Honkai: Star Rail – Banner Character, Delivering Knives to the Player [42]

Having weathered countless storms, Ah Xian swiftly regained her composure.

The subsequent chatter among the Astral Express crew was filled with charming, everyday banter, creating a vivid atmosphere that almost felt real.

How enviable…

Before long, the absurd line, "Baby’s tummy is rumbling like thunder," had her bursting into laughter.

Any lingering sadness vanished without a trace.

[Oh my god, imagining Stelle say that makes me die inside a little.]
[Whoever in Mihoyo’s writing team dreamed up this metaphor deserves a prize.]
[Like everyone said, Mihoyo created an entire game just to meme.]
[Apparently, they claim these lines come from random viral clips, but I spend eight hours a day on Douyin and never saw this one?]
[Trust me, you’ll see it from today onwards.]
[Viewer from next-door’s stream here. Stelle sounded so wronged saying it, I nearly laughed myself to death.]

“Seriously now,” sighed March 7th, “luckily, I packed lots of snacks—”

Her words abruptly died as her expression froze.

Slowly turning her head, she offered an embarrassed yet polite smile.

“…Um, turns out I forgot the snack bag after all…”

Just as Stelle prepared to scold her, Bronya finally stepped down from above.

Lingzhou smiled gently, pulling portable food from his system inventory.

“Don’t worry, responsible adults always come prepared. We can eat on the way.”

The four began heading toward the mine entrance, searching for Seele.

Just like other players experiencing the story anew, Ah Xian felt fully immersed.

Although they were still looking for Seele, the events differed notably from the beta.

Along the way, the additional dialogues between Lingzhou and Bronya significantly deepened the players' understanding of life in the Underworld.

Cocolia truly is unforgivable…

Bronya’s conflicted state was skillfully highlighted, subtly illustrating her gradual transformation. It became increasingly clear how deeply Lingzhou's words had impacted her.

“From my personal perspective, Lingzhou’s intentions toward Bronya-san are becoming clearer and clearer.”

“He’s guiding Bronya-san toward rebellion against her misguided family, ultimately hoping she’ll genuinely save this crumbling world.”

“Nothing changes a person's mind faster than witnessing the bitter fruits of their loved one’s mistakes firsthand.”

The subsequent encounter reinforced Ah Xian’s interpretation even more clearly.

A group of vagrants appeared, blocking the path with ill intentions.

Stelle stepped forward, bat at the ready, shielding March 7th behind her.

“Trying to find confidence at my expense? You'll regret it. Move.”

[Stelle-sama is so reliable!]
[Strongly protecting her March wife!]

The screen shattered, signaling battle.

After defeating two waves of vagrants, a cinematic scene triggered.

A scythe slammed into the ground between both groups. Before its owner was even revealed, the attacking vagrants scattered in terror, fleeing as though they'd seen a ghost.

“Oh no! It’s that demon from Wildfire—run!”

Seele approached calmly, retrieving her weapon and eyeing Bronya coolly.

“So, Miss Surface Dweller, how about commenting on the current situation underground?”

Bronya: “……”

The camera lingered on her silent face for nearly ten seconds.

Bronya's restless, darting gaze conveyed her helplessness better than words ever could.

Everyone watching could tell that nothing she might say now would matter.

“Cocolia really isn't human, weaving lies for over a decade,” Ah Xian murmured, voice hoarse with emotion.

Speaking those words, hadn’t she subconsciously placed herself in Bronya's shoes?

After all, her real-life experiences mirrored Bronya’s situation within the game.

To be betrayed by someone you trusted most—Bronya’s composure despite everything was already remarkable.

“You’re letting them just run away?” March 7th’s voice quivered indignantly. “They blocked our path and tried to rob us—how lawless can they get?”

Seele scoffed coldly.

“What else could we do? Capture them and we’d have to feed them. We barely have enough food for our own people—who has time to worry about those worthless scum?”

Hearing this, the players felt even worse.

Harsh as her words were, this was reality.

Imprisoning the vagrants without feeding them would mean condemning them to death.

Yet ignoring them meant allowing desperate people to continue their raids.

When survival was at stake, there was no absolute right or wrong.

Only positions.

Seele: “Miss Surface Dweller, it’s far too soon to look this shaken.”

“What?”

Bronya finally released her lower lip, nearly bitten bloody.

“Didn't I tell you before? Wildfire’s been facing some trouble lately. Care to guess what?”

“The vagrants have turned their attention...to the miners?”

“Good to see you've got some brains after all. Let’s go—I’ll show you just how chaotic things have become.”

Seele snorted softly, striding ahead without another glance.

The three from the Astral Express exchanged quick glances, then hurried after her.

Soon, they encountered another group.

March 7th was just snapping photos with her camera. Through her zoomed-in lens, she caught sight of a familiar figure.

“It’s Natasha-san over there!”

Seele's expression darkened immediately.

“Natasha, you’re usually at the clinic at this hour. What brings you here? Where’s Oleg-san?”

Natasha turned, solemnly pointing toward the crowd nearby.

“According to the miners, Oleg took some people deeper into the mines.”

“As for the situation here…”

“You see these people? They’re miners and their families, here to confront the troublemakers causing disturbances.”

“The path ahead leads directly to the vagrants’ camp. Right now, they’ve blocked it off, probably fearing retaliation from the furious miners.”

Seele squinted toward the mine entrance and, sure enough, spotted people barricading the way.

“They even have guns now? How did it escalate this far?”

Natasha sighed and explained carefully.

“The first mining team recently discovered a new Geomarrow vein—one of incredible abundance.”

“Early estimates suggest it's the richest deposit found in almost thirty years.”

Seele stared in shock.

“That can't be right. News like that would've spread immediately. How come I haven't heard a word?”

Natasha shook her head gently, elaborating further.

“Because the first mining team wanted to keep quiet. Most of the mines are heavily infested with Fragmentum, and many people have already lost their jobs.”

“If this news leaked, miners would flood the area, overwhelming the site.”

“But you know, you can’t hide news from homeless wanderers drifting everywhere.”

“Some hoodlums tried to exploit this by extorting silence fees from the mining team. That was the last straw for the miners.”

“According to the Underworld’s rules, resources belong strictly to whoever discovers them first.”

“But the vagrants started shouting their own twisted logic: finders keepers—everyone deserves a share.”

“Neither side would yield, and violent conflict erupted, causing severe losses.”

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This is a fan translation of 崩铁：卡池角色，给玩家发刀 by 三十度幻. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!