Honkai Star Rail: Corruption System

(Despite the suspicious title, nothing happens)

Just then, a soft groan stirred the quiet. Clara's eyelids fluttered open, her gaze hazy with sleep.

She blinked, focusing on Daziel and March 7th. Her voice, weak and raspy, barely carried, "Daziel… March 7th… were you two… arguing?"

"Arguing? No, no, Clara, you've got the wrong idea!" Daziel rushed to reassure her, his voice laced with concern.

Hearing Clara's voice, March 7th immediately abandoned the basin of water and hurried to Clara's side, her brow furrowed with worry as she examined the bandaged thigh.

Relief washed over her features. The angry purple-blue bruising had significantly faded, replaced by the healthy pink of healing skin, and a delicate scab had begun to form over the wound.

"But… how is this possible?" March 7th murmured in astonishment, her eyes darting between Clara's leg and Daziel, disbelief etched on her face.

"See? Told you," Daziel sighed, a wave of relief washing over him. He moved closer to Clara, squatting beside her once more. "Clara, how are you feeling? Does it still hurt?"

Clara shook her head gently, her voice still faint. "It doesn't hurt anymore, just… itchy."

"That's a good sign, it means it's healing up." As he spoke, Daziel lowered his head, his tongue gently tracing the back of Clara's small foot.

"Mmm… ooh!" Clara gasped softly, a delicate sound that held a hint of sensitivity and a flicker of discomfort, yet she didn't pull away from Daziel's touch.

Ding!

[Target character Clara's Corruption Value increased by 2%]

Daziel's gaze flickered to the notification in his vision, then back to Clara. A strange unease settled in his stomach.

Why does this feel like I'm… taking advantage of the daughter of the house while Svarog is out?

…

Meanwhile…

The wind howled a frigid symphony through the jagged, snow-laden cliffs. Topaz stood at the foot of a colossal rock face, her gaze drawn upwards to the icy heights, a spark of anticipation dancing in her eyes.

Svarog's imposing mechanical frame stood silently beside her, his crimson optics flickering with cold light in the dim, overcast day.

"We've arrived," Svarog's voice resonated, low and even, as if stating an obvious fact.

Topaz arched a playful eyebrow, a sly smile curving her lips.

"Oh? Here, of all places. I must admit, I didn't expect this."

She scanned the stark, unyielding landscape, her gaze sweeping across the solid rock, a playful lilt in her voice. "But… I don't see any mechs, any armaments. Just rock. Could it be…?"

"Precisely." Svarog's mechanical head tilted fractionally, his voice unwavering in its certainty. "The weapons are concealed within the cliff face itself."

Topaz's smile widened, a knowing glint in her eyes. "No wonder! No wonder we couldn't locate this supposed 'armory' anywhere…"

Her voice trailed off abruptly, a sudden thought striking her, her tone shifting to surprised disbelief. "Wait a moment. You said they've always been hidden here? Meaning… throughout the war between the Architects and the Legion, these weapons remained untouched?"

A low hum vibrated from Svarog's mechanical body. "These mechs have never left this location since their construction. After the company withdrew from this planet over seven centuries ago, the knowledge to activate them was lost."

His voice carried a weight of history, a somber tone. "According to company blueprints, the Architects developed the initial prototypes. But in Alisa Rand's resistance, the true strength lay in the resilience of flesh and blood."

A flicker of complex emotion crossed Topaz's face. "I see," she murmured, lost in thought. "The tales of this world just keep getting richer…"

The wind howled around them, a constant, mournful cry. Topaz turned back to Svarog, her gaze sharp, a question hanging in the air. "I want to ask you something, Svarog."

She chuckled lightly, waving a dismissive hand. "Hmm? Don't be so stiff, big guy. Just ask."

Crimson light pulsed in Svarog's eyes, his voice measured and deliberate. "'Without the Company's intervention, this world is destined for ruin' – do you truly believe this?"

Topaz's smile faltered, a flicker of hesitation momentarily clouding her expression.

"I do believe…" she paused, the silence stretching, before she finally answered, her voice low. "Before I came here, I reviewed countless case files, and the conclusion was always the same. Worlds touched by Stellaron… none of them escape oblivion."

A note of weary resignation, of stark inevitability, crept into Topaz's voice. "Even with the Astral Express's help, even if things seem to improve on the surface… these are just temporary reprieves."

She lifted her chin, meeting Svarog's unblinking gaze. "Long-term crises always simmer beneath the veneer of prosperity, unseen by ordinary eyes."

Silence descended once more, broken only by the wind. The red light in Svarog's optics pulsed slowly.

"Understood," Svarog finally stated.

Topaz blinked, surprised by the brevity of his response. "'Understood'? That's it? No grand pronouncements? No dissenting opinion?"

Svarog's voice remained even, devoid of inflection. "Emotional analysis indicates your answer is sincere and factual. That was my only objective in asking."

He paused, then continued, "Regarding this planet's future, my perspective differs from yours. However, my opinion is now irrelevant. I attempted to oppose you and was easily defeated. What authority do I possess to voice my views again?"

A playful smirk touched Topaz's lips, a slight shake of her head. "Heh, fascinating. If only my colleagues possessed such… self-awareness."

She turned, patting the ever-present Trotter, Numby, who trotted faithfully at her heels. "Let's go, Numby. Time for a closer look."

Topaz strode forward, towards the shadowed mouth of the cliff. Her gloved fingers trailed along the icy rock face, a resolve hardening in her gaze.

From her breast pocket, she retrieved a data chip pulsing with an inner blue light. "The time has come."

With a decisive motion, she inserted the chip into a concealed port on the rock wall. Instantly, the cliff face resonated with a deep vibration. Ice and snow cascaded down in a whispering avalanche.

Slowly, majestically, cracks spiderwebbed across the rock, widening into a gaping maw that revealed the colossal mechanical structures hidden within.

In the echoing darkness, dormant mechs stirred to life, their crimson eyes igniting one by one, a sudden constellation blooming in the abyss.

A triumphant smile curled the corners of Topaz's mouth. "Time to awaken, creations bound by the Company's code. With you, and with the Company's personnel, even without the Stellaron, no one in Belobog can stand against me now."

Red light flickered with a complex uncertainty in Svarog's eyes, his voice low and heavy. "Are you… truly determined to do this?"

Topaz didn't glance back, her voice soft but resolute. "It is the only path, Svarog. For this planet's future, I must. I've already outlined the solution for the Supreme Guardian in a letter. She may be in a difficult position right now."

"However, her choice is ultimately… inconsequential. Unlike that Sandworm, I'm not a gambler. I require… absolute certainty."

Alone against the howling wind and swirling snow, Topaz's figure stood solitary, yet unwavering in its purpose.

Her fingers danced across a hidden control panel. Ranks of dormant mechs stood ready, awaiting her command.

Svarog's mechanical form vibrated faintly.

Finally, in a low, resonant voice, he uttered, "I can only hope… that your choice is the correct one."

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