Honkai Star Rail: Survive. Adapt. Overcome.

The atmosphere was on the verge of exploding.

Svarog's robots had assumed combat positions, their mechanical eyes glowing with a menacing red light.

Seele, Bronya, Dan Heng, March 7th, Stelle, and Aleph were ready to fight.

Svarog, with his imposing metallic figure, observed them emotionlessly as his mechanical army advanced slowly.

[Initiating Defense Protocol.]

His voice echoed like mechanical thunder, accompanied by the sound of gears activating within the automatons.

Clara ran forward.

"Svarog, stop!"

Her voice carried a mix of urgency and desperation.

Svarog turned his red eye toward the small figure of the girl who had placed herself between him and the group.

[Evaluating request…]

The tension in the air was suffocating.

Aleph, who had already seen his fair share of unfair fights, noticed something different about this situation.

Clara was simply asking for the fight to stop.

Dan Heng narrowed his eyes, assessing the scene.

"Will he listen to her?"

Clara turned to the group.

"Please, don't fight! I know everyone has their reasons to be angry, but this… this will only make things worse."

Svarog remained silent for a long moment.

[Analyzing potential consequences…]

The hum of his processor analyzing the situation was the only sound in the mine.

[Conclusion: Conflict does not favor Underworld's stability at this time.]

The red light in his sensors dimmed slightly.

[Reevaluating priorities…]

Finally, the metal colossus straightened his posture and raised his hand, signaling his machines to halt their attack.

The robots, in perfect synchronization, stopped moving.

Seele clenched her fists.

"Are you serious?! Just like that, you listen to her?"

Clara turned to her with a pleading look.

"Svarog only wants to protect Underworld! If there's a way to prevent more harm, then that's the best option."

Seele stared at her.

"And you think this is fair? He kicked us out of here and took the vein as if it were his!"

Clara lowered her head for a moment before looking back at Seele with determination.

"I don't know if it's fair or not. But if you fight now, more people will get hurt. That's the only thing I know."

Seele felt a knot in her stomach.

Bronya observed the scene carefully.

"…Svarog, what do you plan to do with the mineral vein?"

Svarog turned his eye toward her.

[Resources will be managed for the optimal survival of Underworld.]

Bronya frowned.

"And how do you define 'optimal survival'?"

[Minimizing conflict. Maximizing efficiency. Ensuring long-term stability.]

Aleph sighed.

"So, in other words, you're hoarding it so no one else can use it. Even if they need it."

Svarog didn't answer immediately.

[Human variables do not always act in the interest of collective survival.]

Dan Heng closed his eyes.

"Then, according to your logic… you can't trust them to make their own decisions."

[Affirmative.]

March 7th clicked her tongue.

"Well, that's pretty arrogant coming from a machine."

Clara looked up at Svarog.

"Isn't there another option?"

Svarog remained silent before responding.

[Warning: Interfering with established protocols will result in consequences.]

The warning was clear.

If they challenged him again, he wouldn't hesitate to respond with force.

Seele bit her lip.

Bronya furrowed her brows, assessing the situation.

Dan Heng observed Clara carefully.

Aleph frowned slightly, feeling a bit irritated. Honestly, he would rather fight and try to complete their primary mission.

But… wasn't this girl a little too close to Svarog?

You know what they say—never let your guard down around a loli, especially in a video game or fantasy world. You never know if they're way stronger than they look or something similar.

Okay, maybe he was getting a bit carried away. This wasn't the time to be distracted.

Svarog looked at Clara.

[We must return.]

Clara gave the group one last glance before nodding and climbing into Svarog's arms.

The massive robot turned on his heavy metal legs and began to withdraw with his mechanical army.

Before disappearing into the darkness of the mine, he gave them one last warning.

[Do not interfere any further. This will be the only warning.]

The vibrations of his metallic footsteps gradually faded, leaving the group in silence.

No one spoke for a few seconds.

March 7th was the first to react.

"...Well, that was a total failure."

Seele clenched her fists.

"Damn it! He got away with it again."

Bronya closed her eyes for a moment before letting out a soft sigh.

"At least we avoided more injuries."

Seele looked at her in frustration.

"We got the vein back, but there's no guarantee he won't cause problems here again. We should have taken him down while we had the chance."

Bronya remained calm.

"But if we had fought now, we would have lost it anyway."

Seele crossed her arms, still frustrated, but she couldn't entirely argue against that.

Aleph glanced at Dan Heng.

"What do you think?"

Dan Heng took a moment before answering.

"That we can't beat him by force. We need a different plan."

Stelle looked at the path where Svarog and Clara had left.

