Mihoyo Inventory Chapter 1: The Dream Begins
"Ugh, another day, another lecture from that damned boss. My paycheck's been docked so hard I'm down to my last three thousand dollars!" A young man trudged down the street, sighing as he stared at the dwindling balance on his phone.
'Listen, kid, you're three months behind on rent. Pay up now!' Just as he was lamenting his financial woes, a notification popped up. Seeing the message, the young man felt a wave of helplessness wash over him.
'Honestly, I've told you so many times—if you'd just give in to me, you wouldn't have to worry about food or clothes ever again. I'm giving you one last chance, sweetie!' He stared at the follow-up text and recalled his landlady's five-hundred-pound frame. A wave of nausea hit him instantly.
"Hey! Watch out!" A sudden shout snapped him back to reality. He spun around just in time to see a massive freight truck barreling straight toward him.
In the next heartbeat, the young man was sent flying dozens of meters. Blood stained the asphalt a gruesome crimson.
"Another one down. Hmm, just two more and I'll hit my quota for the month!" After confirming the youth was dead, a middle-aged man stepped out of the truck. He pulled out a notebook, checked off a name with a satisfied grin, and spoke to himself.
…
Countless aeons passed within the vast expanse of the Honkai: Star Rail universe.
"It's been over five hundred thousand years since I arrived… Gods, I'm bored." In a lavishly appointed suite, a handsome, elegant man sat on a velvet sofa, swirling a glass of red wine with a look of utter exhaustion.
This was our protagonist, Xuan Yong. Half a million years ago, he had been struck down by the legendary "Truck-kun" and reincarnated into this universe. He had ascended as the Aeon of Destiny, possessing unfathomable power. Initially, he had intended to seek out the Astral Express, only to discover through his inquiries that no such faction existed. Even the Swarm Disaster had only concluded a few hundred thousand years prior. In other words, he was half a million years early for the birth of Caelus or Stelle. Upon realizing this, Xuan Yong had spent nearly a hundred thousand years drifting aimlessly through the cosmos in a daze.
Eventually, he pulled himself together. To gauge the true extent of his power, he sought out Qlipoth, the Aeon of Preservation, and engaged him in a titanic struggle. The battle ended with Xuan Yong, the Aeon of Destiny, emerging victorious. Only then did he understand his own standing.
[ As the saying goes: Time is supreme, Space is king; but when Destiny appears, even Gods must bow. ]
Following his battle with Qlipoth, Xuan Yong found a quiet planet and settled down to wait for the passage of time. Throughout those long millennia, numerous Aeons were born. It wasn't until five hundred years ago, when the youngest Aeon—Nanook the Destruction—ascended, that Xuan Yong's interest was finally piqued. He remembered from his previous life that the Aeon of Destruction was supposedly only five hundred years old.
Now that those five hundred years had passed, it meant the Stellaron Hunters, Kafka and Silver Wolf, were likely infiltrating Herta Space Station. The story was finally beginning.
With a faint smirk, Xuan Yong stood up. With a casual wave of his hand, he vanished from the planet, warping toward Herta Space Station at staggering speed.
…
Meanwhile, aboard Herta Space Station.
A beautiful woman with violet hair and an air of effortless elegance was miming a violin performance.
Not far away, several monstrous, inhuman creatures shattered the reinforced glass and swarmed into the station. Panic erupted as the staff began to flee for their lives.
Countless monsters of the Antimatter Legion began attacking the researchers and security guards. Pathstriders, wielding the power of the Paths, stepped forward to engage the invaders in a desperate struggle.
"It seems I've arrived at an inconvenient time," the violet-haired woman remarked with a smile, ignoring the blaring alarms echoing through the halls.
"No, we're right on schedule," a voice replied. A holographic screen flickered to life in front of her, projecting the voice of a young girl.
"System time 23:44:59. The pulse from the explosion has caused widespread paralysis of the main control system," the screen reported.
"Was that your doing?" the woman asked calmly.
"It was the Antimatter Legion. They breached the station two system hours ago," the voice on the screen replied with clinical indifference.
"Oh? And do we need to engage the Legion?" Kafka tilted her head, her smile never wavering.
"Unknown. Elio didn't say, so it's likely not important," the voice replied dismissively.
"Understood. Then I'll take it from here," Kafka said, her tone light.
"Acknowledged. I'm uploading the target coordinates to you now." A set of coordinates flashed onto the screen.
Kafka nodded, turned on her heel, and set off toward her destination.
Shortly before reaching the objective, a petite girl appeared before her.
"Hi, Silver Wolf. Fancy meeting you here," Kafka greeted the girl with a smile.
"You're on time, Kafka," Silver Wolf replied flatly. She gestured toward the massive vault door behind her. "What we're looking for is inside."
The two entered the chamber. In the center of the room, a glowing object was suspended within a sophisticated containment field.
"So, what's the plan now?" Kafka looked at the protected Stellaron, then turned her gaze toward Silver Wolf.
"Fine, fine. Leave it to me," Silver Wolf muttered. She summoned several holographic interfaces and began rapidly decrypting the security protocols.
Moments later, the containment field flickered and died, exposing the glowing core to the open air.
"To think we've hunted so many Stellarons, yet this is the first time we're actually giving one away," Kafka remarked, finding the situation amusing.
"Alright, time to choose." Silver Wolf tapped a few commands, and two physical vessels—one male, one female—materialized before Kafka.
"Which one should I pick?" Kafka fell into a brief silence, studying the two forms.
"I don't know. But Elio said only you could make the right choice." Silver Wolf clearly had no interest in the matter.
"Since neither of you can decide, why don't I choose for you?"
A sudden, teasing voice rang out beside their ears.
"Who's there?" Kafka and Silver Wolf spun around instantly, weapons at the ready.
…