Please support me on Patreon, where you can read 100+ extra chapters for this novel and a bunch of extra chapters for all the other novels I'm working on. I upload at least 1-2 times daily for all novels.
Additionally, there are also free extra chapters available for Free Members, so head on over:
Patreon.com/ThatGreatStuff
******
Zeke remained at the Far East's temporary command center for over a month.
Clearing up the remnants of the Honkai Disaster wasn't much of an issue; the primary concern lay with resettling tens of millions of refugees.
The new continent had ample land to accommodate such vast numbers forced from their homeland, but constructing livable areas and supplying resources were monumental tasks even for giants like Schicksal and Anti-Entropy, impossible to address easily.
Thus, coordination was needed among various nations for allocation and settlement.
Throughout this process, factors such as refugee quotas, age groups, educational levels, and living conditions involved extensive negotiations with politicians. Maintaining the quality of life and ensuring public order within these massive refugee populations before proper distribution also posed significant challenges, necessitating vigilance against potential unrest.
Einstein possessed remarkable competence, but frankly, many dared to play subtle games in her presence. As a scientist by nature, she lacked the authority and political finesse required for such situations.
To navigate this phase smoothly without mishaps, they would need either the iron-fisted Welt, who had hanged countless oligarchs from street lamps, or only Zeke could manage it.
When he stood atop the base's tower, leaning on his Cleaver of Shamash, all petty schemes and tricks vanished—this was the accumulated authority stemming from years of fearsome combat prowess demonstrations, combined with the wisdom to kill without provoking external backlash whenever disagreements arose.
Apart from Welt, whose mere presence instilled terror among those in power, no one else could effectively serve this role at the base.
Not even Otto could fill it. His true persona exuded mystery and inscrutability, while his public image as Hera projected intelligence, relatability, and depth of character. However, lacking direct coercive force, some individuals would still attempt to wrangle with him, delaying problem resolution—after all, anyone detached from society is bound to be overlooked or misunderstood for that very reason.
Once all issues were settled and dust had settled, Zeke returned to Anti-Entropy Headquarters on the new continent accompanied only by his trio of black-armored bodyguards, plus Seele, Rozaliya, and Liliya—the three little stragglers.
"Oh, how disappointing that my dear Mei couldn't come back with us."
After jumping straight off the plane from hundreds of meters above, Kiana patted her clothes down, stood before the gates of the Inner City within the base, and dramatically sighed.
Thud!
A petite figure descended from the sky, landing squarely on Kiana's white head with dainty, adorable feet. The impact forced Kiana's chin sharply downward, causing her to stumble slightly.
But being as slim as she was, Kiana swiftly reached up.
"Get off me, you stinky midget!"
Bronya lightly stamped her foot, then flipped backward off Kiana's head, gracefully touching down on the ground while evading Kiana's counterattack.
"Kiana, it's very dangerous to jump from such heights," Bronya remarked.
"You did it too! Not just once, but even onto my head—doesn't that make it even more dangerous?!"
"Firstly, I jumped when the plane was already close enough for safe descent. Secondly, this is to help you remember my teachings."
Bronya held up two slender, fair fingers and continued earnestly.
Kiana's hands curled into claws as she lunged forward. "Stop giving me nonsense!"
"Whoosh!"
"Zzzt-zzzt!"
After half a minute, the white-haired girl collapsed onto the ground, her body convulsing uncontrollably. Her eyes rolled back, revealing only whites, while saliva dripped from the corners of her mouth.
Meanwhile, Bronya calmly detached the silver cylindrical device from Kiana's body and reattached it to her sci-fi-looking blue pistol. With no change in expression, she explained:
"Customized stun gun for Kiana—high-intensity instantaneous current, clean energy, eco-friendly with zero pollution. Recommended for mass production; request dedicated assembly line."
These last words were directed at Zeke.
Zeke approached Bronya, patted her on the head, neither rejecting nor agreeing outright.
Then, he walked over to Kiana, who was gradually recovering, bent down, and extended his hand.
As Kiana stood up, she immediately wrapped herself around Zeke's arm, pointing accusingly at Bronya: "Zeke, she's bullying meeee~!"