"...I don't think Clara wants us to fight him."

The group fell silent.

March 7th sighed.

"…So what do we do now?"

Seele closed her eyes for a moment before speaking.

"We're going to Wildfire. We need more allies if we want to do something about Svarog."

Bronya nodded.

"Agreed. We can't face him alone."

Dan Heng looked at the path leading to Wildfire's base.

"Then we'd better not waste any more time."

The group started moving, each carrying heavy thoughts.

Aleph looked once more toward where Svarog had gone.

He didn't know why, but something about all of this gave him a bad feeling.

Something was wrong.

But for now, he had no answers.

Only questions.

Maybe Wildfire had them.

********

The road to Wildfire's base was grim.

The group moved in silence, processing what had just happened in the mine.

Seele walked at the front, her expression hardened, still upset about what had transpired.

Bronya walked beside her, gaze lowered, as if deep in thought.

Dan Heng, March 7th, and Stelle kept pace without saying a word.

Aleph, meanwhile, lagged slightly behind, his mind still unsettled.

Something about all of this didn't add up.

Svarog had taken the vein without unnecessary violence.

He had allowed Clara to intervene without issue.

He had even given them a clear warning instead of eliminating them on the spot.

But his reasoning was too... calculated.

As if he had already considered every possible response before they had even spoken a word.

Aleph clenched his teeth.

He didn't like the feeling he had.

It was the same as before… when something was wrong, and he didn't know what it was yet.

There was a missing piece to solve this puzzle, and not having it was incredibly frustrating.

But there was no time to dwell on it now.

For the moment, they needed to find Wildfire.

"Huh?"

To his surprise, the base was only a few steps away from Natasha's clinic.

Aleph looked around with interest.

"Wow… for a resistance group, you sure have resources."

Seele crossed her arms and shot him an irritated look.

"Was that sarcasm? Because if it was, get ready to lose a few teeth."

Before Aleph could respond, a firm voice echoed through the base.

"Seele!"

A man with gray hair and a matching beard, a severe gaze, and a scar over one eye approached with steady steps.

"You're finally back. We heard about the problem at the mine. What happened?"

It was Oleg, the leader of Wildfire.

Seele clenched her fists.

"That bastard Svarog stole the vein. He kicked everyone out and then left like it didn't even matter."

Oleg frowned.

"…So he finally decided to make a real move."

Dan Heng spoke up.

"You mean you expected him to do something like this?"

Oleg nodded seriously.

"It's not the first time Svarog has interfered with Underworld's affairs. His logic is… difficult to predict, but in general, he doesn't take such aggressive actions without a clear reason."

March 7th crossed her arms.

"Well, this time he did. He kicked us out without hesitation, and now we've lost a huge mineral vein."

Oleg sighed and looked at Seele.

"And that young lady over there? What is the heir of the Belobog Guard doing here?"

Bronya stepped forward.

"I came to understand the truth of Underworld for myself. What I've seen so far… is very different from what we were taught in the Overworld."

Oleg looked at her for a few seconds before slowly nodding.

"Good. The fact that you understand that and can say it without disgust or contempt already proves that at least you're not like the others up there."

Seele clicked her tongue.

"So, what are we going to do? We can't just let Svarog get away with this."

Oleg stroked his chin, evaluating the situation.

"A direct attack is not an option. Svarog has too much military power, and without a proper strategy, we'd just be throwing ourselves into the lion's den."

Oleg scratched his head with a tired expression.

"We've tried to resolve things peacefully, but it's almost impossible. Svarog will never talk to us."

Stelle, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.

"Then we need another way in."

Oleg looked at her with interest.

"Sampo told me about you. Strangers, huh? Honestly, your story sounds like something a drunk miner would make up."

Seele frowned.

"So what? We just sit around and wait for him to give us permission?"

Oleg shook his head.

"No. But there is something that might help us. Sampo will guide you through. Can I ask you to try and convince Svarog to cooperate? If anyone has the information you're looking for about that thing, it's him..."

"Stellaron."

"Yes, that."

He turned and took an old map from a nearby table.

"There are old tunnels beneath the Underworld. They were used for mining decades ago but were abandoned. Some lead directly to Svarog's base."

Dan Heng nodded.

"So we can use them to infiltrate?"

Oleg pointed at a spot on the map.

"Maybe. But the problem is that no one has gone in there for years. We don't know if they're still stable or if there's anything dangerous inside."

March 7th shrugged.

"Well, after everything we've faced, I doubt an old tunnel will be the worst thing to happen to us."

Aleph sighed.

"I just hope it's not full of monsters."

