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

Although he'd given Rita a ten-minute deadline, Lin Wei hadn't intended to enforce it strictly.

Cutting off communications prematurely would only worsen the chaos among the scattered Valkyrie units, hindering rather than helping the situation. He wasn't that irresponsible.

So, after issuing his ultimatum, he simply waited, letting Rita manage the situation.

"That's all I can do for the 'greater good'…" he mused. Strictly speaking, Rita was his enemy. He could have used this opportunity to sabotage her, or eliminate her entirely.

But Rita was the only hope for the people struggling to survive.

Not only was her fourth-generation battlesuit a powerful asset, but her mere presence, the knowledge that an S-rank Valkyrie was leading the charge, would inspire the other Valkyries. She was a symbol of hope, a rallying point.

With Otto and Durandal absent, only Rita could unite the scattered forces, hold the line against the Honkai, and buy time for reinforcements…

Hope and courage were as precious as time on this battlefield, and only Rita could provide them.

Lin Wei wouldn't hinder her efforts. His role was to illuminate the path, allowing others to see and follow her lead. That's why he had set the stage and given Rita her "ten minutes."

"Heh… Sakura, do you think our dear Overseer will appreciate this gesture?" He tapped his cane rhythmically. "But who cares? He's my enemy. Why should I care what he thinks?"

Dwelling on it would only spoil his mood. He knew Rita was also his enemy. Despite their temporary alliance, she would turn on him again without hesitation, on Otto's command. P

erhaps she would show some mercy next time, but he couldn't expect her to switch sides.

But who cared? He had helped Rita because he couldn't bear to see so many die needlessly, Valkyrie and civilian alike.

They were all living beings, fighting for survival – a truly magnificent sight. How could he stand by and watch them be consumed by the Honkai? He wouldn't be able to sleep at night.

His reason was simple: he wanted to help, so he did.

It wasn't about nobility or morality, simply personal preference.

He didn't need gratitude, recognition, or praise. Nor did he consider himself a hero. He had done nothing special. He had stood by and watched others die before.

"If a selfish, lawless person like me can be called a 'hero,' then this world is truly doomed…" he thought wryly.

As he was lost in thought, Rita contacted him, her voice gentle. "Mr. Lin Wei, my tasks are complete."

"Click!" Lin Wei ended the call without a word. He had other things to do.

"Captain Jell, please wait here. You're exhausted and shouldn't exert yourself further," he said, recalling the transmitter and summoning another of Vill-V's eccentric drones. "This rooftop is safe, no major Honkai Beasts nearby. Rest here. I'll bring Anna back."

He glanced at the spot where the transmitter had been. "Our work here isn't quite finished yet…" A communication system was essential, not just for coordinating the battle, but also for his own plans.

"My war with Otto began the moment Rita appeared." He knew this and acted accordingly.

Gaining the Valkyries' support, even just their goodwill, was part of his strategy against Otto. It might not seem significant now, unlikely to sway their loyalty, but who knew what the future held?

At the very least, if he defeated Otto, he hoped these Valkyries would accept the outcome without seeking revenge.

"Which transmigrator has it as tough as me?" He hugged himself dramatically.

"You'll bring Anna back, right?" Jell asked, handing him her life detector. "Hurry! She's alone, and it's dangerous!" She didn't understand, nor did she care about, his complex schemes. Knowing he cared about her Valkyrie was enough.

"Wait!" As Lin Wei was about to board the drone, Jell stopped him, retrieving two sets of Valkyrie equipment. "A Valkyrie without her weapons is no Valkyrie at all. Please give these to Anna," she said.

Lin Wei recognized the weapons: Crystal Edge and Water Spirit, standard three-star equipment in the game, and the weapons Anna had used on Coral Island. They were ice-elemental, quite suitable for this flooded battlefield.

"Alright, I'm off." Lin Wei accepted the weapons, and the drone ascended, disappearing into the distance.

"Haa…" Jell sighed in relief, watching him go. She walked to the edge of the roof, gazing at the devastation, her heart aching.

