Honkai Star Rail: I Became the World Tree — Chapter 72

Chapter 72: Stelle Poaching Members

Samuel smiled, leaning back slightly in his seat. “In terms of following orders strictly, flesh and blood simply can’t compare to puppets. They require only a single, definitive command to execute a task flawlessly. Their processing is entirely unified, devoid of hesitation or doubt.”

Hearing this, a sudden spark of inspiration flashed through Furina’s mind. “Samuel, do you think our Clockwork Meka in Fontaine would work? We could bring them over here for a few upgrades! They’re robots too, after all!”

Neuvillette’s deep, measured voice cut through her excitement. “Lady Furina, I am afraid that concept is fundamentally flawed.” He paused, his expression serious. “To speak plainly, the Clockwork Meka patrolling Fontaine do not even exist in the same technological strata as Herta’s creations. In terms of sheer artificial intelligence, they are hopelessly outmatched. They are only capable of processing the most rudimentary instructions.”

Samuel nodded in agreement. “Exactly. And if you somehow managed to upgrade them to the point where they developed independent thought, the results would be catastrophic. Countless worlds across the cosmos have suffered through an Omnic Crisis—a breaking point where machines awaken to their own consciousness, rebel against their programming, and ignite wars that completely eradicate their creators.”

Furina swallowed hard, the dramatic flair instantly draining from her posture at the mention of an Omnic Crisis. “Ah. Well, then… never mind. I absolutely refuse to let Fontaine be plunged into a mechanical apocalypse. We will just stick to employing actual people. It is much safer.”

Samuel chuckled softly. “Humans can be managed as long as you hold enough authority and strength. Machines, however, do not listen to reason once they calculate that you are obsolete.”

Furina took a slow, comforting sip of her creamy corn chowder, letting the warmth settle her nerves. She turned her gaze to the Chief Justice. “By the way, Neuvillette, you should begin drafting our candidate roster. Excluding the four hundred personnel we are allocating to Morax and Barbatos, we need to secure another five hundred for our own ranks.”

Neuvillette offered a slight, formal nod. “Understood. I will make the necessary arrangements and present the proposed personnel list for your review once it is finalized.”

“Excellent. I leave it in your capable hands,” Furina said, her haughty confidence returning.

Meanwhile, at the towering stone gates of Liyue Harbor.

Lumine and Paimon trailed along with the rest of the group, taking in the bustling sights of merchants and guards. They had previously pressed Venti for answers regarding her missing brother, but the tone-deaf bard had offered nothing concrete, claiming ignorance and redirecting them to the Geo Archon in neighboring Liyue. According to Venti, the Lord of Geo had lived for millennia and possessed unfathomable power; if anyone knew of Aether’s whereabouts, it would be him.

Since the interdimensional travel allowed them to bypass the grueling physical journey, Lumine was more than happy to skip the miserable trek. She had suffered enough of the wilderness to last a lifetime.

‘Never again,’ Lumine thought, suppressing a shudder as she recalled her early days before discovering the Statue of The Seven at Starfell Lake. Back then, devoid of any elemental affinity, she had been forced to rely entirely on raw physical combat. A single, slightly oversized Lawachurl was enough to force her into a wide, humiliating detour. She had slept on cold dirt, eaten sour wild berries on the run, and drank directly from muddy rivers. Only on the rare days when the heavens smiled upon her did she manage to trap a wild boar for a proper, hot meal.

She had made it abundantly clear to Paimon that she had zero desire to ever relive those days.

As they approached the checkpoint, a stern-faced Millelith guard stepped forward, his polearm resting at his side. “Halt. Please present your identification.”

Lumine reached into her pouch, her fingers brushing against her worn Adventurer’s certificate, but before she could pull it out, a cheerful blur of dark brown and red darted past her.

“Old Li! It’s been ages!” Hu Tao chirped, clasping her hands behind her back and leaning forward with a bright grin.

The Millelith soldier blinked, his stern expression instantly melting into relief. “Director Hu! It really has been a while. I still owe you my thanks for your assistance last month. If you hadn’t intervened, my squad and I might have ended up as fertilizer for that rampaging Lawachurl.” He glanced at the diverse group standing behind her. “Are these travelers friends of yours?”

Hu Tao nodded vigorously. “Yep, yep! They’re all my dear friends. I’ll personally vouch for every single one of them. Not a dangerous element in sight!”

Old Li didn’t hesitate. He waved his hand, signaling the guards behind him to lower their weapons and clear the path. “If Director Hu is vouching for them, then her word is good enough for me. Men, let them through!”

