[Honkai Star Rail]
Drawbacks: Old Memories, Long Life, Preserving Capitalism, Silence (2000)
Herta Space Station
Paths: The Trailblaze, Akivili
Independent, human (+200, 2200)
Playable Anime (Free)
Follow Your Path (Free)
Elemental Path (Free)
Praise Of High Morals (Free)
Emanator (1400)
Forming Connections (1200)
The Paths Most Travelled (900)
Blazing New Paths (600)
Astral Express (300)
Stellaron: Trailblaze (0)
Phone (Free)
Stylish Outfits (Free)
Synesthesia Beacon (Free)
The space train thundered beneath me as I took in the vast emptiness and fullness of this universe, all at once. I had incarnated right next to some kid, taken one look at her and just went "Interesting, you seem to be an artificial human touched by some higher order entity for hosting energy lifeforms" because I had little interest in prolonging mystery boxes and better things to do than listen to people yammer about them all day. While everyone was flocking around the kid, I decided to go out for some fresh air(lessness).
It really was a well-built space train, I thought, and I considered myself something of a space train connoisseur. Presently we came across a massive energy lifeform, the exact sort I was talking about to the kid. This one, I felt, was meant for me. I beckoned it forth, and we became one. And I felt a precisely one in three chance for unknowable apotheosis unfurl before me. And the train trundled on, as I tuned my consciousness to the machinations of inscrutable cosmic beings and contemplated the choices before me.
"Huh. This was NOT the choice I was expecting you to make" said Elodie, crawling out of an implausibly small vent and sitting down next to me.
"What choice should I have made?" I asked. "Should I walk the path of order subsumed into harmony? Maybe I should shackle myself to the defective overgrown LLM? Or perhaps, I myself should become an Aeon?"
1/3
"No! I'm glad you didn't, honest!" protested Elodie. Stardust passed us by as I peered far out to another world where I had dealt with a comparatively small existential threat; I remembered Welt shitting a brick as he recognised me next to this world's protagonist and decided to keep his mouth shut on the assumption I would care. "I'm just surprised that you chose this path, is all"
"Well. I don't hate it" I admitted.
"Really?"
"Those who follow the Path may be a weak, divided force but that will make them malleable to whatever cause of action I eventually decide on. Wonder may be irrelevant and adventure wasteful, but I also want to navigate the causal chain of events that could potentially lead to Finality before resorting to overwhelming force. And the Aeon in charge may be an idiot, but at least THEY successfully opposed several existential threats before perishing due to THEIR idiocy" I said.
"I for one think taking things slowly is a great idea" said Elodie. "Relatively speaking. Ahem. The Antimatter Legion is-"
"-about to attack another planet, yes, I'm on it"
I gestured.
[Expand Post] New Star Rails erupted across space, and upon them smaller, autonomous versions of the Astral Express. Without any need for crew, they simply unfurled divine armaments built into their carriages: Imaginary Energy wave motion cannons, wormhole generators, Alcubierre bubble projectors. The Legions braced themselves for annihilation. While the foremost were indeed rammed at superluminary speeds, most of the survivors were simply teleported away.
Right atop a Swarm infestation.
"There we go. Destruction used for cauterisation, instead of aggravated assault" I said, staring at the surprised and grateful planetary populace as the smaller space trains sped off on their own inscrutable journeys. In a universe full of flawed and broken deities, I thought as Elodie relaxed by my side, at least the space trains ran on time.
2/3
There would soon be imminent conflict and more immediate concerns-some of which were even after me, personally. But as the space train continued it's unfathomable journey, I did something lesser beings might compare to nostalgia: Simulate the ontological impact of the Astral Express on this universe, and compare it to similar phenomena: The Traveller's own journey across the universe, and Santa Claus' time-breaking journey to deliver presents. The result
I came to a conclusion.
"I'm going to resurrect their Aeon" I told Aeon.
"That's very kind, let's tell them-"
"You tell them, I'm going to do it now" I said, snapping my fingers and invoking an Imperial Miracle. The fabric of the universe lurched and distant Aeons recoiled in surprise. Suddenly the entire train came grinding to a halt as Akivili popped back into existence"
"You have bestowed power upon me, and as your Emanator I will use it to bring an end to the meaningless cycle this world languishes in. To go on forever. To defy Destruction and Finality, arising to become unparalleled among stars and Aeons" I told THEM. "State your objective. I am willing to cooperate with your goals within reason"
THEY squinted at me. "...hey, waitaminute you've been here before haven't you?"
I sighed. "Yes. Yes, I have"
"You've been to THAT world! The one with the Honkai!"
"Well the Honkai has now been contained-"
"I wanna go there? Can you show me? Please please PLEASE show me the way!!" begged Akivili, hoping up and down excitedly in space.
And reluctantly, trying to impress on him the urgency of the ongoing cosmic crisis, I gave Akivili the knowledge THEY needed to immediately abandon THEIR native world and run off to the Honkaiverse while I wondered how I was going to explain to their crew I'd misplaced their god because I was trying to be a diligent Emanator but THEY had the attention span of a small child.
3/3