Honkai: Star Rail: I Can Fix This Gender-Bent World — Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Herta Puppet

Just as the Void Ranger: Trampler’s incandescent blade descended, poised to split him in two, a miracle occurred.

A bolt of impossibly solid purple lightning materialized from thin air, crashing down with the force of a thunderclap between Chen and the hulking automaton!

Violent energy erupted in a circular shockwave. The blast didn’t just wrench the Trampler’s massive blade off course; it sent the several Void Plunderers that had just swarmed through the doorway tumbling backward. They slammed into the corridor walls, bursting into shimmering particles of chaotic energy.

As the blinding lightning faded, a new figure stood where Chen had been, planted firmly on the ground.

He was a tall youth, his movements sharp and agile. A sleek uniform of dark silver and black outlined the distinct, lean physique of a young man. With short, neat white hair, his gaze was locked intently on the enemy ahead. It was the spitting image of Arlan, the steady and reliable head of Herta Space Station’s Security Department from the game.

“This… is me?”

A clear, youthful voice, tinged with unbelievable surprise, escaped Arlan’s lips.

The Trampler, recovering from the staggering blow, let out a roar far more enraged than before. It now viewed this newly appeared lightning-wielder, who radiated a potent threat, as its primary target. Destructive energy began to condense within its core once more.

The intense sense of crisis snapped Arlan back to his senses, forcing him to suppress all stray thoughts. He could feel the powerful energy coursing through his body, and the connection to the game interface in his mind was clearer than ever.

Right now, he was Arlan.

“You’re asking for it!” he shouted, his voice brimming with youthful vigor.

With a sudden stomp, his body dissolved into a streak of racing purple lightning. He seized the initiative, charging head-on at the massive Trampler.

His fist swung out, carrying an indomitable will to destroy!

A condensed ball of lightning, a miniature thunderstorm, exploded from his knuckles, slamming directly into the Trampler’s thick chest armor. The air crackled and sizzled as the automaton let out a shriek of pain. Its colossal body was thrown backward, a scorched, blackened crater marring its chest.

In his new form as Arlan, Chen pressed the advantage.

Lightning, even more violent than before, gathered between his hands as a familiar skill name surfaced in his mind.

“Frenzied… Punishment!”

The attack blasted forward, a destructive thunderstorm that completely engulfed the Trampler and the surrounding Void Rangers.

After unleashing the immensely satisfying blow, Chen felt the familiar mental exhaustion creep back in. But this time, it was accompanied by an unmatched surge of exhilaration.

‘Holy crap,’he thought, looking at the corridor, now swept clean by his attack.’This cheat ability… is actually insane!’

Watching the remains of the Trampler dissipate into motes of light and feeling the potent, though mostly spent, energy still thrumming within him, his heart hammered in his chest. He shook his numbed arm, keenly aware that this wasn’t a safe place to linger. He was about to make a run for it when a detail caught his eye.

Out of the corner of his vision, he saw the Herta puppet, still standing quietly by the side of the passage with its eyes closed.

A thought sparked in his mind. Just now, he had unlocked Arlan’s icon by touching him. Now that no one was around… why not try touching the puppet?

‘What if… what if it works?’he wondered, his curiosity flaring.’That’s Herta! Even if it’s just the four-star puppet version, maybe touching him could activate something? It’s better than nothing!’

With that, Chen scurried over to the exquisite, doll-like puppet of the young boy. Looking at that expressionless, beautiful face, he felt an odd pang of nervousness.

“Pardon me, pardon the intrusion, just one little touch…” he mumbled incoherently.

He reached out a finger and, quickly but lightly, brushed it against the puppet’s short, synthetic hair.

The instant his skin made contact, the game interface in his mind flared to life. The grayed-out icon representing ‘Herta Puppet (4-Star • Erudition)’ flashed once, then lit up with a steady, brilliant glow, shifting into a usable, colored state.

It lit up! It really lit up!

A wave of wild joy washed over Chen. He had already tasted the destructive power of Arlan; he couldn’t help but wonder what this Herta puppet could do.

He stared at the newly activated icon, which depicted the petite, doll-like form of the character. An extremely bold thought emerged, growing uncontrollably like a weed in his mind.

‘What would it feel like… to turn into this little Herta?’

Once the idea took root, it was impossible to ignore. Besides, there was no one around. Trying it wouldn’t kill him!

He focused his will and mentally jabbed the newly illuminated icon.

His field of vision abruptly dropped. Looking down, a pair of fair, slender puppet hands came into view. He was now wearing Herta’s exquisite purple dress. He instinctively touched his face; the skin felt smooth and delicate, and his hair had transformed into a cascade of soft brown curls.

‘Holy crap! I really turned into little Herta?!’

With a slight nudge of his will, he tried to sense the power contained within this new body. It was a completely different sensation from Arlan’s violent, destructive energy. Thinking of Herta’s signature oversized hammer, he instinctively raised a hand and made a grasping motion.

A giant hammer, almost as tall as his current petite body, flashed into existence out of thin air. His seemingly slender hand held it firm. The hammerhead was a marvel of complex machinery, with a large, perfectly cut crystal resembling a blue diamond embedded at its core.

The sheer contrast—a small, cute girl carrying a high-tech warhammer taller than herself—left even Chen stunned for a moment.

He remembered Herta’s Ultimate line from the game. Unable to resist, he blurted it out in the high, clear voice of his current body.

“What are you looking at? Time for a twirl!”

Before the words could fade, he was already dragging the giant hammer behind him, running on short legs toward the sounds of commotion farther down the passage.

The power of the Path of Erudition flowed within him, allowing him to clearly perceive several energy sources not far ahead—more roaming Void Rangers, filled with a desire for destruction.

Beating things up with Arlan’s raw power was a thrill, but now he was dying to see just how powerful this Herta puppet’s “one-hammer deal” really was.

He hadn’t run far before he rounded a corner and saw them: three Void Plunderers, busy tearing at the corridor walls.

“Hey! You ugly monsters!” Chen shouted in Herta’s voice, successfully drawing their attention.

The Plunderers turned, their glowing eyes locking onto the tiny figure aggressively running toward them, dragging a comically large hammer.

Chen didn’t care if they were confused. He took a deep breath and frantically poured the energy from his body into the weapon in his hands. The diamond on the hammerhead flashed with an azure light, and a terrifying chill instantly permeated the air.

“It’s time to twirl!”

He let out a delicate shout, swung the massive mechanical hammer with all his might, and smashed it down toward the three Void Rangers!

The moment the hammer struck the floor, a massive shockwave of pure Ice-element energy spread rapidly forward in a fan shape. Everywhere it passed, the ground was instantly coated in a thick layer of frost.

The three Void Plunderers didn’t even have time to react before the frigid explosion completely swallowed them. Their bodies quickly froze solid, stiffening in the extreme cold. Then, with a series of sharp cracks, they shattered into countless ice shards that scattered in every direction.

One move. Area cleared.

“…Holy crap.”

Chen, in Herta’s body, looked at the frozen scene before him and couldn’t help but swear in her voice.

This Herta Puppet’s crowd-clearing ability… was just insanely satisfying.