Star Rail, First Single Draw Acheron

"Didn't your mom give it to you?"

"Then it's half for me and half for my mom."

Caelus changed his tune as he spoke. He actually still held some resentment towards Kafka for leaving right after giving birth to him. If Acheron hadn't protected him when he was being hunted by the Anti-Matter Legion, he would have turned to dust by now. So, his words were entirely justified.

Acheron smiled slightly upon hearing Caelus's expressed attitude. She leaned back on the sofa and closed her eyes. Seeing that she was about to sleep, Caelus took out his phone and started chatting with Silver Wolf.

Chapter 23: Full Tank Gear, Take All the Damage

Galaxy's Handsome Boy: Auntie, I was just dragged out to see octopus reproduction. Continuing to play.

Silver Wolf: ( )

Galaxy's Handsome Boy: Emoticons are so cute.

Silver Wolf: I can't even be bothered to roast you. Get online, get online.

Caelus opened that hunting game again. After teaming up with Silver Wolf, they played with such ferocity that they almost crippled the server. Silver Wolf also exclaimed how exhilarating it was while playing. Samo, as the third person in their party, always played along with the two of them. Just like before, she only communicated through preset voice lines and cute girl emoji packs. This made Caelus feel that this guy was perfect in every way, except for being a bit effeminate.

"Caelus, why are you spacing out at your phone again? It's time for dinner."

March 7th's voice pulled Caelus back from the game world. However, this time he logged off voluntarily. Silver Wolf had gone to carry out some mission, and he felt that anyone he played with alone was a noob.

"So soon? I was playing a game inside."

Caelus felt that hardly any time had passed, but March 7th wouldn't lie. So, he also shared his experience of playing games on his phone.

"I've only heard of games like this, I've never played one myself. Don't you need a helmet for it? You can play it on your phone?"

March 7th said with great interest upon hearing that Caelus had personally entered the game world to play. Her own entertainment consisted of reading books and listening to music; she didn't have much contact with games.

"This is all thanks to my invincible auntie. There's nothing she can't do," Caelus said proudly.

"What, you've contacted those two thieves?"

March 7th was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, her expression gradually turning to surprise. She only knew that two thieves had stolen from Herta's Space Station. Although the stolen Stellaron was still there, it wasn't in its original form. Therefore, those two should still be criminals. She never expected them to be secretly in contact. How bold could they be?

"They're not thieves," Caelus corrected.

"Alright, alright. Keep this to yourself. I won't sell you out, and I won't help you either."

March 7th waved her hand. She didn't want to get involved in these strange conspiracies. She just wanted to be a cute, pretty girl. Getting involved with too many conspiracies would tarnish her.

"Little March, you're so nice."

"You know I'm nice, yet you still make me angry. You bad guy."

March 7th shot Caelus a glare. Of course, she was nice. It was just this heartless guy in front of her who didn't consider her kindness in finding him at all. Every time something happened, she was the first one he'd tease.

"Acheron, let's go, food's ready."

As Caelus got up, he took Acheron's hand and pulled her along. She was still leaning back on the sofa with her head tilted back, sleeping like a middle-aged uncle. Drowsily, she was pulled by Caelus to the observation carriage.

In the center of the observation carriage, a rectangular dining table had appeared. There were just the right number of chairs around the table, and plates of delicious food were emitting heat. It didn't feel like home-cooked meals; it was entirely like dining in a grand hotel. Caelus couldn't help but marvel at the conditions on the train again, feeling that he hadn't come here in vain.

"The environment is really nice, with good food and wine. And you can watch octopus reproduction outside the window."

After finding a seat, Caelus picked up a glass of orange juice and swirled it. His tone was like that of a playboy who frequented high-class establishments, appearing very proud.

"You're not going to let this topic go, are you!"

