"Most standalone buildings in Chiba Academy have backup power. Even if external energy supply is cut off, they can still function normally," Raiden Mei explained.
"Chiba Academy is filled with wealthy elites, so afternoon tea parties are common in various locations—the library being one of them. That's why these supplies are here. The security measures are robust, so the zombies haven't managed to break in. In the past... well, due to certain reasons, I still have a key to this place."
As the daughter of ME Corp's chairman, Mei's father had funded the construction of much of Chiba Academy.
Before her father was imprisoned for financial crimes, Mei—known as the "Lightning Queen"—naturally possessed such privileges.
Even after her social standing collapsed, the key was never confiscated. The other elites, clinging to the last shreds of decorum, never bothered to change the locks on these hidden storerooms.
"Hah, as expected of a prestigious academy." Chen Luo couldn't help but admire the foresight.
His own school had similar facilities, but since it never faced an apocalypse, he hadn't paid much attention.
By the way, Mei's tea was excellent—comparable to Chen Luo's own Tea Ceremony Mastery.
They had barricaded the library entrance earlier, granting them a rare half-hour of peace.
During that time, Chen Luo noticed Mei and Kiana growing closer.
What frustrated him, though, was that despite Mei's discount being 7.5, her quest still hadn't been completed.
Three-star quests really are tough.
"Alright, next step: planning our escape from Chiba Academy." After lunch, Chen Luo flipped the table over and spread out a detailed map.
"Where'd you get such an accurate map?" Kiana eyed him suspiciously.
"Aren't you supposed to be an otherworldly traveler? Or is that just a cover?" Kiana looked at Chen Luo suspiciously.
Over the past half-hour, the three had exchanged basic information.
"Then what do you call this? If this isn't magic, then what is. " A sphere of water formed in Chen Luo's palm before splitting into three portions for handwashing.
Always wash up after meals—no one wants a slippery grip mid-combat.
"...Okay, that looks like magic." Even Kiana had to admit Chen Luo truly seemed like a traveler from another world.
Though this "otherworldly traveler" knew way too much about their world.
"If possible, can we stop by the TV station first?" Kiana pointed to the Nagazora Broadcasting Tower, quite a distance from the academy.
"If not, I'll go alone. I don't want to hold you back." Kiana added.
"May I ask why? The TV station isn't on the fastest route out," Mei inquired politely.
That was an understatement—it was a massive detour.
In a survival scenario, Kiana's request is tantamount to seeking death.
"I came to Chiba Academy to find my deadbeat dad. He vanished suddenly, and I traced him to Nagazora. Now that the Honkai outbreak happened here, I figured... maybe hijacking the city's broadcast system would help locate him faster. But this is just a selfish request—feel free to ignore it." Kiana smiled apologetically.
[Ding! New quest received!]
[Where's Daddy?]: Help Kiana reach Nagazora Broadcasting Tower to hijack the citywide broadcast and search for Siegfried.
Reward: 200 Primogems + Kiana Favorability +20
Difficulty: 2-Stars
Kiana's really broke, huh? Can't even offer items—just her "favorability."
"Of course we'll help." Mei's heart ached at Kiana's plea—it mirrored her own longing for her imprisoned father.
But after agreeing, she belatedly remembered Chen Luo. "Uh... A'Luo, what do you think?"
"No objections. I descended in response to your wish, Mei. If you desire this, I'll assist wholeheartedly. Kiana, pure maiden—when your wish burns brightly enough, I, too, shall appear to fulfill it."
"...That's a bit weird, but... thanks." Kiana scratched her head awkwardly hearing Chen Luo's words.
"A'Luo, do you grant all wishes?" Mei asked curiously.
"Of course not. I'm not some omnipotent wish-granting device. I refuse requests from evildoers—I do have principles." Chen Luo said
"Speaking of which, Kiana—your full name is Kiana Kaslana, right?" Chen Luo turned to her.
"Huh? How'd you know?" She blinked. She'd only introduced herself by her first name.
"Well... let's just say there's another wish I accepted—from a certain aunt missing her niece. Long story short: Kiana, your aunt wants you home for dinner."
Chen Luo figured it was time to reveal this quest. Better now than risk exposure later.
"Aunt? I don't have an aunt!"
"How should I know? All I know is the wish exists. Kiana Kaslana, daughter of Siegfried Kaslana, inheritor of the family's Gun Kata—that's you, right?"
"Yes, but I've never heard of an aunt!" Kiana expressed her confusion.
"Don't overthink it. When I arrived in this world, I accepted this wish—even met your little aunt. But I had no clue where you were. Then Mei's wish led me to Nagazora, by chance I stumbled into you. I can only call this fate."
"The three of us were meant to meet."
After some mental gymnastics, Chen Luo successfully sold his fabricated backstory.
Chen Luo didn't actually want to lie, but right now, he needed to be mindful of Raiden Mei's fragile heart.
"So Kiana still has other family in this world? That's wonderful." Mei didn't find anything strange about it—in fact, she was happy for Kiana.
After all, if she could accept something as absurd as an otherworldly traveler, what else couldn't she accept?
"Little auntie..."
"Alright, now for the final—and most important—task before we set out." Chen Luo's expression grew solemn.
