In the vastness of space, within the Herta Space Station, after Kafka played her ethereal air violin...
Gu Fan slowly opened his eyes. A wide corridor stretched before him, its walls gleaming with an artificial metallic luster. The sound of high heels clicking against the floor echoed, moving gradually across his field of vision.
He was just a corporate wage slave who enjoyed reading history and watching educational videos. One day, after working overtime, he had planned to rest immediately upon reaching home. However, Honkai Star Rail had just released its version 2.0 update, and he couldn't stop wondering if Ying was actually Sam. How could he not play?
Of course he had to!
Without hesitation, Gu Fan launched the game and played until Sam's appearance. Just as the dialogue suggested the character was about to reveal their true identity, Gu Fan's hands trembled with excitement. But in the next moment, he opened his eyes to find himself in this bizarre place.
Having read numerous web novels, and considering the circumstances, he had a vague guess about his situation.
"I must be in the Herta Space Station from Star Rail. This architectural style... I know it well."
A "ding~" resonated in Gu Fan's mind.
[System Main Module Loading Complete]
[Host only needs to trigger emotional fluctuations in targets to obtain emotion points, which can be exchanged for various rewards]
"What emotional fluctuations?" Gu Fan instinctively wondered.
[As the name suggests, whenever the host causes emotional fluctuations in target characters, they will receive emotion points within the set limit. The greater the fluctuation, the higher the points earned]
"First, answer me this: Have I transmigrated into Star Rail?"
[I don't understand your meaning]
"Probably a native system," Gu Fan pondered briefly before asking mentally: "What year is it in the Amber Era?"
[2157]
"Right." He thought, confirming that he had indeed transmigrated into the Star Rail world.
Gu Fan observed his surroundings carefully. The scenery continued to move past him, accompanied by the rhythmic clicking of high heels. There was also a faint scent of spider lilies in the air, which inexplicably reminded him of Kafka.
"'Emotional fluctuations' seems too broad a term," he thought to himself. "For example, if I make Kafka cry, would that count as an emotional fluctuation?"
[More or less. The greater the emotional waves in the target's heart, the more emotion points you'll receive]
Gu Fan mused, "Why does this feel like emotional manipulation? Making me toy with their feelings... Isn't that just being a scumbag? I, Gu Fan, am an honorable person!"
[If the host objects, they can uninstall the system. The system will self-destruct, and the resulting energy can send the host back home]
"You're actually quite reasonable."
[The host is my everything. Without the host, I am nothing]
"Alright, alright." Gu Fan stopped the system's flattery.
Going back was impossible. He was alone anyway, and he hadn't even met Ying, Mama Kafka, Jing Liu, Fu Xuan... How could he leave?
Besides, he knew Star Rail's plot inside and out. Triggering character emotions would be simple.
But... "System, I'm just a weakling right now! I have the will but not the strength to do anything. You can help me improve my abilities, right?"
[Yes, host can enhance their abilities through emotion point draws]
Gu Fan felt relieved. While Star Rail's plot hadn't shown it explicitly, some powerful characters were capable of destroying stars according to the lore. Triggering character emotions wouldn't be difficult, but if he accidentally touched what the system called a target's "reverse scale" without the strength to protect himself, he'd be in danger.
The background continued to recede, and Gu Fan finally realized he was being dragged by something.
"Why are you bringing him? Couldn't you just leave him lying there?"
A voice from behind interrupted Gu Fan's thoughts, making him shudder. The voice was familiar, yet he couldn't immediately place who it belonged to.
"These are Aeolus's instructions."
Another cool voice reached his ears—a voice etched into his bones, carved into his soul, like the first cry heard at birth.
Gu Fan slowly turned his head, and a constantly moving, round drum entered his vision. The owner of this drum was the one dragging him by his collar, making him slide across the floor.
Through this drum, Gu Fan could actually identify the person, but he still looked up for confirmation. The person's upper body was draped in a coat, though Gu Fan could only see its back. Through this coat, he could finally confirm it. How could he forget that back he had watched countless times?
"Mom?" The voice echoed repeatedly in the vast Herta Space Station, exceptionally clear.
Kafka stopped and turned her head, her large purple contact-lensed eyes showing surprise as she looked down at Gu Fan sitting on the ground.
"Congratulations on having a son?" Silver Wolf stood beside Kafka, revealing a teasing smile.
Gu Fan looked up at Kafka's increasingly furrowed brows, her delicate and beautiful face exactly as he remembered it. He swallowed and stood up.
"Mom..." Gu Fan said instinctively.
Kafka's frown deepened, while Silver Wolf beside her could barely contain her laughter.
Gu Fan cleared his throat and spoke seriously: "Kafka, Silver Wolf, are you two searching for the Stellaron right now?"
As a game player, Gu Fan knew what they were doing just by looking at the environment. They were looking for the Stellaron hidden in the Herta Space Station to "print out" Star Rail's protagonist.
As soon as he said this, both became alert.
Silver Wolf said, "Didn't you say Aeolus told you to bring him?"
Kafka replied, "Aeolus only said to bring him, not whether he's friend or foe."
Silver Wolf said, "So this is what our Stellaron Hunters' leader—'Slave to Fate' Aeolus is like? I'd say 'Riddler' suits her better."
Gu Fan cleared his throat again, becoming serious. The Stellaron Hunters were all his favorites, and being seen as suspicious by them was like losing his right to choose a partner. Moreover, if Sam really was Stelle, he would pledge unwavering loyalty to Aeolus!
Ying, my dear Ying, wuu—wait for me, when I reach Penacony, I'll definitely cure your entropy disease, Gu Fan thought.
He came back to his senses and explained to the two Stellaron Hunters: "Don't worry, I'm your friend."