Just as March 7th was about to pick up her cutlery, her expression froze upon hearing Caelus's words. She instantly felt that all her appetite had been ruined. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She quickly got up from her chair, came behind Caelus, and applied a chokehold, simultaneously moving him away from Himeko. He had only been on the train for less than a day and was already daring to take liberties like this. She couldn't imagine what he would do next.

"Help, help, actually, never mind, don't help."

Although Caelus had the ability to break free from March 7th's chokehold, he decided against it after some thought. He hadn't realized that March 7th was the type who looked thin in her clothes but was actually quite well-endowed. The feeling of her pressing against his back also made him feel pleased.

"What?"

March 7th was a little confused by Caelus's half-hearted plea for help. She looked down at herself, and her cheeks instantly turned red. In her embarrassment and anger, she pressed her hands on his head and twisted it forcefully to the side. A crisp sound of bones shifting was heard, and Caelus's forward view turned to the side of his body.

As March 7th let go, Caelus slowly collapsed onto the carpet. Pom-Pom walked over and poked him with its hand. Caelus immediately raised his hand and batted away Pom-Pom's round palm. He still wanted to savor the lingering soft memory against his back for a while longer.

"It's fine, everyone, please continue eating," Pom-Pom said.

"A body that can bear a Stellaron, how could it be weak?"

Dan Heng offered his assessment. March 7th, on the other hand, let out an indignant snort. No wonder Caelus was always dancing on the edge of death; it turned out he had gotten tank gear. Now he could truly take the harshest blows.

A moment later, Caelus was fully revived and returned to the dining table. After devouring the delicious food, he went back to his room. When people are idle, their minds tend to wander. He took out his phone and checked the chat application, only to find that no one was chatting with him.

Galaxy's Handsome Boy: Asta, are you there?

After waiting for a while, the chat application remained silent. Caelus scratched his head. He wanted to send more messages, but then he remembered that Asta was a very busy person and didn't seem to have much time for chats. He could only put his phone down and wander around his room.

Caelus soon found the train's living manual in his room. After flipping through it for a while, he found the location of the public bathhouse, which piqued his interest. Following the navigation route in the manual, he successfully found the bathhouse in the next carriage forward.

Caelus had always been curious about how the train managed to have the space to build a public bathhouse. Upon entering the men's bathhouse, he discovered that it utilized space compression technology. Although it seemed absurd, he remembered March 7th mentioning that this was the former vehicle of the Aeon of Trailblaze. That made sense. Aeons did things that ordinary people couldn't, and that was perfectly reasonable.

PS: Please collect, recommend, and vote for monthly tickets.

Chapter 24: The Hunter Becomes the Hunted

After coming out of the bathhouse, Caelus swaggered towards the carriages behind. On the way, he found a pantry in the carriage where he was staying. It had all sorts of drinks. He casually made himself a cup of green tea and, like a lord, swaggered back to his room.

Caelus placed the teacup on the nightstand and stretched lazily. He was naturally tired after a day of battle. Resting now was also Pom-Pom's suggestion. Although the train's warp jump seemed effortless, it did have a certain impact on the body. Moreover, having gone through the Space Station defense battle, it was only natural to rest well before embarking on the Trailblaze to Jarilo-VI.

"It's time for this baby to sleep."

Caelus said cheerfully. Just as his voice fell, the quilt in front of him suddenly moved, scaring him half to death.

"Holy crap, my quilt moved, I'm not sleeping!"

Although Caelus said this, he still threw aside the quilt. The scene on the bed could be described as graceful and alluring. Acheron was lying on his bed, her legs bent like a shrimp, looking at Caelus with bright eyes.

Acheron's clothes had clearly been changed. She was now wearing a loose white shirt, her good figure hidden by the large garment, making her seem somewhat ordinary. However, her long legs, left uncovered below, exuded a tempting aura. The situation suggested the classic lazy attire of a shirt and underwear.

"What are you doing in my room?"

Acheron's opening line was as calm as ever. Caelus's mind was filled with a big question mark. This was the question he should have been asking. What was he supposed to say to Acheron's question?

