The Title Went Off to Have Tea with the Author

A ray of sunlight shone into Reaven's bar, located deep in the alley.

"Today's news reports that two badly mutilated human bodies have been found in an abandoned factory on the outskirts of the city. Police are conducting an investigation..."

The girl, wearing headphones, hummed softly, oblivious to the news broadcast on the radio. Kane, who was mopping the floor nearby, glanced at her furtively and suddenly felt energized, even mopping the floor with renewed vigor.

In the Honkai World, the technology tree is developing quite fast. Although it is only 2014 now, mobile phones and the internet are no worse than before Xing transmigrated. It's just that there are fewer Yugi and anime.

Honestly, Kane felt that he could do any job if he could see such a cute girl every day! And, she seemed to be a newly debuted idol, which was simply amazing! Even more importantly...

When Xing took off her headphones to rest, Kane came over with a plate of strawberry cake, looking all eager to please her. "Um, thank you for saving me last time!"

"Just say what you want to say, no need to beat around the bush." The girl picked up a spoon, scooped up a mouthful, and put it in her mouth, giving him a faint look. "Your thoughts are written all over your face, young man."

"Huh, is there?" Kane took out a mirror and looked at himself. Strange, there were no words written on his face.

Fortunately, she silently covered her face. There was someone even more clueless than Kiana in her normal state. This guy's Kaslana purity must be very high.

"Um, well, I wanted to ask, why did that Dog-headed Woman call you Xing Kaslana back then? By the way, where did you get the transformation items you use?" Kane asked earnestly.

"I'm in a good mood today, so I'll tell you for the sake of the cake." Xing finished the cake in a few bites, licked her lips, and savored the taste.

"Back then, I used a voice changer to alter my voice, and that arrogant guy took that as a belief. He clearly hadn't seen my true form, yet he was still so easily fooled. Also, regarding my transformation, I have no comment!" The girl pushed the empty plate towards him. "Wash this, then get back to your work. Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask. I didn't bring you back to be a curious child."

"Okay, okay." Kane noticed the displeasure in the girl's eyes and could only do as she said.

"Wait a minute, come back, I have something to ask you." Xing suddenly remembered something and called out to Kane, "What was that all about Kaslana being the strongest of the new generation?"

At this point, Kane became excited. "Hey, didn't you know? The strongest member of the Kaslana Family this generation, and also the strongest Schicksal Knight right now, Xing Kaslana, a dual natural Stigmata holder, became A-rank Schicksal Knight at a young age and has made outstanding contributions many times. Did you know that he even saved this city!"

Fortunately, my affection level increased by 10.

"However, I heard from the rumors that although he is very strong, he is often teased by his companions because he is still a child... Pfft!"

The girl, her face darkening, kicked him. The innocent-looking boy clutched his stomach and knelt on the ground. "The former clan leader's teachings were indeed correct; girls are indeed capricious..."

Fortunately, the sensitivity level decreased by 10.

Just as Xing was about to continue listening to music, a message popped up on her phone. She paused for a moment, then went into the bar's basement, where Natasha had lent her the place as a temporary base for Build.

Natasha said that it used to be where she kept her weapons, but she has now given up and made room for Sachi to use it.

However, considering what Natasha said before, I strongly suspect that this Explosive Raven is still secretly taking on some jobs, because she discovered that there is a hidden space below the basement.

Stepping into the somewhat rudimentary laboratory, the girl looked expectantly at the red-haired doll sitting on the lab table. "Little Te, what did you get from purifying the Fullbottles last time?"

"Bat and Light. After testing, the light is the best match for the octopus you obtained earlier. Congratulations, Little Xing." Little Te handed her the purple bat bottle, then asked for the Octopus bottle, and printed the pink and yellow 'O/L' mark on its cap, symbolizing its best match with the light bulb bottle.

PS: Although the Fullbottles for the toys are printed with the symbols that best match them, the actual toys don't have these symbols. Luckily, we find the best match and have Little Te print them on, so that she can quickly find the best match.

