—”
Jizi spun the vodka bottle, the amber liquor swaying dangerously in the bottle, and said:
“So the program doesn’t work now? You didn’t write the self-destruct code on the first page of the experiment log, did you, old lunatic?”
The atmosphere in the conference room suddenly became tense.
Lin Fan stared at Andre’s trembling fingers. These hands were steady enough to crush nuts when he was repairing the defense tower just now, but now they were shaking like leaves in the wind.
Gui Naifen quietly touched the back of his hand and drew a question mark on the palm of his hand with her fingers.
Lin Fan gently returned the shake, his strength as light as a feather.
Lin Fan tapped the X-7 coordinate in the projection and said:
“We have to find out where the ‘Key to the End’ is. Andre, do you have any suggestions?”
Andre’s throat moved again.
He looked at everyone, and finally stared at the tactical badge on Lin Fan’s chest. That was the logo of their team. The mechanical cat designed by Silver Wolf was holding a data link in its mouth.
“I…I need to spend time analyzing the remaining data from the first generation experimental field. The research data from that year is backed up in the Xianzhou Library, but I need permission…”
Walter pushed up his glasses, his eyes like searchlights, and said:
“I can help you get the permissions. In three hours, the Black Tower will send the encrypted channel to your terminal.”
Andrea stood up suddenly, the chair fell down with a clang, and said:
“No! I mean… I want a quiet place! It’s too noisy here!”
He stumbled toward the door, and when he passed Kafka, Kafka stepped aside with a half-smile on her face.
Gui Naifen lowered her voice, her hot breath blowing on the tip of Lin Fan’s ear, and said:…
Chapter 66: Emergency meeting, ten minutes later! (Old version)
“Lin, the way he looked at the tactical badge just now was like he was looking at something that shouldn’t be there.”
Lin Fan felt a chill on the back of his neck.
He looked at Andre’s staggering back and remembered that during the war just now, this old scientist who always said “science requires absolute rationality” used his body to protect Gui Naifen’s live broadcast equipment.
At that time he said:
“This thing records the courage of mankind in resisting destruction. It is more valuable than my life.”
But now, he was so scared that he almost bled.
Lin Fan turned to the silent intelligence agent Iris and said:
“Elise, follow him. Don’t let anyone see you.”
Iris said nothing, but pulled the silver hair behind her ear, which was a secret signal to confirm her action.
She stood up, creating a gust of wind, and the ends of her hair brushed across the back of Kafka’s hand. Kafka smiled and said:
“Little butterfly, are you going to collect nectar? Be careful not to get your wings stuck in the spider web.”
After Elise left, the conference room was quiet for a while.
Jizi suddenly slammed the vodka bottle on the table and said:
“Lin boy, don’t make the wrong choice. If this old guy dares to play tricks–“
She slapped the hilt of the sword, and the sound of metal colliding was so deafening that it hurt her ears.
“I hope I’m wrong.”
He looked at Andre’s terminal positioning on the tactical tablet. The red dot was heading towards the abandoned area east of the camp.
“But if I’m not mistaken…we have to sort out the internal problems first.”
Elise followed Andre to the abandoned area.
Andre was walking in front, his footsteps making “dong, dong” sounds.
Iris walked along the wall, her steps very light.
Elise says:
“What on earth is this old man trying to do?”
She turned the third corner and the front suddenly lit up. It was the emergency light of the laboratory.
Andre’s shadow was long, casting a shadow on the cracked glass curtain wall. His hands moved quickly on the operating table. The code on the holographic screen flowed down like a waterfall. The red title at the top made Iris’ eyes widen:
“Apocalypse Project – Reactivation Plan of the Key of the End”
Andrei said in a tearful voice:
“Impossible… Impossible… All the data was clearly destroyed back then… Who was it? Who restarted the plan?”
Iris quickly pressed the recording button on her wrist, and the red light on the miniature camera lit up.
