Honkai: Star Rail: I Can Fix This Gender-Bent World — Chapter 86

Chapter 86: Nightmare!

“There are five people…”

“The price has three…”

“You… are one of them.”

The final, disembodied words ripped Dan Heng from her nightmare. She had only just returned to the Astral Express and was meant to be resting in the quiet solitude of the Data Bank.

Her eyes snapped open. Beads of cold sweat traced paths down her temples, and her breaths came in short, sharp gasps.

‘That dream again.’

She shook her head, a sharp, deliberate motion to clear the lingering dread, and forced her focus onto the star chart glowing before her.

Just then, a lively knock-knock-knock echoed from the other side of the data room door. It was followed by March 7th’s irrepressibly energetic voice.

“Dan Heng! Dan Heng! Are you awake?”

“Uncle Himeko and Ms. Welt are calling everyone to the parlor!”

“We’re having a meeting to decide where to go next!”

Dan Heng drew a slow, steadying breath, wrestling her turbulent emotions back into their usual placid state. She called back to the door, her voice even, “Got it. You go on ahead. I… need to organize some data. I’ll be there shortly.”

“Alright! Hurry up then!”

The patter of March 7th’s footsteps quickly faded down the corridor.

Dan Heng did not move immediately. She remained seated, waiting for the last vestiges of the dream’s chill to dissipate from her bones.

Meanwhile, in the Astral Express parlor, the atmosphere was far more relaxed.

On the large, circular sofa, Uncle Himeko was conversing in low tones with Ms. Welt. Nearby, Conductor Pom-Pom held a small tray, diligently wiping away specks of non-existent dust from a polished surface.

March 7th bounced into the room, his eyes scanning the area. “Huh? Where are Chen and Qiong? Haven’t they come out yet?”

His gaze swept across the car until it landed on a relatively spacious open area to one side. His eyes fixed on the scene, and the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily.

There, in the middle of the open space, stood Qiong. Her eyes were closed, her posture ramrod straight. She held a long spear in both hands, her brow furrowed in concentration. Her small face was tense, as if she were desperately trying to sense something deep.

Extremely faint halos of amber light flickered around her, but they were more often than not accompanied by a sense of bewildered… nothingness.

Circling her like a hyperactive shark was Chen. One moment, he would lean in close to whisper instructions in her ear. The next, he would step back, gesturing animatedly, his tone overflowing with encouragement and excitement.

“Yes, yes, yes! That’s the feeling, Qiong, my dear sister!”

“Focus your mind! Concentrate!”

“Feel that warm current in your little belly… no, I mean your Dantian! Feel the warm current in your Dantian!”

“Think back to Everwinter Hill! Remember how angry you were! How desperate!”

“Think about how those ice shards stabbed me… uh, I mean, stabbed Young Master Bronya!”

“Rage! Yes, feel that burning rage! But don’t forget, what are you burning for?”

“To protect me, right? A heart of protection!”

“That’s the key! Left hand for Preservation, right hand for Destruction… Pah! No, not like breaking up a relationship! The Path of Destruction!”

“It’s about willpower! Willpower, you understand?”

“Imagine your left hand is holding a giant amber shield, and your right hand is conjuring a dark fireball!”

“Then… blend them… hmm… like you’re kneading dough… Ah, no, that’s not quite right either…”

Chen talked until his mouth was dry, nearly making himself dizzy with his own convoluted metaphors.

Qiong, for her part, kept her eyes squeezed shut, trying her best to mobilize her power according to Chen’s chaotic guidance. The result was that the amber halos around her flickered on and off, occasionally sparking with a single thread of dark golden fire before—poof—extinguishing completely. Not only did she fail to condense any kind of dual-colored Ultimate, but the sheer effort made her cheeks flush a bright, frustrated red.

“Pfft—”

March 7th couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst out laughing. “Chen, what are you teaching her? Some kind of shamanic dance? ‘Left hand, right hand, a slow-motion replay’?”

Ms. Welt adjusted her glasses, a mixture of helplessness and amusement in her eyes.

Uncle Himeko stroked his chin, watching with genuine interest. He could perceive the fluctuations of Path energy on Qiong’s body—they were extremely unstable, but they were undeniably real.

