Honkai Star Rail: Survive. Adapt. Overcome.

The sound of the airplane's engine hummed softly in the background, a constant noise that had become almost imperceptible after several hours of flight.

He had never been a fan of traveling, but after years of moving from city to city due to his father's job, he had grown used to the routine.

The pilot's voice echoed through the speakers.

"Dear passengers, we are now entering the final phase of our flight. Please remain seated and keep your seatbelts fastened as we begin our descent."

He let out a sigh. Three more hours, and he could finally rest in his new apartment.

He leaned his head against the window and looked outside… only to frown.

It was dark.

Not the darkness of a storm or a sunset.

Dark, as if the world beyond the airplane had simply disappeared.

But that didn't make sense.

He pulled out his phone to check the time.

3:07 PM.

The sun should have been high in the sky.

He turned his head to look at the other passengers. Some were asleep, others absorbed in their screens, but no one else seemed to notice the anomaly.

That was when the plane's radio began to fail.

"…repeating… anom…or… er…or in the traject—"

A burst of static cut through the speakers, interrupting the transmission. Then, the plane trembled.

Not normal turbulence. Something was shaking it from the outside.

Murmurs turned into screams as the lights flickered violently.

Panic spread like an infection.

Someone tried to stand up and was thrown off balance by the sudden movement. The flight attendants were trying to calm the passengers, but even they had fear written on their faces.

The outside world remained black.

It was as if the plane were floating in a void.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please remain calm." The pilot's voice was tense. "We are trying to stabiliz—"

A thud.

Something invisible struck the plane like it was nothing more than a paper toy.

The lights flickered once more and, in the next second…

Everything went dark.

Silence.

There was no sensation of falling.

No sound.

Nothing.

Then—cold.

************

Pain.

A freezing chill seeped through his clothes, biting into his skin like needles.

His eyes fluttered open, struggling to focus, but his vision was blurry. The first thing he saw was the snow-covered ground.

Snow.

He blinked a few more times.

His mind took a moment to process the information, but when it did, his stomach sank.

Why was he lying on snow?

He moved his fingers. His limbs responded.

He clenched his fists. He could feel his body.

He wasn't dead.

But then… where was he?

Forcing himself to sit up, he felt a dull ache in his muscles, as if he had run a marathon before passing out.

Finally, he lifted his gaze and took in his surroundings.

Ruins.

Destroyed buildings, rusted structures covered in snow, flickering lights barely illuminating the environment. The place was dead.

He didn't recognize this place.

And then came the second shock.

He couldn't remember his name.

It wasn't the kind of forgetting that happens over time.

He tried to recall, to force his mind to recover any fragment, but… nothing.

Only blankness.

For a moment, he thought he should be scared. Forgetting your own name isn't something you just accept.

But to his surprise, he didn't care as much as he should have.

He sighed and ran a hand down his face.

"Screw that."

He had enough problems just trying to figure out where the hell he was.

The cold still gnawed at his skin. If he stayed still, he'd freeze in no time.

There was no point in dwelling on things without answers.

For now, his priority was survival.

With that in mind, he started walking, inspecting his surroundings.

****************

The cold wouldn't go away.

Each step on the snow crunched in the silence.

No wind, no animals, nothing. Just the dim light of flickering streetlamps on the ruined structures around him.

This isn't normal.

He couldn't pinpoint why, but everything about this place felt unnaturally empty.

As if something—or someone—had stripped all life from it.

He kept his gaze low, scanning the ground. He was looking for footprints.

Any sign of life.

But there were no recent tracks.

"Am I alone here?"

He couldn't help but wonder. He didn't like the idea.

The place seemed too dead to be natural, yet too "constructed" to be a simple wasteland. He clearly wasn't on Earth.

How could he be so sure? Well, the skeletal remains of creatures that looked nothing like Earth's animals and the rusted metallic carcasses shaped somewhat like humanoid figures were good evidence... Unless he had been transported to the future or something.

But he didn't think that was likely.

His body still ached, but he ignored it.

Something else about him felt off. He didn't feel exactly the same as before.

Maybe his mind was still in shock.

Maybe...

His hand brushed against something cold on his forearm.

He stopped.

He frowned and looked at his arm.

There was something metallic attached to his skin, like a mechanical gauntlet covering part of his left forearm.

"What the hell is this?"

He tried to pull it off, but as soon as his fingers touched the metal surface, a burst of blue light flared from the device.

