Playing Stat-Sticks in Honkai: Star Rail

After March 7th comfortably finished beating Liuge and wiped away the nonexistent sweat from her forehead, she turned to look at Oleg, who had been watching from the side.

Stelle walked forward and poked Liuge, who was on the ground.

"Are you okay!"

"I'm fine, March 7th's punches feel like a massage to me."

Liuge said indifferently.

But the next moment, a small foot kicked him in the backside, sending him tumbling forward and face-first onto the ground.

"Hmph, hmph, hmph~"

Seeing Liuge like that, March 7th proudly lifted her head with satisfaction.

"Just you wait, I'll do it again next time!"

Liuge smiled as he looked at March 7th's smug expression.

"Liuge, what's been going on with you these past few days? We couldn't get in touch with you at all."

After all the roughhousing ended, March 7th and the others walked into the mine together, preparing to investigate the cause of the robot riots.

As they walked, Dan Heng was clearly interested in Liuge's suddenly bulkier physique.

"Well, there was a bit of an accident, but my body has gotten a lot stronger."

"Yeah, I can tell."

March 7th looked Liuge up and down from the side and even pinched his arm with her small hand.

"So hard and thick, really nice."

The moment March 7th said that, everyone present turned their gaze towards her.

The sudden silence made March 7th a bit flustered.

"Um... did I say something wrong? Liuge's muscles are indeed hard. Look, how thick are these arms!"

"No, March. Did you ever consider that what you just said has a very big double meaning?"

Liuge had thought March 7th's brain wasn't the sharpest, but he hadn't expected it to completely shut down.

She still hadn't realized it?

"Huh?"

March 7th looked confused, her expression a little dazed.

Liuge rubbed his forehead and walked ahead with Dan Heng.

Behind them, Stelle and Bronya leaned closer to March 7th, quietly explaining things to her.

As for Seele, she just watched silently, also wondering at that moment what exactly was wrong with March 7th's statement.

Yes, Seele hadn't heard the double meaning in that sentence either!

026 Burn paper for trouble, burn incense for nothing!

At this moment, after entering the mine, Liuge saw that Dan Heng didn't seem to want to talk, so he took out his terminal on his own.

As soon as he opened it, a string of messages from March 7th bombarded him, leaving Liuge a bit stunned.

He quickly scanned them, and they were mostly asking where he was.

In short, they were caring messages, and they also mentioned that he was wanted.

To Liuge's surprise, Herta had sent a message.

[Herta: Hey, are you dead yet? Say something if you're not.]

[Your Gege: Yeah, I'm dead. Burn paper for trouble, burn incense for nothing!]

[Herta: Tsk, looks like you're still alive.]

[Your Gege: Looks like I would have been better off dead.]

Then, Herta saw Liuge's surrender message turn black, and Herta's expression also turned black along with it.

Of course, the Puppet couldn't see expressions.

[Herta: Fine, I need you for something.]

[Your Gege: What?]

[Herta: I've created a device that can simulate the development of the universe and also observe past events.]

[Your Gege: Simulating the universe, huh. I'm not playing!]

Liuge's mouth twitched as he read Herta's message.

Good grief, now that he and Herta were getting along, she wasn't looking for Stelle anymore and came straight to him.

[Herta: Keep yapping and I'll permanently ban your game account.]

[Your Gege: Whatever, my goal has already been achieved anyway.]

[Herta: Tsk, what a heartless man.]

"Your Gege: Don't be so ambiguous. I'm not interested in your puppet body."

"Herta: Then I'll make you a soft, one-to-one replica!"

"Your Gege: ... Is it really necessary for testing?"

Liuge looked at the terminal with the expression of an old man confused by a smartphone.

"Liuge, what's wrong?"

March 7th sidled up and asked.

"Herta just messaged me."

"Oh, about testing the Simulated Universe."

March 7th immediately understood.

"No, she contacted you too? Then why is she contacting me!"

"I told her, if you don't participate, I won't either."

Well, that's a betrayal!

Liuge looked at March 7th, utterly stunned.

That's the Simulated Universe, the place Aha himself goes to play, and it even glitches out sometimes.

You're sharing the hardship but enjoying the benefits all by yourself, aren't you?

"Herta: Stellaron said if you don't participate, she won't either."

At this moment, Herta's reply confirmed March 7th's words.

"Your Gege: Beg me!"

"Herta: Please!"

"Your Gege: ... I'll go take a look after I finish what I'm doing."

The helpless Liuge absolutely wasn't doing it for a one-to-one Herta puppet, absolutely not.

Suddenly, March 7th ran ahead of Liuge and Dan Heng, pointing into the distance.

"Liuge, Dan Heng. Do you see it?"

"See what?"

Liuge and Dan Heng exchanged a look, puzzled.

"A little girl with white hair just ran over there."

March 7th pointed to the location.

Hearing this, Seele looked in that direction, her brow furrowed slightly.

"That's the exit connecting to Rivet Town."

Listening to Seele, Liuge roughly understood the situation.

If he guessed correctly, it should be that child Clara looking for rescue supplies.

"Rivet Town?"

Lande Ya next to him frowned. The place name sounded a bit familiar, but she was sure she hadn't known about it when she was on the upper level.

"Hmph, of course, you upper-level people wouldn't know where that is."

Seele glanced at Lande Ya. Although her words expressed dissatisfaction, her eyes held a hint of disappointment when looking at Lande Ya.

But this hint of disappointment was quickly hidden.

"You..."

Lande Ya listened to Seele's words. Although she was angry, she was powerless to refute them.

"Rivet Town is where the people of the lower levels used to live. But ten years ago, due to the spread of the Rift and the proliferation of Rift creatures, it became an area where people could no longer live."

"There's also a road leading there next to Rivet Town, but passage has basically been forbidden."

Liuge, March 7th, and the others listened to Seele's words and nodded silently.

Then, Liuge pondered for a moment and looked at Seele.

"Seele, there should be an exit from the mines leading to the Mechanical Settlement, right?"

"Why?"

Seele was a little surprised why this newcomer was asking.

"I want to go there first to check the situation."

Liuge's words immediately drew opposition from March 7th.

Last time, something happened to their group because they split up. There was no guarantee that something wouldn't happen again this time if they split up.

"Why?"

Seele ignored March 7th's objection and just looked at Liuge.

Liuge was a bit surprised by this.

Didn't Seele in the story not excel at handling these communication matters? She basically just got things done.

Now she was digging into the details, was that a subtle change or not?

"Didn't there used to be a mechanical riot? I think the problem should be over there, so I went to check it out in advance."

"Okay!"

Seele nodded, then pointed towards an exit deeper in and opposite to Rivet Town.

"That's the exit to the Mechanical Settlement."

"Thanks!"

Liuge said thankfully and was about to head that way.

But just then, Dan Heng suddenly spoke.

"Wait, Liuge! I'll go with you."

"Okay!"

March 7th watched their receding figures from behind and didn't say anything else.

If it were just Liuge alone, she would indeed worry, but with Dan Heng added, nothing would go wrong.

"Alright, let's go too!"

"Okay!"

After splitting up, Liuge's group quickly arrived at the location of the Mechanical Settlement.

Under the vast white snowscape were simple tents, and outside the tents gathered wanderers.

When these people saw the two strangers, Liuge and Dan Heng, appear, their eyes were filled with wariness.