In the Player World, on Bilibili, within Little Bear's livestream...
After witnessing the death of the Titan of Strife and returning to Okhema...
"Come to think of it, looking at that last attack..."
"Could this Titan of Strife be the culprit that attacked our train car as it entered Amphoreus, causing us to be pursued?"
Recalling the attack from the cutscene, Little Bear found it vaguely familiar, as if he'd seen it somewhere before.
After a moment's thought, he remembered.
Isn't that the exact same attack we faced when our train car entered Amphoreus?
Little Bear grumbled internally, but then something didn't quite add up.
"Wait a minute... Didn't the Lance of Fury fail to reach its complete form just now? So an incomplete attack was enough to make us crash?"
"Seriously?"
Little Bear had discovered a blind spot.
I mean, the Galactic Baseballer and the Vidyadhara High Elder are incredibly powerful, right? How could an incomplete Lance of Fury possibly cause us to crash?
Plus, Little Swarm had vanished without a trace.
So Little Bear had to put a big question mark on this whole situation.
[Forget about whether we crashed or not. Little Swarm definitely crashed, and now no one knows where she is.]
[Was she banned at the start because she's too strong? Ha-Ji Swarm, you rascal...]
[If Little Swarm were here, would any of this even be a problem? She'd just stand atop Okhema, charge up a [Collapsing Star Egg], and blast Castrum Kremnos. The Titan of Strife would be dead or crippled. (facepalm)]
[What about Gnaeus? Without Gnaeus, the Lance of Fury is just a physical body without a Coreflame. It wouldn't matter how many times it was used.]
[Kid, [Collapsing Star Egg] is an AoE attack. Just wipe out Gnaeus and the Lance of Fury at the same time. As for Gnaeus in the past? Easy. Have Little Swarm kill the Titan of Time first, steal its power, and then unleash a map-wide, time-ignoring [Collapsing Star Egg] to wipe out everyone in that entire timeline.]
[666, a real-life King of Hell has joined the stream!]
"Hehehe, a beautiful idea indeed." Little Bear noticed this comment as well.
He could only think, Yeah, keep dreaming.
It was just an exaggerated suggestion, so there was no need to worry about logic. People could just say whatever they wanted.
Shaking his head, he didn't dwell on it. Following the mission marker, Little Bear guided his character into the Hero's Bath and began a dialogue with Aglaea and Tribbie, who were waiting there.
"Welcome, heroes returned from Castrum Kremnos." Aglaea and Tribbie both smiled at the heroes' triumphant return.
"We've fulfilled our mission, Teacher Tribbie. No lost limbs, just this scorching Coreflame in our hands." A white-haired man smiled back at Aglaea and Teacher Tribbie.
"I can feel the Coreflame's heat. Well done, Phainon." Aglaea nodded at Phainon first, then turned her gaze to Dan Heng and Stelle beside him, nodding in gratitude to them as well.
"Visitors from beyond the sky, I also thank you for your contributions along the way."
"Hmph."
Dan Heng's expression remained unchanged at Aglaea's words of gratitude.
But Stelle, standing beside him, planted her hands on her hips, puffed out her chest, and tilted her head back so far her nose nearly pointed at the ceiling.
"..." Dan Heng shot her a speechless glance before looking away, as if he were already used to this.
After acknowledging Dan Heng and Stelle, Aglaea turned her gaze back to Phainon, focusing on the Coreflame of Strife in his hand. Her calm voice held a hint of joy. "It has been a long time since Amphoreus witnessed the birth of a new Demigod."
"If you can fill the void left by Nikador, it will be a tremendous encouragement to the citizens of the Holy City."
"But..." Phainon hesitated for a moment before voicing the conflict in his heart. "I believe... Mydei is the more suitable candidate..."
"..."
What followed was a debate between Phainon and Aglaea.
In the end, Phainon relented.
"Tomorrow, at this same hour, the Chrysos Heirs will assemble at the Vortex of Genesis to return the Lance of Fury and Nikador's Ember."
"Use the remaining time to rest well, Phainon."
