A brief period of silence reigned betweewo until Sakura decided to speak up.

  “Tell me. Why did you want to meet me?”

  “About that… are you willing to bey ‘exclusive’ bodyguard whenever I go out?”

  Sakura fell silent upon hearing his offer.

  “...Why would you want that?”

  “Because I have some secret to hide?” Aleph paused before he ughed. “Kidding aside, there’s not much reason. I might ‘misbehave’ on a while, but I do hope it’ll be kept under s.”

  From his words, she khat this assistant direight be involved in some unsavory deeds iure. It is, in a sense, simir to the people who bought their assigned guards to keep their deeds a secret.

  What Aleph left out was that if everything was leaked out, he would no lotempt something like this.

  In the end, the decision of fronting the ‘hidden guard’ was his attempt at having more ‘freedom’—a way to bypass the restris that he received as a researcher.

  At worst, he would pay a price for failure. Aleph didn’t think that all of his pns would be successful. He already prepared several ways when it fails.

  “What do you have iurn?”

  “Some favor, perhaps? If you want something iurn, like the experimental designs that we have or exclusive onry, I help you with that.”

  “...I see.”

  Just as their versation was headed towards a good light, the ground shook.

  Rumble-!

  “This is…”

  Usually, there was a differeween pces filled with Honkai and pces free of it.

  It was a matter of having a ‘stinging’ feeling of sorts whehere was Honkai energy present.

  At least, that’s what Aleph felt just now.

  “Really… This must be some kind of joke.”

  At the moment, Aleph did not have a proper on in his possession. They were still iaffs’ hands, including the prototype of a honkai on that he created for the entire month.

  As of now, he could only bring out a portable steel batton behind his belt. He swiftly brought out its full length by swinging it.

  Tchk-!

  “A honkai eruption.”

  “This seems to be a strong one.” Aleph ented. “This city’s branch shouldn’t be sleeping still, no?”

  To his question, Sakura affirmed with a nod.

  “The entire Far East branches were put on a high-alert sihe third impact.”

  “Like I expected…”

  The earthquake didn’t stop until a while ter. At this time, many people oreet colpsed to the ground, fine purple lines appearing on their bodies.

  “A sudden attack… We’re damned if we ’t ter this from the get-go.”

  Aleph could uand that the Fire MOTH’s primary belief is to ‘sacrifice’ for the fight of humanity. Just like in Nagazora, they didn’t care about the potential survivors when they dropped several nukes in that area. Their decision to enact Martial Law showed their pcy towards the honkai; with plete disregard towards the possible colterals in the process.

  As long as this situatio ge, or at least someone who could spearhead such a ge…

  ‘Humanity might be fucked.’

  Looking to the bright night sky, Aleph expected to feel some sort of insignifice, but what he felt instead was a burning will. He felt a sense of powerlessness, a regret of sorts, that clouded his mind.

  If Aleph didn’t aow, this burning will might go out, just as it did before.

  “Let’s go back to the hotel, Miss Secret Agent.”

  *****

  Ten minutes.

  That was all it took to rush bato the hotel. Several undeads already rose up from the colpsed bodies, which wasn’t much of a problem to the woman apanying Aleph. Her carbon steel katahrough their necks with extreme precision and ease.

  Aleph also entered several attacks himself, but he mao deal with them by pg a ‘ratio line’ on their necks. He found out that the line scales with whatever he thinks of. He could create a seventh division that would be ‘exactly’ within his target’s neck.

  Other than the undeads, the honkai beasts that started spawning remaio be a growing problem. There are only birds and the like for now, but entering a Chariot-css honkai beast would spell trouble without artillery and plete battlesuits.

  “Dr. Ainsworth!”

  “Hey. I didn’t expect to breathe honkai energy instead of fresh air.”

  “This is..?”

  The bodyguard looked at the stoic-faced woman beside him.

  “You sider her as ara guard.”

  “I see…”

  “How was the others?”

  “The others took care of the researchers with you. Along the way, a general dete was made and… it was decided we should vacate the city.”

  “How high was it?”

  “Above 700 Honkai Watts.”

  Honkai Watts, more specifically known as “Theoretical Honkai Energy Reading Index”, was the quantity used to measure the iy of honkai energy. It was a unit of measurement derived from Watts, which could also read as [Joules/Sed] (Unit of power).

  For reference, both the First and the Sed appeared with more than 2,000 HW when read. Aion approag half would spawn more dangerous honkai beasts.

  Their current situation indicated that it was a major honkai eruption.

  “Chief! The branch said that their personnel are in full occy!”

  Just then, a bck coated man ran towards the one who expihe situation to Aleph.

  “They couldn’t provide any assistance for this escort.”

  “...”

  Hearing this, Aleph had a brilliant idea.

  “Where did you take the supposed prototypes we brought?”

  “Sir? We stored them with the istics.”

  “We 't collect dust in times of need, no?”

  A ce appeared in front of him.

  *****

  Aleph was aware of his talents. The things he recalled were direct proof of that. His foundation was already beyond the reach of a normal person. Coupled with his raabilities, he was able to quickly ie in Fire MOTH within a month and a half.

  However, he saw a ce. The achievement hunter could propel his progress even further, more so when personal strength was still limited in this world. As long as he bees as strong as Elysia, there would be less problems to think about.

  ‘If every firsts are ted, would a certain number also t?’’

  Discarding these thoughts in his mind, Aleph focused on his way forward.

  Vroom-!

  The wheels made a slight noise as they sped through the highway. Aleph was currently driving one of their vehicles after ‘ving’ the chief of their team’s security to let him leave.

  The wonders of status could do as much as that.

  ‘Bringing neonries… Is this man truly a good person? Or is he looking forward to something else?’

  After witnessing everything he did—including his abuse of authority as well as braving through the possible repercussions of his as—Sakura was fused as to where his motives lie.

  Right now, they are currently heading towards Fire MOTH’s branch within the Sapphire City. Nobody asked for Aleph t this kind of help, yet he chose to do this.

  She couldn’t ascertaiher he was scheming something or not.

  What she didn’t know was that…

  ‘It’s my first time driving…’

  Not only were there undeads and seraph-css honkai beasts on his way, there were also vehicles that got turned over as well as rubbles from some sort of atta the ground.

  Yet, Aleph mao maheir vehicle extremely well.

  Just then, a loud explosi out not far away from them. It was caused by several artillery and missile unchers dispatg a rge honkai beast.

  “What the—?!”

  Uedly, one such honkai beast destroyed the buildings behind them as it now trailed behind their vehicle.

  “Hey, you pass me that briefcase?” He asked Sakura.

  “What are you pnning to do?”

  “Kill that monster, of course.”

  With a look of incredulousness, Sakura merely stared at his face for a few seds.

  She would find it reasonable if the ones fag the Chariot-css were fully-equipped bat personnel, but the man beside her nning to face it without any equipment of sorts!

  At the very least, the humans who fought honkai beasts on the Chariot css and above possessed a specialized ‘Honkai-based onry’. These ons are empowered with honkai energy. It works in a metaphysical sense, but a on’s effectiveness is increased due to it. The only downside was that the wielder required a certain honkai energy resistance, lest he be turo an undead.

  It was said to have inated from the on of Fire MOTH’s stro batant. Her bow has enough strength to kill honkai beasts and herscherrs alike.

  The case behind Sakura was one such example of that on.

  For others’ cases, they will also need an exoskeleton suit to handle individual battles. That alone increases a person’s bat power to a huge degree.

  ‘This man shouldn’t have any bat training. Why is he fident?’

  Even so…

  ‘I want to see where it lies.’