Honkai Star Rail: Corruption System

Snow howled through the mechanical settlements of the lower levels, the wind biting and seeming to freeze everything in its icy grip.

Daziel and March 7th plodded through the deep snow, their steps heavy as they approached the mansion, a structure entwined with mechanical pipelines.

In the distance, they saw the tall, mechanical figure of Svarog and the petite girl beside him, Clara.

"Mr. Svarog, long time no see," Daziel waved, a genuine smile brightening his face.

"Long time no see, you two," Svarog's mechanical eyes flickered with crimson light, his voice deep and calm as ever.

Clara's eyes lit up, her voice bubbling with delight, "It's Daziel, March 7th…! March 7th, you look so pretty today!"

March 7th bounced over, gently hugged Clara, and then playfully pinched Clara's cheek. "Hey, long time no see, Clara, you're getting cuter by the day~"

"Clara… am I?!" Clara's face flushed with a shy blush at March 7th's words.

However, her gaze was quickly drawn to another unfamiliar figure.

"Hi! Mr. Svarog, right? And this little girl next to you… that must be Clara!" Topaz stepped forward, her smile radiant and her tone light and breezy.

"H-hello, Miss… are you…?" Clara asked hesitantly, a flicker of curiosity in her eyes.

"Hello, I'm Topaz!" Topaz's voice was cheerful and gentle, "I'm here to discuss some business with Mr. Svarog."

Svarog's mechanical eyes flashed red, a hint of warning coloring his deep voice. "Clara, return to the residence and wait for me."

Clara was taken aback, glancing uncertainly at Topaz, then back at Svarog.

"…Eh? But Mr. Svarog, if we have guests…"

"She is not a 'guest,' and certainly not a 'friend'." Svarog's voice was cold and firm, leaving no room for argument. "Go back and wait for me, Clara. Everything will be alright, don't worry."

Clara pursed her lips, finally nodding and turning to run into the mansion.

Her small figure disappeared behind the door, but Topaz's gaze followed her until the heavy door was completely closed.

"It seems my sources were correct…" Topaz straightened up, a hint of amusement dancing in her tone. "A strong bond built between a large robot and a little girl… truly a heartwarming story!"

Svarog's mechanical body turned slightly, emitting a low hum. "That is the symbol of the 'Interastral Peace Corporation.' Why are you here?"

Topaz shrugged, a sly smile playing on her lips. "Looks like I can skip the formalities when talking to you, great."

She paused, her tone suddenly becoming serious, the playful facade dropping away. "Jarilo-VI—ah, are you familiar with that name? In any case, this planet beneath our feet—it will soon become an asset of the 'Corporation'."

Svarog's mechanical frame shuddered slightly, turning his head to look at Daziel and March 7th. "And what about you two? People of the Astral Express coming with this Corporation lady, have you chosen to stand on the Corporation's side?"

Daziel shook his head. "No, we are just bystanders. We were worried something might go wrong, so we came along with Miss Topaz, we aren't taking sides for now…"

Topaz's tone carried an undeniable confidence, bordering on arrogance. "Never mind them, their opinions are insignificant. I'm only concerned with one thing now, which is to be responsible for the projects I handle as much as possible. I need to show the Corporation's shareholders the value that Jarilo-VI can create.

"In the long run, this is… no, only by doing this can we guarantee Belobog's long-term interests. I need your assistance to achieve this goal."

Svarog was silent for a moment, red light flickering in his mechanical eyes. "'Long-term interests'—concept vague. Evaluating intent…"

His voice paused again, then turned cold as steel. "Evaluation result: failure. Tell me, Envoy—how do you intend to convince the Corporation's leadership?"

Topaz smiled faintly, taking out a data chip shimmering with blue light from her pocket. "Simple, I'll show you something."

"This is…!" Svarog's mechanical eye focused on the chip, his voice tinged with shock for the first time.

"'Source code'—to be precise, it's the 'source code' that can obtain unified control of all mechanical units in Belobog." Topaz's voice held a hint of triumph, a gloating edge entering her tone. "You should be well aware, right? All combat robots manufactured by Belobog in the past seven hundred years have used the underlying system left behind by the 'Corporation.' Such a perfect code, the engineers here never even considered the need to replace it."

Watching Topaz take out the chip, Daziel breathed a sigh of relief.

If things went as expected, Topaz would probably go with Svarog to find that armory.

If Topaz saw that the machines in the armory were unused, and that the people of Belobog had relied on their own flesh and blood to resist the Destruction Legion for hundreds of years, perhaps her views would change.

At least, that's how it was described in the original storyline…

Being here, even if he could exert a tiny bit of influence on Topaz, it would at least prevent the relationship between the two sides from becoming too strained.

Svarog's mechanical body vibrated slightly, as if performing some internal calculations.

Topaz continued, "You should also know that somewhere in this lower level, there used to be a huge armory. It lies dormant with many… many weapons, enough to crush a vanguard of an entire legion."

"This is my bargaining chip when negotiating with the higher-ups… and perhaps it can also become a bargaining chip when negotiating with the Supreme Guardian." Topaz's voice carried a hint of fervor, a spark of ambition igniting within her. "I want to convince them, to make them believe that Jarilo-VI can occupy a place in the Corporation's long-term strategy. But first, I need a guide to tell me where those weapons are buried."

Svarog was silent for a moment, red light flickering in his mechanical eyes. "I understand. Your 'long-term interests,' can be defined as civilization survival on a macro level."

His voice was deep and cold, a chill running through it. "But what plans do you have for the humans currently living here?"

Topaz's smile stiffened slightly, but quickly returned to normal, though it now seemed a touch brittle. "Their future has already been bought out. I can only try my best to make them accept this fact… with a relatively peaceful attitude."

The red light in Svarog's mechanical eyes suddenly intensified, his voice hardening, carrying a sense of unyielding pressure. "I understand… but I refuse to assist your plan."

Topaz's smile instantly vanished, replaced by a coldness that chilled the air. "Oh? You're actually this stubborn? I thought you were like the rumors said, a mechanical life form that prioritizes rationality above all else."

Svarog's voice was cold and firm, unwavering. "The future you speak of is beyond my calculation range. But my emotional readings tell me that your plan will only bring destruction, not survival."

Topaz's gaze gradually sharpened, she sighed softly, her hand reaching into her pants pocket…

"It seems, I have to teach you robots a lesson first!" Her voice was low and dangerous, the cheerfulness gone.

…Wait! Something's not right!

Hearing the conversation between the two, Daziel's expression suddenly changed, his eyes widening in alarm.

The world line had changed here too!

In the original storyline, Svarog had agreed with Topaz's idea, giving up resistance and directly leading Topaz to find the armory.

Why did it sound like they were about to start fighting now?! A knot of anxiety tightened in Daziel's stomach.

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