Aglaea gave Phainon no more time to reconsider, setting the Ember Rite for the following day.
"I understand. Then... I'll see you tomorrow." Phainon nodded, knowing further argument was pointless.
After speaking, he glanced at Dan Heng and Stelle beside him. Seeing that Aglaea had no intention of asking him to stay, he nodded to the pair and departed.
Phainon could tell that Aglaea had something important to discuss with Dan Heng and Stelle.
Something important for Dan Heng and Stelle... it must be about the world beyond the sky, right?
Phainon didn't dwell on it.
They were never part of the Flame-Chasing Journey, nor did they belong to Amphoreus. If there were clues about their "way home," Phainon certainly wouldn't stand in their way.
Now, to rest and prepare for tomorrow's Ember Rite.
Phainon walked to the elevator. As it descended, his figure gradually vanished from sight.
"Aglaea, is this about matters outside Amphoreus?"
Seeing Phainon leave, Dan Heng and Stelle exchanged a glance. It was Dan Heng who spoke up, directing the question to Aglaea.
"Yes." Aglaea hummed softly. "There is something I need to ask you both."
She paused, then, under Dan Heng and Stelle's puzzled gazes, slowly posed a question that stunned them—and everyone in the livestream: "Do you... know someone named Lumina, and another named Herta?"
"???"
At her words, Dan Heng and Stelle's eyes widened, their faces betraying utter shock.
They were stunned that Aglaea could utter those names—stunned to hear the names Lumina and Herta spoken here, in Amphoreus.
"What the fuck? Who? Aglaea, who did you just say?" In the livestream, Little Bear nearly spat out his drink as he stared at the names "Lumina" and "Herta" appearing in the game's dialogue.
Lumina and Herta were incredibly famous. The former was known to practically anyone with internet access, while the latter, as a member of the Genius Society and an Emanator of Erudition, was also widely recognized.
If Little Bear had heard these names anywhere else, he wouldn't have been surprised.
But this was Amphoreus—a place supposedly unknown even to the Aeons. Yet here, he was hearing the names Lumina and Herta.
If either name had appeared alone, Little Bear might have dismissed it as a coincidence. After all, sharing a name is common.
But both together? Now that was interesting.
"Don't tell me Lumina and Herta actually came to Amphoreus?" Little Bear voiced a bold guess.
[YES! LUMINA AND HERTA ARE HERE! WE'RE INVINCIBLE!]
[Got a problem? Take it up with my Abundance Emanator, Lumina, and my Emanator of Erudition, Herta. (suppressed laughter).jpg]
[Prediction: The Amphoreus storyline will last for eight versions. Lumina: Huh? What'd you say? Wouldn't you freak out if I just speedran Amphoreus in Version 3.0?]
[I checked the version number—we're in 3.0, right? How are Lumina and Herta already showing up? Are we going to fight an Aeon later? There's no other way to explain why our strongest allies are appearing right at the start!]
[Lumina: Fight an Aeon? Aeons are exactly what I fight! Today, I will reignite a corner of the Divine Conflict!]
"Alright, alright, alright... So this is the end of Honkai: Star Rail Version 3.0, Part One, huh?" Little Bear said with a laugh.
If Lumina and Herta were here, they must have a reason.
And if the story was meant to last eight versions, it would last eight versions.
After all, the plot must have been written long ago. How else could they have created the game's visuals and the earlier "Who" PV?
Hmm... though it's strange that Lumina didn't appear in the "Who" PV.
Don't tell me she's just here to make a cameo and watch from the sidelines?
The thought flickered through Little Bear's mind, and he muttered inwardly.
But he quickly dismissed it.
Even a cameo would be great.
At least it would provide a huge sense of security.
With Lumina around, he thought, we probably won't see any scenes where a single character dies dozens of times, right?
The thought made Little Bear feel quite pleased with himself.
He stopped overthinking and refocused on the game screen, continuing with the story.
"Lady Aglaea, may I ask where you heard those two names?"
Dan Heng was the first to regain his composure. To prevent Stelle from blurting out something foolish and revealing sensitive information, he quickly asked Lady Aglaea in a low, serious voice.
