Star Rail: Starting with a Lyre, Living off Busking [110]
"Direct the evacuation! Move quickly!"
The pink-haired station administrator, Asta, issued commands with a calm decisiveness that stood in stark contrast to her usual cheerful demeanor.
Carrying out her orders was a white-haired boy with violet eyes. His swift response spurred the stunned Defense Department staff into action.
"Hurry! Get moving!"
The boy, named Arlan, raised his massive sword to block a Voidranger's bladed arm, shouting over his shoulder to the petrified researchers.
He refocused on the enemy before him—a being radiating raw, destructive instinct, pressing against him with relentless force.
These Voidrangers, forged in the crucible of war, were former soldiers reborn through the power of antimatter. While antimatter supplemented their ruined forms and resonated within their bodies, it also stripped away their humanity, leaving them as mindless agents of destruction with overwhelming aggression.
Although mere foot soldiers of the Antimatter Legion, each Voidranger required multiple defenders to fend off.
If left unchecked, they would plunge the station into disarray, forcing the cessation of all research activities.
This couldn't be allowed to happen.
Arlan gritted his teeth, pouring all his strength into suppressing the Voidranger before him. Streaks of lightning coursed along his greatsword as he readied a strike.
"If it's destruction you seek, I'll grant it to you!"
---
While Arlan clashed with the overwhelming horde, Kafka, whose imaginary performance had been interrupted by the explosion, finally opened her eyes.
Her gaze was unsettling—devoid of pupils, revealing no hint of her thoughts, only a faint sense of unease.
To the empty air around her, she murmured, "Seems I've arrived at an inconvenient time."
"No, I think your timing is perfect."
A soft, almost childlike voice chimed in through the elevator's intercom.
"System time: 23:47:15. You're right on schedule, Kafka."
"Ellio's foresight is never wrong. What about that explosion? Was that in his 'script' as well?"
Kafka tilted her head slightly, her tone curious but unconcerned.
The voice responded playfully.
"Of course. 'System time: 23:44:59. A pulse explosion caused widespread system failure.'"
"You did that?"
"The 'Antimatter Legion' did. They launched a full-scale invasion of the station two system hours ago."
"Will we have to deal with the Legion ourselves?"
Kafka's indifference suggested that encountering unplanned enemies was a trivial matter.
Ellio's foresight wouldn't be swayed by insignificant variables, and Kafka had full faith in the script's inevitability.
The voice responded nonchalantly.
"Who knows? Ellio didn't mention it, so it's probably not important."
"Understood~ From now on, I'll take over the operation."
Kafka's lips curved into a soft yet dangerous smile.
Her companion, Silver Wolf, who had been following the script with detached obedience, perked up.
"Got it. Can I have a little fun this time? The last few missions were so dull."
"Sorry, today's task is quite mundane—just 'putting the target in.' But—" Kafka's voice lingered as her gaze settled in the distance.
"—if you're looking for amusement, I won't stop you. After all, our adorable little bard has arrived. Though it's not time to face him directly, leaving him a little gift wouldn't hurt."
"Is this some sort of mother-in-law's test for her future son-in-law?"
"Your phrasing could be a bit kinder," Kafka said, her gentle smile carrying a hint of menace.
Silver Wolf scoffed lightly but refrained from pushing further.
---
When the elevator doors opened, the floor was littered with sheets of paper scrawled with equations—precious research notes abandoned in haste.
Kafka stepped over them without a glance, heading straight toward her destination. The portraits of Herta lining the walls seemed to watch her every step.
As she entered deeper into the station, Voidrangers dropped from the ceiling, poised to shred her to pieces and savor their destructive instincts.
Yet in the blink of an eye, Kafka was already at the next doorway, untouched.
The Voidrangers, devoid of intelligence, couldn't comprehend what had occurred. It was as if they held live grenades, their pins already pulled.
With a soft puff of her lips mimicking an explosion, the creatures were engulfed in a fiery blast. Their reconstructed forms were obliterated beyond repair.
As the smoke cleared, Kafka remarked idly, "Since when did the Antimatter Legion get this weak?"
"I could only lure so many. You wouldn't want the station to attract their main forces, would you?"
"Still, these grunts won't keep the Astral Express crew occupied for long, let alone our little bard."
"Relax. There's also a Doomsday Beast here. Besides, knowing him, he'll probably play the harmless bystander until the end."
