Honkai Star Rail Simulation: I'm Surrounded By Characters

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Following her meticulously planned yet disastrous and tragic attack last time,

Despite nearly breaking down when alone,

Silver Wolf put forth great effort to act nonchalant upon meeting Su Qing again.

[Firefly: Silver Wolf: Stubbornness LV99, Overcompensating LV99.]

She conversed with Su Qing normally, initiated pranks as usual, faced typical retaliation, and played games together just like before.

Her performance was remarkably convincing.

Everything seemed identical to their usual interactions.

As a result, Su Qing became even more convinced that Silver Wolf only suggested "wanting to give dating a try?" out of competitive spirit.

[Stelle: Deceived herself, deceived Su Qing, deceived God himself!]

[Bronya: But by persistently overcompensating, isn't she making her chances even slimmer...?]

[Himeko: So whether Silver Wolf deceived God or not is unclear, but she definitely fooled Cupid.]

[Silver Wolf: Hmph. ???]

[Seele: Ha ha ha, what a sudden critical hit!]

After some time...

Silver Wolf gradually recovered from the emotional blow.

She was indeed resilient. Despite losing to Su Qing countless times in other competitions, she never gave up.

Similarly, after this setback in love, once she regained her composure, her fighting spirit returned.

Isn't that how it should be? A true boss is meant to be incredibly challenging to overcome. The most significant rewards require enduring numerous hardships before they can be obtained.

With these thoughts, Silver Wolf adjusted her mindset and prepared to regroup.

[March 7th: Well, well, well, top-notch self-assurance on display here.?]

[Stelle: I shall dub you the Queen of Positivity!]

The worst-case scenario she had envisioned, where they wouldn't even remain friends, did not come true.

Seeing Su Qing's unchanged attitude as usual, Silver Wolf felt... no, she was absolutely certain, there was still a chance for her!

[Himeko: One of life's greatest illusions is believing you still have a chance.]

[Kafka: @Himeko, same goes for you.]

[Himeko: ...?]

[Himeko: @Kafka, is it because you're excessively jealous of Su Qing and my past relationship that you keep picking on me so much?]

[Kafka: ...You're overthinking it.]

[Seele: Kafka's back with her sunglasses after a long hiatus!]

[Sparkle: Ha ha ha, well done! The drama truly unfolds when defenses crumble!]

Silver Wolf summoned the achievement objectives.

Currently, the power levels for goggles, sword-and-shield, and game controller icons were all at one bar each.

Only the last unmarked racetrack remained at zero bars.

She stared intently at the digital screen, scrutinizing it as if studying strategies to complete a game level.

After her impulsive advance led to defeat—tasting the bitterness of heartbreak—Silver Wolf seemed to have matured somewhat. She began thinking more cautiously about how to approach her next attempt.

[Sushang: Ah, growth through adversity.]

[Stelle: Sigh.]

[Stelle (melancholic): If facing rejection brings me one step closer to you, just how many steps must I take to reach your side?]

[March 7th: Wow, Stelle turning poetic now?!]

[Herta: How far? My verdict: eighty-one thousand miles.]

[Stelle (bursting out laughing): Hahahahaha!]

[Seele: Hard to maintain that, huh? Just three seconds of being poetic and it's already ruined.]

[March 7th: Ha ha, Stelle isn't really that type, you know~]

Silver Wolf realized she had been too hasty in her first experience with love.

Last time, she tried for a speedrun.

And indeed, it was swift... albeit in the opposite direction...

After some reflection, Silver Wolf decided to focus on side quests instead.

In truth, these were originally part of the main storyline—achieving their initial goal of teaming up while simultaneously challenging all hacker groups within Punklorde.

It's not uncommon in games either.

Often, players would eventually set aside the original main quest, becoming immersed in other more intriguing aspects instead...

***

"Although Silver Wolf's romance faced setbacks, their initial objective as a team continued steadily."

"It has nearly been a year since they formed their partnership."

"During this time, their coordination, teamwork, and overall strength have significantly improved."

"The challenge matches laid the groundwork, earning Su Qing and Silver Wolf considerable renown."

