Dan Heng had his concerns and tried to persuade Stelle to give up on the test.
But Stelle said she couldn't go back on her word.
She had promised Herta.
How could she back out halfway?
If word got out, where would the Galactic Baseballer's reputation go?
Dan Heng: "..."
'Forget it.'
'Stelle was always acting on impulse.'
Once the Astral Express left Herta Space Station and Stelle truly stepped into the universe, she'd probably forget all about the Simulated Universe.
He decided to let her do as she pleased.
The next day, Stelle got up early and arrived at Herta's office.
The puppet stood on the left, looking at one of the portraits made of holograms.
Stelle took a closer look.
The painting showed a woman whose face had been erased.
Herta introduced the person in the portrait.
"Polka Kakamond, the fourth member of the Genius Society."
"She was very close to Marshal Zero."
Stelle asked, "What kind of relationship did she have with my best friend?"
"You really..." Herta didn't know how to answer for a moment. She shrugged. "People outside have all kinds of theories. Teacher and student, mother and son, lovers..."
"I've read every paper Marshal Zero ever published. Rather than saying he wrote them... they look more like they came from different scholars."
"The Xianzhou people are always praising their Father, saying Nous never looked at him, talking about how great Nous is..."
Herta said unhappily, "If you ask me, Polka... looks more like someone cleaning up a huge mess."
She looked up at the hologram in front of her.
"I believe we'll have a lot to talk about."
The puppet suddenly changed the subject and urged her,
"You ran into Marshal Zero yesterday. Maybe today you'll attract the Silent Lord."
Stelle nodded.
She stood in front of the machine with a solemn expression, clasped her hands together, and muttered, "Best friend, show yourself... Best friend, show yourself..."
Herta: "..."
The machine read Stelle's brainwaves, and the Simulated Universe officially began.
After fighting through several waves of enemies, she finally triggered an event.
The person in the portrait ahead was dressed in Xianzhou clothing.
"Wow!"
Stelle froze.
"Best friend, you really showed up..."
"...That's not Marshal Zero. That's one of his subordinates." Herta sounded slightly amused. "Maybe... this simulation will end early."
Stelle hurried over to the portrait.
Only then did she realize it wasn't her best friend.
Her best friend wore a crown and tied his long hair high.
The person in the painting had their hair coiled up with two hairpins.
Besides the hairstyle, their clothes were also different.
Her best friend looked more capable and sharp, while this person's robes were loose, with sleeves wide enough to fit half a person inside.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Before you stands a wall made entirely of countless flowers.
A giant portrait hangs above it.
You quicken your pace and walk forward.
The man stands frozen in place.
After a long while, he raises a hand and rests it on the coffin, as though trying to touch his god one last time.
"..."
But he knows that only Their old belongings remain inside.
His neck seems rusted stiff.
With great difficulty, he turns to look at you.
———
Option 1: "My condolences."
Option 2: Burst into tears, collapse onto the ground, crawl to the man's side on your knees, grab his sleeve, and cry loudly: "My heavens! I can't believe my eyes! Tell me this isn't real, please! Someone like Them... They were so brave, so wise... How could They... how could They leave us?"
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Stelle's eyes widened.
'Best friend, how could you be gone?!'
For once, she carefully thought about the choices.
After hesitating for a while, she made her decision.
She shouldn't upset her best friend's subordinate any further.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
You step forward, pat the man's shoulder, and quietly say, "My condolences."
His eyes remain dark. He says nothing.
A chill runs down your spine.
You have angered Their follower.
The entire team loses 99% of its HP.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Stelle: "???"
Herta's voice sounded beside her.
"Alright. Quit and start over."
Still dazed, Stelle left the Simulated Universe and returned to reality.
Before Herta could say anything, she walked back to the machine.
"I refuse to believe it..."
Just as she wished, she triggered the same type of event again.
This time, the portrait showed a woman standing sideways with a graceful figure.
She wore a purple qipao and had three snake-shaped hairpins in her hair.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
The sun that guided every ship has now fallen.
In life, They were loved and praised by countless people.
Yet when They fell, no one was by Their side.
The woman kneels on the ground, letting out a faint sob, as though afraid her crying would disturb the sleeping god.
She slowly raises her head, revealing a face beautiful enough to captivate anyone.
