Starry Sky Railway: I develop mobile games in Xianzhou

Chapter 9: Character Selection! Kafka’s Verbal Manipulation Ability Revealed

【Popularity +10 +10 +10…】

Inside Gui Naifen’s livestream,

Her viewer count had now tripled compared to usual!

A significant portion of the audience was now watching the story unfold with intense excitement.

Because—

If the game’s content truly reflected real-life events, then today, they were witnessing history in the making.

Inside [Herta] Space Station – Surveillance Room

At this moment, two Stellaron Hunters, Kafka and Silver Wolf, had arrived inside one of Herta’s surveillance control rooms.

Using hacking techniques, Silver Wolf had successfully located the Stellaron’s exact position.

“There’s a separate defense system for it… Looks like, to Herta, the [Stellaron] isn’t just another collectible,” Silver Wolf remarked.

“Can you retrieve it?”

“Of course. In the hacking world, even the genius Herta isn’t a match for me.”

After their conversation—

Kafka stepped forward and grasped the glowing golden sphere in her hand.

This—

Was the legendary Stellaron!

Meanwhile, Silver Wolf continued typing on the control panel, then projected a new screen in front of Kafka.

“The vessel is ready.”

“You make the decision.”

A Major Choice Appears!

At that moment—

A massive character selection screen filled the entire screen of Gui Naifen and every player watching.

On display were two figures:

One male.
One female.

Both had silver-gray hair and wore long, black coats.

Each character had a line of text beside them:

—Activate Vessel [Star].
—Activate Vessel [Sky].

Kafka: “Elio once said, this choice will change everything.”

Silver Wolf: “Elio also said, the one who must make this choice is you.”

Gui Naifen Is Completely Stunned

“Wait—what?!”

“Weren’t the Stellaron Hunters here to steal the Stellaron?!”

“Why are we suddenly choosing a character?!“

“Guys, I’m confused! What is going on?!”

Livestream Chat Explodes

“Forget the streamer, I’M just as confused!”

“Wait—wasn’t this Herta’s collection room? Since when did it become a birth chamber?!”

“Could this actually be the real protagonist?!”

“Why hesitate?! Pick Star! Look at those beautiful long legs!“

Gui Naifen licked her lips and carefully compared both choices.

To her, the female character looked cuter.

She had an innocent and naive expression—

The kind of person who seemed straightforward and honest.

Someone just like herself.

Without hesitation—

She chose the female vessel.

And to keep things simple, she kept the default name—”Star.”

The Birth of “Star”

After her selection—

A data package was instantly transferred to Silver Wolf.

And right next to them—

Star’s body began materializing as if being 3D-printed.

Kafka—

With the Stellaron in one hand,

Gracefully walked forward, almost on tiptoe, until she stood beside Star.

She leaned in close—

And asked:

“How much will she remember?”

“At the very least, she’ll remember you.”

Kafka chuckled lightly.

Then, with one arm wrapped around Star’s waist,

She pressed the Stellaron directly against Star’s chest!

“Time to wake up.”

No Warning. No Preparation. Just… Forced In?!

Gui Naifen was completely dumbfounded.

So THIS is how Stellaron implantation works?!

They just… shove it in like that?!

She took a deep breath.

Maybe she was too immersed in the moment, but—

She swore she could actually feel a slight pressure in her own chest!

First-Person View Activated!

Suddenly, the screen shifted into a first-person perspective.

Now—

The player was experiencing everything through the eyes of Star,

Right after awakening from Stellaron implantation.

On the right side of the screen—

Three dialogue options appeared:

[Where… is this?]
[Ka…fka?]
[…Who… are you?]

Without hesitation—

Gui Naifen chose option 2: “Kafka?”

Kafka’s Sinister Smile

At this moment—

Kafka was looking at Star with an expression that could only be described as “gentle.”

But—

Considering everything everyone had heard about the Stellaron Hunters—

How cunning, how dangerous, how deceptive they were—

No matter how “kind” she looked, Gui Naifen couldn’t shake the feeling that Kafka was hiding something.

Hearing Star call her name—

Kafka’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.

“Good… You still remember me.”

She glanced at Silver Wolf—then turned back to Star.

She spoke again:

“[Listen to me]: Your mind is in chaos right now. You don’t know who you are, why you’re here, or what you’re supposed to do. You recognize me, but you don’t know whether you should trust me—”

“—But none of that matters.”

“What matters is that I have to leave now… and leave you alone on this space station.”

“From now on, you don’t need to think about your past, nor question yourself.”

“[Listen to me]: You will face many dangers, escape terrifying situations; but you will also experience many wonderful things. You will meet companions who feel like family and embark on adventures beyond your wildest dreams.”

“And at the end of your journey, all the mysteries that haunt you will be unraveled.”

“This is the future Elio foresaw for you. The future you are destined to reach… Do you like it?”

Three More Choices Appear

[Like it… I guess.]
[I don’t want this…]
[Where are you going…?]

Gui Naifen paused.

She pressed her fingers against her chin, pursing her lips.

“Guys! Is Kafka speaking in riddles?! What does all this even mean?!”

“Any lore experts in chat? Explain this!”

Chat Instantly Fills With Theories

“That [Listen to me] phrase was specially highlighted by the developers. They clearly want us to pay attention to it!”

“Thanks, Captain Obvious.”

“The reason [Listen to me] is highlighted is because it’s a function call in the script.”

“Bro, did the Genius Society just enter the chat?!”

“Stop arguing! I have the real answer—Kafka has a Verbal Manipulation Ability!”

“It’s a form of psychological suggestion, allowing her to subtly control people’s actions!”

“HOLY CRAP! So if I ever meet Kafka, she could turn me into a total puppet?!”

“Relax. You’re never gonna meet Kafka in real life.”

“Besides, you’re already a clown.”