Star Rail: Starting with a Lyre, Living off Busking

"Wow! So this is the Xianzhou? It looks even bigger than Snail-III!"

March 7 widened her eyes in awe.

The massive ship before them truly lived up to the name "Xianzhou." Its sheer size dwarfed even the planets the Trailblazers had visited before.

"To the people of the Xianzhou, this ship is their 'planet.'"

Seemingly caught up in the sight, Dan Heng reached out to touch the glass of the observation cabin, as if comparing the view with his memories.

"The ground is often seen as the cradle of civilization, essential for survival and growth. However, some civilizations can outgrow their cradle, commanding starships to roam the void... The Xianzhou Alliance is one such example."

"When you talked about it before, I couldn't quite picture it. But seeing it now, it really is magnificent," added Stelle.

"…Yeah. Even though I've seen it a few times, I can never forget this place."

Dan Heng pulled his hand back, his tone carrying a trace of melancholy and nostalgia.

"Hey… Venti, look at Dan Heng. Doesn't he seem a bit… different?"

Noticing his expression, March 7 nudged Venti, who was also admiring the beauty of the Xianzhou scenery.

"This doesn't look like the 'simple' reaction he described earlier, does it?"

"Little March, try to be more understanding, okay? It's not unusual to feel a little hesitant when nearing home," Venti replied, placing a hand on her hip and adding a slightly lecturing tone.

"For someone who isn't allowed to return home, nothing is more emotionally complex than passing by their doorstep and being unable to enter."

"…"

Standing nearby, Dan Heng heard every word of their conversation but chose to remain silent.

While the younger members marveled at the scene and chatted away, the adults were occupied with more pressing matters.

Himeko's furrowed brow and the station's intermittent signals already hinted at the seriousness of the situation.

"It seems the Stellaron Hunters weren't lying—something really has happened to the Xianzhou…"

March 7, who had previously held grudges against Kafka, now had to reconsider the current circumstances.

"A train traveling through space, guided by mysterious coordinates, arriving at an abandoned spaceport—oh, oh! Doesn't this feel just like a sci-fi horror movie?!"

Her attempt to lighten the mood fell flat. Dan Heng merely frowned.

"Stop overthinking. According to what Kafka said, there's still a considerable force alive on the Xianzhou. Our timing should be just right."

Welt nodded in agreement and turned to Himeko.

"How about the signal? Is it still repeating?"

"Yes, it's still—oh, wait! It's changed!"

The previously looping message of "Please wait patiently for docking" was replaced by a new one:

"—The Jade Gate is now open. On behalf of the Xianzhou Alliance: Luofu, we welcome our guests from afar. Please follow the instructions to dock in an orderly manner—"

The group exchanged looks, and March 7 felt a chill run down her spine.

"Why does this signal feel… off? It doesn't sound like it's from the staff."

"…Not sure. The signal just cut off," Himeko replied, her unease growing.

"Don't worry. Since they've invited us in, it's unlikely they'd play tricks here. That would contradict the Stellaron Hunters' objectives," Welt said calmly.

"Let's get ready to disembark. Himeko, Dan Heng, stay vigilant on the train."

"No need to worry. I trust Dan Heng will manage security well. Besides—" Himeko's voice turned soft yet firm, "—I'm not that easy to push around. If anyone dares trespass on the train again, I'm sure Pom-Pom will give them a proper lesson."

Her gentle smile couldn't hide the strength behind her words.

"Oh! Even Himeko's getting serious now. I'd better step up too!" March 7 pumped her fists, her enthusiasm contagious.

"I'll step up as well," Stelle said, crossing her arms with a confident smirk, exuding a strange mix of smugness and determination.

"Ah, youth… such a wonderful thing," Venti remarked shamelessly, despite his youthful appearance.

"Huh? Speaking of which, Venti, aren't you going to pull off one of your usual tricks this time?"

"One of my tricks?"

"That's right, transform! Like how you turned into Nahida before. That was amazing!"

"Please, let's not bring that up again!"

The mere mention of it gave Venti a headache.

"Oh, come on! What's wrong with it? Nahida's small, soft, and so adorable!"

"No way. We're here on official business this time. If we sneak in disguised amidst all this chaos, even if we're completely innocent, no one's going to believe us," Venti replied, wagging his finger with mock seriousness.

For some reason, March 7 felt it was just an excuse for him to slack off.

Before she could retort, Welt interjected, signaling it was time to depart—the jump was complete.

---

Aboard the Xianzhou.

"Whoa, this is incredible! Look at all those cargo containers—there's no end in sight!"

As soon as they landed, March 7 was awestruck by the massive logistics hub.

"This doesn't feel like a passenger docking area—it's clearly a cargo port! Where's our guide?"

"This reminds me of the time I was invited to a music festival overseas and had to sneak aboard a ship…" Venti reminisced with a sly smile.

"I still remember getting caught by the authorities the moment I landed. They detained me for hours until I dug out my invitation from under my hat to prove I wasn't lying."

Hearing this story eased the eerie atmosphere March 7 had felt earlier. Instead of dread, she now felt a more familiar urge—to tease.

Unfortunately for her, Stelle spoke up first.

"Sounds like something Venti would do."

"Right? Thinking about it, we're not that different from my situation back then," Venti said, pointing to himself with a mischievous grin.

"Showing up unannounced during turbulent times, with no proper invitation… When we run into the staff, who's going to explain for us?"

"Huh, now that you mention it…" March 7 pondered briefly before shrugging. "Uncle Yang, what do we do?"

"Don't worry," Welt reassured them. "Our first priority is finding whoever opened the Jade Gate. If they have ulterior motives, it'll save us some trouble. If they're legitimate staff, we'll get answers about what's happening here."

