I Am in Honkai, But Integrated Strategies Have Activated

"That's enough, Lyle, we have plenty of food now."

After packing two large backpacks full of food, Little Kong handed one to Lyle and prepared to leave.

"Miss Kong, can't we take a little more? I can still carry it," Lyle said, sounding a bit reluctant. "It's not often we get to such a deep place safely. If we don't..."

"Lyle," Little Kong turned back, her expression serious. "If we calculate the time, Teacher will be back soon. There's no need for us to take these risks, understand?"

"Teacher has always taught us not to be greedy. If we're too overloaded and encounter danger, can you guarantee you can escape safely without being held back? Don't forget, ensuring our safety is our top priority."

"Okay, okay, I get it, Miss Kong," Lyle sighed. Just as he was about to say something else, his face suddenly showed panic. "Miss Kong, look outside, there's a dead soldier!"

Little Kong whipped her head around. Sure enough, not far from the convenience store's entrance, a Ranger Miasma was slowly approaching.

As if noticing the two children looking back, the Ranger Miasma slowly raised its bow.

"Lyle! Get into its blind spot!" Little Kong shouted, simultaneously rushing towards a corner near the wall. Lyle reacted just as quickly, pulling Little Kong towards the blind spot the moment Little Kong spoke.

Just as the two of them ducked into the blind spot, an arrow imbued with Honkai Energy shattered the convenience store's glass door and embedded itself in the wall inside.

"Lyle, we'll split up and run later." Little Kong looked at Lyle, her eyes filled with panic and fear, and perhaps something else. "It's pointless whether we run together or resist. If we split up, maybe one of us can survive."

"Miss Kong, you run. I'll stop it," Lyle gritted his teeth and spoke first. "I know what you're thinking, but compared to me, Miss Kong is everyone's pillar. I can't..."

While the two children were still arguing about who would stay, the Ranger Miasma outside suddenly stopped.

To be precise, she had to stop, because strange, fiery red flames had begun to appear on her body.

The flames spread incredibly fast. Before the Ranger Miasma could react, the rapidly expanding inferno engulfed her, turning her into a ball of fire.

Under the stunned gaze of the two children, the fireball burned the Ranger Miasma to ashes before quietly extinguishing, as if it had run out of fuel.

"Miss Kong, what... what is this?" Lyle poked his head out, staring at the Ranger Miasma, whose unit count had become a single clump, his mind full of confusion.

"Don't worry about it for now," Little Kong quickly slung a backpack onto Lyle's back. "Whether it was a kind stranger or a more dangerous creature, we can't stay here. Before any other danger appears, we need to leave quickly."

"Yes, Miss Kong, you're right." Lyle, who had just narrowly escaped death, couldn't argue this time. He nodded obediently, and he and Little Kong each picked up a pack of supplies and quickly headed towards their nest.

"Phew..." Not far away, Flame Willow, hidden in the shadows, silently lowered her hand. "Good thing my ability can be released remotely. If it were another me, I might have had to use a gun to solve the problem."

[So, Host went to all this trouble to remotely deal with that dead soldier just to avoid exposing yourself? But...]

"I know," Flame Willow interrupted the system. "I noticed that fluctuation from afar just now. I'm just not sure how long she's been watching me."

[Sorry, Host, my detection is also based on energy fluctuations. For an opponent who leaks no energy and relies entirely on skill for tracking and hiding, I am truly powerless.]

"It's fine. In fact, it's better this way. If she can personally observe and confirm I have no ill intentions towards those children, it will be easier to gain their trust."

Flame Willow stood up and stretched. "However, for now, I should ensure these two children get home safely."

Seeing Little Kong and Lyle sneakily open the nest's door and slip inside, Flame Willow felt relieved. She then began to fly towards the outside of the safe zone left by Raven.

[Huh? Host, are you...?]

"Don't speak, just watch me."

Replying to the system in her mind, Flame Willow continued to prepare to leave without looking back.

As expected, after Flame Willow had flown some distance from the safe zone, Raven's voice came from behind her.

"Miss, could you please stay for a moment?"

Flame Willow turned around, a look of understanding in her eyes. "So it's you. What is it?"

