"Is this the extent of your tactics and strategies?"
Within the Dream Barrier, Phandrea watched the trio she had effortlessly defeated, a gleeful smile spreading across her face as if she were enjoying a trivial game of make-believe.
And indeed, Phandrea was relishing this mock battle. After all, this was the first real fight since the Xianzhou that unfolded exactly as she had envisioned it.
Every humiliation she had suffered on the Xianzhou, every slight from Lumina, Phandrea had ruthlessly avenged in this battle.
Especially as she watched Nahida—her face pale as a corpse—crumble beneath her touch, manipulated like a plaything in her palm, Phandrea's exhilaration soared to unprecedented heights!
"Cough, cough... We can't even land a hit..." March 7th, bow in hand, knelt on one knee, struggling to maintain her balance as she coughed and muttered under her breath.
The power gap between them was simply too vast. At their current level, they stood no chance whatsoever...
Without a doubt, this Phandrea before them possessed the true combat prowess of an Emanator—a level of power far beyond their ability to even scratch.
This Emanator is as cheap as cabbage. What's with the discount rate? March 7th thought to herself.
Madam Herta from the Space Station, Jing Yuan and Phantylia from the Luofu, and now this Phandrea in Sumeru—all Emanators...
Will we run into two or three Emanators when we get to Penacony?
Eh, since it's Penacony, who cares? We're just here to have fun anyway. No need to make trouble...
March 7th shook her head, dismissing the thought. She touched the ring on her finger and gazed up at Phandrea, who floated high above, her face twisted into a mocking grin.
March 7th remembered that by activating the ring's power, she could dance right in front of an Emanator... Ugh, what am I even thinking?
She clutched her head, shooting Stelle a glare under her bewildered gaze.
Stelle: •⩊• Meow?
"Cough, cough, Stelle, we can't help Nahida on our own, but we can't just stand here and watch her face an Emanator alone..." Sensing Stelle's puzzled gaze, March 7th coughed a few times, then glanced at Nahida, who was "struggling valiantly" ahead. She stood up, leaned closer to Stelle, and said:
"That Phandrea is absolutely despicable! Let's hurry and use the ring Sister Lumina gave us!"
"Even if we can't defeat her, we'll give her a taste of her own medicine!"
March 7th clenched her fist, her gaze fixed on Phandrea's smug expression. The more she looked, the more irritated she became.
That wretched woman! Daring to wear Sister Lumina's face! How utterly disgusting!
I want to crush her and grind her into the dirt!
"Oh right, Sister Lumina's ring!" Hearing March 7th's words, Stelle slapped her forehead, realization dawning on her face.
"Let's go, quick! Let's crush that wretched woman!" March 7th touched the ring on her finger, unleashing all the power Lumina had stored within.
Pure, gentle Emanator energy surged forth from the ring, flooding March 7th's body and claiming every cell.
Seeing the situation, Stelle didn't hesitate. She activated the Power of The Emanator stored in Lumina's ring, channeling it throughout her body.
"Hah... you wretched woman! Prepare to face my wrath!" Feeling the foreign power surging within her, March 7th took a deep breath, nocked an arrow, aimed at Phandrea, and unleashed a fully charged shot.
The arrow shot forth, locking onto Phandrea directly overhead and arcing through the air like a falling star.
"Hmm?" Sensing herself targeted by a formidable power carrying the wretched woman's aura, Phandrea paused in mid-air.
Wait, what? Weren't you supposed to let me beat them down first before making your grand entrance?
Why are you showing up before I've even had my fun...?
Phandrea cursed Lumina inwardly once more.
But she soon realized her misunderstanding...
As the arrow hurtled closer, Phandrea casually tilted her head, effortlessly dodging the locked-on attack.
This was clearly not an attack the wretched woman could have executed.
Phandrea glanced toward the source of the attack, only to see March 7th staring at her in stunned disbelief, her eyes wide with shock and a hint of confusion.
Clearly, she hadn't expected her full-power strike to be evaded so easily.
