Wende felt a sudden chill run down his spine. Immediately after, a strange, unknown power surged into his body, making him tingle from head to toe, as if he had just undergone electrotherapy.
It seemed the system had already implemented his character card onto his physical self.
Looking at his own hands with a sense of unreality, Wende felt his body become incredibly light, brimming with a power full of vitality.
"Is this... the power of a Path?" Wende murmured, watching an arc of electricity flicker across his palm.
A few minutes later, the frozen time began to flow again under the system's control. Everyone on the train returned to their previous state, completely unaware that time had even stopped.
Through the carriage window, Wende watched as the train slowly pulled into the deserted platform, a feeling of surrealness rising from deep within his heart.
He... he had really entered the world of Honkai: Star Rail... and gained the power of "the Abundance."
"Esteemed passengers, we have now docked at the Herta Space Station! The train will be stopped here for one week. All passengers may disembark and move about freely, pa!"
In the main hall, March 7th was already waiting eagerly by the carriage exit. The recent stretch of interstellar travel had nearly driven her stir-crazy!
"I still have some things to take care of on the train, so I won't be getting off just yet," Welt said, pushing up his glasses.
"Passenger Himeko! Here is the shopping list, pa!"
The adorable Conductor handed a list to Himeko. Due to the nature of the Astral Express, Pom-Pom couldn't leave the train directly, so the task of procurement could only be entrusted to the passengers.
"Alright. Wende, you should come with us too."
Himeko nodded. Then, under Pom-Pom's pouty, prideful expression, she gave its head a good ruffle before turning to Wende, who was still trying to process the power of "the Abundance."
"Ah... oh! Okay!"
Hearing Himeko's call, Wende immediately snapped out of his daze, no longer lost in the "mighty power of the Abundance," and followed Himeko toward the train door.
Back in the carriage, Welt frowned as he watched Wende walk out.
"...The Abundance..."
Meanwhile, Wende, who had just stepped off the train, also frowned suddenly.
That familiar system voice had appeared again, and...
..............
The Real World
The moment the clock struck ten, countless players who had been waiting for the launch of Honkai: Star Rail swarmed into the game, ready to embark on their own unique "space journey."
Those who couldn't immediately log in due to work also took advantage of their breaks or slacked off, tuning into the "space opera" through the streams of various content creators.
This time, there was no pop-up announcement blocking their entry. Although there was a 200MB update, in an era where 5G was widespread, a paltry 200MB update took less than ten seconds to download, so it didn't garner much attention from the players.
In their eyes, a tiny 200MB update was nothing. Getting into the game as early as possible was all that mattered!
Little did they know just how much of a variable this small 200MB patch would introduce to their "Trailblazing" journey...
...........
"Ahh! We're finally back at the Space Station! I can finally stretch my legs! I was going crazy cooped up on the train these last few days!"
Stepping off the Astral Express, March 7th bounced over to the edge of the platform, taking a deep breath of the station's artificial air. She stretched luxuriously, revealing a faint sliver of her fair stomach.
"Mm, it has been a while since we were last here. We have a lot to procure this time. Looks like we'll have to pay Asta a visit."
Looking at the supply list Pom-Pom had written, Himeko rubbed her temples with a slight headache.
This last trailblazing expedition had indeed gone on for too long. Many of the daily supplies on the Astral Express were nearly depleted, even her coffee...
"By the way, Wende, is this your first time at the space station?" Himeko asked with a smile, looking at Wende who was gazing around like a curious child.
"Uhh... yes, it is."
Feeling that his curiosity might be a bit too obvious, Wende looked at the smiling Himeko and scratched the back of his head in slight embarrassment.
No matter how many times he had seen it in videos and guides, nothing compared to witnessing this behemoth in space with his own eyes. Moreover, he was seeing it with his actual, physical eyes! This was countless times better than running around as a digital avatar on a computer screen!
"Don't worry about it. When little March first came here, she was even more surprised than you are," Himeko said with a gentle smile.
"Himeko! I was not!"
March 7th, who was still busy placing an order on her phone nearby, puffed up her cheeks like a blowfish at the comment, pouting coquettishly at Himeko.
"I was sealed in ice for so long, so it's only normal for me to be surprised, right!"
As she spoke, March 7th walked over to Dan Heng's side and gently nudged him with her elbow, as if seeking his agreement.
Dan Heng didn't reply immediately. Instead, his expression grew somewhat grave as he looked deeper into the space station.
"Huh? Dan Heng, what's wrong?" March 7th asked curiously, noticing his off-kilter expression.
"March, something's not right with the station."
Dan Heng frowned, looking at the completely empty platform. Logically, there should be plenty of station staff here. Furthermore, with the Astral Express returning, someone should have been here to receive them...
But now, they hadn't seen a single person since they arrived. The Conductor had also just complained that no one sent them a docking confirmation.
Although the Astral Express had a designated docking platform, it was strange not to receive even a single notification, right?
Himeko also realized the gravity of the situation. Normally, upon entering the space station, she would receive a notification message from the Herta Space Station on her phone. But this time, the latest message was still the one from March 7th calling her for afternoon tea...
She immediately sent a text to Asta.
[Asta]
Himeko: "Asta?"
[Send Error: Network Anomaly]
Even March 7th had discovered the problem. The Herta Space Station's shopping website suddenly wouldn't load, and her phone had no signal.
"It seems the station really is in some trouble. Wende, you should head back to the train for now. I'll go find Asta. Dan Heng, you take March and check out what's happened in the station. You might be able to help." Himeko instructed the group.
March 7th and Dan Heng nodded, drew their weapons, and prepared to enter the station via Platform 1.
"Miss Himeko, can I go with Dan Heng and the others?"
Wende stepped forward and volunteered. If this were before the system had appeared, he probably would have listened to Himeko and hidden in the safety of the train. But things were different now! He had accepted the Path of the Abundance and possessed a certain degree of self-preservation.
Most importantly, if he didn't go with them this time, he might miss his first encounter with the players. This was a golden opportunity to farm favorability!
"But..."
Himeko hesitated. Although she could vaguely sense that the Wende before her was by no means weak, after what he'd been through in that accident, this child...
"Don't worry, Miss Himeko. I don't think I'll hold everyone back..."
Seeing the concern in Himeko's eyes, Wende was deeply moved. After all, they had only known each other for a week, yet Himeko already treated him like one of her own. It made him feel very warm.
Wende smiled and held out his hand. In his palm, a needle formed from condensed lightning arcs floated quietly.
Dan Heng looked at the electric needle with some surprise, while March 7th patted her chest and assured Himeko, "Don't worry, Himeko! We'll protect Wende! Right, Dan Heng!"
Looking at the lively March 7th, Dan Heng sighed with a hint of helplessness, shook his head slightly, and then nodded at Himeko.
"If that's the case... then Wende, you can go with little March and the others. But... be careful."
"Okay. Miss Himeko, you be careful too!"
Himeko headed towards Platform 2, while Wende, March 7th, and Dan Heng set off towards Platform 1.
He glanced at the system's light screen. The recovery skills and that ridiculously high base HP made him feel incredibly secure.
With such a massive healing output, forget getting injured! He guaranteed he could take all four of them out and bring them back fully topped off!
As for why he said four...
Somewhere in the space station, a beautiful woman with purple hair was slowly walking into a certain room...