Honkai Star Rail: I Became the World Tree — Chapter 39

Chapter 39: New Mission: Reclaiming the Holy City!

Samuel closed his interface with a flick of his wrist. He glanced over at Anviel, Clara, and Hook, who were diligently sweeping up the nearby dust.

“Anviel, once you three wrap up the cleaning, head straight to breakfast. I’ll go on ahead.”

The three little ones nodded in unison, their faces bright with morning energy. Afterward, Samuel strolled toward the Star Adventurer Group Station.

Pushing open the heavy wooden doors, the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee greeted him. Welt sat comfortably on a plush sofa by the window, scrolling through the morning news on his phone. A steaming ceramic cup rested on the low table before him—a courtesy from Neuvillette.

“Morning, Welt,” Samuel greeted, pulling out a chair.

Welt offered a slight, polite nod. “Morning, Samuel.”

Glancing around the quiet first-floor lobby, Samuel noticed the distinct lack of chaotic energy. “Where are Stelle and March?”

Welt gestured vaguely toward the ceiling. “Still asleep. Given the hour, they should be stirring soon.”

Samuel chuckled, shaking his head. “I wouldn’t bet on it. Those two probably won’t surface until the afternoon.”

Welt lowered his phone, an eyebrow raised in mild curiosity. “Oh? Why is that?”

“They spent the entire night hunting monsters,” Samuel explained smoothly. “Both Stelle and March have already hit Level 5.”

Welt blinked, a rare flash of surprise crossing his composed features. “Level 5 already?”

Samuel nodded. “That’s right.”

Welt fell silent, likely searching for the right words to describe the sheer, unhinged dedication of the Express’s youngest members. He settled for a quiet sigh, acknowledging their relentless work ethic.

Nearby, Neuvillette paused. He summoned his own status panel. The glowing blue text displayed a glaring Level 3, and a quiet, unfamiliar sense of urgency tightened his chest. Until this morning, the Iudex had comfortably maintained a lead in both level and experience. To be overtaken in a single night was unacceptable.

Neuvillette made a silent resolution. The Palais Mermonia’s official documents could wait. He would dedicate his daylight hours entirely to hunting monsters and securing Level 5. As for the paperwork, he would simply process it under the moonlight; his draconic constitution required no sleep anyway.

A short while later, the heavy doors swung open again. Furina, Bronya, and the rest of the vanguard filed into the station.

The moment Furina heard about the all-night grinding session, she threw her hands up in theatrical betrayal. “And here I thought we were comrades! They leveled up in secret without even inviting me! Unbelievable. The second they wake up, I am demanding they carry me through the high-level zones!”

Bronya gazed up at the second-floor landing, a look of genuine respect in her eyes. “Stelle and March are incredibly diligent. It is no wonder they possess such formidable strength.”

Samuel gestured to the dining area. “Let’s eat first. I have some updates for everyone.”

The group quickly took their seats around the long wooden table. As plates were passed, Samuel cleared his throat. “The system’s equipment data has fully synchronized. You can check your panels now.”

Dan Heng summoned his interface. His eyes narrowed slightly as he read the updated weapon column.

[Weapon: Apprentice Wooden Sword (White) | Sharpness: 1 | Durability: 10/10]

“My interface displays a new Sharpness stat,” Dan Heng noted.

Neuvillette chimed in from across the table, his tone measured. “Mine shows an addition titled Magic Power Intensity.”

Samuel nodded. “Exactly. For melee weapons, Sharpness dictates armor penetration. Take a standard Goblin, which has 10 DEF. Striking it with that Apprentice Wooden Sword bypasses 1 point of defense, directly increasing your DMG output by 1. Magic Power Intensity functions the exact same way for spells.”

He paused, letting the information sink in before dropping the real prize. “, defeating monsters will now drop weapons and equipment. Once we gather enough materials, I’ll be opening a Blacksmith Shop to supply proper gear.”

Furina’s eyes sparkled with absolute delight. “Finally! We can wear actual armor! It was completely unfair that those ugly little monsters got to wear plating while we ran around in our regular clothes. The second I get my hands on a full set of iron armor, I’m finding a Goblin and bashing its skull in with my wooden staff in close combat!”

