I'm Not a Flame-Chaser - Chapter 603

"It's getting late, get up and eat."

After two consecutive days of deep sleep, enveloped in a pleasant fragrance in her dreams, Kiana's mental state improved significantly, and the haggardness of the previous days was almost invisible.

The man left food for her again, but this time he also left a note, which Kiana picked up and read as she ate.

"Back to the usual spot tonight... Is this another sparring session?"

Despite her many complaints, Kiana has to admit that the man's cooking skills are the best... no, the second best among everyone Kiana knows! Mei's cooking is the most delicious!

"Class President, do you really think this kind of training is effective?" After finishing her meal, Kiana sat thoughtfully talking to the girl. There was still some time before nightfall, which was the time the man had given her for free. She touched the stiff, cold chain around her neck, and she still felt a little uncomfortable... It felt like some kind of sex toy...

Her face flushed slightly, but she quickly put the matter out of her mind. After all, she was no longer the little girl she used to be, and she couldn't worry too much about trivial things.

"I don't know either. In my opinion, this is just a waste of time and does not help in learning how to control Honkai Energy." The girl shook her head, her expression thoughtful. "But I can only teach you the Great Void Sword Qi to manipulate Honkai Energy. I have no experience in how to fully master the Herrscher Authority. Perhaps he has his reasons."

The man repeatedly stirred up Kiana's sense of shame and pride, yet he also tried to suppress them through various means. However, Kiana's months of wandering had worn away her pride and arrogance. The man's behavior was less directed at Kiana and more aimed at provoking the hostility of the Herrscher of the Void within Kiana.

The more the Herrscher's consciousness is suppressed, the more intense the resistance becomes. The chain that suppresses Honkai Energy is less a means of controlling the Herrscher's consciousness and more like a sluice gate. Once the restraints are broken, the anger accumulated by the Herrscher's consciousness during this period will erupt all at once. At that time, Kiana will probably find it difficult to resist the Herrscher's erosion again.

But surely the man knew what he wanted to do—to push Kiana completely toward the Honkai? But with his abilities, he didn't need to do anything unnecessary.

A rumor that has recently spread Sky City has caused widespread panic.

"Have you heard? There's a problem with the medicine that Shencheng Pharmaceuticals is distributing to ordinary citizens like us. Someone died the day after receiving the injection!"

"Shencheng Pharmaceuticals is using us ordinary people as guinea pigs; they have no intention of helping us at all."

"It's said that the recent Honkai Energy leak was also caused by Shencheng Pharmaceuticals. They're really wicked. They leaked Honkai Energy and then pretended to distribute medicine, just to use us as guinea pigs."

"The constant occurrence of Honkai disaster is a conspiracy by Shencheng Pharmaceuticals. I heard they have a partner called... Schicksal. That must be a bastard organization that's like a son without an anus."

"The previous gas station explosion was also caused by Shencheng Pharmaceuticals!"

"The septic tank leak was also caused by Shencheng Pharmaceuticals!"

"The sewer blockage was caused by Shencheng Pharmaceuticals!"

Rumors are like the wind blowing into the city. Even if you try to block them, you can't stop people with strong curiosity and a herd mentality from spreading them tirelessly, regardless of whether they are true or false. And conspiracy theories are the best examples of this.

Shencheng Pharmaceuticals had previously controlled public opinion. They had extensive connections in the city, and theoretically, no one could react as quickly or keenly as their surveillance department. They promptly suppressed any suspicious or doubtful remarks that had been raised earlier.

But now, rumors are flying everywhere, spreading like wildfire, with terrifying speed. There are at least a dozen versions of these rumors, some even claiming that Shencheng Pharmaceuticals is actually an industry created by aliens invading Earth. It's hard to even know where to begin debunking them.

Just as Shencheng Pharmaceuticals was in a state of utter chaos, their partner Schicksal was also asking what was going on. Their public opinion had also been affected, radiating outwards from Sky City and showing a trend of becoming uncontrollable.

Schicksal may disregard Shencheng Pharmaceuticals, but they cannot ignore their own situation. Moreover, they had already planned to use Shencheng Pharmaceuticals in Sky City to search for the Herrscher of the Void. The rumors gave them a reason. Soon, around the time of the upcoming medical supplies delivery, Schicksal will send personnel to liaise with Shencheng Pharmaceuticals and discuss the Honkai Energy leak in Sky City and the rumors.

"Raven, K-423 and that unidentified person who recently appeared have been roaming around the disaster site. Especially that unidentified person, he has attacked the industrial area too many times and may have gotten close to the core of the experiment, endangering the experiment."

