Honkai, But a Back Spirit Simulator

"I could tell he was no simple character, but in my judgment, using brute force was still the most efficient approach." Rita sighed, resting her forehead in her hand. If she had known Liu Bai could actually strike a deal with him, she definitely wouldn't have been so quick to cut him down.

"...Can I interpret that as the atmosphere demanded it, so you had no choice but to strike?"

"That's an interesting way to put it. I won't deny it," Rita nodded with a smile.

As for Liu Bai saying the other party was "deep," Rita didn't quite believe it.

After all, as an assassin for Destiny, Rita was quite knowledgeable about the global situation. She had heard the name "World Serpent" through some channels, but to say they were deep...

"Anyway, if there's a next time, please, Mr. Phantom, just say everything upfront. Of course, in return, I'll be a little more restrained next time."

Rita refocused her attention on Gray Serpent, who was lying in a pool of blood.

"...Death is the beginning of the next transaction? Heh... You're right, Mr. Gray Serpent. You have no choice but to accept this deal."

A light smile appeared on Rita's face. "Mr. Phantom, it's time for the cleanup. Could you handle these devices?"

Liu Bai quickly understood what Rita meant by "handle."

"I'll give it a try."

Gray Serpent's most conspicuous device was the laptop he carried in his case.

Rita bent down and began dismantling important components from Gray Serpent's body, such as his cybernetic eye, while Liu Bai directly possessed Gray Serpent's computer.

The next moment, Gray Serpent's laptop lit up on its own.

"Let's see what intel Gray Serpent has..."

Faced with a network ghost with Liu Bai's extreme learning ability, the computer's firewall didn't last even a few minutes. Many passwords and security measures were like illusions in Liu Bai's eyes.

Liu Bai also tried to extend his influence to the entire city's network, but he unexpectedly felt like a "child driving a large car."

...A bit beyond his capabilities.

(Is my interference limited?)

[Acquired Skill: Network Technology Lv4 (You are an entry-level hacker—but obviously, your nature allows you to perform far beyond this level)]

Mobius's research abilities directly granted Liu Bai network technology that even the system recognized.

However, even the system thought Liu Bai's existence in the network was like cheating.

"...The files on this computer seem to have been destroyed once."

Liu Bai only found the photo of Kiana and some unimportant information on the computer.

"It seems they anticipated your style... I'll upload these files to you."

"No, don't upload them to me. Since it's information of no value, Mr. Phantom, you can keep it for yourself."

Rita shook her head, seemingly completely trusting Liu Bai's statement, without even thinking of verifying it.

"I'll leave these information storage components to you, Mr. Phantom."

Chapter 13: Miss Rita, Are You a Lolicon?

"So many mechs... The ground is littered with metal junk. Ugh, I can't stand it anymore. I really want to grab a mop and give it a good cleaning..."

"A certain maid who is the culprit has no right to say that, does she?"

Liu Bai couldn't help but roll his eyes at Rita's displeased expression.

"But I didn't expect you, Miss Maid, to be able to play mind games with Otto so nonchalantly."

Just now, Rita had a communication with Otto, but throughout the entire communication, Rita didn't mention a word about the information she obtained from Gray Serpent.

"They were just some worthless pieces of information. The Overseer is busy with a myriad of tasks every day, how could I disturb him with such things?" Rita chuckled.

"Busy with a myriad of tasks is a good excuse."

Liu Bai chuckled and nodded, indicating that he believed her... not.

Otto definitely wouldn't want to miss any information related to Kiana, but Rita...

"You didn't let me upload the information to you because you were worried about Otto finding out?"

"It's not very gentlemanly to speculate about a lady's heart, you know?"

Warning: Rita is playing the lady card.jpg

"The top priority now is to wait for the rabbit to fall into the trap. The traitors of the Far East Branch should have already gone to Gray Serpent's base, right?" Rita looked at the sky and began to change the subject. "Theresa... don't disappoint me."

Speaking of Theresa...

"Ah, right, speaking of which, Rita, you're a lolicon, right?" Liu Bai asked casually.

"Hmm... hmm?"

Liu Bai's tone was so natural that Rita almost affirmed it without thinking.

"Lolicon? Sorry, I don't quite understand the meaning of that word. Is it a new slang term?"

Keep pretending.

"Yes, it specifically refers to perverts who have indecent thoughts about lolis," Liu Bai put his hand on Rita's shoulder, saying meaningfully.

"...You certainly know a lot of things."

Rita casually changed the subject.

If she continued discussing her fondness for lolis with Liu Bai, she would only make things worse.

Her feelings for lolis were merely "aroused in the heart, but restrained by propriety."

Rita subtly took a step back, looking at the air beside her with curious yet elegant eyes.

"Besides, it seems you are quite familiar with World Serpent, and you also seem to know… a little about me."

Rita thought for a moment, ultimately deciding not to say the word "familiar," as saying it would inevitably give the impression that she was indeed a lolicon.

"I remember, when we first met, you directly said my name… Mr. Ghost, the secrets surrounding you are truly intriguing."

