Honkai, why do you only throw me into high-level battles?

The sun shone brightly in another corner of the world.

"Clang…"

A brown-haired woman tossed the scalpel and hemostat in her hands onto a nearby tray. The crisp metallic sound echoed through the room. She took one last look at the lifeless body on the operating table, now beyond recognition, and sighed regretfully.

Turning, she walked gracefully to the sink, turning on the faucet. The running water washed away the blood, staining the basin crimson.

"So, Jackal, you called me all the way here just to watch your daily routine?"

Raven leaned against the doorway, her hood down, revealing her short gray hair and pretty face. She glanced at the woman inside, her voice a mix of disdain and amusement.

"I can't believe it. Our demon scientist actually sighs for the 'lab rats' that die by her own hand? What is this, crocodile tears?"

"Enough with the sarcasm, Raven…"

Jackal dried her hands, removed her mask, and sniffed the lingering scent of blood on her fingers, a smell she had long grown accustomed to. She began to speak, but Raven interrupted her, her face impassive.

"Call me Natasha Cioara."

Jackal frowned, then nonchalantly switched her address.

"Fine, Natasha. I called you here because I need your help. I apologize, but I was in the middle of something important and couldn't step away."

"Oh? Is World Serpent that short-staffed? They're even calling on irrelevant ex-employees like me?"

Hearing the overly familiar "Natasha," Raven crossed her arms, her face showing clear refusal.

"Let's be clear. This is a private request, and it comes with a fee. The price depends on the difficulty of the task, and it won't be cheap. Don't look at me like that. I'm a freelance mercenary now. I only work for money. Also, tell me what you want me to do first. If it's too troublesome, forget it. I'm not exactly broke right now."

A few days ago, Raven had been enjoying her vacation when Jackal's sudden communication ruined her mood. After some thought, she came to the appointment, grumbling inwardly.

After all, they had worked together for so long. She had to give her some face. [Mamaipi – What the hell!]

"Don't worry, it's a simple task…"

Jackal chuckled, briefly describing her plan and Raven's role in it, her voice filled with an almost innate confidence.

"...Snipe Schicksal's S-rank Valkyrie? Are you serious?"

Raven's expression was odd, but not entirely surprised. She had known Jackal was planning something against Schicksal.

"Your grudge runs deep. Should I be worried when I'm facing you?"

Jackal was used to Raven's barbed words and ignored her jab.

"Who else can use that disobedient Divine Key but you?"

"...So you're saying I'm stuck with this?"

That arrogant Divine Key was Raven's nightmare. She had thought she wouldn't have to deal with it after leaving.

"Don't worry, your task is simple. Just play the role of a sniper from afar. At the critical moment, aim at the target, gently pull the trigger, and… boom!"

Jackal excitedly raised her slender, tanned hand, mimicking an explosion. Just imagining it made her shiver with excitement.

"Hehe, I wonder if the body of a so-called S-rank Valkyrie is any different from others? I'm so excited!"

"It does sound simple. Fine, I'll take it."

Like Jackal, Raven had learned to filter out her nonsense. Before leaving, she couldn't help but ask,

"Jackal, what were you thinking about when you sighed earlier?"

She didn't believe this venomous woman had any compassion, but perhaps…

"Nothing, just a somewhat valuable specimen."

Jackal's voice was filled with regret, like she had lost an interesting toy.

"A male survivor of the Honkai. His research value is hundreds of times higher than a female specimen with the same physical characteristics! It's a pity such specimens are so rare. It's hard to support my research."

"..."

Well, she was disappointed again.

"Oh, right, speaking of which…"

Jackal seemed to remember something. She turned to Raven, about to speak.

"If you still want to leave this place alive, Jackal, I suggest you drop those pointless thoughts!"

Raven remembered that some of the children she had adopted were boys. Like a protective mother hen, her tone turned hostile.