She saw Andre take out a metal tube filled with lavender liquid from the inside pocket of his white coat.
Elise whispered:
“This is the color of ‘Star Core Fragments’. What is he going to do?”
Andre poured the liquid into the card slot on the console. The holographic screen suddenly emitted a dazzling blue light, and a line of blood-red words appeared in the air:
“Confirm the coordinates of the first generation experimental field X-7, start the Key of the End awakening program”
Andre screamed:
“No!”
He reached out to press the cancel button, but as soon as his hand touched the screen, the blue light turned into a transparent needle and pierced into his temple with a “puff”.
He fell to the ground, his white coat soon stained with blood, and the countdown on the holographic screen began to tick:
“02:59:59”
Elise was startled and her breathing mask fogged up.
She took two steps back and her lower back hit a rusty pipe with a clang.
Andre suddenly looked up, with Iris’s shadow reflected in his eyes, a strange smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and he said in a hoarse voice:
“So… it was you… who told Lin Fan that the heartbeat of the Key to the End was about to begin.”
Elise turned and ran, and the metal door slammed shut behind her.
She ran so fast that her tactical boots made sparks on the ground. She ran until she could see the light of the campfire, then she dared to take out the communicator and said:
“Lin, there’s something wrong with Andre. He’s restarting the ‘Apocalypse Project’, and the Key to the End… is about to wake up.”
With a “ding” sound, Lin Fan’s tactical tablet popped up Iris’s encrypted image.
He stared at the bloody countdown on the screen, his throat feeling as if a piece of red-hot charcoal was stuck in it.
Gui Naifen came over to take a look, and her fingers unconsciously tugged at Lin Fan’s sleeve with such force that it almost tore it.
She said in a trembling voice:
“Why did he do this? Before, he clearly…”
Kafka had stood behind them, spinning the coin rapidly between her fingers, and said:
“Because he has never been ‘him’. Some consciousness can parasitize in memories, which is more difficult to deal with than star cores. Andre’s brain has long been occupied by the residual will of the ‘Apocalypse Project’.”
Lin Fan looked at the dark shadow on the other side of the camp, where Andre disappeared.
He touched the secret compartment of his tactical belt and found the fragments of the Silver Wolf still there. The sharp edges could pierce him through the cloth.
“Call everyone. Emergency meeting in ten minutes.”
Gui Naifen shook his hand, and the warmth of his palm came through the tactical gloves.
In the distance, Ji Zi’s greatsword had been drawn, Rex’s particle cannon was humming as it was being debugged, Walter lowered his head and typed commands on the terminal, and Kafka’s coin suddenly stopped and fell accurately into her palm.
Lin Fan looked at the shadows of everyone on the wall, and found a crooked silhouette that didn’t belong to anyone.
Chapter 67: Fatal Attack! (Old Version)
His heart was beating fast and he knew real trouble was coming.
Li Jingshan’s fingernails almost dug into his palms due to the pain.
He felt the pain in his broken ribs rising and falling with every breath he took. What was even more painful was that
The system kept flashing red warnings in his eyes.
——Although Augustus’s energy value dropped by 30%,
But their combat power index is already below the safety line.
When the laser blade knocked him over just now, the sparks from the Origin Key hitting the stone bricks were still flashing before his eyes.
Li Jingshan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his voice was as hoarse as sandpaper rubbing against metal:
“We have to find his weakness.”
He thought about this seven times before saying it: Using the rift to absorb his energy was indeed effective, but Augustus’ attacks were getting faster and faster. If this continued, Mashu’s holy shield would not last more than two rounds, and Altria’s holy sword’s magic reserve would be less than a quarter.
As Altria answered, the sword moved in its scabbard, making a slight sound.
She knelt on one knee on the ground, pressing the wound on her right arm with her left hand – just now, in order to block the laser blade coming from the side for Fujimaru Ritsuka, her wrist guard was cut in half, revealing the magical blood vessels shining with golden light underneath.
