Honkai Star Rail: Saving the World with a Mobile Game — Chapter 49

Chapter 49: Bad News from the Fire Chasing Circle

Well, in that case…

Since the mysterious developer had not shown any overt malice, why not treat this game simply as a visual record? She could completely turn the tables. By playing this interactive projection, she could observe Dan Heng and Stelle’s exact situation inside Amphoreus.

Originally, the Astral Express had been entirely disconnected from the trailblazers, but now, at the very least, a one-way observation channel had been established. If a true emergency occurred, Himeko could formulate a backup plan with far more precision.

That was her rationalization. Yet, as the narrative unfolded on her screen, the navigator of the Astral Express found herself drawn in, watching the events not as a cold simulation, but as a living, breathing reality.

Meanwhile, within the game’s projected world…

After bringing Anaxa back to the gleaming city of Okhema, the warrior finally regained consciousness. But instead of immediately seeking an audience with Aglaea to return the Flame Seed, Anaxa chose a different path. Accompanied by Castorice and Stelle, he took it upon himself to visit the families of the fallen.

It was a necessary detour. Anaxa and Aglaea hardly saw eye to eye, and he knew that if he reported to her first, he would be stripped of the chance to deliver the tragic news himself.

The first fallen hero was Kallinkus, a dedicated scholar. When his wife opened the door to receive the grim tidings, her face paled, yet her first breathless question was not about her husband’s final moments, but whether the Tree Court he had bled for still stood.

It had not. The black tide had taken it. But looking at her trembling hands, Anaxa chose to offer a noble lie, assuring her that the Flame Seed remained safe and the line had held. He carried the weight of that deception in silence. As the old saying went in this dying world: In this mundane era, every goodbye could be the last.

The second and third names on his heavy list were Kunane and Atacama. Their father was frail, his mind clouded by age, constantly confusing his children’s academy days with the grim present. Yet, when he finally grasped that his sons had fought to their last breath against the encroaching black tide to protect the Tree Court, clarity pierced his clouded eyes.

“Even if they aren’t the Chrysos Heirs of prophecy,” the old man whispered, his voice cracking. “Aren’t they still heroes?”

The fourth casualty did not even have a recorded name. His only son stood in the doorway, bitterly grumbling that he did not care if his stubborn father had fallen into the River Styx, claiming the old man had brought it upon himself by ignoring good advice. But the son’s red-rimmed eyes betrayed him. He had secretly purchased a quiet house for his father’s retirement, a place of peace that the old man would now never see.

Watching these quiet, devastating exchanges, Himeko fell into a heavy silence.

‘Hmm…’

Knowing that these events were unfolding in real-time, her anxiety for Stelle and Dan Heng deepened. This was not the frozen stagnation of Jarilo-VI or the gilded cage of Penacony. Amphoreus was a world actively drowning in a true apocalypse.

The livestream audience felt the same suffocating weight.

[Waaaah, the Author wrote this part so well. Even if they aren’t Chrysos Heirs, can they still be heroes?]

[In this era, every goodbye could be the last?]

[If ordinary people are suffering like this, what kind of hell are the Chrysos Heirs going through?!]

Anaxa was suffocating under the emotional toll, prompting the group to separate for the time being. But as the dust settled, Castorice casually pointed out a glaring blind spot that instantly snapped the players back to attention.

Castorice possessed a curse that rendered her completely unable to touch the living. Yet, back at the Tree Court, when she had been blown away by the impact, Stelle had caught her. And nothing had happened.

“I would have completely forgotten if you hadn’t mentioned it!” Guinaifen practically yelled into her microphone, immediately clicking the corresponding dialogue option.

[Is that true? When Castorice got blasted and Stelle grabbed her, she was perfectly fine?]

[The situation was way too chaotic back then, I didn’t even notice the physical contact.]

[Do you think Stelle might have some kind of hidden special power?!]

Aboard the Xianzhou Luofu, Guinaifen stared into her camera, holding up a single finger with a dramatic gasp. “I know the answer. Is it possible that Stelle is actually already dead? Think about it! Castorice can only make physical contact with the dead!”

[Guinaifen stopped talking nonsense and went straight to talking crazy.]

[Chang Chang, please keep Guinaifen under control. Just let Sushang do the talking in future streams.]

Guinaifen offered a sheepish, embarrassed smile. She was only trying to crack a joke to lift the heavy atmosphere, but her chat was absolutely ruthless.

Following Stelle’s retreat to her quarters, the narrative perspective shifted back to Aglaea and Tribbie. The two of them could clearly sense the ripples in reality, confirming that Trianne had used the Gate of a Hundred Worlds once again. Tribbie stared into the distance, fully aware that their fractured existence meant they would all part ways one day. Her only quiet hope was that they could share a proper goodbye when the end came.

