The last darkness before dawn

Translation:

[You wake up abruptly in the middle of the night.]

[A bad premonition rises in your heart. Despite the exhaustion from contacting the Lower Zone in the past two days, you step out of your room.]

[You find Bronya missing, with only a note on the table, written in delicate handwriting—]

["Ron, I'm going to the rift. Mother said she would tell me the whole truth... I will persuade her after learning the reasons for her policies, and then we can work together to protect Belobog."]

["Mother is actually a very gentle person and can be easily persuaded. The rift isn't dangerous for the two of us. I'll be back soon, don't worry."]

[There's a rather old-fashioned doodle at the corner of the note, as if Bronya wanted to decorate it a bit to make it look less plain.]

Looking at the text on the light screen, Ron rolls his eyes and faints from anger.

Don't send her, please, no more sending her!

Ron had just cleverly resolved the rumor problem and even undermined Cocolia's military power, but now Bronya is jumping into the fire again.

Damn, should have seen this coming...

Ron slaps his forehead in frustration, recalling that in the original storyline of Honkai: Star Rail, Bronya goes to question Cocolia after learning about the hardships of the Lower Zone and is taken to Everwinter Ridge to listen to the Stellaron ASMR.

Now, he has opened the communication between the Upper and Lower Zones, and it's normal for Bronya to be excited after talking with Seele for so long.

But having such a weak teammate dragging him down is really tough. Bronya, when will you grow up and stop following Cocolia around calling her "Mom" all the time?

Now I have to clean up this mess...

Ron sighs, rubs his temples, and calms his emotions.

New options appear on the light screen—

[This is an epic choice, please choose—]

[1. Return to sleep. The recent troubles have exhausted you, and you believe Bronya can return safely under Cocolia's protection. You decide to go back to sleep and not worry about these troubles anymore.

Your stress level is 80. Choosing this option will significantly reduce your stress and trigger a stress relief event.]

[2. Rush to the rift. You know Cocolia harbors ill intentions, and allowing Bronya to enter the rift means she will lose her mind under the Stellaron's whispers and become its puppet along with Cocolia.

Choosing this option, you will enter the rift to find Bronya. Your stress level will increase significantly, and you will trigger a stress collapse event.]

[3. Seek help. Choose a faction between the Silvermane Guards and the Earthfire Organization to help rescue Bronya.

The outcome will vary depending on the faction chosen, and the higher your reputation in the faction, the higher the success rate of the rescue. Your stress level will slightly increase.]

[Because this is an epic choice, a special option will appear—]

A glowing golden option box appears at the end:

[4. Make your own choice. Abandon all preset paths and input your approach in the text box.]

Staring at the four options in front of him, Ron is a bit stunned.

Epic choice? What is this?

Ron clicks on the jump interface on the light screen and sees the introduction of the epic choice:

[Epic Choice: In the simulation game, whenever there is a possibility of triggering an epic event exceeding 30%, the option to decide whether to trigger the epic event will appear.

After successfully triggering the epic event, a golden epic entry will be fixed at the end of this simulation game, unlimited in number.]

Ron immediately sweeps away his lazy and annoyed demeanor, sitting up straight and looking seriously at the light screen.

A golden epic entry?

The collector's desire burns in Ron's heart.

He won't miss such a good opportunity... This is a golden entry, obviously a rare event, and missing it would be regrettable for a long time!

The next choice must be made carefully.

After thinking for a moment, Ron decisively chooses the fourth option.

Finally, the life simulation game gives him a chance to play. He has long wanted to avoid those single-path options... Many things can be done simultaneously, with significantly higher benefits.

The golden input box appears on the light screen, and Ron, while thinking, makes a simple countermeasure based on the current situation.

New text appears on the light screen:

[Despite your exhaustion, you force yourself to start your actions.]

[You find the armory key in Bronya's drawer and hand it to Guard Officer Gepard, instructing him to lead the Silvermane Guards to be fully armed and stand guard at the border passage.]

[You approach Seele, asking the Earthfire Organization to maintain order in Belobog for the time being.]

[You inform her of Bronya's situation and request her to spread the word that "Cocolia has been corrupted by the rift, and Bronya has bravely ventured into the rift to protect Belobog."]

[You ask her to clear any political obstacles for Bronya, even if it means causing chaos in Belobog.]

[Your stress level increases significantly, triggering a stress collapse event—]

[You have gained a temporary entry: Self-Destructive Tendencies (Gray)]

[Self-Destructive Tendencies: The accumulation of multiple stresses has led you to a certain level of self-destructive tendencies. Until this entry is removed, a "sacrifice" option will be fixed in all your choices.]

The text on the light screen fades, and a new scene appears:

"Although I hate that old witch, it feels like many people in the Upper Zone still respect her... Suddenly making Bronya the leader without notice, it feels like the whole Upper Zone will be in chaos."

Seele's hair is a bit messy, clearly pulled out of bed by Ron, and her tired eyes show a trace of doubt.

Faced with Seele's question, Ron explains briefly:

"Cocolia won't be coming back. Without the Great Guardian, Belobog is like a traveler without a guiding light, buried silently in the snow."

"The Great Guardian is the belief that keeps most people alive... However, Belobog only needs a Great Guardian, it doesn't matter who it is."

He speaks with a cold tone:

"Bronya needs to step up over Cocolia. If there are any dissenting voices, eliminate them early."

"This city is already on the brink of collapse... Belobog can't afford any turmoil."

"Can you handle Cocolia and that Stellaron alone?"

Seele says, adjusting her clothes and picking up her giant scythe without hesitation:

"Do you want me to go with you?"

"No need... Whether you're there or not makes no difference in dealing with the Stellaron-corrupted Cocolia."

"Stay in Belobog. You have a lot to do."

Ron says, turning and stepping into the darkness, heading quickly towards the rift in the dead of night.

This is the final darkness before dawn.