"Yeah! Sure enough, it looks much better this way!!"
Having had just changed into the appearance of March 7th, Bai Mo was carefully examining herself in the mirror.
To better match the character, Bai Mo used the Power of Reason to materialize a camera. Although she wasn't very good at taking pictures, it would still serve as a decoration.
"What a cute girl, not bad! This version of Lau really suits my taste!"
Unlike Bai Mo ho was focused on her reflection, Elysia reached out and pinched Bai Mo's cheek to test how it felt.
"Alright, now we can take the bus without any worries!"
Pulling Elysia's hand away from her face, Bai Mo shook her head helplessly.
It also gave her an opportunity to see how Kiana and the others were doing recently.
Yes, helping them where she could, even if in small ways, was a form of compensation.
Meeting Kiana and the others under these circumstances was a stroke of luck. Although it had to be done under the guise of strangers, Bai Mo was still very satisfied.
Turning around and looking at the hotel not far behind, Bai Mo saw them in a trance, lost in thought.
Finally, it was Elysia's playful voice that brought her back to reality.
"Don't be sad, Lau. You'll meet them again soon. I believe that day isn't far off. Remember to introduce them to me when the time comes!"
"Of course, I mean when we both use our real identities!"
Looking into Bai Mo's eyes, Elysia quietly held her right hand, as if to say, "Don't worry, I'm here with you now."
The scene was incredibly warm, at least that's how both of them felt.
"Alright! When the time comes, I'll introduce you to them, Ellie! And of course, to everyone from World Serpent—no one will be left out!"
"Then, it's a deal!"
"Yes, it's a deal!"
...Meanwhile, in the small town of Kroka...
In a luxurious manor, Raven was sitting on the sofa with her legs crossed, with a look of impatience.
Her closed eyes and furrowed brow sent a clear signal to those around her: she was in a bad mood.
Around Raven, none of the dozen or so heavily armed mercenaries dared to speak, fearing they might further upset their captain.
Yes, the people gathered around Raven at that moment were all members of her team. Their purpose for gathering was simply to await Raven's orders for their next move.
Time passed quickly in silence, and finally, after more than half an hour, someone couldn't bear it any longer and broke the awkward silence.
"Captain... We've been in this town for four days now. What's our next move? We're practically growing mold from guarding this rundown place."
"Yeah, Captain. While this job is lucrative, it's not exactly our style..."
Two of the leaders scratched their heads and spoke with wry smiles.
"How about... Captain, you ask the mayor to let us all guard outside. At least then we can get some fresh air or something."
Sure enough, once one person spoke up, the rest found the courage to voice their concerns.
By now, three people had expressed their dissatisfaction with the mission, not including those who remained silent.
After all, no mercenary—especially one who fights the Honkai part-time—wants to stay put for too long.
These people were used to fighting Honkai alongside Raven, and they had accomplished a lot for World Serpent during this period. They were practically a regular army squad for World Serpent.
That's why they were so excited when Raven told them they were going to Kroka Town to fight the Honkai.
But after arriving, they hadn't encountered any Honkai. Instead, they were stuck in this dilapidated villa, protecting someone all day.
So how could they not feel frustrated? There was no place to fire their guns, so they just had to keep them holstered.
"Alright, I know what you're all thinking. I'll discuss it with the mayor."
Listening to the complaints, Raven slowly opened her eyes and stood up from the chair.
It was clear that she was growing annoyed with this place, though she remained silent because their sponsor was involved.
"See! Our captain is still the best! I told you not to worry, but you all were so anxious. Useless!"
At that moment, an older man who had remained silent until now suddenly laughed and mocked those who had urged Raven earlier.
"Go, go, go, get lost! Why are you always everywhere!"
"Yeah, you're actually the most anxious one here..."
Hearing this, those who had been mocked retorted with disgust.
"Hey, hey, hey! What nonsense are you two talking about! I..."
"Alright, stop arguing. Justin, you should quiet down too, and take everyone back to their posts."
Just as the man was about to fight back after being exposed, Raven cut him off, not giving him the chance to continue the quarrel.
"What are you all still doing here? If you don't want your pay docked, get back to your posts quickly."
"Back, back, back! You troublemakers, get out of here, the captain has spoken!"
"Get out, get out, get out now!"
"If the captain hadn't intervened, I'd have had to fight with you today..."
Seeing that her words had no effect, Raven quickly played her trump card and waved everyone away.
Because over the next period of time, she needed to carefully think about what to do next.
After all, according to her secret investigation over the past few days, the zombies appearing in Kroka Town were following a pattern. Rather than being infected by the Honkai, it felt more like something artificial.
Of course, this was just Raven's suspicion.
After all, creating zombies artificially... could there really be someone that crazy?
But if this were truly the result of the Honkai's arrival, the town would have been fully infected by now, not operating as normally as it was.
Therefore, the more Raven investigated, the more confused she became about what was happening in the town, as if the entire place was shrouded in fog, making it hard to see clearly.
Shaking her head, Raven decided not to think about it for the time being.
After all, all actions had to wait until nightfall, when she could sneak out unnoticed...