Chapter 53: Live Stream from the Luofu Begins—Is Seele No Longer Meta?
"What do you mean 'trapped in the Shackling Prison'? That's just a fancy way of saying he's locked up, right?"
"So you're asking us to break him out?" March 7th huffed, crossing her arms in disbelief at Kafka's bold request.
Himeko and Welt exchanged glances, both subtly shaking their heads. This was clearly beyond what the Astral Express crew was willing to do.
Only Stelle, ever the pragmatist, asked, "What's in it for us?"
Kafka raised three fingers.
"Three questions."
"After this mission, I'll answer any three questions from the Astral Express truthfully—no lies, no omissions."
Stelle's eyes flickered with interest, but ultimately, he shook his head.
"Sorry, but we can't accept."
Himeko stood, her tone firm. "Kafka, while your offer is tempting, your request crosses a line. We won't make enemies of the Xianzhou Alliance, much less aid the Stellaron Hunters against them."
As she spoke, Himeko reached for the console, ready to cut the transmission.
Sensing the rejection, Kafka smirked and logged off before Himeko could disconnect her.
Silence returned to the train cabin.
Only Guinaifen's live stream continued playing in the background.
Kafka's proposal was quickly set aside.
The crew's attention shifted back to the unfolding events, now debating whether to proceed toward the Xianzhou Luofu.
A vote was cast.
Stelle and Dan Heng abstained.
Himeko, Welt, and March 7th voted in favor.
March 7th, noticing Stelle's questioning look, grinned sheepishly. "After thinking it over… what if Kafka was telling the truth? If we don't go, innocent lives could be at risk. This isn't the time to be impulsive… hehe."
Watching this scene, March 7th gasped and covered her mouth.
Her first thought: Wow, I sound ridiculous!
But then—
"Huh? That actually sounds like something I'd say!"
---
Guinaifen's Live Stream
As the Astral Express arrived at the Luofu, Guinaifen took a big gulp of Immortal Delight tea and grinned at her viewers.
"Hey everyone! Looks like it's finally our turn for some action on the Luofu!"
"Before, when things were happening elsewhere, it didn't feel real. But now? Every move the Astral Express makes—no, every second of this story has me on the edge of my seat!"
"And who knows? Maybe some familiar faces will show up in the plot!"
"Oh! Since Shangshang is an actual playable character, do you think she'll make an appearance?"
---
The Trailblazers—Welt, March 7th, and Stelle—stepped onto the Luofu through the Jade Gate, only to be met with an unsettling silence.
The bustling port was deserted.
As they ventured further, they found Cloud Knights lying injured on the ground.
"Wow, just like in the game—wherever the plot goes, chaos follows! Even the Luofu isn't safe."
"Didn't Kafka say a Stellaron detonated here?"
"Wait, when did that happen? I didn't hear anything!"
"Probably hasn't happened yet…"
"Someone alert General Jing Yuan! Are there any officials in chat?"
"I live near Cloudford, and even I'm not panicking—though I did see a bunch of Cloud Knights rushing by earlier."
The Xianzhou players were fully immersed.
With their own safety potentially at stake, they were desperate to see what happened next!
Some viewers even spammed gifts, urging Guinaifen to hurry the story along.
She thanked them while keeping up with the narrative.
Soon, the crew encountered their first battle on the Luofu.
"Stay alert—these enemies are unfamiliar," Welt warned.
"Just waiting for your orders, Uncle Yang!"
Though the Astral Express had never seen these grotesque, mutated warriors before, the Xianzhou natives recognized them instantly—Mara-Struck Soldiers!
"These guys revive after being defeated once—classic Mara-Struck behavior," Guinaifen commented.
Then, a voice called out from ahead—
"Hey! Over here! We need help!"
The chat exploded the moment they saw her.
"Hah! Of course, the first person they meet is Miss Tingyun!"
"Who doesn't know the Sky-Faring Commission's Tingyun?"
"Still as stunning as ever!"
"Earlier, March 7th joked that the first person they'd meet would be the mastermind. Guess that theory's busted."
"She's always overthinking things. Did anyone actually believe her?"
The battle wrapped up quickly.
With Himeko's Heavenfall Flame, Guinaifen easily wiped out the Mara-Struck Soldiers—even after their resurrection.
With a dramatic flourish, she declared:
"As you've all seen!"
"Luofu's enemies revive—Seele's resurgence won't trigger here! Himeko's AoE attacks are the real MVP!"
"This is why I didn't pull for Seele—pure foresight!"
Chat erupted in laughter.
"Foresight? More like copium!"
"Little Gui spent 90 pulls on Seele's banner and only got an extra copy of Himeko—spread the word!"
"I skipped Seele too. Love her character, but as a meta player, I'm saving for stronger units."
"Save for Jing Yuan! Or better yet, wait for Emperor's Bow Lan. But hey, early pullers get early rewards!"