Chapter 18: We Also Have a Tour de Inferno!
Himeko and Welt spoke in perfect, overlapping unison. "Dan Heng, how are you? Are you injured? Did you run into any trouble?"
Himeko had set her coffee cup down with unusual haste, while Welt adjusted his glasses, his brow furrowed in genuine concern. After all, this was a sudden, unmapped jump to an entirely unknown alternate universe. As the senior guardians of the Astral Express, their protective instincts were on high alert.
Nearby, Pom-Pom's long, furry ears suddenly shot straight up. The conductor's small body froze completely in the center of the parlor car rug.
Pom-Pom could clearly sense it—a massive, roaring stream of pure Trailblaze energy was flooding directly into the Astral Express's core! It was thick, golden, and potent enough to fuel an entire warp jump all on its own.
This was absolutely nothing like the minor trickles of energy they had gained from collecting small trinkets from other worlds. The sheer scale of the influx left Pom-Pom completely speechless, eyes wide with shock.
It wasn't until Himeko and Welt's worried voices echoed through the cabin again that Pom-Pom finally snapped out of the daze and hurried forward, little boots tapping rapidly against the floorboards.
The conductor's voice pitched high with un-faded excitement. "That's right! Passenger Dan Heng! Are you... are you really okay, Pom-Pom? You didn't encounter anything scary, did you, Pom-Pom?"
Dan Heng offered a calm, reassuring nod. Once he gave his affirmative reply, the heavy tension in the parlor car instantly evaporated. Everyone's hanging hearts finally settled back into their chests.
Unable to hold back a second longer, Pom-Pom practically vibrated in place, asking eagerly, "Passenger Dan Heng! The Astral Express suddenly gained a massive amount of Trailblaze energy just now. Did you complete a major Trailblaze mission over there?"
Dan Heng nodded again, crossing his arms thoughtfully. "I only completed a preliminary investigation of a small sector. The energy surge is likely due to the Space Anchor I established right before I returned. Since we are actively trailblazing an entirely new alternate world, the energy generated from anchoring our presence there is naturally substantial."
Pom-Pom's eyes sparkled with sudden understanding, nodding like a little chick pecking at grain. "So that's how it is, Pom-Pom!"
Warm smiles broke out across the faces of the Express crew. The most fundamental purpose of the Astral Express was, after all, to Trailblaze. The more energy they accumulated, the stronger the train's engine and defensive shields would become. This was absolutely crucial for ensuring their safety in all future interstellar journeys.
...
Meanwhile, in Blazewood, the Outer Ring.
Nearly two hours had passed since Dan Heng vanished into the portal. The harsh desert sun was beginning to dip low, casting long, fiery orange shadows across the dusty settlement.
A rugged off-road vehicle rumbled to a halt outside Caesar's headquarters. The heavy doors swung open, and Lighter and Lucy stepped out, followed closely by Belle.
The moment Belle's boots hit the dirt, she didn't even wait for the dust to settle. She sprinted straight toward Wise, her hands flying over his arms, checking his shoulders, and inspecting him from head to toe with frantic precision. She only let out a long, shaky breath when she was absolutely certain he was in one piece.
Wise stood perfectly still, a helpless expression on his face as he allowed his sister to fuss over him. Still, a faint, almost imperceptible warmth tugged at the corner of his mouth.
Belle knew her brother's personality far too well. He was exactly the type of person who would deliberately hide a serious injury just to keep her from worrying.
"Belle, I told you I'm fine," Wise said, his voice mild and soothing. "You've checked me three times now. You should believe me by now, right?"
Belle crossed her arms and puffed her cheeks. "Who told you to be the kind of big brother who deliberately lies to me sometimes?"
Wise wisely chose not to argue the point. Instead, he gestured toward the group standing nearby to change the subject.
"Belle, this is Caesar, the leader of the Sons of Calydon. And the two who just went to pick you up are Lighter and Lucy."
Hearing her name, Caesar stepped forward and flashed a bright, hearty grin, her enthusiasm radiating like the desert sun.
Wise turned back to the gang. "Caesar, this is my sister—Belle."
Belle offered a polite wave. "Hello, Caesar. I'm Belle."
With the introductions out of the way, the group moved inside to escape the evening chill. Gathered around a heavy wooden table, they began to dissect the intel regarding Pearlman, as well as the assistance Wise and Belle were providing the Sons of Calydon to win the Tour de Inferno.
With Lucy adding her sharp tactical input to the discussion, Wise quickly gained a much deeper understanding of what the Tour de Inferno actually entailed.
On the surface, it masqueraded as a simple, high-octane Hollow motorcycle off-road race. But beneath the roaring engines and flying dust, it was a brutal political battle for the Outer Ring's fuel resources and the absolute right to manage them.
This competition dragged in numerous factions across the Outer Ring, but the true battle was between the two heavyweights: the Sons of Calydon and The Vanquishers.
One was a seasoned, dominant powerhouse, and the other was a rising star faction led by their fiery new leader, Caesar.
Looking at the board from this angle, Wise's previous suspicions were all but confirmed. It was highly probable that someone from The Vanquishers, or one of their subordinate gangs, had cleverly orchestrated the trap that sent Wise and Billy tumbling into the Hollow. Their goal was obvious: eliminate the Rope Master before the Sons of Calydon could secure their vital assistance.
Wise leaned forward, ready to explore deeper into the logistics of the race, but the serious atmosphere shattered in an instant. Caesar and Lucy, falling right back into their old habits, started bickering loudly, ruthlessly exposing each other's embarrassing childhood shortcomings.