[System activated. Connection established.]

A translucent screen floated in front of him, casting a faint glow over the area.

Aleph instinctively stumbled back, nearly falling over.

[Initializing user assistant... Burroughs online.]

Before he could react, a female voice echoed inside his head.

[Good morning, user. I am Burroughs, your personal combat and navigation assistant.]

He froze.

That name... It felt strangely familiar.

His mind took a few seconds to process it, but when it did, it was like an electric shock ran through his body.

Was this... the legendary nerdgasm?

"No way."

It wasn't a coincidence. He knew that name.

As soon as he heard it, an image flashed in his mind.

A similar interface, floating above a third-person character...

A skill menu, an AI assisting with combat and tactics...

Shin Megami Tensei IV.

He remembered it clearly.

Burroughs was the COMP's AI in SMT IV, the same game he had been playing just before boarding the plane.

But that didn't make any sense.

"What the hell? Where am I, and why do I have something from SMT?"

For a moment, he froze... Unintentional pun.

"I'm not replacing Flynn... Am I? Where's my blue tunic? And why don't I have a sword?"

[I recommend accessing the user menu to review your current status.]

He took a slow breath, forcing himself to stay calm. Panicking wouldn't help.

"Yeah, yeah. Give me a second."

Being in a strange place was bad enough. Interacting with a video game system was even worse.

If he had really been transported to another world... why were there elements from SMT?

None of this made sense.

But putting off answers wouldn't help him.

Shaking his head, he reached out and tapped the floating screen.

[User Data]

[Current Location: Planet Jarilo-VI, Underworld]

[Status: Unknown]

[Level: 01]

His eyes locked onto the planet's name.

Jarilo-VI.

Déjà vu hit him like a freight train.

…He knew that name.

Suddenly, his mind was dragged into a memory.

...

A messy bedroom, lights off, only illuminated by the screen of a handheld console.

"I'm telling you, you should at least try it for the story. It's actually pretty good."

He didn't answer right away.

He was too focused on his Nocturne playthrough, grinding to get the True Demon Ending.

His friend sighed and set his phone down on the table.

"You just picked your character and then closed the game, didn't you?"

"I didn't have time."

"Oh sure, because getting Lucifer's ending is more important!"

He just shrugged.

His friend groaned but kept going.

"Look, there's a planet called Jarilo-VI. It's this frozen world where people blah blah are trapped under the snow, blah blah trying to survive, blah blah."

"Uh-huh."

"The Aeons… they're like gods. They define the paths of the universe, and the planet is stuck in a cycle because of one of them."

"Uh-huh."

"At least pretend you're listening, asshole!"

"Of course, I completely agree that pineapple on pizza is an insult to humanity and good taste!"

He laughed. He knew his friend was really into this kind of game, but at the time, he just didn't care.

He glanced back at his console screen. His party was ready for the next boss fight.

Whatever his friend was saying didn't matter.

All that mattered was his next victory in Nocturne.

"Maybe I'll play it later."

"Yeah, sure."

...

Back in the present, a chill ran down his spine.

Jarilo-VI.

Honkai: Star Rail.

The SMT system.

Something was seriously wrong here.

[Additional Information: The name 'Aleph Avesta' has been assigned by default due to the absence of recorded memory.]

Aleph blinked.

"Aleph… Avesta?"

He stared at it for a moment, waiting for something to click in his head… but nothing.

"Meh. At least it sounds cool."

It didn't mean anything to him.

But strangely, he didn't mind.

He sighed and dismissed the menu with a gesture.

"Now's not the time to worry about this."

If he wanted to understand what was going on, he had to keep moving.

He kept his eyes on the frozen path ahead.

And without looking back, he walked into the unknown.

...

The snow crunched with every step.

Aleph walked aimlessly, his gaze fixed on the surroundings, searching for any sign of life. The structure of the place, the flickering lights, the ruined buildings...

Jarilo-VI.

No matter how much he tried to process it, it was still absurd.

"I'm in a damn video game, and to make it worse, in one I never got past the character selection screen."

Or at least, in something that looked way too much like one.

The cold air scratched at his throat. His clothes, while not exactly thin, were clearly not made for extreme temperatures.

"Now that I think about it... why do my clothes look so much like the male protagonist's from Star Rail?"

That was weird.

He'd need to find shelter and food soon, before the cold started affecting him.

"Tch..." He grumbled, rubbing his arms.

If there were people here, he had to find them quickly.