**********

Oleg explained the tunnel entrance's location.

The group now had a new mission: infiltrate Svarog's base through an alternative route.

However, it wasn't going to be easy.

Seele looked at Oleg seriously.

"If this works… what do we do next?"

Oleg crossed his arms.

"That depends on what we find. But at the very least, we need to recover the information we're after and make sure Svarog stops interfering with those who want to reach the Overworld."

Bronya nodded.

"Understood."

Oleg looked at the group.

"Rest for now. You'll leave tomorrow."

Aleph stretched.

"A break doesn't sound bad."

Dan Heng closed his eyes.

"It's best if we use this time to prepare."

The group dispersed to rest before their next mission.

But deep down, they all knew what was coming wouldn't be easy.

**********

The night in the Underworld was different from that in the Overworld.

There were no elegant streetlights or illuminated buildings.

Just a dark sky covering the streets and the flickering glow of worn-out lamps.

Outside the hotel, Bronya hugged her knees as she stared at the dimly lit surroundings.

"Mom... did you really condemn these people to live like this?"

"What are you thinking about?"

"Ah!"

Bronya flinched for a moment before turning around to see Stelle and Aleph stepping out of the hotel.

"Please don't be so sneaky. This could have ended badly if I had been armed right now," she said, patting her chest.

"... And to answer your question, nothing really. I just couldn't sleep. Is it the same for you?"

"Yeah."

Stelle answered, while Aleph simply stretched until his bones cracked.

"I had nightmares. Stelle said she went through something similar. In the end, we thought getting some fresh air wouldn't hurt."

Bronya nodded.

"Given our situation, it's not surprising that your worries manifest as nightmares."

Sitting on the entrance steps, she patted the space beside her.

"Can I ask you something?"

"I don't see why not," Aleph said, while Stelle just nodded.

"I... the more I think about it, the more confused I feel. All I want is for the people of Belobog to have a better life. I want to believe that my mother... that Cocolia didn't do everything Oleg said. But what if she did? How should I feel about that?"

Bronya placed her hands on her head.

"What did she see in you that made her react so hostilely when all you're trying to do is help? What is the Stellaron, and is it really the cause of all this?"

Finally, she let out a sigh before shaking her head.

"... You don't have to answer. After all, they're just my own thoughts. I should apologize—both of you have your own problems and worries without adding mine."

In the end, Aleph and Stelle silently watched Bronya's back as she walked back into the hotel.

**********

The group, now well-rested, gathered at the Wildfire base before setting off.

Oleg was with them, reviewing the map one last time.

"This is the tunnel entrance."

He pointed to a secluded spot in the industrial area.

"The entrance is hidden behind the remains of an old mining facility. The tunnel should lead you close to Svarog's base."

Seele nodded calmly. Sampo, standing beside her, smiled and gave them a small wave.

"Alright. Let's go."

Bronya looked at Oleg seriously.

"What will you do in the meantime?"

Oleg sighed.

"Wildfire needs to make sure the situation in the Underworld doesn't get worse while you're gone. If something goes wrong, we'll try to find another way to support you."

Aleph grinned confidently.

"Don't worry, we'll come back in one piece… probably."

Dan Heng looked at Oleg.

"Anything else we should know about the tunnels?"

Oleg crossed his arms.

"Yeah. Like I said before, they've been sealed for decades. There could be old traps, collapsed passages… and who knows what else."

March 7th sighed.

"Great. I love dark, claustrophobic places full of things that can kill us."

Aleph patted her on the shoulder.

"I'm excited too."

Seele ignored their comments and turned to the group.

"Quit complaining. If we don't move now, we'll lose our chance to get information out of Svarog."

Oleg gave them one last look.

"Good luck."

With nothing more to say, the group set off toward the tunnels.

**********

The tunnel entrance was right where Oleg said it would be.

Hidden behind a pile of rubble and old, rusted metal structures.

Dan Heng was the first to inspect it.

"The door is locked with an old mechanical seal."

Bronya stepped forward and examined it.

"I could try forcing it open… but it would take too long."

Aleph looked at Seele.

"You live here. Isn't there another way in?"

Seele crossed her arms.

"We could try going in through one of the ventilation shafts… but we don't know if they're blocked from the inside."

March 7th snapped her fingers.

"Then let's keep it simple."

She stood in front of the door, took a deep breath, and—

BOOM!

She fired an ice arrow at the lock mechanism.

The temperature dropped instantly, and with a swift kick, the ice shattered along with the lock.

"Problem solved!"

Dan Heng sighed.

"We could have tried something… more discreet."

