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ArabicHonkai Star Rail: I Became the World Tree — Chapter 8
Chapter 8: Stelle Joins the Astral Express Crew
Samuel ran a hand along the curved, polished grain of the interior wall. He glanced over at Welt, who was inspecting the massive hollowed-out space.
“Even if you carve out the entire heart of a tree like this, it will not suffer,” Samuel explained, his voice calm and steady. “As long as its roots remain anchored in the soil and there is water to draw from, it lives on.” He paused, a flicker of old memories crossing his gaze. “This place used to be the home of my subordinates, the Elf Clan. But they all sacrificed themselves in the great war. After that, this city-state became a ghost town.”
Welt adjusted his glasses, absorbing the weight of the history. “Is that so… The Elf Clan. I have never encountered them in my travels. In most myths and legends, they are the very embodiment of kindness and justice.”
Samuel offered a slight nod. “Mm. Let us finish the cleaning. We should be done shortly.”
The group resumed their work. The colossal treehouse was split into an upper and lower floor. Upstairs, Himeko directed the placement of soundproof partitions to carve out individual bedrooms. The ground floor was left wide open, destined to be a communal lounge.
Over an hour of sweeping and organizing later, the dust was gone. Dan Heng, Stelle, March 7th, Welt, and Himeko hauled the last of the heavy furniture inside. Samuel and Furina sat resting on a nearby bench; Himeko had firmly barred them from lifting another finger, insisting they had already done more than enough.
Furina swung her legs, sipping from a canteen as she watched Stelle and the others wrestle a sofa into place. She bumped her shoulder against Samuel. “Samuel, I want a treehouse too. Can you give me one? Or I can just buy it with my own money.”
Samuel looked at her eager expression and smiled. “Sure. You will definitely establish an Adventurers Guild of your own in the future. I plan to provide a base of operations for every guild. You can pick out your treehouse right now.”
Furina’s eyes sparkled with theatrical delight. “Really! Then I want the one right next door! I already peeked inside. It has three whole floors! Hehe~”
“Alright,” Samuel said, amused. “That one is yours.”
Furina leaped up from the bench, cheering. “Yay! I have a treehouse too~”
By the time the crew finished arranging the lounge, the moon had crested the canopy of the ancient forest. Grateful for the help, Himeko invited Samuel and Furina onto the Astral Express for dinner. The mechanics of the system made it simple: anyone possessing a class and a status panel could step through a teleportation gate into another person’s world, provided the guild leader of that destination gave their consent. With Stelle’s approval, the gate opened.
Inside the parlor car, the atmosphere was warm and filled with the scent of a home-cooked meal. Furina, however, was entirely distracted. She sat on a plush chair, tightly hugging Pom-Pom and rubbing her cheek against the Conductor’s soft fur.
“Wow~ Such a cute little bunny~ Let me snuggle you~”
Pom-Pom kicked their little legs, struggling desperately against the hug. “Let… Let go of this Conductor! Pom!”
March 7th plopped down next to Furina, giggling wickedly. Instead of helping, she reached out and started stroking Pom-Pom’s long ears.
Pom-Pom glared at her with wide, betrayed eyes. “Passenger March 7th! Not only are you refusing to save this Conductor, you are aiding and abetting the villain! You are making me so mad, Pom!”
Stelle, watching the chaos, stepped forward to join the teasing. Before she could grab an ear, Himeko called out from the dining table. “Stelle, check the panel. How much experience do we still need for the Adventurers Guild to level up?”
Earlier, Samuel had explained the mechanics to Himeko and Welt. Guild members accumulated experience points by hunting monsters. Once the cap was reached, a promotion trial would unlock. Passing it meant a higher guild rank.
Stelle dropped her hands, nodded, and summoned her interface.
[Name: Star Adventure Group]
[Level: F]
[Number of Members: 5/5]
[Experience Points: 9/100]
“Only nine experience points,” Stelle reported, swiping the screen away. “We are still ninety-one points short. What is up?”
Himeko set down a plate of food. “Nothing serious. Samuel mentioned that if we can advance to an E-rank Adventurers Guild within three days, he will reward us with five silver coins.”
