Starting as a Behind-the-Scenes Boss in the Honkai World Chapter 7

On the other side, far from the coast and crowds, Shi Hen was floating face down on the sea, playing the part of a corpse.

Having accepted the Void Herrscher Core as a quest reward, Shi Hen, now a Herrscher himself, had transcended the human realm in terms of life. He naturally had no need to worry about drowning or fatigue.

Above him was the warm sun, and below him was the swaying sea. Caught between them, there was a unique feeling.

The clamor of human voices gradually faded, leaving only the singing of the waves in his ears. It felt as if he was the only one between heaven and earth.

Shi Hen loved this feeling of freedom.

He still clearly remembered how terrified and panicked he had been when he first arrived in this world over half a year ago.

Upon arrival, he had immediately encountered a medium-sized Honkai outbreak that affected several city blocks. Honkai Beasts with immense destructive power and cruel, bloodthirsty Meele were everywhere.

Thinking back now, his survival back then was truly a stroke of luck.

Facing Honkai Beasts and Meele, even fully armed soldiers might not have survived, let alone an unarmed civilian.

Although the white-haired members of the Kaslana family were adept at using baseball bats to hunt Honkai Beasts, in reality... even the Chariot-class Honkai Beasts, considered mere cannon fodder, could only be effectively damaged by heavy machine guns.

After miraculously surviving that disaster, Shi Hen received his first quest reward – a natural Stigmata.

From then on, Shi Hen truly gained the ability to survive in this Honkai World.

And now, having obtained the Void Herrscher Core and possessing Herrscher-level power, Shi Hen had already begun to enter the ranks of the world's top powerhouses.

Next, it remained to be seen how many more surprises the system, which didn't even have a name, would give him.

Closing his eyes and basking in the sun, Shi Hen was full of anticipation for the future.

Gulp, gulp~

An unusual sound mixed with the sound of the waves.

Was someone drowning?

Opening his eyes and following the sound, Shi Hen saw someone struggling about twenty to thirty meters away, their head bobbing in and out of the water.

After observing for a few seconds, Shi Hen's gaze shifted to the lifeguard chair on the shore.

Although the straight-line distance between them was nearly fifty meters, the lifeguard girl with exceptional eyesight quickly spotted the drowning person.

Biting down on the half-eaten ice cream, the white-haired girl leaped from the lifeguard chair, her figure swiftly crossing the sand and diving into the sea.

Her arms moved rhythmically, and the girl swam through the waves like a fish, leaving a beautiful white wake on the water's surface.

Her posture was quite good.

After admiring the girl's swimming for a while, Shi Hen began to swim towards the drowning person at a relatively normal speed.

It would have seemed too forced to approach her earlier, but now was a good opportunity.

Being closer, Shi Hen reached the drowning person before the lifeguard girl.

The moment they made contact, Shi Hen was pulled down into the seawater by the other person, with several hands and feet flailing around him. Two soft masses also instantly pressed against his chest.

The drowning person was a buxom older sister.

Moreover... looking underwater, through the surging waves, Shi Hen could clearly see a red and white beast, almost like an octopus in shape and size, coiling around the drowning woman's ankle with its tentacles.

A stray Honkai Beast?

After being surprised for a full half-second, Shi Hen flicked his fingers, and this Honkai Beast, which had lost its companions and was still underdeveloped, instantly turned into dust and dissipated.

Immediately after, Shi Hen formed his palm into a blade and lightly struck the neck of the drowning woman, who was still tightly gripping him. The woman instantly went quiet.

Grabbing the drowning woman's arm with one hand, Shi Hen swam towards the shore with his other hand.

He wasn't like those Valkyries from Schicksal who took saving the world as their mission, and he didn't care about the reason for the Honkai Beast's appearance here.

Not long after swimming, the lifeguard girl, who had finally caught up, looked at Shi Hen with surprise before reaching out to grab the drowning person.

"You've worked hard, leave the rest to me," the girl said, her voice clear and pleasant.

Looking at the girl up close, Shi Hen found her even more stunning than from a distance. Her snow-white long hair and delicate, three-dimensional features were so beautiful that she could play a princess wearing a crown without any problem, even though she was wearing an unappealing lifeguard uniform.

Without a word, Shi Hen simply let go.

He was just a kind-hearted ordinary person now. Tasks like rescuing drowning people should be left to the professional lifeguard before him.

Dragging the drowning person back, the girl's movements were indeed much more professional than Shi Hen's, keeping the drowning woman's head above water while not significantly slowing her own swimming speed.

The distance of tens of meters quickly closed, and before long, the girl returned to shore with the drowning woman.

Laying the drowning woman down on the beach, the white-haired girl pressed down on her chest with both hands, but unexpectedly found that the person hadn't swallowed much seawater.

Wasn't she unconscious from drowning?

The white-haired girl's mind instantly froze, feeling like her first aid knowledge wasn't quite up to par.

Oh no, will I get docked pay?

And what should she do next...

Looking at the drowning woman's slightly pale lips, the white-haired girl hesitated whether to give her artificial respiration.

"Cough, cough..."

Stimulated by a certain white-haired fluffball, the drowning victim, who was already in decent condition, suddenly woke up from her faint. Her pair of brown eyes scanned her surroundings listlessly, clearly not yet fully grasping what had happened.

"Let me help you to rest."

Seeing the other person awaken, the lifeguard girl immediately forgot about the mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. She slipped an arm under the woman's armpit and helped her towards the temporary first-aid station. At the same time, she glanced back at Shi Hen, "Thanks a lot just now, otherwise the situation would have been dire."

