Chapter 113

"I understand, is it to buy some time...?"

In the silence, Shen Gonglin spoke up. He understood what Kiana and the others meant: asking Durandal to wait a little while before coming over was no problem for him.

To everyone's surprise, Shen Gonglin pulled out his phone, his nimble fingers tapping across the screen. After a brief wait, a clear, melodious female voice came from his phone.

"Hey, Shen Gonglin, don't call me now, I'm on a mission."

Kiana and the others were stunned when they heard the voice. They recognized it as Durandal's. Shen Gonglin had Durandal's phone number. What did he mean by calling Durandal now?

And Durandal actually answered! According to Himeko's information, she's already in New Zealand. I thought she was the kind of Valkyrie who puts the mission first, but I didn't expect this... And the speed, she must have answered the phone as soon as it rang, a second! Their relationship is definitely not ordinary.

"Yes, I know you're on a mission. I'm also in New Zealand, not too far from the Oceania Branch. You should be in the same area, right?"

As if chatting with a good friend, Shen Gonglin said these words, while Durandal had just stepped out of the deployment device. She pressed her head to relieve the discomfort caused by the high-speed flight. It was really convenient that Shen Gonglin called at this time. If it had been any earlier, she would not have been able to answer. Of course, she knew that Shen Gonglin was here. Otherwise, she wouldn't have needed this kind of experimental machine. Although it was fast, it did bring a heavy burden to people.

"Well, I just arrived, so we won't meet up yet. We'll talk after the mission is complete. Communication is down for now..."

Mission first. After explaining the situation to Shen Gonglin, Durandal wanted to hang up the phone. That's only because of Shen Gonglin. If it were anyone else, she would never answer the phone except for battlefield communications. Why is this girl calling now? Does she just want to have a long phone conversation with her? Really, doesn't she know the time?

"If you dare hang up on me, I'll beat you up, I'll kill you, and you know the consequences."

Before Durandal could hang up, Shen Gonglin's sinister threat was transmitted through the phone. Durandal's breath hitched instantly. She immediately imagined the possible consequences. Shen Gonglin was the most outrageous guy. Who knew how he would deal with her... well, not deal with her, but retaliate against her. After thinking about it for a moment, Durandal felt scared. No, she couldn't mess with Shen Gonglin so easily.

"...I won't hang up, okay? Tell me, what do you want? If you have something to say, can't you wait until the mission is over? This isn't some ordinary mission to hunt Honkai Beast. I'll call you back after the mission is over, okay? What do you want, buddy?"

Durandal's voice on the other end of the phone was full of helplessness. Only Shen Gonglin could make the strongest Valkyrie like this. Enough said, that's just how proud she is.

Chapter 449 You're Important, Isn't That Enough?

This guy's got a knack for being a girlfriend, he's got that unreasonable side to him, but why is it directed at someone else? It just feels so... sour!

The Valkyrie Trio stared at Shen Gonglin with slightly shocked expressions, while he remained oblivious, still on the phone with Durandal. Seeing Shen Gonglin like this, a strange sense of déjà vu washed over the three Valkyrie. Shen Gonglin really did resemble a tsundere girl, the kind who would act spoiled towards her lover. This unreasonable yet incredibly cute demeanor was just too captivating; a bittersweet feeling emanated from him. And if this were them... no, they couldn't handle it. That's exactly what Shen Gonglin was all about!

Of course, it depends on looks. If it's Shen Gonglin, she's the kind of cute but savage girlfriend. But if it's someone else, Kiana finds it terrifying just thinking about it. The girl shudders. Damn it, why did I think of such a disgusting image? I need to delete it from my head!

Also, the relationship between Shen Gonglin and Durandal is definitely not ordinary. The two of them are talking like that. How annoying!

"Is the mission more important than me...? No, I called you because I have something to say. You should be in the North Island right now, right? I remember the Honkai damage there wasn't too bad, since the Honkai only happened here."

Subconsciously, he asked the question, and Mei's meaningful gaze made Shen Gonglin feel slightly uncomfortable. He blurted out the question without thinking. This was something Shen Gonglin had learned from TV dramas. He quickly composed himself. Shen Gonglin hadn't forgotten why he had called Durandal. He was trying to stall for time.

