Honkai, Survive

Fang Jie thought, 'With one companion unconscious and the other two, Fang Jie, Rin, and Yae Sakura, missing, is there a better solution than finding some kids to play with?'

This was March 7th's astonishing wisdom. What better way to gather information in a strange place than by asking children?

This event is also recorded in "Genshin Impact Liyue Qixing Ningguang Biography."

"You all have an unconscious companion? Who?"

Fang Jie suddenly realized something was wrong and asked Seele.

"That Little Grey Hair. Apparently, Sampo did it. Sampo looks pretty beaten up too, they must have fought."

Seele didn't care about Sampo's fate at all. Who told him to 'smuggle' a Silvermane Guards Garrison Officer this time?

Fang Jie didn't quite understand what had happened, but Xing was clearly still around. Did Sampo still drug the cute Stellaron Spirit?

Never mind, it's not important.

No matter what happened, he convinced himself that instead of guessing, it was better to ask March 7th.

In exchange—

The despicable adults united.

"Ouch~"

March 7th was suddenly hit by a snowball. It wasn't big, but it was sudden... She foolishly turned her head and saw Fang Jie winking at her, gesturing towards a spot.

"!"

March 7th's eyes widened. How despicable of you, I like it.

Hehehehe...

March 7th tiptoed over and, sure enough—

"Caught you, Hook!"

I caught Hook!

March 7th beamed with joy.

"Wh-what is this? You look so silly, yet you're a hide-and-seek master!"

Hook was greatly alarmed, but as per the rules of the game, she admitted defeat and emerged from her hiding spot, dejected. Grumble~

There's still hope. The rest is up to you, Moles.

Then Hook saw them and looked very curious. "Hello, Sister Seele. Hello, strange strangers."

Fang Jie smiled. "Hello, Hook. I'm not a strange stranger, I'm a despicable stranger."

Seele looked at Fang Jie with disdain. Rin did too.

"Then hello, despicable stranger."

Hook believed him. She believed him.

No, she didn't.

"Hmph, do you think Hook will be this obedient? You adults are so unreasonable. Hook knew long ago that adults can't be trusted."

Hook raised her head with great spirit:

"I'm the boss of the Moles! Even Sister Seele can't out-argue me!"

Seele?

Seele had no objections.

She responded to their gazes impatiently. "What are you looking at? Don't think Hook is just a child, she understands many things."

"Exactly, exactly."

Hook became even more spirited. "For example, adults always try to fool Hook with 'You'll understand when you grow up,' but adults actually have more 'truths they forgot when they grew up.' If you don't believe me, let's compare!"

Overwhelming spirit.

Can he win?

Fang Jie bowed in defeat. "Hook, you are right."

He was reduced to Seele's level.

Seele looked disdainfully at Fang Jie, who immediately surrendered without even daring to compete with a child—At least I competed.

Fang Jie returned her gaze—

'Because we've both 'grown up,' adults can't win against children.'

'Absolutely can't win, understand?'

Breathing the air of the Underworld, filled with the smell of rust and Subterranean Vein dust, Fang Jie, a defeated man, squatted down to be eye-level with the victor and offered the customary price:

"Alright, Lady Hook, you won. What gift do you want?"

"You must call me Black Hook the Great. You're quite wise, knowing to surrender promptly. State your name first."

"Fang Jie, from the outside world, Lady Black Hook the Great."

"Okay, I got it. The outside world... what do you have that I want, I want it all... Never mind, you should hurry and find Old... Sister Natasha. Your companion, that sister, has fainted."

"She's just sleeping."

"Lies! Don't think Hook is easily fooled. Hurry up and go, the clinic is right there."

"Hook doesn't want anything?"

"Hmm, indeed. This breaks the Moles' rules. Then answer me one question honestly—Fang Jie, you're from the outside world. Is the roof in the outside world very, very big?"

"..."

Fang Jie thought about it seriously and nodded:

"Yes, Hook, it's a very, very big roof."

"As expected, Hook knew it!"

Hook said triumphantly.

"You have to call me Black Hook the Great!"

"Hook, he's tricking you. That's not called a roof, it's called the sky."

Fang Jie didn't look at the silent Seele. He looked at March 7th, who had finally realized someone had arrived. She even exposed Fang Jie for tricking a child, calling him a shameful adult.

Fang Jie didn't argue: "Why is it just you, March? Where's Dan Heng? Where's Star Baby?"

"Star Baby? Eww~, what a childish nickname. I'll call her that next time."

March 7th thought it was okay. "She's unconscious. I told you not to look at that thing on Sampo. That's a Masked Fool. She insisted on opening that box, and then with a 'bang,' she fainted."

This happened after the looting, oh no, after defeating monsters and getting loot. Along the way, Star, who was inspecting the spoils of war, found a treasure box. When she opened it, she was attacked by a 'treasure chest monster.' The negative impact on the child was immeasurable.

