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

Lin Wei wasn't exactly stunned, but Anna's sudden jump in thinking left him momentarily processing what had just happened.

Joining Schicksal and hiding within their ranks… It was a new approach he hadn't considered before, but it presented several problems.

Schicksal's internal scrutiny was a Schrödinger's cat. Walter had managed to lie low comfortably in the Far East Branch, but that place was special. And Anti-Entropy, despite being infiltrated like a sieve, still knew very little about Schicksal's actual achievements. It wouldn't be easy.

And what if World Serpent interfered?

It wasn't impossible. Lin Wei never hesitated to assume the worst of others.

Moreover, exploiting a girl's kindness and goodwill, having her vouch for him, reaping the benefits while leaving her to bear the consequences if things went south… that was despicable.

Lin Wei was deeply averse to such an idea.

"We'll talk later. We're almost there."

The "car elevator" ride wasn't long. Lin Wei deflected the topic, estimating the time.

"Although it's a bit crude, the fallen car door can serve as a marker. If your companions aren't too slow, they can follow it down here."

Lin Wei pointed downwards. Anna, though annoyed by his deflection, glanced back at the wreckage of the car door and had to admit that now wasn't the time.

"Hide carefully."

Anna gripped her pistol, moving towards the gaping hole where the car door had been, ready to charge out and attack, drawing potential fire away from the vulnerable car.

The mechanical whirring stopped. The descending platform vibrated slightly, then came to a halt.

Silence. Utter darkness.

Anna's heart raced. Her demeanor shifted from a quiet girl to a poised cheetah, yet she didn't act rashly.

"Alright, send the message to your companions now."

Lin Wei reached to the front of the car, placing his cane against the ignition, disabling the alarm system. He looked back at Anna, adding,

"If I disable the blocker, we could be discovered at any moment. Be quick."

Hearing Lin Wei's serious tone, Anna nodded. A few seconds later, two beeps sounded. Anna looked down at her communicator. The signal was connected.

Four or five messages arrived simultaneously. Anna quickly scanned them. They were all from her Captain.

The first message: Captain Jell acknowledged receipt, not blaming her for acting alone, but stating she would arrive with support as soon as possible, reminding Anna to be careful.

The second: Jell mentioned the involvement of Honkai survivors. She had contacted other nearby squads and the Oceania Branch, asking them to investigate their respective jurisdictions. They would launch a joint operation if necessary. Again, she reminded Anna to be careful.

The third: Requesting a situation report.

The fourth: Another request for a situation report, asking why she hadn't replied.

The fifth: A slightly sterner tone, demanding an immediate report on the mission's progress and her safety.

…

Seeing the messages filled with concern, Anna was momentarily stunned. Thinking of her recent experiences, her feelings were a complicated mix.

She glanced at Lin Wei, then looked down, pressing her communicator to her ear, lowering her voice,

"Captain, this is Anna Schariac, reporting on the mission…"

Lin Wei, also noticing Anna's momentary odd behavior, watched her intently as she concisely reported her situation. After a while, he called out in his mind,

"Sakura, are you there?"

"...Yes."

Her voice was cold, neither happy nor sad, but somehow lacking its usual gentleness.

What was going on? Lin Wei was puzzled by Yae Sakura's subtle change, but time was limited. He looked at Anna, asking softly,

"Sakura, you saw her just now, right? Didn't she look familiar?"

"...'Goodness' and 'beauty' are naturally similar. It's not surprising that Mr. Lin Wei finds her familiar. But why ask me?"

Her voice remained cold and pleasant, calm as ever.

Why the sudden hostility? Lin Wei felt something was off.

"It's not quite what you said, Sakura. Seeing her reminded me of someone I met in the past."

"...Mr. Lin Wei's experiences are quite rich, aren't they?"

Yae Sakura sounded almost amused.

Her world was small, and she wasn't used to sharing it.

Anna's sudden appearance had triggered a sense of territorial invasion, but lacking self-confidence, she chose to remain silent, telling herself to just protect her own little corner.

It was an ostrich mentality, now broken by Lin Wei. This made her feel wronged and irritated.

What does he mean? Is he showing off?

"Rich? Not really. Quite shallow, actually."

Lin Wei also sensed Yae Sakura's subtle displeasure, perhaps he had offended her somehow. He decided to get to the point.

"It's her demeanor, a reflection of her inner world. Sakura, just now, for a moment, I saw a fragile girl whose beliefs were crumbling, trying to appear strong. It reminded me of when I first met you… Of course, it's just a resemblance. They are ultimately different. Like a beautiful jade ornament with a hidden crack, outwardly beautiful and seemingly strong, but inwardly fragile."

"...And me?"

After a brief silence, Yae Sakura softly asked. She didn't like comparisons, but since she had been compared, she wanted to know.

"Miss Yae Sakura's beautiful and strong soul is unlike any I've ever seen. Such unwavering conviction, at first glance, evokes pity, but upon further acquaintance, admiration."

Lin Wei smiled sincerely.

"It's my honor, even a privilege, to know and travel with you, Sakura."

After a moment of silence, Yae Sakura sighed,

"...Mr. Lin Wei undervalues himself."

