Chapter 55: To Rescue or Not to Rescue? Blade's Dilemma!
At an open plaza in Exalting Sanctum,
a lightly made-up woman stood among the crowd, jade tablet in hand. But unlike the others—who were either immersed in Honkai: Star Rail or watching Little Gui Zi's stream—she was communicating with an ally across the stars.
[Silver Wolf]: "Kafka, mission accomplished. The Astral Express has rerouted to Xianzhou Luofu."
[Kafka]: "Perfect. That completes my part of the script."
Earlier, she had staged an impromptu act aboard the train. While she hadn't lied about the Stellaron Hunters having another objective, their true goal wasn't self-serving—it was to forge a bond between the Astral Express and Xianzhou.
More precisely, they aimed to put Xianzhou in the Express's debt.
Though the original plan to harness The Hunt's power had hit obstacles, Kafka had still maneuvered events as intended.
[Kafka]: "Silver Wolf, I need you to unlock the Jade Abacus gateway."
Silence.
After three minutes with no reply, Kafka sent another message:
[Kafka]: "Hey, sweetheart, you there?"
Another three minutes passed.
[Kafka]: "Hello? If we don't move soon, the Express crew will turn back!"
[Silver Wolf]: "Hold on."
"Let me finish farming these upgrade materials first."
Kafka sighed.
[Silver Wolf]: "Trying to level eight characters at once is a nightmare—materials are always short. So annoying."
[Kafka]: "Where did you even get all these five-stars?"
[Silver Wolf]: "I'm raising some four-stars too—March 7th, Asta, Tingyun. Their kits are fun to play, so I'm building them until better options come along."
"Alright, done for now."
[Kafka]: "Can we proceed?"
[Silver Wolf]: "Wait—they've already entered Luofu."
[Kafka]: "What? Wasn't the gateway sealed?"
[Silver Wolf]: "Didn't you read Elio's script?"
[Kafka]: "Ever since Star Rail launched, fate's been a tangled mess—you know that."
[Silver Wolf]: "It was sealed, but the site turned into a tourist hotspot. The Luofu staff opened it for them."
[Kafka]: "A Stellaron explosion site becoming a scenic spot? Xianzhou's tastes are… unique."
[Silver Wolf has logged off.]
[Kafka]: "Hey, can't we chat a little longer?"
[Silver Wolf has logged in.]
[Silver Wolf]: "You seem unusually cheerful today?"
[Kafka]: "I'm part of Elio's script and the Star Rail storyline—why wouldn't I be happy?"
[Silver Wolf]: "Just wait till you're in the gacha pool. I'll pull for you nonstop."
[Silver Wolf has disconnected.]
Finishing her drink in one gulp, Kafka gazed at Luofu's sprawling skyline.
"All good things must end."
"Bladie, hang in there…"
"I'm coming to save you."
---
Star Ferry Sea – Palace of Astrum
Led by Yukong, the Astral Express crew stepped inside, where two holographic figures turned to scrutinize them.
"This is General Jing Yuan of the Luofu, and LadyFu Xuan, head of the Divination Commission," Yukong introduced.
March 7th nudged Stelle, whispering, "So many big shots right away—I'm nervous."
Stelle nodded. "Same."
Before Old Yang could speak, Jing Yuan smiled warmly.
"Members of the Astral Express, your reputations precede you. Tales of your travels have spread far and wide—and through Honkai: Star Rail, I've witnessed your journey firsthand. Truly remarkable!"
March 7th fidgeted, flattered.
Of course! The game had taken Xianzhou by storm—even the Luofu General was a fan.
"This simplifies things," Old Yang admitted, relieved.
"Indeed," Fu Xuan added, hands on her hips. "Without the game's context, the Divination Commission might've suspected you of colluding with the Stellaron Hunters. Now, we trust your intentions."
"Then let's cut to the chase," Jing Yuan said, summoning a hologram of a familiar figure—Blade, the Stellaron Hunter.
"You all know who this is. Currently, he's imprisoned in the Shackling Prison. We expect an escape attempt and have deployed heavy security."
He paused. "But the game's plot also foretold another crisis—the Stellaron's imminent eruption. With both threats converging, our forces are stretched thin."
"This is where we need your help—like snowbound travelers gifted coal."
March 7th brightened. "Oh! So you want us to investigate the Stellaron and seal it before it erupts?"
"No."
Jing Yuan's gaze lingered on Dan Heng.
"We have our own methods for handling the Stellaron."
"What I ask is for you to reinforce the Shackling Prison—ensuring no one exploits the chaos to break out high-profile prisoners."
The crew froze.
Just hours ago, Kafka had tried hiring them to rescue Blade from the prison. Now, Jing Yuan wanted them to stop his rescue.
To save him or not to save him? That was the question.