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ArabicHonkai Star Rail: I Became the World Tree — Chapter 3
Chapter 3: Furina Treats the Astral Express Crew to Cake
March 7th was absolutely overjoyed to hear that she could stay here.
“Really? Stelle, can we really stay here?” she asked, her eyes sparkling as she looked around the spacious interior.
Stelle nodded with absolute certainty, crossing her arms in a proud stance. “Of course. This is our Adventurers Guild base, and since you’re all official members of my Star Adventure Group, you can definitely live here.”
March 7th threw her hands up and cheered. “Yay! Himeko! Let’s move over here! Since Stelle can just open a teleportation gate, we can return to the Astral Express anytime we want, right?”
Himeko looked around the empty Treehouse. The structure was magnificent, built directly into the colossal wood of the world, but in terms of decoration, it was truly just bare walls and smooth wooden floors.
“We can,” Himeko agreed with a gentle smile, “but we’ll certainly need to renovate this place before it feels like home.”
March 7th nodded enthusiastically, already pacing out the dimensions of the room. “Great! Great! I’m going to personally design a beautiful room for myself! I’ll need a massive photo wall for all my pictures…”
Just then, the heavy wooden door of the Treehouse was pushed open with a dramatic flourish, and Furina hopped inside, striking a theatrical pose.
“Ta-da~ The Great God Focalors makes her grand entrance!”
Seeing Furina, Stelle immediately dropped her proud stance and jogged over to greet her. “Oh! Furina!”
Furina dropped her pose, her face lighting up with genuine happiness at the sight of her friend. “Stelle! Why are you so late today? Didn’t we agree that I’d bring you some cake to eat?”
Stelle smiled and pointed a thumb over her shoulder at Himeko, March 7th, Welt, and Dan Heng, who were standing a short distance away.
“I went to recruit people, and I brought four at once! Hmph! I refuse to believe we can’t take down a single Goblin today!”
As soon as Furina heard the word ‘Goblin’, her eyes widened and her fighting spirit visibly soared. She clenched her fists, her dramatic flair returning in full force. “Exactly! With so many more people today, I don’t believe we can’t take down a Goblin! We shall wash away yesterday’s humiliation!”
Himeko and the others walked over. Himeko looked at Stelle, her gaze shifting to the energetic newcomer. “Stelle, is this friend the Furina you mentioned?”
Before Stelle could even open her mouth to answer, Furina stepped forward, placing a hand on her chest and lifting her chin proudly.
“That’s right! Everyone, standing before you is the Great Hydro Archon, the Archon of Fontaine, Focalors! Hmph~”
Seeing Furina’s incredibly narcissistic display, March 7th leaned close to Stelle’s ear, shielding her mouth with her hand as she whispered. “Stelle, she’s so full of herself.”
Hearing this, Stelle looked at March 7th in genuine confusion. “Full of herself? No, I think it’s pretty cool! I was thinking about my own introduction all last night. What do you think of ‘Galactic Baseballer’? My weapon is a bat, so it’s very recognizable! In the future, as soon as anyone sees my bat, they’ll immediately think of my title! Hehe~”
March 7th was suddenly speechless. She stared at her friend, deciding she simply didn’t want to talk anymore. ‘Stelle, your train of thought is completely abnormal.’
Stepping in to save the conversation, Himeko introduced herself with a warm, elegant smile. “Hello, Furina. I’m Himeko, the Navigator of the Astral Express. It is very nice to meet you.”
Following her lead, Welt, Dan Heng, and March 7th all introduced themselves one by one.
Furina nodded graciously, playing the part of a welcoming host. “Mm-hmm~ I’ve remembered everyone! Oh, right, I brought a lot of small cakes, let’s all eat together! These cakes are absolutely delicious! My Dessert Grand Officer made them specifically for me!”
As she spoke, Furina carefully opened the ornate box she was carrying, revealing a stunning array of exquisite, colorful small cakes nestled inside. The sweet aroma of vanilla and fresh cream immediately filled the empty Treehouse.
March 7th’s eyes lit up at the sight. “Wow! These cakes are so cute! This little bunny one is so adorable!”
Furina was visibly pleased by March 7th’s praise, puffing her chest out just a little bit more. ‘Hehe~ These are the cakes I brought, after all!’
Stelle, completely devoid of any polite hesitation, reached right into the box, picked up a blue, jiggly Slime-shaped cake, and popped the entire thing into her mouth.
“Miam-miam~ Mmm~ This is tasty!” Stelle mumbled, happily smacking her lips as she chewed.
Furina looked at Himeko, March 7th, and the others, offering the box with a beaming smile. “Everyone, come try some. After we finish the cakes, we’ll go adventuring together!”
Himeko, Welt, and the others expressed their thanks, each taking a beautifully crafted piece of cake to eat. The rich, sweet flavors were a pleasant surprise, melting perfectly on the tongue.
