Honkai Star Rail: I Became the World Tree — Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Furina: Sing My Praises!

Belobog, Lower District.

The air in the underground clinic was thick with the familiar scent of medicinal herbs and the faint, metallic tang of geomarrow smoke. Natasha had just finished ladling out the last portions of hot nutrient stew. When she turned around to check on her guests, she realized Stelle and March 7th were nowhere to be seen.

She caught the attention of a clinic assistant clearing empty bowls. The young woman simply pointed toward the exit, mentioning that the two off-worlders had hurried out the heavy iron doors a while ago.

Hearing this, Natasha didn’t press the issue. The Underworld was dangerous, but those two were more than capable of handling themselves. She turned her focus back to the hungry children gathered around the long wooden tables.

“Hook, don’t smack your lips while you eat,” Natasha chided gently, tapping the edge of the table. “It’s impolite.”

Just as Hook swallowed her mouthful to protest, the clinic doors groaned open. Natasha looked up to see Stelle and March 7th strolling back inside, accompanied by two entirely unfamiliar women.

Stelle offered a casual wave. “Natasha!”

Natasha wiped her hands on her apron, her eyes drifting over the newcomers’ strange, elegant attire. “Stelle, March. And these two are…?”

“These two are my friends,” Stelle said, gesturing beside her. “Furina and Clorinde.”

Before anyone else could speak, Furina stepped forward, striking a highly theatrical pose with her hands on her hips. She huffed twice, her chin tilted toward the ceiling.

“Praise me! Sing my praises! The great God Focalors has descended to bring you supplies!” Furina announced, her voice echoing dramatically against the stone walls. She lowered her gaze to Natasha, offering a magnanimous smile. “Miss Natasha, these two friends of mine informed me that your Lower District is severely lacking in resources. As a God who loves her people, I have brought a generous bounty to bestow upon you.”

Natasha stared at the dramatic girl, entirely at a loss for words.

Standing off to the side, Stelle reached out and gave Furina’s sleeve a sharp little tug. “Alright, alright, Furina. Let’s actually give the supplies to Natasha first before the speech.”

Hearing this, Furina cleared her throat and shot Clorinde a knowing look. The Champion Duelist understood immediately. With a faint, crackling shimmer of elemental energy from her Vision, heavy sacks and crates materialized out of thin air, thudding solidly onto the wooden floorboards.

The sudden appearance of the cargo drew the immediate attention of every orphan in the room. They abandoned their bowls and crowded around the crates, their eyes wide with wonder.

“Wow! Can this big sister do magic?”

“What are these things?” one of the boys asked, poking a spilled grain from a canvas sack. “They’re small, white, hard… and they smell a bit nice.”

Natasha recognized the white grains immediately. Her breath hitched. She stepped forward, hurriedly waving her hands. “Stelle, quickly tell your friend to put these away. These are raw grains—real food. They are far too precious. We absolutely cannot accept them.”

Stelle glanced at Furina.

Furina crossed her arms, her tone softening into something genuinely earnest beneath the bravado. “Accept them. These are the supplies I have chosen to bestow upon you.”

Natasha shook her head, insisting on refusing. In the current climate of Belobog, pure white rice was a luxury so rare it was likely hoarded as a premium commodity even in the Overworld. To drop such a massive batch of pristine food into a struggling underground clinic was too heavy a gift; she truly felt guilty even considering it.

“No, I mean it. These supplies are too valuable. We cannot take them.”

Seeing the doctor’s stubborn morality, March 7th stepped in with a bright smile. “Natasha, just accept them! We actually happen to have something we need your help with anyway. Consider this an advance payment.”

March pointed at the gathered orphans. “Besides, these supplies are our gift to the children. They’re still growing, and they need to eat better. We also picked a ton of fresh mushrooms out in the forest. Take them and make a rich stew for everyone later.”

Stelle chimed in, leaning against a nearby pillar. “That’s right, Natasha. We have a favor to ask.”

Natasha looked at the smiling faces of Stelle and March 7th, then at Furina and Clorinde standing quietly by the crates. She looked down at the children. If she accepted this food, it would drastically improve their health. Life in the Underworld had been deteriorating by the day ever since the Supreme Guardian sealed the passage between the upper and lower cities. If it weren’t for the risky efforts of ‘smugglers’ like Sampo, the Underworld would have starved out long ago.

The heavy burden of leadership warred with her pride, but looking at the rice, the choice was obvious. Natasha looked at the group, her eyes softening with deep gratitude.

“Thank you. To be honest, I really don’t know how to thank you enough.”

Stelle grinned. “Then help us look into something. We need you to find out the location of a thing called a ‘Stellaron’. We’re tracking it down.”

Hearing the strange term, Natasha lowered her head, her brow furrowing in thought for a brief moment. “A Stellaron? I haven’t heard the name, but don’t worry. I will do my absolute best to help you find it.”

Furina clapped her hands together, breaking the serious atmosphere. “Let’s move the supplies first, Natasha! Make something delicious for the children!”

Natasha nodded, immediately calling over a few burly members of Wildfire who were resting in the back to help haul the heavy sacks into the pantry.

Hook immediately rallied the children of the Mole Gang. They watched the crates of food being carried away, their hearts swelling with pure joy. Hook ran up, practically vibrating with excitement as she looked up at the trio.

“Big Sister Stelle! Big Sister March 7th! And Big Sister Furina, is all of that really yummy food?”

Stelle reached down and ruffled Hook’s messy blonde hair. “That’s right, Hook. It’s all yummy food.”