Finally, a red-faced, fuming Lucy stomped her heavy boot against the floorboards. "Enough! Caesar! I'm going to duel you right here, right now!" She charged at her leader, completely derailing the tactical meeting.
Wise and Belle exchanged a worried glance, unsure if they needed to intervene. But Piper and Burnice, who were casually sipping their drinks nearby, simply waved it off. After a brief explanation from the two veterans, the siblings realized that this chaotic shouting match was just Caesar and Lucy's normal way of showing affection.
After a simple but hearty dinner of roasted meats and spiced vegetables, Wise and Belle finally retreated to the quiet comfort of the guest lounge.
The moment they opened the multiversal chat group, they found it absolutely buzzing with activity.
It turned out that after Lumine and Paimon returned to Natlan, they had made it just in time to catch Kachina's match. Feeling that the bout was extraordinarily significant, Lumine had recorded the entire fight to share with the group.
The video showcased a spectacular showdown between Kachina and Mualani—a clash between an energetic, devastating girl and a fluid, high-speed powerhouse. Neither held back an ounce of strength despite their close friendship, and the sheer intensity of their full-effort brawl left everyone in the chat full of praise.
Seeing Stelle and the others openly admiring Kachina and her companions made Lumine puff her chest out with pride.
[Genshin Impact · Lumine]: "Just you wait. You guys will have the chance to take in such amazing students one day too."
[Honkai: Star Rail · Stelle]: "Don't get too smug. I'm heading to the Xianzhou Luofu soon. I'll just casually pick up a peerless martial arts prodigy as my disciple too."
[Zenless Zone Zero · Belle]: "Hello everyone, we're back online."
[Genshin Impact · Paimon]: "Hey Belle! Did you guys find anything good this afternoon?"
[Zenless Zone Zero · Belle]: "We gained quite a bit of intel, but I'll let my brother type it out. I'm going to watch the match video Lumine just uploaded!"
It was painfully obvious that Belle just wanted to slack off. Wise sighed helplessly, his fingers flying across the holographic keyboard as he stepped in to explain the true purpose of the Sons of Calydon and the political stakes behind the Tour de Inferno.
Sitting in the parlor car of the Express, Stelle finished reading Wise's long explanation. Her golden eyes suddenly sparkled with intense interest at the mention of a Hollow motorcycle off-road race.
'A high-speed death race through a dimensional anomaly?'Stelle thought, a grin spreading across her face.'That sounds incredibly fun. When do I get to rev an engine and run people off the road?!'
[Ding! System Announcement: World Event [Tour de Inferno] is about to begin!]
Event Time: Tomorrow (training matches open) until the final match day (specific date to be determined).
Event Location: Training matches will be held in the Adaptive Training Room, simulating the Outer Ring Hollow environment. The final match will be held in the actual Outer Ring Hollow of [Zenless Zone Zero · Belle]'s world.
Event Rules: Group members can arrange their own time to participate. For the first five completed training matches, each completion earns 80 points. During the training matches, motorcycle paint schemes can be freely designed and saved.
Final Match: All registered group members will compete simultaneously. The first to reach the Blazestone Fire Lake wins.
Participation Rewards: First place 300 points; Second place 240 points; Third place 180 points; Other finishers 120 points.
Participating Motorcycles: To ensure fairness and widespread participation, the system will uniformly provide standard performance motorcycles for the event. After the final match, the motorcycle will be given to participants as a permanent souvenir.
Final Match Schedule: After all group members have completed at least one training match, the final match's start time will be decided by a majority vote.
Please prepare yourselves, group members, and enjoy this cross-dimensional speed feast!
Everyone staring at their screens was suddenly taken aback. The long-awaited world event had finally arrived, but they certainly hadn't expected the system to be such a blatant copycat.
Wise had literally just finished explaining the Tour de Inferno, and now the chat group was hosting an identical multiversal race.
Still, the setup looked phenomenal. Not only were there massive point rewards on the line, but getting to keep a custom-painted motorcycle as a souvenir was an absolute steal.
And for Stelle and Lumine, it meant yet another golden opportunity for a one-day vacation to a brand-new alternate world.
[Honkai: Star Rail · Stelle]: "Woohoo! This is perfect! I was literally just wondering why we didn't have a motorcycle death race, and the system delivered!"
[Honkai: Star Rail · Stelle]: "Points, free bikes, and an alternate world competition. It's really like whatever I wish for comes true. As expected, the chat group loves me the most."
[Honkai: Star Rail · March 7th]: "Hey! Isn't your wish coming true a little too fast? Could it be that this chat group can actually read minds?!"
The chat exploded with cheering emojis as everyone joined in, hyping up the upcoming world event.
Dan Heng, however, stood quietly by the Express window, his sharp eyes scanning the group announcement and Stelle's smug remarks. He fell into deep thought, his mind churning through the variables.
The last world commission had been initiated at the exact moment Belle urgently needed help due to Wise falling into danger. The content of this new world event, on the other hand, perfectly aligned with Stelle's strong, sudden desire for a race.
Was this merely a coincidence? Or did the underlying operating logic of this multiversal chat group actively tend to respond to the strong, positive wishes of its administrators and members?
Dan Heng mentally filed the theory away. He knew that without more supporting examples, it was merely a conjecture. But it was a pattern worth observing very, very closely.
[Inorin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me and keeps these daily updates flowing!
Want to read 50 chapters ahead or just want to help keep a shameless translator alive? (My livelihood actually depends on this, haha 😭). You can support me directly here:
(P.S. Just remove the brackets and replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters): patreon[.]com/InorinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/InorinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]