So much power, yet no way to use it... That wretched woman isn't using me as a sparring partner to train these two gnats, is she?
Phandrea wasn't stupid. She glanced at March 7th, then at Stelle standing beside her, radiating the same aura. It didn't take long to understand Lumina's intentions.
A Lord Ravager offering free sparring? No creature in the entire Cosmos would believe that, even if I told them.
Sigh... When you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head.
Though Phandrea seethed with resentment, the memory of Lumina's overwhelming power and the torments she had endured ultimately forced her to submit.
Hmph... Revenge isn't forgotten, merely delayed!
Phandrea swore a silent oath, vowing to repay Lumina for every indignity she had suffered.
Of course, that was a matter for the future. For now... Phandrea's gaze swept over the group, a sinister smile curling at the corners of her lips.
If she wants me to be their sparring partner, a little excess shouldn't be a problem, right?
The wretched woman only said I couldn't harm them—nothing about sparing their pain.
Psychological Destruction... That's my specialty, after all.
If you intend to exploit a Lord Ravager, you'd better consider the consequences thoroughly!
Phandrea thought to herself, already having meticulously planned out her future.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Nahida held her great book, watching Stelle and March 7th, who were now radiating the Power of The Emanator from their rings. She couldn't help but feel a bit helpless.
Why are these two still hiding their powers when facing an Emanator? Wouldn't it have been better to transform and punch Phandrea right from the start?
Nahida couldn't fathom their thought process, or even attempt to understand it.
But...
This Phandrea is being quite naughty. Following Dr. Ratio's principles, Nahida refrained from dwelling further on the matter. Instead, she glanced at Phandrea, whose lips were slightly curved in a mischievous smile as she schemed. After a moment of thoughtful consideration, she concluded:
Hmm... I might as well find a time in the future to eliminate her.
Though the power shackles binding Phandrea had been released, the cage itself remained.
In other words, Phandrea remained trapped within the cage she had created for herself, her thoughts still transparent to Nahida's gaze.
Therefore, the "plan" she had just devised had already led her halfway into the realm of "Destruction"...
Never mind. Just a child throwing a tantrum. A few more scoldings later will straighten her out.
Thinking this, Nahida decided to spare Phandrea's feline life, resolving not to dwell on this matter any further.
While Phandrea and Nahida harbored their own complex thoughts, March 7th's mind was far simpler.
"No way... why can't I hit her?" Recalling the power of her earlier attack, March 7th was utterly baffled.
I had her locked down! How could she dodge so easily?!
This blatantly defies the laws of physics!
Though March 7th didn't actually know what the laws of physics were, the phrase was quite popular on short-video platforms... And since it fit the situation perfectly, she decided to use it.
"I refuse to believe you can keep dodging!" March 7th nocked another arrow, locked onto Phandrea in the sky, and unleashed a fully charged shot.
But as before, Phandrea effortlessly evaded the attack.
"Little girl, as a self-proclaimed 'Master of Near Misses,' you're hardly suited for combat," Phandrea sneered, cranking up her taunts to the maximum.
"Master of Near Misses, my foot! This girl has perfect aim, you hear me?!"
Phandrea's cutting remark struck a nerve, instantly igniting March 7th's fury and fanning the flames of her anger to new heights.
"I'll shoot you down!"
"Hmm... so this is the power that allows one to dance before an Emanator?"
Just as March 7th was about to draw her bow again, Stelle's voice, brimming with excitement, rang out across the battlefield.
"Uh..."
The other three companions fell silent, speechless.
"This girl is hopeless..." March 7th abandoned her attack stance, covered her face with her hand, and retreated a few steps, distancing herself as if she didn't know her at all.
"As expected, even with the game becoming reality, I still can't fathom what kind of circuitry makes up Stelle's brain." Hearing this, even for the second time, made the corners of Nahida's mouth twitch uncontrollably.
Is this girl underestimating me?
Phandrea knew the Stellaron Spirit was simply acting out her usual brand of silliness, but as the only true Emanator present, she couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed.
