The Gamer who traveled to Honkai: Star Rail

After dozens of attempts, Elysia had managed to pull a full range of loot—from the most basic white-tier materials to green, blue, and even purple ones. Unfortunately, she had yet to obtain a single gold-tier item.

"Why… why isn't my luck as good as Kevin's? Did he have some kind of trick?" Elysia muttered unhappily as yet another white glow emerged from the latest crate she opened.

Pei Guang, who had been watching over her the whole time, spoke up. "Because of the principle of luck conservation. A person's luck fluctuates—sometimes high, sometimes low. You might have bad luck when rolling for rewards, but maybe you're incredibly lucky in other aspects. And Kevin, well… just because he has good luck now doesn't mean he won't have terrible luck elsewhere. Maybe he had awful luck in his past life. Who knows?"

March 7th chimed in. "That's right! We've seen this firsthand. Just look at Ah Guang! He had insanely good luck and pulled a whole Star Destroyer starship—that one ship alone saved us so much effort! But ever since then, his luck has been completely awful."

Pei Guang scoffed. "You still dare to bring that up?! I swear, one of us three has rigged luck, but I won't say who."

Stelle grinned smugly. "Who else? Obviously, it's me."

Pei Guang groaned. "Then you, our resident rigged-luck player, better pull some good stuff for me! This is my territory. The more good loot we get, the stronger I can arm my most loyal subordinates. I don't want my people getting bullied by outsiders. Every loss would make my heart ache."

Watching their banter, Elysia pursed her lips and smiled. Just a few months ago, back on Earth, she had been struggling to figure out how to keep resisting the Antimatter Legion's invasion. And now? She was casually looting supplies right in the middle of enemy-occupied territory.

Even though her own loot luck had been rather terrible—especially compared to Kevin, who pulled gold-tier rewards with casual ease—she didn't mind. It wasn't about getting the rarest items; it was about the sheer thrill of opening crates and containers and discovering new resources.

Besides, she had come to realize that these materials weren't just ordinary scraps. Some of them were rare and invaluable materials, linked to the Paths of different Aeons and their factions—items that should only be obtainable through extreme means.

Even the lowest-tier white materials were incredibly precious to Earth's people. What Pei Guang and his group might dismiss as common scraps were, in reality, materials capable of revolutionizing Earth's current technology. 

Some of them could even help individuals better connect with their chosen Paths!

As she spent more time with Pei Guang, Elysia began to understand the unique essence that belonged to him—or rather, the essence of players.

Some called players the Fourth Calamity, an unstoppable force that plundered, destroyed, and caused chaos wherever they went.

Others saw players as heroes of salvation, who defeated mighty foes and saved world after world from ruin.

But in Elysia's eyes, Pei Guang was simply… a person. A person filled with love and kindness. A person who, despite everything, remained steadfast in staying true to his own sense of self.

Yet, at the same time, she could also sense another side of him—the side that despised true evil.

She didn't know why he carried such an aversion, but she had a feeling that if she were to ask Pei Guang directly, he would probably be able to explain it in a way that made perfect sense.

To him, the companions he met during his journey, the so-called "NPCs" he interacted with, were not just random background characters. They were an essential part of his adventure.

And because of that, when players entered a game world, they would inevitably come to cherish the people who treated them well, who believed in them.

And in return, they would use their own ways to cherish those same companions and NPCs.

But when something truly important to a player disappears, never to return, the darkest side of a player is fully unleashed. What they might do to the game world after that—no one can predict.

For a rare drop, a player could go on a rampage, leaving nothing alive.

For a child, a player could become a god of war, annihilating everything in their path.

For the death of a friend in the game, a player could cry in grief.

If possible, no player wants to see such choices. These dramatic storylines exist to create conflict, to trigger emotions, but given the option, most players would rather avoid them.

Players want to live alongside their loved ones, fight alongside their comrades, and witness a future full of new possibilities with their friends.

That indescribable feeling of climbing a snowy mountain with strangers, the brotherhood forged with an NPC, catching her after slaying the black dragon, watching Lan and Rama become a tree, the passing of the final torch in The Last Lesson, and seeing them free in the snowfall—

At a glance, players might seem like war-hungry maniacs, but in reality, every war they wage is for the sake of peace in their own world.

It could be said that players are the purest beings in existence. If given absolute freedom in a world, every true player would strive to create a better future.

Calling players the Fourth Calamity is more of a joke than anything else. In truth, players want their game worlds to be better. Even those in Minecraft survival mode dream of building something lasting.

