Starting as a Behind-the-Scenes Boss in the Honkai World

Starting from the Honkai World as the Behind-the-Scenes Boss, Author: Cat on the Roof

[Synopsis]

Landing in the Honkai World, Shi Hen declared he wasn't panicking at all.

In this day and age, who wasn't an overpowered player?

[Newbie Quest · St. Freya's Gate: You have gained a preliminary glimpse into the madness of this world. It's time to join a secret organization fighting against Honkai and find like-minded companions to save the world.]

Glancing at the guidance on his system panel, Shi Hen resolutely pushed open the door to the secret organization, World Serpent.

[Main Quest · Path of Destiny: …………]

Understood, this means he's supposed to become Schicksal, right?

And so, while bringing the White Masks to mercilessly ravage the girls, tempering their bodies and wills, Shi Hen also became their close friend and guide, sacrificing his life for their growth time and time again.

Then, as the dawn of Finality appeared, discordant sounds of how to divide him echoed within the group. Shi Hen, with his hair gelled hands, stood at the very front of the stage:

"Sorry, the kind of thing you're expecting never existed.

From today on, I will stand above the heavens!"

Chapter 1: The Boy from Crow's Nest

Autumn 2012, somewhere in Northern Europe, Crow's Nest bar.

The theme song of a popular movie was playing from a speaker installed in the corner. Under the illumination of the orange-yellow lights, the small bar's furnishings were clearly visible.

The dark wood tables and chairs were slightly worn, but not a speck of dust could be seen on them, indicating their owner cherished them greatly.

Perhaps due to being located too deep in an alley, even though it had been open for a long time today, the spacious hall remained empty, with not a single customer.

However, the gray-haired woman dressed as a bartender behind the counter seemed unbothered by this, continuing to polish the already gleaming wine glass in her hand while humming an unknown tune, as if merely enjoying the process of polishing glasses.

Creak—

The sound of the glass door's hinges grinding against each other.

The bar welcomed its first guest of the day.

"A Death in the Afternoon, please."

Looking up, the bartender's rose-colored eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze naturally drifting towards the entrance.

The newcomer was a boy no older than fifteen. His delicate face, still holding a touch of childishness, carried a rich scent of sunshine, as warm as freshly dried laundry. Yet, his pupils, which matched his black hair, held a depth like ink, a profound black hole that drew people in.

A smile tugged at the corner of her lips. The bartender placed down the polished wine glass, turned, and took out a large glass bottle from the cabinet, pouring out the white liquid inside. She said, "Selling alcohol to minors is illegal. This one's on me. Drink it and hurry home, don't keep your folks waiting."

Although the bar rarely had many customers, she wasn't so desperate as to try and solicit business from children.

"That's a real shame. I heard Senior Raven's bartending skills are excellent…"

Sighing at her words, Shi Hen didn't show much disappointment. He calmly sat down slowly in front of the bar.

"Oh? So you're that kind of customer."

Hearing the name "Raven" from the boy, the bartender's smile didn't falter, and she subtly tensed up.

While being a bar, Crow's Nest also served as one of the contact points for the underworld. Mercenaries, assassins, hunters… most of the people who came and went were dangerous individuals who treated the law as nothing.

Even though the boy in front of her appeared harmless, Raven didn't doubt for a moment that he could pull out a high-explosive grenade from his pants at any second.

Of course, as the owner of Crow's Nest bar, Raven herself was no saint.

In that world devoid of sunlight, she was a legendary mercenary who had received countless five-star reviews. Those who wanted to hire her could form a line from one side of the Earth to the other; she was truly a powerhouse in the mercenary world.

In a sense, being able to find this bar was enough proof that the boy wasn't just some ordinary nobody.

Noticing the scrutiny in the bartender's eyes, Shi Hen's expression remained unchanged. He picked up his glass, gently swirled it, and took a small sip. His brow immediately furrowed. "Senior Raven, could I switch this to milk tea? Bubble milk tea, with 30% sugar. I don't like it too sweet."

