Honkai: Star Rail: I Can Fix This Gender-Bent World — Chapter 38

Chapter 38: Nightmare

Perhaps it was the sheer visual shock and cognitive upheaval he’d endured during the day, or maybe it was a deep, subconscious anxiety about facing even more unrecognizable acquaintances tomorrow. Whatever the cause, Chen slept horribly that night.

His dreamscape was a bizarre and kaleidoscopic mess.

At first, it was filled with the normal scenes of adventure he’d grown accustomed to, but the style soon took a sharp, horrifying turn. He dreamt he was running through a swirling vortex of kaleidoscopic colors, an unhinged cackle echoing from just behind him.

He risked a glance over his shoulder and saw a man in resplendent, gaudy attire. The man was unusually tall and burly, sporting a short, rough beard and an evil, arrogant smile that stretched from ear to ear. He was chasing Chen with an unsettlingly nimble stride, his feet shod in towering, clog-like stilts. In his hands, he juggled several dolls that were wreathed in furious, dancing flames.

It was a gender-bent, muscle-bound version of Sparkle, and he was shouting, “Come play, little brother! Let your big bro show you the most spectacular fireworks display!”

Chen was terrified out of his wits. He ran for his life, only to crash headlong into a massive chessboard that resembled a starry sky.

Across the board sat a man robed as a Xianzhou Diviner, but he had a long, flowing beard and eyes that commanded respect without a hint of anger. His voice boomed like a great temple bell.

“This venerable one… ahem, this official has divined your existence as an anomaly! Today, I shall arrest you and thoroughly interrogate you for the crime of disrupting the threads of fate!”

A gender-bent, serious uncle version of Fu Xuan!

“Wait! Fu Xuan—no, Master Diviner! I didn’t mean to!” Chen argued dreamily, trying to turn and flee once more, but the ground beneath his feet had transformed into a smooth, mirrored surface.

Countless figures were reflected in that mirror, each one a new source of terror.

There was a hulking brute carrying a huge scythe, a hearty, sunny smile plastered on his face. (Seele?)

A wild-looking “bro” held a tachi, his eyes filled with disdain and an unrestrained sneer curling his lips. (Acheron?)

And a white-robed strongman with a face full of manic, scientific zeal, brandishing a giant syringe. (Natasha?)

…He even vaguely saw a white-haired uncle with a gentle smile that did nothing to soften his alarmingly strong physique. (Topaz?) Next to him was a Dimensional Trotter, at least three times its normal size, its eyes glowing with a fiercely cute malevolence.

“No—!!”

Chen let out a silent scream in his dream, feeling his passion for games, his collector’s obsession, and his appreciation for all things beautiful being mercilessly trampled by this horrifying parade of male characters. He desperately wanted to light up their icons, to transform, but his body was locked in a primal urge to flee from these terrifying figures.

Finally, he felt his back hit a cold, hard wall. He was cornered.

The silhouette of a cat-like figure slowly approached, its voice low but magnetic, sending a chill through him.

“Slave of destiny, what future do you long to see?”

Was that a male Jingliu?! Or “???”?

“I don’t want to see anything! Send me back! Give me back my girls!!”

“Chen? Chen! Wake up!”

A gentle shaking and a low, urgent voice forcibly dragged Chen from the depths of his nightmare.

He snapped his eyes open, gasping for air. His forehead was slick with cold sweat, and his heart hammered against his ribs like a trapped bird. Before him, March 7th’s concerned face hovered in the faint light filtering through the window, his pink hair a soft, indistinct cloud. Standing quietly behind him was Stelle, her gaze also filled with worry.

“Did you have a nightmare?” March 7th asked, squatting by the bed and peering at him with curiosity. “You were yelling and shouting, even swinging your fists. You almost rolled right off the bed.”

He tilted his head. “What did you dream about? Monsters? Fragmentum creatures?”

Chen’s mouth opened, but no words came out. He looked at March 7th’s face—still delicate and pretty despite the gender flip, and currently etched with genuine concern—and recalled the muscular brutes, grizzled uncles, and sinister strongmen from his dream. An indescribable mix of sorrow and deep relief surged through him.

‘At least… at least this one is still easy on the eyes,’he thought,’and his personality is the same.’

Those things in his dream… they were just too terrifying.

“…N-nothing,” Chen finally managed, wiping the cold sweat from his brow, his body still trembling with the aftershocks of the dream. “Just… dreamt of some… very… impactful things.”

He truly couldn’t find the words to describe that level of spiritual pollution.

“Oh.” March 7th nodded, only half-understanding, but he didn’t press the matter. “It’s almost dawn. Dan Heng is already up. We should get ready, too; we still need to go gather information today.”

Chen nodded and sat up, pushing against his still-weak body. The lingering phantoms of the dream flashed through his mind, bringing with them fresh waves of fear. He looked out at the hazy dawn breaking over Belobog and offered a silent, desperate prayer.

‘At least… please let Lord Bronya be handsome, and don’t let the young Seele grow into a muscle-bound brute… Please!’

He turned his head, his gaze falling on March 7th’s worried expression and Stelle’s quiet watchfulness. The terror from the nightmare ached in his chest again, the images of his gender-swapped acquaintances still haunting the edges of his vision.

On impulse, Chen reached out, placing his palm on March 7th’s fluffy, soft pink hair and giving it a gentle ruffle.

The owner of the head beneath his hand clearly hadn’t expected the gesture and froze for a moment. But he didn’t pull away, only muttering softly, “Hey… why are you suddenly patting my head? I’m not a kid…”

That familiar reaction—slightly awkward but not truly resistant—eased some of the tension coiled in Chen’s chest. Thank goodness. His reaction was still pure March 7th.

His gaze then shifted to Stelle, who stood quietly by the side. The girl, wearing the high ponytail he had personally tied for her, looked back at him with that same hint of concern.

Chen’s fingers twitched. He naturally reached out and firmly pinched Stelle’s soft, smooth cheek. The skin was slightly warm and wonderfully elastic.

Stelle seemed a little surprised, her golden eyes widening slightly, but she didn’t retreat, simply allowing him to do it.

The real, solid sensation transmitted through his fingers and the vivid presence of his two companions instantly dispelled the lingering gloom of the nightmare. The terrifying images of muscular brutes and wild-eyed uncles rapidly melted away in the face of this genuine, present warmth.

“Hoo…” Chen let out a long, slow breath, feeling the tightness in his chest largely dissipate. Even his body, which had been stiff with fear, began to relax.

He withdrew his hand, a genuine, relaxed smile finally gracing his lips for the first time since waking.

“As expected,” he murmured, as if confirming something to himself. “This is much better.”

“What’s ‘this way and that’?” March 7th asked curiously, touching his own ruffled hair, his face still slightly flushed.

“Nothing,” Chen shook his head. He threw off the covers and got out of bed with a newfound briskness, stretching his somewhat stiff limbs. “I just mean, seeing you two safe and sound gives me motivation. Let’s go, time is pressing. We need to thoroughly investigate the secrets of this city today.”

He glanced at the gradually brightening sky outside the window, then back at March 7th and Stelle. No matter how terrifying the nightmare was, it was only a dream. The companions before him and the adventure about to unfold—that was reality.

And to protect the beauty of this reality, he had to pull himself together.

“Let’s go, let’s go!” March 7th bounced on the balls of his feet, his usual energy returning in full force. “This handsome guy is ready to collect some intel! We have to find valuable information this time!”

Stelle also nodded silently. She raised a hand to lightly touch the cheek Chen had just pinched. A faint warmth seemed to linger there.

She watched Chen’s back as he headed for the door, then took a step forward and followed him.