Honkai Star Rail: I Became the World Tree — Chapter 40

Chapter 40: That Day, the Sky of Belobog Lit Up!

The biting winds of Belobog were suddenly eclipsed by a shadow that swallowed the pale sunlight. High above the Administrative District, a colossal Starship broke through the perpetual frost clouds, its sleek, futuristic hull gliding with an ominous, silent grace. The streets below erupted into an absolute frenzy. Citizens pointed trembling, frostbitten fingers at the sky, their daily routines completely forgotten.

“Look! What is that thing?”

“Is that a ship? A ship sailing through the sky?”

“How is something so massive staying afloat?”

Inside the Supreme Guardian’s office, the heavy silence was shattered by the looming shadow passing the window. Cocolia leaned against the frosted glass of her windowsill, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the stone ledge. Her grave expression darkened into a fierce scowl as she tracked the metallic leviathan passing over her city.

“Why must these outworlders descend upon Belobog one after another at a time like this?” Cocolia hissed through gritted teeth. “Dammit all!”

Far above the panic of the surface, the atmosphere inside the Starship’s bridge was entirely serene. Over a dozen identical Herta puppets manned the glowing control consoles, their porcelain joints clicking softly as they worked. Seated in the plush captain’s chair, the primary Herta took a leisurely sip of steaming black tea from an ornate porcelain cup.

“Report!” one of the puppets called out, turning from its monitor. “A massive cluster of Stellaron creatures has been detected on the ground directly beneath our flight path. Ms. Herta, please give your instructions!”

Herta did not even bother to look up from her teacup. “Ignore them. I promised Himeko I would not interfere with Stelle and the others on their little Trailblaze journey. Let them handle it. Consider those Stellaron creatures a part of their combat training.” She took another delicate sip. “Has the target location been locked? If so, initiate landing protocols.”

The puppet responsible for navigation chimed in. “Ms. Herta! The target coordinates have been locked, but there is a slight issue. The location is buried deep beneath a massive layer of solid rock.”

Herta sighed, setting her teacup down with a soft clink. “Then dig a hole.”

The navigation puppet immediately complied, its fingers flying across the control panel. Within moments, the Starship’s lower hangar bays opened. A swarm of heavy-duty engineering robots deployed into the freezing air, descending rapidly toward the rock layer situated directly above the Robot Settlement. With blinding lasers and heavy drills, they began to carve a massive vertical shaft straight down through the earth.

The resulting cacophony of grinding stone and screeching metal echoed like thunder through the cavernous depths of the Underworld. Down in the Robot Settlement, Stelle and March 7th were in the middle of patting down the lopsided head of a rather questionable-looking snowman. Stelle paused, her hands covered in snow, and looked up at the cavern ceiling with a deeply bewildered expression.

“What is going on up there?” Stelle asked, dusting off her hands. “Is someone doing heavy construction? It is so loud. They are completely ruining the peaceful ambiance of my snowman building.”

March 7th wiped a smudge of dirt from her cheek and spread her hands. “I have no idea. Let us go check it out.”

Ten minutes later, the cavern ceiling behind Clara’s makeshift home gave way with a deafening crash. A massive, perfectly circular hole had been bored straight through the bedrock. Dust and debris rained down, prompting Svarog, Bronya, Seele, Natasha, Stelle, and March 7th to quickly gather around the perimeter of the newly formed crater.

Stelle cautiously shuffled to the edge, peering into the dusty gloom to see what kind of subterranean monster was about to emerge.

Just as she leaned over the opening, a heavy spool of velvet dropped from above. A pristine red carpet rolled smoothly down the jagged rock wall, coming to a neat stop right at Stelle’s boots.

What followed was a spectacle that left Stelle completely dumbfounded.

Thirty identical Herta puppets marched out of the tunnel in perfect, terrifying synchronization. They were not armed with weapons. Instead, they carried gongs, snare drums, and massive, glittering support signs. The cavern filled with a chaotic display of clashing cymbals and blaring horns.

Stelle and March 7th slowly turned to look at each other, mirroring the exact same look of utter bewilderment.

“Herta?” they both blurted out in unison. “Why is she here?”

As if on cue, the lead puppet cleared its throat, raised a glowing neon sign, and began to chant at the top of its synthetic lungs.

“Ms. Herta! Immortal and eternal!”

“Ms. Herta! Unrivaled in the universe!”

“Ms. Herta! A beauty that outshines the stars!”

“Ms. Herta…”

Stelle just stared at the absurd parade, her brain struggling to process the sheer audacity of the display. Amidst the deafening cheers of her own fan club, the primary Herta casually strolled out of the passage, her heels clicking elegantly against the red carpet.

Herta stopped and looked at Stelle and March 7th, whose jaws were practically resting on the cavern floor.

“I finally found you, Stelle,” Herta said, her tone dripping with casual superiority.

Stelle reached up and physically pushed her jaw closed. “Herta? Why in the world did you come all the way to Belobog?”

Herta tossed her hair, looking entirely unbothered by the freezing Underworld air. “I came to find you, obviously. I heard from Himeko that your little Adventurers Guild managed to level up. Send me an invite.”

