Honkai: Star Rail: I Can Fix This Gender-Bent World — Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Station Master Asta

Chen, inhabiting Herta’s body, could feel his cheeks burning. Fortunately, he was inside a puppet. No matter how hot his face felt, no blush would ever betray him.

He turned his head with a stiff, mechanical motion, his gaze locking with the utterly shocked eyes of Arlan, who stood in her security uniform at the corner of the corridor.

Arlan’s small mouth hung agape, her red eyes swimming with the deep, world-shattering confusion of someone questioning their own existence. Who am I? Where am I? What in the name of the Aeons did I just hear?

Her eyes darted from Chen’s puppet form to the weapon in her own hands, as if she were trying to reconcile two completely incompatible versions of reality.

The air in the hallway seemed to crystalize, freezing the moment in place.

Chen’s mind, however, was racing at an unmatched speed.

‘Explain? How could I possibly explain this?’he thought frantically.’Tell her it was a system bug? Or that I was engaging in some kind of avant-garde performance art?’

No, that would never work. The more he tried to explain, the deeper the hole he’d dig.

He steeled his resolve, making a critical decision. He would lean into it. He would fully commit to the persona of “Mr. Herta’s unhinged fangirl puppet.”

After all, so long as I’m not the one who’s embarrassed, the one who’s embarrassed will be them!

And so, under Arlan’s dumbfounded stare, Chen once again lifted the puppet’s delicate, expressionless face. With an arrogant tone that screamed, ‘How could a mere mortal like you possibly understand?’, he projected another declaration into the empty corridor.

“Hmph! They were lucky they ran so fast! Otherwise, I would have made them personally experience the world-shaking power of Mr. Herta!”

He even punctuated the statement by deliberately hefting the giant hammer, letting it drop to the floor with a heavy, metallic thud.

Arlan flinched. “!!!”

She watched, mesmerized, as the purple-haired loli puppet began dragging the colossal hammer away like some miniature god of war—or more accurately, a complete lunatic. It walked with a swagger that suggested it answered to no one, heading in the opposite direction while muttering a stream of nonsensical praise.

“Mr. Herta is both wise and brave… Mr. Herta is brilliant and resourceful…”

The rambling faded as the small figure, dwarfed by its own weapon, finally disappeared around the bend at the far end of the corridor. Only then did Arlan snap out of her stupor, slapping both of her cheeks hard.

“Am I… Am I just exhausted and seeing things?” she muttered to herself. She cast a complex look in the direction Chen had vanished, then glanced back toward where Kafka and her companions had fled.

Ultimately, she decided to file away everything she had just witnessed under the category of “auditory and visual hallucinations brought on by excessive stress.”

It was too terrifying to contemplate otherwise. Mr. Herta had a loli puppet… and it talked like that… It had to be a programming error! Yes, that was it. It must be.

She shook her head vigorously, attempting to physically dislodge the bizarre image and seal it deep within the recesses of her mind. Gripping her weapon tightly, she took off at a run toward the Master Control Zone. She was needed there far more than she was needed here, questioning her sanity.

Meanwhile, Chen, having successfully traumatized the only witness, ducked around the nearest corner. After confirming that no one was watching, he immediately canceled the transformation.

A flash of light enveloped him, and he returned to his original form. He slid down the wall, slumping onto the floor and letting out a long, ragged sigh of relief.

‘Damn, I really need to avoid this kind of mortifying roleplay in the future,’ he thought, rubbing his forehead. The mental exhaustion far outweighed any physical fatigue.

Still, the ordeal had an unexpected upside. He felt as though he had become much more proficient in using his golden finger.

Leaning against the cool metal wall, before Chen could even begin to strategize how he might stealthily collect more character icons, a new sound reached him. A series of rapid, orderly footsteps approached from down the hall.

“Survivor found!” a voice called out.

A fully armed Space Station security officer had spotted him and was already reporting on his communicator. He and several teammates quickly closed the distance. While their weapons weren’t pointed directly at him, they maintained a cautious, professional stance.

“Identity confirmed,” another officer said, checking a data pad. “It’s the survivor from Earth mentioned in previous reports. Name: Chen.”

Chen cursed his luck internally. He had just barely escaped a scene of social death, only to be immediately captured by the authorities.

He quickly raised his hands, showing he was no threat. “Don’t be nervous, I’m one of the good guys! I just escaped from over there…”

The lead security officer sized up his slightly disheveled but otherwise unharmed state and gave a curt nod. “Mr. Chen, it’s still dangerous here. Please come with us to the evacuation area in the Master Control Zone immediately. Station Master Asta is commanding the situation from there.”

‘Asta! Another familiar name!’Chen’s heart gave a little flutter. He couldn’t help but wonder what Asta would be like in this gender-bent world.’And… the Master Control Zone,’he mused,’sounds like the perfect place to run into a whole lot of key characters!’

“Okay, okay, I’ll go with you!” he replied, his voice full of eager cooperation.

Under the escort of several security officers, Chen was led through the still-chaotic corridors until they arrived at the relatively orderly Master Control Zone.

The massive, circular space was a hive of activity. Countless holographic screens flickered, displaying streams of data. Staff members bustled back and forth, their movements hurried. Though the atmosphere was tense, it was clear that everything was running smoothly under a single, competent command.

His gaze was immediately drawn to the figure standing before the central command console.

It was a man who looked remarkably young, possessing an almost boyish air. He wore an exquisitely tailored white command uniform, the fine material accentuating his tall, upright figure. The decorative epaulets and sashes only added to his distinguished presence. He had neat, short-cut pink hair and a clean, handsome face.

At that moment, his brow was furrowed in concentration as he listened to a subordinate’s report. All the while, his fingers danced across a floating light screen, issuing commands with a swiftness and confidence that belied his age.

‘Asta… Young Master Asta?!’

The corner of Chen’s mouth twitched. As expected, the famously wealthy young lady of the Herta Space Station… had not been spared. She was now the famously wealthy young man of the Herta Space Station.

The security officer brought him to the edge of the command console and saluted crisply. “Station Master, we found survivor Chen in the B7 sector corridor. He has been brought here safely.”

Asta looked up. His bright, intelligent eyes swept over Chen, taking in his appearance in a single, efficient glance.

He nodded, his tone gentle but firm. “Good work. Mr. Chen, please rest in the nearby safety zone for now. Do not wander off. I may need to ask you for some information later.”

‘Damn, this kid… is actually pretty handsome,’ Chen muttered to himself. On the surface, however, he nodded obediently. “Alright, Station Master. I’ll be sure to cooperate.”

He was guided to a safety zone partitioned off with temporary dividers near the command console. A few other shaken clerical staff and non-combat personnel were already gathered there, some sitting, some standing.

Chen found an empty spot in a corner and sat down.

His gaze, however, remained practically glued to Asta at the command console as his mind spun, already plotting how to activate this new character entry.

‘How should I touch him?’he wondered.’Just rush up, hug his leg, and yell, “Station Master, you’re awesome!”? I’d probably be tackled by security before I even got close… What about pretending to trip and fall on him? The floor is so clean it’s reflective; a fall would look way too fake… Maybe I can wait for him to come over and ask about my well-being, then “accidentally” brush against him?’He glanced at the flurry of activity around Asta.’But he looks like he barely has time to breathe. What are the chances he’d have a spare moment for me?’A series of increasingly unreliable plans flashed through his mind, but his eyes kept drifting to Asta’s hands, which were covered by pristine white gloves.’Those gloves look like they have a nice texture,’he thought, a new idea forming.’I wonder… does it still count if I touch him through the gloves?’