Luxurious hotel, City of Leimont.
"Did you have fun?"
"It was fun."
Hearing that, Raven's brows instantly twitched. "Hm?"
"N-no, not fun at all!"
Shin hurriedly wiped the grin off his face, straightening up with a serious shake of his head.
Raven: "..."
When she first accepted this mission, she had thought it would be a walk in the park.
Sure, finding clues and solving puzzles was complicated, but she was a veteran in the organization—a seasoned pro. Even if it took some extra effort, she'd get the job done.
The final step, exploring the castle, was supposed to be even easier. Just install the equipment Gray Serpent provided, sit back, and wait for the results.
And though things did go sideways—predictably so—it wasn't anything she couldn't manage. At worst, they just needed to wait another month. Gray Serpent couldn't blame them; it was clearly due to uncontrollable circumstances.
But she never imagined that everything would spiral out of control the moment Shin got involved.
First, the kid decided to show off by walking mid-air, casually flaunting his world-class control over Honkai energy. Then, out of nowhere, a horde of Honkai beasts burst onto the scene like they were having a party, forcing her to hide in a corner and not even breathe.
Just when it seemed like they could pack up and leave after Shin returned from some unknown space, the guy insisted on picking a fight with a fully armed Valkyrie squad.
Fine. Let him fight then. With the warship practically grinding their faces into the dirt, a fight was unavoidable if they wanted to escape.
Then things got even more insane.
Thinking back on that mind-shattering battle still gave Raven chills.
Who would've thought a basic treasure-hunting mission would end up luring out Schicksal's top ace?
And even more unbelievable, the seemingly mild-mannered boy by her side actually managed to go toe-to-toe with that level of monster?!
After the fight, he even had enough strength to release a massive finisher, wiping out all remaining Honkai beasts in one burst.
That radiant silver moon, that rain of devastating arrows, surely anyone who witnessed it would remember it forever.
This time, Shin had definitely become famous, the kind of fame that even Schicksal's Overseer couldn't suppress.
By the time they left Sicily, Shin's wanted posters would probably cover the globe, and the bounty wouldn't be anything less than five hundred million.
After all, even S-Rank Valkyries from Schicksal usually had bounties of two to three hundred million—and Schicksal was richer than all its enemies combined.
Seeing Raven remain silent, Shin cautiously peeked at her, still feeling a small thrill deep down.
Pulling off such a legendary stunt and making a clean escape—and doing it right in front of Durandal? That kind of thrill was hard to describe.
If he ever got the chance again, he definitely wanted to do it a second time.
The first time causing trouble was always a bit rough. He'd missed a lot of opportunities.
For example, when he left, he totally could've drawn a little turtle on Durandal's face. She was completely unconscious at that point. Ideally, he'd use some kind of permanent ink that wouldn't wash off for a week.
Sure, using the revival armor stung a little, but compared to the risk of exposing himself as a Herrscher, things like resurrection or instant healing felt way less important.
After all, the latter could still be explained with science. Plenty of people had mastered the "sit-up resurrection" technique by now. Dying and reviving was no longer that shocking.
But the former…
If anyone found out he had a Herrscher Core beyond the established sequence, Shin would have to be ready to fight the entire world.
Herrschers were already a sensitive subject. Someone like him, completely beyond the norm, would definitely shake too many nerves.
So under normal circumstances, Shin dispersed the Herrscher Core into countless fragments, infusing them into every cell in his body. That way, he could hide his identity, just like the first Herrscher of Reason once did.
Of course, in that state, Shin couldn't use the Herrscher Core's power. It was effectively sealed by his own will.
And that's why, even though he had both a natural Stigmata and a Herrscher Core, he still couldn't defeat Durandal when she exploded with her cosmic power.
That terrifying state where the might of a world-class entity flooded her body was no less powerful than a full Herrscher Core.
If she had been more experienced with that power—or more intent on killing him—Shin probably would've lost his revival armor on the spot.
What a terrifying opponent.
Even now, thinking of Durandal's thunderous fists, Shin still felt lingering fear. She hit like a tank.
By the time the fight ended, at least twenty or thirty of his bones had been broken.
If he hadn't used the revival armor to reset his condition, he would've been bedridden for at least ten days.
Of course, Durandal didn't walk away unharmed either. Even with the Kaslana family's monstrous physique, she would need at least a week to recover.
At this moment, Shin still had no idea that someone had already equipped divine gear and was sharpening her weapons, planning to drag him back to Schicksal as a last-resort weapon—no wait, correction: that muscle-brained girl probably just wanted a rematch. So his future would most likely involve being a full-time, no-days-off, human punching bag.
"Next time..." Raven moved her lips as she looked at the boy who still looked like a teenager. The scolding that had reached her lips was swallowed back down. In the end, she could only sigh. "Don't be so reckless again."
Back when Rita blocked her path, she really thought she was going to lose Shin.
"Oh oh... I got it, Sister Natasha."
Hearing the concern in her voice, Shin nodded quickly.
The mercenary queen who ruled the underworld was never one to show emotion. Cold and ruthless was her usual state.
But now, she was like a worried big sister. One step short of bursting into tears and telling him how scared she'd been. How could Shin possibly remain unmoved?
Of course, if it actually came to that, whether he could resist hiding in a corner was another matter.
"By the way, how are we supposed to write this mission report?"
Shin suddenly remembered and asked.
Even if World Serpent was a certified villain group, they still had to write reports.
"How else would we write it?" Raven's brows shot up, her young-looking face filled with anger. "The intel division didn't even realize retrieving the relic would cause such a massive commotion, and it got us surrounded by Schicksal's Valkyries. There's no way we're letting this go!"
"..."
Shin was stunned.
Okay, fine, he admitted it—he had been a little reckless.
Even with the Immortal Blades' warship right there, if he wanted to run, no one could've stopped him.
But hey, he had revival armor!
Even if Kevin himself came charging in at full power, Shin would've gone for it. Let alone a not-yet-fully-developed Durandal.
So yeah, he charged right in.
And then... lost the revival armor.
Shin originally thought he'd get punished for it, but after hearing Raven's explanation, he finally understood.
"So?"
He looked at her expectantly.
"We have to tell Gray Serpent that this mission..." Raven slammed both hands on the table, her eyes brimming with unquestionable authority, "needs a bonus!"
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100 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter