"Firefly...?"
The Fox-eared Little Girl's ears twitched as she softly repeated the name, as if trying to carve those two syllables into her heart.
After a long pause, she looked up again at Firefly and said:
"Firefly Big Sister, my name is Xiya. You can just call me Xiaoya."
Later, Xiaoya revealed that she and her people had once lived peacefully in a small beastman tribe—until the Hellfire Cult attacked.
Her entire tribe had been annihilated. Parents, relatives, friends… some were killed, others fled. Xiaoya herself had been captured, marked for sacrifice to an evil god.
Everyone knew what happened after that.
Hearing Xiaoya's story—and seeing her small fox ears droop with sorrow—Firefly felt a pang of sympathy.
She reached out and gently stroked Xiaoya's head.
"Then… Xiaoya, why don't you stay with me for now?"
The moment the words left her lips, Xiaoya looked up, her tear-filled eyes sparkling with hope.
She had feared that this powerful Big Sister might leave her behind, uncaring. Alone in the wilderness, a defenseless Fox-eared Girl like her would be easy prey—either for beasts or cultists.
"Yes, yes! Xiaoya wants to stay with Firefly Big Sister!"
She rubbed her head against Firefly's hand, then hugged her slender waist tightly.
At night
Only the bonfire burning in the forest illuminated the surroundings.
Firefly skewered a small wild boar on a branch and roasted it over the flames.
Xiaoya, meanwhile, struggled to carry dry firewood, swaying as she walked. The firelight danced across her dusty little face, revealing her longing gaze fixed on the sizzling meat.
She was clearly starving.
Firefly noticed. Smiling gently, she glanced at the roasted boar, picked up a small knife she'd looted from a Hellfire Cultist, sliced off a large piece of pork, and handed it to Xiaoya.
"Be careful, it's hot…"
Xiaoya eagerly accepted it, gnawing at the meat despite the heat, unwilling to let go of the fragrant, juicy bite.
While Xiaoya ate, Firefly opened her attribute panel.
The rewards from defeating Akesi—an elite nearly twenty levels above her—were staggering.
Ding! You have killed Akesi Kulainan, elite leader of the Hellfire Cult. Gained 87,564 EXP and 100 reputation!
Combined with the experience from other cultists, her level had surged.
Current Attributes:
Name: Firefly (Lin Xin) Race: Glamour Iron Cavalry Template: NPC Letter Rank: 4
Personal Attributes:
AttributeValueHuman Avg Strength26(5) Agility30(5) Stamina20(5) Spirit20(5) Charm99(Fixed)Unallocated Attribute Points: 60 Health: 200 Power: 200 Experience: 29,812 / 40,000 Normal Skills: None Entropy Loss: 10 / 100 A negative status caused by genetic defects. Increases with Knight Armor usage. At 100, the host dies.
(Note: This is a digitized online game world, not the original Honkai Star Rail universe. Sam has been destroyed and merged with the Heart of Hero. No medical capsule lore applies—consider this the author's private setting.)
Firefly stared at the panel.
Her golden NPC template was absurdly powerful—20 attribute points per level.
In her previous life, her Mechanic class only gave 3 points per level. Now she received seven times more.
But the cost was steep.
To reach Level 5, she needed 40,000 EXP. Normal players only needed 1,000.
Still, nothing unsettled her more than the newly revealed Entropy Loss.
The Knight Armor's power was undeniable—but it came at a price.
She opened the description for the Ace Memory:
Ace Memory (Excellent Grade)
Used with: Firefly Transformation Device Transforms into: Ace Knight Armor (melee-focused) Effect: Strength × 3.5 Speed × 3.5 Stamina × 3.5 Spirit × 1.5
A multiplicative boost—already outrageous.
But paired with her Legendary Skill:
Mechanical Affinity: All mechanical equipment and weapons gain +200% effectiveness.
Knight Armor qualified as machinery.
So the final boost became:
Strength × 7Speed × 7Stamina × 7Spirit × 3
And as her base stats increased, the amplified values would scale even higher.
It was a Sacred Grade skill—and terrifyingly overpowered.
No wonder Entropy Loss existed.
Firefly frowned.
She was an NPC. She didn't know if she could resurrect like a player.
What if death was permanent?
The Knight Armor… would have to remain her last trump card.
She glanced at the glowing crack spreading across the back of her right hand.
Her heart sank.
Is this the visual manifestation of Entropy Loss…?
She shook her head.
Not now. Focus.
Firefly reached into her inventory and pulled out the treasure chest dropped by Akesi Kulainan.
Now… it's time for rewards.