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ArabicHonkai Star Rail: I Became the World Tree — Chapter 1
Chapter 1: Stelle, Astral Express Crew, Other World
In the vast, boundless expanse of the universe, a retro-style locomotive sailed quietly through the sea of stars. This was the Astral Express. Aboard this vessel traveled a dedicated group of Trailblazers, individuals who walked the Path of Trailblaze. They journeyed across the cosmos, lending aid to those in need and laying down silver rails to connect isolated planets.
Currently, the Express sat docked at the gleaming platform of the Herta Space Station. Inside the parlor car, the morning routine was well underway as the crew gathered around the dining table for breakfast.
The mechanical doors slid open with a soft hiss. A young woman with striking grey hair stepped into the cabin, casually carrying a woven basket overflowing with bizarrely vibrant fruits.
“Hello, everyone. Good morning,” Stelle called out, her tone carrying its usual dry but warm cadence.
Himeko, the elegant navigator of the Express, paused with her porcelain coffee cup halfway to her lips. A look of pleasant surprise flashed across her amber eyes.
“Stelle? What brings you back to the train so early? Good morning.”
Beside her, March 7th practically launched herself out of her plush chair. The energetic archer bounded over, her pink hair bouncing with every step.
“Ah! It is Stelle! Come here, come here! Have you eaten yet? Do you want to grab a plate with us?”
Stelle was a girl suffering from amnesia, one who had fought fiercely alongside March 7th just three days prior against the Antimatter Legion that had invaded the space station.
Stelle scratched the back of her head, offering a faint smile as she set the heavy basket down on the central dining table.
“Hehe, come on, everyone. Try the fruit I brought. I just picked these. They are very fresh and delicious.”
Himeko glanced at the exotic arrangement. She offered a gentle, motherly smile.
“There is no need to be so formal with us, Stelle. Why bring a gift? Please do not do this next time; there is no need to spend your credits like this.”
Stelle immediately waved her hands in dismissal.
“It is fine, it is fine. It did not cost anything. Furina told me that when you visit someone else’s territory, you absolutely must bring a gift, otherwise it seems incredibly impolite.”
March 7th had already snatched a perfectly round, neon-blue fruit from the pile. She took a massive bite, her cheeks puffing out like a chipmunk as she chewed happily.
“It did not cost money?” March mumbled through a mouthful of sweet juice. “That is impossible. This basket looks so fancy, it definitely was not cheap. Hmm, wow, it tastes amazing too!”
Stelle shook her head, maintaining her deadpan sincerity.
“It really did not cost money. I picked them myself.”
Sitting nearby, Welt Yang adjusted his glasses. The mature, seasoned veteran of the crew leaned forward, his sharp eyes carefully examining the remaining contents of the basket.
“Stelle, where exactly did you source these?” Welt asked, his voice steady but laced with genuine curiosity. “I have traveled widely, yet I have never seen flora quite like this.”
Dan Heng, the quiet guard of the Express, crossed his arms and stared intently at the glowing blue skin of the fruit March was currently devouring.
“I have not seen them either,” Dan Heng noted dryly. “Could they be poisonous? They look entirely unnatural. Generally speaking, brightly colored plants in the wild have a high probability of being toxic.”
The dining car fell dead silent.
March 7th froze. The color drained from her face.
“What! Poisonous? Are you serious?!” She dropped the half-eaten fruit onto a napkin, clutching her throat in absolute terror. “I already swallowed a whole piece! Wuwuwu… Himeko, save me! I do not want to die!”
Stelle quickly reached out to pat the panicked girl’s shoulder.
“They are not poisonous. I promise. I have eaten plenty of them myself. It is completely normal that none of you recognize them. I picked these in another world.”
March exhaled a massive breath, slumping dramatically against the table.
“Phew… That is good. That is very good.” Without missing a beat, she reached right back into the basket, grabbed a bright pink fruit, and resumed munching.
Meanwhile, the older members of the crew zeroed in on Stelle’s exact phrasing.
Himeko set her coffee down, her brow furrowing slightly. “Another world? Stelle, you mean another planet, correct?”
“No,” Stelle replied, shaking her head. “Just another world. Not a planet.”
The casual atmosphere in the parlor car instantly shifted. Welt, Himeko, and Dan Heng exchanged serious, tight expressions. Only March continued to happily gnaw on her pink snack, oblivious to the heavy implications.
