Volume 1, Chapter 53: Xia Chen and Raven's First Encounter

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Raven hesitated for a moment, torn between taking action or not.

In the end, she chose to refrain.

Although World Serpent had past entanglements with Schicksal, they had yet to firmly establish themselves in this world. Moreover, Raven was currently on leave.

If she engaged here, it could attract Schicksal's attention and lead to a search of Nagazora City. Where would her children then hide?

Her gaze slightly darkened.

At that moment, Xia Chen only saw a black shadow flicker across his path and land before him.

He felt as if every hair on his body stood up, sensing immense danger from this person.

"Raven?"

"Hmm, Schicksal's intelligence isn't bad, I see." Despite her concern, Raven's voice under the hood remained nonchalant. "So, what, ready for a confrontation?"

Xia Chen shook his head.

Realizing it was Raven, he guessed the reason behind her presence.

From his perspective as a mercenary, Schicksal did not have a good reputation. It made sense for her to keep watch, given her protective nature towards the adopted children.

"I have no ulterior motives for being in Nagazora City," he replied calmly. "My sole purpose is to eliminate Honkai Beasts."

"Oh?"

Raven's voice carried a hint of amusement or disdain. "Schicksal sure took their time, dragging it out for a whole year."

Xia Chen did not bother explaining.

All three factions-Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, and World Serpent-had their share of dark secrets; none could truly criticize the others.

Seeing this, Raven couldn't help but frown.

Just as Xia Chen found Raven dangerous, she too perceived him as highly threatening.

However, when had Gray Serpent's intelligence become so unreliable? With Schicksal having such notable individuals, Gray Serpent should have been aware and updated on them.

She cautiously probed, "Is your only reason for coming here to clear Honkai Beasts?"

"I'm under no obligation to prove my intentions to you," Xia Chen responded firmly, unafraid despite sensing the danger.

"If you can't trust me, then make your move," he challenged sternly.

"Well, if I intended to attack, I would have done so already." Underneath her hood, Raven slightly narrowed her eyes, yet a faint smile played at the corners of her mouth. "After all, Schicksal is powerful and influential; I wouldn't dare provoke them."

"However..." Suddenly, her gaze sharpened, and she swiftly hurled the Black Feather Blade towards Xia Chen.

Xia Chen was already prepared; the power of Stigmata manifested in his hand, instantly freezing the Black Feather Blade.

"Tsk, has the Valkyrie Armor become this formidable now?" she couldn't help but mutter with surprise.

However, Raven showed no mercy. As Xia Chen froze the blade, she swiftly charged towards him, aiming a flying kick at his wrist.

Even without the Valkyrie Armor, Raven remained unafraid of Imperial Rank Honkai Beasts, let alone someone seemingly weaker than one.

Xia Chen felt an immense force hit him, eliciting a stifled grunt. Instead of retreating, he unexpectedly surged forward, colliding directly into Raven.

The young mercenary's expression subtly shifted, sensing as if she were being targeted by a wild beast.

No...

Not even a beast could likely induce such tremors within her. Her entire body tensed instinctively, prompting her to evade immediately.

"Can you escape this?"

The temperature around her abruptly plummeted.

Raven's movements slowed involuntarily, and Xia Chen forcefully slammed into her, akin to a jeep crashing at 150 mph into her abdomen.

Had it not been for her quick use of Stigmata's power to create a duplicate and escape, the outcome would have undoubtedly been grim.

However, this setback only fueled the mercenary's anger.

She was no stranger to facing adversity, but every time she suffered a loss, she eventually reclaimed her advantage—and this instance would be no different.

As a member of the World Serpent, she possessed the power of Stigmata as well.

Her unique ability allowed her to manipulate Honkai energy effortlessly, interfering with lower-ranked Honkai Beasts' signals. This enabled her to alter their actions or even command individuals to give directives to their companions.

At first glance, this ability might seem rather limited, at least currently. However, it proved more than sufficient in combat situations.

The Chariot-class Honkai Beast led the charge, leaping towards Xia Chen like a small mountain hurtling down as if fired from a cannon.

Xia Chen couldn't afford to take the direct impact, despite his body's resilience. The Mark-III Valkyrie Armor had its own load limits, and while minor damage to the armor wasn't significant, dealing with subsequent repairs would be cumbersome.

After evading the onslaught of Honkai Beasts, Xia Chen instinctively raised the Red Sakura, only to find that Raven had vanished from sight. In her place were flocks of crows and swirling mist.

"Hmph."

Xia Chen focused his control, unleashing the power of Stigmata.

Instantly, with Xia Chen as the center, the surrounding temperature began to drop dramatically. Even the movements of Honkai Beasts visibly slowed down, and the dense mist dispersed due to the chilling air.

At this moment, Raven finally realized that this was no mere auxiliary function of the Valkyrie Armor.

Her figure reappeared, "So you're the third S-rank Valkyrie Schicksal has been keeping hidden?"

Currently, Schicksal had three S-rank Valkyries. However, most people were only aware of two; the identity of the third remained highly classified.

The ability to freeze a vast area went beyond the capabilities expected from an A-rank Valkyrie according to available intelligence.

"Does it matter?" Xia Chen countered.

Then, he charged forward like a fired cannonball.

Raven's expression involuntarily turned grim.

The difference between S-rank and A-rank wasn't just about strength but also status.

The World Serpent was not yet prepared for all-out war against Schicksal—at least not at present.

With Xia Chen swiftly approaching, she had no choice but to evade.

However, Xia Chen possessed not only immense strength and speed but also quick reflexes. As Raven attempted to dodge, Xia Chen, seemingly out of nowhere, raised a short gun and took aim at her.

This showcased the elegance of Kaslana Gunmanship.

Kiana could even draw her pistol with a swift kick, making Xia Chen's move seem rather ordinary.

Raven abruptly halted.

"Alright, I lost."

Although she believed she still had unutilized tactics and couldn't truly be considered defeated, it wasn't the right time to escalate tensions further.

With hands raised helplessly, Raven asked, "Speak up, what do you want?"

"As I've already said, I only aim to eliminate Honkai."

Xia Chen was truthful.

At least for now, the children adopted by Raven were not his targets.

"How can I trust you?" Raven remained cautious.

"I've told you before, I have no obligation to prove myself to you." Xia Chen lowered his gun.

Like Raven, he too preferred to avoid conflict.

"Don't interfere," he stated firmly.

With that, he continued using the Red Sakura to clear the Honkai Beasts as if the recent skirmish hadn't affected him at all.

However, after Xia Chen finished off the beasts, Raven noticed a grim expression on his face.

The mercenary couldn't resist gloating, "Oh ho, what happened there? Were you so invincible just now? Did you get injured?"

"Just feeling hungry."

He touched the nutrient solution bottle and swiftly consumed it all.

However...

It wasn't enough.

Xia Chen's gaze suddenly fell upon the Honkai Beasts around him.

A bold idea emerged in his mind: he wanted to eat them.