"Is that...?" In the distance, among the ruined gardens, she saw a crumbling church, a place she knew well, a place she had always intended to return to. But it was now in ruins, like the rest of the city…

"I… I can't go back?" she thought, her voice barely a whisper. She shivered, a wave of coldness washing over her. The rooftop was so… cold… She stumbled, falling to her knees, retching violently.

"Ugh… aah!!!" Alone, no longer needing to maintain a brave facade, she finally broke down, her cries echoing through the empty rooftop.

No one knew what she had lost in this disaster…

…Fortunately, the Honkai Eruption originated from the sea, the majority of the beasts being aquatic or terrestrial, with few airborne types. No one disturbed Jell's grief, letting the wind carry her sorrow away.

Nor did they disturb Lin Wei.

Safe in the air, Lin Wei sped towards the Central Hospital.

Although Anna had survived in the original timeline, he couldn't be complacent. What if the timeline had changed? Had he not intervened, Anna wouldn't have been attacked by Stan and hospitalized.

Even her route had changed. What if something else went wrong? That silly, impulsive girl was just an A-rank Valkyrie. Could she escape unarmed?

Lin Wei's worry intensified, and he increased his speed.

But the city was vast, finding her was like searching for a needle in a haystack. He couldn't exactly yell her name, attracting more Honkai Beasts.

That's why he'd asked Jell to pinpoint the most likely escape routes, narrowing down the search area, and why she had given him her life detector.

He decided to combine both methods. He lowered his altitude, slowing down, weaving between buildings, avoiding the Honkai Beasts and Deadmen below, following the life signs on the detector.

"Are… are you human?" A young woman, huddled in a small bedroom, flinched as Lin Wei crashed through the window. Realizing he wasn't a monster, she rushed towards him, grabbing his hand, her voice trembling. "Are you here to save me?"

"..." Lin Wei looked at the purplish-red lines spreading across her body, his heart sinking. After a moment's hesitation, he nodded gently. "Yes, you're safe now."

"Thank… thank goodness…" The woman collapsed, tears streaming down her face, a mix of terror and relief. But as she relaxed, the Honkai markings spread rapidly, her skin turning gray, the light fading from her eyes.

"Bang!" Before she could fully transform into a Deadman, Lin Wei ended her suffering with a single shot. He gently carried her to her bed, closed her eyes, covered her with a blanket, and placed a teddy bear beside her.

Then, without a word, he turned and left, heading towards the next life signal.

In an office building, a woman in business attire hid under her desk, praying she wouldn't be found.

"Crash!" Lin Wei burst through the window, eliminating the Deadmen inside. He approached the desk and knocked gently. "It's safe now. Stay here, and someone will rescue you later." He turned to leave.

"Wait!" The woman crawled out, trembling, and pleaded, "Can you take me with you?" Her Honkai resistance was high, only a few faint markings on her skin.

"Sorry, I don't have time." Lin Wei flicked a feather, erasing her memory of his presence, implanting the suggestion to stay hidden and await rescue, and gently pushed her back under the desk.

He couldn't afford to take on more burdens. There were countless survivors scattered throughout the city. His drone couldn't carry them all.

At the next location, another residential building, Lin Wei cleared out the Deadmen, left a package of food and water, and instructed the surviving woman to stay hidden and conserve her supplies.

"Aren't you a rescuer? You're here! Why are you leaving me?" the woman shrieked, running towards the drone as he turned to leave. She couldn't bear to stay in this place a moment longer!

"Tsk!" Lin Wei knocked her unconscious, left her on the floor, eliminated the Deadmen and Honkai Beasts attracted by the noise, and left. He didn't blame her desperation, but he couldn't afford to be delayed. He noted her location, planning to inform the Valkyries later.

At the fourth location, as Lin Wei prepared to leave, the survivor held a knife to her throat and screamed, "If you leave me here, I'll kill myself!" A desperate attempt at manipulation.