Samuel smiled at her bloodthirsty enthusiasm. “On that note, I want to reclaim the Holy City as quickly as possible. To speed things up, I’m launching a new bounty event.”

He tapped the table for emphasis. “For every standard Goblin you kill, I will personally pay out 1 copper coin. A Big Goblin nets you 1 silver coin. A Shadow Goblin is worth 5 silver coins. And if you manage to take down a Goblin Warrior… that’s 1 gold coin. Work hard, everyone. An opportunity like this is rare.”

The dining hall erupted into a flurry of motion. The Belobog contingent reacted the fastest. Seele’s eyes burned with competitive fire. She grabbed Bronya’s arm, shaking it with frantic energy.

“Bronya! Did you hear that? Actual currency! Why the hell are we wasting time picking mushrooms? We need to be out there slaughtering monsters!”

Bronya nodded firmly, her tactical mind already shifting gears. “Agreed. We are changing our primary objective. We focus on this bounty event immediately. An opportunity like this will not come again!”

Furina slammed her hands on the table, her dramatic flair replaced by pure gacha-driven desperation. “Neuvillette! Clorinde! Eat faster! We are deploying the second we finish! I need a gold coin! I need to pull for new skills!”

Neuvillette and Clorinde offered no verbal response, but the rhythmic clatter of their silverware noticeably accelerated. Even Welt and Dan Heng, usually the pictures of calm, began clearing their plates with newfound efficiency.

Samuel leaned back in his chair, thoroughly satisfied. Ah, the beauty of a proper incentive structure, he mused. You just have to dangle the right carrot, and the workers will sprint.

For a brief, fleeting moment, Samuel felt like a ruthless, black-hearted capitalist exploiting his friends. He quickly brushed the thought aside. It’s the system’s fault, he rationalized smoothly. The system issues the missions. I am merely the humble executor. Therefore, the system is the black-hearted capitalist, and I am completely innocent.

Yes. Flawless logic.

Breakfast concluded in record time. The newly motivated adventurers surged out of the station, weapons drawn. Clara and Hook eagerly tagged along, the two children following Furina’s dramatic lead to hunt down Goblins.

Anviel remained behind. Without the system’s resurrection privileges, venturing into the combat zones was an unnecessary risk for her. Samuel had already decided that once his own strength fully recovered, he would personally teach her a few defensive spells.

Settling into a comfortable chair at the entrance of the General Store, Samuel sipped his hot tea. He watched his interface with a serene smile as the Divine Power balance began to tick upward, steadily and beautifully.

That’s it. Keep up the good work, everyone. My recovery rests entirely on your shoulders!

Meanwhile, aboard the Astral Express.

The sleek doors of the parlor car slid open, and Herta stepped inside.

“Himeko,” the genius stated without preamble. “You mentioned the Adventurers Guild leveled up. Does this mean I can finally cross over to Samuel’s world?”

Himeko looked up from her coffee, offering a warm nod. “Yes. The Guild has officially reached E-rank, which expands our recruitment capacity. However, you will have to wait a little longer before making the jump. Stelle isn’t currently on the train; she is down in Belobog.”

Herta crossed her arms, her gaze drifting toward the frost-covered windows. Outside, the frozen wasteland of Jarilo-VI stretched into the distance.

“On this miserable ice cube? Oh, right. There’s a Stellaron here. I was wondering why your Express detoured from Penacony to park in this frozen wasteland.” She uncrossed her arms, already turning toward the exit. “Fine. I’ll take my Starship down and find her myself. See ya.”

“Ms. Herta, a moment,” Himeko called out, her tone gentle but firm.

Herta paused, glancing over her shoulder with an impatient sigh. “Speak.”

“I must ask that you refrain from interfering with Stelle and the others’ Trailblaze journey. This is Stelle’s first real Trailblaze, and she needs to experience it herself.”

Herta gave a dismissive nod. “Agreed. I am strictly interested in Samuel’s world. Even if you begged me to intervene in their local politics, I wouldn’t. I don’t have the time. A genius’s time is exceptionally precious.”

She stared at the navigator. “Is there anything else? If not, I’m leaving.”

Himeko smiled softly. “Just pass on a message for me. Tell them to stay safe.”

Herta gave a curt hum of acknowledgment before stepping out of the parlor car, the doors hissing shut behind her.