The Gamer who traveled to Honkai: Star Rail

Kevin felt that he had learned something. He couldn't say for sure whether Pei Guang's battle tactics were the best approach, but if given the opportunity, he planned to bring along trusted comrades to test them out in future operations.

Besides, he was about to enter the accelerated time-space, meaning Pei Guang wouldn't have a chance to torment him for at least a few dozen days. Of course, for Kevin and others who had only recently met Pei Guang, their next meeting might feel like a very long time away.

Back at the base, Pei Guang confirmed the development direction with Herta's puppet. At present, there was nothing left that required his direct intervention—resources were secured, technology had blueprints for advancement, and over the past seven days, he had helped train a few warriors capable of fighting against the Voidrangers.

Fortunately, there were enough resources to sustain the use of the Chronosphere and time control devices, and Herta's puppet had also cleared out the Earth's corrupt leadership. Now, development could proceed efficiently without disrupting people's daily lives—whether it be work, study, or entertainment.

What? Even if those were affected, it wouldn't be a big deal? No! Even if the citizens themselves didn't mind, Pei Guang certainly did. He was essentially playing a base-building simulation with a home system—how could he not maximize civilian happiness? Otherwise, what was the point of playing? Besides, he could always travel between Luofu and Herta Space Station; if basic resources ever ran low, he could simply buy them from Luofu.

Pei Guang wanted to use Earth's growing strength to counter invasions, but that didn't mean he intended to suffer through hardship himself. And sure enough, after all the commotion on Earth, Herta's Puppet finally brought good news—there was nothing left for them to do.

Of course, if Pei Guang wanted to intervene, Herta's Puppet wouldn't stop him—the planet belonged to him, after all. But Pei Guang stuck to his philosophy:

"You're all grown-up NPCs now. You need to learn to gather resources, level up, and defeat enemies on your own. Call me when you need a whale to fund things or when a cute NPC wants to marry me!"

With nothing else requiring their attention, Pei Guang, Stelle, and March 7th agreed to take a break. After spending some time enjoying amusement parks, shopping malls, and sightseeing, they happily returned to the Astral Express.

The moment they got back, Pei Guang intended to head straight to his room to organize his inventory.

Technically, he could've done that while still on Earth, but something about the place felt… off. The spacious rooms Herta's puppet had prepared were nice, but they didn't give him any sense of belonging. In contrast, the small yet cozy cabin on the Express was far more comfortable—he loved it.

Besides, for Pei Guang and the others, it had been a week since they left for Earth, but for those on the Express, only about two hours had passed.

In the train's main hall, Welt noticed their return and greeted them with a question:

"You're back. How is the situation on Earth?"

It wasn't the same Earth he had once known, but its history was eerily similar, so he was naturally concerned.

Pei Guang shrugged. "Over there? Herta's puppet is leading the charge on climbing the tech tree, and she's also trained a few people who can actually fight the Voidrangers now."

March 7th nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! Uncle Yang, that guy named Kevin got super lucky—his first loot drop was a weapon called 'Judgment of Shamash.'"

Welt: "?"

Initially, Welt had been interested in hearing about Pei Guang's experiences on Earth. But the moment he heard Judgment of Shamash, his expression turned serious.

March 7th smirked. "Oh? Are you interested, Uncle Yang? Hehe~ I actually recorded Kevin using Judgment of Shamash's weapon skill. Here, take a look! It's super flashy."

Welt leaned in closer just as the video played. Right away, he heard Pei Guang's voice saying, "You're full on NP—go!"

Then came the unmistakable battle cry, along with an explosion of power that felt all too familiar—

"Judgment of Shamash, unleash!"

It wasn't just the phrase that was familiar. Even the sheer destructive force in the footage made Welt feel an unsettling sense of déjà vu.

Seeing such a familiar scene, he took a deep breath, narrowing his eyes as he leaned in closer to the phone, watching carefully. At that moment, his brows furrowed.

The memories of his past encounters with the Kevin from his world resurfaced. Though this Kevin had a different history, Welt couldn't shake the feeling that he was becoming more and more like the Kevin he once knew.

Welt was well aware that, in this vast galaxy, it wasn't uncommon for people to share identical appearances. But having both the same looks and a similar personality? He had experienced that firsthand.

He then asked, "Since I wasn't with you after you arrived, can you tell me more about what happened with Kevin?"

Pei Guang recounted their experiences on Earth in detail, mentioning that he had given Kevin eleven Judgment of Shamash weapons and that Kevin had received a blessing from the Aeon of Hunt. He explained everything, including what the blessing did.

After listening, Welt remained silent.

Aside from that man named Otto, he had also encountered a Kevin while fighting against the entity known as Honkai in his own world. This Kevin looked exactly like the one Pei Guang had met on Earth. 

If it were only a similarity in appearance, that would be one thing—but now this Kevin had also obtained Judgment of Shamash. Worse yet, under Pei Guang's influence, he had gone completely overboard and obtained eleven of them.

After a long pause, he took another deep breath. Something had occurred to him, and he turned to Pei Guang.

"The next time you return to Earth, I want to come with you. If he can draw so many Judgment of Shamash, I have an idea. If it works…"

Welt was considering something incredibly bold. If Kevin could pull Judgment of Shamash—and so many of them at that—then could he also draw Star of Eden? Or even other Divine Keys?

Beyond wanting to test this theory, he also wanted to witness how Kevin was growing under Pei Guang's influence. At the same time, he sincerely hoped that the next time he saw Kevin, it wouldn't be a repeat of past events. 

He was getting too old for that: reliving such experiences might just be too much for his heart.

But even if it would be hard to bear, Welt was determined to go with Pei Guang next time. Not to get himself into trouble, but to witness for himself what kind of future this man—who carried the burden of saving his world—would reach.

With Pei Guang around, Earth was destined for an entirely different fate compared to the one he had known. Even if it was an unfamiliar kind of peace, Welt wanted to see it with his own eyes.

At the same time, he couldn't help but feel a little sorry for that Lord Ravager who was trying to pick a fight with Pei Guang.

After all, Welt had worked in animation and games before—he knew all too well what it meant when a player existed in a world like this.

What is a player? A person playing a game. But more than that, a player's existence proved that this world had been created for someone to experience. And Pei Guang had fully embraced his role as a player.

So the real question was—who or what had given Pei Guang the ability to bend reality, twist the world's systems, and make its fundamental rules bow to him as a player? That was something worth thinking about.

Aeons, Emanators, Players—Welt knew this was already far beyond his understanding. But that wouldn't stop him from sitting back and enjoying the downfall of the utterly clueless Lord Ravager.

After exchanging a few words with Welt, Pei Guang was ready to head back to his room and do absolutely nothing.

As a player, while it was fun to always have something to do, sometimes even players needed a break.

Lazing around on the Express meant enjoying the conductor's fantastic drinks while waiting for time on Earth to accelerate. He could take his time recovering his energy while looking forward to whether Herta's puppet could actually get the Grey Tempest-class warship completed. 

If they pulled it off, that would be perfect.