Master Chief (Fourth Update)

Barry chuckled, a hint of schadenfreude in his voice.

"Do you need me to hold him down so you can have some fun on top?"

With the Raccoon City tragedy averted, Chris seems to be in a more cheerful mood.

"Roll!"

Leon, who had successfully transformed from a lowly police officer into a professional thug and mercenary, disdainfully gave his two friends the middle finger and left together, laughing and cursing.

In County of Surrey, if one were to rank popular secondary schools, the historic King Edward's School would certainly be a top contender.

Its history dates back to 1553, when it was commissioned by King Edward VI and moved from London to City of Surrey, south of London, in 1867.

The Crawford family's prosperous area, the Dun Region, was granted by Edward VI, thus the Crawford family and King Edward's School have a deep connection.

Therefore, some behind-the-scenes operations within the rules are naturally quite simple.

For example, they could cram the seven members of the Tennozu High School Funeral Club, the Fujimi Academy team, and the Void Songstress Yuzuriha Inori all into this place to receive higher education.

At noon, during school dismissal time, a military Hummer was parked at the school gate, and the commander, who had changed into civilian clothes, smiled and waved to Sakurami Atsushi Kōjō Matsuri, Inori Yuzuriha Inori Saeko Busujima.

Amidst the envious glances of the boarding students, the four of them got into the black Hummer SUV one after another.

"How come you have time to pick us up from school? Did you skip work again?"

Unlike the quiet demeanor of Sakurami Atsushi and his two companions, Saeko Busujima smiled and joked, appearing quite familiar with Kevin.

"Well, it just so happens that you ladies and gentlemen are on vacation, and your parents, who practically leave you to your own devices, don't have much time, so I thought I'd just work part-time as your driver..."

Kevin responded warmly and gestured for them to open the small freezers behind them so they could take out drinks to quench their thirst.

During the short trip, with Saeko Busujima leading the conversation, Sakurami Atsushi and Kōjō Matsuri joined in the discussion, and everyone chatted and laughed, extremely relaxed.

Ten minutes later, the group of people who had been standing in front of the door and pressed the doorbell more than ten times looked at each other in bewilderment.

"That guy, Chunxia..."

This stepmother most likely forgot that they were off today, which made Sakurami Atsushi somewhat embarrassed and troubled.

However, Yuzuriha Inori, who had been silent all along, released Kevin's grip, moved a potted plant aside, took out the hidden key, and handed it to Kevin.

"In spring and summer... I often forget my keys... I'll hide them here when I see them..."

The faint voice echoed in Kevin's ears, revealing a hint of anticipation.

"My Yuzuriha Inori is not only well-behaved, but also the smartest..."

The commander smiled and reached out to pat Yuzuriha Inori's head, causing the little girl, who had developed a special attachment to him, to close her eyes and reveal a satisfied expression.

However, as the key turned, Kevin, who was the first to peek through the crack into the house, immediately froze, slipped inside, and closed the door.

At this moment, along the path from the entryway to the living room, and then from the living room to the bedroom, lay scattered clothes that someone had casually taken off.

And inside the half-open door, the intellectual beauty from the field of biology, wearing only a comfortable set of lace lingerie, was fast asleep, her head buried under a pillow.

In addition, the beer cans on the glass table in the living room and the snack bags scattered in the bedroom silently speak of someone's casual and careless private life.

In order to preserve the little remaining decency of Sakurami Haruharu, Kevin had no choice but to bend down and pick up the scattered clothes on the floor, one by one.

Kevin then put it back in the cupboard in her bedroom, cleaned up the mess, and thoughtfully locked the bedroom door.

The moment the commander opened the door, the interior began to resemble a home.

The four sat down casually and chatted about topics of mutual interest, with Kevin, the only adult among them, naturally taking on the role of the host.

However, just as the Commander and Sakurami Atsushi returned from the supermarket with groceries, Sakurami Haruharu was awakened by several young girls inside the house.

Sakurami Haruharu felt awkward and somewhat repulsed by Kevin's arrival.

After all, she was a rather traditional and conservative woman, and she could not forget what had happened before.

As if out of spite, Sakurami Haruharu took control of the kitchen with an almost forceful attitude and drove Kevin, who wanted to help, out.

"Don't worry... Chunxia, she..."

Sakurami Atsushi watched the flustered figure in the kitchen with a strange expression.

"I can only hold on for one minute at most..."

"Spring and Summer are only good at making rice balls..."

"For family meals, we mostly eat takeout..."

Yuzuriha Inori picked up the conversation, puffing out her cheeks in response, seemingly quite aware of her guardian's lack of life skills.

"Hey, come in..."

"I worked all night last night and I'm a bit tired today, so I can't cook. I'll leave it to you..."

Sure enough, just thirty seconds later, Sakurami Haruharu emerged from the kitchen looking disheveled, reluctantly handing over the responsibility of cooking to Kevin.

The commander smiled and nodded calmly, then rolled up his sleeves and stepped into the new "battlefield".

So, now that the performance has begun, where is the thunderous applause?

Then, the actions of selecting, washing, and chopping vegetables were performed smoothly and effortlessly; the process of lighting the fire, cleaning the pot, and heating the oil was completed in one go.

Finally, a reliable one has arrived...

Sakurami Atsushi recalled the hardships of those years, his heart was filled with mixed emotions.

Ten minutes later, a variety of dishes were freshly cooked!

"What's this?"

Saeko Busujima twitched her lips and pointed to a dry, hard, and blackened object on her plate that resembled crocodile skin.

"Stir-fried green beans with pork?"