"This served as their entry ticket."

"After all, without such a foundation, even if they issued challenges, few organizations would likely accept."

[After gathering information on various Punklorde organizations and making thorough preparations upfront:]

[The task of issuing challenges and provocations was entrusted to Silver Wolf.]

[Stelle: Perfect for her expertise.]

[Silver Wolf's challenges proved highly effective. Even if some organizations didn't accept, they still showed up as spectators at the appointed time.]

[Hackers have such competitive natures.]

[Nobody would miss Punklorde's first-ever genuine "Legendary Hacker Challenge".]

***

In one of Punklorde's public squares, Silver Wolf observed relentless attacks converging from all directions.

Suddenly, she felt it wasn't much different from her earliest experiences—

Back when she played those simplest games in the basement arcade.

She recalled her favorite game, "Boune," which was the most basic ball-hitting game; she could play it for hours on end.

Much like now, with drones' red lights illuminating the night sky, forming interconnected patterns.

Wave after wave assaulted them, only to crash spectacularly amidst electromagnetic interference.

Similarly, there was "Warring Wheels 32," featuring eight distinct colored blocks governed by a single rule—be the first, regardless of method.

Just as in this moment, apart from the clashes between drone swarms and reality:

Various colors also segmented the cyberspace into numerous distinct zones.

Hackers from various organizations, who might have been fierce rivals before, now united for a single purpose—to defeat the audacious duo daring to challenge all groups simultaneously.

Silver Wolf effortlessly manipulated information and data, neutralizing yet another wave of attacks.

Even this seemed less challenging than her first match against Su Qing.

From the arcade, through Waste Heap Mountain, to the final showdown in the neon-lit cityscape—

At this moment,

If Silver Wolf were facing it alone, she might feel a sense of isolation at the pinnacle, akin to boredom due to lack of competition.

But standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Su Qing, she experienced the exhilaration akin to playing a thrilling co-op game.

[Silver Wolf: Exactly! ?]

[Silver Wolf: Solo stomping noobs is dull. Duo wrecking servers brings laughter.]

The two operated with remarkable synergy, alternating their roles seamlessly.

When Su Qing attacked, Silver Wolf focused on defense.

Against the relentless onslaught, she refused to allow even the slightest mistake, adding an element of challenge.

And when it was Silver Wolf's turn to attack, she could fully commit to offense without worrying about defense, knowing that Su Qing beside her warranted such unwavering trust.

This true "Legendary Hacker Challenge" lasted significantly longer than any previous projection-based competition.

Initially, only the challenged hacking organizations participated.

However, as the battle progressed, some lone hackers, not affiliated with any group, couldn't resist joining in.

Despite relentless waves of attacks lasting for two to three hours, Su Qing and Silver Wolf showed no signs of weakening or fatigue.

In fact, several aggressive hackers faced significant losses when their digital trails were traced back by the defenders.

Eventually,

when the organization suffering the most severe casualties launched white fireworks in the sky, signaling surrender,

other groups followed suit, gradually admitting defeat.

As hacking organizations, maintaining face was secondary to preserving resources; continuing the fight would lead to unacceptable losses.

With the major groups withdrawing from the virtual battlefield,

even the stubborn individual hackers, after enduring harsh defeats at the hands of Su Qing and Silver Wolf, reluctantly declared their surrender.

Finally, people were astonished to find that

although Su Qing and Silver Wolf still stood quietly in the central square, ready to accept further challenges,

no one dared to step forward again!

Unbelievably, these two had...

accomplished what even legendary hackers of Punklorde's past failed to achieve—a feat none could match!

[Notification.]

[Your reputation in Punklorde has reached its peak.]

[A perfect completion has been achieved.]

After confirming that no one dared to challenge her,

Silver Wolf, maintaining a composed facade akin to Su Qing's silence, left the square without uttering a word.

[Stelle: Playing cool by not speaking, huh?]

However, Silver Wolf's inner excitement could not be concealed.

She knew that with today's remarkable feat, their immediate goal for neon city was effectively accomplished—a milestone achieved.