"That's right, but the Venerable Lord has also ordered the operation to begin, so there's no time to deal with them anymore. The current problem is that someone leaked the experimental plan, causing panic in Sky City. Some people have already started fleeing the city, which is the biggest impact on the experiment. I suspect it was that unknown person who did it, but how did he manage to spread rumors in such a short time..."

"The top priority now is dealing with the interference from Schicksal. They have already sent people to Shenzhou. Then comes public opinion. Hmph, I think that blond bastard has been planning to do this for a long time. Now it's just a legitimate way to intervene."

"It's alright. Schicksal's target is K-423. Her whereabouts are of greater significance to them. As long as we reveal some clues about her in the medical records, they will seek her out like jackals smelling blood. Let them deal with each other."

"Very good. You failed to catch that petty thief last time. Next time, use the thing I gave you. Although it was a gift I carefully prepared for Schicksal, it's not a bad idea to use it to kill rats and pests."

"Call..."

Kiana, with her hands in her coat pockets and wearing a baseball cap, arrived at the place where she had met the man before. It has to be said that the man was very good at finding dark and secluded places, and very few people passed by in this area. Even the mecha guards rarely patrolled this place.

The agreed time was fast approaching, but she still hadn't seen the ghostly figure in the trench coat. She couldn't help but wonder if she had remembered the time wrong.

But just as she was about to double-check the time and take her phone out of her clothes...

"Bang!"

"..."

The girl stared blankly as her phone crashed to the ground, drops of bright red liquid falling onto the screen frozen at "7:53".

Blood, from her fingers, formed a thin, crimson line from her fingertips, connecting the phone and her fingers.

The area where she was shot was her shoulder. She felt no pain, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw a bloody hole in her shoulder and the hem of her clothes stained red – a shocking sight.

Dream

"Click".

The spent cartridge case landed.

She looked up and was met with cold, ruthless iridescent pupils that seemed to pierce the shadows.

The first gunshot heralded the start of the night.

The Journey Begins in the Sky: Chapter Nine - Strangers

The good habit she had developed over the months allowed Kiana to draw her gun before she could even utter a question, and her action was a signal; the moment her gun left its holster, a second shot rang out.

"Bang!"

Kiana's excellent reflexes allowed her to dodge the second shot. She rolled away and hid around a corner. She didn't pay attention to her wound. Her relaxed nerves, which had been relaxed during two days of peaceful sleep, instantly returned to the high-tension battle.

Why did the man suddenly attack her without saying a word?

Just as she was about to ask a question, she heard the rustling of a trench coat above her head. Her body acted before her mind could, instinctively rolling to the side. In an instant, a cold glint pierced through the spot where she had been standing!

"You!"

Such a ruthless and merciless attack from Meng Li was enough to make even Qi Ya and Naa break out in a cold sweat. She had just walked right past the gates of hell. Before she could utter a second word, the man wielding an alloy blade pulled the sword from the ground and charged at her again.

"Hateful..."

Kiana didn't even have a chance to speak, and could only passively fight back. The Sky Ripper crossed to block the heavy downward slash, and the sparks that flew off landed on their clothes and ignited their faces under their hats.

Kiana was tense and clenching her teeth, struggling greatly after being put in shackles. The mask under the man's hood was cold and ruthless, just like the cruelty with which he always attacked.

"Kiana, watch out!"

The Class President's reminder echoed in Kiana's mind, and she was startled. She saw the man holding a sword in one hand and a pistol that he hadn't drawn in the other. The inconspicuous movement caught Kiana completely off guard, and the gun was pointed directly at her right leg!

"Bang!"

The powerful special bullet pierced the girl's flesh, leaving a horrific gash on her thigh. Even though she couldn't feel the pain, she was still unable to exert any force and collapsed to her knees on one knee.

The man seized the opportunity and kicked her arms, which she was barely able to defend herself with, sending her flying into the wall.

Weak and powerless, she was no match for the man. After getting up from the pile of rubble, she clutched her chest, coughed, and knelt down on the ground.

The man wielding the sharp blade slowly retreated into the shadows, merging into the darkness.

Kiana leaned against the wall and stood up. Everywhere around her was now a potential direction from which the man could attack. This was the first time she had fought someone with such a bizarre fighting style. It was as if a pair of cold-blooded heterochromatic eyes were silently watching her vitals from behind, ready to deliver a fatal blow at any moment.

If a real, chilling killing intent were to strike from all directions, it would pierce her skin and leave bloody wounds.

"Kiana, be careful, I can't sense his presence."

What exactly... does he want to do...?

Kiana's shoulder and thigh wounds were bleeding profusely, a shocking amount of blood. After her Honkai Energy was bound, her body's self-healing ability was significantly reduced, and she would probably suffer from blood loss soon.

