One Surprise After Another

"Okay, then keep the change."

Gwen tucked the room key Gwen, which he had been twirling in his right hand, into his pocket, then grabbed the hands of two blushing girls and pulled them inside.

"Tch, they're obviously three virgins..."

The receptionist, filled with envy, jealousy, and resentment, inwardly scorned Gwen's performance, but deftly pocketed the tip.

However, before he could even pull his hand out of his pocket, another woman walked in from outside. She was completely wrapped in a black trench coat, with only half of her face and one blood-red eye showing.

"Get a room, the one next to those three people."

Before the receptionist could speak, Raven slammed a stack of Fukuzawa Yukichi's papers onto the reception desk.

Although it's a scene that basically only appears on gangsters in movies, the impact of that stack of bills is quite significant, especially considering that this is an action that almost no one would do in real life...

The receptionist, who instantly conjured up a string of melodramatic scenarios in her mind, was secretly pleased that Gwen, the gigolo who was juggling multiple relationships, had been brought down, but a hint of embarrassment still showed on her face:

"Excuse me, ma'am, we..."

"Call..."

Taking a deep breath, Raven realized that her attitude might have been misunderstood and pushed a stack of banknotes on the counter forward.

"I'm only here to protect the young master, not to catch him in the act."

"...

Okay, please wait a moment.

Although it was against the rules, the cashier followed her heart after seeing the stack of banknotes on the counter and the bulging pockets under the Raven coat.

A moment later, a room key was handed to the Raven, but the Raven, who was covered up tightly, did not leave.

"Madam, you..."

The cashier, who was delighted with the new tip, looked puzzled. Noticing Raven's gaze at the stack of banknotes, her expression stiffened, but she still forced a smile.

"Please wait a moment, I'll give you your change..."

"What are you doing here, you poor wretch pretending to be rich..."

Only after the Raven disappeared did the receptionist curse inwardly.

Meanwhile, the Raven entering the room didn't care how her contrasting behavior would affect the receptionist.

Raven casually installed a miniature camera opposite Gwen and the others' room, Raven went into his own room and started observing them with his phone.

Even though Raven didn't believe that Gwen and his companions, who knew nothing about anything, would suddenly disappear before her eyes, Raven, sensing something amiss, still dutifully came to help.

While it's not unusual for young people to go to a love hotel, the fact that Gwen and Raiden Mei, two single people with their own homes, would go to a love hotel, and even bring that white fluffy girl along... just seems suspicious.

However, perhaps due to a sliver of conscience, Raven did not report this anomaly to its employer this time, but instead pretended nothing had happened and followed along on its own.

And opposite the Raven's room—

"You rascal, what's your hurry!"

She let out a slightly affected coquettish sound, but Kiana's hand was rapidly scribbling on the paper with her pen.

"I'm just afraid you'll be too shy and back off... Come on Mei, help me hold her hand down—"

Gwen did the same thing, speaking loudly while writing on a piece of paper to communicate with the two.

"Good!"

Naturally, the third person in the room was no exception.

Although this was somewhat redundant, the three people, unsure whether there were surveillance personnel monitoring them from the next room, still chose to put on an act for a while.

While performing, the three of them were also communicating simultaneously.

How long will this take us?

Kiana asked the question that concerned her the most. Although she had started it yesterday, she was still the one blushing the most now.

"Let's wait until 11 p. m."

Gwen's expression was serious, seemingly unaffected by the lewd songs playing in the room.

"I'll go out and get some food and drinks, and while I'm at it, I'll scout out the area and deal with any surveillance equipment that might be installed outside. Then I'll sneak underground during a power outage."

"Okay!" *2

After reading Gwen's plan, Mei and Kiana exchanged a glance and responded with the same words.

While Gwen and his two companions were performing in their hotel room, outside Changkong City, Siegfried, who had been resting and recuperating, was also preparing to take action.

"That's quite a... big show..."

Looking at the eight Titan Mecha poised to strike in the prison, Siegfried, who had already scouted the place several times, grinned. With his remaining arm, he pulled out the Heavenly Fire Judgment, its gilded barrel gleaming dangerously in the moonlight.

Regardless of whether Gwen's operation succeeds or not, Siegfried's commotion at the prison where Raiden Ryoma is being held will attract a great deal of attention.

Soon, as the experiment drew near, Cocolia had already evacuated Changkong City and returned to Vostok to remotely command the operation, received news that greatly upset her—

The prison holding Raiden Ryoma has been attacked, and the guards are struggling to resist and are retreating.

"Hmph, as expected, someone couldn't resist showing their face as soon as I left the Far East—"

However, Cocolia had been a warlord for many years, knew the importance of her authority in front of her subordinates, and put on an act as if she had expected this.

"Immediately dispatch the reserve forces hidden nearby and wipe out these arrogant fools..."

After saying this, Cocolia paused for a moment, then gave the order:

"Have the monitoring team report the Experimental Subject's whereabouts constantly. Don't let her escape, or they'll all come back to haunt us with their heads!"

A moment later, after receiving news that Gwen and his two companions were having a wild time at a love hotel, Cocolia finally revealed a satisfied smile.

Although it's only the beginning and she may not have the child she wants, Gwen's presence should already be enough to break Raiden Mei.

Chapter 205 Unexpected Events

As time went by, everything proceeded smoothly and according to plan.

