"Mr. Sunday, what are your thoughts on the Swarm Disaster?"
"Did you consider the impact of an insect disaster on dreamers when planning Ena's Dream?"
"Lord Sunday, if an insect disaster were to break out in Penacony, could you single-handedly turn the tide?"
"…"
Players from various planets clamored around Sunday, asking questions about the hidden dangers of the Dreamscape.
Once the video Embers of Glamoth was released,
content about The Swarm exploded among the players!
Previously,
Argenti's Companion Mission also featured a storyline about insects from The Propagation.
However, the sense of crisis portrayed in that storyline wasn't very intense.
It didn't give a direct, visceral sense of the overwhelming pressure of The Swarm!
But this time!
It reminded everyone of the terror of the Swarm Disaster!
Excited players were held back by the family's security personnel.
Meanwhile, Sunday opened the game forum.
At a glance,
seven out of ten posts were discussing the insect disaster!
The discourse about the Swarm Disaster continued to escalate!
[The real Swarm Disaster is far more terrifying than the textual descriptions in the Simulated Universe.]
[You didn't think the insects you fought in the game were the real deal, did you? Their size and numbers have been scaled down so much…]
[If you map the game to reality, encountering The Swarm would mean facing True Stings—mere foot soldiers—in overwhelming numbers. Even if you had Sam's mech and could take down one with each punch, you'd probably be fighting for a year without finishing!]
[Don't forget the larger mother insects. In The Propagation, they're not even Emanators, but ordinary Sam mechs can't get close. Only planet-destroying strategic weapons can completely eliminate them…]
[This short film truly made me understand what it means to face a disaster that sweeps across the entire universe.]
[Finally, I understand why only the Aeons could stop The Propagation. Because aside from the Aeons, there is no force capable of halting the advance of The Swarm!]
[Friendly reminder: The insect calamity depicted in The Embers of Glamoth might not even represent the peak of the Swarm Disaster. After all… at its zenith, the Swarm Disaster engulfed two-thirds of the entire universe!]
[During its peak, there existed Emanator King Insects that propagated entire planets! The scale of it… tsk tsk, it was countless times larger than what you've seen!]
[It's safe to say that no one but the Aeons could have ended the Swarm Disaster…]
[I'm fortunate not to have lived in that era—it was unimaginable despair.]
Suddenly.
Sunday's gaze shifted.
He came across a highly upvoted post.
Its content.
Piqued his interest slightly.
[Penacony is intricately connected to The Propagation. Penacony might actually be a massive True Sting!]
[In the new map, Dreamflux Reef, not only can you hear the fluttering of insect wings, but a biologist named Hydra also claimed to have heard the sounds of creatures squirming and chewing within a Dreamscape.]
[Reply: There's a line in the text—the grand theater resembles a cyan cocoon.]
[Reply: Remember the Shattered Star Insect King cultivated by Ruan Mei? During the storyline, there's a close-up of the insect king's secretions, and their color is strikingly similar to SoulGlad.]
[The text also mentions an orange soda flavor, which matches the description of SoulGlad…]
[Reply: Oh no! I just downed three cans of SoulGlad yesterday!]
[Reply: Also worth mentioning, in one part of the Penacony Dreamscape Hotel, there's a broken clock. After repairing it, you'll receive a terrifying hint about The Propagation! Moreover, the Trailblazer will inexplicably feel anger, as if infected by insect-induced hallucinations.]
[Reply: And don't forget, the wing dust of Propagation insects can also induce hallucinations. Think back to the first encounter with Argenti. Also, one of the materials Ruan Mei used to revive an Emanator of Propagation was Remembrance essence!]
[With so many hints, it's hard not to draw some connections…]
[Got it! The Aeon of Propagation is staging a comeback in Penacony!]
...
"Penacony is actually connected to The Propagation?"
"That's a bit too far-fetched…"
Astral Express Crew.
March 7th naturally came across the related posts on the forum.
Her expression was one of disbelief.
Stelle was also quickly scrolling through the related content beside her.
She remarked, "Looking at these players' comments, they all sound so mysterious～"
"Why didn't I notice so many hidden clues in the game when I played it myself?"
"Watching this makes me wonder if the final boss of the next update might be the bugs of The Propagation!"
At this moment.
Himeko spoke up: "The existence of a lurking Swarm in Penacony still needs to be verified..."
"Right now, there's something more urgent before us."
"Misha's true identity is about to be revealed in the story."
...
Little Gui's livestream...
"No wonder Firefly said 'I live for myself' after Sunday shared his philosophy!"
"Behind those words lies such a painful experience..."
"And it was at this moment that Firefly's transformation began."
"This time, she is no longer the Glamoth Iron Cavalry, no longer a humanoid weapon, but the Firefly we know!"
...
"Little Gui is right!"
"She reminds me of that quiet and introverted girl from my school days."
"Once a genetically modified soldier created as a weapon of war, but in the end, she lived her own life."
"I'll do whatever it takes to pull for Firefly!"
"When will the Firefly banner open? I can't wait!"
"Can that state of burning with blue flames be added to the game? Please, Yu Ling!"
"I really want that state of breaking through limits!"
...
Guinaifen took a deep breath.
Adjusted her emotions.
And said: "Now, we have a deeper understanding of Firefly's past..."
"We can probably understand why she made such a choice."
"Before the Astral Express Crew makes their decision, there's still a part of the story to unfold."
"Let's take a look together!"
...
The Reverie Hotel, Dreamscape.
"Sir, how could there be bugs in the Dreamscape? Please calm down."
"Madam, I assure you that your room will be cleaned thoroughly, so there's no need to worry about bugs or anything like that."
In the hallway.
Misha sighed.
Clockie, who was following him also hung his head.
"What's going on? Why are all the guests in the Dreamscape talking about The Propagation and bugs?"
Clockie gave a helpless smile.
"Everyone seems so troubled, and no one can give us an answer..."
Misha nodded.
Indeed.
So far, no one had actively engaged with him.
Misha thought it was natural.
He hadn't realized anything strange yet.
At this moment, the two arrived in front of a television.
The television was broadcasting Little Gui's livestream of the game's story.
Misha's face lit up with joy.
"Great! It's the story of Honkai: Star Rail!"
"Maybe we can figure out what's going on through the story!"