He had no idea how they would react to him, but he didn't have many options.

—...

Then, he stopped.

Something wasn't right.

The atmosphere felt heavier.

It was a strange sensation, as if the air around him had suddenly changed density.

And then he heard it.

A low, distorted electric hum.

He turned his head just in time to see a figure emerging from the snow, its silhouette flickering like a visual glitch on a broken screen.

It was a creature... but not a natural one.

It had a vaguely humanoid form, but its body was made up of fractured energy lines. Cracks ran along its surface, as if someone had already attacked it before.

The creature's eyes glowed a deep crimson.

A shiver ran down Aleph's spine.

"Shit."

[Warning: Hostile detected.]

"Oh, because clearly I hadn't noticed that! Right?!"

Burroughs appeared immediately with a notification.

[Initial analysis... Entity classified as: Fragmentum Creature. Status: Aggressive.]

Fragmentum.

That word vaguely echoed from his previous memory, but he didn't have time to think about the details.

The creature moved.

It didn't run, it didn't walk... it simply dematerialized and reappeared right in front of him.

"So damn fast!"

Aleph reacted on instinct.

He raised his arms just in time to block a direct hit to his torso.

But the force was greater than he expected.

His body was sent flying backward, hitting the snow with a dull thud.

—Gh...!

It hurt. It definitely hurt.

But strangely, he only felt his arms go numb.

[I recommend proceeding with immediate combat or evasion.]

Aleph took a deep breath and got up with difficulty.

He had no weapon.

He couldn't summon demons yet, since he didn't even know how.

So...

"Guess I'll have to do this the old-fashioned way."

The Fragmentum creature moved again, trying to dematerialize and attack from another angle.

But this time, Aleph was ready.

He threw himself to the opposite side, dodging the attack by mere inches.

"Alright... this body is faster than I expected."

He wasn't about to waste the opportunity.

Spinning on his heel, he threw a punch straight at the creature's face.

The hit connected, and to his surprise, the creature actually staggered back.

"It works!"

Ignoring the slight pain in his fist, Aleph didn't stop his attack. With a growing grin, he pressed forward.

He lunged, unleashing a flurry of punches aimed at the creature's torso, keeping himself in constant motion so it wouldn't teleport again.

Each impact made the entity's body flicker, as if its stability was affected by physical damage.

"And to finish...!"

He took half a step back and spun on his right leg, delivering a spinning kick straight to the enemy's head.

The Fragmentum creature shattered into a distortion of data and disappeared.

Aleph landed on one knee in the snow, breathing heavily.

"...Did I just do that? Since when do I know how to fight like this?"

[Hostile eliminated. Combat performance analysis: 6/10.]

[Experience gained. Processing...]

A new menu appeared before him.

[>Level 2 reached.]

[>Upgrade points available: 5.]

[>Points App: 10]

Aleph stared at the screen, his grin widening.

"So I just have to punch things and I'll get stronger? Man, if life worked like this, I never would've stopped going to the gym."

Every fight would make him stronger.

Of course, eventually leveling up would get much harder.

But that was nothing for someone like him, who was already used to grinding XP and farming items.

He straightened up and opened the menu, examining the options.

[>Attributes]

[St: 5 → 6]

[Vt: 5 → 6]

[Ma: 5]

[Ag: 5 → 7]

[Lu: 1]

His eyes stopped on Luck.

Without thinking too much, he left it at 1.

"Still useless."

[Settings confirmed. Applying upgrades...]

As soon as he closed the menu, he felt his body subtly change.

His breathing stabilized faster, and his muscles didn't ache as much.

He was definitely improving.

But before he could process it…

"Hey, you!"

Aleph tensed.

He turned his head and saw several figures approaching from an alley.

Thick clothing, makeshift weapons… humans.

But the tone they used wasn't exactly friendly.

[Warning: Possible encounter with Underworld inhabitants.]

Aleph sighed.

"Great. Now I have to deal with this too."

The approaching group didn't seem particularly aggressive.

Aleph watched them cautiously as he slowly got up, brushing the snow off his coat.

There were at least four of them, all dressed in worn-out thick clothing, armed with metal pipes, improvised knives, and old pistols.

The distrust was evident on their faces.

"They have experience. They're not just scared civilians."

Despite the situation, none of them seemed too alarmed by his presence.

The one leading the group, a tall, dark-skinned man with scarred arms, was the first to speak.

"You don't look like you're from around here."

