"Little Vira, Papa is here!"

"Wow! It's Papa!"

Vira ran towards the door with a trotting motion that was always full of cuteness and humor, making people can't help but smile.

At the same time, the bear-like Robbins quickly crouched down and gave his daughter a strong and affectionate bear hug.

In the next moment, the affectionate interaction between father and daughter made Sigurd feel a strong sour and cheesy smell. Why is your daughter so sweet? While his tuna—hmph!

Sigurd took a deep breath and decided not to look at the sweet behavior between father and daughter. He quietly drank his lonely cup of tea.

After a while, Robbins and Vira came to Sigurd and sat on the sofa in a row.

"Oh? Boss, where is Miss Kiana?" Robbins noticed the unusual silence in the house and looked around but couldn't find the lively white fluff ball from before.

"Papa, Kiana went to the Far East to find her dad."

"Huh? She's already gone?"

"Yes, she left last night without saying goodbye to Vira..."

Vira said with a touch of disappointment.

Robbins rubbed his daughter's hair and comforted her, "It's alright, you'll see her again in the future. Besides, we have Boss's phone, so we can video call anytime!"

"Oh, right! I'll call Kiana now!"

Vira took out her touchscreen phone and without hesitation, dialed Kiana's number—the phone made by Sigurd, using the intrusion of various communication service providers' signal base stations to transmit signals, without the need for communication fees or a phone number, just dialing each other's phones would do.

Sigurd's tea-drinking action paused for a moment.

If the call goes through, won't my perfectly crafted excuse be exposed? After all, Kiana is traveling alone, and there was no Sigurd employee sent to pick her up. They also didn't coordinate in advance.

But oh well, let's see how far this idiot has gone and if she can adapt to a life of wandering on her own.

Beep~ Beep~ Beep~

After a moment of busy tone, Vira's call wasn't connected.

"Huh? Why isn't Kiana picking up?"

Vira looked puzzled as she glanced at her phone.

Then, Icarus's voice came from the surrounding audio devices.

"My Lord, there is an anomaly."

"Speak."

"The network and communication signals were suddenly interrupted thirty seconds ago, and attempts to repair them were unsuccessful. Satellite electromagnetic signals were interrupted and couldn't be repaired. Photovoltaic signals were interrupted and couldn't be repaired. Wired telecommunication signals were interrupted and couldn't be repaired... Conclusion: Except for some special devices deployed within the city, this unit has lost the ability to exchange data with the outside world."

In an instant, a flood of information passed through Sigurd's mind.

First, there haven't been any significant anomalies in the regional climate recently, and the outer space environment has been stable, ruling out the possibility of natural disasters.

Second, the international and regional political environments have been normal, so we can eliminate political or war-related factors.

After excluding these two factors, the two most probable possibilities are the intervention of Herrscher in the relevant field or the involvement of organizations with extraordinary power, such as Schicksal and Anti-Entropy.

Regarding the Herrscher, the original storyline cannot be fully trusted, but at present, they are a reliable source of information. Logically speaking, Sigurd doesn't believe that at this time and place, a Herrscher capable of disrupting signals would emerge.

Therefore, it can be narrowed down to Schicksal or Anti-Entropy making a move.

What could their motives be?

First, it can be ruled out that it's because of himself. Even though he recently handed over sensitive inventions related to Honkai, it's unlikely for these organizations to react so quickly.

As for Kiana, the possibility is also not very high.

After careful consideration, two possibilities remain: either the two organizations have decided to operate in this area, cutting off communication for secrecy or to disrupt enemy command capabilities, or... while the timing for the Honkai Impact to occur is unlikely, attacks by Honkai Beasts on the city are not uncommon.

Then, a sudden realization struck Sigurd.

He remembered that over two months ago, in the snowy mountains not far from Uluru Town, Kiana had displayed her Herrscher form.

The appearance of a Herrscher, even if it was only a partial manifestation, would leave behind a significant amount of Honkai energy in the area. After months of incubation, this energy could infect the animals in the mountains, giving rise to a group of Honkai Beasts. It was highly possible!

