Honkai: Star Rail. Getting chased by players! [14]

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“Ah...”

Stelle was somewhat taken aback as she gazed at the snow-covered planet before her. This didn’t resemble what Himeko had described at all—it was like they were looking at an entirely different world.

“Has Jarilo-VI really turned into this after thousands of years…?”

Himeko sighed as she looked at the icy planet that was now starkly different from the one shown on the star map.

After the passage of millennia, what was once a lush, vibrant world had transformed into a desolate, snowy wasteland.

“Eh!? That white, icy planet is our target this time?”

March 7th asked in surprise, glancing at Himeko.

“That’s right… I imagine this trailblazing journey won’t be an easy one.”

Himeko crossed her arms under her chest.

Cava rubbed his chin thoughtfully and then glanced at Stelle’s chest.

Yes, indeed. In every sense of the word, it wouldn’t be an easy journey.

Pom-Pom walked over and announced to everyone that the train’s “seven-day stop” had been changed to an “indefinite stay” until the “anomaly” that was preventing the train from moving was resolved.

There was no need to guess—aside from the “newcomer” Stelle, everyone else on board knew exactly what this “anomaly” referred to.

“A Stellaron, huh…”

As Himeko and Stelle started a back-and-forth Q&A session, Cava quietly excused himself, figuring it was better not to interrupt. He returned to his room instead.

He knew that as a new member of the Astral Express, this trailblazing journey on Jarilo-VI would inevitably involve him. Rather than standing around and listening to information he already knew, he figured he’d better prepare for the mission.

There wasn’t much to prepare, though—he just grabbed Himeko’s cup of coffee. Who knew what “unexpected” uses it might have on the upcoming journey?

Since joining the Astral Express, Cava’s constant meddling had changed the course of many events. Yet, despite the frequent alterations, none of the paths had deviated from their original destination. Was this what they called destiny?

Staring at the white planet outside the window, Cava’s mind raced with countless thoughts, only to end in a long, helpless sigh.

Well, it is what it is. Based on his experience at the space station, this trailblazing journey on Jarilo-VI probably wouldn’t follow the script exactly either.

Ding! Player affection points increased by 2,000. Current progress toward unlocking 5-star status: 2010/10,000.

The long-quiet system suddenly chimed in, bringing news of a significant increase in Cava’s affection points.

“Huh? Why did I gain so much all of a sudden? I don’t remember doing anything special.”

Cava scratched his head, feeling a bit confused.

Sure, his skill set was pretty overpowered, but still. Why the sudden jump from earning 10 points to 2,000?

Could it be that his in-game actions were also contributing to the affection points?

If that was the case, did that mean he was going to have to be the “center of attention” on the Astral Express from now on?

The mere thought of himself and Stelle digging through trash cans together made Cava shudder.

“No way, I’ve got to find a way to get Stelle to quit the trash can habit!”

Completely unaware of the real reason behind his skyrocketing affection points, Cava mulled over ways to avoid a life of scavenging.

In the real world, one day had passed since Honkai: Star Rail went live.

For some reason, it seemed like the developers were deliberately pacing the story. After finishing the space station arc, players had to wait until the next day to unlock new main story content, frustrating those eager to progress through the game. Many players spammed the chat with “Hurry up!” complaints.

Although certain tasks during the beta did require waiting a full in-game day to unlock, using this system on the main storyline felt far more aggravating than simply limiting character levels.

Some players speculated that this tactic was designed to maintain excitement, but while opinions varied, this explanation seemed to be the most reasonable.

Back in the Star Rail world, Cava had no idea about all the changes happening in the real-life version of the game.

Nor could he have predicted the spike in his affection points had anything to do with it.

Just one hour after Star Rail launched, the official developers released Cava’s character artwork. However, most players were so immersed in the game that they didn’t even notice this reveal at first.

But once they finally came out of their trailblazing adventures, Cava’s character art shot to the top of the AcFun (ac) platform’s trending list, overtaking the previous number one: “Star Rail Public Launch!”

And the reason why?

“Holy cow! That chest, those legs, those pecs! Bro, I’m gonna be your blood brother!”

“Husband, husband, husband, husband!!”

“I’ve collapsed and need Cava’s healing touch to get back up!”

“I just want to clarify, I’m straight… but I could make an exception.”

“I think… everyone should calm down. After all, this is my husband.”

“I forgot the beginning, forgot the end, but I’m feeling great!”

“Bro, I’ve never asked you for anything in my life!”

The comment section exploded into chaos, surpassing even the response to Star Rail’s previously popular paternal figure character. This phenomenon was later dubbed the “Mihoyo Zero-Overflow Incident.”

Some scoffed at the idea that a mere male character could distract them from pulling for their waifus. Yet after taking one look at Cava’s character art, they suddenly found themselves adding a new “husband” to their roster.

“Is this what they mean by being universally attractive? It’s terrifying!”

“Thank you, Mihoyo. This is the best episode in the galaxy!”

“Mihoyo, well done! How did you design a character who appeals to both men and women? And he’s a healer! I’m calling him Nurse Daddy!!”

“Damn it! He’s so full of masculine energy, but why do I... sorry, I need a moment!”

One well-known female streamer jumped on the trend, posting a screenshot of Cava’s character art on her AcFun profile with the caption:

“Who understands this?! How did men start competing with us for our husband!?”

Meanwhile, on a certain blue platform starting with a “P,” fan art of Cava flooded in. In just one night, over a hundred pieces of Cava fan art were uploaded, with countless artists working tirelessly to bring various depictions of him to life. Some were, well, safe for work… while others… not so much.

If Cava ever found out that his affection points were being accumulated in this way, he’d probably buy a ticket as far away from the main story as possible—terrified that his virtue might not survive the night!

Fortunately for him, Cava had no idea about any of this. Instead, he was already thinking ahead, wondering what kind of template he should create once he accumulated enough points to unlock his 5-star form.