"Connection Value? You mean to tell me your fancy tricks have a sequel? Are you seriously trying to crash the Express right into the world of Honkai Impact 3rd!?"
Wende wore an expression that screamed, "No, no, this is absolutely not okay." Are you trying to merge Star Rail and Honkai 3rd? One of these two worldviews is bound to die!
The thought of Kiana, the Great Sage, catching the eye of some Aeon and instantly becoming an Emanator, or even gaining her own Path and becoming an Aeon herself, made Wende feel…
Feel like… maybe it wasn't so bad after all…
Whatever. It's just one more way to get Emotion Points. It probably isn't a huge problem… probably…
Wende shook his head, trying to console himself. Maybe after that connection value is maxed out, I can even accompany Mr. Yang on a trip back home… Thinking about it, it's not all bad… right?
Shaking his head again, Wende decided to stop thinking about this godforsaken crossover. He had enough of his own problems to deal with without worrying about the affairs of Honkai Impact 3rd. Just kill him already!
"Time to cook, time to cook! After this meal, it's off to Punklorde. Surely there won't be any new shenanigans waiting for me there, right?"
---o---
"This… what is the deal with this game? Why does it have the word 'Honkai' in it? Wait! This character is… Himeko!? And this one, Welt… isn't that Mr. Yang! This character is named Bronya!? She… she really does look like a grown-up Bronya…"
Theresa clutched her head, her brain struggling to process the various elements in the game before her. For a moment, she felt like her brain simply wasn't enough.
"I… I'm going to go ask Grandpa what's going on! How could a game like this just appear out of nowhere!"
Theresa decisively hopped down from her chair and bolted out of the Principal's office, leaving a bewildered Mei and a clueless Kiana in her wake.
"Auntie Teri is… calling for backup? Over a game? Is it really that serious?"
Kiana scratched her head, her sapphire-blue eyes filled with a clear, innocent light.
"Kiana… sigh. If ordinary people found out about the Honkai, it would cause social upheaval…"
Mei looked at the pure, innocent Kiana and tried to explain the situation in the simplest terms possible.
"Oh! I get it!"
Kiana nodded, a look of great enlightenment on her face.
"So… are we gonna play it? It looks really fun!"
Kiana held up her phone, practically vibrating with excitement.
"But…"
Mei hesitated. After all, not even the Principal understood what this game was…
"Pleeease Pretty please Mei~~"
Kiana immediately launched her 'act cute' offensive. The battleship known as Mei announced the immediate detonation of its ammunition depot, completely unable to fight back.
---o---
"Damn it! Where the hell did this game come from? There's nothing but a company name and nothing else! Is this the work of that Herrscher? What the hell is this thing?!"
Tesla slammed her foot onto a stool, cursing a blue streak at the Star Rail icon on her screen. Who the hell developed this cursed thing?! It was like it crawled straight out of the underworld!
"Hello? Lord Welt, is there any chance you can come back? Have you been involved in any game development recently…?"
Einstein spoke hesitantly into the phone to Welt on the other end.
"What?"
Welt, who was still working as a history teacher at St. Freya Academy, frowned in confusion.
---o---
"Oh? I'm even in this game? But look at this elegant appearance… If I hadn't chosen to become a Valkyrie and had continued my studies instead, perhaps this is what I would have become."
Himeko gazed at her counterpart in Star Rail with a sigh of admiration.
"Sigh…"
Sitting beside her, Fu Hua let out a complicated sigh of her own.
"Fu Hua? What's wrong? Why the long face?"
Himeko raised an eyebrow, looking at Fu Hua with curiosity.
"No… it's… it's nothing."
Fu Hua shook her head and quietly put her phone away.
Sigh… should I apply for more funding this month?
Thinking about the hard pity she had already lost the 50/50 on in Star Rail, Fu Hua fell into deep thought.
That's right. The moment Star Rail appeared in the app store, she had reported it to Schicksal. Then, within two hours of its launch, she had grinded through a large chunk of the story and used up all her pulls on the starter banner… Hmm, the Himeko in this game… is quite pretty.
Staring at the result of her guaranteed starter pull, Fu Hua's face was expressionless.
Actually… it's pretty fun.
---o---
Back on the Express, Wende and Stelle cooked up a sumptuous feast for the crew, serving as a team-building meal before their departure for Punklorde.
Topaz naturally joined the banquet and was full of praise for Wende and Stelle's cooking. She even specifically asked Wende if he would consider opening a restaurant at the IPC headquarters, guaranteeing she would make his name as a chef resound throughout the universe!
Unsurprisingly, Wende politely declined.
Topaz expressed her regret but left Wende her phone number, insisting that he could contact her anytime if he changed his mind.
This was a massive business opportunity!
That was what Topaz originally thought. But after experiencing the Astral Express's "full-package experience"—a meal followed by a massage—a flushed pink Topaz and a flushed pink Numby lay limply in a guest room on the Express, their brains… blissfully empty from the comfort…
This wasn't just a business opportunity. Wende himself… he was practically… a human-shaped gold mine! She couldn't even begin to imagine how much profit these two services could bring to her department if they were offered in the same place! And if they started a training course…
"Puh-woo…"
Numby, sprawled across Topaz's stomach, flopped weakly onto the bed below, letting out a grunt of complete agreement.
"The Astral Express… it's truly full of surprises…" Topaz gasped out, still breathing heavily, her face crimson.
---o---
"Um… are you guys hungry?"
Silver Wolf put down her phone and looked at the two adults who were resting with their eyes closed. She rubbed her tummy and asked tentatively.
"Hmm? Isn't there food right here? What's wrong? Does our Little Wolf want to try some of Wende's cooking?" Kafka teased.
"Tsk. Fine. What about you?"
Seeing Kafka's sour-lemon expression, Silver Wolf shook her head disdainfully and turned to Blade.
"I do not need to eat."
Blade replied coldly, keeping his eyes closed.
"Alright then, I'll order us something."
Shrugging helplessly, Silver Wolf took out her phone and started typing.
Silver Wolf
u there?
Trash Can War God
Yep. Wanna play a game?
Silver Wolf
later tonight. im kinda hungry. here's 60 stellar jades, drop the food i want at the location im sending u.
Trash Can War God
on it! be there in 10!
Seeing Stelle's reply, Silver Wolf nodded in satisfaction. Good thing she left an inconspicuous beacon behind when she hacked the Astral Express.