Hook’s eyes lit up like sparklers. Yummy food! For the children born in the dark depths of the Underworld, a full, warm stomach was the most important thing in the entire world.

Within seconds, Furina found herself completely surrounded by a cheering squad of children, happily basking in their unfiltered admiration and praise.

Meanwhile.

Source Continent, on a certain Trunk Avenue.

Neuvillette frowned slightly, his sharp eyes locked onto the creature standing a short distance ahead. It was a Goblin, standing roughly two meters tall. Thick, crude iron plates were strapped to its chest and shoulders, and its massive, clawed hands gripped a heavy spiked club.

“This Goblin is vastly different from the ones in my memory,” Neuvillette murmured, his voice calm and analytical despite the imposing threat.

He raised his Apprentice Wooden Staff, pointing the tip directly at the beast’s chest. A sphere of compressed hydro energy gathered in the air. He fired a Water Magic Bullet.

The projectile slammed into the Goblin’s iron armor with a sharp crack. The beast staggered back slightly, its health instantly dropping by 10 points.

But the moment Neuvillette’s attack ended, the Goblin roared, closing the distance between them with terrifying speed.

Neuvillette’s eyes tracked the swing. He stepped slightly to the side, letting the spiked club smash into the dirt where he had just been standing. Pivoting on his heel, he delivered a precise, sweeping kick to the back of the Goblin’s calf. The heavy creature lost its balance, crashing down hard onto one knee.

Without missing a beat, Neuvillette pressed the tip of his wooden staff directly against the exposed back of the Goblin’s head. He fired another Water Magic Bullet at point-blank range.

This time, the damage wasn’t a mere 10 HP. A critical message of -20 HP flashed violently over the Goblin’s head.

Enraged, the Goblin swung its spiked club in a wild, desperate backhand sweep. Neuvillette saw the attack coming and instinctively shifted his weight to dodge.

Unfortunately, his current vessel was only level one. His physical parameters were restricted to the strength and speed of a completely normal human. His mind calculated the evasion perfectly, but his muscles simply could not move fast enough.

The spiked club clipped his side. The sheer kinetic force of the blow sent a shockwave of pain through his ribs, nearly knocking the breath from his lungs.

In an instant, his health bar plummeted, hitting rock bottom with only a single point remaining.

Neuvillette steadied his breathing, ignoring the screaming pain in his side. He focused entirely on the battle, relying on perfect positioning and relentless precision. It took him more than five grueling minutes of dodging by a hair’s breadth and firing calculated shots before the massive Goblin finally collapsed into the dust.

[Congratulations on killing the Goblin! Gained 10 experience points!]

Neuvillette exhaled slowly, pulling up his status panel. His level had officially increased.

[Hero: Neuvillette]

[Class: Magician Apprentice]

[HP: 20/20]

[MP: 30/30]

[Level: 2 (0/100)]

[Constitution: 2]

[Strength: 2]

[Intelligence: 3]

[Skill: Water Magic Bullet LV.1]

[Equipment: Apprentice Wooden Staff]

The moment the level-up registered, a warm surge of energy washed over him. His health was instantly restored to full, the bruising pain in his side vanishing completely. He clenched his left hand into a fist, clearly sensing the raw physical strength of his body increasing.

Neuvillette stared at his palm, his expression thoughtful. “This method of acquiring strength is entirely unheard of. It is almost… dangerously simple.”

After a brief moment of reflection, he smoothed out his coat, leaned over to collect the scattered copper coins dropped by the beast, and continued down the road to hunt for his next target. Now that his parameters had increased, killing these armored Goblins became significantly more efficient. It now required only two precise Water Magic Bullets to bring one down.

Elsewhere, deep within the lush, vibrant domain of the elves.

Samuel was currently walking alongside Anviel, guiding the young elf through the sprawling branches to choose a treehouse.

Anviel bypassed several newer structures, ultimately stopping in front of the ancient treehouse situated closest to the towering trunk of Irminsul. This small, quiet dwelling had once been her ‘home’ long ago.

Samuel stepped inside. The air was thick with the scent of old wood and dust. With a casual wave of his hand, a gentle pulse of energy swept through the room. The heavily decayed, rotting furniture inside the treehouse instantly vanished into motes of light, leaving the space clean and open.

The furniture crafted by the Elf Clan was traditionally made of one hundred percent natural wood. Without constant maintenance, materials of that nature simply could not withstand the merciless decay of time.

Samuel turned to Anviel, gently rubbing the top of her head. “In a little while, I’ll take you into town to buy some new furniture.”

Anviel nodded, a bright, happy smile gracing her lips.

Right at that exact moment, Anviel’s stomach let out a loud, rumbling growl, echoing clearly in the quiet, empty room.

The young elf froze. Her face instantly flushed a brilliant shade of crimson. ‘Oh no! How could this happen! Stomach, you’re not helping at all! How could you growl so loudly right in front of Lord Sacred Tree!’

Seeing her panic, Samuel let out a soft chuckle. He reached out and gently took Anviel’s small, trembling hand in his own.

“Hungry?” he asked, his voice warm and teasing. “Let’s go. I’ll take you to get something good to eat.”

Without waiting for her to stammer out an apology, Samuel led Anviel out of the treehouse and toward the General Store.

Anviel walked half a step behind him, looking up at the broad back of Lord Sacred Tree as he held her hand. The embarrassment faded, replaced by a deep, comforting wave of warmth that flowed steadily through her heart.

Even after all this time, Lord Sacred Tree was still just as gentle as she remembered.