"Be my guest," Lin Wei sneered, ignoring her hysterics and leaving.

The fifth survivor was a man. After Lin Wei cleared the area, the man, seemingly grateful, suddenly lunged at him with a hidden knife.

"You want to live that badly?" Lin Wei kicked him away, looking at him with pity.

"You're leaving me to die!" the man shrieked, Honkai markings spreading across his skin. "If I can't live, neither can you! You're just relying on that fancy aircraft! If I kill you, it's mine! Mine!"

"Is that so? As you wish." Lin Wei kicked the knife away, grabbed the man, and tossed him onto the drone, pointing to the controls. "The controls are right there. It's yours."

The man, overjoyed, eagerly grabbed the controls and flew away. "Hahaha! I'm free!"

"Idiot." Lin Wei sneered, snapping his fingers.

The drone vanished, and the man plummeted into a pool of water, screaming, where he was quickly torn apart by the approaching Honkai Beasts and Deadmen.

Lin Wei summoned another drone and left without a second glance. Did this man really think he was a saint?

…Six times, seven times, eight times…

"This isn't working!" He wasn't here to conduct a census! The life detector was proving to be more of a hindrance than a help. He deactivated it. This approach was too inefficient. He needed a new strategy.

He increased his altitude, returning to the Central Hospital, surveying the city.

He estimated the maximum distance Anna could have traveled, drew a circle on the map with the hospital as the center, and eliminated the coastal areas. He also ruled out the areas parallel to the beach, deeming them unsafe. This left a cone-shaped area on the map.

He flew to the center of this cone, observing the Honkai Beasts below.

"Will this work?" Yae Sakura asked, appearing beside him.

"Of course. It's just a different approach. Our goal is to rescue Anna, to ensure her safety, not necessarily to find her directly," Lin Wei explained, pointing downwards. "Anna is hiding somewhere down there. If she remains hidden, avoids detection, then the Honkai Beasts will continue their normal behavior, and we don't need to worry."

"But if she's discovered, it will cause a localized disturbance, a distress signal, and we just need to…"

"Lin Wei, look there." Yae Sakura pointed towards a distant street before vanishing again.

"Huh?" Lin Wei followed her gaze. Honkai Beasts were converging on a specific point, growing increasingly agitated.

"Let's go!" He immediately headed towards the disturbance.

In the distance, he saw a young woman with chestnut brown hair, clutching a small child, running desperately through the streets, pursued by a growing horde of Honkai Beasts.

"That silly girl, always so reckless!" Lin Wei thought, both annoyed and relieved. Had he been any later, he would have missed her.

"Damn it, I'm going to give you an earful for your captain!" he muttered, increasing his speed, arriving above Anna just as she ran out of escape routes. He dismissed the drone and summoned a massive black cross:

"Projected Eleventh Divine Key: Judah's Oath!"

As he descended, he calmly deployed the cross, firing thirteen spears that impaled the nearest Honkai Beasts. Then, he launched a chain, wrapping it around Anna's waist and pulling her upwards.

Finally, he caught her, dismissed Judah, summoned the drone again, and ascended, carrying them both to safety.

"Lin Wei? What are you doing here?" Anna asked, her face dirty, but her eyes shining with joy and surprise.

"Of course I'm here for you, silly girl…" Seeing her innocent expression, his earlier annoyance vanished. He gently brushed her messy, tangled hair, noting the faint scent of the sea clinging to her.

It reminded him of their first encounter, when Anna had also been covered in dirt and seawater… It was as if time had turned back, only from night to day.

He chuckled. Fate was a strange thing.

Seeing her still stunned, he brushed a stray hair from her forehead and whispered, "It's alright now. I'll take you home."

His words finally broke through her shock, and she burst into tears, clinging to him like a child.

Lin Wei, startled by her sudden embrace, quickly caught her, yelling, "Careful! You're holding a child!"

But the little girl hadn't fallen.

"I tied her to me, so I wouldn't lose her," Anna said, her voice muffled by his jacket.

"Very… securely…"