WiseTL

Star Rail: Starting with a Lyre, Living off Busking [16]

The eye of the storm, centered around the Extraterrestrial Flame, swept the Silvermane Guards high into the air, narrowly saving them from the fiery ring that scorched everything below.

Just seconds more and they would have been consumed in the blaze, leaving them dazed and struggling to believe they had survived.

The scent of melting rubber from their boots finally grounded them, reminding them this was no near-death vision but reality.

“Was it Lady Bronya who saved us?�...

Star Rail: Starting with a Lyre, Living off Busking [15]

The Rift’s flame-beast—or more accurately, a creature of Extraterrestrial Flame.

Just by existing, these monsters spread scorching flames across the battlefield, making them some of the Silvermane Guards’ most troublesome enemies.

Though they weren’t impossible to defeat, subduing an Extraterrestrial Flame-level opponent required considerable manpower, supplies, and weaponry, along with elite forces capable of resisting its attacks.

Without such resources, the guards...

Star Rail: Starting with a Lyre, Living off Busking [14]

The outskirts of Belobog, at night.

“Silvermane Guards, charge with me! We cannot let a single monster through our line!”

“Yes, sir!”

Urgent footsteps shattered the silence of the night, a battalion charging forward in response to the young commander’s rallying cry as they plunged into the desolate, empty wasteland.

Ahead lay a newly opened rift—a festering spatial tear that steadily expanded, releasing streams of corrosive energy.

Inside the growing ...

Star Rail: Starting with a Lyre, Living off Busking [13]

“You know, I found a good venue for your next performance, just like you asked me to.”

Pela took a sip of her tea, speaking with a measured calm.

“It’s close by, at the Goethe Hotel. The event is on a rest day, so it’s bound to draw a crowd.”

Since she had once been part of a band called "Mechanical Frenzy," where she even played the drums, Pela wasn’t surprised by Venti’s desire to find a new performance space—she didn’t see other musicians as rivals. 2024-11-11 23:49:42 +0000 UTC View Post

Star Rail: Starting with a Lyre, Living off Busking [12]

After dishing out their portions, Pela and Venti enjoyed a quiet meal. The silence wasn’t uncomfortable—it was peaceful.

It wasn’t their first time eating food that wasn’t common in the higher district. Pela, having grown up with a famous adventurer as her mother, had always been exposed to exotic things from either the outside world or the lower district. Though her mother had passed away, her teachings had helped Pela grow into a mature adult, open-minded and accepting of new ...

Star Rail: Starting with a Lyre, Living off Busking [11]

“‘Eh heh’ my foot! Do you even realize how late you are—?!”

“Sorry, sorry! I just got a little lost on the road of life.”

Hearing his excuse, the girl, already well-acquainted with his personality, couldn’t help but want to sock him.

Here was this talented storyteller, perpetually unserious, the type whose true fans would be disillusioned to meet in person. And he’d kept a lady waiting in the chilly evening for thirty whole minutes! Her knees were practical...

Star Rail: Starting with a Lyre, Living off Busking [10]

It had been 2 hours and 34 minutes since Venti left the Robot Settlement and reached the Upper District.

It was now evening, and dusk’s light was slowly retreating from the city, draining the brilliance from this city of Preservation. Dark shadows crept out from the corners of buildings, casting the city’s edges in an eerie emptiness, giving it a sense of abandonment.

This was no surprise; the outer sections of Belobog had long been ravaged by the Fragmentum. People there were...

Star Rail: Starting with a Lyre, Living off Busking [9]

“Oh, so that’s how this was going to play out.” Venti sighed dramatically, feigning disappointment. “I always thought I had that ‘crowd-pleasing’ charm, but I guess that doesn’t work on machines. I’m seriously crushed!”

Predictably, Svarog didn’t take the bait. Thanks to his connection with Clara, he didn’t press down on Venti, either. Instead, he calmly analyzed:

“Our discussion’s purpose is not to create a sense of enjoyment, Bard. I have a mission to f...

Star Rail: Starting with a Lyre, Living off Busking [8]

After arriving at the Robot Settlement…

Unlike the dark, silent Rivet Town, this place was bright and bustling, thanks to the energy cores used for heating. Still, it was only a slight improvement.

Above them, the sky was as black as ever, filled with enormous gray gears and faintly glowing transport pipes carrying geolattice up and down.

It wasn’t humans who filled the pathways here but automatons.

From common war dog models and beetle types to specialized tactica...

Star Rail: Starting with a Lyre, Living off Busking [7]

Hearing Venti bring up this issue, Clara’s expression turned somber.

“Mr. Svarog insists on following his calculations, so he won’t agree to open the transport channels. He says that doing so would only lead to a sudden flood of homeless people from the Lower District overwhelming the Upper District, accelerating Belobog’s decline.”

It was, indeed, a painful reality.

When a stable community suddenly gets a massive influx of outsiders encroaching on their limited sp...

Star Rail: Starting with a Lyre, Living off Busking [6]

“Sister Venti, do you need some parts to trade for wine? Clara found everything she needed today, so if you’d like…”

Clara took out her small backpack, filled with the fruits of her labor for the day. Her generosity left Venti feeling a bit guilty.

The brief awkward silence must have come across as reluctance, prompting Clara, ever so considerate, to quickly add,

“Oh, I didn’t mean to offend you, Sister Venti! When you came and played music in the settlement, eve...

Star Rail: Starting with a Lyre, Living off Busking [5]

“Mm—!”

Clearly, his words struck a deep chord, so much so that even Venti was a bit surprised by the effect.

Seele’s previous confusion had vanished, replaced by a fierce, steely expression.

“Tell me, how do I create a miracle!”

“You seem to trust me quite a bit. Aren’t you worried I might just be spouting nonsense?”