"As for Dan Heng, he left with Sampo, and that Gepard. I don't know where they went. I stayed behind to look after Star Baby."

So, this is your... looking after?

Fang Jie glanced at Hook, who was a bit dejected from failing at hide-and-seek, but happy about defeating the newcomer and knowing the roof was really big and high.

What sky? It's all lies. She really believed Fang Jie. Taking her companion to the clinic was what a real adult would do, not playing with the Moles.

In short, Fang Jie looked at the cute but untrusted March 7th and asked her to translate what "looking after" meant.

"Hey, let me explain. Didn't Dan Heng leave with that Sampo? I circled around but couldn't find him. By chance, I met these kids who said they knew his whereabouts."

March 7th said righteously:

"But they said if I wanted to know, I had to join the [Moles]. To join the Moles, I had to play games with them. If I won, I could prove my strength... Do you understand now?"

Fang Jie completely understood.

"Then you continue. I'll take Yae Sakura to see a doctor too. Goodbye, Hook."

"Goodbye, Fang Jie."

Seele wasn't impatient. After knowing Fang Jie was also an alien, and Hook... she was surprisingly patient. Fang Jie didn't delay too long and caught up with her.

He felt like his favorability had increased, but the atmosphere became even more silent.

"Sampo is truly wicked. So he can't escape responsibility for this. The Underworld Fire has a pile of troublesome matters to deal with, and yet they have to cause trouble at this time."

Seele couldn't find a topic. She also just learned how the Stellaron Spirit fainted. It was all Sampo's fault.

She complained about Sampo all the way. It was evident that Seele had a good impression of Sampo. They had arrived.

Natasha's clinic wasn't very large. The room was furnished with a few beds, tables, chairs, and cabinets for storing medicine. It looked excessively simple, yet it supported the medical needs of the Underworld.

The room was warmer than outside. The Subterranean Vein-heated fireplace was a necessity for every household. When Seele pushed the door open, Natasha, who was tending to a patient, noticed the newcomers.

"Seele, what is it?"

"I've brought some people. There are patients, and they are also outsiders."

Seele stated the situation naturally, without mentioning how she escorted the supplies.

"If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."

"I understand. Go ahead and be busy."

Natasha smiled gently and looked at Fang Jie and his group: "Hello."

Frankly, Natasha was a beauty.

Her graceful figure went without saying; there were few people Fang Jie found unattractive.

Fang Jie's aesthetic standards were increasingly leaning towards the 'non-human.' Even so, Natasha was by no means inferior, and more importantly, her temperament was quite special.

Very gentle, with a sense of sanctity.

This was rather rare in the Overworld. Only Pela had a similar feeling, mainly because Pela's face was too round, giving her a naturally soft appearance.

"Hello, Ms. Natasha."

Fang Jie glanced at Rin's expression. Seeing that she didn't react to this temperament and had been quiet all along, he boldly asked, "I heard Star Baby is also here?"

"Star Baby? Is she your companion too? Her condition is fine; she'll wake up soon."

Natasha spoke of the patient's condition. It wasn't an injury or illness, but Sampo's special... smoke bomb for self-defense.

She glanced at Rin, not seeing her as a 'mechanical' floating object, but sensing a life force – perhaps a cosmic race.

Such a small child, and she seemed quite unhappy.

And what Rin was carrying…

"Does this patient need care?" Natasha asked.

Fang Jie didn't stand on ceremony. "I'd appreciate it."

Both he and Rin could understand Yae Sakura's condition; her vitals were normal, she was perfectly healthy, but she just wouldn't wake up. They didn't know how much longer she would sleep.

Natasha took out some seemingly simple medical equipment and examined Yae Sakura, reaching a similar conclusion.

"This isn't a coma; she's perfectly fine, just… asleep."

Natasha lowered her eyebrows. In a way, this was harder to deal with than an illness.

Perhaps her skills were lacking, or maybe her medical expertise wasn't suited for aliens.

"I'm very sorry, but if you don't mind, you can let her recuperate here. I'll observe her further and do my best to take good care of her."

Fang Jie glanced at Rin and again didn't stand on ceremony. "Thank you very much, then."

Where Rin was, it was both the safest and most unsafe place. He didn't want to leave her in the Overworld any longer; who knew what astonishing wisdom Cocolia might come up with next.

Anyway, Fang Jie had already told her frankly, "Do whatever you want, mess with the Stellar Nucleus however you please. Just consider if you can beat an Antimatter Legionnaire."

Give it a rest. She couldn't even beat a Stellar Nucleus that had gone berserk.

Speaking of Stellar Nucleus…

"Black… sun… don't set…"

He heard her mumble.

"Did she… speak?"