"Don't be silly; let's get serious now. Although your approach was somewhat brutal, you're right on point. Kiana should indeed think more before acting impulsively."
The individual notorious for casually suspending girls to beat them up had no qualms critiquing Bronya's methods, speaking with a straight face and steady heartbeat.
"Zeke~"
"Still hurting?"
"Not anymore..."
"That's good."
As Zeke gently stroked the girl's hair, this comforting gesture swiftly made Kiana forget her earlier discomfort. She leaned affectionately against him, wearing a sweet smile, looking utterly content yet foolishly enamored.
"Tsk!"
Bronya subtly pursed her lips, noticing Sin arriving late beside her, her face filled with envy. Bronya nudged Sin's back discreetly.
"Bronya?"
Sin turned to see Bronya slightly nodding towards Kiana, giving her an encouraging hint. Instantly, Sin's eyes lit up. Rolling up her sleeves, she charged forward with renewed determination.
In no time, as usual, Sin and Kiana began jostling each other, competing fiercely for a spot next to Zeke.
A few minutes later, Zeke's temples throbbed from their antics, his expression darkening. With one swift punch for each girl, he knocked them both down simultaneously—a definitive resolution to their dispute.
Finally, some peace and quiet beside him.
Bronya couldn't help but smile at this scene.
Approaching Bronya, Seele noticed her grin and nervously tugged at her clothes' hem.
"Big Sister Bronya, that smile looks kind of scary..."
"Really, Seele?"
"Well..."
"I'm craving your pastries again, Seele."
"I'll get right on it! Just wait here, Big Sister Bronya!"
With her love for housework and passion for serving others, Seele hurried back inside the base.
Bronya shook her head.
'Seele lacks any competitive drive; at this rate, she'll never make progress... Oh well, let me focus on my own matters first. She's still young, so there's no telling what the future holds.'
Bronya touched the small bottle of medicine in her pocket, maintaining her usual impassive demeanor as Zeke approached.
"Have you found anything regarding Wendy's black armor malfunction?"
"Bronya retrieved video data from both the black armor and Hive System, along with extracting as much network residual information from the affected area as possible... In summary, nothing unusual was discovered."
"Could it truly be due to excessive Honkai Energy causing a data overload?"
"No evidence of human interference was found. Based on general rationality, that seems to be the only explanation."
Bronya, walking alongside Zeke towards the base entrance, explained.
Zeke rubbed his chin, frowning deeply.
He still felt something wasn't right.
The black armor had undergone rigorous design and testing phases, further refined through countless battles, achieving near-perfection in every detail—attributing its failure solely to overpowering Honkai Energy seemed somewhat implausible.
Inevitably, he recalled the mysterious mastermind behind Theresa's ordeal.
The plotlines from memory could not entirely apply to this real world. For instance, the unknown individual with profound mastery over consciousness domains was difficult to match with any character Zeke knew from the storyline.
Fu Hua could have achieved it, but she wouldn't resort to such methods.
Su from the previous civilization might possess similar capabilities, yet there was even less reason for him to clandestinely target Theresa.
"Perhaps beneath the seemingly balanced power between Anti-Entropy and Schicksal lies an unknown shadow..."
Zeke muttered, feeling somewhat helpless.
With Honkai looming and Finality approaching, regardless of who this mysterious force is, wouldn't it be better to step forward and contribute together? Could they possibly believe themselves more capable than both Schicksal and Anti-Entropy combined in facing the Finality?
"I'll continue investigating deeper; don't worry." Sensing Zeke's distress, Bronya gently held his hand, her voice reassuring and resolute.
Feeling the soft warmth enveloping his fingers, Zeke savored the comforting sensation, his expression visibly easing.
"I trust you with this then. I have other matters to attend to. Oh, by the way, I've improved that medication—enhanced its potency and duration. Additionally, apart from oral administration, I've developed variants like aerosol sprays, injections, and topical applications to handle various extreme scenarios."
"...That's fantastic. As expected of Zeke, your efficiency is truly impressive. Thank you."
"It's my pleasure. Given how meticulously you've thought things through, supporting you is only natural," Zeke replied with a mild smile, sounding pleased.
Bronya smiled as well, appearing equally content.