"Is it possible that this is still my room?" Caelus corrected her.

"Is that so? Perhaps because the decorations are the same, I got lost again."

Acheron nodded, not arguing with Caelus. Her personality was such that she was indifferent. No matter what Caelus said, she wouldn't refute him. She was prepared to see for herself whether she had entered the wrong room.

"Wait, since you're already here, don't leave. It's perfect timing, I'll make myself a cuddle pillow."

Seeing Acheron about to get up and leave, Caelus reached out to stop her. He didn't have any particular reason; he just felt that Acheron was suitable for sleeping with.

"Why?" Acheron asked, confused.

"I want to experience what it's like to have a woman sleeping next to me in advance, to accumulate experience for the future."

Caelus made up an excuse on the spot. In reality, he was just talking nonsense and didn't expect to convince Acheron.

"Okay."

Acheron thought for a moment and then lay back down. Caelus thought, This actually works? You can trick a girl like this? I owe an apology to all those seniors who died on the path of pursuing girls.

"No, Acheron, how can you be so easily tricked? You need to protect yourself when you're out alone."

Caelus wagged a finger at Acheron, admonishing her. Although he was the one benefiting, what Caelus needed to do now was to block others from taking advantage. Burning bridges after crossing them was a normal selfish thought.

"Are you saying someone would have ill intentions towards me?"

Acheron looked at Caelus with some doubt, even pulling her white shirt down slightly. It wasn't that she didn't understand matters between men and women, but she didn't think anyone would be interested in her, or rather, no one dared to think it.

"That's not what I mean. While you are very charming, even if someone without ill intentions invites you to sleep with them, you should still refuse. This is a form of self-protection."

Caelus continued to offer his opinion. Of course, one shouldn't sleep with Acheron if they had malicious intent. But could one sleep with her if they didn't? Of course not. Caelus knew that some people, relying on their protagonist-like looks, always did excessive things to girls. He wanted to prevent such things from happening to Acheron.

"Didn't you ask me to?"

"I asked you to give."

"I'm just a bit curious. We only met today, why are you so concerned about my safety?"

Acheron felt that what Caelus said made a lot of sense. She was indeed not very good at refusing his requests, and she would probably change that in the future. However, it wasn't that she couldn't refuse everyone's requests. It was precisely because of Caelus's uniqueness that she seemed so easy to talk to. As for the reason, the initial reason was probably that Caelus had pulled out that black sword.

"Because you saved me. Don't look at me being useless now. Even if I become the Emperor of the Universe in the future, I will always remember your life-saving grace. I will treat you well for the rest of my life."

Caelus said very seriously. This was a kindness that was worth remembering for a lifetime. Of course, he would treat Acheron well. In Acheron's eyes, this was a trivial matter, but he didn't think so.

"Mhm, I believe you."

Acheron nodded. She always took Caelus's words to heart. She had a gut feeling that he wouldn't lie to her.

"You've been wandering alone for so long, haven't any scoundrels taken liberties with you? Even if there was just one, you should be vigilant, right?"

Caelus asked curiously. He didn't believe that such a beautiful woman like Acheron would not be coveted by anyone, unless all the males in the galaxy had died.

"It seems there have been, once. I fell asleep on a small asteroid and ran into a group of pirate robbers."

Acheron tried hard to recall, finally finding some insignificant fragments from the corners of her memory.

"Mhm, mhm, and then?"

Caelus said as he lifted the quilt, preparing to settle into the warm bedding. Acheron had even warmed the bed for him, which was truly a touching thing.

"When I woke up, they were all dead. You know I'm quite forgetful, I have no memory of what I did while I was asleep."

Acheron's words made Caelus's backside clench. He flashed a polite yet awkward smile and slowly moved his body, wanting to get off the bed.

"Men and women should not touch each other. I'll sleep on the sofa. No, I'll sleep in the corridor. No, no, I'll sleep with March 7th. Her shield can give me some sense of security."

"Since you're already here, don't leave."

