Honkai Impact 3rd: Catching the Herrscher of Sentience at the Start

?-? Fu Lin stared at the flamboyant Sampo, veins popping on his forehead as he slowly raised his fist, his expression growing darker.

"Ahem... let's be friends! Good ol' Sampo here is truly sincere," Sampo said, handing the rose to Fu Lin and smoothing his hair dramatically.

"...Fine. I'm always happy to make new friends." Fu Lin glanced at the rose in his hand, then at Sampo in front of him. Silently, he put the rose away—he might find a use for it later.

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[This journey is about to end. Passengers, please head to an open area to prepare for your return!]

[This journey is about to end. Passengers, please head to an open area to prepare for your return!]

[This journey is about to end. Passengers, please head to an open area to prepare for your return!]

Fu Lin looked at the message that popped up on the system, hurriedly said goodbye to Sampo, and rushed toward the central square. Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, he returned to the original world.

"Although old Sampo's exquisite performance was cut short, I made an interesting friend."

"Even more interesting than the Express crew's friends. I wonder if I'll ever meet them again. Next time, I'll definitely drag them into my performance!" Sampo walked to the spot where Fu Lin had disappeared, hands on his hips, talking to himself.

"Hey! You with the blue hair over there, stop right there!" A patrolling Silvermane Guard spotted Sampo standing in the central square, his eyes lighting up as he shouted.

Sampo turned his head, saw the approaching Silvermane Guards, and yelled, "I'm running! You'll never catch me!"

The next moment, as he turned back, he saw Gepard standing ahead. Just as he wanted to stop, his momentum caused him to crash straight into Gepard's arms.

"Hehe, isn't this Officer Gepard? If there's nothing, I'll be on my way now. Bye!" Sampo slipped out of Gepard's arms, grinning, and tried to leave.

"Anything else?" Sampo asked awkwardly, looking at Gepard, who was holding his hand.

Gepard said coldly, "You are under arrest."

"No way..."

...

Fu Lin looked at the bustling city outside, filled with people coming and going, the occasional train passing overhead, and a familiar palace in the distance.

"...Are we in Arc City?"

"Save the awe for later. First, switch back your body. Kiana's likely coming soon," Fu Shi said, stroking Fu Lin's head. Her eyes turned serious as she thought of the Herrscher of the Void's mark.

Although she didn't like that version of Fu Lin, if it could keep Kiana away from him, a little sacrifice was acceptable.

"No need. You can avoid it for a while, but not forever. Sooner or later, I'll have to face Kiana." Fu Lin held Fu Shi's hand as they walked along the streets of Arc City. He took a deep breath while looking at the crowd around them.

"..." Fu Shi stared blankly at Fu Lin's back as he walked ahead. Then, she withdrew her hand, crossed her arms, and stood still.

"What's wrong?" Fu Lin stopped and looked at Fu Shi, puzzled.

"Do whatever you want! I'm not going with you anymore." Fu Shi's tone was agitated as she shouted at Fu Lin. Then she summoned her sword sheath and flew off, leaving Fu Lin behind.

"Fine, it's better without Fu Shi," Fu Lin muttered, scratching his head as he watched Fu Shi disappear into the sky.

"Am I seeing things? Did someone just fly away on a sword?" Passerby A rubbed his eyes and grabbed the equally stunned Passerby B beside him.

Passerby B nodded. "I think I saw it too."

"Hahaha! The era of spiritual energy revival has finally arrived. We cultivators have endured so long!"

"Send me 50 credits, and these cultivation manuals will be yours. Limited spots, first come, first served!"

A disheveled, messy-haired homeless man held a bowl and laughed wildly. He then pulled out a few books from his chest.

Hearing this, Fu Lin turned his head. When he saw the books in the homeless man's hand, he coughed awkwardly, his face reddening. How could anyone buy such books so openly?

"I'll take this!" Passerby A's eyes lit up. He pulled out a 50 bill and handed it to the homeless man, carefully tucking the book into his coat.

"Then I'll take this one," Passerby B said shyly. After ensuring no one was paying attention, he handed over a 50 bill to the homeless man and quickly left with the book.

Fu Lin, "..." People actually buy these?

"You there, young man. I see you have extraordinary potential, a rare gem among millions. Which one do you want? I'll give you a 20% discount," the homeless man said, revealing his yellowed teeth as he walked toward Fu Lin, holding up the books.

"I'm a gentleman. Do you think I'd look at these kinds of books?"

"I read The Spring and Autumn Annals."

Fu Lin glanced at the crowd, grabbed the books, threw them to the ground, and turned to leave. But when he heard a voice from behind, he froze in place.

"I'll take them all!"