Stelle was already pushing the door open.

"Too late. Let's go."

Aleph chuckled. Stelle really was just like him.

Dan Heng sighed again before following them.

The group entered the tunnel.

**********

The air inside was heavy and damp.

The walls were covered in rust, and in some places, roots had forced their way through the cracks.

The only light came from the portable devices they carried.

March 7th looked around while making sure to stay close to Bronya.

"Well… this isn't creepy at all."

Aleph sneaked up behind her and whispered:

"…Boo."

March 7th jumped and ended up clinging to Bronya.

"What the hell, Aleph?!"

Aleph snickered.

Dan Heng shook his head.

"Focus."

Sampo walked ahead, leading the group with confidence.

"If Oleg's maps are correct, this tunnel should connect us to one of Svarog's old maintenance stations."

Bronya nodded.

"If we can keep him from starting a fight and get him to talk on his own, that would be the best outcome. But I warn you, I'm better as a soldier than a diplomat, so someone else should handle negotiations with Svarog."

Dan Heng crossed his arms, deep in thought.

Stelle frowned.

"…Something's off."

The group stopped.

"What is it?" Aleph asked.

Stelle looked around.

"Listen."

Everyone fell silent.

…

Nothing.

No wind, no dripping water, no creaking from old structures.

Just absolute silence.

March 7th shivered.

"I don't like this…"

"Burroughs, is there something here?"

There was a brief pause before the AI responded.

[Caution. Hostiles detected within the tunnel structure.]

Dan Heng frowned.

"Enemies?"

Before they could react, the ground trembled slightly.

Then, a metallic, distorted voice echoed through the tunnel.

[Intruders detected. Activating automated defense system.]

Red lights flickered along the tunnel walls.

And from the darkness…

They began to move.

Old machines, rusted and worn by time, suddenly powered on.

Their mechanical eyes glowed intensely as they turned their heads toward the group.

Dan Heng adjusted his grip on his spear.

"…Security traps."

Seele clicked her tongue.

"Tsk! I should've seen this coming."

Bronya raised her rifle.

"We're trapped!"

Aleph sighed.

"Alright… time to warm up a little."

Svarog's guardian robots fully activated and lunged at them.

The fight had begun.

*********

The darkness of the tunnels was suddenly illuminated as Svarog's robots powered up their attack systems.

The machines' red eyes shone with an eerie intensity, reflecting off the rusted walls.

[Initiating Defense Protocol.]

The first robot charged at Dan Heng, its mechanical arm extending like a blade.

Dan Heng reacted with ease, sidestepping before countering with a spear strike that pierced the automaton's torso.

Seele vanished in the blink of an eye, reappearing behind another machine and slicing through it with a clean, precise scythe strike.

"Don't let them corner us!"

She shouted as she jumped back to avoid an incoming attack.

March 7th raised her bow and fired a barrage of ice arrows, freezing the legs of a robot moving toward Bronya.

"I won't let you through!"

Stelle spun her bat with force and smashed the head of one of the machines, sending sparks flying in all directions.

Aleph, meanwhile, watched the scene with a peculiar glint in his eyes.

"…Interesting."

Burroughs appeared with a notification.

[Lazy Master, stop standing around.]

Before he could respond, a robot attempted to attack him from the side.

Aleph tilted his head slightly and, without effort, raised his arm.

A freezing aura gathered in his hand.

With a swift motion, he crushed the robot's torso with overwhelming force, causing it to collapse in on itself.

Seele turned for a second to witness the scene.

"…Since when can you do that?"

Aleph smirked.

"Since I decided I was done following the rules."

Stelle flashed him a bright grin at his words and nodded as if she completely understood.

"Rules are made to be broken!"

Wasting no time, the group kept fighting, slowly thinning out the enemy numbers.

Bronya reloaded her rifle and fired a powerful shot, destroying the last remaining robot.

The tunnel fell into absolute silence once again.

The air was thick with residual electricity and the faint scent of burnt metal.

Dan Heng lowered his spear and scanned the area.

"That was louder than I expected."

March 7th sighed.

"Yeah… Svarog definitely knows we're here now."

Bronya looked at the remains of the robots.

"It's not just that. These machines were active even before we got here. It doesn't seem like Svarog deployed them recently."

Seele frowned.

"Are you saying they were protecting something else?"

Aleph narrowed his eyes.

"That would explain why they were so aggressive. They weren't just patrolling—they were guarding or securing something."

Stelle looked around.

"Then… what was it?"

The group exchanged glances.

March 7th pointed to a metal door at the end of the tunnel.

"I don't think there's any other way to find out."

