"Has the Trailblazer passenger discovered anything?!" Pom-Pom asked urgently.
"There's a peculiar mirror..." Guinaifen replied truthfully.
"Wah! Pom-Pom knew there had to be something s-s-strange going on!"
"Quickly, Trailblazer, figure out what to do!"
After discovering the mirror, Guinaifen had already discussed it with Old Yang and Himeko, but both insisted they couldn't see any such mirror.
This object was visible only to the protagonist.
Guinaifen understood that the Astral Express would have many bizarre elements, but this was her first encounter with something causing distinct perceptions among different people.
She stepped closer and examined the shattered mirror once more.
As you approach the mirror, a figure slowly emerges within its reflection—but it bears no resemblance to you. The image shows a hooded girl, her face obscured by a peculiar mask, making her features indistinguishable.
Before you can react, the girl steps out from the mirror.
"Wow, is this the Astral Express?" Guinaifen squinted, beginning a conversation with the mysteriously appearing girl.
A few minutes later:
"The Garden of Recollection?"
"A Messenger of [Memory]?"
"Does Memories Chamber want to preserve my memories?"
Pouting slightly, Guinaifen processed this new information slowly.
"Do you wish to enter the Forgotten Hall?" the Messenger asked.
"Yes, I do!"
Before her eyes appeared an interface displaying numerous stages.
Eternal City's Lost Secrets - Memory One
As Guinaifen read through the interface's description, she had an instant realization!
"Isn't this just a combat-focused dungeon?"
"Huh?! With all that mystique, I thought it would have some significant storyline!"
"This system sure knows how to complicate things!"
Since it was already open, she naturally decided to give it a try.
Guinaifen had great confidence in her Jing Yuan.
With Jing Yuan, Tingyun, Asta, and Natasha, she believed she had assembled her strongest team so far!
Once Luocha became available, she'd replace Natasha with Luocha!
This Jing Yuan-centered lineup would then be complete!
[Combat begins.]
Her opponent was a level 32 Voidranger Stomper. Although lacking a Lightning weakness, one round of Jing Yuan's ample damage was enough to instantly defeat it.
Her Jing Yuan was already at level 60.
Next, Memory Two, Memory Three, Memory Four...
All the way up to the tenth level!
She faced no obstacles throughout!
Guinaifen grew bolder with each battle! The intense combat she had longed for finally materialized here!
After clearing the tenth level, her heart raced, and her hands were ablaze with excitement!
"Other than the Simulated Universe, is this Forgotten Hall the game's toughest dungeon?"
"Ever since receiving guidance from that top player, my understanding of the game has skyrocketed, Little Gui style!"
"Clearing ten levels in one go—dare anyone else claim such feat!"
"Little Gui, you're just discovering this instance now? I've already cleared the tenth level."
"After getting Seele, I've been dominating Forgotten Hall effortlessly."
"I've cleared the first eight levels using only four-star characters; saving my Stellar Jade for Kama!"
"Let's be honest, the rewards from Forgotten Hall are truly abundant!"
Observing the stream's chat, it seemed players were already quite familiar with this Forgotten Hall.
Guinaifen smiled nonchalantly.
Despite their familiarity, there was no way anyone had completed all stages of the Forgotten Hall yet!
It consisted of fifteen levels in total, and she herself had only reached the tenth so far.
Just as Guinaifen prepared to challenge the eleventh level, she noticed that at this point, the path split into upper and lower routes.
Jing Yuan, Tingyun, Asta, and Natasha formed a formidable team, with each character being at least Level 50.
However, her other characters lagged significantly behind.
There was only one more Level 50 character—Himeko!
The rest, including Sushang, March 7th, and the protagonist, were still stuck at Level 40 without having ascended further!
Currently, materials were severely lacking. It was already challenging enough to level up just one team!
Undeterred, Guinaifen decided to give it a try.
***
The result was a complete defeat!
Overwhelmed by Blaze Out of Space's relentless fireballs!
"It seems without forming a second team, it's impossible to progress further."
Looking directly into the camera, he unhesitatingly pointed out the current predicament faced by many players:
"I now understand why nobody has cleared this dungeon yet. Who among us has the resources to train a second team?"
"No wonder everyone claims they're dominating... but who isn't on the first ten floors?"
"And when asked about clearing beyond that, there's only silence!"
"Streamers can be so heartless! Why burst our bubbles like this... wails"
"Huh? Fifteen layers? I thought there were only five."
"Hey buddy, have you tried swiping to the right?"
"I felt pretty awesome reaching the eighth layer, but it turns out two separate teams are needed for later stages?"
"Just take it slow; once your overall progression improves, they'll become easier."
Returning to the main menu of the Forgotten Hall, Guinaifen gently tapped on the rewards section.
[2000 Stellar Jade]
???
"What?! How much is that?"
Guinaifen recalculated herself.
"Clearing with three stars earns 200 Stellar Jade, and I achieved three stars for all ten levels. Yes, it adds up—exactly 2000 Stellar Jade!"
"The rewards from this Forgotten Hall are incredibly generous!"
"Feathered Spirit remains as magnanimous as ever!"
After converting all her Stellar Jade into exclusive tickets,
Guinaifen couldn't resist opening the card drawing interface once more.
Yes!
Her addiction to gacha had kicked in again!
Having just acquired some Stellar Jade, combined with what she previously saved, she now had over 70 draws at her disposal.
"Should I draw an Eidolon for Jing Yuan?" She glanced at the description for Eidolon 1 but felt somewhat hesitant.
She logged onto the forums.
Time to check the strategy section for opinions from other experts!
Guinaifen believed there must be dedicated players deeply versed in analyzing these numerical values within the game.
For instance, there was that big shot whose account got banned during the live stream.
(WTF?!)
If this player also frequented the forums, Guinaifen would undoubtedly keep a close eye on their posts right away!
The number of players for Honkai: Star Rail continued to grow, and among them were dedicated hardcore gamers creating comprehensive guides.
[Current Version's Strongest Team Composition for Jing Yuan!]
[Character Guide - The Ultimate One-Stop Guide for Seele]
[Tingyun Shines as the Beacon Among Four-Star Supports! Exceptional Skill Mechanics! Click here for details.]
[Old Jing's Support Finally Arrives! Luocha's Skill Can Remove Negative Effects from Teammates; Divine Monarch No Longer Fearful of Crashes!]
"Right, I need to save my Stellar Jade for Luocha!"
"This Eidolon doesn't seem like a significant upgrade; better to hold off and wait for Luocha!"
Guinaifen felt her decision was quite prudent.
As a modest spender, she couldn't afford to recklessly splurge! There would surely be future banners for Silver Wolf and Kafka too! Being a Stellaron Hunter meant certain characters were must-haves. With so many desired roles at stake, restraint was essential.