The power meter had been fully charged.

Moreover, the broader objective of Punklorde itself was nearing its conclusion.

On the way back, Silver Wolf couldn't help but envision the next phase of game objectives.

Soon, she and Su Qing would likely leave Punklorde together.

And "Universe," this grand game, promised endless exploration ahead.

Together, they would discover more intriguing places...

Face even greater challenges, becoming renowned across the cosmos...

If there's ever a chance to encounter Su Qing's ex-girlfriend, she'd make sure to teach her a harsh lesson...

[Seele: hhh, deep resentment towards Himeko indeed!]

Yes! Exactly like that!

Silver Wolf believed that to progress the main quest of winning over Su Qing, she must first complete various side quests alongside him, similar to confronting the hacker organization.

By completing these side quests, I'll steadily increase his affection.

Over time, Su Qing will forget about that awful ex-girlfriend.

And when that day comes, it's my turn to shine!

With this thought, after finding a secluded spot, Silver Wolf planned to initiate a conversation.

This time, of course, it wasn't about asking him out but rather discussing their next phase of objectives. It was crucial to establish what lay ahead.

Silver Wolf began, "Su Qing, we..."

"Silver Wolf."

Su Qing spoke simultaneously, causing Silver Wolf to momentarily swallow her intended words.

[Stelle: Interrupting Spell Cast]

Su Qing continued, "Our team's objective has been completed."

Hearing this, Silver Wolf assumed they were on the same wavelength.

Her tone brightened, "Yes, we've succeeded! So, what's our next goal? Challenge the corporation? Hack their firewall?"

"What I meant is," Su Qing glanced at the prompt indicating [Objective Completed, Simulation Ends in Three Days].

Trying to keep his voice gentle yet needing to be direct and clear, he expressed, "From the beginning, our team's objective was solely this mission.

"Now that it's accomplished, I also need to leave."

On this day, the game called Punklorde was completed.

However, simultaneously, Silver Wolf's "teammate" game, far from wanting to end, was also forced to conclude after accomplishing the final mission.

Inside her room, Silver Wolf lay on the bed with a pillow covering her face, obscuring any expression. For a very long time, she remained motionless.

[Qingque: Silver Wolf: Tranquil...?]

[Herta: Tranquil is correct, but the expression should be: Tranquil...?]

[Stelle: ??? Silver Wolf's acting up again!]

[Seele: Seriously, bro, why do you always act like that?]

[Seele: All I see is your demise; where's the gameplay? The kills?]

[Firefly: Being killed counts as a kill too!]

[Kafka: Then Silver Wolf truly deserves the title of best player.]

[Seele: hhhhh]

[Silver Wolf: Don't worry, waiting for respawn cooldown...]

Beneath the pillow, Silver Wolf recalled the scene at that moment.

When Su Qing mentioned he was leaving, Silver Wolf felt a buzzing in her head, and all her previous thoughts and plans instantly dissipated like smoke. Her blood raced, and without thinking, she blurted out, "The team is disbanding? Oh, it's alright, since...since that was my plan from the beginning."

[Stelle: Wow, starting off with some serious stubbornness.]

That was Silver Wolf's initial reaction.

However, at this critical moment, her partnership with Su Qing was of utmost importance to her.

With gritted teeth, Silver Wolf managed to temporarily suppress the intense conflict within herself.

Her right hand clenched behind her back as she asked, "You're really leaving?"

Quickly adding, "Actually, having a familiar teammate when entering the next phase wouldn't be so bad, would it?"

Silver Wolf continued rapidly, "You haven't found suitable teammates yet, have you? Or perhaps, have you already chosen someone to replace me? Ha! That's impossible, Punklorde. There's no one stronger than me as your ally. Surely, you wouldn't settle for someone even weaker than I am, right?"

[Seele: She's panicking, really panicking now!]

At this point, Silver Wolf felt her emotions slipping out of control. Despite her usual stubborn demeanor, she showed a hint of vulnerability, "So about what happens next... our team-up, maybe you could reconsider?"