Bronya nodded and approached it.

As she inspected the door, she noticed something strange.

"…This isn't just any barrier."

Seele walked up and examined it.

"What's special about it?"

Bronya pointed to a control panel on the side.

"This design is older than the robots we fought. And it also looks like it has a lock that isn't directly connected to Svarog."

Dan Heng raised an eyebrow.

"So, it's not one of Svarog's security systems?"

Bronya shook her head.

"No. This is something different."

There was something behind that door.

And the most unsettling part was that even Svarog didn't seem to want to go near it.

March 7th crossed her arms.

"Well, since we've made it this far, we can't stop now."

Bronya nodded and started working on the control panel.

The mechanism was old and complicated, but not impossible to unlock.

After a few minutes, the system emitted a faint click.

The metal groaned as the door slowly slid to the side.

A dense, dust-filled air seeped out from within.

The group instinctively took a step back.

Dan Heng narrowed his eyes.

"…Something about this place feels wrong."

Aleph called Burroughs.

"Analysis?"

[Caution: Residual signals of unknown energy detected. Risk level: Undetermined.]

Aleph sighed.

"Great."

Seele glanced at Bronya.

"Are we going in?"

Bronya adjusted her rifle.

"Yes. But stay alert. We have no idea what we're walking into."

With caution, the group crossed the threshold and stepped into the unknown.

*******

The tunnel on the other side of the door was different from the mines they had traveled through.

The floor was smoother, and the walls were made of dark metal instead of rock and dirt.

The group proceeded carefully, their footsteps echoing through the passage.

March 7th frowned.

"This definitely isn't the same kind of construction as the mine."

Dan Heng nodded.

"It looks older."

Seele scanned the area with her eyes.

"What the hell is this place?"

Bronya ran her hand along one of the walls.

"Judging by the materials, this must have been built before the Underworld was sealed."

Aleph crossed his arms.

"So, what exactly were they hiding here?"

The hallway opened up into a larger chamber.

On the sides, darkened screens and old terminals lined the walls.

In the center, a large cylindrical structure of metal and glass remained sealed.

Dan Heng approached one of the terminals, running his fingers over the dusty screen.

"This looks like a data center, but it hasn't been used in years."

March 7th examined the monitors.

"Can you get them to work?"

Dan Heng typed a few commands, but the screens only showed static and incomplete lines of code.

"Not in their current state. Most of the files are damaged or inaccessible."

Bronya observed the central structure.

"If this place was sealed, it means the information here is important."

Seele looked at Aleph curiously.

"The AI in your gauntlet seems pretty advanced, judging by what you showed me when we were looking for supplies. Do you think it can analyze anything?"

Aleph glanced at Burroughs.

[Analyzing…]

A few seconds later, a notification appeared.

[Corrupted Database. Fragment reconstruction possible. Accessing…]

The screens flickered suddenly.

Ancient text began to appear in fragments.

[Security Log – Year XXXX]

[Restricted Access]

[Energy Anomaly Investigation]

[Project 'Nexus']

March 7th tilted her head.

"'Nexus'?"

Dan Heng adjusted his glasses.

"Have you ever heard of this, Bronya?"

Bronya shook her head.

"Never. This isn't in any records from the Overworld."

Seele frowned at the screens.

"If Svarog left this place untouched, it means even he didn't want to mess with it."

Aleph crossed his arms.

"And if he didn't want to touch it, it's because something here shouldn't be awakened."

Stelle stepped closer to the large cylindrical structure in the center of the room.

Its metallic surface was cold to the touch.

There was a panel at its base with ancient inscriptions.

But the most unsettling thing…

Was that she could hear a faint sound.

Like a heartbeat.

Bronya noticed her expression.

"What is it?"

Stelle tilted her head.

"…I don't know. But something about this place feels familiar."

Aleph felt a chill run down his spine at her words.

Burroughs displayed another notification.

[Warning: Energy Source in Stasis Detected. Origin: Unknown.]

The group exchanged glances.

March 7th scratched her head.

"Well… this is starting to give me a bad feeling."

Seele nodded.

"We shouldn't stay here too long."

Dan Heng looked at the screens one last time before shutting down the terminal.

"Without full access, we can't uncover the truth of this place… but at least we know something was being sealed here."

Bronya turned toward the exit.

"Then we should head back."

The group nodded and began retracing their steps down the corridor.

But Aleph and Stelle…

Gave one last look at the massive metallic structure before leaving.

As if they knew this wouldn't be their last encounter with it.

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

Ah, is it wrong if I deviate a little from the canon by adding more things? I promise it's nothing excessive.