"This... this isn't right, is it?"
Did I time-travel again? Did I travel from the original plot world of Honkai: Star Rail to some weird fanfiction world line?
Why at this time... in this time period where the Astral Express shouldn't arrive at Jarilo-VI for another half a month or so, and where the Xianzhou [Luofu], which shouldn't have any intersection with Belobog, has appeared in the sky above Jarilo-VI?!
Ron stared blankly at the gold-and-green giant ship entwined with tree roots in the sky. He rubbed his eyes, trying to make the image before him clearer—
But everything before his eyes didn't change just because he rubbed them.
This ecological giant ship, which set sail over eight thousand years ago under the decree of an ancient emperor, sailed into the star system. Relying on spatial folding technology, it avoided the gravitational effects of the star imprisoned in its giant core on Jarilo-VI, and quietly moored in the parking orbit outside Jarilo-VI, replacing everything in the sky above the planet.
Ron raised his head. The sunlight in the sky was completely blocked by the massive hull of the Xianzhou [Luofu], leaving only the star in the center of its hull emitting a soft light. This light was not scorching, allowing Ron to look directly at the sky without stinging his eyes.
The gentle light illuminated the massive hull of the Xianzhou [Luofu]. The Xianzhou natives lived within the vast grotto-heavens folded by spatial technology upon it, but Ron stood in his narrow little apartment in a corner of Belobog. The cramped space could barely hold a person...
The people of Belobog didn't live much differently from Ron, but these "savages" abandoned by starfaring civilization all raised their heads from their dwellings at this moment. They could easily see the glittering imprint of civilization shining under the soft light of the Xianzhou [Luofu]—
The miracle of the [Ambrosial Arbor] bestowed by the [Abundance] Yaoshi, the ruins of the Arbor snapped by the Reignbow Arbiter's Lux Arrow, the scars from collisions with [Mongs], the wounds left by three great wars, the remnants of the Third Abundance War...
The Xianzhou [Luofu] is the flagship of the Xianzhou Alliance. It was born with war; violence and savagery have beaten war drums loudly by its side since the moment it set sail. But the [Luofu] has soared for eight thousand years, never once broken by these trials.
The scars left by war and death form the foundation of this civilization. The Xianzhou [Luofu] built high-rises upon them. The aged scars on its body are but paintings named "Honor," glittering under the light with the unique pride of a creature of the star sea—
Just like the Xianzhou people arriving in Belobog now. Whether fair-skinned or not, whether their gaze is sharp or they have white hair, every inch of their bodies reveals that same unique arrogance belonging to Xianzhou natives.
They came to Belobog, extending a helping hand to this world, acting kind and approachable... yet they made no effort to hide the [Luofu]'s might.
Although the Xianzhou [Luofu] did not bare its fangs at Belobog and has been friendly to everyone on this planet, the moment the Xianzhou people stepped onto the soil of Jarilo-VI, the Cloud Knights subconsciously took control of all nodes in Belobog, holding this world firmly in the palm of their hand...
Ron moved his gaze away from the ancient celestial boat in the sky that carried eight thousand years of memories, dropping it to the street below his apartment. He could see the Silvermane Guards of Belobog, disrepair evident in their equipment, lining up in formation as if facing a great enemy.
Gepard Landau was leading the guards in a standoff against the Cloud Knights protecting the civil servants of the Luofu's Six Charioteers. In the distance, the gates of Qlipoth Fort were rudely kicked open at this moment. Cocolia rushed out, walking quickly toward the confronting Silvermane Guards and Cloud Knights, her shoulders seeming to tremble slightly...
But the conflict between them wasn't much of a conflict. The distance from Qlipoth Fort to the streets of the Belobog Administrative District's outer rim was only one or two kilometers. Cocolia could arrive in a few minutes... but within those few minutes, no further conflict would occur.
The Silvermane Guards, holding their shields and waiting solemnly, were easily disarmed. The Cloud Knights, clearly not in a combat state, knocked them down one against a hundred with ease, completely unaffected in their duty of protecting the Six Charioteers' renovation work on Belobog.
And the Silvermane Guards didn't suffer any injuries... they just fell to the ground with absolutely no chance to resist in the face of completely crushing combat power. This kind of "child's play" wasn't uncommon for the Cloud Knights; teasing children without hurting them was a basic requirement. These elite soldiers who had served for hundreds of years wouldn't lose their sense of proportion.