Welt's calm, seasoned demeanor left no doubt he could handle the situation. His steady presence gave March 7 enough confidence to bolt ahead, calling out enthusiastically, "Let's go, then! We can't let the bad guys get away!"

"Stay alert, March…"

It was advice she would likely ignore, but Welt, as the only adult in the group, felt obligated to give it anyway.

As they moved forward, it wasn't long before they came across someone lying injured on the ground.

"Uncle Yang, look! Someone's hurt over here!" March 7 called out, pointing at the figure.

Welt's expression turned serious as he observed the silvery armor. The person was a Xianzhou Cloud Knight.

Though gravely injured, the knight lifted his head weakly at the sound of their voices, struggling to make out their faces.

"Up… ahead…"

He tried to stand but was gently pushed back down by Welt, who placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You're badly hurt. Don't strain yourself."

"March, use your ice to stop the bleeding… No, even with controlled force, there's a risk of lasting damage…" Welt paused, then turned to Venti for advice.

"Venti, can you use that unique healing spell you performed on Snail-III?"

"Leave it to me. I can't fully heal him, but I can pull him back from the brink."

Venti removed his lyre and strummed a gentle melody. The winds carried the tune, enveloping the injured knight and restoring vitality to his battered body.

Although Venti's healing carried some risks, it wasn't due to any residual impurities from his previous mishap. The powers of the wind had fully assimilated those. The real danger lay in Venti's rapidly growing strength, which came with an "overflowing" quality.

If he healed the knight completely, the excessive influx of life energy might overwhelm and harm the recipient. Instead, Venti carefully held back, stabilizing the knight just enough to ensure recovery without turning him into a human "flowerpot."

Under these conditions, the knight's body would gradually heal on its own over the next few hours. The only side effect? Overstimulated hair follicles might cause temporary hair growth.

Still, growing a bit of extra hair was a small price to pay for one's life.

Though rudimentary, Venti's methods worked quickly. The Cloud Knight, who had looked on the verge of death moments ago, visibly regained strength. His breathing steadied, and his awareness returned.

"My wounds…"

The knight touched his chest, where he had been mauled by the claws of an Abundance Aberration. The injury had been so severe that he'd resigned himself to death. Yet against all odds, salvation had arrived.

Though his body still ached, he could move again. Grateful, he turned his gaze to the one who had healed him—a young, foreign bard. The knight could tell this man had journeyed far across the lands of Abundance.

"—Thank you for your aid, nameless poet."

Despite their deep disdain for the Curse of Longevity Aberrations, even the Xianzhou natives didn't stoop to insulting a Pathstrider of Abundance—especially not one who had just saved their lives.

Pathstriders and Aberrations were entirely different entities, and the Xianzhou Alliance wasn't irrational enough to attack on sight.

After all, the Xianzhou's medical advancements were inseparably tied to the Path of Abundance. It was no secret, nor was it something to be ashamed of. Through the dedicated research of their physicians and scholars, the Alliance had mastered the intricacies of Abundance, setting aside narrow-minded biases to conquer diseases deemed "incurable" by others.

"Don't mention it," Venti replied with a playful wink, his sunny smile as radiant as a sunflower.

The Cloud Knight, momentarily entranced by the bard's charm, quickly shook himself back to reality.

"By the way, can you tell us what happened here?" Venti asked.

"Ah… of course. Not long ago, there was a fierce battle here. Many dormant Aberrations of Abundance suddenly emerged and launched indiscriminate attacks!"

The Cloud Knight's face grew tense as he struggled to his feet, clutching his still-aching chest. His voice carried a grim urgency.

"We were ordered to provide reinforcements, but we didn't anticipate their use of some unknown method. Our fallen comrades… they turned into Aberrations themselves. We had no choice but to retreat while fighting, and I fear the casualties ahead may be even worse!"

Hearing this report, Welt's unease deepened.

He had already noticed signs in the surroundings—although it seemed the civilians had been evacuated in time, it was unclear how many soldiers had survived the onslaught.

"Let's move forward and see if there are any other survivors!" he commanded.

"Finally, some action! Let's see what kind of monsters are wreaking havoc here. They're about to get a good lesson from me!" March 7 exclaimed, full of energy.

Stelle helped the injured Cloud Knight stay upright, while Venti carried his lyre and the group advanced. Along the way, they encountered more casualties—both Cloud Knights and bizarre humanoid creatures with grotesque plant-like growths. These were the Aberrations the soldier had mentioned.

As they pressed on, Venti worked his magic, using his Winds of Restoration to stabilize the critically injured Cloud Knights. Those too weak to continue remained behind to await further support, while those who regained their strength joined the group. Even Stelle lent a hand, accelerating their recovery with her abilities.

The original four-person team quickly became an escort for an entire squad of Cloud Knights. The soldiers' reports confirmed that this chaos was a premeditated attack. However, the exact motives remained unclear.

Before long, the sound of intense combat reached their ears.

"Lady Tingyun, step back!"

March 7's sharp eyes spotted a Cloud Knight holding his formation with a battle blade, fending off an Aberration—a former comrade who had fallen into the Abyss of Aberration. The soldier shouted urgently to someone behind him.

"They've succumbed to the Abyss; they're no longer our allies…"

But his warning came too late. A fox-eared girl who had been tending to the wounded was now surrounded by the reanimated Aberrations.

The situation was dire. Before the Cloud Knights could intervene, the fox-eared girl noticed the approaching group of newcomers. She waved at them, her voice sweet and teasing:

"Oh, brave heroes over there! Won't you lend a hand~?"

Her honeyed tone had a strange allure, sending a tingling sensation through the air. It was almost enough to make their fists instinctively clench—of course, their fists.

---

T/N: i like her tail :3c

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