On the internet, the already enormous momentum surrounding Episode Four, gained even more attention because of the things in Greece.
With things having reached this point, the fourth episode of Amphoreus was no longer simply an episode.
Whether they were fans, passersby, or even Cinnati and his backers, who regarded MiHoYo as an enemy.
Their eyes were all firmly fixed on Episode Four.
Across the first three episodes of Amphoreus, the content, discussion, and level of excitement had all been steadily rising.
From the fans' perspective. If Episode Four could once again surpass the shock brought by the previous episodes and give the audience an unparalleled audiovisual experience.
Then it would undoubtedly put the final seal on MiHoYo's victory. The supporters would support the series with even greater confidence.
And the reverse was also true.
The moment Episode Four's momentum was even slightly weaker than the previous three episodes. The Arts committee and Cinnati would have an opening, a chance to break apart the public opinion that had originally been twisted together into a single rope.
After the ban that the Arts Committee had gone to such great lengths to create had, in reality, turned into a joke. This might also be the only opportunity left for the Arts Committee to turn things around.
The first week of June.
That was, the third week after Episode Three officially ended. Everyone was counting down the days, waiting for Saturday to arrive.
However, on Wednesday. An unexpected PV suddenly entered everyone's field of vision.
[Myriad Celestia Trailer · Fables About the Stars · Part 2]
At this critical point in time.
MiHoYo released this PV!
Was it a response? Or a preview?! But no matter what. Before countless people could finish their agonizing wait for Saturday.
They could finally use this PV to catch a glimpse of bits and pieces related to Episode Four.
MiHoYo's traffic black hole exerted its power once again.
After the PV was released on Wednesday, global traffic seemed to be sucked into a whirlpool, drained toward MiHoYo's official website and the various streaming distribution platforms.
However, after experiencing Episode Three and the Coronal Radiance. People had almost grown accustomed to such a strange spectacle.
Greece.
Talia and her father drove for more than half an hour before arriving at a hotel on the outskirts of Athens.
This place had originally been a luxurious tourist hotel, surrounded by mountains and water, with a waterway leading directly to the harbor.
But after it was bought by the Marinakis family, it was transformed into a themed hotel.
Now, it was already filled with decorations related to Amphoreus. The parking lot outside the lawn was already packed with cars.
Everyone was dressed in formal attire, or carrying plenty of merchandise with "fan-made" elements, gathering inside the hotel.
There was actually no need for Talia and her father to come. Because at home, through their phones and the internet, they could very easily watch the PV as well.
Moreover, the PV was only a few minutes long. It was nowhere near enough to support an entire viewing party.
But after the Greeks had experienced so many things over these past two weeks. Their attitude toward Amphoreus was completely different from that of other regions.
After today's PV viewing ended.
They would also discuss some of Amphoreus' philosophical ideas together, as well as their favorite parts, exchanging thoughts with one another.
In Greece, after the operations of Xia Wen's allies. This behavior had already come to be regarded as a silent protest against the Arts Committee.
It could even be called a special kind of ritual.
Just like the attitude of some people toward afternoon tea culture.
Holding deep discussions like a cultural salon after watching had gradually become a cultural symbol in Greece.
The two merged into the crowd and entered the already-prepared screening hall. Along the way, Talia kept curiously looking at the people around her.
Everyone's attitude was very serious. Each person was dressed in "Ancient Greek" clothing that was, in reality, various kinds of Amphoreus fan-made attire.
Some more meticulous women had even styled their hair to be as elaborate and beautiful as it was in the series.
The most popular was Lady Aglaea's style.
After all, she was the Goldweaver.
After all, this was a story created with Greece as its blueprint.
Form-fitting long dresses, along with strappy high-heeled sandals.
When this aesthetic was placed on Greek women, as long as their looks weren't too bad, with just a little dressing up, it practically looked as though it had been tailor-made for them.