Welt looked directly at the grey-haired girl. “Can you elaborate on this other world? And more, how exactly did you travel there?”
Stelle grinned, her golden eyes lighting up with a rare spark of excitement.
“That is exactly what I came to talk to you guys about. It goes like this. The day before yesterday, Himeko invited me to join the Express, and I said I needed time to think about it, remember? Well, after I left, I met someone named Samuel. He is the master of this other world. An Irminsul. He invited me over to help him fight off some monsters.”
She gestured with her hands, trying to articulate the bizarre experience.
“After I crossed over, I actually received a status panel and a character class. You might not fully grasp it just by listening, but it is exactly like playing a video game. You kill monsters, you level up, you learn new skills, all of that. Because I was the very first person from our universe to be invited, the system allowed me to create an Adventurers Guild. Once it is created, I can invite other people to join my roster. Anyone who joins can cross over and go on adventures with me.”
Stelle leaned over the table, looking at the four of them with bright anticipation.
“I came straight here to invite you all. Right now, my guild is at the absolute lowest tier, F-rank, which means I can only recruit a maximum of five people. I do not really know anyone else yet, so I thought I would come find you guys and ask if you wanted to join my party.”
‘Somewhere deep in the cosmos, a certain game-obsessed Stellaron Hunter suddenly sneezed, rubbing her nose as an inexplicable feeling washed over her—the distinct, tragic sensation of having just missed out on an exclusive beta test.’
March 7th tossed her finished fruit pit straight into the nearby trash can. She did not even blink.
“Count me in! I am definitely joining! That sounds like so much fun!”
Seeing her first recruit sign up so eagerly, Stelle nodded in satisfaction. She then turned her gaze to Himeko, Welt, and Dan Heng.
The three of them shared a long, silent look.
Dan Heng closed his eyes and sighed softly. “I will follow your lead.”
Welt lowered his head, resting his chin on his hand as he pondered the sheer impossibility of the situation. A few seconds later, a faint smile touched his lips. “Why don’t we go and take a look? Venturing into an unknown world… is that not the very essence of Trailblaze?”
Himeko nodded in agreement, her own adventurous spirit thoroughly ignited by the prospect of an entirely new reality.
“Since that is the case, I will come along as well. If we are trailblazing in another world, the Astral Express Crew must stick together. I will send a quick message to Asta right now and ask her to assign someone to watch over the train while we are gone.”
March 7th pumped her fists in the air, practically vibrating with excitement. “Yay! We get to go play in another world!”
Stelle straightened her posture. “Then I will send you the invites right now.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, a crisp, glowing virtual interface materialized out of thin air, projecting itself directly in front of Himeko, March 7th, Welt, and Dan Heng.
[The Leader of the Star Adventure Group invites you to join the Adventurers Guild! Accept / Decline]
March 7th did not hesitate for a fraction of a second. She jammed her finger forward, frantically tapping the Accept button.
Seeing the prompt hovering before them, the other three calmly reached out and pressed Accept as well.
Stelle clapped her hands together, genuinely overjoyed to see her roster fill up.
“Done! Welcome to the Star Adventure Group, everyone! Should we head over right now? Furina promised she would bring a ton of delicious little cakes today. Let’s go taste them together.”
Himeko tilted her head, catching the unfamiliar name once again. “Stelle, who exactly is this Furina you keep mentioning?”
“Oh, she is someone from the other world,” Stelle explained casually. “A place called Teyvat. She is actually a God. From what she told me, she is the Hydro Archon of a nation called Fontaine, or something along those lines. She is super nice. I hung out with her all day yesterday, and she is incredibly easy to get along with. You will see for yourselves when you meet her in a bit. Oh, right! She was the one who insisted I bring the fruit basket for you guys, saying it was the polite thing to do. All these fruits were picked fresh in Samuel’s world.”
Himeko’s eyes widened slightly. She could not help but feel a surge of deep intrigue.
An Archon? A God? A literal deity.
Welt adjusted his glasses once more, bringing the conversation back to the immediate logistical problem.
“Then how exactly are we supposed to travel to this world you mentioned?”
Stelle raised her hand, pointing dramatically toward the empty air in front of her.
“Open Sesame!”