Her tone remained cold, but with a hint of joy.

"So, what are your plans for this young lady, Mr. Lin Wei?"

Her mood improved, and she became more magnanimous. Having read Lin Wei's memories, she knew this girl's fate wasn't good, and she felt sympathy.

"I don't know. We'll see."

Lin Wei's gaze was distant, his tone gentle and calm.

"At least we both know that Herrscher powers can be controlled now, don't we? The future is destined to change. Since that's the case, why not nudge it a bit more?"

But the thought of the likely disappearance of the Herrscher of Rock (Star) gave him a headache. That was too unpredictable.

This Herrscher "account," likely to lose its original owner, might end up like the Previous Era, with the new owner creating black holes and tearing apart continents. That would be a disaster.

"Yes, Mr. Lin Wei knows best."

Yae Sakura said softly, glancing at Anna, who had finished her report, then disconnecting.

"Phew, that was close…"

Lin Wei wiped a cold sweat. Good thing I reacted quickly.

He inwardly complained. A girl's mind was truly hard to read. You never knew what would suddenly upset them.

But thankfully, they weren't too difficult to appease…

"Miss Anna, are you done?"

Seeing Anna lower her hand, Lin Wei composed himself and asked.

"Yes, everything went smoothly. Thank you."

Anna was slightly embarrassed. She seemed to have taken quite a bit of time.

But thankfully, everything was normal. Anna breathed a sigh of relief.

It was too smooth. Anna even felt a bit disdainful. Was the security here this lax?

Suddenly, alarm bells rang in her mind. Her Valkyrie instincts kicked in. Without thinking, she grabbed Lin Wei and pulled him towards the car door. Lin Wei only had time to grab his cane.

"Clang! Whirr—"

"Boom!"

The moment they jumped out of the car, a massive metal fist descended from above. The fist was almost as wide as the car itself, crushing it into a mangled pancake. Parts scattered, and gasoline flowed from the wreckage, soaking the ground.

A red light illuminated the area above them. It was a large, dim light, not meant to illuminate, but to announce its presence.

On the other side of the car, at the same height, another identical red light glared down. Then, a mechanical whirring sound echoed.

"What is that? Get out of the way!"

Anna's face paled. She shoved Lin Wei away, using the momentum to flip backwards.

Instantly, a barrage of machine gun fire erupted, like a fiery whip lashing out in the darkness, striking where they had just been!

"Crackle…"

The whip landed. Debris flew, sparks igniting the spilled gasoline. A fiery explosion erupted, illuminating everything!

Landing gracefully, Anna first checked that Lin Wei was safe, then turned towards the source of the attack. She cried out in shock and anger:

"Is that… a Titan mech? Damn it, this is Anti-Entropy!"

Lin Wei, shoved away, looked up at the massive mech looming over him. Unlike the deep blue ones he had seen at ME Corp, these two Titans were jet black. While the color didn't necessarily mean anything, the large ouroboros symbol on their shoulder armor did.

"..."

Lin Wei was speechless. The cost-cutting measures in the game, when translated into reality, created such a bizarre scene. He imagined a scenario:

Grey Serpent, in a warehouse filled with blueprints, elegantly monologuing in its booming voice:

"Dr. Tesla, thank you for your outstanding contributions to World Serpent's grand undertaking…"

(ノへ￣,)

It was truly absurd.

"Look out, get out of the way!"

The distant mech seemed to recognize the greater threat, focusing its fire on Anna. She desperately dodged in the confined space, trying to avoid leading the fire towards Lin Wei. Gritting her teeth, she jumped over the flames, closing the distance with the mech.

As she dodged, she saw the closer mech raise its arm again. She cried out, warning Lin Wei, but she couldn't reach him in time.

This place was designed insidiously, devoid of light, dark and silent, easily distorting one's perception of space. But now, illuminated by the flames, everything was clear—

It was a narrow corridor, the walls only ten meters apart. Two menacing Titan mechs stood guard at either end, like figures around a campfire, surrounding the burning car, separating Lin Wei and Anna. Anna watched helplessly as Lin Wei was also in danger.

Damn it, if only I were stronger…

Remembering Durandal's effortless grace on the battlefield, Anna felt frustrated by her own weakness.

Lin Wei, however, remained relatively calm. He casually jabbed his cane into the mech's leg joint. The menacing machine instantly lost power, collapsing.

Anna was stunned by this sudden turn of events.

Lin Wei calmly took cover behind the mech's leg, dodging stray bullets and the increasingly intense heat. He poked his head out, pointing at the other mech, shouting to Anna,

"Someone must be controlling that mech from inside. My virus doesn't work on it. I can only hold this one down. The other one is yours. Hurry, make it quick!"

Of course, it was just an excuse.

A genius hacker disabling one mech, though far-fetched, was acceptable. Remotely controlling another would be too much. His disguise would crumble.

Too much was as bad as too little. This was just right.

Anna quickly assessed the situation, confirming Lin Wei's safety. Relieved, she focused on the battle, channeling all her fear and anger into the fight. Drawing her blade, she charged towards the massive mech like a cheetah pouncing on its prey!