The Xianzhou Luofu, Exalting Sanctum.
Bai Heng let out a yawn as he watched the endless flow of people come and go from dawn till dusk, a faint look of boredom on his handsome face.
It had been countless years since he first arrived in this universe from another world. As a long-life species, after a period of neither long nor short adjustment, he had chosen to fully integrate into this world—and become a thoroughly laid-back slacker.
Truth be told, back when he first crossed over, Bai Heng had been full of ambition. He thought any danger could be easily overcome in an instant thanks to his protagonist halo.
Even if an Aeon stood right in front of him, he would've dared to point at its nose and say:
"You're all just a bunch of posers asking to get wrecked!"
But one year later, after struggling to survive on the Luofu and barely scraping by with a roadside shop smaller than twenty square meters, Bai Heng finally understood one thing:
You're right, but Honkai: Star Rail is a brand-new turn-based game independently developed by miHoYo.
The game takes place in a universe where "Aeons" exist—beings who shape reality, erase stars, and leave their traces across countless worlds.
Here, you will play as a special traveler who, alongside companions inheriting the spirit of Trailblazing, will follow the path once taken by a certain Aeon. Together, you'll ride the Star Rail across the galaxy, embark on new adventures between countless bizarre and fantastical worlds, explore new civilizations, and gradually uncover the truth behind the "Secrets of the Aeons."
But what the hell did any of that have to do with him, Bai Heng?
He was just a decent shop owner selling cheap tea on the street—drinks so loaded with artificial sweetener they could give "Snow King" a run for their money, only even cheaper. In his free time, nothing made him happier than a casual game of Celestial Jade with the future General of Divine Foresight Qingque.
What Stellaron, what Emanators of Destruction—he wanted no part in any of it. And even if he did, what could he possibly do?
So Bai Heng chose...
To check out!
[Ding! Simulation System loaded successfully!]
[Congratulations, Host, on activating the "Knife Simulator." Based on the progression of the simulation, you will receive corresponding rewards!]
A light, mechanical voice pulled Bai Heng's drifting thoughts back to the present. In his eyes, the fire that had been dulled by ordinary life began to reignite, burning visibly.
Better late than never—it... was finally here!
The three-year mark has come. Time to slaughter my way through the Honkai: Star Rail universe!
Who dares claim invincibility? Who dares speak of being undefeated? Who dares boast immortality? Even Aeons can fall!
If this were an anime, Bai Heng would now be clenching his fists, with endless flames blazing behind him.
But after examining the system's functions, a chill ran down his spine.
It wasn't that the system was bad.
On the contrary, as a golden finger, it was incredibly comprehensive—even ridiculously good.
It was just that the way rewards were earned... was a little hard to stomach.
As the name implied, the simulator would generate random traits and arrange corresponding storylines.
But here was the catch!
This was a "Knife Simulator"! You get rewards for getting "knifed"—but the problem was, the knife wasn't meant for others...
It was for Bai Heng himself!
And based on how he was "killed," the impact it caused, and the reactions it provoked, Bai Heng would receive corresponding rewards. The more intense the reaction, the richer the rewards!
To this, Bai Heng—a Pure Love Warrior, well-acquainted with the bittersweetness of human emotion, and well-read in all kinds of heartwarming stories—could only say:
This really was...
Just too damn delightful!!
In my past life, I was force-fed knives till I was stuffed. This time, I'll become the knife myself!
Starting today, I'm gonna knife knife knife knife knife knife! Those living happy lives? Knife! Those living fulfilling lives? Knife! Those in love? Knife! I'll knife without mercy!
After soothing his delighted heart and suppressing the grin threatening to break out, Bai Heng took a deep breath.
"Simulation—begin!"
--+--
Meanwhile, at the Stellaron Hunter base.
Slender, pale fingers danced across a holographic keyboard. A girl blowing bubbles with her gum focused all her attention on the screen in front of her.
Silver Wolf—Stellaron Hunter, the hidden ruler of Punklorde, a figure worshipped by countless hackers.
As usual, during her downtime between missions, she immersed herself in the world of games.
But today, Silver Wolf noticed something unusual.
A glowing screen had abruptly appeared before her eyes—one only she could see.
Was this an intrusion by another hacker?
How interesting.
The bubble gum in her mouth went pop as a slight smirk curled her lips.
She tapped the screen lightly to open it.
But aside from an input interface, there was nothing else.
"What's this? Did they send it over before even finishing the programming? Pretty unprofessional for a hacker."
Rolling her eyes, her interest now gone, Silver Wolf reached out to close it.
But just before she did, a series of notifications popping up in the lower right corner made her freeze mid-motion.
[Elysia has joined the Simulator Group Chat]
[Mobius has joined the Simulator Group Chat]
[Kiana has joined the Simulator Group Chat]
[Kafka has joined the Simulator Group Chat]
[Jing Yuan has joined the Simulator Group Chat]
--+--
A whole string of notifications left Silver Wolf baffled.
In those alerts, she even spotted several familiar names.
Like Kafka, or that Stellaron kid they'd dumped on the Astral Express.
Before Silver Wolf could even react, the group chat was already buzzing.
「Elysia: My, my, what an interesting little thing we have here. Is this one of Mobius's little experiments?」
「Mobius: Do you really think my research is so frivolous, Elysia?」
「Keqing: So what exactly is this? And why can't I close it?」
「Jing Yuan: It seems some mysterious force has pulled us all here for a conversation. Quite amusing, really.」
「Kiana: Kinda feels like a comms screen, but there's nothing playing? Why's that?」
「Bronya: Idiot Kiana, the words 'Awaiting Stream' on the screen make it pretty clear.」
Meanwhile, aboard the Astral Express.
Watching the lively chatter unfold before him, Welt's expression was complicated.
You know that "old man on subway looking at phone" meme? Yeah, that.
If he were to throw caution to the wind and speak his mind, it'd definitely be:
Goddammit, I'm already in Star Rail—why is Honkai still chasing me?!
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.