Chapter 269: Why

In the Pure White Space, Black Curtain Lady stood before the huge light screen.

Her gaze lingered longer on the left light screen, watching the Tingyun Huan Long who was shaking a fan and whose fox ears fluttered, and her mouth twitched involuntarily twice.

"... Why."

Heimu's voice was light, carrying the fatigue of having worked seventy‑two overtime hours in a row before discovering the project had gone sour, "Will Huan Long be here?"

The system beside her, a doll‑like girl with violet hair and inverted cross pupils, immediately began analyzing, streams of data surging in her eyes: "Tracing the source of anomalous energy coordinate jump trajectory... matching Pleasure Intervention fate‑interference characteristics... similarity 99.97%..."

"No need to analyze."

Heimu raised her hand to interrupt, "It's Aha Qian's, right?"

The system calmly nodded: "Yes. Based on existing data and event abnormality, judged as 'Pleasure Gift·Part Three' with probability 99.99%."

"Heh."

Heimu emitted a sound without a smile, rubbed her throbbing temple, and said, "One after another... Black Tower, Huan Long... truly not disliking the chaos, Star God. Does it think I'm not lively enough here?"

She watched the light screen, Huan Long's effortlessly deft posture, and recalling the guy's abilities, felt her head throb even more.

"Do you still remember our original purpose?"

Heimu seemed to ask the system, and also herself, her tone absurd, "We only came to find Huo Huo. A little Judge that got lost. The result? Winterwood City became a team‑building site for other‑worldly Heroic Spirits (and Envoys), and over at Xianzhou..."

She turned her gaze to the light screen—near the warehouse where Kafuka and Yinlang were.

In the scene, Kafuka leaned against a container, the hem of her dark‑red coat fluttering without wind; she crossed her arms, her usual lazy composure vanished, replaced by deep contemplation, her fingertips unconsciously tapping her arm.

She occasionally lifted her head to look somewhere, her brows slightly furrowed.

Yinlang crouched nearby, holding her game console, but clearly not playing seriously; she kept glancing at Kafuka, then around, and chewed gum noticeably faster than usual.

"... Xianzhou's 'BOSS' is gone."

Heimu sighed, "Aha packaged (them) and sent to Winterwood City as a Servant. So how will Xianzhou's 'Star Core', 'Abundance' chaos plot continue? Kafuka's script, Ailiou's prophecy, won't that open a sky window?"

This is no longer just a matter of fun; it could directly affect her fragile cooperation with the Star Core Hunter, and even trigger larger timeline disturbances.

"Any new news on Kafuka's side?" Heimu asked the system.

The system quickly retrieved communications: "Since the last 'Processed' message, Ms. Kafuka has not initiated contact. Based on emotion analysis and micro‑expression inference, her current anxiety index is 78%, decision pressure is high."

"Can it not be high..."

Heimu looked at the screen at the clearly upset Kafuka, "A cooked duck flew away, and in such absurd way. She is probably frantically calculating backup plans, or suspecting that we are the ones behind this."

She hugged her arms, paced two steps in the Pure White Space, thoughts whirling in her violet‑black eyes.

(Xianzhou's plot cannot be broken. The Star Core Hunter's 'script' needs to advance, the Starrail Train's 'Exploration' needs to be experienced, Luofu's crisis needs solving... This is not just a 'story', but a key node that maintains certain necessary 'trajectories'.)

(But Huan Long is gone... who will become the 'Villain Boss' that triggers the crisis, tests everyone, and is ultimately resolved?)

Does she have to go herself, to play 'Extinction Great Lord Huan Long', stirring up storms in Xianzhou?

The thought surfaced, and Heimu herself found it a bit ridiculous.

But for now, there seems to be no better choice...

Just then—

【Ding! New Task Released.】

The system's alert tone and the translucent task panel that appeared before her interrupted Heimu's thoughts.

【Task Name: Top Shift Lord】

【Task Description: Due to force majeure (Pleasure Intervention), the originally scheduled Xianzhou Luofu 'Star Core Chaos' core antagonist 'Huan Long' (Extinction Great Lord) unexpectedly absent. To ensure the 'script' basic framework and key nodes progress normally, please temporarily replace its position and complete the corresponding storyline tasks.】

【Task Objectives: 1. Intervene in Xianzhou Luofu situation; 2. Guide/trigger Star Core and Abundance related crisis events; 3. Interact and confront with Starrail Train Group, Xianzhou Alliance and other forces in a manner befitting a Villain Boss; 4. Exit at an 'appropriate' moment.】

【Task Reward: Repair Rate +3%】

【Note: Acting is important, do not overplay, watch the scale of destruction. — System I Warm Reminder】

Heimu: "..."

She stared at the task panel for three seconds, especially at the 【Repair Rate +3%】 reward, then sighed resignedly.

"Alright... what else can we do."

She rubbed her face, trying to make her expression look less like she was heading to the execution ground, "Aha dug the pit, and I have to fill it. Top Shift is Top Shift, 3% Repair Rate... sigh, at least it's worth the price."

She looked at the system: "System, keep an eye on this side. Over at Winterwood... as long as Black Tower and Huan Long don't actually tear Winterwood City apart, let them play. The liberation of the Golden Descendant must also continue."

"Understood," the system nodded, "adjusting priority order now."

Heimu took a final glance at the left light screen's splendid purple‑gold standoff, then at the right light screen's anxious Kafuka, and inhaled deeply.

"Then... it's time to 'go to work'."

She extended her hand, drawing a gentle slash in front of her.

A door opened silently, revealing Xianzhou Luofu beyond.

Heimu smoothed her black‑violet lolita skirt, straightened the Witch Hat on her head, the hint of helplessness and fatigue on her face quickly receded, she regained a hint of mystery, and stepped into the light gate.

Xianzhou Luofu · a relatively secluded warehouse area

Kafuka leaned against a cold container, the frequency of her fingertip tapping on her arm increasing.

The elegant Star Core Hunter now furrowed his brow, the dark‑red eyes lacking the usual all‑controlling laziness, instead swirling with complex considerations.

(Huan Long's aura... has completely vanished.)

(In Ailiou's script, she is a key component... without her, Luofu's 'Trial' and 'Choice' cannot be discussed.)

(Who did it? That mysterious Heimu? Or... some other accident?)

(If it was Heimu... what exactly is her purpose? What benefit does disrupting the script bring her?)

(Backup plan... backup plan...)

Thought after thought flashed through her mind, only to be rejected.

Huan Long's existence is unique, a meticulously designed part of the script.

Finding a temporary replacement? Easier said than done.

Yinlang crouched beside them, watching Kafuka's rarely outward anxiety, and also felt a massive pressure.

She whispered, "Kafuka, how about… we contact Ailiou first? Or… ask that mysterious Heimu woman? Didn't she say 'Processed' last time? That was way too thorough…"

Kafuka was about to speak when, suddenly, her dark‑red eyes hardened, her body tensed instantly, and she looked toward the shadows not far ahead.

There, the air rippled like water waves for a moment.

A figure with ash‑white long hair, a black‑purple Lolita Dress, and an exaggerated Mo Nu Mao floated silently into view—it was Heimu.

"Waa!"

Yinlang was so frightened they nearly threw the game console away, leapt up like a startled cat, hid behind Kafuka, only sticking out half a head, watching the suddenly appearing Heimu warily.

Kafuka's body relaxed slightly, but their gaze remained sharp.