To wash away the suffocating tension, the two decided to visit the grand bathhouse for a moment of relaxation. Instead, they walked into a scene of absolute chaos.

Unconscious bodies were sprawled across the damp tiles. Even Hyacine had rushed over in a panic, only to find Phainon face-down on the floor. After a brief, exasperated inquiry, the truth came out. Mydei and Phainon had engaged in a stubborn, macho competition to see who could endure the scalding water the longest. They had cranked the temperature so high that they had effectively boiled themselves and everyone else in the room into unconsciousness.

Hyacine: “(ᗜ_ᗜ)”

Tribbie: “(ᗜ_ᗜ)”

Aglaea crossed her arms, her golden eyes narrowing with aristocratic disdain. “This really is… quite a disgraceful display.”

The sheer absurdity left the players entirely speechless. Fortunately, after dragging the boiled idiots out, the three women finally managed to enjoy a proper soak. As the steam rose, the lore surrounding Tribbie’s condition became painfully clear to the audience.

[I honestly thought the Author just made her tiny because small characters are cute. I didn’t expect it to be a tragic defect like Castorice’s curse.]

[Every time they use the Gate of a Hundred Worlds, it literally damages their soul. That’s why they keep splitting and shrinking.]

[I wonder if Tribbie and the others will ever get a chance to become whole again?]

[This writing is too good. I’m already mourning for Tribbie, Trianne, and Trinnon. Knowing they used to be a single, powerful entity makes it hurt so much more, waaaah~]

Elsewhere in the city, the atmosphere between Mydei and Phainon was far less comedic. The two warriors sat in the dim light, quietly trading stories of the nightmares they had faced during their recent trials.

For Phainon, the illusion had forced him to watch his hometown burn to ash, resulting in the sight of Cyrene being slaughtered by a relentless black swordsman.

For Mydei, the trial had resurrected the ghosts of his fallen brothers.

“Hephaestion, Perdiccas, Leon, Ptolemy, Puseta.” Mydei recited the names like a sacred prayer. “Hephaestion was unmatched in combat. Perdiccas had a gift for pharmacy. Leon was the fastest runner we had. Ptolemy was a brilliant scholar, and Puseta… he played the lyre beautifully.”

Though more than a decade had passed, Mydei remembered every detail, every laugh, every sacrifice. They had all bled out in foreign lands, dying one by one just to preserve the memory of the former Mydmos. It was this crushing weight of history that drove the Dromas People’s absolute obsession with returning to their true home.

Hearing this quiet confession, the livestream audience finally understood the desperate motivations behind their seemingly erratic behavior.

But peace in Amphoreus was always a fragile illusion. The quiet night shattered when the two separate plotlines violently collided. Just as Mydei was speaking of his master, Kratros, the doors burst open. Tribbie scrambled into the room, her small face pale with terror.

“Little Dei! Something terrible has happened, it’s bad!” she cried out. “Go save her! Trinnon… she’s been kidnapped by Kratros!”

The sudden escalation sent the chat into a frenzy.

[What the heck? Again?!]

[Emergency! Bad news from the Fire Chasing Circle, Trinnon has been taken!]

[Kratros did it? Why the hell would he do that? Isn’t he Mydei’s master?!]

Guinaifen leaned close to her monitor, her eyes wide with anxiety. It made no sense. Kratros had absolutely no grudge against Trinnon. Had the black tide infiltrated the city and corrupted his mind? She slammed her fingers against the keyboard, rushing her character toward the objective.

When they finally cornered him, the truth was far more tragic than demonic possession. Kratros was not corrupted by the black tide. He was simply a broken man, consumed by an overwhelming anxiety for the future of the Dromas People. Desperate to secure their salvation, he had taken Trinnon hostage, intending to force his way through the oracle trial himself so he could lead his people home.

His desperate gamble failed miserably.

Standing over the defeated master, Aglaea’s expression was cold and unyielding. She raised her hand, fully prepared to execute him for his treason. But before the fatal blow could land, Tribbie and Trianne threw themselves in the way.

The fractured girls understood his pain. They knew Kratros did not truly believe in the oracle, terrified that the Dromas People would be abandoned and left without a home after the Re-creation.

“We want to earn your trust,” Trianne said softly, her voice carrying an ancient weight. “And the trust of all your people. I think the best way to do that is to take you to witness the very source of the prophecy with your own eyes.”

Tribbie nodded, looking up at the broken warrior. “You should have heard about that outworlder by now. She has successfully established a connection with Orionis. We will ask for her help. Tomorrow, at the temple in Januspolis within the Abyss of Destiny… Kratros, ‘we’ are willing to reveal that ancient memory to you, entirely without reservation.”

The screen faded to black, leaving the chat staring at the final lines of dialogue.

[That ancient memory? Are they talking about an era from Tribios’s time?]

[It’s finally happening. Whether this fan game reaches masterpiece status or not depends entirely on this massive lore drop!]