Being choked to the point of unconsciousness, she couldn't guarantee she could have saved the person if it had been a few minutes later, so Shi Hen's timely rescue was quite important.

Of course, if the girl knew that the drowning victim's unconsciousness was entirely Shi Hen's doing, her mood might have been completely different from what it was now.

"It's nothing, I just did a small deed within my capabilities."

Looking at the girl's delicate and beautiful face, Shi Hen pursed his lips, maintaining his humble persona.

"Sigh, many people don't have this kind of courage." Waving her hand, the girl acted as if she had seen it all. "However, I didn't expect your swimming skills to be quite good."

Not everyone had the ability to save someone in the water.

Sizing up the boy's slender yet strong physique for a few moments, the girl subconsciously licked her lips.

Up close, he seemed even more handsome, and his physique was quite good. She really wanted to...

"It's alright."

Feeling a bit creeped out by the girl's gaze, Shi Hen couldn't help but take a few steps back, using the drowning woman to block her line of sight.

He was supposed to be the hunter, so why did he feel more like the prey?

A sense of inexplicable feeling arose in Shi Hen's heart.

As they talked, the few of them had already arrived at the temporary first-aid station.

After helping the drowning victim into the tent and handing her over to other medical personnel, the white-haired girl casually took an ice cream from a small refrigerator and threw it to Shi Hen: "Here, for you. Consider it a reward for your bravery.

I don't have much money, so don't mind it."

As an ordinary worker, the only privilege she had on the beach was getting free ice cream.

Shaking his head, Shi Hen tore open the ice cream's wrapper. Inside was a red rectangular block.

Taking a light bite, the sweetness of strawberry mixed with the coolness bloomed in his mouth. A smile spread across the boy's face: "It's very sweet, I like it a lot."

In an instant, the girl felt her heart being fiercely struck by a colorful little deer.

"By the way, my name is Kiana, Kiana Kaslana. I'll treat you to a meal after I get off work, how about it?"

The girl smiled and extended the invitation, her pearly white teeth shining brightly in the sun.

As if by fate, the great hero who saved the world and the great boss who would destroy the world met at this moment.

Chapter Seven Classic Trope

The sunset by the sea was indeed beautiful.

Having lost its dazzling brilliance, the sun turned a fiery red, like a salted egg yolk sinking into the sea. Even the clouds in the sky were illuminated and dyed red.

Sitting on a large reef in a "thinker" pose, Shi Hen earnestly admired the unchanging scenery of this world that had existed for thousands of years.

"Who first saw the moon by the river? When did the river moon first shine on people?"

As long as the heart is joyful, why should one care if the scene is common?

Shi Hen quietly contemplated life.

But unfortunately, there were always people who didn't want him to be quiet.

"Hey~ handsome, all alone? Wanna hang out tonight?"

With his good looks and that sunny, fresh aura, people would occasionally come up to bother him. Even the drowning victim he saved during the day came with her friends to ask for his contact information, showing a clear intention to "eat young grass."

It had to be said that everyone here was quite open-minded.

And for these people, Shi Hen's answer was always the same:

"No."

Heh, women only affect the speed at which he draws his sword.

A round sun soon sank below the sea, and the last ray of light disappeared into the horizon. A somewhat familiar voice sounded behind the boy:

"Hey, handsome, wanna hang out?"

"Sure."

He answered without hesitation and turned around to look at the smiling girl.

Her shoulder-length silver-white hair was tied into a ponytail. A slightly faded T-shirt covered her developing, graceful figure, while a pair of denim shorts revealed the girl's fair, slender legs. Her ten toes, like pearls, were tucked shyly into her sandals.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

Hiding one foot behind her and tapping the ground restlessly, Kiana offered an apologetic smile.

"The sunset by the sea is very beautiful."

Shi Hen also smiled.

He was very patient with Kiana, a Herrscher who could provide him with a better sword.

"Hehe~"

Her gaze flickered to the sky behind the boy, and the girl's already not-so-bright smile grew even sillier.

"Let's go, it's getting dark."

Shi Hen leaped off the reef.

"Mhm." Kiana nodded, a hint of confusion appearing on her face as she saw the boy's swift movements. "Your hand... is it okay?"

"Ah, you mean this?" Shi Hen raised his right hand, which was wrapped in bandages, his expression suddenly turning somber. "My right hand seals an incredibly evil power. Once unleashed, it could easily destroy all of Sicily, so..."

The external pattern of the Stigmata rewarded by the mission was on his right hand. It would be too unusual to wear gloves while playing on the beach, so Shi Hen could only choose this method to conceal it.

Although most people probably wouldn't recognize a Stigmata, if someone knowledgeable saw it, it would still cause trouble.

He didn't want to be bothered by insignificant pests all the time.

Hearing Shi Hen's words, Kiana was greatly shocked. "That's amazing!"

"Uh..." Shi Hen felt a pang of guilt seeing the girl's astonished expression. After thinking for a moment, he finally spoke, "Actually, I was lying to you."

"Eh!?"

Kiana blinked, even more surprised, a strand of her hair standing on end.

"I just thought it would be cool."

Shi Hen said "honestly."

"Ahhh!?"

Kiana was completely stunned.

Seeing the girl's utterly flustered expression, Shi Hen instinctively looked away.

From now on, he should try not to lie to this white-haired fluffball.

Shi Hen made a silent resolution.