Su Qing shook his head, "It's not because of those reasons, it's just..."

Although Su Qing didn't finish his sentence, Silver Wolf could discern his decision from his tone alone.

"I understand." Silver Wolf lowered her head.

After a moment, another emotion began to regain dominance within her heart.

Staring at the ground, Silver Wolf uttered words that even she found painful: "Then, if you want to leave, go ahead. It doesn't matter how or when; there's no need to tell me. After all, our partnership ends here, right?"

[Bronya: ? Wait, what?! Why is she acting stubborn again?!]

[Natasha: Sigh, still just a young girl at heart...]

[Natasha: Those attempts to persuade earlier were likely already pushing her limits, beyond her usual demeanor...]

Noticing her distress, Su Qing took a step forward, intending to offer some comforting words.

"Don't come near me!" Silver Wolf retreated two steps, turned her face left, and covered it with her left sleeve. "Don't look at me! Just go away!"

[March 7th: Oh dear, now the real tears are falling.]

At this point...

Silver Wolf certainly didn't want Su Qing to see her vulnerable and upset over their disagreement.

She swiftly turned and walked away, defiantly adding one last remark, "In any case, if you're leaving the team, then so be it—I don't care!"

[Seele: Ah, she ran off!]

[Kafka: @Silver Wolf, fleeing in defeat, eh champ?]

[Stelle: "I don't care what you do!" (then immediately runs away crying)]

[Bronya: Sounds tragic yet so amusing. 😂]

[Qingque: Classic tsundere moment right there.]

[Silver Wolf: Just to clarify, I'm not tsundere, didn't cry, and certainly didn't flee—it was a strategic retreat. 🤷‍♀️]

[Stelle: Even more classic now.]

[Sparkle: Hilarious. 😄]

Su Qing watched Silver Wolf hastily running off, feeling utterly helpless.

He had thought Silver Wolf had matured significantly.

Just moments ago, she appeared confident and assertive, holding her own against numerous Punklorde members—a true legendary hacker by all accounts.

While her technical skills had greatly improved over the past year, it seemed her emotional maturity hadn't progressed much...

Perhaps one could attribute it to her simplicity?

Being deeply immersed in hacking and gaming may have prevented her emotional growth from keeping pace with her increasing abilities.

Su Qing wanted to say something, expressing how enjoyable their partnership had been. He planned to bid a proper farewell before taking a few more days to play together freely.

However, just as he interrupted Silver Wolf's spell-casting attempt, she too disrupted his chance to speak—cutting him off abruptly.

Before Su Qing could even speak,

Silver Wolf swiftly became upset, broke down her defenses, and ran off.

In the blink of an eye, Su Qing couldn't catch a glimpse of her anymore.

[Seele: ? Well, interrupting each other's spells seems fair enough.]

[Qingque: Silver Wolf really left Su Qing at a loss.]

[Stelle: Su Qing must be thinking: Wait, I've never encountered this type before, right?]

[March 7th: Speaking of which...]

[March 7th: Firefly is independent and strong, and little Kafka is very understanding and obedient.]

[March 7th: Sister Himeko, although...although there were slight missteps in handling it, still faced separation with rationality.]

[Kafka: "Slight missteps," indeed.]

[March 7th: Considering all that, even including Asta, Su Qing truly hasn't met someone with such a tsundere personality!]

[Bronya: That's true.]

[Black Swan: Indeed, while others may see the tsundere traits clearly, for the person themselves, it can be utterly confusing and quite frustrating.]

[Stelle: Exactly! No wonder tsunderes seem to be fading out of favor!]

[Silver Wolf: Nonsense, my cross-attribute vulnerabilities ensure I'll never go obsolete. ?]

[Herta: Still denying it, huh? Still denying it.]

***

This time, the impact on Silver Wolf was substantial.

It took her two or three days to gradually recover somewhat.

One evening, sitting in front of the digital screen, Silver Wolf stared at it, unsure what to do.

Suddenly, a message popped up in the bottom right corner: "Your friend Su Qing has sent you a battle invitation."