Venti asked, feigning innocence.

This made Seele release him, giving his chest a playful punch as she muttered, a bit embarr...

Star Rail: Starting with a Lyre, Living off Busking [4]

Wildfire.

What was Wildfire?

In Natasha’s words, they were the Silvermane Guards of the Lower District, though with a warmer touch.

In other words, they were a grassroots, volunteer organization.

Of course, considering the management challenges, it was clear that a group of mostly non-professional volunteers would struggle to maintain order across the entire Lower District.

Even now, Wildfire could only manage the area around Boulder Town and the nearb...

Star Rail: Starting with a Lyre, Living off Busking [3]

After a warm exchange, or rather after Natasha’s “professional habits” had run their course, she brought up business.

"Now, about that request from last time. Did you manage to gather any information, Venti?"

"Oh, that esteemed dictator of ours? I’m afraid the situation is worse than you all anticipated."

Because Venti frequently traveled between the Upper and Lower Districts and often spent his earnings on the children in the Lower District, Natasha, after assessing...

Star Rail: Starting with a Lyre, Living off Busking [2]

Venti was Venti, and yet he wasn’t.

Before arriving here, he had another name and an ordinary background.

He wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about the god Barbatos, but he could speak a little on the subject and was even fortunate enough to receive a gift from him, granting him a bit of self-defense.

He knew a few things about his current planet, Jarilo-VI, and the cosmic journey it represented.

The timeline was supposed to be a few years before the arrival of th...

Star Rail: Starting with a Lyre, Living off Busking [1]

"Once, there was a glorious kingdom established among the heavens."

In the central square of Belobog, a bard stood serenely in front of the Eternal Winter Monument, playing and singing in a calm, lilting voice.

"From that kingdom came a crowned heir, tasked with seeking out the Genesis Pearl from the Kingdom of Darkness."

The bard’s androgynous features, gentle voice, and verdant clothing gave an immediate...

I Don’t Want to Be a Heroic Spirit [30]

As soon as Suguru Geto heard the news, he rushed over without stopping.

And right away, he ran into Baobhan Sith, who was casually munching on an apple.

"Rushing like that—you might just keel over from lack of oxygen."

Baobhan Sith blocked his path, speaking in an almost indifferent tone. "I’ve already settled your friend down. He's injured but stable. With your friend who uses that Reverse Cursed Technique, his physical wounds should heal quickly. But he’s exhausted, ...

I Don’t Want to Be a Heroic Spirit [29]

The surroundings began to waver and blur.

The vibrant green grass, the sparkling pond, the flowing stream from the artificial mountain, the Japanese house surrounded by bamboo—all of it was like a rainbow-hued bubble bursting, like a shattered window separating dream from reality.

Baobhan Sith knew she had left the cursed spirit’s domain and returned to the real world. As her feet hit the floor, the rotting wood, weakened by years of neglect, cracked under her weight, nearly c...

I Don’t Want to Be a Heroic Spirit [28]

In a sudden movement, the masked figure appeared in midair behind Baobhan Sith, a sharp dagger poised in its hand.

By the time Baobhan Sith sensed its approach, the blade was only a fist’s width from her pale neck.

But that mere distance was a chasm it could never cross.

To the masked figure, it felt like a flicker—a blink, and a pale, slender hand had pressed down over its face.

An unstoppable force gripped its head, rendering it completely immobile.

In that...

I Don’t Want to Be a Heroic Spirit [27]

The masked figure stood before Baobhan Sith, head lowered and silent. An ordinary person might’ve been terrified, knowing this figure could slip so close without a sound—and could just as easily take their life in the same silence.

But Baobhan Sith was not easily scared. If this person had truly wanted to kill her, she would’ve sensed it by now.

The masked figure had come this close because they bore no hostility or intent to kill.

And for this reason, Baobhan Sith did...

I Don’t Want to Be a Heroic Spirit [26]

It was an old, abandoned shrine built halfway up a mountainside.

There were barely any signs of modern civilization here, and the long stone steps were littered with fallen leaves, untouched by human hands.

No trace of recent human touch could be seen; instead, nature’s presence was overwhelming.

Though it was a clear, sunny day, visibility in the forest was low. Towering trees blocked most of the sunlight, casting this hidden spot in deep shadow—a place that seemed unto...

I Don’t Want to Be a Heroic Spirit [25]

“Da Vinci, exactly how many times have I had to step in for schoolyard bullying now?”

Baobhan Sith walked further into the alley, having hypnotized the five delinquents and sent them home. By the time they got back, they’d remember nothing about the bullying.

“That makes eight times! And of those, six involved you rescuing young girls. So, Master, you’ve been a ‘hero to the maiden’ at least six times~~ Seems like you’re a natural at playing the hero.” 2024-11-11 23:44:44 +0000 UTC View Post

I Don’t Want to Be a Heroic Spirit [24]

In the shadowed alley where sunlight never reached, darkness lay entrenched, hard to dispel.

Even in one of the world’s safest countries, crime existed. In a place like Japan, it thrived in hidden corners.

Bullying, catcalling, abductions, black-market deals… all too common in these unseen cracks.

Smack!

The sharp sound of a slap echoed in the dim alley as a black-haired schoolgirl fell to the ground, hitting a trash can. In summer, garbage rots quickly; a...

I Don’t Want to Be a Heroic Spirit [23]

“Star Vessel incident resolved flawlessly. Hmph, as expected of me.”

Baobhan Sith sat smugly on the sofa, marking a small check in her notebook.

Unlike most protagonists in novels, Baobhan Sith hadn’t found herself saddled with some annoying system issuing mandatory tasks. No “complete this or suffer penalties,” no restrictions on moving to other worlds.

As Da Vinci once put it:

“We’re not the kind of emotionless, rigid constructs lacking in critical ...