Her right shoulder was shot, rendering her unable to use her right hand at all. She could only grip the pistol in her left hand with all her might, wary of the man's next attack.

"I don't intend to leave a threat in human society, so if you can't pass the special training or have your body completely taken over by the Herrscher's consciousness, I will kill you directly."

He wasn't joking; he really intended to kill her!

Kiana was on high alert, all her senses heightened to their peak by the adrenaline rush, and she could even make out a little bit of the bottomless darkness.

Without uttering a single extra word, Kiana deeply understood that life and death were separated by a mere hair's breadth.

"Whoosh—"

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

The moment the gunshot rang out, Kiana's ears perked up. While dodging, she turned sharply and fired without hesitation at the source of the sound!

Kiana!

"Bass!"

Blood splattered.

Kiana stared blankly at the empty ground not far away, where a pistol lay forlornly, its owner nowhere to be found.

A gleaming, cold blade "grew" out from her chest.

Beneath the hood, his chilling, Prismatic Eyes coldly gazed at the girl whose chest he had pierced. He grabbed her shoulders and then forcefully pulled the blade out!

"Bass!"

The blood spurted onto the wall, creating a blood-soaked picture.

Am I... going to die...?

Clearly, nothing has been done yet...

Teacher Himeko...

The silver-haired girl collapsed backward, and the girl in Kiana's mind was about to save her, but then stopped.

"Clang."

The man dropped his sword the moment the silver-haired girl fell, and with a hint of anxiety, he caught her, carefully crouched down to help Kiana's body stretch out, then tore open her clothes over her wound and placed his hand on her gruesome wound.

A girl with long, pink-white gradient hair appeared to the side. She paused for a moment and immediately realized that Kiana's wound looked exaggerated, but in reality, it had not damaged any internal organs. The angle of the knife had cleverly avoided all organs.

After the man placed his hand on Kiana, who was lying unconscious with her long hair disheveled, his right Prismatic Eyes once again emitted a faint rainbow light. Under the illusory girl's furrowed gaze, Kiana's wounds visibly began to heal.

Is this... transferring Honkai Energy to Kiana?

The healing process was quite lengthy. The man continuously supplied Kiana with Honkai Energy for an hour before her wounds began to heal. He was so exhausted that he could barely move and sat on the ground, holding the unconscious girl, to rest.

Why... do I feel like I know him so well?

The girl who had lost her body, not knowing why, (when she saw him) almost shriveled up, and gently hugged Jiuqi and Yana after removing her clothes, felt a sense of bewilderment she had never felt before.

Is the person behind the mask someone she knows?

Perhaps due to exhaustion and the stuffiness inside the hood, the man reached down and pulled the hood down, revealing short, jet-black hair. Then, he reached for his mask.

Thump...

The girl's non-existent heartbeat rang in her ears at that moment.

A gloved hand grasped the edge of the mask, and after a moment's pause, removed it.

"..."

The colorful neon lights illuminated the quiet alleys and open spaces with a mesmerizing glow.

Similarly, it also reflected the man's face with unparalleled clarity.

The black-haired man clutched his forehead, where veins were bulging. After suppressing the tearing headache, he swayed and picked up the silver-haired girl in his arms, carrying her forward.

Fu Hua subconsciously reached out to touch the man's face.

Lin seemed to sense something and subconsciously turned around.

All that could be seen was emptiness.

There was nothing there.

Lin passed through Fu Hua's non-existent body and continued forward, while Fu Hua raised her head, gazing at the bright, merciless moon, her figure dissipating into wisps of smoke in the moonlight.

A stranger.

The Journey Begins in the Sky: A Dragon Boat Festival Special - Enchanting Moonlight (Part 1)

"Here you go, Zongzi."

A fragrant rice dumpling, packaged in a plastic bag, was handed to the man sitting on the edge of the rooftop. The dark green Reed Leaf inside looked somewhat out of place under the colorful fluorescent lights. He looked up and saw the silver-haired girl's smiling face, as clear and flawless as a crescent moon hanging in the night sky.

The man stared at her silently, his dim Prismatic Eyes and cold black pupils silent like two gems of different colors. Under his gaze, the silver-haired girl's creamy white skin flushed with a blush. She shook the plastic bag nervously, "Why are you looking at me? My former Class President said that there's a custom of eating Zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) during the Dragon Boat Festival in Shenzhou. I saw some for sale on the way and bought some, and I brought some for you too..."

Kiana felt a pang of unease; the pressure of being stared at by this guy was immense, and besides, what was the point of a man being so handsome...?

"... Nothing, I was just thinking about someone."

Lin took the Zongzi from Kiana and replied casually.