Honkai: Star Rail – Banner Character, Delivering Knives to the Player [60]

[To ensure everything was safe, Lingzhou accompanied you back to Goethe Grand Hotel, confirmed March 7th was sleeping soundly, and then set out to find medicine.]

Leaving Goethe Grand Hotel, they headed north.

At the entrance, a small, unexpected figure appeared.

"Isn't that… Hook?"

Ah Xian was somewhat surprised.

"Oh, so Lingzhou's route encounters Hook here? I thought she'd completely disappeared from the main plot."

Hook placed her hands on her hips, puffing out her chest grandly, despite barely reaching Stelle's waist.

"Who dares approach? Hurry and state your name before the Dark Lord Hook!"

Seeing such a tiny child acting overly dignified made Stelle and Lingzhou share a quiet, amused glance.

① "Just a helpful Nameless passing by. Remember the name well."
② "Kiddo, you should be in bed at this hour."

Ah Xian intended to select option one but accidentally clicked option two.

Unexpectedly, Hook glared fiercely.

"Who are you calling kid?!"

Stelle replied casually, "Well, you're quite adorable, so of course I'm talking about you."

Hook huffed, "Dark Lord Hook is not a kid! I'm super strong—I can beat Fragmentum monsters and chase away bad guys!"

Lingzhou and Stelle both struggled to hide their laughter.

Seeing their expressions, Hook became anxious, her cheeks puffed indignantly.

"You think Hook is easy to bully? I’m the mighty leader of the Moles!"

"Many places in Boulder Town are under Mole control, you know!"

"Besides Dark Lord Hook, there’s also Iron-Armed Luka, Thousand-Faced Julian, the cunning kid, and lots of powerful generals!"

Stelle narrowed her eyes, mirroring Lingzhou’s amused expression, nodding along seriously—as if humoring a child.

"So you're Dark Lord Hook of the Moles—it's an honor."

Hearing that, Hook lifted her chin proudly. "You still haven’t told Hook your names yet!"

① "We’re Stelle and Lingzhou, heroes of the night."
② "Since you've asked so sincerely, we'll tell you…"

"Oh man, both choices are references," Ah Xian noted, chuckling softly.

From the chat, she learned not only were both options references, but the voice acting even included barely restrained laughter. Option two even completed the full comedic line.

Lingzhou smiled, waving gently.

"Dark Lord Hook, we've got important work outside Boulder Town. See you."

Hook quickly responded, "That way leads to Rivet Town, right? Perfect chance to show you how amazing the Moles are!"

"Hook will come along. With Hook here, nobody can bully you!"

Seeing Hook proudly tilting her small head, as if she alone could solve any trouble, Ah Xian couldn't help but laugh.

"This kid’s as precocious as ever."

Stelle: "Hmm? Even more precocious than March."

Lingzhou teased softly, "If March hears that, she’ll elbow you."

Stelle shivered, glancing around guiltily before patting her chest in relief.

"Scared me to death. Thankfully, she’s not here."

Hook pouted impatiently. "What are you whispering about? Are we going or not?"

Lingzhou gently asked, "Hook, aren't you curious why we're heading to Rivet Town?"

Hook grabbed her large drill beside her, activating it with a loud mechanical roar.

"You’re obviously looking for supplies, right? The Moles do this all the time. Hook's protected plenty of adults who went scavenging!"

"Hook actually needs supplies too, so I'll protect you for free on the way."

Stelle glanced curiously at Hook.

That drill’s claw was even bigger than Hook herself—looks really can deceive.

"Hook’s gone to Rivet Town lots of times. Wherever you're going, I can help."

Stelle looked at Lingzhou.

Lingzhou subtly nodded approval.

"Then let's go. Remember to keep close… Oh, I mean—don't walk too fast, or we might lose sight of Dark Lord Hook."

Stelle smiled sweetly.

[Stelle's actually good at handling kids.]

"True, she protects the child’s dignity while cleverly stopping her from running off, ensuring her safety," Ah Xian commented.

"Warm-hearted Hook's pretty cute, isn't she?"

[Of course my wife’s cute. Tiny, adorable Hook, smells nice…]
[Criminal detected!]
[That breaks regulations—three years minimum sentence, maybe death penalty?]
[I’m shocked anyone could thirst over Hook.]

Hook flashed a bright, innocent smile. "Of course! Stick with Hook, and you'll have meat to eat—I won't leave you behind!"

After leaving Boulder Town, a twenty-minute walk later, the three formally entered Rivet Town.

Hook led Lingzhou and Stelle through winding paths, sharp turns and narrow alleys, easily navigating the lifeless ruins.

It was clear she truly knew the area well.

Hook said seriously, "Most of the supplies here have already been taken—no point lingering around."

Lingzhou kept mental notes of their route, silently spreading a thin, invisible breeze around himself, scanning their surroundings beyond normal sight.

Occasionally, he sensed Fragmentum monsters lurking unseen, though none had noticed them yet.

"Be careful around that corner ahead," Lingzhou warned quietly.

Stelle gripped her bat, instantly alert. "Enemies?"

Lingzhou replied cryptically, "Mm, that’s something Comrade Gao got scared of several times as a child—his favorite trick."

"Comrade Gao? A friend of yours?"

"No friend. Strictly speaking, he's an evil old schemer, the source of many nightmares."

Stelle scratched her head, not fully understanding Lingzhou’s meaning.

The players understood immediately.

If they hadn’t long grown accustomed to Lingzhou’s meta jokes—even pulling out white plastic chairs—they would’ve laughed hysterically at his lines.

[I get it, there’s definitely an ambush around the corner.]
[They wouldn't just instantly attack as soon as you step around, right?]
[Probably not. Monsters on the main map usually have attack delays.]

However, reality soon proved some players' concerns correct.

Ah Xian, unfamiliar with single-player RPGs, normally just drew elegant artwork of Tifa. She had absolutely no idea about Comrade Gao’s notorious style.

Excitedly, she approached the corner Lingzhou warned about, only for a sudden flash of light to blindside her instantly.

"Damn!!"

Ah Xian jumped visibly, startling so hard she nearly provoked moderators to rise from their graves, blacklisting her stream.

"What sick, twisted level designer puts jumpscares at corners?"

[Hahaha! Lingzhou warned you clearly—only yourself to blame.]|
[Keep getting scared; the boys love watching this.]
[Hey, do you enjoy Ah Xian’s scared expression or something else shaking wildly?]
[Speaking crudely, but I’d like to thank the designer personally…]

Pressing 'V' to activate auto-battle, Ah Xian glanced irritably at chat and rolled her eyes.

These guys really loved watching others suffer…

Stelle muttered dramatically, "I got careless, didn’t dodge. Sneak-attacking an innocent, naïve comrade—no honor at all."

Hook puffed her chest confidently. "Don’t be scared! Dark Lord Hook is here!"

Lingzhou murmured thoughtfully, "…Hmm, then what should I be doing?"

Stelle replied proudly, "Take a rest. These low-level Fragmentum mobs? I can handle ten single-handedly."

Two seconds into Stelle’s dialogue, Ah Xian hurriedly turned off auto-battle.

Otherwise, her fully-maxed Seele would likely defeat the monsters too quickly, cutting off their dialogue prematurely.

Not hearing it wouldn't matter, but after hearing Stelle’s amusing lines, she couldn’t help bursting into laughter.

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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!