If it was an attack by Honkai Beasts and Schicksal or Anti-Entropy came to deal with it, it would make sense to cut off communications. After all, Honkai is still classified information for ordinary people.

"Robbins, have you heard any news from Jörmungandr or Uluru Town these past few days? Any information would be useful."

"Well... I had someone secretly sent to Uluru Town to take care of the safe house, but they didn't come back this morning as planned. Does that count as abnormal?"

Sigurd narrowed his eyes.

Of course, it did.

To some extent, it corroborated the possibility that something had happened there.

Then, his pupils suddenly contracted.

Uluru Town was very close to Jörmungandr City. Considering Kiana's speed, she could reach it overnight.

There's a great cake shop in Uluru Town with unique flavors that are not often found in the city. Even if the conditions were available, Sigurd wouldn't spoil Kiana to the extent of arranging someone to buy it every day.

Given her nature, it was entirely possible for her to make a detour to Uluru Town and indulge herself before setting off!

Sigurd opened his mouth, feeling his heart skip a beat at that moment.

After a brief pause, seeing Robbins' serious expression, Sigurd stood up and said,

"Stay in the mansion. There are armed forces prepared by me, and Icarus will be responsible for protecting you all."

"Boss, what's happening?"

"Not sure. But let's wish ourselves good luck. Stay here and don't panic, if it's the situation I anticipate, this place is probably the safest fortress. If even this place... then I don't know where you can escape to."

"Understood."

Robbins wanted to inquire further, but Sigurd, after patting Vira's head, was already in a state of walking and speaking at the same time. In their brief conversation, he had entered the suddenly opened basement door.

Moments later, there was a slight tremor in the floor beneath their feet and the surrounding walls.

Drawn by the commotion outside, Robbins and Vira came to the window and saw that the once blooming courtyard had been replaced by a black metallic floor, shimmering with a golden glow. Countless large and small gun barrels emerged from the underground, walls, and even suspended in the air, densely occupying the entire field of vision.

The floor in front of the main gate opened with a thunderous sound, revealing a runway extending from the underground.

Then, accompanied by a faint sound of electromagnetic propulsion engines, a black figure suddenly shot out like a meteor, disappearing at the end of the road in the blink of an eye, making it impossible to discern the specific appearance of the vehicle or the person inside.

Robbins took a deep breath.

"Vira, do you know when all of these things appeared?"

"I... I don't know..."

Vira replied dumbfoundedly.

Robbins confirmed once again that the boss was a god-like figure. Anyone who said otherwise, Robbins would argue with them. He was certain that when he bought the estate, it was just a normal mansion, and he was sure that these terrifying weapons were not something you could buy anywhere.

At the same time, a sense of foreboding began to envelop his mind.

The boss had such means at his disposal, yet he seemed uncertain. What kind of crisis could it be?

Robbins felt unease, but as the boss had said, this was already the safest fortress.

"Miss Icarus, can you help me contact some people?"

"It depends on the situation, Mr. Robbins. Currently, this unit's interference range is limited to 83% of Jörmungandr City."

"Please do your best. Will names and phone numbers be enough?"

"It will be sufficient."

"These individuals can bring a professional armed force, consisting of 45 people, with ample firepower. Can they join the defensive fortifications?"

"It can be arranged. Your suggestion is excellent, Mr. Robbins."

Robbins provided the information.

After Icarus contacted several team leaders and instructed them to gather promptly, Robbins breathed a slight sigh of relief after bolstering the defense forces at the mansion.

With so many artillery pieces and professional soldiers, they should be well protected unless missiles were to rain down from above, right?

In the early morning hours, Kiana arrived in the town of Uluru.

Just as Sigurd had speculated, with no clear direction in mind, she couldn't resist the temptation of the local specialty cake. So, her first step was to come here and indulge in the delicious treat.

Dawn was approaching, and the cake shop wouldn't open until 9 o'clock, which meant she had to wait for the delicacy.