"How do you know what we're doing?" Kafka frowned, questioning him.
"Well..." Gu Fan couldn't answer.
The previously quiet space suddenly rustled with movement as several oddly-shaped humanoid creatures surrounded them.
They wore glossy black tight-fitting armor—the Antimatter Legion's Voidrangers. They approached aggressively, believing they had the advantage.
Gu Fan retreated to a corner. With no combat ability currently, he didn't want to interfere with the Stellaron Hunters' performance. The Stellaron Hunters' members ranked among the strongest in the entire universe.
They dispatched the Voidrangers in mere moments.
"With you two by my side, why should I fear having nowhere to stand in this vast universe?" Gu Fan approached them with measured steps, smiling.
Silver Wolf burst into laughter, apparently finding the phrase amusing. Kafka sighed, shook her head, and walked ahead.
"My lord, this way," Silver Wolf giggled and urged.
Gu Fan followed behind them, passing through several corners before entering a spacious room. Monitors covered the walls and tables.
Kafka and Silver Wolf began discussing where the Stellaron might be hidden.
Gu Fan, having learned from his previous lesson, decided to be more cautious to avoid raising their suspicions. He knew the plot but needed to be careful.
He took a fresh look at Kafka and Silver Wolf before him. Seeing them in person, their beauty was truly breathtaking.
Kafka's purple high ponytail fell to her fair neck. She was tall and straight-backed. Her tight white shirt wrapped her upper body in curved fullness. The coat draped over her back bore a spider pattern.
Silver Wolf was petite, only reaching Kafka's shoulder. Her spiral single ponytail was tied at the root with a black band. She wore a cropped jacket that revealed her fair waist and small navel, with a band-aid near her tailbone that kept drawing Gu Fan's gaze.
Kafka glanced back at Gu Fan briefly before quickly looking away.
Gu Fan turned to observe the room. He had briefly seen it while playing the game but didn't remember much. The room's details reinforced his sense that he had truly transmigrated into the Star Rail world.
The twenty-inch monitors hanging on the walls were turned off, their black screens covered in a layer of dust, yet still reflecting Gu Fan's face like mirrors.
The face in the screen showed Gu Fan as a young man with outstanding features, handsome enough to stand out even in the Star Rail world full of beautiful people.
This isn't me, Gu Fan thought silently. He touched his chin—the face was handsome, bearing some resemblance to his real-world appearance.
He had played Star Rail up to version 2.0 but had never seen such a character.
"Are you coming?" Kafka said.
Kafka and Silver Wolf had solved the puzzle and found the Stellaron's location. They stood at a space transfer portal, looking back at Gu Fan.
He shook off these meaningless scattered thoughts, walked to Kafka and Silver Wolf's side, touched the space transfer portal, and teleported with them to the room where the game's protagonist was located.
This room was smaller, with a large door at the front.
From the center of the ceiling extended a pillar as thick as a thousand-year-old tree, square in shape. Below it was a light sphere about the size of a baby's head, emitting a pale yellow glow.
The sphere was wrapped in silvery-white mist, seemingly protecting the central orb from outside contact.
Kafka and Silver Wolf were studying how to disable the mist barrier.
[Draw module loading complete]
Classic gacha? Gu Fan thought. Since he couldn't speak up to warn them, he began studying this newly loaded module.
Hmm... one draw costs 100 points. Various prizes available:
- Entropy Reversal Drug (Can reverse lost entropy information, forbidden for non-entropy disease patients)
- Shadowmetal Suppressor (Suppresses Xianzhou disease—Shadowmetal—for 100 years)
- Consciousness Manipulation APP (Can manipulate target's memories and cognition, must be installed on phone to activate. Target must stare at phone screen for over 5 seconds. Recommended when target attempts to rob host)
- Automatic Sleep Needle (Causes an unguarded target within 100 meters to fall asleep for one hour, with no memory of the period. Recommended before battle or when fleeing after defeat. Success chance minimal if target is fully alert)
- Thought-Stopping Watch (Stops target's time for one hour, but no damage can be dealt to target during this period)
Hmm... Gu Fan pondered.
[Task module loading complete]
[Searching for current target]
What does that mean?
[System will set emotion point tasks with specific values for host. Complete task by collecting over 60% of target character's emotion points within time limit]
The system was still searching for targets, these words flashing constantly on the system screen.
Is your target somewhere nearby?
[Yes, host]
Hmm, Gu Fan continued asking: By the way, what happens if I don't collect the required emotion points?
[Task failure results in immediate return home for host]
What?
[Task failure results in immediate return home for host]
Wait, I haven't even done anything yet.
[Thank you for understanding, host, but once target is found, task begins automatically. If task fails, system will automatically send host home]
Let me try at least. You wouldn't give me too difficult a target right from the start, would you?
[This is base design, I don't know specifics either]
What about after completing the task? Will the target be fixed?
[Target will change after task completion]
Makes sense, Gu Fan nodded.
"Stop hesitating," Silver Wolf said, "let's decide the gender."
"Mm... Aeolus said this gender will change many things." Kafka said.
[Task target character found]
The system screen flickered, showing a pixel character continuously swinging a pickaxe in a cave.
Please be Silver Wolf, Gu Fan prayed silently.
Triggering Kafka's emotions? He felt his skill level wasn't up to mom's standard. From Kafka's face, he couldn't tell what she was thinking. Mom, I really can't tell.
Silver Wolf would be easier. Tell a few Seele jokes, find time to play some games, emotions could be triggered casually. If that doesn't work, wait until the protagonist is printed out, then stubbornly stick with Silver Wolf and the two of them during retreat, think of something then...
[Task target: Star/Qiong]
Chapter End