Burning with questions about the new system and eager anticipation for what was to come, the bloodthirsty audience member Lynelle quickly shut her eyes and pulled up the system panel first.
She'd already confirmed it earlier—whether Cecilia could access the system required authorization from her side.
That meant she could check out the new system features herself before anything else.
"Huh? This is…"
But the moment she opened the system, Lynelle noticed something off.
The rest of the system interface looked the same as always, except the old "Backpack" tab had been replaced with "Storage," and right beside it, a new option labeled "Dorm" had appeared.
Most importantly, after clicking on these two modules, two confirmation buttons materialized before her: "Enter" and "Observe."
"Kiana-chan, what's this…"
[Ahem! The updated system now includes a Dorm feature. That means the host can project their consciousness directly into the system. Of course, retrieving items during combat remains just as convenient as before.]
The moment Lynelle spoke, the voice of customer service rep Kiana-chan popped into her mind.
"Dorm system? It's not the one from Honkai Impact 3rd, is it?"
Lynelle paused for a second, then without hesitation clicked [Enter.] "Let me see…"
A flash of light washed over her, and the consciousness that had been immersed in the system suddenly felt solid ground beneath her feet.
She realized she'd been transported into the "Dorm system."
And why was she so sure? The cardboard beds and cardboard desks in front of her gave it away—this was exactly the Valkyrie dorm from Honkai Impact 3rd, and the most basic version at that!
"You… expect Senior Cecilia to live here?"
Lynelle turned her gaze toward a small white glowing sphere floating nearby—apparently, this was the physical manifestation of Kiana-chan. "And what's with this form of yours?"
[W-Well, the Dorm system is only in its initial state right now! Once Cecilia moves in, she can customize it herself!]
Kiana-chan squirmed under Lynelle's accusing stare and hurried to explain.
She couldn't very well admit that she'd been overthinking things and completely forgot to furnish the dorm, dumping the task onto Lynelle and Cecilia instead.
[As for my appearance… ahem, maintaining a humanoid form consumes energy, host. You wouldn't want me to go offline from lack of power, would you?]
"Yeah, yeah, sure…"
Lynelle puffed her cheeks slightly. She had wondered what form Kiana-chan would take to avoid raising suspicion, but she never expected… she'd just choose not to disguise herself at all?
No matter. In situations like this, tossing a Cecilia into the mix would straighten things out.
Lynelle had already decided Kiana-chan's fate in her mind.
[Oh, and one more thing, host. While you're over in the Star Rail side, souls like Cecilia and Sirin who belong to the Honkai universe can't possess anyone. Similarly, they can't observe your actions in the Star Rail world either.]
[But if you're in the Honkai side, it's fine. Even without possession, they can watch what's happening outside in real-time through the screen here.]
"So, the Honkai Impact side can only be observed one-way?"
Lynelle thought for a moment, then asked Kiana-chan, "Hmm… can I ask if that's a technical limitation or a privacy one?"
[The former. I can't say more than that.]
"No problem, I think I get the picture."
Lynelle waved a hand. "Well then, have a pleasant sleep tonight~"
[?]
Before Kiana-chan could process that, Lynelle—who had already grasped the update's contents—vanished from the Dorm in an instant.
In her place, a gentle woman with long white hair gradually materialized, curiously looking left and right.
And outside, Lynelle began quietly observing from the system space.
[Spyglass.jpg]
"Oh, so this is the dorm Lynelle found for me?"
Cecilia's gaze swept over the flimsy-looking cardboard bed, and she fell into thought.
"It looks… like it could use some cleaning."
"And you are…?"
[I, I, I—]
Turns out, Kiana's four hours of mental preparation had been utterly useless.
[I'm Mochi! I'm the system sprite Lynelle mentioned!]
Well, maybe it wasn't completely useless—at least she'd managed to claim some kind of role.
"…"
Hearing Kiana-chan's voice, Cecilia indeed fell silent.
[U-um, Lady Cecilia… is something on your mind?]
"Sorry, Mochi."
Looking at the cautious little white orb, Cecilia suddenly giggled. "It's just… your voice sounds exactly like how I imagine my daughter would sound all grown up… It caught me off guard for a moment."
[Ha, haha, r-really? What a coincidence…]
"Mhm, absolutely identical. It's even similar to how I sounded when I was young…"
"But 'Mochi' is such a strange name. Isn't that a delicacy from Shenzhou?"
[Well, that's because—]
"Kiana-chan?"
Right then, Lynelle suddenly poked her head into the Dorm from outside. Under Kiana-chan's utterly bewildered gaze, she called out her name.
[W-what is it?]
"Nothing, just reminding you not to forget to turn off the gas."
[?]
"Kiana-chan? Is that your name too?"
Only then did the now-panicking Kiana-chan snap back to reality. The little orb quivered as she turned toward Cecilia, who wore a thoughtful expression.
"Then… should I call you Kiana-chan? Or Mochi?"
[Gulp… Just Kiana-chan is fine.]
The little white orb drifted toward Cecilia as if accepting her fate.
"Alright, Kiana-chan~"
Cecilia's smile instantly brightened. Before entering the Dorm, Lynelle had told her meaningfully that she might just meet one of the people she most wanted to see here.
At first, Cecilia hadn't understood what Lynelle meant… but now, she thought she got it.
"Um, Kiana-chan…"
Cecilia blinked her beautiful large eyes, gazing at the little white orb. "Could I ask you a favor?"
[Of course, Lady Cecilia, just say it…]
"Could you call me 'Mom'?"
Cecilia grew excited. "Sorry, sorry, I don't mean any disrespect. It's just… I've been longing to hear a grown-up Kiana call me 'Mom' for so long… Oh, I mean, using Kiana's voice… If it's too much, then forget it."
Outside, the bloodthirsty spectator Lynelle facepalmed. In some ways, this mother and daughter were exactly alike…
[I-It's okay…]
Kiana-chan's voice fell silent for a brief moment, then she whispered softly.
[Mom…]
"Yay! I'm so happy!"
Cecilia nearly jumped for joy. Almost instinctively, she reached out to pat the little floating orb, but her hand passed right through it.
[It's like this—maintaining a physical form wastes energy. To avoid unnecessary energy consumption, I didn't materialize a solid body…]
This time, before Cecilia could even ask, Kiana-chan explained the reason herself.
"Aww…"
Cecilia's face fell with disappointment, but she quickly perked up again. "It's fine. Just being able to see you like this is enough… What's important is that it doesn't interfere with your work, Kiana-chan."
[…]
Kiana-chan fell silent once more. After a moment, she let out a resigned sigh.
Might as well take a little break…
The thought crossed her mind, and then the little white orb instantly floated up to Cecilia's chest, transforming into a white kitten with a tiny cape and blue eyes, nestling itself into Cecilia's embrace.
[I can't maintain a solid form for long, but… staying like this for a little while each day should be fine.]
[Cecilia… Mom.]
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.