Hearing March 7th’s teasing, Chen spun around, planting his hands on his hips. “What do you know! This is called immersive, experiential teaching!” he declared. “Qiong is exceptionally talented! She walks two Paths! This is unmatched, unmatched in all the cosmos!”

“I’m helping her tap into her potential, to develop a Unique Skill! Right, Qiong?”

Qiong opened her eyes. Her gaze was weary from the exertion and tinged with dejection. She looked at Chen and whispered, “…I can’t conjure it.”

“Uh… well, no rush, no rush!” Chen quickly comforted her, patting her shoulder reassuringly. “Ultimate Skills aren’t mastered in a single day! We’ll just practice slowly!”

He puffed out his chest. “In the future, you’ll be the ace of our Astral Express Crew! Anyone who messes with us, you’ll just give them a Preservation-Destruction Dual Roast! Guaranteed to be drop-dead cool!”

“More like roasted to a crisp,” March 7th retorted from the sofa.

“Shoo, shoo!” Chen waved a dismissive hand at him. Then, his eyes lit up as if he’d just had a brilliant idea.

He snapped his fingers.

With a flash of light, the crooked little robot, Geo-Map, appeared on his shoulder. Its bulbous, lens-like eyes swiveled around, curiously surveying its surroundings.

“Look! We still have a secret weapon!” Chen announced proudly, poking Geo-Map’s gear-shaped head. “Geo-Map, come on! Analyze the Optimal Energy Flow Path for our precious Qiong!”

Geo-Map immediately puffed out its chest. Its bulbous eyes aimed directly at Qiong, emitting a series of scanning beep-beep sounds before reporting in a serious, electronic voice:

“[Analyzing target unit energy fluctuations.]”

“[Preservation power stability: Medium.]”

“[Destruction power activity: Low.]”

“[Contradiction coordination coefficient: Extremely Low.]”

“[Recommendation: Eat more. Replenish energy. Take it slow.]”

“…”

Chen lightly slapped the little robot’s head. “What good are you!”

Geo-Map seemed to shrink its neck indignantly. “[Geo-Map’s purpose is to handle and praise the Creator.]”

Light laughter echoed through the parlor. Even Qiong’s lips curved into a small, fleeting smile.

Just as March 7th finished reporting that Dan Heng would also be arriving late, Himeko nodded, deciding to begin the discussion anyway.

“Alright, everyone. The next stop for our Astral Express is—”

His words were cut off abruptly.

Without any warning, the very space in the center of the parlor twisted. Data streams swirled like a digital vortex, rapidly coalescing into a holographic projection so lifelike it was almost indistinguishable from a real person.

A deep purple, tailored trench coat. Short, stylishly cut purple hair. A faint, confident smile playing at the corners of her mouth. The newcomer casually placed her hands in her pockets, her posture perfectly upright. Her aura was one of mystery and elegance. It was…

“Kafka,” Ms. Welt’s voice was low and dangerous.

The coffee cup in her hand was placed gently on the control console, the soft clink unnaturally loud in the sudden silence. An invisible field of gravity seemed to press down on the air around her.

Uncle Himeko’s brow furrowed, but he remained outwardly calm, his gaze fixed on the uninvited guest. For Kafka of the Stellaron Hunters to project herself so directly onto the Astral Express was an audacious move.

In the midst of this hostile silence, a sneaky figure darted out from behind the sofa with a whoosh.

His target: the holographic projection of Kafka’s long, perfectly straight legs, clad in tailored pants.

It was Chen.

His face wore the serious, focused expression of a dedicated researcher. Under the stunned gazes of everyone who had yet to fully process the intrusion, he extended a sinful index finger. Fast, accurate, and steady, it poked directly toward the calf area of Kafka’s projection.

His finger passed through without any resistance, scattering a few points of dissipating data light.

“Tsk.” Chen withdrew his hand, clicking his tongue in disappointment.

‘Damn, it’s just a projection,’he thought to himself.’No physical body.”I was hoping I could unlock a Stellaron Hunter icon… This system is way too rigid. Contact with a projection doesn’t even count?’