Among these Silvermane Guards, the only one who could barely fight a round with the Cloud Knights was Gepard Landau, who had walked deep on the Path of [Preservation] and was barely strong enough as a Pathstrider...
But before he could do anything, Cocolia had already arrived at the scene of the conflict. A gentle Foxian lady, skilled in handling affairs, stepped out from the busy civil servants. She mentioned the etiquette that should be observed by a micro-civilization, and as the Helm Master of the Sky-Faring Commission, one of the Luofu's Six Charioteers, she personally acted as an envoy, representing the Xianzhou [Luofu] in diplomatic exchange with Cocolia.
The conflict came to an abrupt halt.
All of this happened in an instant, and ended in an instant... The Xianzhou [Luofu] used the gentlest and most swift thunderous methods to declare its undeniable, fierce martial power to Belobog, while extremely generously providing all possible aid to Belobog...
Simple, rapid, efficient.
God-like methods.
Ron felt a genuine confusion from the bottom of his heart for the first time...
It was like waking up in the morning and opening the curtains to find the originally normal world had suddenly changed. Floating anti-gravity sports cars drifted outside the window, and characters crossing over from who-knows-what work flew past his window in sports cars, giving him a slap in passing to wake him up properly—don't sleep so long that you open in a daze—
Okay, the current world has indeed changed directly. The arrival of the Xianzhou [Luofu] is much scarier than a 2D character riding an anti-gravity sports car to slap him. Ron still hasn't recovered; his brain is in a true state of crashing.
It was the first time he felt somewhat helpless... The current situation heavily impacted his thoughts. He completely couldn't figure out why this Xianzhou [Luofu] suddenly appeared here, and why it would suddenly lend a helping hand to Belobog, using such unimaginably great power to support Jarilo-VI...
In the last simulation, Ron swept away all troubles on Jarilo-VI, rebuilt the planet with steel coverings, and turned it into a cosmic city. He used cost-free synthetic labor and large amounts of construction materials obtained from trading with the IPC—
The wealth Ron spent in the last simulation could already be counted in the billions. But now, if the troubles on Jarilo-VI are solved according to the Xianzhou [Luofu]'s aid method, and its ecology is reconstructed to be more suitable for human habitation, the wealth spent will completely turn into a truly astronomical figure...
Even for a behemoth like the Xianzhou [Luofu], this sum of money isn't enough to affect anything significantly, but there is no love or hate without reason in the world, and no pies drop from the sky... There are too many civilizations the Xianzhou [Luofu] can help. Such generous aid should essentially not fall on a place like Belobog, which has not half a point of relation to the Xianzhou [Luofu].
Moreover, the way the Xianzhou arrived was so sudden, and their methods were too urgent, as if they were using this massive operation to cover something up...
The Xianzhou [Luofu] must want something. They must be doing something in the dark.
But... what on earth is it?
Ron frowned tightly, watching the "if you don't die, work yourself to death" attitude of the massive number of Xianzhou civil servants and the rapidly changing appearance of Belobog under this work attitude. He pulled his curtains shut, blocking the view of the room, and sat on the bed, falling into deep thought.
To be honest, he couldn't think of what Belobog had that the Xianzhou [Luofu] would covet.
The most precious thing in this place was a Stellaron, but the Xianzhou [Luofu] isn't the Antimatter Legion, nor is it seeking the miracles of Abundance. The Xianzhou [Luofu] couldn't possibly have half a point of interest in it.
Aside from that, Belobog is really just a broken little place thoroughly forgotten in the most remote corner of this star sea. Even its civilization has almost regressed to the dark ages of the medieval period. How could it attract the attention of the Xianzhou [Luofu]...
To be honest, and to be a bit arrogant, on the entire Jarilo-VI, the only existence that could attract the attention of the Xianzhou [Luofu] is one—
That is Ron, himself.
After confirming that Herta is extremely likely to be a fellow player of the Life Simulation Game, Ron wasn't that surprised by the fact that the Life Simulation Game has other players.
If there is also a Life Simulation Game player on the Xianzhou [Luofu], and that person's position is high enough to move the entire Xianzhou [Luofu] with a single word, then it isn't impossible for them to come sailing for him after experiencing everything in the previous few simulations...
