"So that's how it is..."
Himeko's tightly knitted brows slowly relaxed, and the sharpness faded from her beautiful eyes.
Lin Chen's explanation seemed perfectly reasonable.
For a moment, Himeko could find no reason to reproach him.
After spending this time together,
the wise and thoughtful Himeko had also come to believe that Lin Chen had lost nearly all his memories.
After all, he truly knew nothing about even the most basic facts of this world.
He had lost his entire past, along with all his dreams and goals.
Lin Chen's circumstances did seem rather pitiful.
Though Himeko couldn't truly share that feeling, she could understand it to some extent.
Right now, Lin Chen was just like March 7th when she had first awakened from the Six-Phased Ice.
Himeko still remembered.
For a long time at the beginning,
March 7th had been lost and bewildered.
What she did most often each day was simply gaze through the train's windows at the boundless sea of stars.
It seemed that girl had kept clinging to the hope
that she could find the planet she called home somewhere in that vast sea of stars.
Back then, Himeko had set aside time every day to keep March 7th company and encourage her.
Only after March 7th had fully become part of the Astral Express family had she grown into the sunny, cheerful girl she was today.
That's right... what he needs now is care from his family.
Perhaps I was just overthinking it. Lin Chen doesn't have any strange intentions...
Everything seemed to fit together logically.
Taking Lin Chen's earlier behavior into account, Himeko felt he wasn't lying.
Whether it was the way he had looked at her earlier or the hug now,
both were expressions of his attachment to her as his "big sister."
With most of her resistance gone, she decided to reciprocate Lin Chen's farewell.
Himeko reached out with her slender, delicate hands and rested them on Lin Chen's broad back.
Huh? That actually worked?
Looks like Himeko is even kinder than I imagined...
Feeling the warmth and softness of her embrace,
Lin Chen's heart fluttered, and he couldn't help feeling genuinely moved.
The Astral Express traveled among the stars, earning a reputation for justice and saving worlds.
That probably had something to do with the character of its navigator, Himeko.
Of course, Himeko's charm was simply off the charts.
So much so that, as they hugged, Lin Chen rather wished time would pass a little more slowly.
[Ding! The host has formed an initial bond with Himeko, a key character in the world of Honkai: Star Rail.] [Opportunity reward package opened.] [Talent: Basic Mental Resistance has been integrated into the host's body.] [Special achievement "You're Such a Scoundrel" successfully unlocked.] [Portable Containment Device ×1 has been delivered to the host's inventory!]
A moment later, the system's cold, mechanical voice rang out.
The anxious Lin Chen finally felt a weight lift from his heart.
If even throwing away his dignity couldn't get him a reward from the system, he really would have wanted to cry.
After all, if he had messed this up,
not only would Himeko have scolded him, but he might even have ended up on the Astral Express's blacklist.
You're Such a Scoundrel? What the fuck kind of achievement is that?
Whatever. For the sake of the rewards, I won't hold it against you, system.
System! Show me the rewards I just received!
With a thought, the relevant information appeared on the virtual screen in Lin Chen's mind.
[Talent: Basic Mental Resistance.] [Effect: Resists mild mental contamination and preserves the host's basic rationality in environments affected by uncanny disasters.] [Item: Portable Containment Device.] [Function: Restrains and contains the source of The Uncanny itself.] [Targets that meet the threshold criteria can undergo field disintegration to yield mysterious rewards.]
Oh? These things... seem pretty specifically targeted.
The Uncanny, huh? In that case... this world really is dangerous.
After reading the details of the rewards, Lin Chen began to understand
what sort of existence the system had meant when it mentioned indescribable, terrifying threats.
Uncanny, twisted heretical creations
could rob people of their sanity and drive them mad, ultimately leading to death and grotesque transformation.
Such things were often far more terrifying than ordinary monsters.
Because many entities that could be called "anomalies"
were undying, indestructible beings.
At that moment, Lin Chen felt rather relieved
that he had sought out Himeko to build up some influence before leaving the Astral Express.
Otherwise, once he reached Herta Space Station, he might have died without even knowing what killed him.
Across the distant, vast, dark heavens,
the stars wove a glittering ocean of silver light.
Beside the Astral Express's enormous window, Himeko and Lin Chen held each other quietly.
Her closed, beautiful eyes resembled crescent moons in the sky.
A faint rosy blush seemed to rise across Himeko's exquisite face.
Although it was merely a farewell hug between a big sister and her little brother,
the situation still posed a difficult challenge for Himeko, who was innocent at heart.
Tap, tap, tap...
As hurried footsteps drew closer,
a beautiful girl with short pink hair gingerly pushed open the door to the rear carriage.
"Where did that idiot Lin Chen run off to...?"
"Himeko clearly said I was supposed to escort him to Herta Space Station today..."
Her cheeks puffed out, and a hint of complaint crossed her pretty face.
March 7th's somewhat unfocused gaze wandered around the dimly lit carriage.
"Did he hide on purpose because he's mad at me?"
"He's a guy, after all. He shouldn't be that fragile..."
Muttering to herself, March 7th found no sign of Lin Chen.
She continued down the corridor toward the back of the carriage.
This rear carriage of the Astral Express rarely saw any visitors.
To keep the train's lounge neat and uncluttered,
Himeko had stored a great many supplies and collectibles in this rear carriage.
Over time, what had once been a perfectly good carriage had become a full-fledged storage room.
"Not here, not there either..."
"Wait! Those two are..."
At last, as the pretty March 7th looked around,
she spotted two people hugging tightly in a corner of the storage carriage.
The pupils in her clear pink-and-blue eyes abruptly contracted.
March 7th froze on the spot.
Her pretty face was filled with shock and disbelief.
What on earth was going on?
Were Himeko and Lin Chen secretly... having a date here?
Himeko, who claimed she wasn't interested in romance,
actually liked guys like Lin Chen in private?
It really did seem ridiculous.
But it was actually happening right in front of her!
After standing stunned for a moment, March 7th acted on impulse.
Click! Click!
She picked up the compact camera hanging against her chest and snapped a photo catching Himeko and Lin Chen together.
As someone who dared to act on her ideas,
March 7th always charged ahead without giving much thought to the consequences.
Of course, now that she had secretly photographed Himeko's secret, she had to put it to good use.
Himeko held a firm grip on the Astral Express's finances.
The Credits March 7th received each month were pitifully few.
With this leverage in her hands,
March 7th felt she would soon be rich!
Before you continue