Talia also noticed something even more interesting. For example, among the people attending this gathering, there were visibly poor people from the lower classes, as well as wealthy people dressed exquisitely.
But when everyone gathered together, there was no prejudice or arrogance at all.
People were being connected. Bound together by shared recognition, and by a shared enemy.
Talia thought to herself.
And the Marinakis family was also quite interesting. If people had simply been allowed to pour into this gathering freely, it would definitely have become a complete mess because there were too many people.
But the Marinakis family had instead chosen to use a random qualification system, allowing people to draw lots themselves. Talia had originally thought that for a family like hers, no matter how much they loved Amphoreus, it would be impossible for them to attend a viewing party held in such a luxurious hotel.
But the Marinakis family really had... selected people from different social circles and brought them together.
However, alongside her surprise, Talia was also somewhat nervous.
Just as history had always written.
Elites would only play together with other elites. And she knew herself very well. She was nothing more than an ugly duckling.
But after arriving and seeing this scene, after personally becoming part of this gathering. Talia felt a kind of... equality... that she had never experienced before.
Before coming here, in her imagination, these wealthy people would be wearing expensive but understated clothing, speaking in ways she couldn't understand.
Their gazes would casually sweep over her before they politely moved away. That sense of distance and social circles belonging to entirely different worlds was what Talia had imagined today's gathering would be like.
But when she saw those wealthy people wearing obviously custom-made, expensive Aglaea outfits, or various kinds of Amphoreus clothing, she instead felt an inexplicable sense of ease.
When watching Amphoreus. Their experience was the same as hers.
Amid this feeling. Talia hesitantly took out the Castorice merchandise she had made herself from her bag.
It wasn't anything exquisite, and was even somewhat crude.
Compared to the bracelet on the wrist of the woman not far from her, made from several precious golden gemstones and modeled after Aglaea's bracelet from the series.
Hers practically looked like a child's toy.
But when, encouraged by this atmosphere, she gathered the courage to hang it on her bag, several strangers walked over to her, including even that young woman who practically radiated money.
"Wow, this Castorice is so cute. Did you make it yourself?"
The lady's eyes lit up. She came over to Talia and generously extended her hand.
"My name is Sophia."
"Yes, yes."
Talia extended her hand and shook hers. "My name is Talia."
"Sigh, I struggled for a long time today. I couldn't decide whether to wear Castorice-themed clothes or Aglaea-themed clothes."
"But in the end, I still chose Aglaea. After all, the Goldweaver's sense of aesthetics is simply too authoritative."
Sophia lively chatter opened up the conversation.
And Talia wasn't as nervous as she had imagined. Under the common topic of Amphoreus, the two of them, who were around the same age but came from vastly different family backgrounds, quickly hit it off and chatted happily.
Soon, they went from discussing the various characters to Amphoreus and Greece, and then to the philosophies and manifestations represented by the various sages in Amphoreus.
Of course. They were young ladies, after all, so the topic soon returned to the characters themselves.
When it came to the Chrysos Heirs, there was simply no end to the things they could talk about.
On the other side. Talia's father had also gathered with a group of middle-aged men, and they were having a heated discussion.
Just like that. No one disturbed anyone else. People chatted with the strangers around them as they entered the screening hall together.
Talia, Sophia. And even more of the people attending this viewing club.
None of them realized. Just what a terrifying thing was happening to them.
Under the cultural symbol that was Amphoreus. A new consensus capable of connecting people from different social levels was about to take shape.
A few minutes later.
Inside the screening hall.
Talia and Sophia sat in their seats. Talia's eyes were filled with anticipation as she said excitedly:
"This is my first time watching Honkai: Star Rail in an environment like this."
"Such a huge screen, and even more advanced speakers. This new experience will probably be even more shocking."
Previously, Talia would still have felt embarrassed to show such an inexperienced side of herself in front of Sophia.
