Honkai: You're telling me this difficulty is from Honkai Impact 3?!

So the children can return to civilization…

Natasha's eyes shifted beneath her cloak. Shu's words had struck a chord.

This ravaged world was unbearable for anyone who remembered life before the Honkai, especially since the catastrophe had occurred only a month ago. Everyone longed for a return to normalcy, but most understood it was a pipe dream.

So, when Shu presented this possibility so frankly, Natasha's instinct was to believe, rather than doubt. It was a natural human response. Rationality was the unwelcome hand that pulled back the curtain, revealing the harsh realities beneath the glittering surface.

Return to civilization… Natasha pondered the phrase. "Return to the way things were" would have been a more accurate sentiment, given that a month wasn't enough time for deeply rooted ideals to form, or for a consensus to emerge.

Moreover, Natasha—and most survivors—hadn't yet fully grasped the fact that civilization itself had been shattered. The prevailing thought was: The apocalypse has arrived. The world is ending.

No one singled out civilization, nor did they acknowledge that this catastrophe was specifically targeting humanity. This, too, was a subconscious human bias. Humanity had stood at the apex for so long that even "respecting nature" had become a condescending afterthought.

Humans are the pinnacle of the world. Humans… are the world. That was the instinctive belief, and only belated rationality revealed that humanity was merely a single civilization within a larger ecosystem.

Very few people truly grasped this. Only rational machines—or well-organized, large-scale organizations—could effectively enforce such a paradigm shift.

So, after a moment of reflection, Natasha began to take these seemingly "official" individuals, and their "recruitment list," more seriously.

"Well, Miss Natasha?" Shu asked, seeing her contemplative expression, relieved that his tactic had worked. "May we come in?"

Otto's little nuggets of wisdom were proving useful. Low-level conversation was about controlling the narrative; high-level conversation was about establishing oneself as the expert, the authority. The key was to project an air of: What? You're questioning me on this? Now you've piqued my interest.

According to Otto, he had once engaged an expert in a completely fabricated field of study for hours, successfully convincing them of its legitimacy.

"I have one more question…" Natasha said, studying Shu's confident demeanor, then glancing at the small figure behind him.

"Is she also a member of your… organization?" she asked, her gaze fixed on Bronya, who remained hidden behind Shu.

"Yes," Shu nodded, looking back at Bronya. "We don't employ child labor, but no one can match her skills."

Natasha surprisingly nodded in agreement. "Indeed…"

"Very well. I'll… tentatively accept your credentials." Natasha sighed, removing her hood, revealing neatly tied-back gray hair. Her crimson eyes remained fixed on them. "However, entry isn't that simple. I need to know what weapons you're carrying."

"No problem," Shu said, spreading his arms, indicating she could search him.

Kiana, Mei, and Bronya produced their pistols and detached magazines, laying them out before Natasha.

That's it? Just a few standard-issue pistols? And their leader wasn't carrying anything at all?

Natasha didn't approach to examine the weapons. Their willingness to display them was a sign of good faith. As for confiscating them…

She didn't fancy her chances against three individuals who seemed to be on par with the Ural Silver Wolf, even if she managed to take Shu hostage. The Ural Silver Wolf hailed from Siberia, a place known for its "the hostage has already betrayed us" policy.

"I need to see a demonstration of your… capabilities," Natasha said, her expression serious. Their meager arsenal hardly conveyed the power they claimed to possess. Not even a single knife? Impossible.

"Sigh…" Shu shrugged and held out his hand. "Kiana."

"Right!" Kiana nodded, providing Shu with a familiar [Prayer].

A flicker of flame ignited in Shu's hand, rapidly growing until it took the shape of a sword. He plunged the flaming blade into the ground.

Natasha's eyes widened, darting between Shu and the sword. For a moment, her world tilted on its axis.

"What… technology is this?" She suspected an illusion, but the intense heat radiating from the blade told her otherwise.

Shu shook his head. "It's a superpower." He reached out, offering her a closer look at the sword.

As he did, Natasha felt a wave of heat against her skin and instinctively stepped back, declining his offer.

"That's… sufficient," she said, taking a deep breath. Shu, looking slightly put out, dispelled the flaming sword. It had been mostly illusion and a bit of heat manipulation. Creating a real, high-temperature flame sword would have been far more costly!

She looked at Shu, his hands empty, his expression feigning disappointment, then at the others, who had holstered their weapons. A strange feeling settled over her. Do all four of them have these "superpowers"? Then why am I on their "recruitment list"? Do I have some undiscovered superpower?

No, the real question is… should I actually let these people in? She had been reluctant before, but now she was genuinely apprehensive.

But now… she didn't have much of a choice. These individuals had been polite, and the prospect Shu had painted… was too tempting to ignore.

"Alright… I'll open the door." Natasha finally relented. She had been assertive enough. If she pushed any further, Shu might simply walk away, taking his enticing offer with him, and she would have no one to blame but herself.