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

Life is like that – you have to deal with long-term problems and immediate troubles.

"Let's go, Anna. I'll take you to your captain."

Since his attempts at persuasion had failed, Lin Wei didn't linger. He summoned the aircraft again, gesturing for Anna to board.

Otto was an unavoidable enemy, but their personal feud wasn't a reason to slack off or sabotage the rescue efforts. After all, his reasons for being here had nothing to do with Otto.

He simply couldn't stand by and watch innocent people suffer and die.

Just a year ago, he was an ordinary person, no different from the masses – perhaps even worse off. He'd just been lucky enough to stumble upon a ticket that fundamentally changed his fate.

Knowing that, how could he look down on others struggling for survival, simply because he'd already reached the shore? He despised such indifference.

If there was a connection to Otto, it was this: "If I become that selfish and indifferent, what would be the difference between me and him?"

The world didn't need another Otto, and he certainly didn't want to become another Otto.

He just wanted to follow his heart and be true to himself.

Anna carefully boarded the aircraft, holding the little girl's hand. This was her second "ride," and her eyes were filled with curiosity as she examined the strange, brass-and-steel contraption. How does this thing even fly?

"Is this another ability of the Key of Corruption?" She touched the edge of the aircraft. It felt solid, real. "What kind of Divine Key is this? None of its functions seem to have anything to do with 'corruption!'" This seemed more like the Herrscher of Reason's domain.

"Who knows?" Lin Wei shrugged, hinting vaguely, "Maybe Pandora just ate too much?"

All-you-can-eat buffet at the Elysian Realm, Herrscher of Corruption special. If it weren't for RIN's kindness, I would have bankrupted the place! he thought, then abruptly changed the subject. "Hold on tight. We're taking off."

Anna quickly abandoned her curiosity and held the little girl close, preventing her from being thrown off balance.

The aircraft ascended smoothly, heading towards the tallest building in the distance, where Jell Meister awaited their news.

"Don't worry, Wenwen. Lin Wei is here to take us to safety. You're safe now." Anna comforted the child, who was clinging to her arm like a frightened rabbit.

She used to be so lively…

The girl had been a typical mischievous child, but also smart and well-behaved, more endearing than annoying. But now…

Anna's voice was gentle as she soothed the little girl, whose eyes held none of their former sparkle, only fear and confusion. She seemed as fragile as cracked glass, and Anna's heart ached with empathy.

"Wenwen?" Hearing the name again, Lin Wei turned, his gaze lingering on the child's dark gray hair. It can't be… can it?

He let the aircraft fly on autopilot, then crouched down, bringing himself to the girl's eye level. He gave her a warm, reassuring smile. "Little one, can you tell me your name?"

The girl flinched, then looked at Anna for reassurance. Anna, scanning the sky for airborne Honkai beasts, couldn't crouch down, but she offered an encouraging smile.

Emboldened, the little girl looked back at Lin Wei's kind face and whispered, "My name is… Chen… Chen Tianwen…"

Having lost everything familiar, the young girl was like an abandoned orphan, withdrawn and terrified of her surroundings, clinging to Anna like a lifeline.

It really is her… Lin Wei sighed, gently stroking the child's warm head. He stood up and addressed Anna. "Did you find her along the way?"

In the original timeline, Anna had encountered Chen Tianwen during the evacuation but, for various reasons, had left her behind. Now, they were together, seemingly close. It was heartwarming, but something felt off.

"No, no! We were… hospital roommates, I guess?" Anna shook her head. "Her parents were there to discharge her the day the eruption happened."

The little girl flinched, trembling at the mention of the traumatic event.

Anna gently stroked her hair, sighing. "It happened so fast. I only had time to grab her and run…" Thankfully, her Honkai resistance is relatively high, she thought, a mixture of relief and sadness.

"…Is that so?" Lin Wei was speechless. "What a coincidence…"

Was this the worldline correcting itself, or deviating further?

Seeing his pensive expression, Anna felt a sudden surge of inexplicable resentment. She hesitated, then mumbled, "Aren't you going to ask why I was in the hospital?" Even she felt her complaint was petty.

"What do you think? How else would your injuries have healed so quickly?" He rolled his eyes, snapping her out of her self-pity.