But after their long conversation, Amphoreus had successfully allowed the two ladies to establish a deep friendship.
"It'll definitely be more shocking than watching it on a phone or television!"
"I really wish everyone could experience Amphoreus at its very best, especially the highly anticipated fourth episode."
Sophia had a private theater like this in her own home, so she suggested, "When the fourth episode comes out on Saturday, let's both sign up. If we don't both get selected, then Talia, come to my house. We can watch Phainon's journey to save the world together!"
"C-Can I?"
Talia froze, then subconsciously hurriedly waved her hands in refusal. "N-No, it's fine. It's the same no matter where I watch it."
"Of course you can! We're good friends!"
Sophia instead wrapped her arms around Talia. Thinking she had hurt Talia's pride, she hurriedly said seriously, "This is just my goodwill. If you think it's inconvenient, I can go to your house and watch it with you instead. I just want to witness the moment of the re-creation with my good friend!"
"At the very least, if MiHoYo decides to stab us in the heart again, I'll have a friend beside me to cry with."
Pfft... Hearing the final sentence, Talia covered her mouth and laughed. She nodded heavily.
"Mm! Okay! We'll watch it together."
"Haha, that's what good friends are for."
Just then. The entire screening hall suddenly went dark.
The crowd immediately fell silent as well. Talia and Sophia stopped talking and leaned back in their seats, looking toward the screen.
Amid the darkness.
MiHoYo's logo appeared.
Immediately afterward, the sound of a bell rang out.
The screen lit up.
It was Jing Yuan and Jingliu.
"The Xianzhou?"
Everyone was stunned.
Before the fourth episode, shouldn't they be talking about Amphoreus?
Why had it suddenly shifted to the Xianzhou? Could there be some secret related to Amphoreus?
Everyone speculated inwardly as they focused all their attention on the screen.
...
"The last time I was on the Yuque was centuries ago." Jingliu spoke.
The camera moved closer, allowing everyone to clearly see that her hands were bound.
"Pity that you now come not as a hero, but a prisoner."
With his back to Jingliu, Jing Yuan frowned and said solemnly, "Put the Abundance in their grave? Empty talk."
The conversation between the two instantly pulled everyone back to the end of the Xianzhou storyline. Ever since Jingliu and Luocha had been imprisoned in the Shackling Prison, there had been no further news of them.
And the audience remembered as well. The greatest mystery left behind by that storyline was the matter of how to kill Yaoshi.
Just as everyone was making various guesses. An inconspicuous projection suddenly spoke.
"The divination matrix will naturally determine whether your words are trustworthy."
Yaoguang? Is it Yaoguang?
Although the voice had been processed. At a time like this, only Yaoguang could have said such words.
"Fine."
"As we always say on the Xianzhou..."
"Seeing is believing."
The black blindfold covering Jingliu's eyes suddenly fell away, revealing her blood-red eyes. The background music suddenly rose as well, becoming even more tense.
The camera passed through Jingliu's pupils. Revealing the scenes reflected in her eyes to the audience.
"A war of gods has already begun... in the abacus's calculated future..."
"A Lord Ravager's wish will be fulfilled..."
"And an Aeon will fall."
Along with Jingliu's icy words.
The images being shown were each more terrifying than the last!
Destruction! The destruction of one world after another!
The first to appear was Jarilo-VI. In the image, a gigantic Engine of Creation could be seen standing amid the endless snow.
Its mechanical body was covered in unsettling red data ripples. They looked... astonishingly similar to the way Amphoreus's Black Tide manifested!
Meanwhile, Bronya, Seele, Gepard, and Natasha were facing the Engine of Creation, seemingly desperately trying to stop it.
And the very next image was the Xianzhou!
Starskiffs crashed from the sky, and smoke from battle filled the land.
On a broken bridge, Bailu was holding the fallen Qingque in her arms. Beside them were a battered Guinaifen and Master Gongshu, whose fate was unknown!