Raven: "……"

Can't you read? Do I need to smash the Crow's Nest bar sign in your face?

It seemed Crow's Nest bar did not offer milk tea service.

Regretfully putting down the milk he was holding, Shi Hen carefully sized up the bartender woman in front of him with his eyes and couldn't help but smile. "Before coming here, I'd already heard many people mention Senior Raven's reputation. But seeing is believing. I didn't expect Senior Raven to be…"

"Hm?"

Hearing the boy's deliberate pause, Raven narrowed her eyes, and the surrounding air instantly turned cold.

"So cute. Senior Raven." Unfazed by the killing intent around him, Shi Hen exclaimed with genuine admiration. "So small, just like a kitten, very cute."

Although her height of nearly 1.7 meters was definitely not short for a woman, and her curvaceous, devilish figure couldn't be concealed by a mere bartender's uniform, her face revealed a complete immaturity, like a teenage girl throwing a tantrum and running away from home.

However, it was a pity that despite her youthful appearance, Raven was a bona fide legendary mercenary.

"Brat, didn't your parents teach you any manners?"

Without a hint of shyness, Raven's face, which still held a trace of childishness, instantly became covered in frost. Her words also carried a chilling killing intent.

Swish!

As soon as she spoke, Raven instantly grabbed a fruit knife and thrust it towards the boy's throat with lightning speed.

As a mercenary accustomed to living on the edge, Raven's threats were never just empty words.

If you dare to poke the tiger's tail, you must be prepared to pay the price.

"Raven, senior, you're also cute when you're angry~"

As if prepared, Shi Hen smiled slightly. He raised his right hand and easily pinched the narrow, sharp edge of the fruit knife with just two fingers. A thin layer of white radiance flowed around his fingertips, preventing the blade from advancing further.

"Honkai Energy? It seems you know quite a bit."

Seeing the substance of the energy at the boy's fingertips at a glance, Raven was genuinely surprised.

Even in the shadowy world of the Unoccupied Territory, very few people knew about Honkai, let alone could wield Honkai Energy so skillfully.

"However, with this much power, I advise you to behave yourself."

Raven said with a light laugh, and the fruit knife in her hand was instantly covered with a dark red sheen.

Screech~

The defense Shi Hen had set up was instantly broken. The sharp blade sliced across the boy's palm, which was covered by a black fingerless glove, drawing a splash of vibrant blood. Red plum blossoms bloomed on the bar top.

"This is just a lesson for you. Next time... believe me, you won't want a next time."

Casually placing the blood-stained fruit knife aside, Raven smiled. Her youthful face showed no trace of coldness, but her words were more threatening than any blade.

Staring at the blood-soaked stain on the black glove on his palm for a long time, as if unable to comprehend why his attempt to show off had failed, Shi Hen finally sighed deeply after a while. He looked up at the legendary mercenary before him. "Raven, senior, I will remember your lesson.

However, could Raven, senior, tell me what Honkai Energy is? This is the first time I've met someone who can use the same ability as me."

As he spoke, the boy's face showed intense curiosity, like a child who had glimpsed the door to a new world, completely unfazed by the embarrassment of his failed attempt to show off.

"Huh? You really don't know?"

Raven's pupils trembled, and her surprise deepened.

If he knew nothing, how did this guy get to this point?

Honkai Energy, as its name suggests, is a special energy with extremely destructive power.

Taking a light bulb with a lifespan of 100,000 hours as an example, if it were powered by Honkai Energy, its lifespan would likely be only one hour.

But in that short hour, it could emit a thousand times the brightness it did when powered by electricity.

Terrifying, powerful, yet extremely destructive.

This is the key reason why Honkai Energy is both feared and fascinating.

Even though the human body's adaptability to Honkai Energy is stronger than that of ordinary mechanical equipment, the destructive power of this energy on the human body is still not to be underestimated.

Know that even the Schicksal organization, which currently possesses the most advanced technology for applying Honkai Energy to the human body, has very few Valkyries who can meet a good end.