Aleph didn't answer immediately.

Options ran through his mind.

Saying he had no idea where he was would make him seem like a burden.

Saying he came from outside the Underworld would raise unnecessary suspicion.

He decided to go with something in between.

"...I woke up in the snow a while ago. Don't remember much before that."

The group exchanged glances.

The tall man scoffed, relaxing his shoulders slightly.

"A stray, huh? Guess you're not the only one in this hellhole."

Aleph remained silent, waiting to see what they would do next.

They didn't seem interested in fighting him, which meant they probably weren't random thugs.

"If you're lost, you'd best come with us. The doctor here will probably want to see you."

Aleph raised an eyebrow.

"Doctor?"

"Natasha," answered a woman with short, dark hair.

"She's the only one who actually cares about the people here."

"Hmph… fine."

For now, he had nothing to lose.

Following them would give him more information about the situation in the Underworld.

If this place was isolated, that meant he couldn't just climb to the surface and look for more information.

He needed to know what was going on before making any risky moves.

With that in mind, he followed the group.

***************

The walk to their base wasn't long, but it was enough for Aleph to notice several things about this place.

The streets were in ruins, with collapsed structures and buildings patched up with metal and recycled wood.

There were more people than he expected, most of them dressed in tattered clothing, looking exhausted.

There wasn't much security. If someone caused trouble, it seemed like they only had themselves to rely on.

The place felt like a city that was once decent but had been abandoned to its fate.

"Definitely not somewhere I want to stay for too long."

Finally, they reached a building that was cleaner and more orderly than the others.

Inside, there were several makeshift beds and shelves filled with medicine.

A woman with grayish-blue hair and a gentle gaze greeted them with a nod.

"Didn't expect visitors. Who's this?"

"Another stray," the tall man replied.

"Says he doesn't remember much."

Natasha examined him for a few seconds before sighing.

"Alright. Stay still. I'm going to check if you have any serious injuries."

Aleph didn't argue. He didn't feel like he had any major injuries, but if this gave him a chance to ask questions, he'd take it.

"How long have you been here?"

Natasha raised an eyebrow.

"Here in the clinic, or in the Underworld?"

"Both."

She crossed her arms.

"The Underworld has been like this for a long time. No one can leave, and the people up top don't seem to care. We survive as best we can."

Aleph nodded slowly.

"Figures. So there's no easy way out of here, huh?"

That complicated things.

[New quest detected.]

Aleph blinked.

A floating window appeared before him.

[Main Quest unlocked: "Break the Chains of the Underworld."]

[Objective: Destroy the blocked entrance.]

[Reward: Special set (???) ]

Aleph narrowed his eyes.

"The blocked entrance…?"

He had no idea how difficult it would be, but if his system flagged it as a quest, it had to be possible.

However, when he tried to accept the quest, another message popped up.

[Requirements not met: Insufficient strength.]

[Requirements to unlock the quest]

Minimum Level: 10

[St: 15]

[Vi: 12]

[Ag: 10]

Required Skills: Access to at least one mid-level offensive skill.

Recommended Equipment: Impact-resistant armor (not yet acquired).

[Current User Status]

[Level: 2]

[St: 6]

[Vi: 6]

[Ag: 7]

Offensive Skills: None.

Protective Equipment: None.

[Conclusion: Requirements not met. Training and equipment acquisition recommended before attempting the quest.]

Aleph checked the numbers and scoffed.

"Of course I don't meet them. Why did I expect anything different?"

He muttered, closing the menu.

Aleph felt a twinge of frustration.

"So I need to get stronger first, huh…"

That meant he had to complete more quests and grind experience before he could even attempt it.

Aleph closed the interface with a sigh.

"Something bothering you? You don't seem to have any major injuries," Natasha asked.

"Except for my pride. I got attacked by a living glitch and nearly got torn in half."

There was no reason to explain what had just happened.

For now, he had to focus on what was in front of him.

"If I want to break that entrance, I'll need to improve my skills and gain access to more resources."

And for that, he had to start working.

[Challenges available.]

Aleph pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I'm going to hate this, aren't I?"

He decided to open the quest menu to see what he could do.

[Challenge: "Medical Supply Collection"]

[Challenge: "Dirty Work"]

[Challenge: "The Problem with Sampo"]

None of them sounded particularly appealing.

"If you're staying here, you'll have to help out," Natasha said, leaving him no choice.

Aleph sighed.

"Great. Guess I don't have a choice."