Anna froze. "How did you know?"

"You forgot about Yuno?" he said matter-of-factly. "I rescued her from Nagazora. When she ended up in Manila, I was worried, so I came to check on her."

He wasn't ready to reveal the truth about Otto yet, so he glossed over that part. "Then I found a certain silly girl lying unconscious in the hospital. And then… you know the rest." He shrugged nonchalantly.

Anna blushed crimson, tugging at his arm with an embarrassed laugh. "That… that was my fault. I'm sorry…" She wanted to jump out of the aircraft. This was so humiliating.

"Um… Anna…" Seeing the easy familiarity between Anna and the adult, the little girl hesitated, then spoke up, her voice barely above a whisper. "And… Lin… Lin Wei…" She faltered when she said his name.

"What is it, Wenwen?" Anna instantly forgot her embarrassment, crouching down and speaking softly. "Don't be afraid. You're safe now."

"We're safe… right?" The little girl's lip trembled. Tears rolled down her cheeks. "We're… flying in the sky now. There won't be any more… monsters… right?"

"Yes, you're safe." Anna pulled her into a hug, gently patting her back. "It's okay to cry. Let it all out…"

"Waaah…" The little girl finally broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. "I… I was so scared…"

She was just a child. She'd witnessed unimaginable horrors – people turning to dust, others dying, then rising again as monstrous creatures, their terrifying growls echoing through the streets.

The omnipresent threat of death, the grotesque transformations, the giant, terrifying monsters intent on destroying everything…

Who knew the depths of fear that lurked in this young girl's heart?

Throughout their escape, until she'd lost consciousness, she hadn't uttered a single complaint, despite her fear, grief, and pain. She'd even managed to smile at Anna.

Not because she wasn't afraid. Who wouldn't be?

But she knew Anna had saved her, was still protecting her.

She was a burden, unable to do anything to help. So, at the very least, she wouldn't cause any trouble.

So, the clever, considerate little girl had silently endured it all, her fear and pain buried deep inside.

Now, finally safe, she could cry like any normal child.

"Cry, it's okay…" Moved by the child's grief, Anna's own tears flowed freely as she held her tighter. She knew how much the brave little girl had endured.

"This damned world…" Lin Wei sighed.

Every Honkai eruption, the reports always focused on the numbers – the area affected, the casualties, the number of people exposed to Honkai energy…

Numbers, always numbers.

Cold, impersonal numbers that hid unimaginable suffering.

Each square meter of devastated land, each casualty… they represented destroyed homes, shattered families.

When it was just a story, he hadn't felt anything.

But seeing this little girl, a survivor of the disaster, crying her heart out before him…

He felt the weight of those numbers, the countless lives lost, the millions of souls consumed by the Honkai.

It was a crushing weight, almost suffocating.

"This damned world!" he repeated, his voice filled with a rage he couldn't fully explain. He was just a random transmigrator. Why should he care?

Wouldn't it be easier to just be a bystander?

He felt himself crossing a dangerous line, leaving behind the role of a mere observer. He didn't know what lay on the other side, but it couldn't be good.

"This damned world!" He cursed a third time. Couldn't he just live in peace?

Otto, World Serpent, Anti-Entropy, and now even the Honkai itself…

They were all pushing him.

He calmed himself, stopping the aircraft mid-air, hovering above the silent, ruined city.

He watched the two girls, one big and one small, clinging to each other, their tears mingling.

Forget it. I'll do something… he thought, resigned. I'm too soft-hearted.

After a while, the little girl's sobs subsided. Whether from exhaustion or emotional release, he didn't know.

But he couldn't delay any longer. He tapped Anna's shoulder, silently urging her to move.

She looked up at him, her face still tear-streaked, but she complied, giving him space.

"Wenwen, can I call you that?" he asked softly.

"Mm." The girl, no longer quite as timid after crying, sniffled. "Lin Wei… do you… have something to tell me?"

"Yes, Wenwen. You're very brave…" He wiped the tear stains from her face. "Do you have any other family in the city? Your Anna and I can help you find them."

He realized that if he didn't do something, this little girl might also become a Herrscher.

He mentally flipped off the seemingly malevolent force behind it all.