Excluding those who died on the battlefield, the Schicksal Valkyries either lose control of Honkai Energy and become monsters that only know destruction, or their bodies weaken and they die of various illnesses. Less than one in a hundred can live to retirement safely.

And this is the result achieved by Schicksal selecting the best among the Valkyrie forces, coupled with the support of various advanced technologies.

For any other self-taught individual, it would be extremely fortunate not to lose their life upon their first encounter with Honkai Energy.

In the brief exchange just now, although Raven easily broke through the boy's defense, she was a legendary mercenary and one of the few powerhouses in the secret organization that coiled like a snake in the world's shadows.

It could be said that even on a global scale, Raven was one of the top experts, no less inferior to the top Valkyries of the Schicksal organization.

Moreover, although she had the upper hand in the recent confrontation, Raven could clearly sense that the boy had not used his full strength.

If it came down to a fight to the death, she wouldn't dare to speak of victory lightly.

Therefore, a bit of sparring was enough.

Without a significant enough benefit, she was unwilling to conflict with such an enemy.

It wasn't worth it; she would lose a lot of money.

Shi Hen slowly nodded at the woman's shock. "I only just obtained this power not long ago. I always thought it was an ability awakening or a spiritual energy resurgence.

But now it seems Raven, senior, has a deeper understanding of these things."

"How long?"

Raven couldn't help but ask curiously.

Shi Hen just smiled slightly.

He wasn't going to reveal his background so easily.

"Can Raven, senior, tell me about Honkai Energy?"

Shi Hen smiled and handed over a thick stack of Euros.

"Sure."

Feeling the thickness of the banknotes, Raven's mood immediately brightened.

The Crow's Nest Bar was also an information exchange, so she naturally wouldn't refuse business.

Moreover, this boy was giving her a lot.

"Listen carefully, kid. This strange energy we use is called Honkai Energy, and it's related to a disaster on Earth called [Honkai].

The accumulation of Honkai Energy leads to the occurrence of [Honkai], which in turn gives birth to monsters that have no reason and only know destruction. You must have seen them already, right?"

Since he could wield this power, the boy must have encountered events related to Honkai, Raven was extremely certain of this.

"…You mean those monsters with white shells and red stripes, right?"

Shi Hen replied after thinking for a moment.

"Their official name is Honkai Beasts," Raven corrected him. "Even now, no one understands the principles behind their creation. We only know that they are more likely to appear in areas where Honkai Energy is concentrated."

Shi Hen nodded slightly and asked, "Then… what about those zombies?"

"Those are called Meele," Raven explained. "In this world, most people turn into mindless monsters after being exposed to Honkai Energy. Only a very small number of people undergo a transformation, like us."

As she spoke, Raven opened her palm, and a cluster of dark red light gathered on it, adding a touch of mystery to the bar.

Seeing this, Shi Hen also opened his palm, channeling the energy within him to manifest a pale white light, similar to Raven's.

For a moment, the two lights shone brightly, like two stars in the night sky responding to each other, or like two hedgehogs huddling together for warmth in the cold wind.

This wasn't an overly profound skill. As long as one's body had a certain degree of adaptability to Honkai Energy, a little training would be enough to manifest and externalize it.

But for the two of them at this moment, it was a definitive proof that they were beings from the same world – a world that was more chaotic and shattered, hidden beneath the sunlight of order.

"Chosen ones… Heh~"

Staring blankly at the two clusters of Honkai Energy, which displayed different colors due to their individual aptitudes, Shi Hen couldn't help but let out a deep, mocking chuckle, his mind lost in thought.

This guy must have lost someone very important in that Honkai…

Seeing the complex expression on the young man's face, Raven couldn't help but recall her own past, feeling an inexplicable surge of emotion.

Although they gained immense power compared to ordinary people through Honkai, it also meant loss for them.

Not everyone could survive the Honkai.

It was an extraordinary talent, and also a lonely curse.

Moreover, even those with talent often faced the initial Honkai no differently than ordinary people.

Familiar surroundings turned into ruins, with countless killing monsters all around… For most people, such a scene would be a lifelong nightmare.