Ah, what beautiful weather.
Shin lifted his hand to shield his eyes from the blazing sun overhead. As he scanned the crowd-packed beach in front of him, he couldn't help but sigh softly.
This was a coastal city on the southern tip of Europe, Sicily, to be precise.
One week ago, Raven had mentioned receiving an important mission, dragging Shin along on a flight all the way from Northern Europe to the Mediterranean. The Raven's Nest Bar was once again left closed and empty.
For someone who gets sent all over the world for missions, why bother opening a bar in the first place?
Shin couldn't figure out the logic behind the legendary mercenary's thinking.
Yet after arriving in Sicily, Raven didn't take him on any missions. In fact, she vanished for days on end, leaving Shin to his own devices.
With nothing better to do, Shin wandered around the island.
Sightseeing by day, indulging in local food by night, life was unexpectedly peaceful and enjoyable.
While Raven's talk of an important mission piqued his curiosity, Shin wasn't the type to lose sleep over something like that.
Living each day to the fullest, that was his guiding principle.
After all, in a world like this, who knew when everything might collapse?
Reining in his wandering thoughts, Shin headed toward the shoreline.
The sun-baked sand was hot to the touch, sending heat pulsing up through his bare feet with every step, a strangely pleasant sensation.
Actually, it felt… pretty nice.
As the coarse sand rubbed against his soles, Shin's mood lightened. The sun, the beach, girls in swimsuits—Sicily's coast felt like summer incarnate.
Even though autumn had already arrived in Northern Europe, and some places were already seeing snow, here in the Mediterranean, the sun still blazed.
He strolled along the edge of the surf, where waves crashed gently against his feet, leaving behind trails of foam and damp sand. Shin watched the sea of beachgoers around him, taking in the vibrant and foreign seaside scene.
Children sculpting sandcastles. Young men and women playing beach volleyball. Girls rubbing suntan lotion on each other. A fluffy white-haired blob perched on a high chair.
Wait. What was that?
Blinking in confusion, Shin turned his gaze toward a girl sitting on a lifeguard's high chair. She wore a standard lifeguard outfit, her white hair catching the sunlight, and her blue eyes darting about with a certain… dull innocence.
Yeah. That airheaded look all but confirmed it, he knew who she was.
As if sensing Shin's gaze, the girl looked in his direction and gave a dazzling, radiant smile. Her gleaming white teeth sparkled under the sunlight.
She was practically glowing, an absolute airhead, through and through.
They hadn't exchanged a word. They were thirty meters apart, complete strangers. Yet she still radiated warmth and goodwill like a lighthouse beacon.
Shin blinked and returned her smile with a faint one of his own.
That counted as a greeting, right?
Without saying a word, he turned and ran straight into the waves.
This meeting was pure coincidence. He didn't plan to walk up and introduce himself just yet.
With a few strokes of his arms and kicks of his legs, Shin moved farther and farther from shore, quickly pushing the encounter to the back of his mind as he fully immersed himself in the joy of swimming.
What a strange guy.
The white-haired lifeguard tilted her head, watching the black-haired boy vanish into the sea.
Still… he was kind of handsome.
She couldn't stop thinking about that brief glimpse of his face, striking, unforgettable.
Lifeguard duty was boring as hell. She needed these little moments to keep herself entertained.
Meanwhile, far from shore and the crowds, Shin floated spread-eagle on the surface, pretending to be a drowned corpse.
Ever since receiving the Blank Herrscher Core as a mission reward, Shin had long since transcended humanity. As a newly minted Herrscher, things like drowning or stamina weren't concerns anymore.
Above him, the sun bathed him in warmth. Below, the sea rocked him gently. Sandwiched between the two, he felt an odd kind of peace.
The distant noise of the beach faded, replaced only by the rhythm of the waves. For a moment, it felt like he was the only person left in the world.
Shin liked this sense of total freedom.
He still remembered how terrified and lost he had been half a year ago when he first arrived in this world.
The day he landed, he stumbled into a mid-sized Honkai outbreak that ravaged multiple city blocks. Honkai Beasts with devastating strength, and soulless, bloodthirsty Deadwalkers roamed the streets.
