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Xia Chen's interaction with Wendy greatly surprised Gretel.
Ever since the failed experiment on Wendy, she had shut herself off emotionally. Even friends who once enjoyed her company gradually distanced themselves out of fear. It took Gretel considerable time to coax Wendy out from her darkened room.
To ensure this, Gretel made guarantees to many people that she would closely supervise Wendy.
Only when interacting with Gretel did Wendy display her gentle and considerate nature. In the presence of others, she typically kept her head down, remaining silent.
However, today was unexpectedly different.
While spending time with Xia Chen, Wendy actually smiled.
"Guess it really pays to have a handsome face," Gretel muttered inwardly, albeit feeling somewhat relieved.
The girl planned to compete for a spot in maritime operations, but with no one to care for Wendy, she could entrust her to Xia Chen.
Yet, she wasn't sure about his character.
Gretel suddenly regretted not getting to know Xia Chen better during their return to Schicksal for reporting duties. Her impression of him consisted solely of being highly disciplined in training and possessing exceptional talent.
That was all she knew.
At that moment, Xia Chen remained oblivious to Gretel's thoughts.
He felt an urge to flee.
This desire to 'consume' her felt more like an instinct ingrained within his genes. He even began suspecting if he had already transformed into a Honkai Beast.
Otherwise, such instincts would not persist so strongly.
He feared that staying any longer might reveal this primal urge.
However, Wendy asked curiously, "May I inquire about your time with the Immortal Blades?"
"Captain Durandal was once my idol too."
"Hmm," suppressing his desires, he briefly shared aspects of life as an Immortal Blade.
The life of a Valkyrie, and similarly for the Immortal Blades, was quite monotonous.
Training, missions, rest, classes - essentially cycling through these activities.
Those were arguably his most challenging days without the System, relying solely on his own physical capabilities. Yet, he persevered relentlessly.
From needing Susannah's saline infusions to becoming one of the top-performing Valkyries, it took him just three months. Despite the exhausting training sessions each day, he remarkably recovered well by morning, as if his body's potential could never be fully depleted.
He accomplished it all within just three months.
Despite being utterly exhausted after each training session, he would fully recover by the next day, as if his body's potential was inexhaustible.
Suddenly, Xia Chen realized an issue.
Before obtaining the System, although his progress couldn't match Durandal's, it had still been remarkably swift.
Could such advancement truly be attributed solely to an A-rank Valkyrie's innate talent?
He wasn't sure.
Xia Chen briefly shared some of his experiences with Wendy, and even these snippets left her captivated, filled with anticipation.
She could have experienced a similar life herself.
After he finished speaking, Wendy said, "I'm so envious."
Pausing for a moment, she continued, "If only I could stand again..."
"You will definitely stand again," Gretel interjected, having approached Wendy unnoticed. With conviction, she reassured her, "Don't worry, you'll surely recover."
After bidding farewell to Wendy and Gretel, Xia Chen couldn't help but move to a secluded area and contact Alvitr.
"So late, what's up?" Alvitr answered her communicator.
By now, she had removed her Valkyrie Armor and changed into casual attire, her tone quite assertive. "If you don't give me a reasonable explanation, I'll tell Ana that you're harassing me."
"I need to ask about something." Xia Chen paused before continuing, "I remember undergoing a medical examination when joining the Immortal Blades. Were there any unusual findings in my health records?"
"Unusual findings? Does Honkai Energy compatibility count?" Alvitr casually responded. "After all, normal men typically don't possess such compatibility."
"Anything else besides that?"
"Of course not. Otherwise, they would have kept you confined in a laboratory instead of assigning you to the Immortal Blades," the girl replied nonchalantly.
Xia Chen felt relieved.
Sometimes, blindly speculating on matters serves no purpose. If there were issues with his body, Schicksal would have detected them long ago.
"Anything else?"
"Hmm, there's one more thing." He hesitated briefly before asking, "Could you provide me with Principal Theresa's contact information?"
"Oh, already feeling restless?" Alvitr teased with a hint of amusement.
When Xia Chen was transferred to the Ocean Branch, she had jokingly mentioned that its primary task was mining.
The training there was not rigorous, and combat opportunities were scarce, making it challenging for someone like Xia Chen, who regularly exercised, to adapt.
However, Alvitr didn't expect him to become impatient so soon.
She knew what Xia Chen intended to do.
"Yes," he admitted openly, "Nagazora City still has many Honkai Beasts, and I want to clear them out."
"That place is used by the Far East Branch for student training." Alvitr yawned, "If you eliminate all of them, Saint Freya won't have such a stable area for their students' exercises anymore."
"But that's not my concern. Just wait a moment."
Xia Chen patiently waited.
Assuming no major plot deviations occurred, Saint Freya Academy would soon raise the flag of rebellion. At that point, Nagazora City would lose significance for Saint Freya.
At that point, Nagazora City would hold little significance for Saint Freya Academy.
By preemptively clearing Honkai from Nagazora City, Xia Chen ensured minimal impact on the storyline.
As for whether he should intervene and change the plot...
Xia Chen could bet that if he attempted to alter it significantly, Otto would swiftly send him off to Siberia to grow potatoes.
The simulation scenario incident had clearly put Otto on guard; otherwise, there wouldn't be any reason for Xia Chen's assignment to the Ocean Branch.
Shortly after, Xia Chen obtained Theresa's contact information and ended the communication with Alvitr.
After explaining the situation to Theresa, the Principal promptly agreed. At this point, she likely didn't fully grasp Xia Chen's capabilities nor his intention to eliminate all Honkai Beasts. In her view, as a B-rank Valkyrie, Xia Chen merely needed training at the outskirts of Nagazora City.
Indeed, Theresa still perceived Xia Chen as a B-rank Valkyrie.
Xia Chen let out a sigh of relief.
Next, he probably just needed to request time off.
Xia Chen now realized that the Ocean Branch didn't truly require his assistance, making it easier for him to request time off.
However, as he was searching for Gretel, she coincidentally came looking for him at the same moment.
"I'd like to ask you to take care of Wendy for some time," Gretel stated directly. "During this period, I want to gather information and find a way to restore Wendy's ability to walk."
Feeling slightly conflicted, Xia Chen explained his plans to visit Nagazora City.
Gretel paused momentarily before smiling wistfully, "Alright then, I'll figure out another solution."
The disappointment in her eyes made it hard for him to bear.
"If you trust me, you could let Wendy accompany me to Nagazora City. I am confident in my ability to look after her."
It had been quite some time since the Honkai incident occurred in Nagazora City. Although numerous Honkai Beasts remained, no Imperial Rank creatures had surfaced yet. The Emperor, Queen, and Templar Honkai Beasts have already been eliminated.
Only lower-tier Honkai Beasts and Zombies, manageable by B-rank Valkyries, were left behind.
He believed he had sufficient capability to protect Wendy in such circumstances.
"I need to ask Wendy for her opinion first."
Gretel explained.
As she prepared to leave, Xia Chen couldn't resist asking, "Could you please tell me why you care for Wendy so much?"
"I can sense that deep down, you also wish to depart from here."
Earlier, when he spoke about the Immortal Blades to Wendy, Gretel listened with equal fascination, even though it was just a mundane conversation.
However, as soon as Xia Chen finished speaking, he regretted it.
If Gretel agreed and they took Wendy to Nagazora City... what would happen if he truly consumed her afterward?
Gretel subtly shifted without turning back, responding to his question, "It's merely my way of seeking redemption."