"You're here."
———
Option 1: "My condolences."
Option 2: You drop to your knees beside the woman, grab the edge of her dress, and burst into loud sobs: "I don't believe it! How could They leave us? They... They were a god! They clearly promised They would never leave us! How could They break our promise? They were so kind. They always granted everyone's wishes..."
You clasp your hands together and look up at the giant portrait above.
"Please grant my wish... Please... come back."
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Stelle laughed.
She wasn't the same Galactic Baseballer as before.
Standing before you now was the Galactic Baseballer Plus Edition!
Confidently, Stelle chose Option 2.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
The woman helps you to your feet. For some reason, her gaze keeps lingering around your neck.
You leave safely.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Stelle let out a long sigh of relief.
'Where is the reward?'
Her best friend would have let her clear the stage directly.
'What about his subordinate? A Blessing? A Curio?'
'Universe Fragments would be fine too!'
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
The following year, you meet the woman again.
She gently strokes your cheek and softly kisses you before whispering into your ear: "You're too noisy."
"Shocking news: Someone tripped over their own left foot and was decapitated! Their head has yet to be found!"
Your noise and your greed have angered Their follower.
Thirty negative effects are applied. All Universe Fragments are lost. The entire team loses 99% of its HP.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Stelle was dumbfounded.
Before the mafia silenced one of its own, they would kiss the member who was about to die.
That kiss was also known as the kiss of death.
'Best friend, how did your Xianzhou Alliance turn into the mafia?!'
'What's with this kiss of death?!'
This time, without Herta saying anything, Stelle quit on her own and said in despair, "No matter what I pick, I die!"
Herta replied, "That's because you picked the wrong one."
"If you choose correctly even once, you'll get an incredibly generous reward."
Stelle refused to give up.
'Galactic Baseballer Pro Edition, activate!'
This time, she met a short-haired girl.
The girl in the portrait had two very thin braids beside her ears.
Her figure couldn't have been more different from the previous mafia-like woman.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
The girl is small and thin, as though a gust of wind could blow her over.
The emperor praised throughout the universe...
The god she traveled with, the one she regarded as her father...
In the end, left them in this way.
The girl wondered, why?
Why did You leave us?
Why couldn't You stay forever...? Back then, she should have...
———
Option 1: "My condolences."
Option 2: You throw back your head and cry so hard that the girl has to step forward to steady you.
"Impossible! I won't accept this! You clearly said You would never leave us! How could You break our promise? You broke Your word! Back then, we should have..."
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
After the previous mafia-like woman, Stelle carefully reread the text several times.
Once she was sure she hadn't missed anything, she chose Option 2.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
The girl gives you a gentle smile, delicate like a flower raised in a greenhouse.
"You're very loyal."
"Father would be very happy to see you."
You have moved Their follower. You have earned the right to be buried alongside Them.
The entire team loses 99% of its HP.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Stelle: "..."
If she angered the follower, she died.
If she moved the follower, she still died.
So no matter what she picked, she'd die.
Galactic Baseballer Pro Edition had completely failed.
She asked, "Herta, exactly how many subordinates does he have?"
Herta clicked her tongue.
"Should I say you're lucky or unlucky?"
"Just these three."
"The chance of seeing a new event is very low. Now that you know the answers, try again."
Stelle couldn't help sighing.
"What if I run into a new event?"
Herta clicked her tongue again, "How about this? I'll tell you the answer, and I'll give you an extra reward afterward."
Out of energy, Stelle stood in front of the machine again.
With Herta's help, she was now... The Pro Max Edition?
Stelle mechanically fought enemies, cleared stages, and triggered another event.
This time, the person in the portrait had changed again.
She lowered her head as though looking at the bouquet of sunflowers in her arms.
Herta fell silent for a moment before saying, "...Just quit."
Stelle muttered quietly, "I'm already here..."
She walked over and interacted with the portrait.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
The girl never imagined she would learn of Their passing that day.
She kneels on one knee and gently lays down the flowers.
There is no sadness on her face.
She smiles at you.
From her expression to her eyes, even the curve of her smile is exactly the same as Theirs.
The girl places a hand on your head and softly says:
"You're here."
———
Option 1: "My condolences."