"Mmm, new toy acquired!" The girl was as happy as a child, which was exactly what she was.

"There's one more thing. The components we collected this time are the same as those you obtained after defeating the monsters at Golden Ocean Park last time. Their Honkai Energy concentration is basically the same as what Dr. Tesla properly manufactured. If we can uncover the secrets of these monsters' birth, it might be very helpful for you to gain new powers." Little Te analyzed for a moment and then suggested, "If possible, next time you encounter those monsters, please don't defeat them immediately. After you've rendered them incapacitated, please let me study them."

"Okay, I understand. But you need to be careful, Little Te." Xing smiled, picked her up, and rubbed her little head. "Latest orders: all actions must be based on not threatening your machine's safety, understand?"

"Instruction entered," Little Te replied mechanically.

—Build up!—

At lunchtime, Kane hugged his cooking box and silently ate instant noodles. As a member of the Kaslana Family, he was well aware of the family's ancestral kitchen curse, a bloodline defect that he could never overcome no matter how hard he tried to hone his culinary skills.

"Hey, dinner's ready." I reluctantly walked over to remind him.

"Uh, thanks, but I'm full." Kane quickly finished his instant noodles, not even spilling a drop of soup.

"Are you sure about this little bit?" Xing raised an eyebrow. With Kaslana's appetite, this amount wouldn't even fill a tooth gap.

Sure enough, the boy's stomach immediately growled.

Awkward.

"Give me some!" Without waiting for a reply, Xing scooped up a bowl of noodles she had cooked and shoved it into his mouth. Looking at the girl's unyielding gaze, Kane silently apologized to his parents and took a bite with his eyes closed.

"Huh?" Kane stared wide-eyed in surprise at the bowl of vegetables and poached egg noodles.

"What, it's not tasty? You still have to eat it all, not a single bit!" the girl said fiercely.

"No, this taste..." Kane's eyes widened, his blue pupils filled with tears, "It's the best I've ever tasted!"

"Huh?" Sachi almost thought she had misheard. Her cooking skills were only so-so. Could she call it delicious? Watching the boy eating with gusto, Sachi had a momentary illusion—had Mei's cooking skills improved a lot after learning from Mei for so long, but she just hadn't realized it?

Natasha, carrying a bowl of noodles, appeared from behind with a bitter expression. "Little one, did you forget to add salt?"

It was just my imagination after all.

Fortunately, after glancing at Kane who was asking for five more bowls, she slapped her forehead and suddenly realized, "Oh, so that's it! It's because this kid has been eating the Kaslana Family's culinary disasters before, right? This is what they call 'no comparison, no harm.'"

The Crimson Kite's Wings, diligently laying eggs nearby, was thinking, "MMP, can you guys please stop serving fried eggs in every bowl? Laying eggs is exhausting!"

Natasha looked at the girl diligently cooking noodles, then at the expectant boy, and sighed silently.

"Little guy, are you seeing him and thinking of yourself? You also have Stigmata, and you were also targeted by the Jackal. And you were just as lucky as you. You met me, you met your companions, and you met your Silly Mom. And he met you."

"However, you don't seem to like him very much."

Natasha watched as Sachi slapped Kane on the head with a spatula, and silently felt a pang of worry for Kane, whom she had taken in. The reason she had taken him in was also influenced by Sachi.

Half an hour later, Natasha opened the refrigerator and looked inside. It was empty and seemed to be crying out for something. She sighed helplessly, "Sigh, if the little guy hadn't given me enough money before, I wouldn't be able to afford to feed two gluttons from the Kaslana Family."

"Hey, go wash the dishes and pots for me. Also, you ate so much this time, the construction period will be extended!"

"You ate a lot too, didn't you!"

"Then vomit up all the food I cooked!"

"Luming Lady, I was wrong. Whatever you say goes."

Watching Sachi exploit Kane without any remorse, Natasha strongly suspected that she was using this to vent the "abuse" she had suffered at the St. Freya Academy.