Kevin scratched his head, looking somewhat uncertain.

"What about this one?"

Sakurami Atsushi was quite averse to that plate of pale green, mushy stuff.

"Um, garlic spinach? I think so."

Kevin somewhat embarrassed, his eyes darting around.

"Was this fish fried for a little too long?"

"The beef stew with potatoes looks like it's still raw..."

Sakurami Haruharu ask questions that are naturally merciless.

The crowd looked at each other, none daring to take the first bite.

"Oh, right, I just remembered, there's a pretty good Italian restaurant nearby, how about we all go try it?"

"Order whatever you want, it's on me!"

Kevin chuckled sheepishly, slapped his forehead to change the subject, and then dumped a bunch of indistinguishable dishes into the trash can to destroy the evidence.

So, it turns out this guy isn't omnipotent after all...

At least, your rice balls aren't as good as mine.

A sense of superiority welled up in Sakurami Haruharu's heart. The housework idiot in front of her didn't seem so unapproachable, nor as annoying as she had imagined.

P. S.: The protagonist isn't omnipotent; he actually has quite a few weaknesses, but they're all insignificant little things. Personally, I think that makes it more realistic.

Chapter 148, Section 157 (Fourth Master Chief)

Italian restaurant, balcony.

"Speak, what do you want from me?"

Sakurami Haruharu turned around and looked back at Kevin, who had followed her, and asked him in an annoyed tone.

Given this guy's personality, he has no ulterior motives; why would he go to someone's door and invite trouble?

"Um, I'm thinking of taking Yuzuriha Inori to Tokyo tomorrow, do you guys want to come along?"

Unaware that he had been seen through, Kevin made a suggestion in the awkward atmosphere.

"Just protect that child. Although I'm her guardian, I can't control anything else, and I don't want to..."

"Besides, there's no need to ask me about this. In Yuzuriha Inori's eyes, you're far more important than me..."

Having escaped the tense environment, Sakurami Haruharu became a little more relaxed in front of the commander.

However, even though she liked that little girl the most, when she asked Yuzuriha Inori to choose between the two names, the little girl chose the guy in front of her without hesitation.

"Well, I'll pick her up tomorrow..."

Kevin gave an awkward smile, said nothing more, paid the bill, and prepared to leave.

"Hey, you... you need to be careful too..."

For some reason, a concerned word came out naturally, as if a wife were giving instructions to her husband before he left.

"If you die out there, our lives will be a complete mess..."

Immediately afterwards, Sakurami Haruharu added a disingenuous remark, trying her best to distance herself from the situation.

Kevin waved his hand dismissively, but his steps became lighter and more powerful.

Undeniably, on the seventh day when the Tennozu High School defense line was about to collapse, the person she most longed to see was not her husband, Ouma Kuro.

Rather, it was the man who brought her harm, humiliation, and also hope...

He may not be perfect, and he may still be fragile at heart, but he is carrying the burden for everyone around him, constantly becoming both despicable and great, both resilient and strong.

You may not like him, but you should never hold a grudge against him.

Because this was the best he could do, all he could achieve.

As evening fell, Kevin, who had just returned from a horseback ride with Angela, nimbly dismounted, then scooped up the Little Princess who had run into his arms, and walked with a light laugh toward Dr. Charles's house.

"Teacher Kevin, remember to come visit me more often, at least once a week! There'll be a reward!"

Angela dangled her exquisite cross bracelet, then lowered her head and quickly pecked Kevin on the cheek.

The smug little girl giggled and ran upstairs, waving goodbye to the commander before she left.

"You brat! Stay away from my precious daughter or I'll spank your bottom!"

Dr. Charles, who arrived in his automatic wheelchair to greet the family, waited until the little darling was completely out of sight before pulling a double-barreled shotgun from behind the door, roughly cocking it with a sinister expression.

"How could I dare, teacher? You're so old, don't be so impulsive..."

Kevin raised his hands in surrender. Once the old man's arrogance subsided slightly, someone took the initiative to push his wheelchair around the yard a few times.

"You didn't come here for a casual chat, did you? You want to know the analysis of the three viruses? I knew you were just a scoundrel, you wouldn't do anything without a reason."

Having guessed the commander's thoughts, Dr. Charles sneered and mocked a few times, but still "tsundere" as he explained his current research results.

"We now have samples of three viruses, which, while extremely harmful, are also of great significance to human evolution."

"First, the T-Virus focuses on improving genetic defects and congenital hereditary diseases, and can significantly enhance various human physical abilities..."

"Secondly, the G-Virus, as a variant, tends to induce self-evolutionary mutations in organisms when severely damaged. Its strength lies in its adaptability and variability to the environment..."

"Finally, the newly acquired Apocalypse Virus seems to have a direct relationship with human willpower; simply put, it grants wishes..."

"What your heart desires most can, to some extent, drive evolution in that area..."

"But if its potential is completely drained and its mutations cannot be suppressed, then the host will become a puppet of emotions."

"Currently, I have submitted a proposal to the Foundation regarding the development of related evolutionary agents and biological weapons. We are just waiting for a complete team to be assembled before we can begin serious research."

"The world has changed, whether you like it or not."

In short, we cannot fall behind the times...

Dr. Charles, who was initially the most resistant to studying biological viruses, is now practicing the opposite view with a sigh.

These experiences made him realize just how many hidden dangers the world holds.

They need the sharpest swords and shields to protect the light.

Even if these swords and shields taint their bodies, they will not hesitate.

"By the way, I heard you're going to Tokyo for a group vacation tomorrow?"