The virtual world of contemporary society is full of attractive brilliance and shrouded in unknown darkness. Just like the character Na Ke Xia in the game “Honkai Impact 3: Star Railway”, the hypocrisy and absurdity shown by players in the process of constantly collecting materials and upgrading levels make people wonder: Is this the progress of human civilization or another spiritual degeneration? Isn’t this a microcosm of the expansion of desires and vanity in modern society? And what can players gain from the “breakthroughs” and “upgrades” in these virtual worlds? What can they lose?
1. The emptiness of desire and false satisfaction
Nake Xia, a character who has been given many missions, is just like countless people in society driven by fame and fortune. In order to upgrade it to level 80, players need to obtain different materials and light cones, and these so-called “breakthroughs” are nothing more than the satisfaction of modern people’s ever-increasing desires. First, “Ethereal Omen”, then “Eternal Elegy”, the acquisition of each material seems to be an important step, but when they are piled together, what is finally presented is just a pile of fragments. These fragments carry temporary vanity and momentary satisfaction, but their emptiness and brevity are also infinitely magnified.
Human desires are like these constantly acquired materials. They always seem to have clear goals, but in the end, they find that after getting this goal, the emptiness in the heart is still not filled. Behind every breakthrough is an endless “next step” – and this “next step” can never stop. The so-called satisfaction is just a bait, and the abyss of desire is endless.
2. From “sketch” to “exquisite color draft”: false beauty and real dilemma
Let’s review the upgrade process of Na Kexia. From the initial “sketch” to the final “exquisite color draft”, players seem to be pursuing higher and more perfect things, but do these so-called “exquisiteness” really reflect the beauty of human hearts? “Sketch” is full of unfinished mess and disorder; and “exquisite color draft”? It is just an appearance that tries to fill the blank after thousands of trials and tribulations. In this process, how much time, energy and effort have the players put in, but what have they gained? In the end, it is just a leap from nothingness, a deep desire for emptiness.
What I see is a group of people who are constantly chasing in this virtual world, constantly completing one “task” after another, trying to use the label of “progress” to cover up the unfillable emptiness in their hearts. Just like countless people in the real society, they are busy pursuing fame, wealth and status, trying to gain recognition from others and a sense of existence through external “success”, but can the accumulation of these vanities really bring them satisfaction? The answer is obvious: no.
3. The “breakthrough” of that Kexia: false success and the loss of modern people
The breakthrough system of that Kexia is like the professional competition and class mobility in modern society. In order to upgrade Na Ke Xia from level 0 to level 80, players must continuously break through and obtain more materials. This “upgrade” process also seems to symbolize our path to rise in society. However, what is the meaning of breakthroughs? Is the ultimate goal just to obtain some numerical improvements? Can these numbers truly reflect the “growth” of the characters? Or is it just to satisfy the vanity of some people and label themselves as “successful”?
If you look closely, you will find that this so-called “success” system is actually a microcosm of modern society. People take every step hard and urgently on this seemingly glorious stage, and the final result is often endless fatigue and unfillable emptiness. Na Ke Xia’s breakthrough, to some extent, also represents the struggle of each of us in life, but we ignore what is really worth pursuing in this process: not the increase of fame and fortune, but the inner fulfillment and satisfaction.
4. Light cone and traces: the false halo in the virtual world
The light cone and trace materials we see in “Honkai Impact 3: Star Railway” are another manifestation of this desire pursuit. Each light cone seems to be an improvement and bonus to the character, but in fact, these light cones are just to create a virtual glory, in order to make players believe that they are doing something great. Just like those dazzling workplace success stories, beautiful life photos and medals of honor, there is no real content behind them, just a kind of superficial “success”, a superficial “glory”.
In this process, players continue to chase these virtual halos, but ignore whether they are really doing what they like and whether they are really realizing their dreams. Just like those “successful people” in society, they seem to be glamorous, but they are often full of anxiety and confusion behind them.
V. Conclusion: “Breakthrough” in the virtual world and loss in reality
The moment of summer in the game is a microcosm of modern people’s desires and vanity. Through continuous breakthroughs and improvements, we seem to have gained more abilities and status, but in the end we find that all this is just an empty illusion. Have we lost ourselves in this pursuit? Should we stop and think about the real goal, instead of continuing to get lost in the “halo” of this virtual world?
In this era where virtuality and reality are intertwined, perhaps each of us should be vigilant: do not let endless desires devour your heart, and do not let false “success” become the only pursuit of life. What we need may not be more breakthroughs and brilliance, but more inner peace and truth.