"What task?" Seeing how serious he was, Mei instinctively straightened her posture.
"Naming our squad." Chen Luo declared gravely.
"..."
"How about... the Traveler, Lightning Queen, and White-Haired Dumpling Squad?" Chen Luo suggested.
"What kind of name is that?!" Kiana was so stunned by the ridiculous name that she momentarily forgot to question Chen Luo's bizarre logic.
"Me: the Traveler. Mei: the Lightning Queen. You: the White-Haired Dumpling." Chen Luo patiently explained the naming logic.
"But it's way too long! And why are you first? Also, I'm not a white-haired dumpling!" Kiana protested vehemently.
"Kiana, have you ever heard the saying, 'He who provides the milk is the mother'? Well, I provide the food, so I'm the leader."
With a grand wave of his hand, a spread of mouthwatering dishes materialized on the table—only to vanish just as quickly.
"Well? Any more objections?" Chen Luo asked smugly.
"...None." Kiana wiped the drool from her lips.
"Mei, what about you?"
"No objections, but the name is a bit long..." Mei shook her head.
"Then we'll just call it Traveler Squad for short." Chen Luo finalized the decision.
Though Kiana grumbled, a bottle of juice was enough to buy her silence. Mei, on the other hand, didn't seem to care much either way.
[Ding! Party successfully formed. Please name your party.]
The Talent Panel popped up.
Chen Luo had discovered this party function during lunch—likely unlocked after the event began.
The effect was simple: when party members killed Honkai beasts or zombies, Chen Luo would receive half the rewards.
This drastically improved his farming efficiency.
After all, no matter how fast Chen Luo was, he couldn't possibly slaughter every zombie on their way out of Chiba Academy alone.
In short, this feature had arrived at the perfect time.
"Herrscher Squad." Chen Luo confirmed the name.
In this group of four, three were Herrschers. What else would he call it?
Yes, the Herrscher of Sentience counted as a member.
"By the way, Kiana, what kind of guns do you prefer? Pistols? Shotguns? SMGs? Or something else?" Chen Luo asked as they prepared to leave the library.
"???"
***
BOOM!
A deafening gunshot echoed through Chiba Academy as a zombie that had breached their perimeter was blasted in half by a shotgun.
Seeing that zombies could now break through Chen Luo's blockade, Mei—sword in one hand, pistol in the other—grew serious.
"Not to sound ungrateful, A'Luo, but why use a bow when you have all these guns? And these are modified, right? The firepower's insane." Kiana griped, hefting her shotgun while a pistol hung at her waist.
She'd assumed Chen Luo used a bow because he lacked firearms. Turns out, he was loaded.
"Pfft. Guns are worse than bows for me—especially for long-range precision shots."
The Divine Archery inherited from Venti, combined with Anemo energy and the Elven Bow, rivaled a 4-star weapon in power—far surpassing conventional firearms.
Plus, Chen Luo could fire three arrows at once. Triple the efficiency.
And let's not forget—some zombies and Honkai beasts were immune to bullets.
Though the guns Kiana and Mei wielded were enchanted—not by Chen Luo, but by Liu Wenxuan, who moonlighted as a blacksmith. In the Abyss and Hidden World, conventional firearms were too weak, so enchantments were mandatory.
"And why didn't you give Mei a proper gun?"
"I did give her a pistol."
"What's a pistol gonna do? It's weak! And that sword just gets in the way."
"What do you know? That sword is more expensive than your guns. It's my most important blade—for Mei's protection. Besides, she's not great with guns. You and I handle ranged; she handles melee. Simple."
"This sword... is that important?" Mei tightened her grip on the blade.
"Of course it's—HOLY SHIT, HONKAI BEAST! CHARIOT-CLASS!"
Mid-sentence, Chen Luo spotted a massive Honkai beast charging toward them—two stories tall.
"Honkai beast?! Run!" Kiana instinctively yelled at the sight of the massive Honkai Beast.
A Chariot-class wasn't something ordinary humans could defeat.
"Scared? Watch this—the true power of the Elven Bow." Chen Luo smirked, standing his ground.
He'd only used normal attacks until now. Time for a charged shot.
Drawing the bowstring to its limit, he held it—not releasing. As Kiana and Mei wondered why he wasn't firing, gale-force winds began converging.
Anemo energy, tangible as solid matter, coiled around the arrow.
Mei could feel the Vision Chen Luo had given her vibrating faintly in her pocket. The gathering storm nearly knocked her and Kiana off their feet.
"This is… True Divine Archery."
Chen Luo released the bowstring.
What shot forth was no longer an arrow—but a tornado given form. The Anemo-infused projectile sliced through everything in its path.
When Kiana steadied herself and looked up, all she felt was awe.
The arrow pierced clean through the colossal Honkai beast—then carved a ravine into the ground behind it.
[Chariot-class Honkai beast slain: 50 Primogems]
[Primogem limit reached. Automatically converted to Crystals.]
[+0.5% Honkai Energy Adaptability]
"Fuck... I'm exhausted." Confirming the beast's death, Chen Luo slumped against Mei, drained.
That attack had been a full-powered move for him right now.