"Stop being a smartass! Sister Lumina's stored power isn't infinite!"
Sensing the serious aura emanating from Phandrea, March 7th remembered their current predicament and hurriedly moved to stand beside Stelle, aligning herself with her.
"Hmph~ Every story needs a protagonist to resolve the final act," Stelle said, tilting her head slightly and reaching up to press down on her completely nonexistent air hat.
"The atmosphere is perfectly set."
"Protagonist... enter!"
Grasping the imaginary air hat on her head, Stelle suddenly snapped her head up, a smile curving across her lips filled with smug energy.
Fueled by such immense power, Stelle undoubtedly saw herself as the protagonist destined to save the world.
"Heh heh heh, as expected of the young—always doing the unexpected."
Phandrea seethed inwardly at their condescending attitude, but maintained a harmonious smile, covering her mouth as she chuckled lightly, like a big sister amused by a young boy's Chuunii phase.
"Ah..." Nahida sighed, unwilling to waste any more time. She activated the massive book in her hands, condensing a ball of energy and hurling it directly at Phandrea.
Boom! Rumble!
The screen shattered once more as the explosion rang out, plunging the game into battle.
"As expected of me, I remain unfazed even even in the face of death."
"With such mental fortitude, what achievement could possibly be beyond my reach?"
In the real world, watching Stelle's bravado in the game, Little Bear couldn't help but imagine himself in her place.
He imagined being the final hero, turning the tables and vanquishing the veiled villain—a scenario that filled Little Bear's heart with a satisfying thrill.
[Oh my god, this protagonist is completely unhinged! (Facepalm)]
[Perfect! The protagonist and writers of Honkai: Star Rail perfectly match my mental state.]
[The writers are still going all out! The writers are still going all out! The writers are still going all out!]
[The atmosphere is perfectly set. Phandrea, your end is near!]
[The great protagonist has arrived! Make way, everyone!]
"Hmm, there are two phases now. Does that mean we'll have to fight her again later?"
Upon entering the battle, Little Bear noticed the two dots above the boss's health bar, indicating two phases.
He was slightly puzzled. The Special Preview Program had clearly stated that this Weekly Boss would have three forms.
Does that mean we'll have to start all over again later?
Whatever, let's just fight. As long as we don't have to face True Lumina later, we'll be fine.
Without overthinking it, Little Bear skillfully controlled his character, defeating the first phase in a few swift moves.
"Wait, isn't the second phase supposed to test Weakness Break Efficiency?"
"Then couldn't you just save up Lumina's Ultimate from the last phase and become invincible?"
Little Bear voiced his idea and immediately put it into practice.
As Lumina's Ultimate Domain unfolded, seven additional Weaknesses appeared above the boss's health bar, instantly lifting Little Bear's spirits.
"This is way too easy."
Seeing Boss Lumina instantly enter a Weakness Break State after seven elemental weaknesses appeared, and our party gain a 100% damage boost, Little Bear immediately exclaimed, "If every Lumina were like this in Phases 1 and 2, she'd be the weakest Weekly Boss ever, probably even weaker than an Elite Monster!"
While the boss's low difficulty was good news for players, as a dedicated Lumina simp, I couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of discomfort.
Of course, if the difficulty were too high, the simps would be even more unhappy...
After all, each aspect should be judged separately...
[Just the calm before the storm. Phase 3 will slaughter you all! (Facepalm)]
[Honestly, just looking at screenshots of Phase 3 screams "Overpowered" across the screen.]
[Phase 3 Lumina might not be "strong," but she'll definitely torment players.]
[Either the fight is easy but the mechanics are hard to counter—pure time-wasting torment—or the fight is hard but the mechanics are simple and easy to counter.]
[There's a third type too: brutal combat with torturous mechanics, specifically designed to block story progression. (Doge meme)]
"Phase 3 does feel like they've been holding back something huge," Little Bear nodded in agreement.
If Phases 1 and 2 were this easy, then as a Weekly Boss and Abundance Emanator, Phase 3 must be astronomically difficult...