Rita smiled and regained the initiative.

"Ahaha~ After all, I'm a back spirit, it's normal to know a little about many things." Rita's question was difficult to explain, and Rita wasn't easy to fool, so Liu Bai could only laugh it off. "Isn't the main point now to wait for the rabbit to appear?"

"You seem so eager…" Rita's face showed a hint of surprise. "Could it be that you are a lolicon?"

Why did this sound so familiar? The words he had just used to tease Rita had come back to him so quickly.

...She really was a vengeful maid.

"I can only say that my feelings for lolis are aroused in the heart but restrained by propriety, and I have no impure thoughts whatsoever," Liu Bai replied righteously.

What a coincidence, me too.

Although Rita couldn't see Liu Bai, at that moment, the two of them tacitly looked away at the same time.

[Rita Affinity +2%]

"Let's go, I think by the time we reach Gray Serpent's hideout, Theresa and the others will have already obtained the information."

Outside Gray Serpent's hideout.

"They're fast..."

Rita looked at the rows of scrapped mechs on the roadside, a hint of surprise on her face.

"I found some recordings on a Sky Dome Patrol that wasn't completely destroyed. I've transferred them to Gray Serpent's computer, please check them," Liu Bai's voice came from Rita's ear.

Ding-dong~

Rita opened the video file that had just been uploaded.

(How convenient…)

[Rita Affinity +1%]

Four people appeared in the video: Theresa Apocalypse, Bronya Zaychik, Raiden Mei, and a young modified girl.

Since the video came from a damaged Sky Dome Patrol, the sound was somewhat lacking, but it could be seen that at the end of the video, Project Bunny behind Bronya raised its cannon, forcibly taking the young modified girl away.

A strange sense of déjà vu.

Wasn't that how Rita threatened Gray Serpent back then?

"Is this how Destiny negotiates?"

Liu Bai complained from the side. Rita gave Gray Serpent a knife without saying a word, and even a good kid like Bronya was pointing a cannon at people.

"Bronya came from Anti-Entropy, and if you want to push the blame, it should be Theresa's education that went wrong." Rita smiled and said that Destiny wouldn't take the blame, or at most only half of it. "Is there any other valuable information?"

"No, the nearby cameras have all been hacked by Bronya, and there is no record of their whereabouts."

"Then, can we track them in reverse based on the hacking records?"

Hearing Rita's question, Liu Bai was stunned for a moment, and then nodded: "It can be done, but it will take a lot of time."

Investigating the surveillance of Sky Dome City was like a child driving a big car for Liu Bai, a lot of work.

"Then there's no need." Rita looked at the traces left on the ground, a slight smile on her face.

What obvious traces.

Rita followed the traces in front of her without hesitation.

"Looks like a trap," Liu Bai reminded.

"It doesn't matter, their time is also tight, this trace should not be fake." The carbon-based hunter took the lead, and Rita followed unhurriedly behind. "If I'm not mistaken, at least one person is bait—I think it should be Miss Mei?"

The traces extended all the way to the roof of Gray Serpent's hideout.

Floating in the air, Liu Bai saw Mei hiding behind cover, preparing to ambush them.

Ting!

Before Liu Bai could remind her, Rita easily deflected the katana coming from behind her.

"Oh… an ambush? Miss Mei, that's not very fair."

Rita calmly looked at the red-clothed girl in front of her.

"Fair? It's ironic to hear that word from you." Mei didn't hide the anger on her face at all. "Compared to what you did to Kiana, my strike is nothing!"

"To be fair, it is."

A certain ghost floated in the air, never one to miss a good show.

"Honestly..."

Rita looked a little helpless as she rubbed her forehead, unsure whether she was addressing the fiery Mei in front of her or the back spirit watching the fun.

"So, Miss Mei, you're just here to buy time?"

"Buy time? Hmph, Miss Rita, you're far too confident."

Mei's eyebrows shot up, and she immediately drew her sword and charged.

"Anyone got a bucket of popcorn for me...?"

Chapter 14: Sky Dome City, A Chapter Closed

"Strange, Mei's trajectory is constantly winding and shifting. Hmph, it seems she's already figured out the tracker trick."

"I think anyone paying even a little attention would notice that thing..." Liu Bai's voice came from the slowly moving Sky Dome Patrol, "I'm more curious about when you managed to stick the tracker on Mei's inner thigh. Seriously, I want to learn that trick."

Rita's victory over Mei was, of course, no surprise.

However, Rita didn't capture Mei... or rather, Rita never intended to keep Mei around. She just casually slipped the tracker onto Mei's inner thigh during the fight.

"Sorry, it's a secret technique, not for public consumption."

Rita said half-jokingly, then, with a thoughtful expression, she sized up the Sky Dome Patrol that Liu Bai was controlling. "But this mech riot... is it really just a coincidence?"

"At this point, even if it started as a coincidence, it isn't anymore."

"That's true. Well then... let's get a little serious."

"Bronya! Are you ready yet? I can't hold on much longer!"