Chapter 173: I Didn't Cry or Make a Scene!
"Phew… Seventy-six game accounts. Finally got them all back."
On the other side of the galaxy, Silver Wolf let out a long, theatrical sigh. Alone, deep within the infiltrated networks of Pier Point, she slumped back in her chair. After a labyrinth of digital twists and turns, she had finally reclaimed her entire collection. A rare, genuine smile of relief graced her features.
She was rubbing her hands together, giddy with the anticipation of revisiting her game library—a digital hoard curated over many years—when a small notification popped up in the corner of her vision.
Leon's game had an update.
"Honkai: Star Rail is updating now?" she mused, humming a tuneless little ditty. "They… should be on the Xianzhou Luofu right now, shouldn't they?"
Silver Wolf made a casual, yet accurate, judgment. While she wasn't privy to the exact "script" for the Luofu, she knew the Stellaron Hunters had dispatched Kafka and Blade for this operation. Her own role had been limited to providing remote technical support.
"Seems like Leon is having a pretty relaxed time on the Luofu, too, if he has time to update the game," she couldn't help but complain. It was just like on Belobog; the guy had somehow found the time to zip back to the Herta Space Station, team up with Herta and Screwllum, and get all seventy-six of her accounts banned. And now he was squeezing out time to push another update?
This one had to be for the Belobog storyline.
She clicked on the update, and the progress bar filled in an instant. After logging into her account, she found the interface peppered with red notification dots and new mission prompts, just as she'd expected.
Silver Wolf didn't rush to advance the main story. Instead, she scanned the mission list first.
Her gaze froze.
There, sitting prominently in the list, was a Companion Mission titled:
[Silver Wolf: I Didn't Cry or Make a Scene!]
Silver Wolf's expression went blank.
'This is bad,' she thought, a cold dread washing over her.
That guy, Leon… he couldn't have put her 'dark history' into the game, could he?
Her fingers flew across her holographic keyboard.
[Silver Wolf: Are you okay? You made that into a Companion Mission?]
The reply came almost instantly.
[Leon: You got those 76 game accounts back already? That was fast.]
Leon had just finished dealing with a flustered Bronya, who had become so shy she'd temporarily stopped responding, when Silver Wolf's message popped up. He chuckled. 'Finished your "friendly negotiations" with the IPC, have we?'
[Silver Wolf: Of course. Who do you think I am? I'm the Emperor of Belobog Punk, Silver Wolf. A mere corporation is nothing.]
[Silver Wolf: Wait, don't change the subject! Why did you put my business into the game?!]
[Leon: Don't you think the whole thing was very interesting?]
Seeing his reply, a cross-shaped vein pulsed on Silver Wolf's forehead.
[Silver Wolf: What part of that was interesting?!]
[Leon: How about this? Picture the Silver Wolf in the game with Herta's face. Then, change your own perspective to that of me and Screwllum watching.]
[Leon: Suddenly… it becomes interesting, doesn't it?]
Reading his words, Silver Wolf grudgingly played along. She pictured the scenario: Herta, the aloof genius, losing seventy-six game accounts at Silver Wolf's hands, then proceeding to cry and throw a tantrum…
Hmm. It really was a little interesting.
But there was a critical flaw in his logic. The one who had been screwed out of seventy-six accounts was her, Silver Wolf. And the face used in the game was her face.
Not Herta's.
[Silver Wolf: I can't substitute it! The one getting screwed over in the game is me!]
[Leon: You can just use a MOD.]
Silver Wolf was so angry she almost laughed. Use a MOD? That would only change what she saw. For every other player in the universe, it would still be her, Silver Wolf, "crying and making a scene."
[Leon: You're the one who gave me permission to use your image.]
[Leon: Besides… trust me. After a while, a lot of players might even like you more because of this.]
[Leon: After all… it really is too cute.]
[Silver Wolf: Who wants them to like me! You bastard!]
She sulked at the screen, knowing full well she couldn't change Leon's decision. He had her, and he knew it.
Fine… She shook her head, defeated, and clicked on the main story mission, preparing to start her own "Belobog Journey."
Just as she entered the main story, an option window popped up.
[Should Leon follow along to Trailblaze on Belobog?]
Note: This choice will affect subsequent plot development.
Silver Wolf narrowed her eyes. She knew exactly what this was—two different "IF lines." One was the "original plot" where Leon didn't participate, and the other was the "current plot" after his intervention.
'Come to think of it,'she mused,'if this were the original plot, I wouldn't even need to go to Belobog.'
But this was the current plot, the one with Leon's meddling… He wouldn't have written her into this part of the story too, would he? She had specifically told him not to reveal Firefly's situation yet. He wouldn't have exposed it, right?
Shaking her head, she clicked "Yes" anyway.
"Hahahaha… Who is that in the snow pile?! That's just too miserable!"
Guinaifen burst out laughing, slapping her desk. She had just finished her stream for the day, but when she saw that Leon's game had updated, her eyes lit up. This was perfect timing.
She immediately restarted her live stream, flashing a brilliant smile at the camera.
"Look, everyone! Honkai: Star Rail has updated! Shall we take a look together?"
The bullet chat immediately began to scroll at a frantic pace.
"Oh, Little Gui is streaming again?"
"Didn't I hear that the situation on the Xianzhou Luofu is really severe right now? Is it okay for you to be streaming, Little Gui?"
"Honkai: Star Rail updated? It actually updated! The missing person has returned! I really didn't expect this."
Guinaifen glanced at the comments and responded with a practiced smile. "There are indeed a few situations on the Xianzhou, but with the General in charge, it's no big deal~"
"We also have to properly thank the Cloud Knights—it's because they're carrying the burden that we can play games at home in peace!"
During this period of martial law on the Luofu, she couldn't perform on the streets, and her streaming numbers had taken a hit. An update to a popular game was a godsend. Guinaifen was already thinking that after this whole affair was over, she would drag her good friend Sushang along for an adventure in Fyxestroll Garden.
But for now, it was time to play.
Entering the game and arriving at the Jarilo-VI chapter, that key option indeed popped onto her screen.
[Should Leon join the Trailblaze team?]
"Of course Leon has to join!" Guinaifen selected 'Confirm' in a split second.
The screen transitioned into an animated CG.
Leon was at the controls of an Astral Express carriage, his hands gripping the lever. His eyes were locked on a certain snow pile far below, and a handsome, mischievous arc rose at the corner of his mouth as he sent the vehicle into a steep dive.
Meanwhile, March 7th contributed a priceless, terrified expression. Stelle and Caelus, on the other hand, looked absolutely thrilled by the chaos. Dan Heng gripped Cloud-Piercer, his posture tense and ready, while Welt calmly pushed up his glasses, unfazed.
In the next second, the carriage struck its target with pinpoint accuracy, crashing straight into the seemingly unremarkable pile of snow.
"Pfft, hahahaha—!" Guinaifen slapped the table again and howled with laughter.
The bullet chat instantly flooded with a tidal wave of laughing emojis and comments.
"Hahaha, Leon is too funny!"
"March 7th and the others are never letting him touch the steering wheel again!"
"Am I the only one worried about the person in the snow pile?"
"Caelus even muttered, 'Won't they be smashed into a meat patty?'—I'm dying!"
"Don't worry, this person looks like they're not simple. Didn't you see Leon aimed before crashing? They even gave a close-up!"
"So choosing 'Let Leon join' leads to this kind of development! I chose not to let him off the train, and the plot wasn't this joyful."
"But you'll still encounter this snow pile later… the person inside is definitely not simple."
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