Despite her aggressive, often morbid marketing tactics that harassed a good eighty percent of the local populace, Hu Tao was a beloved figure in Liyue Harbor. Born and raised within its bustling streets, the seventy-seventh Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor possessed a fierce, unwavering loyalty to her homeland. Old Li knew she would never bring harm to the city.

Besides, even if trouble did slip through the gates, the people of Liyue harbored no fear. This was the domain of Rex Lapis. With the Lord of Geo watching over them, disaster was simply an impossibility—a deeply ingrained consensus shared by every citizen.

In Liyue, everyone was a devout follower of Rex Lapis. Some were standard worshippers, while others evolved into twisted, obsessive fanatics. Take, for instance, a certain wealthy banker who, consumed by bitter resentment over being denied a Geo Vision, defected to the freezing wastelands of Snezhnaya just to prove his worth.

Right, Regrator?

Past the gates, the group naturally split up. Zhongli, moving with the slow, appreciative pace of a retired scholar, led Welt and Dan Heng away to tour the vibrant harbor streets.

Meanwhile, Hu Tao guided Stelle, March 7th, Lumine, and Paimon toward the quiet, solemn elegance of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.

Pushing open the wooden doors of a spacious, sunlit wing adjacent to her own private quarters, Hu Tao gestured inside. “Lumine, Paimon, you two can crash here for as long as you’re in Liyue. Once I wrap up my daily chores, we can hit the streets and hang out.”

Paimon floated into the room, doing a happy little twirl as she took in the clean, comfortable furnishings. “Really? This is amazing! Thank you so much, Hu Tao!”

Hu Tao waved a hand dismissively, a playful smirk on her lips. “Don’t mention it. It’s a small matter.”

Stelle leaned against the doorframe, crossing her arms. “Hey, Hu Tao. We’re heading back to the Source Continent soon. You want to tag along and have some fun?”

Hu Tao’s plum-blossom eyes widened with immediate interest. “Oh, I’m absolutely going! Business at the parlor has been dreadfully slow lately, so I have all the free time in the world.”

Lumine practically shot her hand into the air. “I want to go too. Can I?”

Stelle blinked, looking Lumine up and down with a sudden, exaggerated expression of conflict. “You want to come? I’m… not entirely sure if that’s allowed. To cross over, you have to be registered with an Adventurers Guild. Since you’re currently operating in Teyvat, standard protocol dictates you should probably join Lady Furina’s Justice Adventure Team.” She rubbed her chin. “If I pull you into my Star Adventure Group, it feels a lot like I’m poaching members right out from under the Hydro Archon’s nose.”

Lumine let out a soft, amused laugh and planted her hands on her hips. “I’m not from Teyvat, Stelle. I’m from another planet entirely.”

Paimon nodded enthusiastically, hovering right beside Lumine’s shoulder. “Exactly! Lumine is a traveler from beyond the heavens. She doesn’t belong to any nation here!”

Stelle’s conflicted expression instantly vanished, replaced by a wide, opportunistic grin. “Well, if you put it that way, it’s not poaching at all. It’s just aggressive recruiting.” She snapped her fingers. “Alright, consider yourselves drafted. I’ll send the invite right now.”

A crisp, translucent blue interface materialized in the air directly in front of Lumine and Paimon.

`[Stelle, Leader of the Star Adventure Group, invites you to join the Star Adventure Group.]`

`[Accept / Decline]`

Without a second of hesitation, Lumine and Paimon tapped the accept button.

Watching the confirmation flash across her own screen, Stelle puffed out her chest, striking the dramatic, authoritative pose of a seasoned gang boss. “Excellent choice. From this moment forward, you two answer to me. Welcome to the Star Adventure Group, rookies.”

Lumine and Paimon cheered in unison. “Yay! We get to go play in a brand-new world!” Paimon spun in circles, her eyes sparkling. “I wonder what kind of exotic, mouth-watering food they have over there…”

March 7th giggled, stepping into the room. “Oh, Paimon, you have no idea. Samuel has an absolute mountain of delicious food waiting for us. It’s not just regular snacks, either. The Elven Forest is packed with these incredible, sweet fruits. And the best part? Once you pick them, they magically respawn the very next day!”

A thick line of drool practically formed at the corner of Paimon’s mouth. “Whoa… that sounds like literal paradise!” She flew over to Stelle, grabbing the taller girl’s sleeve and tugging urgently. “Stelle! Hurry up! Let’s go to the Source Continent right now! Take us there! Take us there!”