When Adam came to find Hua and Carole, he was a little surprised to see they had waited for him before eating breakfast.
Then again, considering Hua's personality and the disciplined environment she was raised in, it made sense. She was the type to value unity and routine—even in the midst of crisis. As for Carole, he still didn't know her well enough to say.
Once breakfast was over, Adam decided it was time to bring up something important—the signs of a possible military force nearby.
During his excursion yesterday, he hadn't seen anything directly, but he had heard things. Distant gunfire. Muffled explosions. Echoes of shouting carried faintly on the wind. A battle was happening—not just a skirmish, but a full engagement.
And that alone told him enough.
Only an organized force like Fire Moth would be capable of entering and engaging in this Honkai-infested zone. The possibility of a local military unit was slim to none. The region had been marked for abandonment the moment Honkai invaded, and no ordinary force would dare enter this deep.
When Adam shared his theory, both girls lit up. Excitement and relief shimmered in their eyes, like the first rays of light after a long night.
"So, Adam bro… will you go and find them?" Carole asked, eager but hopeful.
Adam blinked, briefly caught off guard.
Bro?
He almost chuckled. Technically, he was nearly twice her age. Where he came from, most kids would've called him uncle by now. Then again, given his youthful new appearance… maybe it made sense.
He nodded, offering her a reassuring smile. "Of course."
"Then—"
"Don't worry," he said gently, cutting her off before she could finish. "I wouldn't abandon the two of you."
Carole nodded, though a flicker of guilt passed through her expression.
He understood.
In times like these, people prioritized survival. It wasn't heartlessness—just cold realism. Carole likely expected him to walk away. She'd probably seen people do it before.
Still… it stung a little.
Even if he rationalized it, hearing it out loud felt like a subtle accusation. As if everything he had done so far still wasn't enough to earn trust.
He gave a faint, wry smile and shifted his gaze toward Hua. She had been quiet through the conversation, watching and listening.
Adam found himself weighing options.
If he went alone, he could move faster and find the Fire Moth soldiers to rescue the two. Bringing Carole along would speed up the overall rescue—but in combat, she'd be a liability. Someone would need to protect her. That someone would be Hua.
And that was the problem.
Carole's condition had worsened. Adam had noticed it this morning—the purplish veins creeping further up her arm, spreading from where she was injured.
The fact she was even alive after being attacked spoke volumes. She had resistance to Honkai infection—but not much. The environment was thick with Honkai particles, accelerating the corruption. What had been confined to her forearm was now reaching up her shoulder.
At most, she had three more days.
If they didn't get her out by then, the infection would consume her entirely.
That settled it.
Rescuing Carole was the priority. And time was not on their side.
---
Once the decision was made, Hua and Carole packed only what they absolutely needed. Only the essentials. No sentimentality. They moved efficiently—there was no time to waste.
Adam handed over his bicycle to them. Hua would ride while Carole sat on the back, making travel quicker for both of them.
Before they left, Adam moved ahead of the group. He turned on his phone and set it to blast loud music—luring the nearby horde away with rhythmic noise. Then, using the Hell Butterfly's help, he doubled back and rejoined the group undetected.
With everything in place, they finally departed.
Not just from the dorm.
But from the fragile illusion of normalcy they had clung to.
This wasn't just a journey to find safety. It was a departure from the past—a step into a world where mundane comfort had ended, and the survival against Honkai began.
---
"Woah! I didn't know you were this strong, Adam bro!" Carole cheered from her seat on the bike, her voice light despite their situation.
Hua, pedaling steadily with a neutral face, gave her a sideways glance. "Carole…"
"Oops. Sorry." Carole covered her mouth, but her eyes betrayed her amusement.
Adam, walking several paces ahead, didn't react. His attention was split between scanning their surroundings and listening to the Hell Butterfly feeding him live recon from above.
He wasn't planning to wander around and hope to stumble across the Fire Moth's soldiers.
With the butterfly's help, he had already pinpointed them.
A few kilometers ahead—near the area where he had fought the Archangels yesterday—a squad of soldiers was holding the line. The problem? The noise of battle had drawn in a massive number of Honkai Beasts and zombies. The area had become a meat grinder.
Adam could get there easily enough.
But Hua and Carole?
They wouldn't last five minutes in that chaos.
"Haah… Why am I still hesitating?" he muttered to himself, eyes scanning the horizon.