Elysia was beginning to understand this about Pei Guang—not just his nature, but the nature of players.

And the reason she could feel it so deeply was because she herself was born from the collision of a Stellaron and the Path of Beauty, on this unique planet Earth, shaped by the purity, kindness, and authenticity of its people.

Because of this, she could sense how the Stellaron was shifting on this planet. 

She understood the crueler truths of the universe. But at the same time, she could perceive the unwavering authenticity of players.

Even if Pei Guang failed to save Earth, Elysia still felt that, as someone who had come to this planet, she would be happy to call him a friend.

And just as she was thinking this, she realized—something within her had changed.

"I've become… a Guide? No, this is… a Companion?"

Her thoughts were simple and pure: she merely wished to be Pei Guang's friend, to help him, to prevent him from becoming something even he didn't want to be.

Yet somehow, she had obtained a power from Pei Guang? The irony almost made her chuckle.

"Well, whatever. Let's work together to make this world a better place."

Elysia's thoughts were simple and pure. And precisely because of that, they were the kind of thoughts that would naturally attract a player's attention.

Whether it was the kill-everything-that-moves kind of player or the farm-peacefully-and-heal-the-world kind of player—so long as they weren't the kind who sought self-gratification by tormenting others in PvP—even in the darkest of times, players were simple, even naive, in their own way.

"Cute girls really do have good luck… but I guess the luck conservation rule is real, huh? Hmm… I wonder if this counts as good luck or bad luck?"

Elysia smiled brightly.

And then, she suddenly noticed a trash can in the corner—one that hadn't been destroyed yet.

Despite all this time, even with all the looting and scavenging, the trash can had remained untouched. Even the Legion's Voidrangers had ignored it.

She looked at it.

And she felt like it was looking back at her.

"Forget it, I don't need to open a trash can," Elysia muttered to herself. She had been happy to break open other containers, but trash cans? They were just for garbage. Even if they contained treasures, she would rather leave those to someone else.

Elysia suspected that maybe she had stayed up too late last night—why else would she be hallucinating and hearing things?

Yet, despite her resistance, she found herself instinctively drawn toward the trash can. She had no desire to dig through garbage when there was no need, yet that voice lured her in, compelling her to approach it.

The lid of the trash can was slightly ajar, and unlike the one Kevin had opened earlier, this one seemed to be gazing at her kindly through the gap.

At the same time, she seemed to hear a grand and majestic voice speaking to her.

"Pure and flawless maiden, do you seek this useless garbage, this useful garbage, or perhaps... this glowing golden garbage?"

The girl answered honestly, "I want... the golden one..."

"Such honesty deserves reward," the grand voice praised. "Then I shall grant you what you desire!"

In that instant, golden light burst from the trash can, blowing its lid open. Though the glow shone brilliantly like gold, for some reason, she swore she saw a tiny, bean-shaped figure within the light giving her a thumbs-up.

And there, lying at the bottom of the trash can, was not a heap of trash, but a pristine white robe.

She picked it up, but her mind was filled with silence. She had been so determined to reject the trash can, yet the trash can had tempted her in return. 

How was she supposed to face her own trash cans back home now? Would she have to check inside them every day for hidden treasures? Would people think she had lost her mind?

While Elysia was lost in thought, Pei Guang and the others, drawn by the golden light, had already gathered around.

Seeing the white cloak in Elysia's hands, Pei Guang excitedly asked, "Oh? I didn't expect you to be the second one among us to pull a golden item!"

Stelle, on the other hand, frowned slightly, "I don't know why, but that gold light didn't feel... pure? It felt different from the usual kind, like instead of drawing a rare item, someone just tossed one at you."

Pei Guang waved it off, "Doesn't matter, as long as it's gold. Elysia, mind if I take a look at what you got?"

Elysia handed the cloak over to Pei Guang, who read its description with a slightly puzzled expression.

Robe of the Beauty: Crafted by the Aeon of Beauty, though somehow it ended up being stuffed into a trash can and given this name. When worn, the user can transform its form freely—its effectiveness increases the closer its form aligns with the concept of Beauty.

Note: Even the Aeon of Beauty, Idrila, is unaware of when this cloak was stolen. A garment that supposedly doesn't exist in a physical form has somehow manifested in this world with a tangible presence, now called Robe of the Beauty. Avoid being seen by the Beauty Knights while wearing it—something interesting might happen.