Acheron pressed on Caelus's shoulder with a single finger. Instantly, he was leaning on the bed, unable to move. This woman's strength was terrifyingly great. Caelus realized he was the one being taken advantage of.

"Using my own words against me! What a despicable tactic. I never expected the best hunter to appear in the form of prey. Mom, I'm going to be defiled."

A tear rolled down Caelus's eye. Acheron lowered her head and leaned against his chest, carefully listening to the heartbeat within his chest. She wanted to know if it was her heart beating or the Stellaron.

Caelus found that Acheron smelled nice and felt soft after her bath. If this continued, his little Stellaron would start to move. To avoid embarrassment, he decided to make a loud noise to cover it up.

"Hmph hmph hmph aaaaahhhhhh!"

Hearing Caelus's strange cry, Acheron thought she had hurt him. She moved away, lying on the same bed as him with some distance between them.

After shouting, Caelus felt at ease and went to sleep. However, he felt that his relationship with Acheron was not just like this, but more intimate than he had imagined. So, before falling asleep, he reached out and held Acheron's hand. She did not refuse this contact and accepted it peacefully.

Chapter 25: Is It Not Allowed to Want Peaches?

The next day

Caelus was woken up by Pom-Pom's broadcast. He didn't clearly hear what was said, but the general idea seemed to be that the train crew's time difference had been adjusted to match that of the residents of Jarilo-VI during their rest. Now it was time for them to wake up.

Caelus sat up in bed, mid-yawn, when a hand landed on his shoulder. He turned to see Acheron's indifferent gaze.

"Who are you?"

Acheron asked calmly, but Caelus's hair stood on end. He stumbled backward until his back hit the observation window.

"Acheron, don't scare me like that. You haven't forgotten me, have you?"

Caelus felt like his life might end here. Acheron had mentioned she suffered from memory loss. So, the question was, if a beauty woke up to find a man had slept with her, would she believe he hadn't done anything? She'd probably cut him into dozens of pieces before asking, given her history of killing in her dreams.

"Oh, it's you. I haven't forgotten."

Acheron's gaze gradually cleared, as if she'd been groggy from sleep. Caelus felt his emotions had been on a rollercoaster since morning. He grumbled inwardly, thinking this life was unbearable. If every morning started like this, he'd be scared to death by Acheron before he could become the emperor of the universe.

"Get up. Don't do that next time."

Caelus secretly resolved not to sleep with Acheron anymore, no matter how beautiful she was. He was a man of principles. Starting today, he was abstaining from lust—no, abstaining from Acheron for the first day.

"Wait a moment, I've remembered some things. You know my name, right?"

Acheron's hand remained on Caelus's shoulder. She moved closer, asking in a voice that was barely a breath away from his.

"I..."

Caelus was about to say Acheron's name was just Acheron. But as he recalled, their relationship was indeed complicated. Perhaps he'd caught her amnesia, but now he remembered.

"Raiden Mei."

Caelus gently removed Acheron's hand from his shoulder, then held it in his own, saying with great seriousness.

Acheron didn't say much. She was merely confirming if she had memory loss. Even though their relationship had subtly shifted, she remained rational. Their connection was as close as lovers, and there was nothing that needed particular attention.

The two washed up in the bathroom. When Caelus entered, Acheron had already changed, and vice versa. Afterward, they left the room together. As they stepped out, Caelus felt something was off. If he remembered correctly, his room was the first one in the carriage, closest to the door. But where they were now seemed to be the second room.

Acheron looked up at the room number above the door. It clearly read '6', not '9'. Caelus's room number was '5'.

A drop of cold sweat trickled down Caelus's forehead. His mind felt like it was being trampled by tens of thousands of Peppys. He had gone into the wrong room! It wasn't Acheron who was mistaken, but himself. Who could he even complain to? Would she listen to his explanation? This looked exactly like a scoundrel deceiving an innocent girl, trying to sleep with her.

"Let's go."