The gray and pink duo of beautiful girls chat as they arrive at a plaza.
March 7th scans the area and suddenly waves.
"Hey~ Uncle Yang, over here~~"
"You two done eating?"
"All done, totally satisfied." March 7th rubs her tummy.
Stelle pulls out an extra portion she prepared.
"Here, Mr. Welt. You probably haven't eaten since we arrived at the Luofu."
Welt pauses, a warm look crossing his face as he takes it.
"That's thoughtful of you."
"What's Uncle Yang observing here?"
"The people's livelihood."
March 7th tilts her head: "Livelihood?"
"Well, it seems many Xianzhou residents know about the Stellaron outbreak, yet their daily rhythm is barely affected."
Welt gestures for the two to look at the bustling street.
"I overheard some passersby. Many pocket dimension entrances are sealed, preventing entry or exit."
"Some injured people and Cloud Knights can only head to the nearest accessible pocket dimensions."
"Exalting Sanctum, where we are now, is one of them. Look over there—many Cloud Knights are receiving treatment and checkups."
"So it seems General Jing Yuan wasn't lying to us in this regard."
March 7th: "Which regard?"
Stelle sighs helplessly: "What else? Manpower shortage."
March 7th suddenly points to a spot: "Looks like some commotion."
It's a bit far, and Stelle can only vaguely see a few people scattering in panic.
Welt: "Let's check it out."
As they hurry closer, a strange golden light suddenly shoots out from the area.
A low, beast-like roar rumbles.
"That's—"
Stelle's gaze sharpens.
She sees several Cloud Knights lying on stretchers suddenly transform.
Not only are their bodies covered in golden ginkgo leaves, but eerie plant tendrils coil around their limbs and torsos.
"They're just like the ones we saw when we met Miss Tingyun!" March 7th exclaims.
What were they called?
Before she can recall, a young voice calls from above.
"Everyone, step back!"
March 7th sees a flash of lightning, and the transformed figures are swiftly knocked down.
When she makes out what the lightning is, her little face lights up with surprise.
Such an adorable kid!
"Quick, give these people the medicine from the gourd and make them lie down properly!"
As soon as the words are spoken, the fallen figures eerily rise and surround the kid.
"Uh… I… I mean…"
"Don't be scared, kid, I'll help you!"
Stelle pulls out her lance, slams it into the ground, and shouts:
"You Mara-Struck over there, look here!"
An invisible imaginary wave spreads rapidly, a peculiar force washing over the Mara-Struck, firmly capturing their frenzied attention.
"Wait, the protagonist actually uses an E-taunt in the story?"
Seeing this, Old Bear is astonished.
"March!"
"Coming, coming! Let this girl make you beautifully frozen!"
A six-phased ice construct explodes, freezing several Mara-Struck charging at Stelle.
Stelle grips her lance tightly, sighs, and turns to March 7th with a look of care.
"My fault. I shouldn't have had expectations of you."
March 7th's face flushes red, avoiding Stelle's gaze, offering an embarrassed smile as she explains.
"Don't blame me! Those monsters got close to you too fast… that's why…"
The camera pans down, showing Stelle's legs frozen by the six-phased ice.
[Hahahahaha!]
[Second time's the charm!]
[My gosh, the teammate-sabotaging March-wife.]
[Don't talk nonsense. She never sabotages in big moments. This is clearly a heartwarming way to bond~]
[You call getting frozen heartwarming?]
"When will you ever control it precisely, March?!"
"Next time, I swear, next time I'll get it right!"
Glancing at the girls with slight embarrassment, Welt lightly taps his cane on the ground, triggering a gravitational force that suppresses the Mara-Struck, temporarily plunging their consciousness into darkness.
Once the commotion settles, Bailu checks for safety, pats her chest, and breathes a sigh of relief.
"After a lesson, they should lie down properly now, right?"
She turns to Stelle's group.
"Thanks, uncle and sisters, for helping stabilize the patients. That gravity anesthesia technique is pretty impressive."
March 7th's eyes widen.
"Whoa… Uncle Yang, this kid actually recognized your technique. That's amazing!"
Bailu falters for a moment, choosing to ignore it, and says:
"But with your intervention, these Cloud Knights are now injured on top of their condition. I'll have to work harder to set their bones and bandage them."
"Ugh, now I'm completely swamped!"
Stelle looks skeptical: "Were you diagnosing them earlier? Treating people isn't child's play."
March 7th: "Kid, where's your dad?"
Bailu: "I don't have a dad."
"Huh? Then your mom?"
"I don't have a mom either."
"…" March 7th's mood plummets, and she scratches her head, feeling pity.
① "You didn't pop out of a rock, did you?"
② "You can treat me as your mom…"
"The writing team's got no cure—this option exists?"
Seeing option two, Old Bear laughs uncontrollably.
Curious about Bailu's reaction.
But what's truly shocking isn't Bailu's response—it's what the protagonist says next.
Stelle tries to exude a bit of maternal warmth, reaching out to pat Bailu's head.
"It's okay, little one. You can treat me as your mom. I can totally be your life's guide…"
"??!"
Welt's eyes widen instantly, his hair standing on end, looking at Stelle as if seeing a ghost from his past.
Most players just think Welt's shock comes from the bizarre option.
Only those who've played miHoYo's Honkai universe prequels are laughing so hard their facial muscles cramp.
[Laughed till I'm crazy!]
[Old Yang's Star of Eden almost couldn't hold it together.]
[Zero Rated Power: Activate!]
[Stop talking, you can't say that!]
Seeing an expression on Stelle's face almost identical to Leon's at times, Welt shakes his head helplessly.
Just a coincidence.
Bailu glares at Stelle, her tail smacking Stelle's hand in annoyance.
"You short-lived outsider girl, this is the Xianzhou! Don't judge by appearances!"
Stelle: "Then why did you call us uncle and sisters earlier?"
Bailu purses her lips.
"That's just accounting for our size difference, so outsiders don't make a fuss about titles."
"You see my small stature and think I'm a kid sneaking out behind my parents' backs?"
"I'm Vidyadhara. My life cycle is self-sustaining—no need for a mom or dad."
"This miss has been studying medicine since emerging from rebirth. In the Alchemy Commission, I'm a legitimate, licensed physician."
"If we're talking age, you calling me Grandma Bailu would still be a generational mix-up."
March 7th covers her mouth, whispering to Stelle.
"All the doctors I've met, including Leon, are adults. This kid's already skilled at treating people—goodness…"
"Compared to the kids in Belobog still playing in the dirt underground, this is just…"
Stelle corrects her: "You're wrong, March. Actually, some kids in the Underground smaller than her are pretty terrifying too."
"Huh?"
"You missed it, sleeping through your beauty nap. I'll tell you about it sometime."
Stelle hasn't forgotten little Hook.
Now that's a real pint-sized powerhouse, solving grown-up problems at just a few years old.
=====
New Story posted:
Mushoku Tensei: The Imbibitor Lunae Template