I'm in Honkai: Star Rail, and the Players are Going Feral Over Me!

"The Great Guardian! The Great Guardian! The Great Guardian has been assassinated! Lock down the entire city!"

The Guard arriving for the shift change discovered Cocolia, her face a deathly pale, foam flecking her lips. His own face went pale with panic as he ran outside, shouting at the top of his lungs.

Just moments before, a self-assured Cocolia had tasted the "local specialty" Wende had presented. The "specialty" had a fragrant aroma, and Cocolia had no reason to be suspicious. In her eyes, Wende and his group were mere speculators trying to do business in Belobog, hardly a threat worth considering.

And so, she took a delicate sip of the "specialty."

"Cocolia? Cocolia? Are you okay?"

"Ser... val?"

Cocolia opened her eyes, looking with confusion at the person before her.

"What's wrong? And thank you for the guitar!"

Serval hugged the guitar to her chest, her face beaming with a happy smile.

"Where am I..."

Cocolia was in a daze. How many years had it been? For the first time, she felt so... at peace...

"Cocolia? What's wrong? Are you not feeling well?"

Noticing Cocolia's strange behavior, Serval leaned in with concern, placing a hand on her forehead.

"Don't!... No, I'm fine. Thank you, Serval..."

Cocolia instinctively wanted to shout "Don't touch me," but seeing Serval's startled expression, she immediately swallowed the words on the tip of her tongue. She closed her eyes and thanked her friend.

"What are you thanking me for! We're best friends!"

Serval threw an arm around Cocolia's neck, speaking with a closeness that knew no boundaries.

"Mm... best friends."

Cocolia looked at Serval's radiant face, and a smile unknowingly blossomed on her own lips.

"You're acting so strange today. Did something happen to upset you?"

"Come on, let me play you the new guitar piece I learned! They say it can purify the soul!"

They sat quietly in the room, singing and playing Belobog's guitar ballads, enjoying the tranquil afternoon as sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating their joyful faces... with not a single sound to disturb them.

"What on earth happened to Lady Cocolia?"

Pela, who had just received the notification, looked anxiously at the medical officer before her. Among the Silvermane Guard command, she was the only officer left in Qlipoth Fort. Captain Gepard was guarding the front line, Acting Commander Bronya was nowhere to be found, and now the Great Guardian Cocolia's life hung in the balance. For a moment, Pela felt as if the sky was about to fall.

"Er... Lady Cocolia is in no great danger for now. She has only fallen into a coma due to extreme exhaustion," the medical officer said, quickly reassuring the frantic Pela.

"Is that so... Then when will the Great Guardian wake up?" Pela asked directly, rubbing her round chin.

"She will likely awaken around this time tomorrow. We will be troubling the Intelligence Officer until then," the medic said, bowing respectfully to Pela.

"I... I understand."

Pela looked at the solemn medical officer and nodded with some hesitation. She then walked out of the Great Guardian's bedchambers, completely failing to notice the faint golden light that flashed in the medic's eyes after she left.

By now, the Goethe Hotel had been surrounded by three layers of Silvermane Guards, inside and out. The hotel owner himself stared blankly at the Guards who came to question him, completely at a loss.

"Have you seen these people?"

A Guard placed several portraits in front of the owner.

Gazing at the handsome men and beautiful women in the portraits, the owner stroked his stubbled chin and replied to the Guard with a wry smile.

"Brother Guard, this group checked out of their room an hour ago. I have no idea where they are now."

Pela had single-handedly suppressed the news of Cocolia's collapse. The current Belobog could not afford to hear that something had happened to the Great Guardian.

In the Overworld, there were fewer than a thousand Guards available. After excluding those stationed at critical posts who could not be moved, Pela had command of no more than two hundred.

Trying to find the people who had harmed the Great Guardian with such a small force was a task no less difficult than ascending to the heavens.

After weighing the pros and cons, Pela decided it was best to temporarily abandon the search for the suspects. Everything would be discussed after the Great Guardian awakened.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

As Sampo led the group toward the Underworld, everyone except Wende was completely unaware of the massive upheaval occurring in the Overworld. And Wende, the one who knew what was about to happen, was now filled with anxiety.

Tsk... Crap. I didn't think this through. Himeko's coffee can make a Stellaron go berserk. I have no idea what'll happen after Cocolia drinks it. I just have to hope she can handle it...

Wende clicked his tongue, a sound that sent a shiver down the spine of Sampo, who was leading the way up ahead.

WOC, is this lord and master thinking up some other monstrous idea?

In all his years of roaming the galaxy, Sampo had never met anyone like this. To think that a Follower of Elation could be turned into the butt of such a massive joke... Are you the Follower of Elation, or am I?! Sampo lamented internally.

Sigh, perhaps this was a trial from Lord Aha. He had originally thought the arrival of the Express crew would bring him great amusement, but in the end...

The clown was him all along. Tears!

"Grrrroooowl~"

A very noticeable sound echoed through the dark tunnel.

March 7th clutched her stomach, embarrassed. It was only then that Wende remembered they hadn't eaten a single bite since arriving. Even at the hotel, they had only had a few sips of tea.

Thinking of this, Wende immediately swung his backpack around to his front, unzipped it, and took out several sandwiches, handing them to the group.

It was emergency food he had made on the Express, and it was coming in handy right now.

"Ah... thank you."

Bronya accepted the sandwich from Wende with some surprise. She hadn't expected... that there would be one for her.

Sigh... Old Sampo hasn't eaten either, but looking at this living King of Hell... there's probably none for me... Oh well, I'll just order some Rock-grilled Geomarrow when we get back to the Underworld. Sampo thought helplessly.

"Here, this is yours. It must have been tough leading the way for us."

Wende smiled, handing a sandwich to Sampo while simultaneously removing all the lightning needles from his body.

"This... Thank you, hero!"

Sampo was surprised, but he accepted the sandwich without the slightest hesitation and began to wolf it down.

This... is so delicious... Bronya and Sampo, tasting Wende's cooking for the first time, thought in astonishment.