Starting as a Behind-the-Scenes Boss in the Honkai World Chapter 3

If the organization truly mastered the method of resurrecting the dead, they would have ruled the world long ago.

After three seconds of silence, Gray Serpent continued, "Everything has its price."

Can't you just say you can't do it?

Silently rolling her eyes in her heart, Shi Hen said slowly, "Mr. Gray Serpent, have you heard of the Moon's Eye Project?"

"Moon's Eye? What's that?"

Gray Serpent asked in confusion.

Although their World Serpent's plan was also related to the moon, it had nothing to do with eyes.

"It's nothing, I was just asking."

Shi Hen shook his head in disappointment.

Although they were both old foxes who had lived for a long time, Mr. Gray Serpent was clearly not as honest as that guy from that ninja anime. The other party wouldn't even mention the Stigmata Project to him.

"In that case, I'll agree to join the [Serpent]."

Without pursuing the matter, Shi Hen pondered for a moment and nodded.

"I promise you, Mr. Shi Hen, you will never regret this choice in the future."

Upon receiving the boy's reply, Gray Serpent couldn't help but chuckle softly.

If it weren't for maintaining the organization's prestige, he would have invited the other party to join the World Serpent long ago, and wouldn't have had to wait until now.

"Wait, aren't you guys going to ask for my opinion?" While the two of them reached an agreement, Raven on the other side was unhappy. "Regardless, I was in charge of Shi Hen's assessment, wasn't I?"

Besides, she was one of the World Serpent's executives. She should have the right to express her opinion, shouldn't she?

"Oh? Do you have a different opinion?"

Gray Serpent said coldly.

He had originally hoped that Raven would guide Shi Hen to join the World Serpent, but she seemed to have completely ignored this. She even seemed to be pushing the boy away.

As an executive of the World Serpent, is this what you should be doing?

If it weren't for Raven working diligently for the World Serpent organization for so many years, he would have asked her if she was thinking of switching jobs.

Of course, I object to Shi Hen joining the World Serpent... Although she really wanted to say that, looking at Gray Serpent's cold eyes on the screen, Raven swallowed those words back with all her heart.

Raven didn't want someone like Shi Hen to fall into the darkness of the World Serpent, but she couldn't find any other solution for the moment.

Once they entered the Serpent's sight, no one could escape unscathed!

As for the only two organizations in the world that could contend with the World Serpent—Schicksal and Anti-Entropy—they weren't exactly clean either.

There was never a truly bright place in this world!

"The organization needs true elites. I need to test Shi Hen's abilities."

After a long period of contemplation, Raven said calmly.

If Shi Hen joining the World Serpent was an unchangeable fact, then she at least needed the power to control the development of the situation.

"Okay." Before Gray Serpent could say anything else, Shi Hen responded first, a bright smile on his face. "I definitely won't disappoint Natasha."

Although he didn't know why Raven was so resistant to him joining the World Serpent, Shi Hen wasn't afraid of any challenge.

Meeting the boy's confident gaze, Raven subconsciously averted her eyes, took out a storage device from under the counter, and threw it in front of Shi Hen. "This is your target for this time. Come back to Crow's Nest in three days, and I'll take you there personally."

"I understand." Shi Hen nodded lightly. "Then, I'll see you in three days, Natasha, Mr. Gray Serpent."

As he spoke, the boy finished the remaining half of his milk in one gulp, then got up and walked out, pushing open the bar door and disappearing into the night.

Chapter Three: The Sin of Pride of the Seven Thunders of Sin's Purge

After the boy left and only Raven remained in the bar, Gray Serpent's red electronic eyes on the screen flickered slightly. "Raven, I want a reasonable explanation."

Although he had entrusted the task of assessing Shi Hen to Raven, his personal appearance here meant that Raven's mission had failed.

This once distinguished World Serpent executive, one of the organization's best warriors, had clearly not taken the organization's mission to heart, and had even tried to reject the talent he valued.

Moreover, in a sense, when he appeared before Shi Hen, the boy had already qualified to join the World Serpent, just like how he had personally brought Raven back from Siberia back then.