Both women were well aware of his true strength, but dealing with him would require someone of Aeon-level caliber. Anything more would risk throwing Ellio's script into chaos, something the Stellaron Hunters were unwilling to gamble on.
---
Reaching a chamber adorned with portraits of Herta's Genius Society members, Kafka paused in front of a particular robot's image.
"Hey~ Silver Wolf, look, it's Screwllum—your old rival!"
"Tch… I've told you before, I didn't know it was him back then…"
Silver Wolf's voice carried a rare trace of frustration.
She had entertained the thought of hacking the station to alter Screwllum's portrait as payback. Yet, in the end, she reverted her changes, deeming the act too petty.
Oblivious to her companion's musings, Kafka continued teasing.
"That encounter caught Ellio's attention: someone in the cosmos who could crack Screwllum's code! First Screwllum, now Herta… You've certainly made a name for yourself among geniuses in record time. Destiny at work, no?"
"Yeah, sure. I guess I'm just a 'slave to fate.'"
Her sarcastic tone barely masked her lingering annoyance at her past losses.
In another room, a stray Voidranger prepared to attack Kafka from behind.
Before it could strike, a cascade of virtual keystrokes echoed. A stream of data engulfed the creature, erasing it from existence.
As the data dissipated, a swivel chair turned to reveal a silver-haired hacker, no taller than the seat's backrest.
Silver Wolf, seated casually with a lollipop in her mouth, glanced at a catalog of curiosities in her hand.
Resting her cheek on one hand, she remarked lazily, "Cleaning up after others isn't in my job description. Don't you agree, Kafka?"
"Alright, alright. Where'd you drop it, Silver Wolf?"
"Oh, just some random coordinates. Could be outside the station, above a toilet, or, who knows, maybe even on that bard's head."
Her lips curled into a sly grin as she looked at Kafka, waiting for a reaction.
Kafka's expression remained serene, her tone soft yet tinged with amusement.
"Not concerned~ It's just that every time I watch you, I can't help but marvel at your brilliance."
Silver Wolf, unimpressed, dismissed the compliment with a shrug.
"Just some basic reality hacking. Nothing to brag about."
Sensing her companion's deflated mood, Kafka leaned in with a playful smirk, her tone shifting to one of genuine curiosity.
"What's caught your attention this time? Let me take a look too."
Silver Wolf casually handed Kafka the catalog of curiosities stored in the station. A quick glance at its complex classifications and long list of items was enough to sap Kafka's interest.
"So, anything intriguing?" she asked.
"There's a gun that rates whatever it targets, from 0 to 100."
"...How is that interesting?"
"Aren't you curious how you'd score? I sure am."
A lie. Silver Wolf had already used the gun to measure her own score.
She'd hit an astounding 110 points—an impossible result for a gun with a 100-point maximum. But, of course, she knew that extra 10 points were a bonus for her unparalleled hacking skills.
Aware of her companion's games, Kafka simply smiled gently and changed the subject with ease.
"Alright, if we pass by it, let's give it a try~ Where's our next target?"
"Through the hallway behind the left door. There's a room with a certain 'curiosity' inside."
"The Stellaron's there?"
"It'll tell us where the Stellaron is."
Silver Wolf hopped off her chair and glanced toward the hallway. The data she had pulled from the station's systems was enough to pinpoint the item's general location.
But before proceeding—
"The area up ahead leads to the station's core. Expect a lot of Voidrangers."
"Fine by me."
The young hacker sighed dramatically, visibly bored by the predictable dialogue exchange.
---
Following the route, the scene played out like an old-school adventure game: no valuable treasure would go unguarded.
"Hold up. Something's ahead," Kafka warned, her sharp instincts kicking in.
Silver Wolf's face fell, her voice dripping with disinterest.
"Yep. Looks like we're the ones being ambushed."
"Too bad for them—they're the ones surrounded."
Another fight. One so trivial it couldn't even qualify as proper "grinding."
Kafka surveyed the area. It was completely evacuated—whoever had been here before had followed orders to the letter, abandoning their workstations without hesitation.
"Were the instructions from Herta herself?"
Silver Wolf checked the access logs, her tone betraying skepticism.
