Chapter 189: The Cavalry from Beyond the Stars
Meanwhile, in the cross-dimensional chat group, Stelle was having the time of her life.
[Honkai Star Rail · Stelle]: "@Everyone Emergency call! Emergency call! We've got a new high-stakes event mission! An Ultimate Boss Raid! Target: Nikador! He's the final boss of those small fry we fought yesterday! The rewards are absolutely stacked! Anyone in? Let's team up and clear this dungeon!"
[Honkai Star Rail · Stelle]: "Just imagine it! Think of the magnificent treasure chest that's gonna drop after we take him down! We might even get a golden legend!"
Stelle spared no effort in painting a glorious picture for her comrades.
[Genshin Impact · Zhongli]: "Count me in. It would be a fine opportunity to witness the deity of Amphoreus."
One by one, the others were roused by the ping of notifications.
[Genshin Impact · Lumine]: "Received. On my way."
[Genshin Impact · Paimon]: "Ultimate BOSS?! A big treasure chest?! Wait for us! We're coming right away!"
[Zenless Zone Zero · Wise]: "It is my duty. I will be there immediately."
[Zenless Zone Zero · Belle]: "Brother, wait for me! I'm coming too! That sounds so exciting!"
No one could resist the combined allure of lavish rewards and the call to an ultimate battle. The five quickly responded, confirming they would prepare at once and arrive shortly.
Done! Stelle closed the group chat interface with a satisfied hum. She looked up, flashing a brilliant smile and a confident thumbs-up to the assembled Chrysos Heirs watching her.
"Everything's set! They're getting ready and will be here soon!"
Hearing this, Phainon's anticipation sharpened. He was intensely curious about the kind of people who served as Stelle's companions. Based on the sizes of the clothes Aglaea had prepared earlier, he expected two adult men, two adult women, and one member with a petite frame similar to Tribbie's. It was certainly a varied group. Tribbie and Xia Die were also brimming with excitement, eager to meet the mysterious "aid from beyond the heavens" that was about to arrive.
Not long after, the Domain Anchors set up in the private bathhouse began to shimmer with a soft, ethereal light.
Following Dan Heng's prior communication and advice, everyone in the chat group had tacitly chosen this location as their teleportation point, rather than materializing directly in the core of the Cloudstone Celestial Palace. It was a matter of courtesy; no leader would appreciate a group of unknown outsiders appearing at will anywhere within their domain. A fixed arrival point was both a sign of respect and a simple way to avoid unnecessary suspicion.
As the travelers materialized, Zhongli was the first to command attention. Simply by standing there, he exuded an air of deep elegance and majesty, a quiet power refined by the slow passage of millennia. His cor lapis eyes were calm and deep, as if they could encompass all things yet discern the truth of everything. Without a single word, he projected an unshakable sense of reliability.
Aglaea's gaze lingered on him for a moment longer than the others, a flicker of imperceptible surprise and scrutiny in her golden eyes.
Next were Lumine and Paimon. Though Lumine was a woman of few words, the capable and powerful aura she had honed through countless world-altering events was impossible to conceal. No one would dare underestimate her.
As for Paimon, who floated cheerfully beside her, she left the people of Okhema slightly bewildered. The little creature was tiny, hovered in the air, and seemed utterly harmless, lacking even a hint of a warrior's disposition. However, recalling Tribbie's own hidden depths, Phainon and Mydei couldn't help but wonder if this was another deceptively powerful being, much like their own small companion.
Finally, there were the siblings, Wise and Belle. At first glance, they looked more like scholars who belonged in a quiet library than on a war-torn battlefield. A faint sense of worry touched the observers, who wondered if they could truly adapt to the brutal fight ahead.
However, the more observant among them, like Aglaea and Phainon, noticed the faint, battle-worn marks on the cuffs and shoulders of the clothes Wise was wearing—garments Aglaea had personally sewn. They also saw the sharp, analytical glint that occasionally flashed in Wise's eyes. This was no ordinary academic.
Stepping forward, Stelle cheerfully took on the role of intermediary, introducing everyone to each other. The two groups exchanged polite nods, a simple but effective acquaintance made. Though they came from different worlds, with diverse appearances and temperaments, they were now united by a common goal.
Aglaea stepped forward, her own golden eyes sweeping over each of the visitors who had come to offer their aid. Her tone was solemn and sincere. "I, Aglaea, on behalf of all Okhema, thank you again for traveling so far to lend your assistance. Amphoreus will not forget the heroes who helped us in our time of need."
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Aglaea's expression turned serious. "There is no time to waste. Nikador is entrenched in Hanging Edge City. Every moment we delay introduces more uncertainty. Let us depart as soon as possible."
According to the plan, Trianne would use her "Gate of a Hundred Realms" to teleport the strike team directly to the vicinity of the fallen city.
However, when everyone looked for Trianne, they found that the tiny shaman had, at some point, drifted over to join Paimon, who was equally small and hovering in the air. The two seemed to be getting along exceptionally well, huddled together and whispering conspiratorially, occasionally bursting into soft giggles. Trianne rarely met a "kindred spirit" who could fly so freely and was of a similar size, and Paimon was a natural social butterfly. They had become fast friends in just a few short minutes.
"Trianne," Phainon called out, a note of helpless fondness in his voice.
The tiny shaman finally snapped back to reality, her small face flushing slightly as she realized everyone was looking at them. She quickly whispered to Paimon, "Let's chat later, okay?"
She then flew forward, her expression becoming focused. Extending a small hand, she traced a series of arcane trajectories in the air. A soft yet potent spatial energy began to gather around her fingertips, coalescing until it formed a stable, shimmering portal—the Gate of a Hundred Realms. On the other side of the gate, the scenery was already starkly different, revealing a desolate and dilapidated landscape.
"Let's go." Phainon was the first to step through, with the rest of the group following closely behind.
With a flash of light, their figures vanished from the bathhouse. The next moment, they had set foot on a completely different land.
Broken pillars, crumbling palaces, shattered covered bridges... every structure showed signs of severe erosion from long years of relentless wind and rain. Their stone surfaces were caked in moss and riddled with cracks. Weeds grew stubbornly from the fissures in the once-neatly paved stone road, painting a scene of deep desolation and deathly silence.
The air was thick with a stale, oppressive aura, a world away from the magnificent war fortress Mydei had described as "Hanging Edge City." It was as if its former glory had been utterly erased by the passage of time.
"This is the outer city area," Mydei's low voice broke the uncomfortable silence.
He raised a hand and pointed toward a relatively intact, large corridor leading deeper into the ruins. "Follow this main path straight ahead, and you'll enter the inner city. Nikador should be hidden in the innermost sanctum!"
With their target so close, the atmosphere instantly grew taut with killing intent.
Phainon turned to Trianne, who had held the portal open for them. "Trianne," he said solemnly, "ahead is the Mad King's lair. It is filled with danger."
"Please stay here. Find a safe, hidden place and wait for us to complete our mission. When we return, we will need you to open the Gate of a Hundred Realms again to retrieve us. Can you do that?"
Trianne nodded firmly. "Understood! I'll hide really well so the bad guys won't find me!"
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