Hearing Li Jingshan’s words, she raised her head, the blood stains in her blue eyes were washed away by the moonlight, and she held the holy sword “Sword of Promised Victory” in her hand, with the hilt of the sword leaving a red mark on her palm:
“I agree.
He attacks with a certain pattern.”
She paused, tapped the ground with the tip of her sword, and left three shallow marks on the stone bricks:
“The first wave was from top to bottom, the second wave spread to the left and right, and the third wave…”
“The third wave will focus on attacking the most important target.” Fujimaru Ritsuka suddenly interjected.
This newcomer from Chaldea usually loves to grin, but now he has a bruise on his forehead – he was hit by the wind wave and hit the stone pillar just now. But his fingers are gesturing quickly in the air:
“I counted that each time before he raised his hand, the amethyst on his breastplate would flash seven times.
The first seven flashes are a wide-area attack, the second seven flashes are to lock onto the target, and the third time…”
“The third attack is fatal.” Mashu continued.
There was a crack on her holy shield, and the magic power that seeped out was no longer snow-white, but mixed with a few strands of dark gray – this was a side effect of using it too hard.
As a half-servant, she could clearly sense the route of Augustus’s magic flow.
At this time, she helped Fujimaru Ritsuka stand up and gently placed the Holy Shield between them:
“If we can disrupt his magic power…”
“Try this.” Kewei suddenly came over.
The projection of her ship’s equipment was originally a bright yellow twin-mounted main gun, but now it was flashing with tiny blue lights.
This destroyer ship girl who usually loves to chew lollipops now has blood on the tip of her nose – it was just scratched by the shock wave, but her eyes are as bright as stars:
“I adjusted the resonance frequency of the muzzle. When he was being sucked by the cracks, I used sonar to scan his energy layer and found that there were… well, fine lines like glass being knocked out! And I also occasionally detected slight signs of high-frequency fluctuations in his body.”
Li Jingshan’s eyes suddenly widened.
He suddenly remembered the prompt that flashed in the system log:
“There is a frequency resonance threshold in the target energy core.”
It turned out that what Kewei detected with sonar was the same as the results analyzed by the system.
He looked at the Shadow King – the black mist had shrunk to half a person’s height, like a pen that had been drained of ink. But when he heard the word “frequency”, tiny golden spots appeared on the surface of the black mist, which were signs of resonance between the Key Holder and the system.
“Raphael!” Li Jingshan suddenly turned his head.
The mysterious man who had been standing beside the stone formation was looking down at the silver instrument on his wrist – no one had noticed when he put it on before.
Hearing Li Jingshan calling him, Raphael raised his head, and the eyes behind his glasses were like searchlights:
“He is particularly sensitive to energy fluctuations at 117.3 Hz.”
There was an uncontrollable excitement in his voice, and the waveform on the instrument screen cast a faint blue light on his face:
“When Kewei adjusted the frequency just now, I detected that his energy output suddenly dropped by 8%.”
“Okay.” Li Jingshan took a deep breath. The pain in his ribs made him frown, but the corners of his mouth still curled up.
He bent down and picked up the Original Key. The patterns on the key surface flickered with his heartbeat. The system sent a message:
“Frequency resonance mode can be activated.”
In the next three minutes, the pace on the battlefield suddenly slowed down.
Mashu’s holy shield emitted faint golden ripples, which was an illusion she created with her magic.
When Augustus’ laser blade came over, seven shadows of Li Jingshan suddenly appeared in the illusion. He stood in the middle, and when the laser blade was about to hit him, he suddenly rolled sideways – this was the “dislocation interference” that Mashu summarized based on previous battles, a method specifically used to deal with Augustus’s target locking.
Altria’s holy sword no longer directly blocks attacks.
She held the scabbard of the sword, and when Augustus raised his hand, she rushed over and accurately poked the wrist of the opponent holding the sword with the scabbard – either to attack, or to cause trouble.
