After settling Lumine and Paimon, March 7th walked determinedly to a more open area.
"Come on! This time I'll definitely succeed!"
Paimon looked at March 7th, a bit curious.
"What's March doing?"
March 7th heard Paimon's question and grinned as she explained:
"I'm challenging myself! Trying not to fall during the train's warp. So far, I haven't succeeded once."
Paimon tilted her little head, thinking hard but not understanding.
Himeko explained:
"During a warp, the train accelerates very quickly, throwing people's balance off. That's why March said it's a challenge."
Paimon suddenly understood.
"Oh, I see! Then I'd better sit tight so I don't fall over later!"
She quickly sat down and clung tightly to Lumine's hand, afraid of getting flung off.
Very soon…
Pom-Pom's voice came over the train's broadcast:
"Hey, hey, hey! Attention all passengers, the train is about to warp. Please find a seat and remain seated. Do not stick any part of your body out the window.
3.... 2.... 1!!!"
The train suddenly accelerated, and Ye Yun felt a powerful force push against his back.
His field of vision was gradually overwhelmed by countless particles of light.
A few minutes later...
As his vision cleared, Ye Yun looked out the window. The train had arrived above a snow-covered planet.
Jarilo-VI—the setting of Chapter One in Honkai: Star Rail.
As expected, March 7th landed flat on her butt.
"Oww~ That really hurt!"
She looked up at the view outside.
"This is Jarilo-VI?"
Just then, the cabin door opened, and Pom-Pom waddled in with their short little legs.
"Stellar rail stability ahead is too low. Warp suspended. Suspension duration: indefinite."
March 7th was stunned when she heard it was indefinite.
"What?! Indefinite?! How could this happen?!"
Himeko, Welt, and the others walked over.
"Most likely caused by a Stellaron again."
Stelle instinctively touched the spot where the Stellaron had been implanted in her.
Welt said:
"That's right. It's the same kind of Stellaron as the one inside you.
But the one in you is very stable and not destructive."
Hearing this, Stelle sighed in relief. She had been worried it was her Stellaron causing the problem.
Himeko looked down at the planet and pulled up the train's database.
One look, and she noticed a big difference between the current planet and what was recorded.
Himeko said:
"As long as we resolve the Stellaron issue, we can set off again.
This time, you young folks will go—it'll be a good chance to train yourselves."
Dan Heng, March 7th, and Stelle all agreed without hesitation.
Lumine looked around. It seemed like everyone had things to do, so she figured she'd head back for now.
Following the memory in her mind, she opened a portal and stepped through.
During this time—
Stelle, Dan Heng, and March 7th took a landing shuttle and set off.
Lumine brought Paimon back to Teyvat. From now on, she could enter Ye Yun's shop at any time through the portal.
Ye Yun looked at the snow-covered Jarilo-VI and suddenly felt the urge to go explore.
So, he asked Himeko for a landing shuttle and headed down to Jarilo-VI.
Riding the shuttle, Ye Yun landed on a frozen plain.On the ice field stood many ice statues of Fragmentum soldiers.
Ye Yun clenched his fist and unleashed a wave of dark-gold Imaginary energy, instantly shattering all the ice sculptures within his sight.
These Fragmentum soldiers would become a major problem in the future once the Stellaron was dealt with—better to eliminate them now while he could.
Also, Ye Yun hadn't had a proper combat trial since gaining his powers. This was a great chance to warm up.
He kept heading forward, toward Belobog.
The freezing snow hitting his face was making Ye Yun uncomfortable.
"System, got anything to keep me warm?"
[Notice: Host may purchase a Cold-Resist Bundle or a special item from the Spirit Series—Fire Spirit: Rios.]
Ye Yun perked up.
Oh right, he had unlocked a Spirit Series after completing a mission. Opening the system, Ye Yun found that the spirits came from a game he'd played in his previous life.
The game told the story of a group of robots searching for infinite energy in space.
The fire spirit Rios, mentioned by the system, was one of the characters in that game.
Checking the price:
[Fire Spirit: Rios (Complete Form) Combat Power: Entrance-Stage Emanator, Price: 200,000, Host Discount Price: 20,000]
Ye Yun immediately authorized the purchase. For just 20,000 Star Coins, he got a loyal spirit with half-step Aeon-level power—super worth it.