Stelle stared at her, completely speechless. All of this… the massive ship, the drilling, the red carpet, the chanting puppets… just to join the guild? She decided it was not worth the headache to argue and simply tapped her interface, sending a guild invitation to the genius.

Off to the side, Seele tugged on March 7th’s sleeve, leaning in to whisper. “March, who is this woman? She is incredibly arrogant. I have never seen anyone act with such overbearing entitlement.”

March 7th kept her voice low. “That is Herta. She is a member of the Genius Society and an Emanator of Erudition. She is definitely arrogant, but she has the power to back it up. Honestly, if she were willing to lift a finger, every single problem Belobog has would be solved in an afternoon.”

A soft chime indicated that Herta had accepted the group invitation. She immediately turned to Stelle, her patience already wearing thin. “Open the door.”

Stelle waved her hand, summoning the swirling vortex of the teleportation gate. Herta did not wait for an invitation, marching straight into the portal without a second glance.

Seeing the genius vanish, Stelle let out a long sigh and called out to her companion. “March! Let us head back to the Treehouse and get some sleep too. It is way past our bedtime after dealing with all of this.”

March 7th nodded enthusiastically, following Stelle into the glowing rift. Stelle deliberately left the teleportation gate anchored in place, ensuring that Natasha, Bronya, and the others could travel back and forth to the guild station whenever they needed.

Star Adventurer Group Station.

Herta stepped out of the teleportation gate, her sharp eyes immediately scanning the first-floor hall of the grand Treehouse. Almost instantly, her gaze locked onto a small figure sitting quietly on the plush sofa. It was Anviel.

“Oho?” Herta’s eyes gleamed with intense scientific curiosity. “Look what we have here. A little elf girl. A species that supposedly only exists in dusty myths and fairy tales.”

With a sudden, terrifying burst of speed, Herta darted across the room, stopping inches from Anviel to poke at the girl’s long, pointed ears.

Anviel shrieked, startled by the sudden invasion of her personal space, and scrambled backward onto the cushions. “You… who are you?”

Seeing the terrified reaction, Herta’s lips curled into a wicked, teasing grin. “I am a very bad person. Come here, little elf. Let big sister draw a quick tube of blood and pluck a few hairs for the laboratory. Be a good girl and hold still.”

To emphasize her point, Herta produced a massive, menacing syringe from seemingly nowhere, her eyes glinting dangerously.

Anviel let out a terrified squeak, vaulted over the back of the sofa, and scrambled behind Samuel, clutching his coat for dear life.

Samuel looked down at the trembling elf, then up at the Emanator of Erudition, sighing helplessly in his heart. “Herta? Why are you here?”

Herta’s attention snapped to Samuel, her eyes lighting up with even greater fervor. “I came looking for you, actually. Have you given my offer any thought? How about I give you a complete, full-body physical examination? Humans… wait, no, you are a tree now. Regardless of your species, regular check-ups are essential for optimal health. It is the only logical way to understand the specific biological conditions of your current vessel, right?”

Before Samuel could decline, Herta clapped her hands together. “Oh, right! I almost forgot the best part. Ruan Mei, Screwllum, Stephen, and I have finally created the Simulated Universe. Are you interested in going inside to test it out? I guarantee you will find it fascinating.”

Samuel raised an eyebrow. The Simulated Universe? “I am actually quite interested in that project,” he admitted, “but we can discuss the details later.”

Hearing that the reincarnation of Irminsul was genuinely interested in her project, Herta’s face lit up with a rare look of pleasant surprise. She immediately launched into a rapid-fire, highly technical sales pitch, rambling incessantly about the algorithmic wonders and data collection parameters of the Simulated Universe.

Samuel watched her talk for a solid minute before raising a hand to cut her off. “Stop. I will go into your Simulated Universe, but I have a condition.”

Herta paused, tilting her head. “Oh? Let us hear it.”

“When your guild level reaches Level 20,” Samuel stated calmly, “I will personally enter your Simulated Universe to test it out.”

Herta blinked, processing the requirement. “Level 20? Oh, right. I remember now, Himeko mentioned the leveling system to me.” A confident smirk returned to her face. “That is incredibly simple. Wait right here for a moment.”

Without another word, Herta spun on her heel, marched up the wooden stairs to the second floor, and pounded on Stelle’s bedroom door.

Stelle opened it, looking exhausted. Herta did not waste time with pleasantries.

“Stelle, give me fifty slots.”

Stelle stared wide-eyed at the genius. “Fifty slots? What in the world are you going to do with fifty slots?”

“Level grinding,” Herta replied flatly.

Stelle’s bewilderment deepened. “Level grinding? You can grind levels on Samuel’s side?”

“Of course,” Herta said, waving a hand dismissively. “Just give me the slots first. Actually, never mind explaining it. Come with me for a bit, and you will understand exactly how this works in a moment.”

Curiosity overriding her exhaustion, Stelle grabbed her heavy coat, slipping it over her shoulders as she followed Herta back down the stairs and toward the teleportation gate. She had to see exactly what kind of absurd method an Emanator of Erudition planned to use to grind levels.