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

I understand the logic, but…

How can a perfectly good Deadman, a complete entity with mass and volume, just pop out of the ground?

And can someone explain how it plucks out a strand of hair and turns it into another Deadman the same size as itself?

Lin Wei pondered briefly, then decided he understood—

Earth Escape, hair-pulling clones…

Case closed, this is Journey to the West!

"Catch!"

Anna's shout pulled Lin Wei from his strange thoughts. He looked up and saw a peculiarly shaped pistol arcing through the air, landing right in his hand. He caught it effortlessly.

Whoa, it's heavy!

Lin Wei examined the "mere 3-star weapon" from the game with curiosity. This was the first time he had held a real Honkai energy weapon—Divine Keys didn't count.

Before this, Anna wouldn't even let him touch her equipment, and Lin Wei himself had been careful not to overstep his bounds.

But Lin Wei had seen grander things. His curiosity was fleeting. After briefly weighing it in his hand, he lost interest.

He glanced at Anna, who was charging towards the Nihilus Seed. He didn't need to worry about her for now. Fighting Deadmen was a Valkyrie's specialty.

As for the two scythe-Deadmen charging towards him, Lin Wei wasn't concerned. Even though they were stronger, faster, and more agile than common scythe-Deadmen, his construct bodyguards were holding them back. He didn't need to reveal his true abilities yet.

He planted his hiking staff firmly into the ground, an invisible "virus" spreading like tentacles through the air and beneath the floor. He held the pistol loosely in one hand, closing his eyes in thought.

A few seconds later, he opened his eyes. Another oddly shaped, pitch-black pistol materialized in his empty hand. He raised it and fired a shot towards an inconspicuous corner amidst the chaos. He hadn't used the weapon Anna gave him.

"*Bang!*"

A puff of smoke appeared where the bullet landed, then settled—another hidden Deadman, reduced to ashes before it could even scream.

"If there can be earth-burrowing ones, then invisible ones aren't surprising, right?"

Lin Wei muttered. He suddenly understood why World Serpent still bothered researching Deadmen. They did have some unexpected abilities.

Dismissing the projected Judgment of Shamash and the scattered virus, Lin Wei calmed his racing heart, chuckling.

"Feigning weakness to lure the enemy… heh, quite the trick."

Creating a distraction in the elevator shaft while launching a surprise attack from below;

If the surprise attack failed, switch to a full-on assault to divert attention while another hidden, high-level Deadman launches a second surprise attack.

Lin Wei had confirmed there wasn't a third high-level Deadman.

After all, this base was only so big. How many tricks could the rat hiding inside have up its sleeve?

Meanwhile, another of his construct "soldiers" was cut down by the scythe-Deadmen, their numbers dwindling, the defensive line about to collapse. Fortunately, the two constructs he had called back from the passage arrived just in time, restoring the 4-on-2 situation.

"Are they that useless?"

Lin Wei felt a twinge of annoyance. These constructs' pre-programmed combat systems were mainly designed for fighting humans, not Deadmen.

Facing Deadmen comparable to B-rank Valkyries, they were clearly struggling, on the verge of collapse again.

"Tsk, fine, I'll take over…"

Lin Wei facepalmed. Auto-battle was unreliable after all.

Another scythe-Deadman materialized nearby, ignoring Anna and charging towards his group.

The situation was about to become 4-on-3, clearly unsustainable. Lin Wei called back a few more constructs guarding the machine gun in the passage.

"Tsk, a tower defense game, huh? With respawning enemies?"

Lin Wei's mind wandered. He felt like a carrot, or some other strange object—a few people desperately protecting him, while another group desperately trying to eliminate him…

"Tch, boring. Don't force me to cheat!"

…

Meanwhile, Anna, having missed her attack on the Nihilus Seed, heard the gunshot behind her and felt a pang of worry, concerned about the burden the Honkai energy weapon might place on Lin Wei.

Is he alright? Anna glanced back worriedly.

The Nihilus Seed, which had been floating backwards to avoid her attack, took advantage of her distraction and plucked out a few more strands of hair, preparing another summon. Anna, snapping back to reality, swiftly cut them down, missing only one, which landed and transformed into another Deadman, charging towards Lin Wei.

Anna couldn't intercept it. The Nihilus Seed was preparing another summon. She could only suppress her worry and guilt, pressing her attack.

She remembered her instructor's words during training at HQ—when encountering summoner-type Deadmen, they must be eliminated at all costs, or they would endlessly summon more!

"Catch!"

Lin Wei's shout echoed behind her, followed by the sound of something flying through the air.

Anna, relying on her hearing, caught it—the pistol she had given him earlier.

Anna felt reassured. She understood that Lin Wei was telling her he was fine.

That stubborn idiot!

Anna felt a pang of warmth. She bit her lip, holding the blade in one hand and the pistol in the other, her spirits renewed as she charged towards the enemy.

Swift and decisive! Take down this thing quickly, Lin Wei needs her support!

Although the Nihilus Seed was comparable to an A-rank Valkyrie, its energy beams incredibly destructive, Anna, as a descendant of the Schariac family, wasn't an ordinary A-rank Valkyrie. She quickly gained the upper hand, cutting off half of the Deadman's long twintails, freezing them into ice crystals that shattered into dust upon hitting the ground.

Seeing the situation turn unfavorable, the floating Nihilus Seed descended, preparing to burrow underground and launch a surprise attack on Lin Wei.

"Not so fast!"

Anna fired a shot at the Deadman's feet, the blast and debris disrupting its attempt.