Thinking about the tantalizing cake that had haunted her dreams, Kiana, who had walked all night, wasn't tired at all. On the contrary, she was full of energy.

But she didn't want to wait idly. Since she couldn't get her hands on the cake yet, she decided to have some breakfast to fill her stomach.

Thus, she arrived at a breakfast place that had left a good impression on her before.

"Miss Kiana, long time no see. Are you here for breakfast again today? Where's your brother?"

Kiana unloaded the various packages from her body and placed them aside, then rolled her eyes and replied:

"How many times do I have to say it? That guy is not my brother. Anyway, I want a super-sized breakfast. Serve it quickly."

"Alright, please wait a moment."

The staff member walked towards the counter with a smiling face. She didn't really care why Kiana came alone with so many packages to have breakfast. All she knew was that there was money to be made, and that was enough. People are busy with their own lives, and unless a tragedy happens right in front of their eyes, most people don't have the time to care about this or that. Taking care of their own lives is enough.

Before long, a large plate filled with bacon, scrambled eggs, toast, and other foods was placed in front of Kiana.

Kiana licked her lips and immediately started devouring the food—what was reassuring was that she somewhat remembered Sigurd's teachings. Although she ate quickly, she at least used the cutlery properly instead of grabbing everything and wolfing it down.

Soon, the massive plate was cleaned up, almost to the point where Kiana could lick it.

Kiana patted her slightly satisfied stomach, sighed contentedly, hesitated for a moment, and didn't order a second serving.

"The stomach has its limits. To make room for more cake, I should stop here for breakfast."

"Ah, this young lady has grown up and learned to make choices between delicious food."

Kiana straightened her back, feeling proud for a moment, and the sadness of parting dispersed a little. She then stood up, took out a few banknotes from her purse, and placed them on the table, ready to leave.

Boom!

Just then, from the eastern end of the town's main street, a loud noise echoed in the distance.

Kiana instinctively turned her head and saw flames and thick smoke rising into the sky. Amidst the chaotic screams and noises, a familiar sense of danger accompanied the wind.

Narrowing her eyes, Kiana focused her gaze beyond the smoke and vaguely saw seViral colossal figures. Soon, one after another, white behemoths broke through the smoke, emitting earth-shattering roars as they stomped their way towards the town center.

"Ah! What- what are those things?"

"Run! Run for your lives! Head in the opposite direction, as far away from the town as possible!"

Kiana almost roared as she shouted, startling the bewildered onlookers once again.

Finally realizing that something was wrong, the townspeople followed their instincts and scattered, fleeing in all directions.

Kiana also started running, not to escape, but to dash towards the direction of the Honkai beasts.

She only took one package—the one containing her weapons and equipment.

Running while taking out her dual pistols, after a brief hesitation, she decisively unloaded the regular magazines and replaced them with the special Honkai energy rounds crafted by Sigurd.

"Miss, the system detects a large-scale Honkai energy reaction ahead. You are unable to handle it alone. I recommend a retreat in the opposite direction."

"Stop babbling! If all of Kaslana's people run away, who will protect the civilians? By the way, contact Sigurd for me and tell him to quickly escape with Vira! They're not far from here, and it's dangerous!"

Kiana shouted at the black wristband on her wrist.

The edges of the wristband flickered with red light for a moment, and then Icarus responded:

"Miss, an abnormal situation has occurred."

"Huh?"

"The system has lost communication and interconnectivity with the outside world. Inference: someone within the area has disrupted external information exchange through electromagnetic interference and physical cutoff. The scope of the disruption is unknown, the perpetrator is unknown, and the purpose is unknown."

"So, you... huff huff ...can't contact Sigurd?"

"That's correct, Miss."

"Damn it! Of all times, this had to happen now!"

Kiana gasped for breath and cursed.

Although she didn't know what was happening, she needed to find a way to quickly notify Sigurd and the others to escape. However, there were also many residents in the town who were directly in danger.

Kiana gritted her teeth, maintaining her direction but increasing her speed.

She knew she couldn't handle a group of Honkai beasts, but she could buy time and save some people. Once the townspeople had evacuated, she could return to the city and deliver the message in time, right?

