The Gamer who traveled to Honkai: Star Rail

Listening to Asta's explanation, Pei Guang got a general understanding of what happened.

"So that's how it is. Let me ask you something. Are you sure the missing staff member came back with everyone yesterday?"

Asta nodded. "I'm sure. Some of them even disappeared while others were watching…"

Pei Guang: "Explain."

Asta: "One of them went to the restroom with a colleague, and then just vanished. It's exactly because of that some people think it was your doing: since you guys have the ability to make people disappear instantly. But I believe it definitely wasn't you or your group, because I trust you."

Without much explanation, just those last words alone instantly revived Pei Guang's motivation, which had taken a hit due to event maintenance.

"Don't worry, I'll repay your trust properly. But speaking of which, Bucket did reinforce your space station yesterday. Logically speaking, aside from us, no one else should be able to leave the station directly. Even if they wanted to leave, they'd have to go through the main gate... But just to be safe, I'll call Bucket and ask."

Pei Guang pulled out his phone and called Below One Bucket. 

Just like Ruan Mei's creations were linked to her, Bucket, after gaining the ability to contact the outside world, had also added Pei Guang's contact info.

Pei Guang dialed the number. A few seconds later, Bucket picked up.

Pei Guang: "Let me ask you something. Didn't you reinforce the space station? Besides us, is there anyone else who can use special methods to leave the station?"

"Mmm! Ah~ Mmm!!!"

Pei Guang: "So no, right? Ohhh! I see, that's how it's set up."

After hanging up, Pei Guang turned to Asta. "If your station's entry and exit logs didn't register anything, then the missing person is either still inside the station, or they're dead.

According to Bucket, trash can't enter or leave unless the lid is opened and someone is actively taking it in or out."

Asta: "So if there's no trace of anyone leaving through regular exits… they might still be inside the space station? Could they have…"

Pei Guang shook his head. "No. Or, more likely, probably not."

With that one sentence, Asta finally breathed a sigh of relief. 

She had personally witnessed how powerful Pei Guang was: if he said it was probably fine, then it was probably fine.

However, just as Asta relaxed, Arlan suddenly came running over, panting heavily. He looked at Asta and was about to speak when he noticed Pei Guang nearby—his words immediately got stuck in his throat.

Asta: "Go ahead. There's nothing inappropriate."

Arlan nodded. "It's like this. One of Herta's puppets has gone missing from the platform outside the station."

Pei Guang: "Huh? Who's got the guts to touch my puppet?"

Asta quickly covered Pei Guang's mouth. "Keep it down! Quiet, quiet!!"

Herta herself didn't really mind Pei Guang taking her puppets, but she didn't want him taking too many. If he took too many, she'd have to remake them again. Thinking about how much effort went into that perfect appearance was annoying. 

If she could avoid redoing it, she would.

As for Pei Guang, even though he could now make Herta puppets himself, in his mind those puppets were a reward from Herta. Even if they weren't officially his yet, they would be eventually.

So someone dares to steal his reward? If they didn't give a good explanation, Pei Guang would definitely show them what cruelty meant.

Still, Pei Guang started to think. "Who could've done this? Judging by how this is playing out, someone is clearly targeting us."

If what Asta said was true, then whoever was stirring up trouble inside the station this time was clearly aiming for him, and Asta too. 

People opposing him had vanished? Might even be dead? This was just one step short of outright challenging him by name.

Asta: "I don't know either. But now that even one of Herta's puppets is missing… this is really turning into a problem…"

Pei Guang spread his hands. "What are you afraid of? Herta's still in her office~ I'll go tell her about this. If someone's causing trouble right under her nose, she'll definitely handle it."

Pei Guang was already thinking about how to shortcut this quest. Based on the story so far, the best option would be to have Herta and Screwllum step in directly: quick and efficient. 

As for the quest rewards?

Pei Guang felt like he had already squeezed enough out of Asta. Their favorability was maxed out and there was no need to farm more. 

If he did max it out, it might cause trouble, if you know what I mean. 

The current priority was to control favorability.

That's right: Asta's favorability was dangerously close to exploding and Pei Guang didn't dare push it further. 

What would he say to March 7th if that happened? If he just ignored it, he'd basically be going down the harem route. (TL Note: Do it)

But thinking about how he'd stuck to the pure love route for so long, only to suddenly get derailed… just imagining that gave him an unbearable sense of discomfort.

It was like playing a visual novel and sticking to one route for seven or eight hours, only to fail near the end. Sure, you could reload a save, but the frustration still lingered.

While thinking about that, Pei Guang contacted Herta.

"One of your puppets went missing!"

Herta: "Hmm? Missing? Doesn't matter. Since you're at the space station, go find out who did it."

Pei Guang: "You're not mad?"

Herta: "Mad? I've got important business at the IPC. I don't have time to manage the space station right now. Do as you like: I'll give you full access. If you see a puppet you like, just take it. Just let me know which one you're taking and where it's from."

Pei Guang: "Got it~"

Pei Guang happily put away his phone, but as soon as he did, his smile froze. 

He had planned to skip this quest entirely. Now, not only had he failed to skip it, it had officially become his quest?

Oh well. If skipping class wasn't an option, then he'd just have to handle it step by step.

This mission looked completely illogical at first glance, but by applying both in-game tropes and real-world reasoning, Pei Guang could more or less guess who was behind it.

He began to think: "They're targeting me? Then it's someone with a low favorability toward me or someone from a faction that's hostile to the ones with high favorability. Who are the hostile ones? The Antimatter Legion, the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, the IPC?"

Was it the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus doing this? That didn't seem likely. If it were them or the Abundance's followers, this place wouldn't even be on their radar: there just wasn't enough here to consume.

The IPC? Also unlikely. 

Herta was heading to the Company for something, and no matter how many internal factions the Interastral Peace Corporation had, they wouldn't pick a fight with a genius fostered by the Company or with someone so close to the daughter of a high-ranking official like Asta.

Which left just one possibility: the Antimatter Legion.

"It really might be them. This feels a lot like Phantylia's style: sowing chaos from within to destroy from the inside. But I caught Phantylia, didn't I? And the Fragmentums don't have the brains for this. Or could it be Heliobi?"

Pei Guang had killed plenty of Fragmentum creatures: aside from the Lord Ravagers, the rest of them were purely destructive forces, not the kind to pull this sort of scheme.

Heliobi weren't out of the question: Pei Guang had seen beings similar to Heliobi on the space station before.

In the end, he narrowed it down to either the Antimatter Legion or something related to Heliobi. 

But then Pei Guang suddenly thought of another possibility: "The Annihilation Gang? Could it be their fault?"