Chapter 251: A Call to Arms
Lumine wasted no time. With a few swift taps, she pinged the entire chat group, composing a message that conveyed the dire situation in the clearest, most concise language she could muster.
[Genshin Impact · Lumine]: "@all members Emergency! Natlan is currently facing an unmatched, large-scale invasion from the Abyss. Their power seems to have been amplified somehow. The defensive lines of the various tribes are under immense pressure and in imminent danger! We urgently need support! Anyone with the time and combat capability, please lend us a hand!"
The moment her message went live, the once-peaceful chat group erupted into a flurry of activity.
[Genshin Impact · Hu Tao]: "While this Hall Master's main business is sending people to the afterlife, when it comes to monsters that harm the living, I won't back down! Count me in!"
[Genshin Impact · Venti]: "Ehe~ Oh my, it seems this free-spirited bard must temporarily pick up his bow and fight for the sake of friendship~"
[Genshin Impact · Zhongli]: "To protect civilization and resist external threats is to uphold righteousness. I am willing to lend my aid."
[Honkai: Star Rail · Stelle]: "Whoa! The Abyss is causing trouble again?! But with us here, it'll be a piece of cake!"
[Honkai: Star Rail · Stelle]: "Helping out in a fight? We're pros at that! Dan Heng, March, let's go help Lumine and the others!"
[Honkai: Star Rail · Dan Heng]: "It is our duty. Phainon and the others have gone to prepare for the Flame-Bearer Ceremony, so we have no other arrangements. We can set off at any time."
[Zenless Zone Zero · Belle]: "My brother and I are going too! We might not be as strong as everyone else, but we can definitely handle a few monsters!"
[Zenless Zone Zero · Wise]: "Agreed. There is strength in numbers. We are ready to assist."
A cascade of similar messages followed as nearly everyone immediately pledged their support. This wasn't just about helping Lumine and Natlan avert a crisis; for many of the newer members, it was also a precious opportunity to quickly earn Group Points and enhance their own strength. Their enthusiasm was evident.
However, aboard the Astral Express and within the Herta Space Station, Welt and Himeko hesitated.
In principle, they were more than willing to provide support. The problem was their prior commitments—they were scheduled to contact Ms. Herta, Ms. Acheron, and General Jing Yuan to discuss the plea for help from Amphoreus. If both Welt and Himeko, the core leadership of the Express, were to depart... it could jeopardize the delicate situation there.
Just as they were weighing their options, the chat group's system chimed in, its prompt appearing as if it had anticipated their very dilemma.
[System Prompt: Detected that the current main activity area 'Amphoreus' of the world where Administrator Stelle is located possesses special properties. To ensure the efficiency of cross-world task execution and the stability of each world, when the administrator of that world accepts a cross-world team commission, core members of that world who are currently active will participate in the task by default.]
[At that time, the Chat Group will perform adaptive adjustments and temporary anchoring of the time flow in the relevant areas of the administrator's world. This ensures that group members participating in the task can return normally after the task ends without affecting their original timeline.]
[This operation involves underlying rules. Please decide carefully whether to accept the commission.]
This prompt was far more specific than any they had seen before, revealing a startling amount of new information. It wasn't just about default participation, but the active 'adjustment'and'anchoring'of the'time flow' itself.
Welt's brow furrowed. He subconsciously pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, his sharp mind attempting to parse the potential risks and feasibility hidden within the cold, technical text.
On the Astral Express, orbiting the strange world of Amphoreus, Himeko's expression grew just as solemn. On one hand, she saw Stelle's obvious, burning desire to leap into action, earn points, and fight alongside her friends. On the other, this vaguely described 'time adjustment' carried far too much uncertainty.
Would this temporal meddling interfere with their crucial contacts with Acheron and Jing Yuan? Could it introduce unknown, destabilizing effects on the already volatile Amphoreus? As the leaders of the Astral Express Crew, these were questions they had to consider.
Unfortunately, reality rarely affords one the luxury of thorough deliberation.
Just as Welt and Himeko's minds raced, trying to find a balanced solution in a split second, a blur of motion decided for them.
Stelle's finger, moving with the lightning-fast instinct that always preceded her thoughts, had already decisively pressed the 'Accept Commission' button on her virtual interface. The motion was so smooth and casual it looked as if she were merely brushing away a speck of non-existent dust, not making a monumental decision that could involve the stability of spacetime.
[Honkai: Star Rail · Stelle]: "Accepted! Saving Natlan is our duty!"
(Clicks_Accept_Commission_button.jpg)
[System Prompt: Administrator [Honkai: Star Rail · Stelle] has accepted the large-scale team cooperation commission 'Against the Abyss'! Active core members of her world have joined by default. World time flow adjustment program initiated...]
[Welt]: "..."
[Himeko]: "..."
From her seat on the Astral Express, Himeko rubbed her temples and let out a long, helpless sigh. Miles away, walking the pristine corridors of the Herta Space Station, Welt pushed up his glasses, his expression one of utter resignation.
They should have known. With Stelle's impulsive personality, where her actions always outpaced her thoughts, how could she possibly have the patience to wait for them to slowly analyze the pros and cons? The double temptation of a 'hot-blooded rescue mission'and'point rewards' was simply irresistible.
Dan Heng, ever perceptive, seemed to guess what was on their minds.
[Honkai: Star Rail · Dan Heng]: "Himeko, Mr. Welt, there's no need to worry too much for now. Based on our previous speculations about the Chat Group, this time adjustment might... be carried out in a way that is most beneficial and least intrusive to the administrator and her world."
[Honkai: Star Rail · Dan Heng]: "For example, it's highly likely that after we leave, the time of our world—or at least Amphoreus and its associated areas... will be temporarily frozen..."
Even Dan Heng couldn't quite finish the thought with complete confidence. As rational as he was, he knew this was speculation. It was a reasonable hypothesis based on existing phenomena, but it lacked direct evidence.
A moment later, the reality of her actions finally caught up to Stelle.
[Honkai: Star Rail · Stelle]: "Um, did I... act too fast again? Did I do something wrong?"
(Guilty.jpg)
Stelle couldn't help but shrink her neck, glancing at the exasperated yet fond look Dan Heng was giving her from beside her.
But what was done was done. The system prompt had already confirmed it, and there was no turning back.
[Himeko]: "Forget it. Since the decision has been made, let's go together. We've been wanting to see you three again anyway. Taking this opportunity to see the nations of another world sounds like a fine experience."
[Welt]: "Indeed. Any existence capable of connecting worlds must be extraordinary. For now, let's place our trust in the Chat Group's mechanisms."
Seeing that the two elders of the Express weren't truly angry with her, Stelle's vitality returned in a flash.
[Honkai: Star Rail · Stelle]: "Awesome! Then let's hurry up and go help Lumine beat up those Abyss monsters!"
With the decision made, the group immediately shifted into the tactical arrangement phase.
Lumine quickly uploaded a map of the entire Natlan region, provided to her by Mavuika, to the group's shared files. It clearly marked the several major tribes currently suffering from the fiercest attacks.
The members of the Chat Group had already weathered several cross-world events and commissions together. They were intimately familiar with each other's combat capabilities.
Without needing much discussion, the tacit understanding forged through fighting side-by-side allowed everyone to quickly divide the labor and form their teams.
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