"It seems you do know them," Lady Aglaea nodded, then answered Dan Heng's question. "Not long ago, they arrived in Amphoreus, in Okhema."
"Like you, they came from Beyond the Sky."
"They came here searching for four individuals."
"Dan Heng, Stelle, March 7th, and Little Swarm."
Seeing that they genuinely knew Lumina and Herta, and confirming that the two hadn't lied, Lady Aglaea felt a sense of relief.
But she remained tense.
Knowing them is one thing, but what if they are enemies...
"..."
Dan Heng didn't reply immediately. Instead, he turned to Stelle, exchanged a meaningful glance with her, then nodded before turning back to Lady Aglaea. "Lady Aglaea, where are they now?"
"Are they still in Okhema?"
The appearance of Lumina and Herta was completely unexpected for Dan Heng.
But it was a welcome surprise—a good thing.
"They are currently resting in a VIP room in the Hall of Respite, right across from your own room," Lady Aglaea replied truthfully.
Observing their expressions, Lady Aglaea gleaned some information.
When she mentioned Lumina and Herta, a clear flicker of joy appeared on their faces.
Lumina and Herta are likely not their enemies.
But this was still just Lady Aglaea's speculation. She had to treat these two "walking bombs" in the City-State of Okhema with extreme caution.
So, she continued, "May I ask, are Lumina and Herta your friends?"
"Yes, Lumina—"
"Herta is her partner, and Lumina is my mom!"
Dan Heng was about to answer Lady Aglaea's question, but before he could utter more than a few words, Stelle, who had just learned that Lumina was in Amphoreus, suddenly became animated.
She struck the same pose as before—hands on her hips, nose pointed skyward.
But her words this time were...
Well... it was hard to find the right words to describe them.
Dan Heng: "..."
Even Dan Heng, who understood the full situation and was well-acquainted with Stelle's personality, couldn't help but feel his mouth twitch.
He just couldn't help it. The whole "claiming someone as your mom in public" thing was still a bit too... advanced for him.
Dan Heng found it impossible to remain composed.
"Lumina... is your mom?" Unaware of the true relationship between Stelle and Lumina, Lady Aglaea took Stelle's words at face value.
Her gaze immediately shifted to Stelle, filled with suspicion.
Lumina actually has a child... This was something Lady Aglaea had never expected.
And her child is already this old...
But...
Lady Aglaea carefully studied Stelle's features, her confusion deepening.
Honestly, she couldn't find a single trace of Lumina in Stelle's appearance.
Logically, as Lumina's daughter, shouldn't she inherit at least some of her mother's traits?
Unless her father—Lumina's husband—was so exceptionally dominant that he overshadowed Lumina in every conceivable way, leaving Stelle to inherit all her features from him...
To become Lumina's husband... Lady Aglaea grew curious. What kind of charm could he possibly possess?
Though she had only known Lumina for a short time, Lady Aglaea clearly understood one thing:
Lumina's status was likely among the highest echelons, even across the entire expanse Beyond the Sky.
"Ah..." Seeing Aglaea fall for Stelle's trick, Dan Heng pressed a hand to his face, utterly exasperated.
Sighing, he explained, "Lady Aglaea, please disregard what she said."
"Miss Lumina... is not Stelle's mother. She's our ally and friend."
"Oh... I see." Though Lady Aglaea still didn't fully grasp the exact relationship between Stelle and Lumina, she at least understood one thing:
Lumina was not Stelle's biological mother.
Shaking her head, Lady Aglaea decided not to dwell on the matter.
Whether Lumina was Stelle's mother or not, as long as she was their friend and ally, that was all that mattered.
This was enough to put Lady Aglaea completely at ease.
Lumina and Herta held no ill will toward Okhema and wouldn't act recklessly.
Understanding this was sufficient.
"You two, Lumina and Herta are currently in the room directly across from yours."
"If you wish to see them, you may go now," Lady Aglaea gestured.
Hearing this, Dan Heng and Stelle exchanged a glance, then nodded to Lady Aglaea.
"We'll be going then."