"You're important, you're important. Hmm, the impact of the Honkai here isn't too serious. I guess the news of the Honkai hasn't spread widely, so it seems like we haven't been greatly affected."

A strange feeling welled up inside her. She should be feeling helpless and resigned, but instead, she felt a strange mix of joy and happiness. It was as if she was enjoying being teased by Shen Gonglin's unreasonable behavior. It was so odd; Durandal couldn't quite understand her feelings. In short, this feeling was nice, and she quite liked it. She wondered if Shen Gonglin had called just to chat about this pointless topic. Durandal did enjoy it; normally, she would have been happy to talk to Shen Gonglin indefinitely. But now... well, although it didn't quite fit the Valkyrie's code of conduct, she genuinely felt that answering Shen Gonglin's call was more important. After all, the mission could be completed anytime, but if she offended this little devil, she didn't know how she would appease her.

I don't think I've ever tried to coax Shen Gonglin Jingu.

"That's great! There's a really good jianbing guozi place in Wellington. It's famous online, and I heard it originated from Shenzhou. Durandal, could you buy me two sets? One with eggs and one without, one with crispy crackers and one without, one with ketchup and one with spicy sauce... I'll just smell the spicy one. Also, there's a really famous potato tower place in Auckland. Could you buy me one? Thanks!"

It's great that it wasn't affected by the Honkai. Shen Gonglin excitedly made his request. These were the things he originally planned to eat, but he didn't have the chance. Fortunately, Durandal was there, so he could both buy time and fulfill his wish. It was perfect.

"Now? Shen Gonglin, you want me to go buy you food now? Let's wait until the mission is over, okay? Maybe we can stroll around here after the mission is over... So for now, the mission is the priority. I'll be quick. After we deal with the Fourth Herrscher, we'll..."

Durandal was utterly incredulous. This guy actually asked her to buy him food. Did he even know what he was supposed to be doing? She had come all the way from St. Freya by using the deployment equipment after receiving orders to fight the Fourth Herrscher. And now this guy had inexplicably arranged this for her with just a phone call. Was she the one who was abnormal, or was he? It must be him!

"You just said I was important..."

Shen Gonglin continued to showcase his acting skills. He usually enjoys watching TV dramas, and now Shen Gonglin performance was incredibly convincing. He vividly portrayed the unreasonable, spoiled princess-like female lead that viewers wanted to smash with a brick. Kiana and the others were so scared they almost got goosebumps. Sigh, it's because they're too weak-willed. If they were a little faster, Shen Gonglin wouldn't have had to resort to such tactics. Seriously, I feel so sorry for him.

"You're important, I've said you're important, but as you know, Shen Gonglin, if we let the Fourth Herrscher continue to roam freely, who knows what problems might arise? Even a second longer could have irreversible consequences. So I'd better deal with the mission first, and we can do other things after that, okay?"

Durandal was at a loss when trying to reason with Shen Gonglin. Why was Shen Gonglin acting so cute at this moment? Although Durandal ecstatic, even more so than winning a football match, this really wasn't the time for this. She really hoped Shen Gonglin would be a little more sensible... just a tiny bit more sensible now, and could stay like this all the time... Tsk, Durandal suddenly felt like she might be a little... a masochist.

"What are you afraid of with me here? Leave the mission to me. It's just a mere Herrscher, and Herrscher that's only at about two-thirds of its full power level. Don't you trust me? With me here, there won't be any problems."

Shen Gonglin patted his chest confidently, as he was a dignified S-rank, and besides, Durandal knew his own strength, so she should feel at ease.

"I really can't rest easy... Can't we discuss this some more? I'm quick, it's just a matter of one shot, I can take care of it with one poke, and then we can go to Wellington and Auckland together, how about that?"

No matter how powerful Shen Gonglin is, she doesn't have that kind of ability that makes people feel at ease. Durandal still wants to try again. Ahhh, it's rare to see Shen Gonglin in this state. Why is she on a mission?

"... Alright, you can go finish your task. I'll buy it myself, no need to bother you."

"...I'll go buy it right now! Isn't that enough? Shen Gonglin, you big idiot, stay right where you are and don't move! You're really going to kill me!"