Moreover, Sigurd was smart; maybe he would quickly sense something was wrong and leave early?

In any case, she couldn't abandon the people in immediate danger.

Kiana swung her hands, releasing the safety of her firearms with a click. She herself had arrived under the hooves of the Honkai beast.

"Roar!"

The Honkai beast in front of her let out a mighty roar as its massive hooves, with a radius of two to three meters, descended from the sky. In the spot where they landed, there were two trembling little girls huddled together.

"Watch out!"

Kiana shouted and rushed straight toward the two.

Boom!

As the stone bricks shattered and the iron hooves landed, the ground sank three feet deep.

Unaware, the Honkai beast lifted its hoof and continued forward, failing to notice that beneath its body, Kiana was holding onto two little girls and quietly escaping to the side.

However, while the giant-sized Honkai beasts had blind spots, the smaller flying Honkai beasts were not so sluggish.

Just as Kiana had reached a broken wall, seViral wing-flapping, meter-high flying Honkai beasts pounced from above.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Bullets fired continuously, accurately shooting them down. The powerful recoil made Kiana's hands slightly numb.

"This power is not bad."

Kiana exclaimed.

Based on her experience battling Honkai beasts, ordinary bullets could barely scratch their skin, but Sigurd's Honkai energy bullets could pierce right through them, killing them with a single shot. It was truly impressive.

But at the same time, she could also feel that something was off with her pistols.

"I hope the bullets last until they're all gone..."

Kiana glanced at her dual pistols, then turned around and crouched in front of the two sisters, saying:

"Listen, I'll lead you in that direction to break through. You must stay close to me, understand?"

The two little girls nodded repeatedly in fear, driven by their desire to survive, and even helped each other stand up.

Kiana breathed a sigh of relief. If she had to carry them while making a breakthrough, the difficulty would be even higher.

"Let's go!"

Surrounded by Honkai beasts, Kiana knew she couldn't delay, so without further ado, she chose a route that seemed relatively less dangerous and pushed forward.

Bang!

Bang! Bang!

"Ha!"

Gunshots, sounds of punches and kicks, and the fierce shouts of the young girl became the main theme along the way.

Of course, there were also injuries and setbacks.

After about ten minutes, in a narrow alley where Honkai beasts were barely seen, Kiana wiped the blood off her face, tore a piece of her skirt, and hastily wrapped it around her bleeding wrist.

Then she looked at the two terrified sisters, revealing a bright smile and said,

"Are you both okay?"

"Yeah, we're- we're fine- Thank you, big sister."

"You're welcome. Take this opportunity to continue walking in the direction away from those monsters. The farther away, the safer it will be. Even if you're looking for your family, I suggest waiting until things settle down before searching for them. It's too dangerous right now. Also, if you come across others on the way, tell them to run quickly!"

"We- we understand, big sister. Please take care too."

Kiana gestured confidently with a thumbs-up towards them. Although she was just a young girl herself, her smile, revealing her white teeth, made her look like a fearless brave warrior.

"Alright, I'll continue to save others. Farewell if fate allows us to meet again!"

Leaving these words behind, Kiana headed back in the direction she had just made a breakthrough.

With no one else to take care of, Kiana could now maneuver carefully through the herd of beasts using various cover. Along the way, she came across a mother and son trembling in the ruins.

"Don't be afraid, I'll protect you!"

Against the sunlight, the two saw the wounded little Kiana and she greeted them with a warm and confident smile.

In that moment, with disheveled white hair, gasping for breath, but radiating a warm smile, she appeared like a beam of light.

Elsewhere.

"Icarus, can you contact Kiana now?"

"My Lord, I couldn't find any information about Miss Kiana within the interference range of my signals."

"Tsk! How much longer until we reach Uluru Town?"

"At the current speed, it is estimated to take another twelve minutes."

"Secondary self-check of the weapon system to ensure it functions properly."

"Yes, My Lord."