Leave it to his system to give him a 90% discount.
Once the system deducted the Star Coins, a flame-emitting, graceful deer-like creature appeared before Ye Yun.
"Hello, Ye Yun. Pleased to meet you. I'll be in your care from now on."
The deer spoke, but Ye Yun wasn't surprised.
Some powerful spirits could indeed speak.
Ye Yun smiled.
"Likewise, Rios. Let's get along."
Rios approached and let Ye Yun sit on its back.
Ye Yun touched the flames on Rios' body. The moment he touched them, the fire extinguished—without burning him.
With Rios by his side, the surrounding snow and ice melted instantly. Ye Yun felt no cold at all.
Meanwhile, Stelle, Dan Heng, and March 7th were successfully tricked by Sampo and ended up fighting Belobog's Guardian, Gepard.
Stelle drew the Judgment of Shamash and fired two shots at Gepard.
Gepard slammed his case onto the ground, summoning a shield around himself.
"Give up, villains! Your attacks are useless against me!" Gepard said sternly.
March 7th snorted.
"Hah? We were just holding back because we didn't want to hurt you. But since you said that, don't blame us for getting serious! Dan Heng! Stelle! Let's go!"
Dan Heng no longer held back. He swung his Cloud Piercer at full force, taking down the surrounding Silvermane Guards.
March 7th drew her bow and fired a powerful arrow at Gepard.
Stelle raised Judgment of Shamash and shouted:
"Judgment of Shamash! Unleash!"
The weapon entered its released form. Stelle, wielding the blazing blade, teleported straight toward Gepard.
Just as Gepard finished blocking March 7th's arrow, Stelle was already right in front of him.
She leapt high into the air and brought the flaming blade down hard.
Gepard tried to block with his case, but the moment Judgment of Shamash struck it, the case was sliced clean in two.
Gepard was also blasted away by the force.
Stelle landed, wiped her nose, and smirked.
"So? My attacks work now, don't they?"
March 7th came up beside her, staring enviously at the weapon in Stelle's hands.
"You're so lucky to have drawn that weapon. When we get back, I'm gonna find a way to get one from Ye Yun too!"
***
Stelle pointed to a treasure chest not far away.
"Look, isn't that Stellar Jade over there? Let's deal with these guys first, then go open the chest."
March 7th agreed immediately. There seemed to be quite a few treasure chests in Belobog—she'd already seen several common ones nearby.
Without Gepard's shield, the remaining Silvermane Guards were quickly taken down by Dan Heng.
March 7th looked at Gepard and sighed helplessly.
"Why won't you listen? We're really not with that guy."
Stelle patted March 7th.
"March, show him the photo. Didn't you take pictures of their planet?"
Only then did March 7th remember. She quickly took out the photos and showed them to Gepard.
After seeing them, Gepard finally believed that the three of them weren't working with Sampo.
He vaguely remembered reading in books that, before the Eternal Freeze, visitors from beyond the stars would occasionally arrive.
To think that after all these years, starfarers would come again.
This was no longer something he could decide on his own.
After thinking for a moment, Gepard decided to take them to see the Supreme Guardian.
In Belobog—
Ye Yun had grabbed a "local" to guide him.
"Hey, we agreed that once we get to Belobog, you'd let me go."
In an alley, local Belobog native Sampo was talking to Ye Yun.
Sampo had originally planned to go back and prepare for the next part of his "script."
But unexpectedly, he'd been snatched mid-way to act as a tour guide.
The worst part was that the other guy was ridiculously strong—especially that talking deer, whose power was close to an Emanator.
Ye Yun urged him.
"Hurry up and take me to the Underworld."
The Overworld was boring now. With Cocolia in charge, she might grab him the moment she saw him.
It's not like he feared Cocolia or the Stellaron—but still, it'd be a hassle, right?
Better to go have some fun in the Underworld first.
Sampo begged bitterly.
"Come on, man, the entrance to the Underworld is sealed! I really can't take you down there."
Ye Yun kicked him in the butt.
"Cut it out. Don't you have a secret tunnel? We'll take that one."
