Belobog.
Central Square.
The people in the snow seemed to have turned into statues!
Many visitors already had small piles of snow accumulating on their shoulders.
Yet, no one had snapped out of it!
Everyone was completely immersed in the unfolding story!
Igor spoke: "I'm going home. My homeland needs me… I thought the galaxy was vast, that I would surely find a way to save it, that someone would be willing to hear my cry for help."
"But I was wrong. The tragedy of Jarilo is insignificant. It plays out in every corner of the universe—if not here, then there; if not today, then tomorrow. People have long grown accustomed to the disappearance of an insignificant star."
"While I was throwing punches, my family and friends were bleeding and dying from the Legion's invasion. While I was throwing punches, their hope was slowly fading."
"Now, it's time to go back. If a child cannot throw a punch to protect his mother when she needs it, what right does he have to call himself her child?"
"Goodbye, Jing Yuan… No, considering my age, we probably won't meet again."
...
"Damn it!! It's the lifespan difference after all!"
"The fate of the long-life species and the short-life species! We might never see each other again…"
"Wahhh…"
"Don't do this!!"
"The Abundance followers, the Swarm Disaster, the Intellitrons, the Legion—each one more heavyweight than the last, not to mention the Annihilation Gang and other factions. Tragedy is everywhere."
"The people of Belobog will never stop fighting. They held on for 700 years, and finally, the Nameless brought them a turning point."
"I want to turn this imperfect story into the one we all hope for!"
"Meeting someone who inherits Igor's will—isn't that a kind of reunion in itself?"
...
In the square.
Everyone was utterly stunned!
Even though the main storyline of Honkai: Star Rail had already perfectly depicted the city's spirit of Preservation!
But at this moment!
They couldn't help but be moved by the heroes of Belobog!
That resilience and unyielding spirit.
It felt almost tangible!
Someone instinctively looked up.
And saw the massive walls of Belobog towering above.
All of this.
Was built with the flesh and blood of generations of people like Igor!
Beyond the visual impact.
At this moment.
An even greater spiritual impact enveloped everyone's hearts!
And the story.
Continued to unfold.
"May you find victory, Igor," Jing Yuan's tone was heavy.
But Igor buried all his sorrow and heaviness deep in his chest.
And laughed heartily: "May you find victory too, Jing Yuan! If there's a chance, I'd love to spar with you again!"
He did his best to show his optimism and strength to his friends on the Luofu.
And as Jing Yuan disappeared from the scene.
Igor finally let down his strong facade.
Facing the starry sky outside the window.
He whispered:
"...I'm coming home, Mom."
"I won all my fights. But this time, I can't win."
The scene shifted back to the Seat of Divine Foresight.
Jing Yuan spoke softly: "To meet friends through martial arts—that was the founding purpose of the martial ceremony. But back then, I was just a Cloud Knight Lieutenant. I couldn't change anything. I could only watch his despairing back, unable to utter a single word of comfort."
"And just like that, he left. Time passed in a flash… In the blink of an eye, three hundred years had gone by."
As Jing Yuan sighed, the scenes of memories resurfaced once more.
[Four hundred years ago.]
"Apologies, General, but what was the name of that world you just mentioned?" asked the Sky-Faring Commission's advisor.
"For this year's Martial Ceremony, send an invitation to that world called Jarilo-. Hopefully, his descendants will respond."
The Sky-Faring Commission advisor hesitated for a moment before reporting, "General, the star charts of the Sky-Faring Commission show... this world has already gone dark."
Jing Yuan let out a sigh of disbelief.
...
"The hand holding the Jade Abacus trembled slightly."
"Jing Yuan must be deeply regretful at this moment. After waiting so long, he finally had the chance to extend a helping hand, only to find out it was already too late."
"How sad. Considering the lifespan of the Long-life Species, this must feel like a friend Jing Yuan just made last year or the year before had suddenly passed away."
"At that moment, Jing Yuan must have thought he had missed another opportunity, that he had once again failed to do anything."
"[Sunglasses][Sunglasses]"
"After painstakingly holding Luofu together for centuries, he finally had the chance to help an old friend, but the opportunity was gone..."
"Hahahaha, how utterly despairing!!!"
"It's unimaginable that Belobog has endured until now."
"So when Honkai: Star Rail was revealed, the entire universe was shocked that this small planet had managed to survive on its own for 700 years!?"
"The Belobogians built a new Great Wall with their flesh and blood!"
"This is true Preservation!"
"Salute to the people of Belobog!"
"I won't use any fancy words, I'll just say, Belobog, you're amazing!"
...
"General?"
Fortunately, Jing Yuan had already become a general by this time.
After experiencing many upheavals, he was no longer the naive young man he once was.
After a brief moment of shock, he forced himself to remain composed.
He spoke, "Send an invitation. Consider it a wish that may never come true."
Inside the Seat of Divine Foresight.
Luka looked astonished, "So this is the origin of the communication invitation we received?"
Jing Yuan nodded.
He then added,
"Before Igor left, he gave me a small memento."
An old, yellowed photograph was displayed on the screen.
In the picture, two people were laughing heartily—Jing Yuan and Igor.
Igor was tall and broad.
He had his arm around Jing Yuan as if he were a younger brother.
It seemed as if he was saying, "No matter what happens in the future, big brother has your back!"
And Jing Yuan, for once, wore a bright smile.
He looked like a fresh college graduate.
A bit reserved.
"This is a photo of the two of us before we parted. Even though he was weighed down by heavy disappointment that day, he still tried his best to smile."
...
"Wuwuwu, the smiles of these two..."
"Memories of the Past"
"The fact that the photo is well-preserved shows that this friendship was cherished."
"But he still tried his best to smile"
"Igor is so handsome!"
"Jing Yuan in this photo looks so youthful, yet also full of ambition."
"Back then, his close friend was still alive, and he didn't have the burden of being a general, so of course he was full of ambition."
"This must have been the tail end of Jing Yuan's most carefree youth... Soon after, Baiheng would die in the Sedition of Imbibitor Lunae..."
"Do you really have to bring that up?"
"Another 400 years later, Sushang looks at a photo of Little Gui..."
"Look at how Little Gui is tormenting Sushang. It's hard to say who will outlast whom."
...Door...