Honkai: Star Rail – Banner Character, Delivering Knives to the Player [26]

Lingzhou: "Yet Serval said an order from years ago cut off all contact between the Upper and Underworlds."

"That’s obviously unusual. Maybe they’re hiding something down there…"

Hearing this, Stelle and March 7th spoke simultaneously:

"The Stellaron?!"

Lingzhou snapped his fingers.

"Even if it’s not the Stellaron itself, we’ll likely find clues related to it."

"While Stelle was busy dumpster-diving, I discreetly searched for ways into the Underworld—but came up empty-handed."

"Upper-district citizens barely know the Underworld exists, much less how to access it."

"That means entry points must be heavily guarded."

Stelle pondered carefully. "Perhaps Gepard and Bronya would know how to get down there?"

Lingzhou: "People of their rank would certainly know, but they might not have clearance."

"Besides, we're on someone else's turf. Everything we do is watched, even if indirectly. Asking outright is risky."

Stelle nodded knowingly. "I get it. To locals, we're outsiders…"

"If we start poking around sensitive topics, it’ll only put them on high alert and attract unwanted attention."

"Smart," Lingzhou complimented softly.

March 7th groaned in frustration. "Then are we stuck running around blindly like headless chickens?"

Silence settled heavily.

Even posing as interstellar merchants drew intense suspicion from the local authorities.

If they openly revealed their true objective—and if Cocolia already knew about the Stellaron—the consequences would be unimaginable.

An options box appeared at the bottom-right of the player’s screen, after a long absence:

① "Trailblazing a new world is more exhausting than I expected."
② "Our hands are tied everywhere we turn. What's our next move?"
③ "We might as well kidnap Cocolia and force her to lead us."

"Option three is insane—who wants a ticking bomb tagging along on the Stellaron hunt?" Lao Xiong muttered without hesitation, clicking option two.

Since the writers didn't provide players with a clear action plan, it was best to honestly ask the experienced guide for advice.

Lingzhou frequently emphasized his reliability in his voice lines, and by this point, he'd truly proven himself.

Calm, intelligent, meticulous—who else would you rely on if not him?

"Remember what Cocolia said? Tomorrow noon, someone will come to pick us up to discuss business."

A mysterious smile appeared on Lingzhou’s lips.

March 7th: "Yeah, why?"

Lingzhou: "We’ll put on a simple play to see if tomorrow’s visitor is an envoy—or Silvermane Guards."

Stelle perked up instantly, her eyes brightening. "What kind of play?"

"It's simple. We'll openly discuss our suspicions—that the Underworld was sealed off for years, and the Stellaron might be there."

Lingzhou handed each of them a piece of paper.

"I wrote scripts. No need to memorize—just read naturally and follow my cues. Ready?"

"Ready!" they chorused.

With confirmation, Lingzhou opened the isolation box and returned the listening device carefully.

Then he took out a phone, activated video recording, and used a gentle gust of wind to hover it above them.

"The Upper district’s hiding something by sealing off the Underworld. We must find a way down there."

"I have a hunch we’ll find Stellaron clues underground. What do you two think?"

He gave the girls a subtle signal.

Stelle: "The Stellaron doesn't actively hide itself. But Belobog hasn't found it after centuries? Suspicious."

"Maybe the Supreme Guardian herself is hiding it, unaware that it’s causing the Rift."

March 7th: "Maybe we should just be honest with Cocolia tomorrow. We're here to help stop the Stellaron disaster anyway."

"Unless Cocolia has a death wish, she wouldn't refuse our help, right?"

Lingzhou sighed theatrically: "We can only hope."

The recording ended, and the listening device was safely back in its box.

March 7th frowned anxiously. "What if the Silvermane Guards show up tomorrow instead of a messenger?"

Lingzhou smiled lightly. "Then we'll just sample Belobog’s prison cuisine first."

"Huh?"

Stelle and March stared blankly.

He was suggesting they surrender?

Lingzhou reassured them: "Don’t worry. When I visited Sampo earlier, I had a good look at Belobog’s cells. Escaping won't be difficult."

March’s eye twitched slightly. "You mean… you already anticipated this situation back then?"

Lingzhou: "Look carefully—what two words are written clearly on my face?"

"Nothing," March said blankly.

Lingzhou solemnly replied: "Trustworthy and reliable."

March 7th: "…"

She wanted to retort, but what could she say?

Fine.

She had to admit—Lingzhou really was dependable.

Sure, his thinking jumped around sometimes, but at least he wasn't like Dan Heng, who spoke like a stoic brick wall.

"Hahaha! Lingzhou’s a bit narcissistic, but in a good way," Lao Xiong laughed, genuinely amused. "I love his character—he's funny yet reassuring."

Stelle spoke up, puzzled. "One question—how does getting jailed connect to finding the Stellaron?"

Lingzhou replied meaningfully: "If we want information about the Stellaron, we'll need a guide…"

"Who?" March asked curiously.

"Not sure yet. There are three possible candidates. Honestly, I'm uncertain who'd care most about us getting locked up."

With that, Lingzhou handed Stelle another isolation box.

"Don't overthink it. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Now, enjoy a hot shower, get some rest, and prepare for a lovely day tomorrow."

Stelle muttered doubtfully, taking the box: "Will it really be lovely?"

Lingzhou chuckled. "Guaranteed lovely. Toss your pen-microphone in the box once you're back in your room if you don't want company. Goodnight."

The screen transitioned to another room.

Lao Xiong exhaled, processing the wealth of information he'd just received.

Clearly, the next step would involve descending to the Underworld.

"I'm genuinely curious—who could Lingzhou’s three possible guides be?"

Chat exploded with guesses:

[Serval, obviously. Her shop’s right next to Qlipoth Fort—there must be more to her than meets the eye.]
[I vote Pela. She seems knowledgeable.]
[It’s probably Gepard. If Cocolia heard the recording, she’d send him to arrest us.]
[Don’t forget Bronya. She's literally the head of the Silvermane Guards.]
[Sampo from jail: Have you considered me as the guide?]

"Hey, wait a minute," Lao Xiong said, perking up. "You might be onto something."

"Lingzhou said he was inspecting the prison layout while visiting Sampo—but maybe he actually spoke with Sampo."

"Who has the best intel in a place like this?"

"Thieves, scammers—people like Sampo. They're always alert, always watching. Without sharp eyes and ears, they wouldn't last long."

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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!