After the planned power outage occurred, Gwen immediately started yelling and cursing in the room, but Mei and Kiana quietly turned on a pre-prepared recording and then followed Gwen out of the room, disappearing into the dark stairwell.

However, due to the darkness in the hallway, the three did not notice the door across the hall that had quietly opened a crack—

"As expected, these three people are up to no good here today..."

Witnessing the three sneaking away and hearing the shouts still coming from the other side, Raven's eyes changed slightly, confirming that his intuition was correct.

Only...

Should we pursue it?

Should we report the situation to Cocolia?

Although it's unclear how Gwen and his companions obtained this information, it's almost certain that the three were attempting to escape, and the Raven was caught in a moment of hesitation—

Mercenary ethics... Raven didn't want to tarnish her career so she could earn more money in the future.

But the little bit of conscience that remained in his heart made the Raven pretend that nothing had happened.

After hesitating for a moment, I put down my phone.

At worst, I'll just give up this alternate account. Anyway, I have several other alt accounts. I'll let Gray Serpent come after Cocolia and demand an explanation, instead of just watching myself die.

However, despite making its choice, Raven didn't simply leave. After quickly arranging the scene, it followed the direction Gwen and his companions had gone.

Since the decision to stop Cocolia's plan has been made, Raven is prepared to go all the way.

If the three of them encounter any obstacles later, Raven plans to lend a hand as appropriate... as a way of responding to the little girl calling her "sister"...

The image of the girl he met in the small restaurant that day flashed through his mind, Raven's slender and graceful figure quickly darted through the darkness.

While Raven hesitated, Gwen and his companions, who had successfully entered the tunnel, were moving forward rapidly.

Both Kiana and Mei are physically trained, so they wouldn't complain of being tired at a time like this.

"Speaking of which, how come there's a road like this under Changkong City?"

Kiana, who was running at a steady pace behind Gwen and had entered the escape tunnel smoothly, seemed to have regained some of her usual liveliness and asked curiously.

Gwen could only shrug at this.

"It is said to have been left over from the early construction, but I don't know why a neon sign located in an earthquake zone would leave such a hidden danger underground."

"Yes, I seem to remember that in geography class it was said that Japan is an earthquake-prone area on the Pacific Ring of Fire."

Kiana realized she had asked a stupid question, and immediately began to change the subject with a grin.

"We're actually quite lucky to have found such a road in earthquake-prone Japan..."

Ouch!

However, before Kiana could finish speaking, the group felt their feet slip and Kiana fell to the ground.

"It's an earthquake!"

Completely unprepared for this situation, Gwen's pupils widened instantly. He abruptly stopped in his tracks, grabbed the well-trained waist of the girl behind him, and pressed her down next to Kiana. He then positioned himself above the two of them, creating a bright yellow barrier behind him.

If the tunnel were to collapse at this moment, the two unprotected individuals would be doomed. Only Gwen has any hope of withstanding the immense pressure that would follow if the tunnel were to collapse.

What Gwen, in his haste to save people, didn't notice was that the flow of energy within his body was now much faster, and the bright yellow barrier behind him was practically tangible...

Fortunately, although the three felt a noticeable tremor, the tunnel only lost some soil and did not collapse directly, thus not burying them alive.

"It seems to be just a minor earthquake, nothing serious."

Once the earth had stabilized again, Gwen dared to rise, but the barrier around him remained in place.

After this ordeal, Gwen was also a little worried that the tunnel above his head might suddenly collapse, so just to be on the safe side, he kept the barrier up, since the energy consumption wasn't that high... Hmm?

Gwen noticed that the energy consumption seemed to be much less than he had expected, and he was a little puzzled, but he didn't investigate it further.

"Then let's go quickly."

Kiana, realizing she had just made a jinx, brushed the dust off her clothes, glanced at the barrier Gwen had erected, and a look of curiosity flashed in her eyes, but she didn't ask any further questions.

Kiana, having safely arrived in Changkong City from the Euro-Siberian Region, isn't stupid when she uses her brain; she can vaguely guess that Gwen's identity is probably not simple.

Moreover, now is not the time to ask Gwen what kind of ability this is.

Once on the plane, there will be plenty of time to chat.

"Stay close to me this time and don't leave the barrier area. That way, even if something unexpected happens, we can avoid any accidents."

Seeing that neither Kiana nor Mei intended to ask any questions, Gwen nodded and led the two forward.

However, after walking for a short while and turning two corners, Gwen and his companions had to stop.

Although the earthquake did not bury Gwen and his two companions, it did cause a section of the tunnel to collapse, completely blocking the road ahead.

"What to do?"

With her path blocked, Mei instinctively turned her gaze toward Gwen.

Of the three, Kiana, despite her great strength, was helpless in this situation. Her swordsmanship was also completely ineffective. It seemed that only Gwen.

With one hand pressed against the wall, Gwen.

"Leave it to me..."

Although it seems like some serious place up there, the traffic jam isn't long; give me a little time and I can get through.

"Above?"

Kiana blinked, wondering why Gwen brought up the above.

Moreover, it was a place that Gwen described as extraordinary...

"Up there, I sensed a sizable Honkai Energy source."

Considering the current situation in Changkong City, it might be Cocolia's laboratory, or even one of the energy sources that could trigger the Honkai in the future.

Gwen casually explained, as energy flowed through his body, and a bright yellow halo enveloped him, making him seem to merge with the soil in front of him.

"Honkai Energy Head?"

Has any Honkai Energy leaked out?