Otherwise, as the actual person in charge of the World Serpent organization, did he really have nothing better to do than to care about a member's shop-opening game?

As for the other assessment procedures, they were just formalities to enhance the organization's prestige.

"He's not suitable for the [Serpent]." Staring at Gray Serpent on the screen, Raven showed no intention of backing down. "He has no darkness in his heart; he's not one of us."

She didn't want someone like Shi Hen to fall into the darkness of the World Serpent.

"He will adapt." Gray Serpent said coldly. "In the face of the Honkai threat, humanity in this world has no light at all."

Having survived since the Moth to Fire era 50,000 years ago, Gray Serpent knew better than any human how fragile the so-called light and order were.

When the Honkai descended completely, all order would be nothing more than bubbles in the sunlight.

And in that endless darkness and despair, only the World Serpent was the only way to save humanity.

Hearing Gray Serpent's words, Raven couldn't help but fall silent. After a long while, she slowly said, "For the first three months after Shi Hen joins the organization, he must be under my command."

Unable to stop it, she at least needed to teach the boy how to survive in a dark world.

Since I couldn't give him a world bathed in sunlight, I'll light a small lamp to illuminate this little corner of the world.

"You may," Gray Serpent nodded without refusing. "But I hope you won't forget, he ultimately belongs to the Serpent."

As long as a powerful combatant could be reaped in the end, Gray Serpent didn't mind showing a bit more leniency to the other party.

Or rather, the reason he had Raven in charge of Shi Hen's assessment was precisely because he had such intentions.

From the moment he first saw the young man, he had determined that the boy would get along well with Raven, and the reality had not exceeded his expectations.

In fact, the two got along a little too well, to the point where Raven even developed some inappropriate thoughts.

But that was fine; people with weaknesses were easier to control.

After ending her communication with Gray Serpent, Raven stared blankly at the blood-stained fruit knife on the bar counter.

A newcomer, male, with extraordinary control over Honkai Energy... this was truly a little monster.

In this world where Honkai existed, women's adaptability to Honkai Energy was generally higher than men's.

And clearly, Shi Hen had broken this universal law of the world.

If nothing unexpected happened, the young man must possess a treasure that drove countless people to madness—a Natural Stigmata.

If Honkai Energy adaptability were considered a talent, then people with such talent were likely one in a million. The vast majority would turn into mindless monsters—Meele—after even a small amount of exposure to Honkai Energy.

And among these already few individuals, most had only average Honkai Energy adaptability, belonging to the type that had some ability but not much.

With such layered screening, one could ultimately obtain a rarity that might not even appear once in a million people—a Natural Stigmata Awakener.

With terrifyingly high Honkai Energy adaptability and all sorts of incomprehensible, terrifying abilities... Natural Stigmata Awakeners were almost synonymous with the strong from birth.

For example, Dracula, the vampire who left countless legends in medieval Europe; King Arthur, who was almost on par with mythical figures in England; Jilin, who expelled all the Honkai from the Divine Land single-handedly five thousand years ago... even after countless years, the brilliance of Natural Stigmata Awakeners never faded.

Judging by Shi Hen's common-sense-defying performances, the young man undoubtedly possessed a Natural Stigmata, and its level of development was not low.

Although she hadn't seen the external pattern of the Natural Stigmata on the young man, the essence of a Stigmata was actually a string of special genes. As long as the blood on the fruit knife was sent for testing, the secrets on the boy would have no room to hide.

This little fellow was, after all, too young.

Sighing inwardly, Raven turned on the faucet and washed the fruit knife clean, letting the precious blood that could serve as evidence be flushed down the drain.

She wasn't interested in prying into others' secrets.

Moreover, compared to secretly peeping, she preferred for the other party to confess everything voluntarily.

Three days later, on the outskirts of an industrial park in a certain city in Northern Europe.

On the rooftop of a thirty-three-story building, the cold night wind howled, whipping the hems of two figures' clothes.

"See? That's your target for today."

Pointing to the brightly lit industrial park ahead, Raven said to the young man.

