Years later, Luna would vividly recall her first meeting with the "god" of Fontaine.
It happened not long after she became a "phantom thief."
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A sharp pain cleared the fogginess in her head. Luna stretched her sore body and slowly sat up.
"Where… am I?"
Looking around, she saw familiar surroundings.
"Right, my name is Luna…"
She'd had a drink earlier and then dreamed—a strange dream where she lived in another world, holding a device called a "smartphone."
In her dream, a golden flash filled her screen, revealing two golden figures.
Wow, double five-stars!
She was so excited she didn't notice a speeding truck heading her way. Next thing she knew, she was transported to this world, Teyvat, reincarnated into her current self.
Luna rubbed her temples. The dream had been so vivid, it felt too real.
Her past life must've been like that, right?
But seriously, getting double five-stars and then reincarnating in a car crash—is that good luck or bad? And of all places, it had to be the world of Genshin Impact…
But she was playing Honkai: Star Rail!
She barely played Genshin Impact and only remembered the story up to Liyue. Now, she found herself in a nation called Fontaine, rendering her past knowledge useless.
After muddling through memories of her past life, Luna had slept like a log until nightfall.
She picked up a mirror and looked at her reflection.
Golden hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her wine-colored eyes sparkled with a radiant light.
Anyone who saw her would agree she was a beautiful girl.
Luna thought so too—except for her chest…
But no matter. Cuteness is what truly matters!
And it wasn't that bad. As long as it wasn't flat as a board, she was fine.
Shaking off her vanity, Luna focused on the pressing matter at hand.
[Please choose a name for your phantom thief identity.]
A translucent panel hovered in her field of vision.
From what she remembered, this seemed to be some kind of system…
"Name? Phantom thief? What's this?"
Luna questioned aloud but received no response.
Shrugging, she typed something as a joke: "Helicopter Elbow King."
[Confirm your name as 'Helicopter Elbow King'?]
…Let's not. Imagine the announcement:
"The Phantom Thief Helicopter Elbow King is here to steal your something!—No, that's not funny."
She typed again: "White Cat."
[Confirm your name as 'White Cat'?]
YESYES!
Although she had golden hair, who could deny the cuteness of cats?
[Registration successful.]
[Treasure intelligence detected: Furina's Smile.]
[Treasure intelligence detected: Chlorinde's Eyepatch.]
[Treasure intelligence detected: Neuvillette's Cane.]
[Treasure intelligence detected: Maiden's Tears.]
…
A barrage of windows popped up, making Luna dizzy.
Despite the impressive-sounding notifications, she still had no idea what this system was. Skipping through the alerts, she fiddled with it for a while until she roughly understood.
The "Phantom Thief System," as the name implied, was a system designed to assist her in becoming a phantom thief—a performer of high-stakes heists that straddled the line between art and crime.
Unlike thieves, phantom thieves announce their intentions in advance.
"I'm the Phantom Thief White Cat, and tonight, I'll steal your little sister."
For example, something like that. Of course, this wasn't a kidnapping system—at least, she hoped not.
Once a heist notice was delivered, the system would officially activate the mission.
Completion was judged on four criteria:
1. Security level
2. Rarity of the treasure
3. Publicity of the heist
4. Showmanship
Points were awarded based on these factors and could be used to upgrade skills, gain new powers, and further her career as a phantom thief.
To locate treasures, she'd have to rely on rumors, firsthand sightings, news reports, or any other means.
If you know about it, you can steal it.
Stealing it feels amazing.
Feeling amazing makes you want to steal more.
However, this was obviously illegal. If caught, she'd be sent to Meropide Prison for rehabilitation.
And then she'd really be in trouble—no laughing matter.
But as a Fontaine citizen with common sense and morality, Luna felt about this system…
Delighted!
"If getting caught is the problem, then I just won't get caught! Wasting this power would make me the real joke."
What she stole was up to her. What kind of phantom thief she became was also her choice.
With her moral compass firmly at zero, Luna eagerly browsed the treasure list.
"Wait, since when is the Captain of the Special Forces' eyepatch a treasure?"
That felt oddly specific. Would stealing it make her the Shrimp Head Phantom Thief?
After some consideration, Luna shortlisted two items:
[Furina's Smile]
[Description: An oil painting by a renowned Fontaine artist, created with Furina's permission to model. From the brushstrokes to the use of color, it's a masterpiece in every sense. However, during the session, the white cat Furina was holding kicked her in the face and escaped. Despite this, Furina maintained her elegant smile—a testament to her grace.]
[Treasure rarity: A]
[Fixed points: 300]
And the other one:
[Maiden's Tears]
[Description: A translucent, water-colored gemstone that gives the illusion of flowing life. Listen closely, and you might hear a maiden's sorrowful cries. Is it a gem? Or perhaps amber?]
[Treasure rarity: B]
[Fixed points: 250]
Both were set to appear at an art exhibition hosted by the Confrerie of Cabriere.
Luna stood up and approached her bulletin board filled with intel.
Though no longer part of "their" circle and currently working as an adventurer, she still kept up her habit of gathering information.
"The exhibition is in a week…"
The Confrerie of Cabriere was allied with the Spina di Rosula, having received their support during its early days.
Stealing both treasures in one go was tempting, but she might cross paths with the Spina di Rosula.
Her gaze fell on a photo.
"The current leader of the Spina di Rosula is Navia Casapar… a tough opponent. But with a chance to grab two treasures at once, how could I not?"
Still, the Confrerie of Cabriere's activities seemed suspicious, especially their movements…
Lacking sufficient clues, Luna shook her head and set the thought aside.
With her targets chosen, the next step was preparing for the heist.