Stelle blinked, her interest suddenly piqued. “Silver coins?”
Samuel, sitting comfortably by the window, nodded. “Yes. The currency system of the Source Continent operates on four tiers, from lowest to highest: copper coins, silver coins, gold coins, and crystal cores. The exchange rate between each tier is one thousand to one. Five silver coins equals five thousand copper coins.”
Stelle’s eyes widened as the math clicked in her head. “Wow! That much? Doesn’t that mean I can buy fifty thousand bags of snacks!”
Samuel chuckled softly. “If you want to focus on your funds that way, sure.”
Stelle licked her lips, a look of absolute determination crossing her face. “That is great. Three days? That should be plenty of time.”
Dan Heng leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. “There is a logistical problem. The Express is scheduled to depart for our next stop the day after tomorrow. When that time comes, how will we travel back and forth between the train and the Source Continent?”
Stelle looked at him like the answer was the most obvious thing in the world. “Is that even a question? I will definitely be going with you guys.”
March 7th gasped, her hands flying to her cheeks. “Stelle! Are you willing to become a Nameless?”
“Of course,” Stelle said casually. “You all joined my Star Adventure Group, so we are a team.”
Himeko smiled warmly, her eyes softening. “Stelle, welcome aboard. Let us hold a proper welcome ceremony for you.”
Utterly confused by the sudden formality, Stelle scratched the back of her head and stood up straight. Under Pom-Pom’s strict but proud guidance, she recited the oath of the trailblaze, officially boarding the Express and becoming a Nameless.
Samuel and Furina sat quietly, watching the ceremony unfold. As Furina listened to the crew’s mission to travel the sea of stars, chart the unknown, and save worlds from disaster, a bright, hopeful light flickered in her eyes. It sounded like the ultimate stage. She wanted to live a life exactly like that. Traveling through the vast universe, witnessing stunning sights, meeting countless friends, and maybe playing the hero to save a few worlds along the way.
Once the dinner and ceremony concluded, the group stepped back through the gate to the Source Continent. It was time to officially move into the treehouse.
The second floor had been efficiently divided into ten separate rooms, each offering a spacious one hundred square meters. Thanks to the advanced technology Himeko used, erecting the soundproof walls had taken a mere ten minutes.
Stelle pushed open her wooden door and stepped inside. The room was entirely bare, save for a single bed and a folded set of bedding. It was a stark setup, but she had nowhere else to live before this. The bed itself was a temporary purchase, bought using credits scavenged from the Herta Space Station.
She was lucky she had managed to pry open a few treasure chests while fighting off the Antimatter Legion alongside March and Dan Heng. If she had not looted those credits, she would not have been able to afford a single bottle of water upon waking up penniless. Those specific chests were locked by the universe’s underlying rules, only accessible to individuals who had walked a certain distance on a Path. Ordinary civilians could not even scratch the latches.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out to see a text from March 7th.
Camera Girl: Stelle! Hurry up and wash up. After you are done, let’s go hang out in front of the General Store for a while and enjoy the evening breeze.
Galactic Baseballer: OK.
Stelle tossed her phone onto the bed and headed straight for the shower room.
Fifteen minutes later, the group of six, Samuel, Welt, Himeko, Furina, Stelle, and March 7th, gathered outside the General Store. They sat together, letting the cool air wash over them.
The ecological environment of the Source Continent was flawless. The evening breeze carried the fresh, earthy scent of the forest, instantly washing away the fatigue of the day. High above, a brilliant moon hung in the dark sky, casting a gentle silver glow over the land.
Down in the woods, special varieties of bioluminescent plants began to wake. They emitted soft, pulsing lights that illuminated the dense foliage in shades of pale blue and warm orange-yellow. The ambient sounds of the night, the rhythmic chirping of insects, the distant croaking of frogs, and the soothing rustle of leaves dancing in the wind, created a perfect, peaceful atmosphere.
Welt stood near the edge of the wooden platform, looking down at the glowing canopy below. “The scenery of this forest at night is even more beautiful than it is during the day,” he noted, his voice filled with quiet appreciation. “The forest floor glows a pale blue, while the city-state built into these trees radiates an orange-yellow warmth. The two colors complement each other perfectly.”