Sampo's eyes widened. What the heck! How did this guy know about his secret passage?
This should be his first time in Belobog, right? Why does he act like he knows everything about him?
Could he be an old friend from the tavern? No, that's not right—this guy doesn't have the Path of Elation's aura at all.
Forget it, forget it—better take him down there, or Sampo's butt might get kicked again.
Reluctantly, Sampo led Ye Yun toward his secret passage.
Through the hidden path, Ye Yun successfully entered the Underworld.
Smelling the acrid scent of coal dust and slag in the air, Ye Yun frowned.
The Underworld in reality was truly awful—slag and discarded tools littered the ground.
Ye Yun turned back, intending to ask Sampo to take him to Natasha, only to realize that Sampo had already slipped away.
That was troublesome—Ye Yun had originally planned to go find Natasha and do some business.
As the leader of Wildfire, Natasha managed all the resources of Rivet Town.
Surely, with her position, she could gather plenty of Stellar Jade.
Left with no choice, Ye Yun started asking around as he walked, trying to find Natasha's clinic.
As he was walking—
Suddenly, Ye Yun felt a sharp pain in his waist, like he'd been struck by something heavy.
"Ow!"
He turned around to find a little girl with short golden hair sitting on the ground, holding her head.
Ye Yun immediately recognized her—that was none other than the great Pitch-Dark Hook the Great.
He helped her up.
"You okay, Hook?"
Hook shook her head.
"I'm fine."
She looked up at Ye Yun.
"Who are you? How do you know my name?"
Ye Yun smiled.
"Of course I know. Who doesn't know the famous Pitch-Dark Hook the Great?"
Hook, flattered by the sudden praise, looked quite pleased.
"Hmph! Of course—I am the great Pitch-Dark Hook! You've got good eyes to recognize me so quickly, hmhm~"
She patted Ye Yun's leg in satisfaction.
Why the leg? Because that was as high as she could reach.
Hook looked up at Ye Yun.
"What's your name? I still don't know."
"Ye Yun," he said.
Then he asked,
"Does Pitch-Dark Hook the Great know where Natasha is?"
At the mention of Natasha's name, Hook reflexively shuddered.
"Th-the old witch!"
Ye Yun couldn't help but sigh. Hook really was scared of Natasha—just hearing her name spooked her.
"Yeah. Do you know where she is? I need to talk to her about something."
Hook looked Ye Yun up and down, eyes scanning carefully, trying to determine if he was a good guy or a bad one.
Though Natasha was scary, she was good to Hook. She couldn't just take strangers to her.
Seeing this, Ye Yun pulled out a packet of Skittles and offered it to her.
"As long as the great Hook leads me to Natasha, this bag of candy is yours."
He was counting on the classic sweet-bribe tactic. With kids, candy solves a lot of problems.
Hook eyed the packet curiously.
"Candy? Doesn't look like the kind I know..."
Ye Yun opened the bag, took one out, and handed it to her.
"This kind's candy too. Try it and see."
Looking at the red candy in front of her, Hook couldn't resist the temptation.
"Okay… I'll give it a try."
She popped it in her mouth.
The moment the candy hit her tongue, the sweet and slightly sour flavor melted instantly. Hook's expression lit up in delight.
"Mmm~ So tasty!"
Ye Yun shook the packet.
"So? Will you take me there? Don't worry, I just want to do business with Natasha. I won't hurt her."
Hook was still a little hesitant—Ye Yun was a stranger.
But… the candy was so good!
In the end—
Hook couldn't resist the demon's temptation (or rather, the candy's temptation).
Clutching the bag of Skittles, she happily led Ye Yun to find Natasha.
Along the way, she held the candy tightly, checking every few steps to make sure not a single piece had fallen.
Ye Yun watched her and chuckled, then opened the system shop, spent one Star Coin, and bought a red panda-themed backpack for Hook.
"Wow! This bag is so cute! Is it really for me?" Hook's eyes sparkled as she looked at the panda bag.
Ye Yun took the candy from her arms and stuffed it into the little backpack.
"Yep, it's yours. Wear it—it'll keep your candy safe."
As he spoke, he helped Hook put the backpack on.
Hook wiggled her little bag and was overjoyed.