Honkai Star Rail: I Became the World Tree — Chapter 46

Chapter 46: Herta on the March! Leaving No Blade of Grass!

The eastern quadrant of the Elven Forest was unusually quiet.

Herta strolled through the dappled sunlight, her parasol resting casually over one shoulder as she led her mechanical legion deeper into the woods. The local Goblin population had thinned out drastically; they only encountered a few scattered stragglers cowering in the brush.

As a species, Goblins possessed absolutely zero talent for architecture or infrastructure. With a luxurious, pre-built paradise like the Holy City suddenly available to them, the filthy creatures had naturally flocked there in droves to squat in the ruins. Consequently, the vast majority of the Elven Forest’s original Goblin infestation had already centralized around the city. The stragglers that Stelle, Herta, and the rest of the crew had cleared out over the past few days accounted for almost the entire remaining population in the woodland.

Herta paused, her sharp eyes scanning the vibrant flora.

“Someone catch that horned rabbit over there,” she ordered, pointing a delicate finger at a patch of clover. “Bring it back for research.”

At her command, three Herta Puppets of the Warrior class snapped into motion. Their ball-jointed limbs whirred as they broke formation, sprinting straight toward the target.

The poor beast, a fluffy white rabbit with a single spiraling horn on its forehead, was merely munching on some grass. It froze, its nose twitching as it stared blankly at the approaching group of identical, life-sized dolls.

Before the rabbit could even process the threat, the three puppets descended upon it. One puppet delivered a swift, calculated slap to the back of its head, instantly dazing the creature. Another grabbed it by the scruff of its neck, hoisted it into the air, and unceremoniously stuffed it into a reinforced iron cage.

The bunny sat in the cage, utterly bewildered. It only snapped out of its daze when the mechanical legion resumed its heavy, synchronized march. The half-chewed blade of grass slipped from its mouth and drifted slowly to the floor of the cage.

It was over. Its free life had ended just like that.

Along the marching route, any animal, insect, or glowing plant that Herta hadn’t seen before was systematically uprooted, captured, or collected. The forest was her personal petri dish, and she was leaving no stone unturned.

A few minutes later, the procession ground to a halt.

A smaller scout puppet darted back from the vanguard, sliding to a stop in front of the original Herta.

“Report! A large hostile entity has been spotted ahead! Please provide instructions!”

Herta stepped forward, peering through the dense foliage. In the distance stood a massive, five-meter-tall humanoid pig. The creature wore thick black iron armor, its muscular arms gripping a giant, bloodstained battleaxe. It was currently staring right back at her.

“Interesting. A Pig-Headed Orc?” Herta’s eyes lit up with scientific curiosity. “Capture it. I want to dissect it.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, the vanguard of the Herta Legion charged straight into the clearing.

The towering Orc was named Groot, a designated squad leader serving under the warlord Sarulu. He had been dispatched to patrol the eastern edges of the Elven Forest to secure their territory. To his absolute surprise, shortly after crossing the tree line, he had bumped into a bizarre procession of identical human girls.

‘Humans? Why are humans all the way out here?’Groot tightened his grip on his axe, his pig-like snout flaring.’Aren’t those weaklings all clustered down in the south?’

Groot grunted, deciding to try diplomacy first. The human kingdoms on the Source Continent had recently defected to the side of Chaos, meaning they were technically allies under the same dark banner.

“Humans ahead…” Groot began, his deep voice rumbling through the clearing.

Before he could even finish his sentence, the “humans” opened fire.

Ten elemental Magic Missiles—crackling with fire, frost, and lightning—streaked through the air alongside a volley of armor-piercing arrows.

Groot roared in alarm, hurriedly swinging his massive iron axe to intercept the incoming bombardment. The heavy blade managed to deflect a few of the glowing projectiles, sending sparks and frost scattering across the dirt.

However, the Goblin squad marching behind him wasn’t nearly as durable.

The explosive magic tore through their ranks. Dozens of the weaker Goblins were vaporized or pinned to trees on the spot. Even the two hulking Big Goblins in his squad were left severely mangled, their green skin scorched and bleeding heavily.

Seeing his subordinates slaughtered in the blink of an eye, Groot instantly lost all interest in talking. What was the point of negotiating if the other side had already drawn blood?

“Counterattack!” Groot bellowed, raising his axe.

The surviving Goblins shrieked and charged forward.

Sensing the incoming clash, ten Herta Puppets of the Assassin class flawlessly used the charging Warrior Puppets as visual cover. They vaulted off their mechanical sisters, disappearing into the high branches of the ancient trees above.

The Warrior Puppets engaged the Goblin frontline, their metallic fists clashing against crude wooden clubs. But after barely three rounds of combat, the Warriors abruptly turned on their heels and sprinted away, feigning a panicked retreat.

Groot watched the fleeing humans and snorted, a thick cloud of hot air shooting from his snout. His voice dripped with absolute disdain.

“Truly an inferior race. They shatter at the slightest touch! Pursue them! Leave none alive!”

In the far rear, Herta stood perfectly still, waiting until the massive Orc crossed an invisible threshold into her system’s scanning range. A translucent blue screen materialized in front of her eyes.