"Oh, right. You didn't mention it, I almost forgot. You adopted a bunch of children during the 3rd Honkai, didn't you? Such a pity. Don't worry, you know the organization's rules. Every member has to strictly adhere to them, even after leaving."

Jackal shook her head regretfully, signaling for her to calm down.

"I just remembered. A few days ago, there was news from Southeast Asia. They found another male specimen, seemingly from Shenzhou, but it went quiet. I want you to check it out. Don't lose my precious specimen."

"...Another request? Fine, it's on the way anyway. We'll discuss the price later."

Raven replied curtly. Why not say everything at once?

"So stingy? Fine, you're living in Southeast Asia anyway, just run this errand for me."

Jackal's tone was always condescending.

"Heh, World Serpent really knows my every move..."

Raven chuckled self-deprecatingly. She couldn't escape even after leaving. Sighing, she said,

"I'm planning to build a house. I'm just scouting locations. As for whether my new home will be in Southeast Asia or the Mediterranean, I haven't decided yet..."

"Do as you please. You wouldn't invite me over anyway."

Jackal didn't mean it as a threat. She just spoke without thinking.

"Alright, enough small talk. Go see what happened to those idiots. Did they lose my precious specimen? ...Hmm?"

As she spoke, a window popped up on her communicator, flashing a small yellow exclamation mark, indicating an unexpected event, but not urgent—

Coral Island had detected Schicksal communication signals and observed unusual movements from the Valkyrie unit stationed in Southeast Asia. Grey Serpent reminded Jackal, who was directly responsible, to clean up any loose ends to avoid premature exposure.

"Schicksal again? Damn them! Damn them!!"

Jackal was furious.

"It seems you don't need me here anymore?"

Raven shrugged, picked up the 3rd Divine Key she hadn't touched in a few months with a conflicted expression, and left.

...

"Huàshé tiānzú…? What does that mean? Is it about geckos? Or lizards?"

Anna, being European, didn't understand the Chinese idiom and was confused. [ Huàshé tiānzú – literally "draw a snake and add feet," meaning to ruin something by adding unnecessary details, or to overdo it.]

However, she understood that Lin Wei wasn't talking about drawing. She looked at him, waiting for an explanation.

"...It's a Chinese idiom. Simply put, it means that these constructs here, although seemingly patrolling and guarding, actually provide a trail for us to follow."

Lin Wei smiled wryly and explained briefly.

"Without them, after leaving that inconspicuous park and entering this sprawling network, it would be hard to find our way."

"I see. You're saying this is a trap?"

Anna suddenly understood. She looked around nervously, expecting hundreds of those strange constructs to pour out from both ends of the tunnel at any moment, overwhelming them.

Even if I can escape, I can't abandon my companion…

"...I don't know."

Lin Wei truly didn't know.

He had sensed something was amiss, suspecting this was a trap set specifically for him.

But on one hand, that would be a direct confrontation, and he didn't think World Serpent had a reason to do that yet.

On the other hand, if it really was a trap, it was too obvious—to him, it was practically saying, "Something's fishy here."

But…

If it was Jackal, it wasn't impossible.

That arrogant woman was always overconfident and reckless.

What if she's a hidden genius?

Lin Wei glanced at Anna, remembering how he had almost been caught earlier.

It's better to be cautious.

Lin Wei took a deep breath, discarded his distracting thoughts, and became more alert.

"Let's go. The situation is unclear. Be careful."

Anna nodded. She had been on high alert, even without Lin Wei's reminder.

As they walked, she moved closer to Lin Wei, shielding him slightly. She glanced at the time on her communicator, estimating when backup would arrive, and said seriously,

"If we encounter danger, protect yourself. I'll find a way for you to escape!"

"Don't make it sound like a dragon's lair."

Lin Wei looked at Anna's serious expression, reached out, and lightly tapped her head. She easily dodged his playful gesture, looking displeased.