But... who exactly is that person?
Someone with such great power... could it be the Divine Strategist General of the Luofu?
No, that's not right... Not to mention Jing Yuan's cautious attitude, it's absolutely impossible for him to bet the entire Xianzhou [Luofu] to come to Belobog. Even if he really is that Life Simulation Game player, he probably couldn't persuade the Six Charioteers and the Ten-Lords Commission of the Xianzhou [Luofu].
Something like the Life Simulation Game is still too ethereal. The Xianzhou [Luofu] is a true behemoth. Trying to rely on this to convince the leaders of the entire Luofu is inevitably too excessive...
And the General is only a General. Although the Seven Arbiter-Generals of the Reignbow are said to be responsible for coordinating Xianzhou affairs and defending the Xianzhou, this power ultimately has boundaries. The Xianzhou is not the General's family property; it's absolutely not a case where the General can do whatever he wants.
To make the Xianzhou [Luofu] rush here regardless of the cost, and to provide such generous aid just to securely control Belobog... to be able to persuade the Six Charioteers and the Ten-Lords Commission of the Xianzhou [Luofu]...
It would have to be an existence of a higher level, a higher grade...
But higher... Wait.
Ron immediately and keenly caught something wrong.
Securely control... No, why control?
Ron subconsciously thought that since they also experienced the simulation game, they must be dissatisfied with the destined ending where this patch of star sea is controlled by [The Finality] Terminus. He thought they came to find him to cooperate, to find a way to solve [The Finality] Terminus together.
But thinking about it now, that doesn't make sense.
After all... if they wanted to cooperate with him, why would they need to control Belobog securely first?
And in every previous simulation, the Xianzhou didn't have much of a role. Except for the simulation before last where Ron became an Emanator of [The Abundance] and shook people up, the Xianzhou [Luofu] was basically completely detached from the main event developments of the simulation game.
They didn't have much contact in the game, yet in reality, they rush over with such expensive aid to find him for cooperation, and they don't even make any contact with him before cooperating? This simply isn't logical...
Also... the faction where [The Hunt] Lan serves as the Aeon... which side are they actually standing on?
In memory... although the Swarm in the last simulation said [The Hunt] Lan is absolutely not an enemy, He never extended a helping hand to Ron either...
The more Ron thought about it, the more wrong it felt. Looking at the quietly moored Xianzhou [Luofu] in the sky outside the window, he increasingly felt it looked a bit gloomy under that light. The more he looked, the more he felt this matter wasn't right. Looking at the enthusiastic faces of those Xianzhou civil servants on the street outside the window, even they became unpleasant to the eye...
"Considering the Xianzhou [Luofu], even reaching the General's level, it is very difficult to persuade the Six Charioteers and the Ten-Lords Commission. And the stance of [The Hunt] Lan is undecided. The only clearly confirmed ally is [The Abundance] Yaoshi whom I helped in the last simulation..."
"[The Hunt] Lan... might not necessarily differ from [The Destruction] Nanook and [The Equilibrium] HooH. He could also be a marionette in the palm of [The Finality] Terminus."
"And the reason the Xianzhou [Luofu] acted so quickly this time is because they received the 'Reignbow's' decree. Sailing under the Emperor's guidance..."
The more Ron thought, the more it had that "flavor." The more he thought, the more he felt it was a possibility. He fell into silence instantly.
After a while, he finally squeezed out a few sentences to comfort himself—
"How could such a conspiracy theory idea possibly have a real possibility? It can't be real..."
He fell silent for a moment, but still couldn't help adding a question mark:
"...Right?"
With suspicion and fear rising bit by bit in his heart, Ron couldn't help swallowing a mouthful of saliva.
This isn't playing a game in a simulation anymore; he has really arrived in reality...
If he really provoked an Aeon-level enemy, then things would be huge—
He hasn't become the Aeon of [Salvation] yet. Just any random Aeon—even a young Aeon like [The Hunt] Lan who is chasing Fate narrowly—could casually crush a few hundred Rons together. Other than exploding instantly, Ron wouldn't have half a point of ability to resist...
Just as Ron began to think cautiously because of the arrival of the Xianzhou [Luofu], with caution and fear intertwining in his mind—
On the other side, there is someone much more afraid than the current Ron.