Honkai, why do you only throw me into high-level battles?

Chapter 33: That Despicable Man



After Rin left, a head popped out from the now silent sea of memories.

Lin Wei looked around furtively, confirming she was truly gone, then climbed out, stretching and muttering.

"Overdid the dramatic act a bit. I had a question I wanted to ask her…"

He rubbed his chin.

"I really wanted to know if most people in the Previous Era had blue eyes."

It had been bugging him.

He'd been so focused on surviving, but now that the biggest hurdle was cleared, his curiosity resurfaced.

He counted the characters he remembered. Kiana, Kallen, Theresa—all Kaslanas, so they didn't count. Durandal's appearance was altered, so she was out too.

Cecilia, Rozaliya and Liliya, Seele, Yae Sakura, Rin, Shigure Kira, Einstein, Fu Hua…

So many Honkai women, half with blue eyes.

And Kevin. Almost forgot him.

Especially you, Fu Hua!

With those blue eyes, you dare call yourself a Shenzhou native?

What's the deal with those eyes?

But Fu Hua was from the Previous Era…

So, a high percentage of blue eyes back then too!

No need to ask, then.

Speaking of which…

He only had ordinary black eyes. Did he not fit in with this crowd?

Should he wear colored contacts?

Nah…

Whatever. This was him. Take it or leave it.

His random thoughts eased his pent-up stress.

How had a coward like him made it this far?

It had been so difficult. Good job, self. Never again.

If he'd had a choice, he would never have faced a Herrscher head-on.

This wasn't something a normal person did!

Survival was a struggle. He sighed.

Thankfully, the hardest part was over.

Rin should be fine.

He'd been monitoring her closely. From her initial despair and rage, to her furious retaliation, to her gradual calming down after being thwarted, he'd been slowly guiding her towards rationality.

Then, he'd connected with her on a deeper level, using their shared experiences to awaken her empathy.

Her rationality and empathy were returning, her human emotions resurfacing. But it was fragile, she could easily relapse into her destructive Herrscher state.

So, he'd delivered the final blow, the finishing touch—a spark of "Hope."

Rin's personality framework was restored. The rest was up to time.

"But there's one problem."

"I played her, manipulated her, and she's definitely pissed. Once she calms down, she'll come looking for me…"

"Better redirect that anger. Fu Hua's right outside. Take it up with her. I'm sleeping, don't disturb me."

"She's like a child. Let her throw a tantrum, get it out of her system, then she'll sleep it off and be a good girl again."

Wait, this felt… villainous. Selling someone out and expecting them to thank him?

Lin Wei's smile turned strange. He replayed his Oscar-worthy performance, feeling a twinge of guilt.

"Well, the mood was right. Besides, Fu Hua's tough. She can handle it. I'm too fragile for these kinds of storms!"

"You're welcome to borrow my body. Don't mention it. It's the least I can do."

"Tsk, am I taking advantage of Fu Hua too much? I'm practically shearing her bald."

He condemned his own shamelessness, rubbing his hands together gleefully.

Then, his expression turned serious as he recalled his "something-for-nothing" plan, wincing.

"I think I went a bit overboard with the planning."

He'd been so paranoid about something going wrong, he'd created backup plans for his backup plans, ensuring every possible scenario was covered.

Except for the unavoidable confrontation with the Herrscher in the mindscape, he'd considered everything.

Even if he couldn't control the Herrscher, he'd planned to involve World Serpent and dump her in the Elysian Realm.

He'd even considered the possibility of Gray Serpent being unable to make the decision, and had audaciously targeted Kevin.

"Hello, Mr. Kevin? I found a lost child of yours… Who? Oh, the Herrscher of Corruption who blew up your hometown and got grounded for fifty thousand years, yes… Mr. Kevin, please calm down… She's stable now, but she doesn't want to talk to you. How about I give her the phone?"

That was his thought process, his contingency plan. He'd been desperate, alone, expecting the worst.

He was dying, he didn't have the luxury of being subtle. Survival first!

"But it seems I overprepared…"

He had a headache. He'd performed too well, exceeding his own expectations, achieving a flawless victory.

He'd placed himself directly in World Serpent's crosshairs. That was a problem.

"Oh well, one step at a time."

Worrying wouldn't change anything.

He'd already made his bed. No use crying over spilled milk.

Besides…

"I promised to send her home. A man has to keep his word…"

Rin had suffered enough. He couldn't bring himself to hurt her further.

She was just one insignificant life, but to her, it was her entire world.

He'd used her, so he should try to protect her…

Tsk. Playing the hero now?

Look in the mirror, Lin Wei. You worthy?

But a man had to have some principles, right?