Chapter 450 Honest People Are Not Honest

She slammed down the phone in a Durandal, her face flushing red and then pale. Despite how obedient and sensible Shen Gonglin sounded at the end, she'd be a complete fool to take it seriously. Who knew what had gotten into Shen Gonglin today? She seemed to be acting all cute and cuddly. What a vixen... wait, vixen is usually used to describe girls, is it appropriate to use it to describe Shen Gonglin?

That should be fine, otherwise Durandal really couldn't think of anything else to describe Shen Gonglin. This guy is practically demonic, and with that tone, how could she possibly refuse? Fine, she'll trust him this once. Although she's very worried about letting him stay on the battlefield, he is indeed quite capable, and with Himeko also in command there, it should be alright.

With a sigh, Durandal opened the team communication for her Immortal Blade. Shen Gonglin was making a private call, which is usually not allowed during missions, but there was nothing she could do about it, since he was an exception.

[Captain, the coordinates of the Fourth Herrscher have been uploaded to your detector. If we set off now, we can be there within ten minutes...]

Alvit's voice came through the communication. In order to avoid being exiled to Siberia, the Valkyrie of the intelligence department was full of energy, having finally seized the opportunity to show her skills. This was her usual job. As long as she assisted the captain in completing this mission, she should be able to gain some favor with him. Having already been drugged twice by Durandal, she was very obedient. She was especially compliant.

"Destination changed to Wellington... Alvit, do you know a famous jianbing guozi (Chinese crepe) shop in Wellington? Find out where it is and send it to my terminal."

Durandal interrupted Alvit's words. There was no other way; since the decision had been made, it had to be done quickly. Asking a dignified S-rank Valkyrie to travel so far to buy him a jianbing guozi (Chinese crepe) was probably the most outrageous thing that could happen to anyone in the world, except perhaps Shen Gonglin.

[Of course I know, that shop is very famous... But Durandal, you shouldn't be asking this now; the mission shouldn't be the priority...]

Durandal was surprised to ask this question. Alvit, who was drinking water, almost choked. What's going on? Why did she suddenly ask this question? What's wrong with the captain? Has she been infected with the Shingu virus?

"No need for further explanation, send me the coordinates right now."

Durandal's tone was very serious. What could she do? She was helpless, but what could she do? Who told that little darling to make such a request? Even Durandal couldn't do anything about it.

[Oh, but Captain, it might be a bit troublesome if you go there, because that store is very famous, so you'll probably have to wait in line. Okay, I've sent you the coordinates. By the way, Captain, if you're buying one, could you get me a set too? I want the special deluxe edition...]

The communication was ruthlessly cut off. Durandal took a deep breath, found her bearings, and thought, "Shen Gonglin, you should thank me properly!"

"All done. Durandal will probably be here a while now... Why are you all looking at me like that? I'm just trying to buy us some time."

Satisfied, Shen Gonglin put down her phone and turned around to see three somewhat dazed faces. The Valkyrie Trio looked at Shen Gonglin with complicated expressions. This guy... they didn't know what to say. He actually dared to ask Durandal to buy him snacks, and at a time like this. They could all imagine Durandal in her military uniform queuing up to buy jianbing guozi (Chinese crepes). How to put it? As expected of Shen Gonglin.

"You really do have some kind of unusual relationship with that woman, otherwise why would she treat you like this? Quickly tell me the truth, what exactly is going on between you and Durandal? How come I never noticed before? Shen Gonglin, you're pretty amazing, no wonder you're an S-rank, S-rank in every sense of the word."

Kiana said sourly, the sour taste almost spreading. This guy had never acted like that with Durandal before. In the past, when Kiana would just change the channel. But now, seeing Shen Gonglin acting like this with other women, well, it was like being slapped in the face with cold dog food. Even though she knew that Shen Gonglin was just stalling for time, Kiana was still very unhappy.

And the most crucial thing is that Durandal actually listened to him. Aren't these S-ranks normal people? Shen Gonglin, Durandal, and that maid, plus Auntie, they really don't seem to be normal people.

"Shen Gonglin, you brat."

Even Bronya mercilessly criticized him. For this emotionless, emotionless loli, she didn't quite understand the interaction between Shen Gonglin and Durandal just now. But that didn't stop Bronya from feeling unhappy. She was very unhappy. Why did Shen Gonglin talk to Durandal like that? There should have been other ways to stall for time. She was just very unhappy. It was 100% Shen Gonglin's fault!