"You've been following my children for so long, I had to see what was going on."

"Your children?" Flame Willow raised an eyebrow and looked Raven up and down. "You... have quite a few."

"Cough cough cough cough..." Flame Willow's sudden remark almost choked Raven to death. Raven looked up sharply, revealing a young, flushed cheek beneath her hood. "What are you thinking? I adopted them!"

"Ah, sorry, sorry." Flame Willow's face was full of apology. "Because I've encountered quite a few old monsters with long lifespans before, I jumped to conclusions."

Raven calmed her rising blood pressure and asked in a deep voice, "You still haven't answered my question. Why were you tracking those children?"

"No reason," Flame Willow shook her head lightly. "I made a bit too much noise when I came here a couple of days ago. To avoid unnecessary trouble, I hid somewhere for a few days."

"During that time, I discovered I seemed to have some neighbors in the place I was hiding, so I did a simple investigation and found it was a group of children."

"This world is quite dangerous, so I was a little worried and decided to protect those children."

Chapter 39: Raven: There's Such a Thing?

"You see, I never appeared in front of them, and when I sensed you, their 'guardian,' returning, I promptly decided to leave. I think this should be enough to prove I have no ulterior motives towards your children."

Since Flame Willow didn't know when Raven had started tracking her, she explained her actions from beginning to end as a precaution, using this completely harmless reason, of course.

As for diverting disaster, or having ulterior motives, that was out of the question. She, Flame Willow, was such an upright person.

Her words were flawless and seemed genuinely sincere. Her described actions also largely matched what I saw and what I found through surveillance. She even added details I didn't know about... Raven lowered her eyes slightly, her mind racing.

"Hmph, it's precisely because of this that I didn't attack you directly, but observed you silently," Raven snorted. "Otherwise, the fact that you didn't discover me at all would be enough to get you killed several times over."

"Indeed. If you hadn't exposed your Honkai Energy fluctuations when you were about to save them, I really wouldn't have realized you were tracking me," Flame Willow readily admitted her weakness. "So, I've explained my reasons. What do you intend to do now?"

"Which faction do you belong to?" Raven didn't answer Flame Willow's question but asked another. "The faction that was searching here a while ago was Schicksal. So, are you from Anti-Entropy? But Anti-Entropy shouldn't have someone like you."

"Uh... so the people who were chasing me before were Schicksal?" Flame Willow looked enlightened. "Don't worry, miss. I don't belong to any faction you know of. As for proof, I'm sorry, but I probably can't give you any."

"After all, my identity should be considered a traveler who moves between different worlds."

Traveler... Raven mulled over the weight of the word. As a high-ranking executive of World Serpent, she was naturally privy to intelligence regarding the Sea of Quantum and had even personally been involved in numerous related projects.

Furthermore, World Serpent's Honored Master, Kevin, was currently trapped within the Sea of Quantum.

"What a shame... her strength is still unclear, and I don't dare to act rashly. I'm not sure I can defend against that strange flame ability from earlier." Raven pondered for a moment and basically decided to relent:

"Alright, seeing as you've shown some sincerity, and you did save Little Kong and the others, I won't ask any more questions this time. You can leave. However, the next time we meet, our relationship might not be as harmonious as it is now."

Giving Flame Willow a subtle warning, Raven decisively prepared to turn and leave. However, Flame Willow's voice suddenly rang out from behind her.

"Wait a moment, don't be in such a hurry to leave."

"?" Raven turned back, confused. "What is it? Is there something else?"

"Um..." Flame Willow looked a little embarrassed. "Since you said next time we meet we might not be friends, at least we still are this time, right? If that's the case, could you do me a favor?"

"?" Raven felt like she was about to lose it. Is that how relationships are calculated? However, considering she had indeed saved Little Kong's life, Raven didn't immediately refuse:

"First of all, I didn't say we were friends... As for the favor you mentioned, tell me what it is first."

"Uh, it's a bit embarrassing to say." Flame Willow subconsciously ran her fingers through her long, flowing hair. "I'd like to spar with you, just a friendly match, no serious injuries."

"Ah?"

"Ahem, it's like this." Flame Willow quickly explained, "First of all, I'm not some battle-maniac, okay?"

"I know. I've met real battle-maniacs. Their eagerness for a fight is usually quite obvious." Raven nodded with lingering fear, inexplicably recalling a man who also used fire that she had encountered in the Elysian Realm.

"It's like this, I haven't been in this world for very long." Flame Willow rubbed her hands together. "Although I've been here a few times before, I haven't encountered any real battles or strong opponents. So, I'd like to spar with you, and then you can help me judge what level my strength is at."

"Uh..." Raven racked her brain but couldn't have imagined that Flame Willow's request would be this.

However, this request was also very much to Raven's liking. If she hadn't been unsure of her chances, she would have also wanted to test Flame Willow's strength. Being able to achieve her goal without falling out was exactly what she wanted.

"In that case..." Raven's figure instantly turned into a red mist. "You'd better be careful!"

"Don't hold back now, or if you mess up, those harsh words you just said will be quite embarrassing."

Flame Willow wasn't about to be outdone. Dragon horns and a dragon tail instantly appeared on her, and at the same time, a staff made of flames materialized in her hand.

"I'll have to exchange for a weapon at the shop later..." she muttered softly, then waved the staff forward. A circle of blazing red fire surrounded Flame Willow and then instantly spread outwards.

Flame Willow's activated flames were incredibly powerful. Upon contact with the red mist released by Raven, they directly dispersed the mist, revealing Raven's figure within.

Raven was startled by the sudden reveal and immediately jumped back to dodge. As Raven leaped away, over a dozen pursuing fireballs turned the area into a sea of flames.

"Too bad." Flame Willow sighed inwardly. After the Elite 2 enhancement, she could clearly perceive Raven's evasive movement but couldn't control the fireballs to change trajectory in time. Simply put, her mind kept up, but her hands didn't react.

Looks like I need to think of another method... Flame Willow raised a circle of blazing red flames around herself as a shield, while continuing to bombard Raven like a turret.

Raven, as a battle-hardened mercenary, naturally had her own judgment of the battle. Although she was being chased all over the place by Flame Willow's flames, she felt very relaxed, even a little amused.

A turret type, and not even very accurate... If this is all you've got, then I'm going to claim victory...

"Watch out, I'm going to counterattack!"

Then, Raven's speed suddenly increased, and black afterimages even appeared around her body.

Circling Flame Willow's position, Raven began to move at high speed in irregular patterns along the surrounding walls. While moving, Raven drew her bow and nocked an arrow. Arrows carrying black and white flowing light streaked towards Flame Willow from all directions.

However, Raven also remembered the agreement of a friendly match. At least the weapon she was using now was neither the Seven Thunders of Retribution nor the Shadow Night Perch Feather, but an ordinary-looking black bow and arrow.

Chapter 40: Flame Willow Easily Takes Down Abyss Raven 800 Points

"Isn't this Abyss Raven's phase-transition ultimate move..." The familiar special effects made Flame Willow recognize the move's origin at a glance.

However... if you're using this move, then it proves you've fallen into my trap, Little Island Exploding Raven.

A sly grin of a successful scheme spread across her lips. Just as Raven had expected, Flame Willow remained in place, waving her staff to deflect or block the arrows.

Even the few arrows that broke through Flame Willow's defenses were extinguished by the blazing red flame shield that rose around her.

With another wave of fire, Flame Willow keenly noticed that the Honkai Energy fluctuations on Raven's body began to become active.

As expected, the next moment. Raven's figure suddenly disappeared from afar. With a flash, she appeared above Flame Willow, delivering a whip kick carrying black Honkai Energy to strike heavily at Flame Willow's head.

"Just what I was waiting for!" Flame Willow crossed her arms in front of her, and at the same time, her body ignited with blazing flames that leaped as if alive.

Raven's powerful and heavy strike caused the ground where Flame Willow stood to sink downwards, forming a large pit. Flame Willow's arms, used for blocking, were completely numbed and lost sensation.

Flame Willow grunted and immediately activated her abilities to heal her arms. However, although this exchange appeared to be a great loss for Flame Willow, Raven's condition was even more uncomfortable.

When she had saved Little Kong earlier, facing a Ranger Miasma with a vastly superior strength, Flame Willow could still directly "ignite" the Honkai Energy within the dead soldier from a distance.

But against an opponent of Raven's level, igniting from a distance was obviously impossible.

And using fireballs or external Honkai Energy to activate Flame Willow's abilities involved the problem of whether she could hit Raven, and the answer was clearly no. Not to mention that Raven was already skilled at high-speed movement, and Flame Willow had only obtained this character card a few days ago, her control over her abilities was terrible. Just preventing Raven from seeing an opening was difficult enough.

Therefore, the only way to give the flames a chance to attach was to lure Raven into close-quarters combat.

However, Raven was a bowman, after all. Although archers have always been overpowered, close combat was impossible for them to be weak in, but with Raven's cautious nature, she would never make such a mistake.

Unless... Flame Willow was a glass cannon that appeared to have extremely weak close-combat capabilities.

Then, Flame Willow, with her slow movement speed, no blocking actions, and reliance on long-range attacks and shields, perfectly fit the criteria for luring Raven into close combat.

At this moment, Raven's slender, jade-like legs, encased in black stockings and knee-high leather boots, were already covered in Flame Willow's flames.

"Tsk, my clothes..." Raven's complaint was cut short as her voice suddenly turned surprised and uncertain. "Wait, this flame, is it burning my Honkai Energy?"

"Miss, I advise you to surrender now?" Flame Willow cheerfully moved her reanimated arm, strands of flame dancing around her. "My flames don't just burn Honkai Energy, you know. Be careful, if the fire gets too big, it might even use your life as fuel."

Feeling the Honkai Energy within her being constantly agitated and drawn by the flames, Raven gritted her teeth. "Damn it, you got me. I surrender, alright?"

"Eh? You're really... that decisive about surrendering." Flame Willow flashed to Raven's side. "It's rare to meet someone as straightforward as you."

Bending down slightly, Flame Willow placed her hand on Raven's lower leg. Feeling the firm and smooth texture beneath her palm, Flame Willow narrowed her eyes slightly. "This might hurt a bit, bear with it."

"Stop the nonsense..." Raven's face flushed. As she felt the Honkai Energy within her gradually calm down, along with a burning pain in her leg and a sense of emptiness as if something was being drawn out, she couldn't help but ask, "What kind of strange ability is this! Why does it..."

Putting away the small flame that had caused Raven a slight sting, Flame Willow stood up and smiled. "That involves the essence of my abilities, I can't just tell you for free."

"Hiss... what a strange person." Raven looked at her lower leg. The flames had completely vanished, and not even a trace of burning could be seen on her long boots, as if the flames had never existed at all.

"Your strength is considerable. That destructive power and strange nature... I wouldn't dare to face it head-on. Furthermore, your Honkai Energy intensity has reached the standard of a Schicksal S-rank Valkyrie, but..."

Raven paused, subtly observing Flame Willow's expression before continuing, "Your control over your Honkai Energy is a bit loose, but your cleverness compensates for it well. In a first encounter, you might even trick the strongest Valkyrie in Schicksal, Durandal. But if it were an opponent with prior combat experience... you'd probably have trouble holding on."

Why does Raven's assessment feel like it's hinting at something... Flame Willow suppressed the urge to retort. "Thank you, your evaluation is very accurate. By the way, are you telling me to avoid you next time we meet?"

"Think whatever you want." Raven put away her bow. "Besides, we're in the same boat. You didn't hide that trump card that's effective in a first encounter, but directly revealed it to me, didn't you?"

"Okay, one last question." Flame Willow retracted her tail and dragon horns, asking, "Miss, when we meet next time, what should I call you?"

"Just call me Raven. And you?"

"You won't even tell me your name? That's really insincere. In that case, you can just call me by my codename."

Flame Willow waved her hand. "My codename is Reed Grass. Farewell for now."

"Strange person..." Raven watched Flame Willow's retreating figure, pondering. With this level of combat power, I had no prior intel on her at all. Could she really have come from the Sea of Quantum? I'll have to make Gray Serpent work overtime when I get back...

Just as Flame Willow completely disappeared from Raven's line of sight, Xia Ling, who was slacking off in her office, suddenly felt a jolt of energy.