In the howling cold wind, Sigurd, wearing narrow blue lenses, shifted gears again. The electric thrusters propelled the tires with even greater efficiency, and the sci-fi-inspired motorcycle, longer than the average private car, raced under the morning sun.

"My Lord, your speed is too fast, increasing the risk of steering and braking. I suggest reducing speed as soon as possible and driving safely."

"No need, I know what I'm doing."

Sigurd replied coldly.

If he hadn't considered the possibility of returning amidst the pursuit of Honkai beasts, he would have even disregarded the damage to the vehicle and pushed the speed to its limit.

Unable to persuade his master, Icarus silently checked the full set of weapon systems, including the twelve floating electromagnetic cannons soaring in the air behind the vehicle.

...

On the other side, Kiana had lost count of how many times she had entered and exited the herd of beasts to save people.

Not every rescue mission was successful.

There had already been seViral instances where the rescued individuals died midway.

At the same time, her clothes were in tatters, wrapped haphazardly with makeshift bandages, and her movements were no longer as smooth and agile as before.

Let me reiterate, the current Kiana is only twelve or thirteen years old. How much capability could she have?

Even so, she continued to save people without stopping.

Bang!

Crack!

A single shot took down a flying Honkai beast, but at the same time, the gun in Kiana's hand shattered into pieces with a metallic cry, turning into scattered metal fragments on the ground.

"Damn it, since the bullets are this powerful, can't they make the gun more sturdy to handle the recoil better?"

Kiana complained, but she also knew that it was not easy to have bullets like these, let alone create a gun that could withstand the impact of Honkai energy.

While grumbling, Kiana didn't hesitate in her actions. She directly reached out and caught the fangs of a two-meter-tall Honkai beast.

"Ah!"

Under the impact of the Honkai beast, Kiana roared in defiance, but her body couldn't control being pushed backward. Her feet plowed two tracks on the ground, and the bandages wrapped around her arms oozed red blood.

Finally, the impact force of the Honkai beast was completely exhausted. Kiana forcefully slammed her forehead forward, causing the huge Honkai beast to stumble, and then she swiftly lifted it up.

Boom!

She flipped the Honkai beast behind her, its four legs kicking violently, trying to flip itself back over.

But would Kiana give it a chance?

Aiming at the head of the colossal beast, which was harder than steel, Kiana raised her hands and her small fists, soaked in blood, relentlessly hammered down.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

It wasn't until the head of the Honkai beast sank into the ground, and its massive body became motionless, that Kiana finally stopped, gasping for breath.

She looked up, wiping her eyes that were dampened by either blood or sweat, and shouted at the rescued person who was standing still:

"What are you standing there for? Hurry and keep running!"

"Yes!"

Three minutes later, after watching the rescued person move away to a safe place, Kiana leaned against the wall and sat down weakly.

With trembling and bloodied hands, she struggled to take out the last handgun and the last regular magazine from her backpack. She wiped her nose and muttered to herself:

"It's... at the limit. It should be enough now. It shouldn't be a problem to go back and deliver the message, right? Dad, I hope... I didn't embarrass the Kaslana name, did I?"

Some liquid trickled down her cheeks, and Kiana didn't even have the strength to determine if it was sweat or her own blood dripping from her forehead.

"Ah!"

At that moment, another cry for help reached her ears.

Kiana jolted, immediately wanting to stand up, but her legs, already pushed to their limits, couldn't support her. She fell flat on the ground, biting into a mouthful of soil.

"Damn it!"

Kiana propped herself up against the wall, looked outside, and saw two little girls surrounded by a group of small Honkai beasts, on the verge of losing their lives.

Kiana wanted to rush over and save them, but her body was no longer capable of reaching them in time.

Then, a black test tube appeared in her hand.

To inject or not to inject?

Sigurd's warning echoed faintly in her ears.

Kiana hesitated for less than a second and decisively injected the contents of the syringe into her neck.

"Ah!"

Intense pain surged through her body as if every muscle and bone were being burned by fire and then shattered by an iron hammer.

The next moment, an unprecedented power surged through her limbs and every fiber of her being.