"Adam?" Hua called quietly, noticing him frozen in place for a moment.
"Huh?" He blinked, snapping out of his thoughts. "Oh, it's nothing. I just… wanted to warn you. There's danger ahead."
He turned to them and pointed toward the distant columns of smoke.
"I heard sounds of battle. Loud, frequent. Gunfire. Roars. We're close—but it's not safe to approach just yet."
Hua tilted her head slightly and closed her eyes, listening.
At first, there was nothing.
Then, faintly—like whispers through fog—she heard it. Metallic clashes. Echoing gunshots. The low, inhuman growl of beasts.
Even for someone with a trained body and sharp senses like hers, the sounds were faint. But unmistakable.
"Should we wait? Find shelter first?" she asked with concern while sneaking glance at Carole.
Adam nodded after a short pause. It was the right call.
Most of the infected had been drawn to the battle—but not all. Some stragglers still roamed nearby. Waiting blind could be suicidal.
"Yes. Let's hide for now," he agreed, eyes already scanning the area for cover. "We'll wait for the right moment to move."
Adam spotted a collapsed office building nearby—its structure partially intact, shielded by the rubble of a nearby fallen tower. It would make for a decent hiding spot with a clear vantage point over the road ahead.
"This way," he said, leading them in.
Hua parked the bicycle behind a pile of debris while Carole dismounted, breathing heavier than before, her injured arm clutched tightly to her chest. Adam's gaze lingered on the darkening veins creeping up her skin—spreading like a curse—but he said nothing. Not yet.
They slipped inside through a shattered window, careful not to disturb the loose glass. The air was thick with dust and rot, but it offered something precious: silence. A fragile pocket of safety.
On the second floor, Adam crouched beside a broken window frame. Smoke curled into the sky like dark fingers. Gunfire cracked in the distance, and explosions thudded through the earth.
His Hell Butterfly returned.
It landed lightly on his shoulder, wings pulsing softly—delivering everything it had seen into Adam's mind.
His breath caught.
Dozens of Honkai beasts surrounded a small squad of Fire Moth soldiers. Their line was faltering. Two were already incapacitated, a third dragging one of them while spraying suppressive fire. Too many enemies. Too coordinated. The battlefield was on the verge of becoming a slaughterhouse.
And leading the horde—floating above them like a predator—was a Honkai Imperator, its fin-like blades orbiting it with malicious grace.
Locked in combat with it was a woman with blazing crimson hair tied into a ponytail, wielding a greatsword with ferocity.
Himeko.
"…No," Adam whispered.
His fingers curled into the window frame. Shards of glass bit into his palm, but he didn't feel the pain.
He could see it—clear as day. They were losing. Even Himeko was bleeding from multiple wounds, her movements slowing.
Why?
Why were they losing?
Himeko was supposed to save Hua. She was meant to survive this battle and rise to command in Australia. That was the story. That was the future.
Unless…
His presence had changed it.
No!
If Himeko died here, Hua would too.
The future would collapse into chaos.
A cold wave passed through his chest—not anger, but fear. Not for himself, but for what came next. For everything that might never happen.
Behind him, the quiet breaths of Carole and Hua reminded him of the ticking clock. Carole's infection was worsening by the hour. And their only salvation…
Was slipping away.
"They're losing," he said, voice low and hollow.
Carole's eyes widened. "W-What?"
"The Fire Moth soldiers. They're being pushed back. They won't last much longer."
A heavy silence fell.
Hua closed her eyes, steadying herself. Carole trembled.
"Then… we have to go now, right?" Carole asked. "Before it's too late?"
Adam didn't respond immediately.
He looked down at his hand. Blood seeped from where glass had embedded itself into his flesh. He hadn't even noticed. That was how tightly he had gripped the frame.
"…No," he said finally, voice calmer now. "You two stay here. I'll go alone."
He rose and walked to the far side of the room, his silhouette bathed in the fading light.
Neither Hua nor Carole spoke. They just watched him go, eyes heavy with emotions they couldn't voice.
His mind was already moving—calculating, analyzing, preparing.
There was no more room for hesitation.
*Ding!*
[Task Triggered]
Objective: Aid Himeko and her team to turn the tide against the Honkai Imperator and ensure their survival. Rescue Hua and Carole from Sapphire City.
Difficulty: S
Reward: ??? (Completion rate determines outcome.)
—————
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