Silver Wolf instinctively moved to accept.

But quickly, she froze and lowered her hand.

Her thoughts began racing uncontrollably. Did this mean Su Qing wanted to reconcile?

Inside, she was still stubbornly holding onto their disagreement.

Reconcile? What's the point of reconciling...

In the end, won't we still have to part ways...

Rather than pretending to reconcile only to eventually leave,

it might be better just to stay apart from now on...

Despite these thoughts swirling in her mind, after a few seconds,

Silver Wolf accepted the invitation before it disappeared.

[Sparkle: Folks, Silver Wolf once again provides us with a textbook example.]

[Sparkle: For those wanting to learn about tsundere behavior, study her actions closely.]

[Seele: I must say it again, who would actually want to learn that!]

[Stelle: Indeed, Seele doesn't need to learn it; she naturally embodies tsundere.]

[Seele: ??? I am not tsundere!]

[Stelle: Paradox: By loudly proclaiming "I am not tsundere!" you've already demonstrated your tsundere tendencies.]

[Bronya: Laughing.]

[Natasha: Laughing.]

[March 7th: Ha ha, dying of laughter here.]

[Seele: What nonsense is this?!]

After finishing another round of the game, Su Qing seemed to have something to say and sent a video call request.

This time, Silver Wolf hesitated while staring at the accept or reject options on her screen.

It wasn't due to any other reason.

Primarily, she knew she hadn't fully recovered yet.

If she accepted the video call, there was a chance she might inadvertently show signs of distress, feeling overwhelmed...

In her hesitation, several seconds passed.

Finally,

Beeep.

A notification beep sounded, indicating that Su Qing had hung up the call from the other side.

Hearing that "beep," Silver Wolf's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Suddenly, she felt as if she had missed something crucial, though not fully comprehending it, an overwhelming sense of regret surged within her...

Fortunately, moments later, Su Qing sent another game invitation.

Relieved, Silver Wolf accepted once more and continued their online battles.

Today, Su Qing seemed particularly enthusiastic, engaging in multiple rounds consecutively.

In the final match, while playing, Su Qing's character abruptly stopped moving.

Following her momentum, Silver Wolf made a few more moves and claimed victory.

Seeing the words "You Win" on the screen felt somewhat unfamiliar to her.

Of course, this wasn't truly winning either.

Silver Wolf began to wonder: Did he disconnect?

She glanced at the time—it was exactly midnight.

Did he go to sleep?

So early? Such healthy sleeping habits?

Well then...

Usually, Silver Wolf wouldn't rest until around 1 or 2 AM. But today, she didn't feel much like staying online anymore.

After waiting for a bit with no response from Su Qing,

she left the holographic screen on, stepped barefoot onto the floor, took one stride, and collapsed onto her bed.

Buried her face into the pillow.

Silver Wolf's thoughts raced.

She wondered if she shouldn't continue this stubborn standoff anymore.

Perhaps Su Qing's reluctance to include her wasn't due to thinking she was too inexperienced, but for some other reason.

Did he feel she wasn't mature enough? Silver Wolf knew her behavior could seem petty and even childish at times.

She recalled Stone Sword and Twin Snakes, the legendary hacker couple.

Despite their different backgrounds and personalities, within Punklorde, no one could ever tear them apart. Yet, even such a deeply devoted pair eventually went separate ways after entering the Galaxy.

Could this be some kind of inevitable fate?

Are teammates met in Punklorde, the newbie village, ultimately unable to accompany you against the final boss?

What sort of incredibly irritating game mechanic is this...

Lost in these wild thoughts, Silver Wolf gradually drifted off to sleep.

Maybe even in her dreams, she continued pondering.

Tomorrow, everything might change—Su Qing would seek her out to reconcile, deciding not to leave the team after all.

Together, they would venture across the Galaxy, gaining immense renown...

[March 7th: Waaaah, it's little Silver Wolf herself?!?]

***

Late at night.

The petite girl on the bed had fallen asleep, her face subtly smiling as if she were having a beautiful dream.

On the table,

the electronic screen still flickered with the words "You Win."