[Monster: Pig-Headed Orc]

[Level: 10]

[HP: 1000/1000]

[MP: 100/100]

[Constitution: 100]

[Strength: 200]

[Intelligence: 10]

[Skill: Deathmatch (Locks HP at 1 for 10 seconds when near death)]

Herta read over the glowing text, the corners of her lips curling upward into a dangerous, delighted smile.

“Oh, how fascinating. Deathmatch? Isn’t this the absolute perfect experimental subject? I can inflict whatever structural damage I want, push it to the absolute brink, and just stop when the skill triggers. Simply perfect.”

Over the past few days, Herta had captured dozens of Goblins for study. Unfortunately, after a few brief dissections, she realized their biological makeup held zero research value. She had promptly disposed of the rest, converting them into raw experience points. This Orc, however, was a rare prize.

Groot led his remaining Goblins in a furious, bloodthirsty sprint, completely unaware that he was charging blindly into a carefully crafted kill box.

Herta casually raised her hand, then snapped her fingers.

“Do it.”

The Assassin Hertas lurking in the canopy instantly dropped from the branches like stones. They landed directly on Groot and his Goblin escorts, their steel daggers flashing in the sunlight.

Simultaneously, the Mage and Archer squads broke their retreat, spinning around to unleash a second, devastating volley of spells and arrows.

Groot felt a heavy weight slam into his shoulders, his vision suddenly darkening. He looked up just in time to see several identical girls clinging to his armor, their daggers stabbing frantically at the exposed joints of his neck and shoulders.

Red damage indicators began rapidly floating into the air above the Orc’s head. Thanks to his thick armor and high defense stat, the individual numbers were small, but the sheer volume was overwhelming.

[-20 HP]

[-18 HP]

[-23 HP]

Roaring in fury, Groot reached up and grabbed a Herta Puppet that was currently trying to jam a dagger into his armpit. He ripped her off his body, slammed her violently into the dirt, and brought his giant axe down, cleaving the mechanical doll in two with a shower of sparks and synthetic fluid.

He immediately began tearing the other puppets off his armor, tossing them aside like ragdolls.

But by the time he finally cleared his body of the mechanical assassins, the heavy scent of blood filled the air. Groot looked around, his breath catching in his throat. Every single Goblin under his command was dead, their bodies riddled with arrows and scorch marks.

Dozens of Herta Puppets now formed a tight, inescapable circle around him. Their glowing, lifeless eyes were all locked onto his massive frame. He wasn’t walking out of this forest today.

Herta waved her hand again. The mechanical swarm surged forward.

Groot swung his axe wildly, but his vitality was plummeting. This wasn’t just a game of numbers; this was the physical world. As his HP dropped closer to the red zone, his muscles screamed in agony. His mobility drastically decreased, his chest heaving with heavy, exhausted pants. Soon, his arms trembled so violently he could no longer even lift his iron axe from the dirt.

He collapsed to his knees, utterly spent.

Herta walked slowly through the circle of her puppets, stopping just inches from the towering Orc. She looked down at his battered, bleeding form with cold, clinical satisfaction.

“Men, tie him up with the heavy-duty cables,” she commanded, turning away. “Take him back and confine him in the Starship’s holding cell for now. I’ll prepare the lab.”

Having secured her new test subject, Herta adjusted her parasol and continued her march through the woods, leaving a trail of crushed grass and dead Goblins in her wake.

Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the Elven Forest.

Things were proceeding much more smoothly for Stelle, Furina, and the rest of their group. After effortlessly clearing out the few scattered Goblins that dared cross their path, they had finally reached the coordinates marked on their map.

Stelle, March 7th, Welt, and Dan Heng stood in a small clearing, staring up at a massive, withered tree. Its trunk was grotesquely crooked, the dead branches twisting into the sky like agonizing claws.

“This should be the place, right?” March 7th muttered, scratching her head as she looked around the empty, silent woods. “Why don’t I see any elves? Or houses? Or anything at all?”

She leaned over Stelle’s shoulder, squinting at the parchment map in the Trailblazer’s hands.

“Could we have the wrong spot? There isn’t a single soul out here.”

Welt adjusted his glasses, his calm gaze locked onto the decaying bark of the crooked tree. He stepped closer, his eyes narrowing as he noticed a subtle distortion in the air.

“This tree is a bit strange,” Welt murmured.

He walked right up to the trunk, inspecting a wide, jagged crack running down the center of the dead wood. He peered inside, his eyes widening slightly in realization.

“There’s another tree growing inside this one.”

Through the dark fissure of the withered shell, Welt could clearly see the vibrant, living bark of a completely different sapling hidden within. He reached his hand toward a circular hollow in the dead wood, sliding his arm inside the dark gap.

His fingers brushed against the smooth, warm bark of the inner tree.

The exact second his skin made contact, a massive ripple of energy pulsed through the air, distorting the space around them like a stone dropped into a calm pond.

Dan Heng instantly summoned his spear, while Stelle reached for her bat, both of them going on high alert.

The spatial ripples expanded outward, washing over the clearing. The illusion shattered like fragile glass. The dense, overgrown forest slowly melted away, revealing the hidden, sprawling architecture of a beautiful, secluded village bathed in ethereal light.