"That woman hasn't logged in directly since the chaos caused by our little bard. The furthest record dates back to half a year ago. This time's no different. The pulse explosion only disrupted her control over her puppet network slightly…"
Even Silver Wolf found the idea unconvincing. A Genius Society member like Herta wouldn't struggle with remote logins.
More likely, Ellio's script dictated that the Stellaron Hunters wouldn't directly encounter her—and for reasons unknown, Herta chose not to monitor the situation.
"Well, where's the Stellaron?"
"Ellio's script doesn't specify its exact location. Ugh—this might be the second most absurd thing I've dealt with this year."
"I'd ask what the first is, but we have a job to focus on. Try to stay professional."
"Alright, alright. For the record, the data indicates we're not supposed to locate the Stellaron through physical means."
Silver Wolf straightened her posture, reciting her findings with exaggerated formality.
Kafka raised an eyebrow, amused.
"What's with this convoluted explanation? Taking something simple and making it unnecessarily complex defeats the purpose of language, doesn't it?"
"Ah, but don't you know? These days, the more arcane and pretentious the lore, the more prestigious it feels. Plain language? That's beginner-tier storytelling!"
Silver Wolf chuckled, though she added under her breath, "Should I delete that last bit?"
Kafka smirked but said nothing, letting the comment hang in the air.
Finally, Silver Wolf turned to the terminal in the room, her playful demeanor giving way to focused precision.
"This station's full of bizarre artifacts. It wouldn't be surprising if one of them is hiding another."
"Using a 'curiosity' to obscure another 'curiosity'? That does sound like something Herta would do. After all that catalog-flipping, you must have some leads, right?"
Feigning ignorance, Kafka shrugged, prompting Silver Wolf to pick up the thread seamlessly.
"All the clues are here. Now, we just need a little finesse."
"Oh?"
"You know the drill—secret rooms where the solution is conveniently nearby. It's like leaving a key under the doormat or jotting down your password in a phone memo."
"Ha. Very poetic."
With a grin, Silver Wolf accessed the only terminal unaffected by the system's disruptions. Her methods were straightforward and, some might argue, brutally efficient.
"Not everyone enjoys wasting time on puzzles, you know."
"Fair enough. What've you found?"
Silver Wolf read aloud the item's description.
"Curiosity #211: 'Perception Blindspot.' A simple optical deflection field that makes things less noticeable. Of course, once everything else is out of sight, it stands out."
"Herta used such a basic trick to hide her treasures?"
"The simplest methods are often the hardest to detect. Isn't that our mantra? Besides, I doubt she considers this item a 'treasure.'"
Silver Wolf sounded almost disappointed by the lack of challenge. But with time running short, she had no choice but to press on.
Kafka activated the terminal, revealing a shimmering light screen that seemed to connect to another space.
The display reminded her of something Silver Wolf had said earlier.
"Another bizarre contraption," Kafka mused.
"According to the data, it's a basic holographic projection. Though it's got some extra layers… Hmm, I can only confirm it's not Diagon Alley on the other side."
"Then let's step through. Don't worry—we won't die here."
"Exactly. I'd hate to replay this sequence again. You know how tedious unskippable dialogue can be?"
Through the light screen, a new space awaited.
"Well, this is an interesting setup. The work of a Genius Society member, no doubt."
"There's the Stellaron. Let's finish this—quickly. Someone's already on their way here."
Under Silver Wolf's guidance, Kafka extracted the Stellaron.
"And the vessel?"
"Prepared in advance. The choice is yours."
"Ellio said this decision would change everything…"
"He also said you're the only one who can make it."
With that, Kafka activated the vessel and prepared to give it a name.
"What should we call her?"
"Hmm… 'Stelle.'"
"Straightforward. At least that username isn't taken."
"How much will she remember?"
Before embedding the Stellaron, Kafka asked softly.
"At the very least, she'll remember you."
"I see…"
For the first time, Kafka's expression grew complicated. She wasn't sure what to call the emotion brewing within her.
But one thing was certain: her actions would bring a new life into the world—a life bound to a script someone else had written.
Would this life rebel or follow the script?
That, she decided, would be up to her.
The Stellaron merged with the vessel, its radiant energy flowing into the girl's body.
Amid the haze of her awakening consciousness, a voice gently called out:
"It's time to wake up."
---
T/N: SON IN LAW?????????? WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA and Kafka didn't pick the gender yet that means... NOOOOOOOO MY YAOI
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