"Wait! I'm coming to save you!"

Kiana shouted, like an arrow released from a bow, and in an unbelievable speed, she arrived within the midst of the encirclement.

Kicks, punches, crushing skulls with the butt of her gun.

A series of fluid and powerful movements unfolded seamlessly. The speed and strength were unparalleled.

Kiana quickly cleared the encirclement in the blink of an eye.

"Miss, you have two minutes and fifty seconds left. Please inject the counteragent as soon as possible."

"You can keep track of time? Alright, remind me when the time comes."

After a brief conversation with Icarus, Kiana remained silent. With one hand holding a little girl, she swiftly dashed out before more Honkai beasts could surround them.

"Two minutes and thirty seconds."

Kiana ran far, but she was still within the range of the rampant Honkai beasts.

"Exactly two minutes."

Kiana reached a safe zone and set the two individuals down.

"Run! Keep running towards a safe place!"

Then, she turned back, without any hesitation, and continued running into the midst of the beast horde.

"I can save one more person, and then... then I'll run as far as I can towards the city!"

Kiana didn't want to waste precious enhancement time. She swiftly searched and ran within the beast horde.

"One minute and thirty seconds."

Kiana carried a child on her back.

"One minute and twenty seconds."

She added another woman in her arms.

"Exactly one minute."

Kiana sprinted at full speed towards the direction of the city with the three individuals.

"Thirty seconds."

The weight exceeded expectations, and most importantly, carrying people hindered her agility. Kiana hadn't yet escaped the range of the beast horde.

"Twenty seconds."

Just a bit more.

"Ten seconds."

She made it out, but it was still far from being safe.

"Five seconds!"

"Will it be alright if I exceed the time by a little bit!?"

"Please inject the counteragent as soon as possible... Three... Two... One. Warning! Warning! Please inject the counteragent immediately! Please inject the counteragent immediately!"

With a glance behind her, Kiana gritted her teeth and continued running forward.

Her heartbeat thundered in her ears, and she felt an unusual burning sensation and piercing pain in her eyes. Kiana even sensed that her nose was bleeding uncontrollably.

But she couldn't stop.

If she stopped now, the survivors she had worked so hard to rescue would be swallowed by the horde again in the blink of an eye.

"I can still do it! It'll be fine. I'm Kiana Kaslana, after all! I'll inject later!"

Kiana suppressed her anxiety, disregarding Icarus' warnings, and focused on rushing forward.

Until her consciousness gradually blurred, darkness enveloped her vision, and the buzzing in her ears seemed to suddenly quiet down, no longer hearing any extraneous sounds.

But she kept running, ensuring that not a single survivor would fall from her body.

"Just a little faster..."

"Just a little further..."

"Hang in there, it'll be over soon..."

But how long is "soon"? Kiana's fading consciousness could no longer provide an answer. She ran forward numbly, her speed fluctuating, not knowing how much time had passed.

...

Then, at a certain moment, the girl finally let the people on her body fall, stumbling and collapsing forward.

Just then, the piercing sound of tires gripping the ground and the roar of engines awakened her from her daze.

Kiana felt a hand wrap around her waist, lifting her up.

When she focused her gaze, she saw the familiar profile of a boy.

He wore distinctive blue-tinted glasses, pursed his lips, and had a cold and gloomy expression on his face.

But at this moment, Kiana felt a sense of unprecedented reassurance.

"Pfft!"

The counteragent was injected into the back of her neck, and Kiana didn't feel any pain. The sense of emptiness in her body seemed to slightly lessen, giving her the strength to speak with a hoarse voice that startled even herself.

"Sigurd, you're here."

"Shut up. I'll deal with you later."

"Be careful, there are Honkai Beasts ahead..."

"I'm more aware than you."

"I feel so tired..."

"Then take a nap for a while. I brought cake and ice cream. Which one do you want to eat first?"

"Let's have them together..."

Kiana murmured, closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep.

And then, beams of dazzling laser cannons pierced through the raging horde of Honkai Beasts.