"Yawn… I'm too tired to think…"

Exhaustion washed over him, a powerful urge to sleep consuming him.

"This is probably the safest I've been since I arrived in this world."

He had a Herrscher and Fu Hua guarding him. If this wasn't safe, then the world was truly a dangerous place.

They might be fighting now, but if anyone threatened him, they'd turn on the enemy in an instant.

He was confident of that.

"Tsk, even using this to my advantage. I'm becoming more despicable by the day."

"...So tired… Can't think… Whatever…"

He mumbled, then collapsed into the stream of memories, disappearing without a trace.

"I said, let me go!"

Rin, controlling Lin Wei's body, glared at the calmly seated Fu Hua.

She couldn't do anything else.

Fu Hua had tied her up and thrown her onto the bed. To prevent her from struggling and damaging Lin Wei's fragile body, she'd bound her limbs behind her back, leaving her Lying down on the bed, her face turned to the side, only one eye visible, burning with rage.

The bed was comfortable. Fu Hua had added extra bedding before dumping her on it.

But Rin wasn't appreciating it.

She'd been played by Lin Wei again.

This useless, weak, fragile body!

Stiff limbs, slow reflexes…

Even Honkai energy couldn't strengthen it!

Garbage!

She wanted to strangle Lin Wei, but he was nowhere to be found, probably sleeping somewhere.

That bastard!

She seethed, trapped and powerless. She couldn't defeat Fu Hua, couldn't escape.

This was infuriating!

Fu Hua observed her closely, sensing her every emotional fluctuation, every thought.

She'd initially been alarmed, thinking something had gone wrong with Lin Wei. But she didn't think he'd fail so easily. She'd restrained the Herrscher, intending to offer Lin Wei assistance in the mindscape.

She couldn't offer much. Her own body and mind were weakened, barely able to withstand the strain of using her Divine Key.

But she felt obligated to help her new friend.

The fight had been both stressful and underwhelming.

Stressful, because Lin Wei's body was the most fragile she'd ever encountered.

He was taller than her, but she felt like she could blow him away with a single breath.

Fighting him meant walking on eggshells.

What a mess…

If Kiana and the others saw her struggling against this, they'd never let her live it down. They'd mock her relentlessly…

She remembered the "stories" of the future from Lin Wei's memories. She shook her head, dismissing them.

They were meaningless.

And as for underwhelming…

She sighed inwardly.

Was this really a Herrscher? So easily subdued? Something felt wrong.

Oh, right, she was using Lin Wei's body. Never mind.

She'd barely used any force, just nudged, pushed, pulled, and tripped the Herrscher a few times. The rest of the time, she'd been dodging slow, weak attacks. Then, after another trip, the Herrscher had collapsed, gasping for breath, unable to move.

She'd cautiously approached, tied her up, and placed her on the bed.

The fight had begun and ended in confusion…

It had been too easy, almost insulting.

If it weren't for the Herrscher-level aura, the palpable malice, and the burst of Honkai energy when she'd first taken control of Lin Wei's body, she would have doubted she was facing a real Herrscher.

She would have thought she was going insane.

And she could sense the Herrscher's malice fading during the fight, like a dwindling water source.

Had Lin Wei done something?

Lost in thought, she decided to try communicating with the Herrscher.

"Did you hear me, Hua? Let me go!"

Rin's anger intensified as Fu Hua ignored her. She struggled against the restraints.

She could unleash the Honkai energy within the Stigmata, but that would destroy Lin Wei's body.

She couldn't bring herself to do that.

Damn it, she'd lost again!

She glared at Fu Hua, then closed her eyes, retreating into the mindscape.

I'm done with this!

Fu Hua sensed the shift, surprised by how easily things had gone.

She hadn't managed to speak to the Herrscher, but she wasn't worried. Lin Wei would explain everything when he woke up.

And she could see Rin's intense dislike for her, or rather, what she represented.

In the mindscape, Rin reappeared, free from the restraints. She stretched, enjoying the sensation of freedom, then dove into the information stream, searching for a certain someone.

"Found you!"

She located Lin Wei, her eyes narrowed, and delivered a swift kick.

"Ow! Hey… easy!"

Lin Wei woke up, disoriented, staring at the fuming Rin.

What was going on? Why was he getting kicked?

Rin grabbed him by the collar and tossed him aside like a piece of trash.

He saw her dusting off her hands, a satisfied smirk on her face.

She literally threw him away!

Before he could complain, darkness enveloped him, followed by a wave of aches, as if he'd just run a marathon.

He opened his eyes, seeing Fu Hua in the distance.

He was back in the real world.

He sighed in relief.

He smiled, about to greet Fu Hua, then froze, realizing he was tied up.

Oh…

He understood.

Rin, you betrayed me!


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