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

Calling it a scream... was a stretch. It wasn't sharp or piercing, and it didn't really have the quality of a "shout."

It was a soft, delicate whimper that sent a shiver down Shu's spine.

The hand that hadn't let go even when he'd been pulled suddenly released its grip. Shu felt as if he had touched something unclean, and he snatched his hand back with a shudder.

Frélle delicately raised a hand to her mouth, her legs slightly bent like a mermaid's, the hand supporting her body looking thin and fragile...

Shu took half a step back, his eyes filled with a mixture of wariness, suspicion, and disgust.

Frélle secretly glanced at him. Seeing the undisguised emotion on his face, she paused for a moment.

He doesn't like this type?

Does this strange guy prefer someone stronger, more energetic?

Frélle pondered for a moment. Just as she was about to ask angrily, "What are you doing?" she heard Shu speak in a low voice.

"If you try to act cute again, I'm turning around and leaving," Shu warned, staring at Frélle.

There's such a good deal?

Frélle's eyes immediately lit up, but she obediently kept her mouth shut.

After all, he really didn't seem like a bad person. If it had been one of those estate servants, they would have kicked her long ago for being annoying.

Someone who could restrain themselves like this was either a good person or from a noble family with extremely strict upbringing.

Either way, she couldn't afford to provoke him.

Seeing that she had quieted down and wasn't causing any more trouble, Shu knelt down in front of Frélle. He pondered for a moment, then raised a hand and pointed at the large wound on her knee from a distance.

He had been observing her on the way here and hadn't noticed anything unusual. The moment he had grabbed her hand, his other hand had been behind his back, ready to pull out his scepter.

She seemed completely unaware of his probing, and he hadn't detected anything unusual in her body. But previous experiences had taught him not to let his guard down.

However, now that he could sense her emotions, he could basically rule out the possibility of her being some high-risk entity.

Meanwhile, Frélle, who was intently studying Shu's expression, suddenly felt an itch on her knee. It was as if something was gently brushing against it.

She subconsciously looked down and saw the blood on her knee rapidly evaporating, revealing the full extent of the wound.

Frélle's body trembled violently, her gaze instantly locking onto Shu's outstretched finger. She held her breath, her eyes wide with terror as she watched her wound.

A faint sense of fear from her made Shu look up. Seeing Frélle holding her breath, he sighed helplessly and quickly waved his finger.

The wound began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye. The terror in Frélle's eyes deepened. She even raised a hand to cover her mouth to stop herself from screaming.

What is this? Frélle's mind was in a whirl. She felt dizzy, certain that she was still dreaming.

Have superpowers finally appeared? Is human evolution the next stage after the zombie apocalypse?

Are the apocalyptic novels from Shenzhou all true?!

"Who are you?"

"May I ask who you are...?"

Their voices sounded at almost the same time, one cautious, the other as casual as an offhand question.

Shu paused for a moment, then smiled at Frélle. "I'm the captain of the MOTH' First Squad. You can call me Shu, or by my callsign—[Captain]."

"My name is Frélle, Frélle Călugăru..." Frélle swallowed nervously. "Then... Lord Shu... what are you here for?"

Călugăru... Shu found the surname familiar. He quickly wracked his brain and finally found its origin.

It was a European noble family... with immense wealth and power, involved in business, politics, the military, and more. They were one of the few noble families that had survived well in the modern era.

The greatest asset of these nobles was their name itself. It was the foundation of their standing. Even the most powerful corporations would show them respect. Any act of disrespect toward the name would invite the wrath of the upper echelons.

Otto had said that these nobles were ruthless to outsiders and even stricter internally. Incompetent direct descendants would be locked away for life, never allowed to leave the family. If one wasn't a direct descendant, their surname would be stripped, and they would be cast out.

Shu had asked Otto how he knew so much.

"Because I wasn't allowed to leave home until I was twelve," Otto had replied. "Families that let their failures tarnish the family name have all fallen."

"You used to be a failure?" That was what Shu had been interested in at the time. Otto and failure... the combination of those two words felt novel to him.

Otto's reply had been a brief silence. He seemed to be reminiscing about his past glory days. Shu thought he was probably thinking of a comeback.

"I suppose so..." Otto had finally sighed wistfully.

Regardless of the internal culture of these noble families, the surname was absolutely not something to be given out lightly. Since she carried this name, it meant she was either capable or a direct descendant...

The MOTH was desperately in need of capable people. As for a direct descendant... who knew what kind of storm a direct descendant of a family that had controlled vast industries for hundreds of years could stir up in Europe with a single call to arms?

Even in an apocalypse like this...

"I'm here to take you away from this place," Shu said after some thought. "To a place with no zombies and no danger."

Shu's answer was within Frélle's expectations. She breathed a sigh of relief internally, but on the surface, she still looked lost and apprehensive.

"I... I'm sorry..." she stammered, looking pitiable. "I can't leave yet..."

Shu's expression became neutral again as he looked at Frélle.

Does she know how different she acts on the inside versus the outside?

It seems she really doesn't like this weak act.

Both of them had their own ulterior motives, but neither spoke them aloud.

"Why not?" Shu played along, asking gently.

But Frélle didn't answer. Shu paused. Logically, she should have stated her needs right now, otherwise, what was the point of her previous performance?

She put on a hesitant expression, then lowered her head without a word.

"Because... I have a friend here... I want to stay here with him..."

This was from the heart.