"Bear kids? Hey, hey, hey, you guys, stop it already! I'm just trying to stall for time. If it weren't for that, would I be doing this? Don't you know how hard I'm trying to talk to you? And you call me a bear kid? I should have known better than to help. Mei, look at them! Stop them! I'm clearly just stalling for time."

Even Bronya was making fun of her. Shen Gonglin felt like she had been seriously hurt and needed to be healed. As for brats, they had nothing to do with her.

"Alright, alright, Shen Gonglin, you've worked hard... But I'm concerned about something else. Shen Gonglin, how did someone as directionally challenged as you know that Wellington has good food? You shouldn't be the one who knows this."

As expected of Mei, she always manages to catch what others miss. Take this question, for example. With Shen Gonglin's personality, how could he know so much? He can't even remember the way to St. Freya, so how could he possibly know what good food is available in such a faraway place?

"Because the Class President had done the research beforehand. We were planning to explore the area properly while on the mission. The Class President had investigated everything from good food to fun activities. But now, sigh, what a pity."

Shen Gonglin honestly admitted it, while Mei, Kiana, and the others had very serious expressions. Who would have thought that the Class President... tsk tsk tsk, you really can't judge a book by its cover, she's practically an enemy of the whole world!

Chapter 451 The Valkyrie in the Queue

"Alright, now that we don't need to worry about the S-rank Valkyrie, let's continue our pursuit of Wendy. I can sense that she's not far ahead. Although I'm reluctant, we still have to be prepared for battle. No matter what, we must bring Miss Wendy back."

Knowing that now was not the time to worry about such things, Mei put the matter aside after feeling a little jealous for a while. She knew how much the Class President doted on Shen Gonglin, and she would definitely do the same if she were in that situation. It was thanks to Shen Gonglin knowing about this that Durandal was able to be sent away, giving them enough time to deal with Wendy's problem. Mei placed her hand on her chest, feeling the throbbing emanating from it. Something within her seemed to be able to sense Wendy's presence. Was this the mutual sensing between the Herrscher Core?

"Yes, Mei, Bronya will definitely bring Wendy back."

Bronya nodded solemnly, and at that moment, Himeko's voice rang out again from the communicator. Himeko on the screen pressed her temples, looking quite annoyed. Sure enough, disasters always seem to come one after another. S-rank Valkyrie Durandal, and now this had happened. It was really giving her a headache. But there was nothing she could do. Even if they were told to retreat, they probably wouldn't obey orders. All she could do now was make sure they understood the current situation.

[Adding bad news: According to Schicksal's satellite reconnaissance, five airships just passed over the Pacific Ocean. Their current location is unknown. Be careful.]

Himeko passed on the information she had just obtained from Theresa to the Fifth Squad, who were on a mission. Himeko bit her finger and frowned. "Besides Schicksal, there must be another organization with such a large scale of operations. It must be something else. Honestly, they have to get involved. How annoying."

"Floating warships... Could they be Anti-Entropy's forces?"

Mei also considered this possibility. As far as she knew, only Schicksal Anti-Entropy had the resources to do so. Although Anti-Entropy was also an organization targeting the Honkai, Anti-Entropy and Anti -Schicksal were mortal enemies. The appearance of Anti-Entropy's traces was not a good thing. Who knew what they were planning to do?

"Hmm, it should be Anti-Entropy's forces. Listen up, you lot, if you encounter Anti-Entropy mechs during the search, immediately abandon the search mission. You must have forgotten to check the almanac before leaving home; one problem after another arises. Remember, retreat immediately. If you all get caught, it will be a huge loss."

Himeko gave this order. Unlike Schicksal's strategy of using Valkyrie in combat, Anti-Entropy uses drone mechs. Both strategies have their advantages, but it must be admitted that Anti-Entropy is indeed very strong. If they suddenly encounter Anti-Entropy's forces, nothing good will happen. Therefore, they must be prepared for this now.

"Wow, this is like encountering a golden flash! Is Anti-Entropy really that strong? If I were to run into them, I'd like to see just how powerful they really are."