So, the empty bar was left with only the two of them. Sachi and Natasha exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with tenderness.

"Little one, I bought a lot of interesting 'toys' yesterday. Let's play with them tonight~" The gray-haired older sister pulled the white-haired girl who was trying to run away into her arms, bit her earlobe, and kept breathing hot air into her.

"Waaah, be gentle..." Xing was on the verge of tears. She thought she had escaped the wolf's den, but she had fallen into the tiger's den. When would she be able to turn back?

Just as things were looking up for her, a knock came at the door. Natasha released Sachi with annoyance and looked towards the door. Anyone who came to this bar was either a former regular customer or someone who admired her talent and wanted to hire her to come back to the business. Either way, she was not welcoming at the moment.

However, this unexpected visitor caught her completely off guard.

The mature woman with black hair slowly walked into the bar and sat down next to the two. Her golden eyes lingered on Natasha for a moment before finally looking at the white-haired girl with a stiff expression. "Oh, Natasha, you seem to be doing well. You've even got another kitten. Hmm, she's really cute."

As he spoke, the Jackal reached out to touch Xing's cheek, but she slapped his hand away. "Get away from me!"

"Sigh, what a disobedient little kitten, Natasha. Aren't you going to discipline her?" The Jackal withdrew his hand, looking with interest at Sachi, who was glaring fiercely at him. "How amazing, she seems to have an inexplicable attraction. Could you lend her to me for a few days..."

"Enough! What are you doing here, Cleo?" Natasha, unable to bear it any longer, gave Xing a look and then pushed her into the kitchen.

"Oh, it's about that little one." Jackal poured himself a glass of wine with an air of familiarity, took a sip, and a cryptic smile played on his lips. "Sheng Kaslana, that little one I both love and hate. There's some strange connection between us. No matter where I am or what I'm trying to do, she always appears and ruins my plans. Wait a minute, you seem to be the same way?"

"So?" Natasha asked calmly, her red eyes filled with displeasure. "With that little guy's current strength, even if you manage to defeat him, you'll be severely weakened, won't you?"

"Heh heh, that's not necessarily true, Natasha." The Jackal chuckled eerily, leaned close to her ear, and whispered, "I've found the power to defeat him."

"?!" Natasha's pupils suddenly contracted. Although the Jackal was always talking nonsense, this time her words sounded very confident. Could it be that she really had something in mind?

"I need your help, Natasha. In this Changkong City, there's a child from the Kaslana Family who carries a natural Stigmata. I almost caught him, but that little guy suddenly appeared out of nowhere and rescued him. Help me find him, and I guarantee your reward won't be low."

After saying that, Jackal stood up, gave her a wicked smile, took out Smoke Gun, and left.

Xing Falcon Gatlinger at the Jackal's head, reluctantly lowered her weapon. Kane, with a complicated expression, stepped out from behind her. "So, what's going on? Is the shopkeeper a good person or a bad person?"

"I'm a bad guy, but that guy was the real devil," Natasha glanced at him and explained casually.

"Tch, you're really fast." Xing checked the time, then turned to look at the bewildered Kane. "Starting today, you'll live here. I'll prepare a sleeping place for you in the basement."

"Huh? Why?" Kane asked, puzzled.

"Do you want to be that Dog-headed Strategist's guinea pig? If not, then listen to me obediently. I won't be there every time she tries to capture you and save you." The girl scratched her hair in frustration, pushed open the door and went out. "I'll bring your luggage over for you. I'll contact the relevant people to send you back another day. Until then, stay here and behave yourself."

"Hey, wait a minute, explain yourself!" The boy, unable to comprehend the situation, chased after her. Being protected by a girl was just too embarrassing!

Natasha looked at the two of them helplessly. "Sigh, why do I feel like I'm sighing all day? Little guy, you're willing to risk getting caught by your girlfriends to send him back. Just how much do you hate him?"