Undeterred, or perhaps incapable of feeling deterred, the Nihilus Seed curled up, gathering energy for its final attack—

A dark energy blast!

In this confined underground space, if the Deadman succeeded, no one would survive!

"No way!"

Anna, filled with urgency and anger, threw her blade like a javelin—just as she had practiced countless times in her family training—striking the Deadman in the chest, pinning it to the wall and interrupting its energy gathering.

Pressing her advantage, Anna closed in, grabbing the hilt of her blade and slashing horizontally across the Deadman's deceptively small body. A slender, pale arm fell to the ground with a plop.

After retrieving her weapon, Anna, worried the Deadman might still be alive, delivered another blow, severing its slender neck. A head with a single remaining twintail flew through the air, only to be shot and obliterated by Anna.

This time, it's definitely dead.

"So violent!"

Lin Wei, witnessing the scene from afar, was impressed, gaining a new appreciation for Valkyries.

Although the Nihilus Seed was eliminated, the Deadmen it summoned didn't vanish with it.

The constructs protecting him were almost gone. The last one was struggling against three Deadmen, about to be overwhelmed. Lin Wei, however, remained indifferent.

Not because he didn't care about the cannon fodder, nor because Anna was on her way, but because he was truly exhausted—

God knows how many times I've used the Divine Key tonight!

(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻

While he wasn't vomiting blood from overuse like Fu Hua, he was severely drained.

Divine Keys weren't meant for someone of his level. They were weapons for S-rank Valkyries, Stigmata awakened, MANTIS warriors, even Herrschers.

Forcibly using them usually came with a heavy price—Chen Tianwu in the original timeline, constantly shedding parts on his way to rescue Anna, wasn't just due to the Herrscher's low temperatures, but more likely the backlash from constantly using the Seven Thunders of Retribution.

The fact that Lin Wei could use the Key of Corruption, a power beyond his level, with the only consequence being physical exhaustion, was already absurd. He couldn't ask for more.

Besides, if he let his Stigmata share the burden, he could do even more.

Meanwhile, having eliminated the Nihilus Seed, Anna casually discarded its remains and rushed back to support Lin Wei, wielding both gun and blade. Just as the last construct fell, she swiftly dispatched the three elite scythe-Deadmen.

"Lin Wei, how are you feeling? Don't scare me…"

Lin Wei's face was unhealthily pale from exhaustion, alarming Anna. She quickly checked his face, then his clothes, making sure there were no cuts or bloodstains.

She then checked his arms, rolling up his sleeves, then his neck, parting his collar, fearing she might find a terrible wound or signs of Honkai corruption.

Fortunately, there were none. Everything seemed normal.

Anna breathed a sigh of relief, then the warmth in her heart burst forth, transforming into an overwhelming sense of grievance. The dam of her "restraint" crumbled after a few seconds, and she burst into tears, burying her face in Lin Wei's chest.

Valkyries were strong. Lin Wei, currently weak, was knocked to the ground by her sudden embrace.

Lin Wei looked at Anna, sobbing uncontrollably on his chest, her shoulders shaking, her beautiful chestnut hair draped across his chest, no longer the fierce leopard of the battlefield, nor the ruthless executioner, but a weeping girl. He was both bewildered and helpless.

After a moment of hesitation, he sighed and gently patted her back, comforting her.

"Alright, see? I'm fine."

A girl is crying for you like this, what are you going to do, push her away?

"Sob… I'm so glad you're okay. If something happened to you, I… I…"

Anna lifted her tear-stained face, her voice choked with emotion.

"It's all my fault. If I hadn't been careless and given that thing an opening, you wouldn't be like this… I'm sorry, Lin Wei… I'm so sorry…"

It's over…

Lin Wei looked at the ceiling, speechless.

Something big is about to happen. What have I done to deserve this?

I shouldn't have come to this damn place, and I shouldn't have gotten involved in this mess!

(ノへ￣,)

"Don't worry, I'm tough. Didn't I say? Even a Herrscher can't defeat me. That was just a minor setback."

Lin Wei felt utterly helpless, completely giving up, deciding to take things as they came.

"Sob… Even now, you're still boasting…"

Anna's grievance turned into a mix of laughter and tears. She looked at him, choked up, and cried even harder.

"…I'm telling the truth, and you don't believe me."

Lin Wei said helplessly.

There was nothing he could do if she didn't believe him. He couldn't summon Pandora as proof, could he?

She would protest!

Besides, she's really heavy…

Lin Wei felt like he couldn't breathe. Who said girls are light? Show yourself!

But what could he do? Push her away?

Since I'm already lying down, might as well stay down.

After crying for a while, Anna finally calmed down and slowly got up, turning her face away, not daring to look at him.

Lin Wei rolled his eyes. Couldn't even help me up.

Just as he thought that, Anna turned back, bent down, and gently helped him up, still avoiding his gaze.

"How are you feeling now? Are you okay?"

She asked softly, her voice barely a whisper.

"I'm fine, just a bit exhausted."

Lin Wei answered honestly.

"Let's go. We should move on. It's time to meet the mysterious 'Queen Ant.' They shouldn't have many tricks left."

Anna hesitated, opening her mouth, then closing it again. She placed Lin Wei's arm over her shoulder, carefully supporting him.

"I'll help you."

Lin Wei opened his mouth, but seeing Anna's tightly pursed lips and her red, swollen eyes, filled with stubbornness, he could only chuckle helplessly.

"Thank you…"