Herrscher of Dominance in Honkai, starting with the abduction of Kiana

"Hiss, can you be gentler?! Jackal, if we hadn't been working together for so long, I'd suspect you were trying to murder a colleague."

From the infirmary of the World Serpent base, Raven's hissing and gasping could be heard from time to time. Currently lying on the bed, she was wrapped tightly in bandages, receiving treatment from Jackal.

However, rather than treatment, she felt more like she was serving as some kind of experimental subject.

Of course, this was just a feeling. While Jackal might be a bit… eccentric, he wouldn't harm his own people, unless, like the Moths back then, they signed a voluntary test subject agreement.

"Stop whining. If it weren't for me, you'd probably still be lying half-dead in the emergency room."

Ren's kick had nearly broken three or four of Raven's ribs. An ordinary person with such injuries wouldn't be able to get out of bed for three or four months.

However, thanks to the organization's advanced medical system and the Stigmata Awakened's robust physique, she had already recovered more than half in just two days.

Raven also knew that a large part of her rapid recovery was due to Jackal's treatment. After all, besides his mad scientist persona, Cleo was a genuinely top-notch medical doctor in the field.

Just…

"Wait, what is that? You're not planning to stick that into me, are you?" Immobilized on the bed, Raven's eyes widened as she watched Jackal take out a syringe filled with a green solution. The liquid inside the tube was still bubbling ominously, looking extremely dangerous.

"Don't worry, this is my newly developed Honkai energy slow-release agent. Just one shot, and I guarantee you'll be bouncing around."

"First tell me, how many clinical trials have you conducted on this thing?"

"Trials? You're the first! Don't be afraid, you're a Stigmata Awakened, you won't die."

"You, I'm warning you, don't…!"

Ah!

A shrill scream pierced through the ward's glass, attracting Mei, who was sitting outside the infirmary. She glanced towards the source of the scream, but quickly looked away. This was World Serpent; whether Raven was receiving treatment or torture had nothing to do with her.

Her attention remained focused on sensing the surrounding electromagnetic field, trying to figure out the internal structure of this underground base.

It had been two full days since the Obsidian Concord's attack. During these two days, both Gray Serpent and Raven's attitudes towards her had changed significantly, clearly showing initial acceptance. However, after she formally applied to join World Serpent, things seemed to have encountered some obstacle, and the review process was constantly delayed.

It wasn't until recently that she and the slightly recovered Raven came to this current base, World Serpent's headquarters.

Mei had originally thought she could find World Serpent's true foothold through this opportunity, but Raven told her that entering World Serpent headquarters required special methods. So, they boarded a special subway, and after a mere ten-minute journey, arrived here.

Such a short journey, she couldn't even record the coordinates, let alone know how long they had traveled. After arriving at this base, the electromagnetic field Mei used to detect the surroundings seemed suppressed, constantly fluctuating and unreliable.

She suspected the so-called subway was just a cover, and the actual transfer was done through some kind of spatial jump.

Mei didn't dare to let her guard down. This was the enemy's true rear base camp. The person she might face was the legendary Kevin. According to the Obsidian Concord database, this man was the strongest fusion warrior of the Previous Era, having lived for 50,000 years. She couldn't afford to be careless.

Just as Mei carefully probed the surroundings, the diffused electromagnetic field suddenly felt like a huge block of ice had been thrown into a calm lake.

Cold, piercing, terrifying, threatening.

Mei froze, immediately withdrawing her sensory domain, and focused her attention on the entrance of the passage.

She knew that the strongest human warrior had arrived.

"What are you so nervous about?" Just as Mei's nerves were taut, someone patted her shoulder. In an instant, blade light flashed.

But the moment she saw the figure clearly, Mei immediately reacted, sheathing her weapon.

"Raven…"

"Do you need such a big reaction? I almost thought I was going to die just now."

"You approached me from behind." Normally, with Mei's bio-magnetic field perception, no one could easily approach her. However, the pressure Kevin brought was simply too great, causing her to be startled. "Is your treatment finished?"

"Almost, I've barely recovered my combat strength. Jackal does have some skills, it's just the process wasn't very pleasant." Raven, with her hood down, looked quite young. Just over 20 years old, she still carried a girlish air.

Speaking of which, she paused and bowed slightly to Mei in gratitude.

"Thank you very much for what you did the other day. I apologize for my previous rudeness."

"There's no need, I just did what I could."

"Ha, it might have been effortless for you, but you genuinely saved my life. I'll report this to the Sovereign. Whether you join or leave afterward, I will support you."

Mei remained silent. She could feel the other party's sincerity.

Perhaps it was just a feeling, but unlike the cold assassin she saw in Nagazora and ARC City, Raven now seemed to have let go of some obsession, her demeanor much softer.

Was it Kiana who changed her?

Thoughts flashed through her mind, and Mei asked, "Can you tell me about your Sovereign?"

"Well, rather than me telling you, wouldn't it be better if you talked to him personally?"

"Personally?"

"Yes." The answer came not from Raven, but a calm male voice.

"Welcome to World Serpent, Raiden Mei."

Mei abruptly turned around to find a white-haired man standing behind her. The terrifying aura she had sensed in the electromagnetic field hadn't triggered any alarm.

"Are you the Sovereign they speak of?" Mei's heart pounded, and she forced down her erratic breathing, asking calmly.

"You can also call me Kevin."

In Nagazora, Mei had a brief fight with Kevin. However, at that time, he had merely created an ice storm, leaving her overwhelmed and unable to see his face clearly.

Now, when he truly stood before her, the feeling he gave her wasn't the cold, majestic image she had imagined, but rather that of a young man of few words.

She turned to look at Raven and found she wasn't nervous, seemingly accustomed to Kevin's demeanor. There was no sense of constraint a subordinate would have when meeting their boss.

Clearly, World Serpent wasn't as hierarchical as Mei had imagined.

"Well, you two talk slowly. I'll be going now." Raven shrugged and turned to leave.

Exhale.

Mei took a deep breath, completely calming herself.

"You should know why I'm here."

"World Serpent has something you need, and we happen to be short-handed."

"So?"

"If it were just that, based on mutual benefit, World Serpent naturally wouldn't refuse your joining. However, who can guarantee you don't have ulterior motives?" Kevin's eyes sharpened, carrying a hint of pressure.

"I just want to…"

Boom!

Just as Mei spoke, a violent explosion roared, and the entire underground facility trembled briefly.

"It seems the choice isn't in our hands." Kevin sighed softly, the Judgment of Shamash in his hand slowly igniting.