"This photo is of the planet we are currently on..."
Bronya remained silent, her gaze fixed on the white planet in the photograph.
"We are not from this world. We are the Nameless of the Astral Express..."
Wende paused, noticing a flicker of astonishment cross Bronya's face before he continued.
"A thousand years ago, we opened the Star Rail for you, for this planet we call Jarilo-VI. The connection of the Rail turned this place into a sanctuary everyone yearned for.
And now, a millennium later, we have returned. We will take away the threats of the Eternal Freeze and the Fragmentum corrosion, allowing this world to brim with life once more. That is our purpose."
Wende crossed his arms, his expression serious and earnest as he watched the pensive Bronya.
"I know you have many questions and doubts, but I can tell you with certainty that the root cause of Jarilo-VI's tragedy is a substance called a Stellaron. It brought the Eternal Freeze and the Fragmentum. It is what has relentlessly squeezed your living space. To resolve the Freeze and the Fragmentum, the Stellaron must be retrieved!"
As the successor to the Great Guardian, the next in line for the title, Bronya had been an avid reader since childhood. It was impossible for her not to know what a prosperous place this had been a thousand years ago. It was precisely because she held this image of the ancient Jarilo-VI in her mind that Wende dared to be so direct and lay everything bare before her.
His words were a ray of light piercing the despair that had begun to settle in her heart.
"Let's go. I need to take you to see the Great Guardian."
Bronya's eyes were filled with resolve.
"Adjutant, you and the remaining Guards must hold this position at all costs. Wait for our return!"
Bronya issued a死命令 (sǐ mìnglìng - lit. dead order) to the adjutant in the tent, then turned her gaze to Wende's group of four.
The fate of Belobog, its very salvation, might just rest on these four people.
"Yes, Lady Bronya! We, the Silvermane Guards, will defend this line to the death!" the adjutant saluted her immediately, his eyes filled with hope.
"Mm, I'm counting on you all. The fate of Belobog is in your hands," Bronya nodded to her adjutant before turning to the Trailblazing team.
If this were the Bronya from a week ago, she would have certainly been suspicious. She would have defended the Great Guardian's authority and cared about so-called "etiquette." After all, these were four people she had just met, people she knew absolutely nothing about. She had only invited the Trailblazing team to her tent as a courtesy because they had saved the frontline Guards. Original content can be found at noⅴelfire.net
But now, after experiencing such a brutal battlefield, how could she still place unconditional trust in that "mother" of hers?
Her current actions were pushing Belobog to the very brink of destruction!
It was time to make a choice.
To choose possible "survival,"
Or to choose certain "destruction."
When the players entered the Perimeter Road via the "secret path," the cheerful, joking atmosphere instantly vanished.
The more perceptive players were already beginning to realize that something was wrong.
As the main group advanced, dilapidated buildings, terrifying monsters, scattered skeletal remains, and the encroaching Fragmentum combined to paint a picture of a惨烈 (cǎnliè - tragic and brutal) battlefield.
But that was nothing special. A few Fragmentum monsters were hardly worth mentioning as the players pushed forward.
What was worth mentioning was that the players encountered almost no elite monsters. The path was mostly blocked by small mobs. The repetitive battles were starting to feel tedious, to the point where players wanted to complain that the combat was meaningless.
But just then, a discovery by March 7th sent a jolt through the players.
Finally, no more of these repetitive fights! Let's get to the plot!
Countless players shared this thought.
But what happened next was far beyond their expectations.
Bodies were strewn everywhere—those of Fragmentum monsters, robots, and many Silvermane Guards…
Next, a CG cutscene took control away from the players, forcing them to witness this cruel war through the eyes of a Silvermane Guard.
A tide of monsters, constantly falling comrades... and Wende, who reached out and saved his life…
"Are you alright?" Wende asked softly.
[Daddy!!! Save me!!!]
[Fuck! How dare you monsters bully my Silvermane Guard bros! Just watch as my Admiral Dan Heng wipes you all out!]
[I never expected this... The plot is completely different from the beta tests, but it's so gripping!]
In the CG, Dan Heng was a whirlwind of destruction, March 7th and Stelle provided support, and Wende continuously healed the wounded soldiers.
The scenes cut between each character, showcasing their individual combat styles to perfection.
Dan Heng's spear techniques were masterful, March's archery was unerringly precise, Stelle's attacks were steady and powerful, and Wende's medical skills were, needless to say, superb.
He single-handedly healed all of the dozen or so surviving Guards, which was more than enough to prove his healing output was off the charts!
[Dan Heng is so cool! Cold-faced Little Green Dragon!]
[My March 7th is pretty badass too, okay! Cold-faced Little Pink Dragon!]
[Then doesn't that make me awesome as hell! I'm the Cold-faced Little Gray Dragon!]
[??? Where does that leave Wende! My Wende is the Cold-faced Little... uh, Little Healer Dragon?]
[Pfft, hahahahaha, Cold-faced Little Healer Dragon, is it!]
[Wende: "You punk, don't sleep too soundly tonight!"]
[Doesn't anyone else feel bad for these Guards? Fighting so many Fragmentum monsters.]
[Person above, save your pity. They are worthy of respect.]
[Hahaha, you're taking a game so seriously?]
Next came the iconic scene where Dan Heng, with a single spear, scared off the tide of Fragmentum monsters. However, the CG gave a close-up of Dan Heng's face, showing his slightly furrowed brow and puzzled expression, which gave the players endless room for speculation.
[Hahahaha! I have Admiral Dan Heng! He's worth a thousand troops!]
[Something's not right? Does the Cold-faced Little Green Dragon have some kind of overlord's aura? Did he just scare that mob away?]
[That's obviously not it! Didn't you see Dan Heng's confused look? I think there's definitely more to it!]
[My head hurts. miHoYo! Damn you for stuffing details in again!]
After the CG, the players continued to follow the main quest forward, where a familiar figure was waiting.
[Jie-ge is guarding the main gate. We came through the "secret passage," so of course we'd run into Da Yaya!]
[Why does Da Yaya look a little... off?]