Honkai Star Rail: But I can touch Castorice

Okhema, the Heroes' Bath.

"Butterfly, this young lady who resembles you is?" Aglaea looked at Castorice, inquiring about Polyxia's origin.

Tianne circled Castorice, asking with a puzzled tone, "Eh? Wait, Tiny Die, why is it only you and this young lady who returned? Where's Tiny Dery? Where is he?"

Hearing Tianne's question, sorrow involuntarily appeared in Polyxia's eyes. Castorice, however, remained calm and said to Aglaea, "Derick still has matters to attend to."

Tribbie continued to ask, "What matters?"

Castorice then told Aglaea and the others about Derick inheriting the authority of the Titan of Death and staying in the Underworld.

"What?! Tiny Dery actually stayed in the Underworld?"

Tianne covered her mouth, a shocked expression on her face. She then pursed her lips, her head lowered slightly, her eyes welling up.

As for the Flamechase Journey being a cycle, where demigods who inherit a Titan's Coreflame become new Titans in the next life, that seemed less important at this moment. That matter was still far off and could be discussed slowly later. The most pressing issue now was that Derick was currently in the Underworld.

"Lady Tianne, you don't need to be like this." Castorice's tone was surprisingly light. "Derick told me he would definitely be able to leave."

This...

Aglaea looked at Castorice, her brow furrowing slightly. From a rational perspective, she felt Castorice was currently in a somewhat unstable mental state. She wanted to offer comfort, to persuade her to accept reality. But the words caught in her throat; she couldn't bring herself to speak them. She felt that any words she uttered would only cause further harm to Castorice.

"Really? That's wonderful!" Tianne lifted her head, her tone excited. She then looked at Castorice and said, "Tiny Die, you're tired too. Go and rest first. It just so happens you also need to spend some time with your sister."

"Yes, Lady Tianne." Castorice was still feeling some discomfort and indeed needed to rest.

"Polyxia, let's go."

"Yes, sister."

Polyxia left with Castorice.

Once the two of them had departed, Tianne's happy expression instantly crumbled into sorrow.

"Sob, sob, sob, Tiny Dery, he's so young! Is he really going to stay in that sunless Underworld forever?!" she said sadly.

"My Master, you..." Aglaea looked at Tianne's display, her tone also somewhat surprised.

"Aya, what do you think is the probability of Tiny Dery being able to leave the Underworld?"

"...Honestly, very low," Aglaea replied after a moment of silence.

"Yes, although I also hope for a miracle, this situation is truly difficult. I was deliberately putting on an act just now because I was worried Tiny Die would be even more upset," Tianne said to Aglaea, fighting back the urge to cry. She could accept something happening to herself, but seeing someone as young as Derick meet such a fate, she felt a deep sadness from the bottom of her heart.

"My Master, then what should we do next?" Aglaea sought Tianne's opinion. Dealing with emotional matters like this was truly not her forte. Just moments ago, she had even considered advising Castorice to accept reality and continue the Flamechase Journey. But she found herself unable to adhere to purely rational processing as she had before.

Tianne said to Aglaea, "Later, I will find Mydei, Phainon, Tribbie, and Trinnon. I'll tell them not to show any sadness about Tiny Dery in front of Butterfly. We must support Tiny Die emotionally."

"Yes, My Master." Aglaea agreed with Tianne's words.

...

Underworld.

Derick watched the souls continuously falling from the sky and felt there were becoming too many.

"No, I'll do a simple sorting for most of the souls. The rest should be handed over to my avatar quickly," Derick thought. Staying in the Underworld for too long, Derick worried Castorice would become overly anxious waiting, so he wanted to finish things here as soon as possible.

Adjusting his vision, Derick was about to switch to his first avatar's perspective, but at that moment, he sensed his second avatar reacting.

Hm? Why would someone come over here?

During this time, the researchers at Herta Space Station had performed numerous dissections on Derick's second avatar. Unfortunately, they had achieved no results. Seeing their lack of progress, Herta had stopped them from further harassing this precious experimental subject, Derick's second avatar. Apart from delivering food to the second avatar daily, there were no other actions.

What surprised Herta somewhat was that Derick's second avatar sometimes ignored the sumptuous food, while at other times, it needed to consume large quantities. There was no pattern, which puzzled her. Actually, this simply depended on whether Derick's main body had free time. If he had time, he'd take a look and eat some; if not, he wouldn't bother.