After finishing his portion, Welt adjusted his glasses and looked toward their chaotic guide. “Stelle, you mentioned earlier that coming here allows us to obtain a Character Panel. How exactly do we get one?”
Stelle blinked, only remembering the core purpose of their visit when Welt asked. She licked a bit of sweet cream residue from the corner of her mouth and casually wiped her face with the back of her hand.
“Oh, right! I would have completely forgotten if you hadn’t mentioned it, Mr. Yang. To get a panel, we need to go find Samuel. Come on, I’ll take you there right now.”
The group left the Treehouse, following Stelle and Furina as they stepped onto the massive, sprawling expanse of Trunk Avenue. The sheer scale of the environment was stunning, with the ‘road’ beneath their feet being a single, unimaginably wide branch of the world tree.
Along the way, the three girls—March 7th, Furina, and Stelle—quickly hit it off. Their matching energetic wavelengths synchronized perfectly. Hand in hand, the three of them skipped along the wooden avenue, chatting excitedly about weapons, cute outfits, and the best ways to smash monsters.
Himeko, Welt, and Dan Heng followed at a more leisurely pace behind them, taking the time to admire the surrounding scenery. The air was crisp, and glowing flora dotted the edges of the massive branch.
To their surprise, as soon as they had stepped out of the Treehouse, a melodious and cheerful song began to play softly in the air around them. There were no instruments in sight, yet the music swelled and faded perfectly with their footsteps.
They only learned after asking Stelle that this was a unique feature of this world—essentially a literal background music existence that adapted to the environment.
Himeko walked along the edge of Trunk Avenue, her attention drawn to a sturdy wooden fence entwined with vibrant green vines. As she immersed herself in the tranquil beauty of the massive leaves swaying above, a small bird with brilliant, fiery red feathers suddenly fluttered down and landed on the fence right beside her.
The little bird tilted its head, looking curiously at Himeko with bright, beady eyes. Himeko stopped, finding the tiny creature’s fearless behavior incredibly cute.
She slowly reached out a hand to pet it. The bird immediately hopped a few inches aside, tilted its head to look at her hand curiously again, and then hopped right back to its original spot, allowing her fingers to gently brush against its soft red feathers.
Welt, walking just a step behind, also noticed the interaction. “This bird is quite spirited.”
Himeko smiled, her eyes softening as she withdrew her hand. “Yes. Unfortunately, I didn’t bring any food, otherwise I could feed it a little.”
Welt looked at the bird thoughtfully. “You could choose to adopt it. It seems to like you.”
Himeko was briefly tempted by the suggestion, but she ultimately shook her head. “Better not. Birds are born for the sky. Confining it wouldn’t be right. I just hope this little fellow remembers me. I’ll be living here from now on, so it would be nice if it came to visit when it’s free.”
Welt nodded in agreement. “You have a point.”
Curious, Welt reached out a hand to try and touch the bird himself. The moment his fingers got close, the red bird puffed up its feathers, glared at him, and promptly hopped entirely out of reach.
Welt let out a dry, amused chuckle at the blatant rejection. “You little bird, you’re actually snubbing me. Just wait until next time, when I tempt you with delicious food.”
At that moment, March 7th’s bright voice called out from further down the avenue. “Himeko! Mr. Yang! Catch up!”
Hearing the call, Himeko and Welt bid the little red bird farewell and hurried their pace to rejoin the group.
They soon reached the very end of Trunk Avenue, stepping out into a massive, open plaza that rested at the core of Irminsul. The plaza was a stunning nexus, connecting to over a dozen other Trunk Avenues that branched out toward other giant trees in the distance.
In the center of it all stood the towering, majestic presence of the world tree itself.
Stelle marched right up to the massive trunk and casually tapped on the ancient bark with her hand. “Hey? Samuel, are you there?”
A moment later, a calm, familiar voice connected smoothly through the air, carrying a hint of dry amusement. “I’m here, Stelle. I see you’ve brought friends.”
Stelle nodded vigorously, placing her hands on her hips in triumph. “Yeah! How about it? I brought four at once! Pretty impressive, right?”
Samuel chuckled, the sound vibrating gently through the roots beneath their feet. “Yes, you’re very impressive. I assume you brought your friends here to get their panels?”
“Exactly~” Stelle sang out.
At this point, Himeko stepped forward, her posture shifting into the refined, professional grace of the Astral Express Navigator.
“Respected Irminsul,” Himeko began, bowing her head slightly. “I am Himeko, Navigator of the Astral Express. I have come at Stelle’s invitation. It is a pleasure to meet you.”
“Hello,” Samuel replied, his voice warm and welcoming. “I have actually seen you all before, when I went to retrieve Stelle last time. Himeko, March 7th, Welt, and Dan Heng—hello, and welcome to my world. I will give you your panels first, so you can choose your classes.”