This caused Augustus’ laser blade to deviate fifteen degrees, brushing past the tip of the terrible hair and blasting a half-meter-deep hole in the ground.
The dreaded ship-mounted main guns no longer fired together.
She fired only one shot at a time, and the frequency of each shot was strictly controlled at 117.3 Hz.
The first shell grazed Augustus’s shoulder armor, and the amethyst on his breastplate became noticeably darker. The second shell hit the armor on his leg, and the amethyst surface cracked like a spider web. The third shell…
“Right now!” Li Jingshan shouted.
His hand holding the Original Key emitted a green light, and the star map in the stone formation lit up again under his feet. This time it was not a blue vortex, but countless tiny silver points of light, like a handful of broken diamonds scattered on the ground.
Elizabeth’s magic butterflies suddenly gathered together and turned into a web, entangled Augustus’ legs – the magic of the royal flagship was not the strongest, but it was particularly sticky.
Altria’s holy sword was finally drawn out.
The golden-red light suddenly pierced through the white light on the battlefield. This time she did not cut Augustus’ chest, but raised the tip of the sword slightly and stabbed accurately into the crack of the amethyst on his breastplate.
At the same time, Mashu’s holy shield hit Augustus on the back of his neck – this was the most vulnerable spot of a human warrior as found in Fujimaru Ritsuka’s memory.
The terrible third shell also arrived at this time.
The 117.3 Hz energy wave and the resonance of the Original Key superimposed on each other, and the amethyst cracked with a thumb-width crack.
Augustus roared so loudly that the stones above his head fell like rain. He grabbed Altria’s sword with his right hand, and his magic power burst out all at once, and the blade was actually bent two inches!
But this is exactly what Li Jingshan wanted.
He jumped up with the recoil of the stone formation and pressed the Origin Key against the crack of the amethyst.
The system prompt exploded in front of him:
“Energy core exposed, start extracting!”
The purple light flowing out of the amethyst was no longer absorbed by the cracks, but was directly swallowed up by the Key of Origin.
Augustus’s mask shattered at once, revealing the angular face underneath – it was a human face, but the eyes were flashing a faint blue light that didn’t look like that of a living person.
His arms were shaking, and suddenly he let out a strange laugh:
“You think… this is the end?”
The next second, everyone’s ears felt like they were pricked by needles.
It was a very high frequency buzzing sound, like countless fine needles piercing into the brain. Everyone then remembered what Kewei had said before about the high frequency fluctuations in his body.
Li Jingshan’s eyes went dark and the Key of Origin fell from his hand.
When he opened his eyes again, there was only a charred ground where Augustus had stood.
“Where are the people?” Kewei asked in a crying voice.
The projection of her ship suit completely disappeared, and she collapsed to the ground.
Altria’s holy sword fell to the ground with a clang.
She covered her ears and blood seeped out from between her fingers – the buzzing sound just now had ruptured her eardrums.
Mashu’s holy shield broke into three pieces and her magic power was used up. She hugged Fujimaru Ritsuka, who had already fainted.
Elizabeth’s magic butterflies turned into points of light, and she half-knelt on the ground with gravel in her hair.
The black fog of the Shadow King completely disappeared.
Li Jingshan knelt on the ground and reached out to grab the original key. As soon as his fingers touched the key, he heard the sound of clothes rubbing behind him.
It was a very old piece of clothing, with the smell of sandalwood and time.
Everyone turned their heads in surprise, with confusion and worry on their faces.
The moonlight shone through the crack above his head, illuminating a tall and thin man.
The man was wearing a washed-out blue-gray robe with golden cloud patterns embroidered on the cuffs.
He had his back to the light, and Li Jingshan could only see the outline of his chin and his left hand hanging by his side – on the index finger of that hand, there was a ring with a pattern similar to that of the Origin Key.
“It seems…” the robed man spoke, his voice like the rain on a spring night: