"That should be enough, Lyle. We have enough food already."
After packing two backpacks full of food, Little Kong handed one of them to Lyle and prepared to leave.
"Boss Kong, why don't we take a little more? I can still carry it." Lyle said unwillingly, "It was hard enough to get this deep in safely. If we don't..."
"Lyle." Little Kong turned back and said sternly, "Thinking about it, the day Teacher returns should be coming soon. We don't need to take these risks, understand?"
"Teacher has taught us many times that we must never be greedy. If we carry too much and run into danger, can you guarantee that you'll be able to leave safely without being held back? Don't forget, keeping ourselves safe is our top priority."
"O-Okay, I understand, Boss Kong." Lyle sighed. Just as he was about to say something else, panic appeared on his face. "Boss Kong, look outside! There's a Miasma!"
Little Kong whirled around. Sure enough, not far beyond the convenience store's entrance, a Ranger Miasma was slowly approaching the store.
As if it had noticed the two children turning around, the Ranger Miasma slowly raised the bow in its hand.
"Lyle! Get into her blind spot!" Little Kong shouted, rushing toward a corner by the wall. Lyle reacted just as quickly. The moment Little Kong spoke, he had already grabbed her and dashed toward the blind spot.
Just as the two of them ducked into the corner, an arrow carrying Honkai Energy shattered the convenience store's glass door and embedded itself in the wall inside.
"Lyle, we split up and run later." Little Kong looked at Lyle. Beneath the panic and fear in her eyes, there seemed to be another emotion. "Whether we run together or fight back, neither will mean much. If we split up, maybe one of us can survive."
"Boss Kong, you run. I'll hold her off." Lyle gritted his teeth and spoke first. "I know what you're thinking, but compared to me, you're everyone's pillar, Boss Kong. I can't..."
While the two children were still arguing over who would stay behind, the Ranger Miasma outside suddenly stopped.
More accurately, she had no choice but to stop, because crimson flames had begun to appear on her body for no apparent reason.
The flames burned with incredible speed. Before the Ranger Miasma could react, the rapidly spreading blaze swallowed her body, turning her into a burning fireball.
Under the children's dumbfounded gazes, the fireball quietly went out after burning the Ranger Miasma to nothing, as though it had exhausted all its fuel.
"Boss Kong, what... happened?" Lyle poked his head out and stared at the Ranger Miasma, whose unit of measurement had become a small pile of ashes, his mind full of questions.
"Don't worry about that right now." Little Kong swiftly slung the backpack onto Lyle's back. "Whether it was some kind person or something even more dangerous, we can't stay here long. Before any other danger appears, let's leave quickly."
"Right, Boss Kong. You're right." Having narrowly escaped death, Lyle could no longer offer any objections. He obediently nodded, and the two of them each carried a backpack of supplies as they hurried toward the nest.
"Whew..." Not far away, Flame Willow, hidden in the shadows, silently lowered her hand. "Good thing my ability can be cast from a distance. If it had been one of my other selves, I probably would've had to solve that with a gun."
So the host went to all that trouble to kill that Miasma remotely just to avoid exposing herself? But...
"I know." Flame Willow interrupted the system. "I noticed that disturbance in the distance too. I just don't know how long she's been watching me."
Sorry, Host. My detection is based on energy fluctuations as well. Against opponents who don't leak even a trace of energy and rely entirely on skill for tracking and concealment, I'm truly helpless.
"It's no big deal. If anything, this is better. If she can personally observe and confirm that I bear no ill will toward those children, it'll be easier to gain her trust."
Flame Willow stood up and stretched. "But for now, I should make sure these two kids get home safely."
After seeing Little Kong and Lyle sneakily open the nest's door and slip inside, Flame Willow relaxed. Then she began flying away from the safe zone Raven had left behind.
Huh? Host, this is...
"Don't talk. Watch me work."
After replying to the system in her mind, Flame Willow continued walking away without looking back.
Sure enough, after Flame Willow had walked some distance beyond the safe zone, Little Island Boom Raven's voice came from behind her.
"Miss, could you stay a moment so we may speak?"
Flame Willow turned around, a knowing look appearing in her eyes. "So it was you. What do you want?"
"You've been following my children for so long. Naturally, I had to find out what was going on."
"Your children?" Flame Willow raised an eyebrow and looked Raven up and down. "Then you're... quite fertile."
"Cough, cough, cough, cough..." Flame Willow's sudden remark nearly made Raven choke to death. Raven abruptly raised her head, revealing flushed young cheeks beneath her hood. "What are you thinking? They're adopted!"
"Ah, sorry, sorry." Flame Willow looked deeply apologetic. "I've met quite a few long-lived old monsters before, so I jumped to conclusions."
Raven calmed her slightly rising blood pressure and asked in a low voice, "You still haven't answered my question. Why were you following those children?"
"No particular reason." Flame Willow gently shook her head. "When I came here a few days ago, I made quite a commotion. To avoid unnecessary trouble, I found a place to hide for a few days."
"During that time, I discovered that the place I intended to hide apparently had some neighbors. So I looked into it a little and found a group of children."
"This world is pretty dangerous, so I was worried. I merely protected those children a little."
Raven: There's Such a Good Deal?
"Look, I never even appeared before them. And when I noticed that their 'parent' had returned, I decisively prepared to leave. I think that should be enough to prove I had no designs on your children, right?"
Because Flame Willow did not know when Raven had started following her, she explained her actions from beginning to end to be safe—using this entirely harmless excuse, of course.
As for shifting trouble onto others or harboring ulterior motives, those didn't exist. What an upright person I, Flame Willow, was.
There were no obvious flaws in her words. She also looked sincere, and her description largely matched what I saw and found through surveillance. She even mentioned quite a few things I didn't know about... Raven lowered her eyes slightly, her thoughts racing.
"Hmph. That's exactly why I didn't attack you directly and instead observed you quietly." Raven snorted. "Otherwise, the fact that you never noticed me would have been enough to get you killed several times over."
"True. If you hadn't exposed your own Honkai Energy fluctuations while preparing to save them, I really wouldn't have noticed you following me all this time." Flame Willow readily admitted her disadvantage. "So, now that I've explained myself, what do you intend to do?"
"Which faction do you belong to?" Raven did not answer Flame Willow's question, instead asking another. "The faction searching this place some time ago was Schicksal. Are you with Anti-Entropy? But Anti-Entropy shouldn't have anyone like you."
"Uh... so the people chasing me before were Schicksal?" Flame Willow showed a look of sudden realization. "Don't worry, miss. I'm probably not part of any faction you know. As for proof, I'm sorry, but I may not be able to offer you any."
"After all, my identity would be that of a traveler passing through different worlds."
A traveler... Raven weighed the word in her heart. As a senior World Serpent operative, she naturally knew intelligence related to the Sea of Quantum and had even personally dealt with quite a few related projects.
Moreover, World Serpent's Honored Master, Kevin, was currently trapped within the Sea of Quantum.
Unfortunately... her strength is still unclear, so I can't act rashly. I may not be able to defend against that strange flame ability from earlier. After pondering for a moment, Raven had basically decided to relent.
"Fine. Since you seem sincere, and since you did save Little Kong and the others, I won't press the matter this time. You may leave. But the next time we meet, our relationship may not be as harmonious as it is now."
After giving Flame Willow a subtle warning, Raven decisively turned to leave. However, Flame Willow's voice suddenly sounded behind her.
"Wait, don't be in such a hurry to leave."
"?" Raven turned back in confusion. "What is it? Do you have something else to say?"
"Well..." Flame Willow looked a little embarrassed. "Since you said we might not be friends the next time we meet, then at least we still are this time, right? In that case, could you do me a favor?"
"?" Raven felt like she could barely hold it together. Was that how relationships were calculated? Still, considering that Flame Willow had indeed saved Little Kong's life, Raven did not refuse outright.
"First of all, I never said we were friends... As for this favor, tell me what you need first."
"Uh, it's a little embarrassing to say." Flame Willow subconsciously ran her fingers through her hanging long hair. "I want to spar with you, the kind where we stop short of real harm."
"Huh?"
"Ahem, it's like this." Flame Willow hurriedly explained, "First, let me make this clear—I'm not one of those battle maniacs."
"I know. I've met real battle maniacs. You can usually tell how eager they are to fight at a glance." Raven nodded with lingering fear, inexplicably recalling a man who also used fire whom 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 came here a few times before, I never encountered any battles or strong opponents. So I want to spar with you, then have you judge what level my strength is at."
"Uh..." Raven racked her brains but never expected Flame Willow's request to be this.
However, the request suited Raven's wishes perfectly. If she had been more confident, she would have liked to test Flame Willow's strength herself. Achieving that goal without falling out with her was exactly what Raven wanted.
"If that's the case..." Raven's figure instantly dissolved into a red mist. "Then you'd better be careful!"
"Don't hold back. If you end up losing, those harsh words you just said will look pretty embarrassing."
Flame Willow refused to be outdone. Dragon horns and a dragon tail instantly appeared on her body, while a staff made of flames appeared in her hand.
"I should exchange for a weapon at the store later..." Flame Willow muttered quietly. She swung her staff forward, and a ring of crimson fire formed around her before instantly expanding outward.
Flame Willow's energized flames were extremely domineering. Upon touching the red mist Raven had released, they directly scattered it apart and exposed Raven's figure within.
Raven was startled by her sudden exposure, then leaped backward to evade. At the same time, more than a dozen pursuing fireballs transformed the entire area into a sea of flames.
"What a shame." Flame Willow sighed inwardly. After the Elite 2 enhancement, she could clearly catch Raven's evasive movement, but she could not control the fireballs quickly enough to alter their trajectories. Simply put, her mind kept up, but her hands did not.
Looks like I need to think of another method... Flame Willow raised a ring of crimson flame shields around herself while continuing to bombard Raven like a turret.
As a battle-hardened mercenary, Raven naturally had her own judgment of the situation. Although Flame Willow's fire was currently chasing her all over the place, Raven felt extremely relaxed, and even wanted to laugh a little.
A turret type, and not even very accurate... If that's all you have, then I'm taking this victory...
"Watch out. I'm going to start fighting back!"
Then Raven's speed suddenly increased, with black afterimages appearing around her body.
Circling Flame Willow's location, Raven began moving at high speed across the surrounding walls in an irregular pattern. As she moved, Raven drew her bow and nocked arrows. Arrows streaking with black-and-white light attacked Flame Willow from every direction.
However, Raven had not forgotten their agreement to stop short of real harm. At least, the weapon she had drawn was neither Seven Thunders of Retribution nor Shadow Night Perch Feather, but an ordinary-looking black bow.
Flame Willow Easily Defeats Abyss Raven for 800 Points
Isn't this Abyss Raven's phase-transition ultimate... The familiar effects allowed Flame Willow to recognize the move at once.
But... if you use this move, then it proves you've already fallen into my trap, Little Island Boom Raven.
A sly smile of success curled across her lips. Just as Raven expected, Flame Willow remained where she was, swinging her staff to knock away or block the arrows.
Even the few arrows that broke through Flame Willow's defenses were extinguished by the crimson flame shields rising around her.
After sending out another wave of fire, Flame Willow sharply noticed that the Honkai Energy fluctuations around Raven had become active.
Sure enough, in the next instant, Raven vanished from the distance and flashed above Flame Willow. A whip kick carrying a sharp black Honkai Energy edge came crashing down toward Flame Willow's head.
"I've been waiting for this!" Flame Willow crossed her arms before her body, while crimson flames that seemed alive already danced over her form.
Raven's heavy blow directly drove the ground beneath Flame Willow into a deep crater. Flame Willow's arms, which she had used to block, were completely numbed and had lost all feeling.
Flame Willow grunted and immediately activated her ability to heal her arms. However, although this clash made it seem as though Flame Willow had suffered greatly, Raven was in a far worse state.
When Flame Willow had saved Little Kong earlier, facing a Ranger Miasma vastly weaker than herself, she could directly remotely "ignite" the Honkai Energy within the Miasma's body.
But against an opponent at Raven's level, remotely igniting it was clearly impossible.
Using fireballs or projected Honkai Energy to activate Flame Willow's ability also involved the question of whether she could hit Raven. The answer was obviously no. Not only was Raven skilled at high-speed movement, but Flame Willow had only possessed this character card for a few days. Her control over her own abilities was, frankly, a complete mess. Simply keeping Raven from noticing her openings was already difficult enough.
So the only way to give her flames a chance to attach themselves was to lure Raven into voluntarily entering close combat.
But Raven was still an archer. Though archers had always been absurdly overpowered and close combat could not possibly be her weakness, with Raven's cautious personality, she would never make such a mistake.
Unless... Flame Willow appeared to be a glass cannon with extremely weak close-combat abilities.
Thus, Flame Willow—slow-moving, never having used her hands to block, relying entirely on ranged attacks and shields—perfectly met the conditions for luring Raven into melee combat.
At that moment, Flame Willow's flames had already attached themselves to Raven's slender legs, wrapped in black stockings and long leather boots.
"Tch, my clothes..." Raven had not even finished complaining before her voice abruptly turned uncertain with shock. "Wait, these flames are burning my Honkai Energy?"
"Miss, I advise you to surrender now." Flame Willow smiled as she moved her arms, which had regained their feeling. Wisps of flame danced nimbly around her. "My flames do more than simply burn Honkai Energy. Be careful—if the fire grows too strong, even your life might become fuel."
Feeling the Honkai Energy in her body being constantly stirred and drawn about by the flames, Raven gritted her teeth. "Damn it, you win. I surrender, all right?"
"Huh? You really are... quick to surrender." Flame Willow flashed to Raven's side. "People as straightforward as you are pretty rare."
Flame Willow crouched slightly and pressed her hand against Raven's calf. Feeling the taut, smooth texture beneath her palm, Flame Willow narrowed her eyes slightly. "It might hurt a little. Bear with it."
"Stop talking..." Raven's face reddened slightly. As the Honkai Energy in her body gradually calmed and she felt a burning pain in her leg, along with the emptiness of something being pulled away, she could not help asking, "What kind of strange ability is this? Why would it... ngh!"
Flame Willow withdrew the tiny flame that had just caused Raven a faint prick of pain, stood up, and smiled. "That involves the fundamental nature of my ability. I can't tell you for free."
"Hiss... what a strange person." Raven looked at her calf. The flames on it had vanished completely, and there was not even a trace of scorching on her boots, as though the flames had never existed at all.
"You're very strong. I wouldn't dare take that kind of destructive power and strange property head-on. Also, your Honkai Energy intensity has reached the standard of a Schicksal S-rank Valkyrie. But..."
Raven paused, discreetly observing Flame Willow's expression before continuing, "Your control over Honkai Energy is a little loose. But your clever little tricks make up for it well. Against someone meeting you for the first time, even Schicksal's strongest, Durandal, might get caught off guard by you. But against an opponent with prior experience fighting you... I'm afraid you won't be able to keep it together."
Why did Raven's assessment feel like it was hinting at something... Flame Willow suppressed the urge to complain. "Thank you. Your assessment is very fair. By the way, are you reminding me to avoid you the next time we meet?"
"Interpret it however you like." Raven put away her bow. "Besides, we're no different. You didn't hide that one-shot move that only works on a first encounter either. You showed it directly to me."
"All right, one last question." Flame Willow put away her tail and dragon horns. "Miss, what should I call you next time we meet?"
"Just call me Raven. And you?"
"You won't even tell me your name? That's really insincere. In that case, you can call me by my codename too."
Flame Willow waved her hand. "My codename is Reed. Farewell."
"What a strange person..." Raven watched Flame Willow's departing back and pondered, "I had no information at all about combat power at this level. 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 sight, Xia Ling, who had been slacking off in her office elsewhere, suddenly perked up.
Before you continue