Honkai: Star Rail. Getting chased by players! [16]

---

In reality...

Finally, after a long wait, players of Honkai: Star Rail could progress with the new main storyline!

At five o'clock in the morning, the update dropped. A bunch of AC Station streamers had already been waiting in-game, eager to start. Their audience, equally excited, had gathered early in the stream chats, anticipating the fun.

Finally, as the clock hit the hour, all the streamers shouted, "Honkai: Star Rail, activate!" Then, they opened the quest interface, boarded the Astral Express, and officially embarked on their trailblazing journey.

And then... eighty percent of the streamers drank a cup of Himeko's coffee onboard the Express and promptly "died."

"Huh?"

Kakaya, one of the streamers, stared in disbelief at the cup of coffee that had knocked his protagonist straight into an untimely demise. He held his head in shock, unable to find the words.

【Huh?】

【What??】

【Huh???】

【Gotta love the signature phrase of Star Rail players: 'Huh?'】

"Wait, this coffee has more power than the freaking Doomsday Beast's energy blast!"

Kakaya couldn't help but joke. After all, his character had survived an attack from the Doomsday Beast without a scratch, but a regular cup of black coffee had knocked him out cold?

Refusing to give up, Kakaya returned to the Astral Express. Amid the flood of confused comments in his stream, he picked up the cup of coffee on the table and took another sip.

“Coffee Enthusiast”

With a pleasant sound, Kakaya unlocked an achievement, earning a special five-star Honkai: Star Rail "reward."

【Farewell! I'm logging in right now to drink that coffee!】

【Hold on, that's Himeko's coffee! Be careful!】

【That’s a five-star coffee right there! Five full stars! How do you expect me to stay calm?!】

【To be fair, I really want Himeko’s coffee recipe!】

【Hello, 911? Someone here is attempting to make bioweapons!】

After that little coffee-related mishap, Kakaya got back on track with the main story quest.

Following conversations with the crew of the Astral Express, the next destination was Jarilo-VI, a frozen planet. Kakaya had already experienced this during the beta, so there wasn't anything too new.

What he was interested in was talking to the newly introduced character, Cava.

Initially, the playable area only had two cars for players to explore. But after the full release, a new car was added for players to visit—Cava’s bedroom and the Express’s kitchen.

Fun fact: Players can enter Cava’s room, but there’s nothing special about it.

In the kitchen, players can watch Cava cooking. Through conversation, it’s revealed that after showcasing his culinary skills, he became the Astral Express’s new quartermaster.

When players talk to Cava here, he’ll even give them a friendly reminder: "Don't drink Himeko’s coffee."

Kakaya, having downed two cups earlier: "..."

【My husband can cook too? Love it!】

【Didn't Dan Heng mention earlier that Cava's medical skills are similar to those of Xianzhou? Does that mean Cava might be making Xianzhou dishes?】

【Damn, bringing a little culinary delight to the Astral Express’s barren food desert! Shooketh!】

"By the way, I made some afternoon tea. Want some?"

In-game, Cava smiled as he handed over the afternoon tea to the player.

“Item received: Cava’s carefully prepared afternoon tea set. Effect: Restores five Technique Points. A carefully prepared afternoon tea by Cava. Biscuits shaped with bunny molds, served with condensed milk, and accompanied by a cup of Xianzhou Alliance’s specialty flower tea. The perfect way to spend a warm afternoon.”

【Ah~ He made it just for me. He’s thinking of me!】

【You know what I’m about to say, don’t you?.jpg】

Kakaya continued wandering around the Express for a while, teasing Pom-Pom before finding March 7th and starting the trailblazing journey to Jarilo-VI.

...

"Are we sure this is a good idea?"

March 7th looked at Cava, who was crouching down and rolling snowballs, with some doubt in her voice.

“I think it’s fine. This is one way to solve the problem,” Dan Heng nodded solemnly.

Stelle stared in surprise. Who would have thought that Dan Heng, who seemed so cold and detached, had a mischievous side?

“I don’t think this is okay!! Guys, I swear I didn’t mean it! You don’t need to go this far!”

From beneath the snow pile at Cava’s feet, a blue-haired "creature" poked his head out, yelling desperately at the trio who were clearly enjoying the show.

"Shh, don’t attract any Fragmentum creatures."

Cava smiled, gently pushing the "creature" back into the snow, his expression terrifyingly "kind."

“Uh… I think Cava might actually be more devious than Dan Heng...”

Stelle awkwardly tugged at the corner of her mouth as she looked at Cava, who was burying someone in snow. She subtly moved behind March 7th, as if shielding herself from the hidden danger.

So, what exactly had happened to make Cava this upset?

Let’s rewind half an hour.

Since it was their first time on Jarilo-VI, the group was treading cautiously through the icy terrain, knowing little about what lay ahead.

As Dan Heng had advised, caution was a good thing.

And sure enough, not long after setting off, they encountered some stumbling "Fragmentum creatures" in the snowstorm.

Even though no actual Fragmentum was present nearby, these creatures had managed to escape from it, which was a bad sign. It meant Jarilo-VI’s situation was likely much worse than they anticipated, and the plan to retrieve the Stellaron would have to speed up.

After dealing with the creatures with ease, the group encountered their first human on the planet—the very person currently buried in the snow by Cava.

Originally, the four of them had only wanted to ask for directions. But the moment this person saw them, he bolted like his life depended on it.

Recognizing him instantly, Cava hadn’t bothered to give chase. Instead, he suggested to the others that they let him go, considering they’d be making friends with him later anyway.

What Cava didn’t expect was for this guy to leave a trap on the road ahead!

Even though it was just a smoke bomb, it still left the crew covered in ash and attracted more Fragmentum creatures.

After dealing with those creatures, Cava realized the guy hadn’t run far and was now hiding in a snow pile, waiting to mess with them again!

So, to preserve the dignity of the crew, Cava immediately fired four lightning needles into the snow, each one precisely striking the limbs of the "creature" hiding within.

“You like the snow, don’t you? In that case, stay put.”

Cava smiled as he delivered the line.