The Gamer who traveled to Honkai: Star Rail

While Pei Guang was happily looting Sampo, Pela was busy searching through the room and quickly discovered several museum artifacts.

"This one… and this one too! Ugh, that bastard—just how many artifacts did he steal?"

The more Pela searched, the more frustrated she became. She hadn't expected one single person to have stolen this much: nearly two-thirds of the missing artifacts were all gathered around Sampo's hideout!

"Phew! I shouldn't be surprised—it had to be you. I can't believe you actually figured out who did it right away."

Before Pei Guang could even respond, March 7th proudly puffed out her chest. "Of course! He's Ah Guang! With him around, what can't be found? But hey, are all the artifacts here?"

Pela shook her head. "Some are still missing, but that's not a problem. Now that we've caught the main culprit, finding the rest will be much easier."

The biggest challenge in this case had been not knowing who had done it or how. Now that they had the thief in custody, getting answers would be a simple matter.

Pei Guang leaned in with a smirk. "No worries. We already took the job, so leave the rest to us. You guys might not have as much influence in the Underworld, but I do!"

Pela nodded. "Then I'll leave it to you. I'll go call in the Silvermane Guards to take him away!"

As Pela left to contact the guards, Pei Guang pulled out a trash can, stuffed Sampo inside, and then carefully attached an IV drip and a pacifier—ensuring that Sampo had an extra dose of coffee.

With that done, Pei Guang even set up a small altar, placing down a few drumsticks and incense sticks. This was his way of showing utmost respect to the most generous loot-giver he'd ever met.

"Dear Mr. Sampo, thank you for blessing us with so many top-tier items. May you continue to restock diligently and provide us with even greater treasures in the future."

For a player, any NPC that consistently handed out good loot was a good NPC. And an NPC that never screwed them over while dropping rare gear? That was an S-tier NPC. Players like Pei Guang were always happy to offer a prayer of appreciation for such a valuable resource.

Just look at what Sampo had already given them—butterfly effect attack visuals, the Pink Bunny weapon skin, the meowing attack sound effect, and now this Simulated Head.

An NPC this generous? Pei Guang loved him.

Of course, when they'd meet again next time… well, that was still unknown.

With Sampo hauled away, Pei Guang and the others remained in the Underworld, setting out to recover the remaining artifacts.

March 7th asked, "Ah Guang, any ideas on where to start looking?"

Pei Guang casually shrugged. "Nope, not a single clue! But based on experience, all we gotta do is wander around, nab a few shady-looking guys, chat up some locals, and the artifacts will definitely turn up."

Since Sampo had been caught in the Underworld, they used his location as their starting point and spread out to investigate.

The Underworld had changed significantly since the end of the Fragmentum invasion. With the crisis over—and thanks to Pei Guang's efforts in securing a whole town's worth of supplies—the place was undergoing rapid reconstruction.

And, of course, whenever there was rebuilding, there were also opportunists.

Sure enough, as Pei Guang and his group arrived near the Great Mine's refugee shelter, they were drawn in by the sound of a commotion.

Not far away, a group of wanderers had cornered someone. Several large crates were stacked beside them.

A man named Fersman, an older figure, stood protectively in front of the crates, shielding both the goods and a young girl beside him.

Three wanderers had blocked them off, their intentions unclear.

This area was quite secluded. Other than Pei Guang and his group, who happened to wander in while searching for clues, there was no one else around.

Pei Guang noticed the commotion in the distance and, eyes gleaming with excitement, turned to the others. "Look over there! There's a scuffle happening. Based on my years of experience, when players run into fights like this, it's either a side quest trigger or something directly related to our current mission. Let's check it out!"

Stelle eyed the situation and gripped her bat. "Those guys look shady! How about I just knock each of them out with a single swing?"

March 7th quickly stopped her. "Hey, hey, calm down! We're here to find the stolen artifacts, not start a brawl!"

Pei Guang nodded. "Exactly, exactly! This is a fully immersive world—if we just knock them unconscious, who knows if they'll suffer some kind of permanent trauma? That's why we should use our special little gadget instead."

At the mention of their special gadget, the three of them exchanged glances and grinned in unison.

Meanwhile, the argument between the group of wanderers reached its peak.

One of the wanderers sneered at the older man, Fersman, and the little girl Hook. "Hah. You were happy enough to help us move the goods earlier, but now that you've got your payment, you're having second thoughts?"

Fersman stood firm. "Yes, I regret it. If I'd known what you were actually transporting, I would have reported you to the Silvermane Guards immediately."

The shady wanderer scoffed. "Oh, so now you've suddenly grown a conscience? What took you so long? You can go ahead and report us, but do you even have proof?"

Little Hook stood with her hands on her hips, boldly glaring at the men. "Proof? It's right here! You scumbags! You've already got jobs now, but you're still stealing? You've got no shame!"

Another wanderer sneered, cracking his knuckles. "Tch, this brat's got quite the mouth. I think the two of you need a lesson. Alright, boys—let's show this old man and his kid just how cruel the world really is!"

Hearing that, Hook clenched her fists. Despite her small size, she had her trusty mechanical arm, and she was fully prepared to use it to teach these jerks a lesson.

However, just as she was about to step forward and protect her father, a voice called out from behind them.

"You hear that?" Pei Guang's voice was tinged with mockery. "They actually want an old man and a child to 'experience the cruelty of the world'?"

March 7th glared. "People like that don't deserve our special treatment!"

Stelle smirked. "Yeah! We should return the favor and let them get a taste of reality!"

The three of them spoke so loudly that the wanderers instinctively turned around—only to be greeted by Stelle's bat.

Since these guys were just ordinary people, Stelle made sure not to go all out. If she had used full force, this scene would have escalated beyond anything the system could possibly censor.

DUANG! DUANG! DUANG!

Three solid thunks later, the three wanderers collapsed to the ground without even knowing what hit them.

Without missing a beat, Pei Guang, Stelle, and March 7th each picked a target and started looting their bodies.

Pei Guang clicked his tongue in disappointment. "Tch, I miss my dear Sampo… I didn't get anything good off these guys."

Stelle sighed. "Same."

March 7th, however, grinned triumphantly. "Hah! I got lucky! I actually looted an… equipment effect~"

She pulled out a basic fireworks visual effect. Holding it up proudly, she beamed. "Just a few more, and we can finally craft a new one, right?"

Pei Guang nodded. "Yeah, we're getting close. I plan to save up a hundred of these things and combine them all at once—who knows, maybe we'll get something really good!"