"Jingliu, can you now explain your purpose for returning?"
Deep within the Tree of Foundation's Profound Root.
The battle against Phantylia had concluded.
With various individuals gathered here, each belonging to different factions, it was not feasible to simply act like a gaming party tackling quests together—dividing rewards and then heading their separate ways. These people were far from ordinary...
Naturally, the responsibility of overseeing the situation fell upon Jing Yuan.
In the game's storyline,
after this battle, he would have been severely wounded, leaving him incapable of managing further affairs.
However, in reality, defeating Phantylia did not require much effort.
Jing Yuan now had ample time and energy to address the upcoming issues.
"No rush," Jingliu softly replied. "Since all four of us have gathered here, we can't simply leave without checking on that fellow, right?"
Jing Yuan pondered silently, fully aware whom Jingliu was referring to as 'that fellow.'
"Very well, considering your assistance to Xianzhou against Phantylia, I will permit it." He paused before adding, "However, after meeting with her, you and your blonde companion must clearly explain the purpose of this expedition."
"I agree, Jing Yuan."
With Jingliu and Luocha's matters temporarily resolved, Jing Yuan turned his attention towards Kafka and Silver Wolf.
Kafka smiled faintly, shrugged, and spoke nonchalantly, "The General should already be clear about our intentions, wouldn't you say?"
Jing Yuan nodded in agreement.
Initially, he indeed harbored suspicions about the Stellaron Hunters' objectives. However, as the game's storyline progressed and aligned with their experiences in the real world, these doubts naturally dissipated.
In fact, one could argue that Xianzhou Luofu now owed the Stellaron Hunters a favor.
Seeing Jing Yuan's acknowledgment, Kafka gently patted Silver Wolf on the shoulder.
"What a fantastic show, huh? Let's go, Silver Wolf."
"Bladie wants to stay at Luofu and reminisce about old times."
"Just you and me left then," Silver Wolf replied with a smile.
As Silver Wolf prepared to close his game interface, March 7th quickly approached him.
"Um... how about we add each other as friends in-game?"
"Sure, why not?" Silver Wolf shared his player ID for March 7th to add him, then confidently stated, "When my character guides come out, remember to keep an eye out for them."
"Great, I'll definitely look forward to it." March 7th waved with a smile, giving the impression they were already close friends.
Meanwhile, Stelle turned to Kafka and said, "Until next time, Kafka."
"As soon as you're added to the summoning pool, I'm determined to fully upgrade your Eidolons!"
Kafka hesitated before responding, "...Alright."
"Don't forget to place me as the first character in your team."
"Good luck on your upcoming journey, okay?"
Yanqing watched, utterly dumbfounded.
Since when did the Astral Express and Stellaron Hunters become so close?! Why does it feel like there's some lingering reluctance during this farewell, as if they're still connected despite parting ways?
Old Yang also wore a contemplative expression.
Ever since the game's release, their relationship with the Stellaron Hunters had significantly changed for the better.
Perhaps in the future, they could even create a shared group chat named "[Astral Hunters United]."
"By the way, I wonder how Himeko is doing."
"She must have already learned about our experiences on Xianzhou Luofu through the game's storyline."
"And thanks to the game, real-life situations have become simpler and more straightforward, reducing many misunderstandings and complications."
"It cannot be denied that thus far, the content presented by this game has indeed made everything better."
Kafka and Silver Wolf were preparing to depart when Jing Yuan suddenly spoke up, "Young hacker, please stay a moment."
Resigned, Silver Wolf turned around and asked, "What else do you need from me?"
"Ah, it's nothing important." Jing Yuan flashed a warm smile and rubbed his hands together. "Regarding the battle just now, I assume you secretly recorded it, right?"
Silver Wolf raised an eyebrow.
"How so? Does the General not want me to take this footage with me?"
"Of course not."
"You all act with integrity and transparency; naturally, there's nothing secretive about your actions. Besides, 'Honkai: Star Rail' will eventually expose them anyway."
"I merely wish for a backup copy of that video."
"This victory is significant, and showcasing its fruits should be reported first by Xianzhou Luofu's official channels."
Silver Wolf immediately grinned and straightforwardly pointed out, "After all that talk, you simply wanted to flaunt your combo move from earlier, didn't you?
"All right, here you go. Just remember to release it promptly, or I'll beat you to it."
Jing Yuan picked up his Yuzhao, glanced at it, and wore a satisfied expression. "Many thanks."
"Yanqing, once you receive this recording, coordinate with the Diviner; she'll know what to do."
"Yes, General."
At the Divination Commission.
Fu Xuan was organizing information related to the crackdown on remnants of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus.
Following a swift and decisive operation,
the remaining factions of the Medicine King's Secrets within Luofu had been completely eradicated!
All that lingered were scattered stragglers.
Through her deductions and observations, Fu Xuan planned to sweep up these minor targets as well.
Just then,
a new message notification appeared on her Yuzhao... It was from Yanqing.
The message contained a video along with details about the battle against Lord Ravager.
After watching it,
Fu Xuan smiled faintly.
"Jing Yuan, you all move remarkably fast!"
"The game's storyline just concluded here, and we've already received your victory report over there."
"And judging by the content of this video, it seems even more effortless than depicted in the game?"
"Jing Yuan didn't sustain a single injury? How is this possible, Phantylia? Are you sure you're up for the task?"
"It looks like my assumption of the General's role will have to be postponed further."
Fu Xuan promptly composed a battle report, accompanied by this video segment, and published it under Luofu's official account.
Naturally, she edited out the parts featuring Jingliu and Blade, as their identities were not meant to be public knowledge. As an official report, it was crucial to highlight Luofu's strength.
In no time, like sharks scenting blood in the water, major news outlets across Luofu swiftly re-shared the battle report!
Luofu Chronicles: With Assistance from The Nameless, A Resounding Victory Against Lord Ravager!
Xianzhou Dispatches: According to the video released by the Divination Commission, the Divine Strategy General wielded the Bow of the Emperor's divine power—[Heavenly Monarch Governing Thunder, Driving Lightning, Purging Evil, and Sweeping Filth]—to inflict severe damage on Phantylia, commander of the Doomsday Army...
Divination Headlines: Through close coordination between General Jing Yuan and The Nameless, Dan Heng, under Master Diviner's leadership, thwarted Lord Ravager Phantylia's plot to destroy Xianzhou.
Below these various articles, comments quickly flooded in:
"Xianzhou is awesome! Luofu rocks!"
"Scared me there for a moment! I thought Little Gui's defeat of the weekly boss would be making headlines across all official channels. Turns out it actually happened in reality!"
"That's Lord Ravager we're talking about! Did the General really take them down without anyone noticing? Is Luofu that powerful?"
"How convenient is this timing? Just as the story reaches this point, news of a major victory arrives?"
"Duh, General Jing Yuan must have been orchestrating events according to Honkai: Star Rail's plotline. It was like that when purging the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus before, and likely the same here—using the information advantage to prepare meticulously and ultimately defeat Phantylia!"
"Why does Phantylia seem so weak in this video?! One combo from Jing Yuan and Dan Heng, and they're gone just like that? In the game, it was a nail-bitingly close call; even the General nearly perished alongside Phantylia."
"Well, it's still a game, after all. The Feathered Spirit probably made it more suspenseful to heighten the tension and excitement."
"I didn't realize our General was even stronger than imagined."
"Hurry and draw a level 6+5 Jing Yuan—guaranteed victory!"