Shen Gonglin was muttering to himself. Anyway, Kiana and the others wouldn't understand his jokes. Shen Gonglin secretly planned to follow their lead. No matter how many people came, Shen Gonglin wasn't afraid. He always had confidence in himself. It just seemed a bit too troublesome. He really wanted to go home and have dinner.

Meanwhile, in the Far East Branch command room, Theresa sat in front of the screen with a serious expression. She had also learned about the intelligence from earlier; Anti-Entropy had gotten involved too. Knowing her silly niece's personality, she knew that even if she asked her to retreat, she might not listen. Moreover, there was the unstable factor of Shen Gonglin in the team, so simply expecting them to obey orders was not reliable. She had to think of a solution from other angles.

The loli-like headmistress sat in her chair, unconsciously swinging her legs. Suddenly, her eyes lit up as she pondered. That's right, didn't that woman Durandal go too? This gives us room to maneuver. Presumably, compared to other mission objectives, ambushing Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie is the highest priority. This way, they'll have time to do other things.

As expected of herself, she was so clever. Anyway, Durandal was so powerful that even if she was ambushed by Anti-Entropy, she would definitely be fine. Theresa knew that woman's fighting strength very well. As for herself and Rita... they had never really fought, and she estimated that it would be a 50/50 fight. But Theresa didn't even dare to think about Durandal. That woman was a true monster. The reason they were both S-rank was because the highest rank that Schicksal could reach was S-rank. If it were her, even with one hand and a sliver of health, Theresa didn't have much confidence. So, causing her a little trouble was no big deal.

Wellington, according to the coordinates on the communicator, Durandal moved quickly. After several twists and turns, she finally arrived at the coordinates on the communicator. Looking at the shop in front of her, Durandal took a deep breath. She finally got there. Two sets of jianbing guozi, one with an egg and one without, one with crispy crackers and one without, and one with ketchup and one without... Shen Gonglin, that girl, she really knows how to eat.

Muttering her order for the jianbing guozi (Chinese crepe), Durandal walked into the shop with her head down. Before she could even enter, she was blocked. She looked up and saw an older woman carrying a plastic bag blocking her way. Although Durandal had a curvaceous figure and a perfectly mature and elegant demeanor, even she would have to admit defeat in front of such a woman.

After all, they're not even in the same tonnage.

"Little girl, you have to queue to buy things."

As a middle-aged woman, the older woman was automatically immune to Durandal's otherworldly beauty. Looking at all those grown men and young men, she felt that only she could uphold the rules. Everyone was queuing up, so why should this blonde girl ignore the queue and try to go in and buy something? No matter who it was, everyone had to queue up.

"...I'm sorry, I have something urgent to attend to. Can I buy it first? It's really important."

Durandal paused briefly, then glanced back at the long queue. She really did have something very important to do; the task of defeating the Herrscher should be considered very important.

"What you're saying is true. Everyone in this queue has something important to do, but no matter how important it is, you still have to queue."

"... You're right, okay, I'll go queue up now."

Durandal arrived at the back of the line. She glanced at the time and felt a little anxious. Buying jianbing guozi while carrying out such an important mission... and she was caught trying to cut in line. If word got out, she would lose face. It was all Shen Gonglin's fault!

Chapter 452

They finally found her! Before Durandal and Anti-Entropy's forces arrived, Shen Gonglin and her group finally spotted Wendy. Amidst the ruins, the green-clad girl raised an arm and looked up at the sky. The sound of their footsteps made the silent girl turn her head. Stars shimmered in her green eyes, and Shen Gonglin felt a strange sense of familiarity looking into them.

I think I've seen something similar on Kiana before. Is there any connection?

"We've finally found you, Wendy. Come back with us."

Kiana was overjoyed to see Wendy. She took a step forward, wanting to take Wendy back. She felt great sympathy for the girl's plight. She hadn't done anything wrong; it was all because of that annoying Honkai Crystal in her body. If she could just take Wendy back to St. Freya, everything would be fine.

"Why did you chase after me...? Do you want to die? I already let you go. Do you really think you can be my match?"