Stellie had already left with the Astral Express. Before she left, she came to see this 'buddy' one last time. And she even recommended the wonders of trash cans to Derick's second avatar. After Stellie departed, Derick's second avatar was completely idle. No one had come by.

Today, researchers had come to the laboratory again.

Could it be!

Excitement lit up Derick's eyes.

I've waited a thousand years for you, you've finally come! Miss Ruan Mei, you've finally come for your most useful, problem-free experimental subject!

Derick controlled his second avatar, dancing with joy.

Seeing it gesticulating wildly, the researchers present were somewhat baffled. One researcher wondered, "What's going on? Is it trying to express something?"

Another researcher stroked his chin, analyzed for a moment, then said, "I feel like, maybe no one has come to see it for a while? This creature, does it also require companionship?"

"That's not out of the question," a third researcher said, taking out his tablet. "I'll record what's happening here and verify it later." After recording, he quickly looked at Derick's second avatar. "Next, we're taking you to meet someone. Perhaps with her, you will achieve very special growth." As he spoke, a look of longing and fervor appeared in his eyes. This researcher, although working at Herta Space Station, primarily specialized in life sciences. In this field, Miss Ruan Mei was clearly more authoritative and had greater achievements.

Alright, alright, I get it. Just hurry up and take me there, Derick thought impatiently.

Fortunately, this fervent researcher still had some sense. After his eyes glowed with fervor for a moment, he still followed work instructions and guided Derick's second avatar to the experimental facility. They had initially thought they might need to use some coercive transport methods, but when it came to an experiment, Derick's second avatar followed the researcher very actively.

As they walked, the researcher was still muttering to Derick's second avatar, "I don't know if you actually possess intelligence. If you don't, you can still react to some things. If you do, isn't going to this experiment clearly harming you? Why are you so eager?"

Nonsense, what harm is this? This is the path to my strength increasing.

As for normal times, my own main body is still the most important. This avatar of mine came here precisely to become stronger.

Apart from becoming stronger, I seek nothing else.

Derick thought to himself.

Soon, the researchers brought Derick's second avatar to its destination. In the laboratory, there was a Herta puppet and a qipao-clad beauty with a gentle temperament. Although this looked very different from the atmosphere of a life science experimental facility, everyone present knew that in the field of life sciences, unless Nous hirself intervened, no one could surpass her.

Genius Society Member #81—Ruan Mei.

Seeing Ruan Mei, Derick was incredibly excited.

I've finally met you!

Ruan Mei, please experiment on me.

Tilting her head and seeing the excited trembling of Derick's second avatar, Ruan Mei gave a kind smile.

"Is this that child? It looks quite interesting," she said to Herta.

Herta turned and walked outside. "Is that so? Conversely, with my level in life sciences, I temporarily have no ideas on how to handle it. I'm handing it over to you. Do with it as you please."

"Good." Ruan Mei nodded, paid no further attention to Herta's departure, and instead took a box from her side, retrieving a pastry from it.

"Here, cute little fellow, come and try this pastry."

Cute? Derick looked at his second avatar. Pitch black all over, wielding a scythe, and because it had devoured many Antimatter Legion beings, it even bore some of Nanook's characteristics. What did that have to do with cute? I don't understand you scientists' aesthetic sense!

Derick obediently had the avatar take the pastry and begin to devour it. The avatar wouldn't savor the taste of food; Derick didn't know what it tasted like.

Just three seconds later, the second avatar began to burn from the inside out.

Derick's second avatar instantly became a man of fire.

Good heavens, Ruan Mei really doesn't delay at all. Straight to the experiment! Derick thought, watching his second avatar burn from a third-person perspective.

Wait, this feeling... Derick sensed the internal state of his second avatar.

Ruan Mei reached out to touch the second avatar; the raging flames caused her no harm whatsoever. In fact, upon her touch, the flames vanished. Tilting her head, Ruan Mei looked at Derick's second avatar with expectant eyes.

And at this moment, in the Underworld, Derick extended his own palm, and a ball of flame ignited upon it.

"I originally thought Ruan Mei was going to use fire to test my avatar's recovery ability. I didn't expect her to experiment on its devouring ability right away."

"And just like that, I've gained fire manipulation."

_____

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