Lin Wei didn't mind his miss. He chuckled and said half-jokingly,

"Don't worry, I value my life. If there's danger, I'll be the first to run."

"You better."

As they spoke, a commotion came from behind them. The late-night tunnel network was empty, so the sounds echoed and carried far.

"What are you monsters?! ...Let me go, stop! Don't you understand human language? What are you?! Let go! I said let go! ...Thump thump thump… Bang! Crash…"

It was the sound of a man cursing, struggling, running, then falling, and something heavy hitting the ground. It was brief, yet complete.

Then, silence returned, as if it were just an insignificant interlude.

Lin Wei and Anna exchanged glances and turned back to investigate. They soon saw a red and black construct carrying a man over its shoulder like a sack of potatoes, walking towards them. Anna, startled, quickly pulled Lin Wei to a corner, hiding them.

The construct walked past them, heading deeper into the complex. The man lay motionless on its broad shoulder, his limbs dangling limply, his life or death unknown.

"He's still alive. Wait, where are you going?!"

Anna discreetly checked her life detector. It showed a heartbeat. Relieved, she was about to rescue the man, but saw Lin Wei walking in the opposite direction. She was caught in a dilemma.

"Follow me. He won't die yet. Hurry."

Lin Wei called out. He wanted to go back and see what had fallen earlier.

"Why is there someone else here?"

"You can come here to be a hero, why can't others?"

Anna grumbled, dissatisfied with this arrogant man. Just because you have some skills, you think you're better than everyone else?

"Probably another reckless idiot like you, but less lucky."

"..."

Yes, not the same.

Anna's words hit too close to home. Lin Wei couldn't explain.

He couldn't tell her that he had a Divine Key and a bodyguard, could he?

He felt inexplicably tired.

Without further explanation, he quickly walked back to where the sounds had come from. He found a broken camera in a dark corner, seemingly thrown there by the man.

Lin Wei picked it up and took out the memory card, handing it to Anna. He had already scanned the contents the moment he touched it—

A local journalist, initially seeking fame, chasing sensational news. He had heard some urban legends and started investigating "unknown truths."

But the deeper he investigated, the more terrified he became, convinced that there was a massive, world-altering conspiracy.

The frequent disasters around the world were perhaps one manifestation of it.

According to him, he wanted to interview disaster survivors, but couldn't find any. They seemed to have vanished. During his search, he stumbled upon this place and came to investigate.

"I know I'm overreaching, and I might not be able to change anything. Perhaps this recording will be the only proof of my existence. Perhaps nothing will remain, but I still want to be a hero."

The footage was dark, recorded not long ago. The man's expression was resolute. He saved the recording and started a new one. The camera shook as he walked, carefully moving forward. Finally, the camera flew through the air, the footage abruptly ending.

"How could this be?!"

Anna exclaimed, her voice filled with complex emotions. She admired his courage, but also knew that the existence of the Honkai shouldn't be known to the public. It would cause chaos.

She even regretted letting Lin Wei see the recording, but she didn't know what to do.

No, she did. Schicksal had Valkyrie units specifically tasked with handling such matters. She had heard of them. But she couldn't bring herself to do that.

"Let's go, follow them. We might lose them."

Lin Wei's thoughts were much simpler. He grabbed Anna's hand and chased after the construct that had carried the man away.

"These guys aren't patrolling guards, they're hunters patrolling their hunting grounds, capturing prey like you who wander in."

Anna looked at him, confused. What are you trying to say?

"Since it's a hunting ground, their real 'lair' isn't on this route. Only 'hunters' who have captured prey can return to their nest. So we have to hurry, or we might lose them."

"What if we lose them?"

Anna didn't understand his logic, but she was worried about losing their target. She asked foolishly.

"Oh, it's fine. There's another way."

Lin Wei glanced at Anna, a playful smile on his face.

"Just surrender. They'll take you to their destination. Of course, it might be a bit unpleasant."