Honkai: Star Rail – From the Moment Tom The Cat Became My Passenger

When Yevenko said this, March 7th, Dan Heng, and Stelle hadn't quite processed it—then saw Yevenko fling off his blanket as if tossing aside a cape.

Unfortunately, the blanket—frozen stiff from the cold—just dropped straight down and thudded heavily into the snow.

Yevenko didn't pull out the [Transformation Stone (Tom)] physically, but silently activated it from his backpack.

In the next second, a brilliant light radiated from his body.

March 7th's dazzling rainbow eyes sparkled with delight. Her pink lips parted in excitement.

"Yevenko, I knew you had a hidden power all along!"

"And now you're finally going to unleash it?!"

She was brimming with anticipation. In all the storybooks she'd read, characters who awakened hidden abilities didn't just get stronger—their appearance and charisma skyrocketed too. Just imagining what Yevenko might look like made her heart race.

In March 7th's eyes, Yevenko's figure became even more radiant—but then, all at once, shrank by several sizes.

As the glow faded, Yevenko's new form appeared before them.

Another blue-gray cat. Another Tom.

March 7th's breath caught. Then, her pink lips moved and she shouted:

"Yevenko, you fiend! I can tell at a glance you're not human!"

"At last you reveal your true form!"

Dan Heng's expression stayed calm, but inwardly he was just as astonished. Could the real reason Yevenko kept pulling milk from behind his back be because he was another Tom all along?

Stelle simply crouched down, examining Yevenko closely, then glanced at Tom, then back at Yevenko—trying to spot the differences. In the end, her head tilted and she simply gave up.

Tom's eyes turned into question marks as he padded over to Yevenko, poking and prodding—lifting Yevenko's eyelids, pulling out his tongue, even opening his skull to peer inside, only to find everything identical to himself.

Tom stuck a finger in his mouth, a question mark literally falling off his head and rolling away.

Even transformed, Yevenko found it was much better than before, but he still felt a bit cold. He darted behind Tom and started rummaging around.

At last, he found a Santa hat, plopped it onto his head—and instantly felt perfectly warm.

At that moment, Yevenko noticed March 7th and the others were still staring at him. He scratched his head, grinned, and said in a low voice, "Zhuoxia! Jinchang chaozuo!"

After speaking, he rubbed his own throat. Whenever he tried to speak as Tom, there was always this itchy, scratchy discomfort.

No wonder, he thought, I always imagined Tom could talk, but never actually heard him speak. So this is why.

But there were still things he wanted to explain to the others. How was he supposed to do that?

Yevenko frowned, thinking for a moment, then suddenly got an idea.

He reached behind himself and pulled out a cigar. With a casual flick, it was lit, and he clamped it between his teeth.

He took a deep puff—not much flavor—then slowly exhaled.

March 7th and the others looked baffled, not understanding why Yevenko had suddenly produced a cigar. But then, they saw the smoke rising over his head begin to twist into letters:

I'm still Yevenko. Turning into Tom is just one of my abilities—don't make a fuss over it.

Let's hurry and head to somewhere people actually live.

Yevenko made it sound so simple.

But Dan Heng and March 7th didn't think it was simple at all.

Sure, transforming into another creature was rare in the universe, but not unheard of.

Yet after transforming into Tom, Yevenko seemed to possess Tom's incredible powers. But this was Tom.

Both March 7th and Dan Heng pictured Tom skewering Voidrangers with a single jab, coming back from a pile of ashes, knocking the Doomsday Beast out with a single swing…

Still, since Yevenko didn't bring it up himself, they didn't press further.

The immediate priority, as Yevenko said, was to get to a populated area.

Otherwise, even with Path powers to help resist the cold, staying out in the snow too long meant they'd still feel the chill.

Dan Heng nodded, steadying his thoughts and pushing aside the strangeness for now.

"March 7th, Stelle, Yevenko's right."

"Let's head out based on the coordinates."

So, three people and two cats continued their trek. Even though the snowy landscape was bleak, with Yevenko and Tom around, there was never a dull moment.

After some distance, a pitch-black crack suddenly appeared in their path, quickly spreading wider.

Dan Heng's pupils contracted. He stepped forward, summoning his spear and positioning himself at the front.

"Careful!"

"It's an Erosion Tunnel, caused by the Stellaron's impact. Prepare for battle!"

On the way, they'd already spotted several Fragmentum creatures on the snowy plains and had done their best to avoid them.

But this Erosion Tunnel opened right in front of them—no way around it. If they tried to dodge, and the creatures inside noticed and gave chase, they'd be surrounded in no time.

And that wasn't the only problem.

Erosion Rifts connected to the Fragmentum—whenever one appeared, it meant a horde of creatures would follow. It would be a tough fight.

Dan Heng's face grew tense, standing at the ready.

March 7th immediately summoned her ice bow, her pretty face serious. As an experienced Trailblazer, she knew exactly how dangerous Erosion Rifts could be.

But before any monsters could emerge—

The next second, a bright red firecracker arced gracefully through the air, tossed straight into the tunnel.

BOOM—!

The thunderous explosion rocked the ground, chunks of creatures' bodies flying out from the tunnel.

The Erosion Tunnel flickered, dimmed, then closed completely—almost like it had starved to death.

Dan Heng: "…"

March 7th: "…"

A tiny firecracker causing such a huge blast—even most Pathwalkers couldn't muster that kind of power with their full strength.

Even now, the echoing boom was still rattling in their skulls.

Meanwhile, Yevenko and Tom were both squatting on the ground, calmly plugging their ears with their fingers. Only after the last bits of sound faded did they let go, looking expectantly toward the tunnel.

Seeing their handiwork, Yevenko nodded in satisfaction and scurried over, his tiny feet pattering. Tom followed in perfect sync, right behind him.

Dan Heng, March 7th, and Stelle also approached, wanting to make sure nothing had survived.

Stelle quickly spotted a hideous creature, different from the usual Fragmentum monsters—it actually seemed to have flesh and blood. Its body was a blend of black and blazing orange, its appearance twisted and brutal, like an enormous beetle. It rolled over, gripping a baseball bat.

Its legs twitched faintly—it was somehow still alive.

Stelle pressed her lips together, then called out,

"Come look at this—what is it?"

The others gathered around.

When Dan Heng saw the creature, his teal eyes narrowed in shock, disbelief coloring his voice.

"How could there be a Swarm here?!"