"The Mafia Organization, Blood Axe."

Looking at the industrial park, Shi Hen narrowed his eyes slightly.

Although it looked like an ordinary industrial park on the surface, if one looked closely, they would notice that the guard patrol routes were quite strict, and faint glints of light would occasionally appear in the dark corners—those were hidden sentries.

After all, they were a Mafia Organization that the World Serpent considered prey, so they had some skills, though not many.

"Do you have confidence?"

Raven asked.

"You should ask if they can take a beating."

Shi Hen grinned.

Seeing the young man's confidence, Raven raised an eyebrow but didn't question it.

To be honest, comparing a Mafia Organization in the conventional sense to a Natural Stigmata Awakener was a bit of bullying.

A fully grown Stigmata Awakener could contend with an army of ten thousand on their own, and not just any army, but the elite of a first-rate country.

Even if the young man's development of his own Stigmata wasn't complete, it wasn't something a Mafia Organization could contend with.

It was like a max-level player slaughtering the beginner village.

"Remember the objective of this mission, don't let the prey escape."

Raven reminded him after thinking for a moment.

She wasn't worried about the young man's safety, but the mission objective wasn't foolish enough to confront an unbeatable enemy head-on.

"I know."

Facing the senior's earnest teachings, Shi Hen certainly wouldn't argue.

As a newbie about to join the World Serpent, he should still behave obediently.

His gaze swept over the industrial park repeatedly, and Shi Hen outlined several different infiltration routes in his mind.

Although he couldn't observe much from this position due to the distance and angle, combined with the information Raven provided, it was enough for him to formulate a complete action plan.

Watching the young man think earnestly, Raven remained quiet and didn't disturb him. Only after he finally looked away did she speak, "Here, try this."

As she spoke, Raven lifted a long, silver case and opened it, revealing a uniquely designed black sniper rifle inside.

Unlike the renowned, industrially beautiful Barrett, this sniper rifle had more bio-mimicking structures. Its narrow barrel resembled the mouthparts of some alien monster, giving off a strange and dangerous aura.

"What is this? I don't even know how to use a sniper rifle."

Though intimately familiar with the weapon's capabilities, Shi Hen's face displayed a perfectly feigned look of confusion.

As a newbie who had only recently stepped into the world of Honkai, he wasn't supposed to know about such things.

"Seven Thunders of Sin's Purge. It's considered a secret weapon of the organization," Raven explained simply. "It's said to have seven forms, and the sniper rifle is just one of them. You can get acquainted with it for now."

"Hm?"

Shi Hen was genuinely surprised at this.

Although Raven appeared relaxed, as if the sniper rifle were just an ordinary piece of high-end equipment, the Seven Thunders of Sin's Purge was actually the World Serpent's top-tier weapon.

Just as the Black Abyss White Flower was to Schicksal, and the Star of Eden to Anti-Entropy, the Seven Thunders of Sin's Purge was one of the World Serpent's most treasured assets.

A god-killing weapon crafted from a Herrscher core was an exceptionally rare and precious treasure in any organization.

After all, excluding the Herrscher of Finality, who symbolized destruction and endings, a civilization's epoch could only produce twelve Herrschers in total. The Tenth Herrscher, capable of splitting into a thousand individuals, could arguably be considered as one entity.

According to the usual procedure, Shi Hen would have had to pass trials to join the World Serpent, and after three years followed by another three, earning countless merits and being promoted to a cadre, he might have had a chance to gain the right to use this weapon.

But now, Raven was handing the Seven Thunders of Sin's Purge directly to him?

Had his hidden potential been discovered?

He marveled inwardly, but seeing that Raven had no intention of elaborating, Shi Hen didn't hesitate and reached out to take the Seven Thunders of Sin's Purge.

With such a newcomer benefit presented to him, why would he refuse?

"Focus your mind and transmit your thoughts to it," Raven said, a faint smile curving her lips as she saw him do so. "The body of the Seven Thunders of Sin's Purge is made of Soul Steel, a special alloy that can change based on the user's intentions."