Option 2: Through tears, you recount your memories with Them.
Until your vision darkens and you cough up blood. The girl quickly supports you.
You pat her hand and say, "They won't suffer anymore. At least... They're free now."
"You're the daughter They loved most. They definitely wouldn't want to see you like this."
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Stelle couldn't help asking, "Herta, which one should I choose?"
"No matter what you choose, you die," Herta replied coldly. "Choose Option 1, and she'll wipe out your entire family so you can truly experience her pain. Choose Option 2, and she'll free you just like she freed Marshal Zero."
Stelle quietly quit and returned to reality.
"Herta, are there really rewards? What am I supposed to choose?"
Herta spread her hands.
"Of course there are. For example, the man you met first."
"If you'd chosen the second option, you'd receive every Blessing from the Hunt Path. Oh, and a thousand Universe Fragments, plus full HP and Technique Points."
Stelle was speechless.
"I'd rather pray for my best friend to show up."
She returned to the Astral Express early and complained to her companions about the four events she'd encountered.
Dan Heng frowned deeply, the corners of his mouth twitching uncontrollably.
How was each one more ridiculous than the last?
Especially the current Marshal.
How could she possibly wipe out someone's whole family?
Then Dan Heng thought about it again and felt that both choices actually made sense.
There were always conspiracy theories claiming that the current and previous Marshals had been bitter enemies.
But regardless of their relationship, even if it was just for appearances, the successor would still pretend to be heartbroken in public.
As the saying goes, a new official always makes three bold moves after taking office.
If a guest only said, "My condolences," like in Option 1...
Wouldn't that be asking to get shot?
As for Option 2...
If the successor had been on bad terms with the previous Marshal, it was only natural that they would deal with the predecessor's loyal supporters first.
There was no need to explain that part to Stelle.
After complaining to Dan Heng and March 7th, Stelle continued telling Welt and Himeko about it during dinner.
Even after dinner, she still wasn't satisfied.
While scrolling through long-distance communications, she happened to receive a message from Silver Wolf.
Stelle quickly explained everything.
A question mark slowly appeared from the other side.
[Silver Wolf: ?]
[Silver Wolf: How many times has this happened already? Why has Empire Simulator become a source of inspiration again?]
[Stelle: What simulator? Never heard of it.]
[Silver Wolf: A niche game from eight hundred years ago.]
[Silver Wolf: Copied again. Hilarious.]
[Silver Wolf: Want to play it?]
[Stelle: ...It's not one of those games where you die every few minutes, is it?]
[Silver Wolf: Of course not. Trust me.]
Stelle wasn't entirely convinced.
Silver Wolf gave her a detailed introduction to the game.
The creator had made it purely out of passion and never intended to make money from it. Only the first group of invited players could create accounts.
Those invited players weren't allowed to invite anyone else.
The creator had permanently locked the maximum number of accounts.
If someone hadn't kept an old account until now, even Silver Wolf might never have gotten the chance to play.
The game itself was poorly made. The writing wasn't very good, and there were even occasional typos.
If the person who invited her hadn't kept failing to clear it, and if the story and characters hadn't been unique enough, Silver Wolf would have quit long ago.
The game had been copied many times.
Some people had even turned it into a paid game.
Since there were so few accounts, the game remained extremely obscure.
On top of that, the creator had disappeared.
The players had no way to defend their rights.
Stelle felt indignant.
[Stelle: What happened afterward?]
[Silver Wolf: Naturally, they made money.]
[Stelle: The creator?]
[Silver Wolf: The plagiarists.]
[Stelle: ???]
Silver Wolf explained that the players couldn't find the original creator.
And those who had paid for the copied version refused to believe the game they'd spent money on had been copied from a free game.
Stelle completely understood.
If she'd spent countless hours grinding and lots of money on a game, only to be told afterward that there was another game just like it that was completely free... she'd be angry too.
Stelle happily accepted the installation package Silver Wolf sent over, copied the account and password, and started her first game.
[Empire Simulator]
[Please choose your race.]
A huge list of options automatically appeared on the screen.
Too lazy to read them, Stelle chose Create Your Own Race.
Confidently, she typed in Stellaron, then clicked Start Game.
The screen immediately went black.
[You died]
[The Empire has no race called "Stellaron."]