However, Wendy resisted Kiana's kindness. It was as if a voice inside her was constantly urging her to disrupt it, and Wendy had been fighting against this will. In order not to hurt them, Wendy had flown away from them in the first place. Only by being alone could she avoid affecting those around her. But now that they had come back, the impact on her heart was stronger than ever. Wendy didn't know how long she could control herself. Her body was restless, but her will was barely able to restrain it. Wendy's current state was very abnormal.

"Miss Wendy, please don't be stubborn. Come back with us. It's dangerous here. Schicksal Headquarters has already sent S-rank Valkyrie to capture you, and Anti-Entropy's forces are also approaching this area. If we stay here any longer, something bad will definitely happen. Come back to the St. Freya Academy with us first. It's safe there, okay?"

Mei tentatively reached out her hand, but a fierce gust of wind carried a small pebble towards it. If it weren't for a fleeting electric current from Shen Gonglin who knocked the pebble away, this skilled cook would probably have been unable to move for several days. This guy is quite clever; he wants to cut off their food supply first.

Shen Gonglin glanced at Wendy floating in the air. He knew that words were useless. Shen Gonglin was good at talking, but he was completely useless at verbal sparring. If something could be solved with action, he should try not to use words.

"S-rank Valkyrie, is it...? Valkyrie hailed as possessing power on par with the Herrscher, very well, I'll test whether my power has surpassed that of S-rank Valkyrie!"

Wendy's will faltered slightly, and a wild smile appeared on her cute little face. Kiana couldn't help but react when she heard this. Although she sympathized with Wendy's plight, it was unforgivable to attack Mei no matter what. It seemed that she wouldn't obey without a fight. The thought of fighting a Herrscher was exciting.

"You're even more arrogant than me, daring to attack Mei. It seems we have no choice but to fight. Let me tell you, don't think I can't beat you. I only let you fly away because I was careless. If I get serious, defeating Herrscher is a piece of cake."

Kiana stepped forward, rubbing her hands together, her twin pistols twirling in her hands. In the end, it all came down to fists. Bronya fell silent. If she could, she wouldn't want to fight Wendy, but she understood their current situation. Without a fight, neither of them could convince the other. Seeing Kiana and Mei step forward, Bronya quietly walked to Shen Gonglin's side. Did they have a chance against Wendy?

"Shen Gonglin, can we win?"

Bronya had absolutely no desire to fight and didn't want to participate in this battle. Since Shen Gonglin hadn't joined either, Bronya softly asked Shen Gonglin, "With Wendy's current strength, can they really defeat her?"

"Of course, no problem. Don't be fooled by how powerful she seems now. Actually, her energy level hasn't really risen to the level of Herrscher. The specific reason is that her will is fighting against the Will of Honkai, so the Gem of Desire hasn't completely taken over her mind yet, which is why her power is incomplete. However, with Kiana and Mei's strength, it should still be a little difficult. But if you join Bronya, it's probably a sure thing. Aren't you going to go up and help?"

Shen Gonglin was eager to fight, but Bronya still didn't want to lay a hand on Wendy. Seeing Wendy reminded her of her sister and her own past situation, but she couldn't save her without fighting, so this was all she could do...

Taking a deep breath, Bronya's eyes hardened as she prepared to control Heavy-duty Rabbit to join the battle. But then, Shen Gonglin stopped her hand. The icy touch made Bronya turn around in confusion. Wasn't he saying that only if she joined in could she possibly suppress Wendy? Why was he stopping her now? What was Shen Gonglin trying to do?

"Judging from your expression, I can tell you don't want to fight. Have you forgotten that I'm here? Don't treat me like a pretty decoration. Although I am indeed good-looking... no, I'm not good-looking at all, I'm handsome! In short, you just stay put and leave the rest to me."

Kiana and Mei are already at a disadvantage. They are indeed very good, but it is still a bit difficult for the two of them to fight against this weakened Herrscher. Since Bronya is unwilling to fight Wendy, then let him take over. After all, she is a dignified S-class. Wendy wants to test her S-class strength, so let's grant her wish!

"Shen Gonglin... really, so cool."

Shen Gonglin's words filled Bronya with a sense of peace, as if with him there, nothing was a problem. What was going on? Shen Gonglin usually gave people a feeling of unreliability, but this time... The emotionless loli's small hands were pressed tightly against her chest. This felt so strange.