Looking back now, the fact that he had survived felt like sheer luck.
Even well-armed soldiers struggled to survive against those creatures. How could an unarmed civilian like him possibly make it?
Sure, people from the Kaslana family liked to take down Honkai Beasts with baseball bats, but in truth, even the weakest chariot-class beasts needed heavy machine guns to do real damage.
Somehow, he made it out of that disaster. His first mission reward had been a natural Stigma.
That was when Shin truly gained the power to survive in a collapsing world.
Now, with the Blank Herrscher Core in hand and wielding Herrscher-level power, he had finally taken his first step into the world's highest echelons.
What other surprises did this unnamed system still have in store?
Basking in the sun with his eyes closed, Shin felt genuinely excited for the future.
Gurgle, gurgle-
A strange noise cut through the sound of the waves.
Someone's drowning?
Opening his eyes, Shin spotted someone struggling two or three dozen meters away, flailing wildly in the water. A head bobbed up and down, barely above the surface.
He watched for a few seconds, then glanced at the lifeguard's high chair.
Though she was nearly fifty meters away in a straight line, the white-haired lifeguard still spotted the emergency immediately.
With a final chomp, she devoured the last of her popsicle and launched off the high chair in a fluid motion, sprinting across the sand and diving into the sea.
Her arms cut through the water with practiced grace, moving like a fish through the surf, leaving a bright white streak in her wake.
Her form was actually kind of nice to watch.
After admiring her for a bit, Shin finally swam toward the drowning person himself at a perfectly average pace.
Walking up to chat earlier might've been awkward, but now? This was a golden opportunity.
Being closer, Shin reached the victim before the lifeguard.
The moment he made contact, the person grabbed onto him in a panic, pulling him under. Hands and legs flailed against him. Two soft mounds pressed tightly to his chest.
The drowning victim was… a well-endowed older woman.
But beneath the waves, Shin spotted something worse—a squid-like creature with red and white coloring, clinging to her ankle with its tentacles.
A stray Honkai Beast?
Shin was stunned for half a second before flicking his fingers. The underdeveloped, separated beast disintegrated on the spot.
Then, with a light karate chop to the woman's neck, he knocked her out cold. She went limp immediately.
Grabbing her by the arm, Shin swam back to shore with one arm, dragging her along behind.
He wasn't one of those Schicksal Valkyries who lived to save the world. He had no interest in why a Honkai Beast was here.
Moments later, the lifeguard girl arrived, her eyes widening in surprise as she saw Shin already hauling the woman to shore.
"Thanks for the help. I'll take it from here."
Her voice was clear and pleasant.
At this closer distance, Shin found her even more stunning. Snow-white hair, elegant features, this girl could wear a crown and play the part of a princess without issue, even if her lifeguard uniform did her no favors.
He didn't say anything. Just quietly let go of the woman's arm.
Right now, he was just a helpful civilian. This part was best left to the professionals.
As she swam back with the unconscious woman, the girl's technique was far more refined. She kept the woman's head above water the entire way, barely slowing down.
Within moments, they were back on the beach.
She laid the woman on the sand and placed her hands on the woman's chest to administer CPR—only to find that she hadn't inhaled much water at all.
So she hadn't passed out from drowning?
The white-haired girl froze. Maybe she hadn't studied first aid properly after all.
Crap. Would she get her pay docked for this?
What was she supposed to do next...?
She looked at the woman's pale lips, wondering whether to try mouth-to-mouth.
"Cough, cough!"
The woman jolted awake, her brown eyes dull and unfocused. She looked around in confusion.
"I'll help you get somewhere to rest."
Relieved, the lifeguard slid an arm under the woman's shoulders and helped her up, heading toward the temporary first-aid tent. She glanced back at Shin.
"Thanks again. Without you, it might've ended badly."
The woman had been unconscious. If Shin hadn't stepped in when he did, it might've been too late.
Of course, if she knew the unconsciousness was Shin's fault to begin with, her tone would likely be very different.
"It was nothing. Just did what I could."
Shin kept his usual modest persona intact as he looked at the girl's stunning face.
"Most people wouldn't be that brave." She waved him off casually, like someone who'd seen it all. "Still, you've got some skills. Didn't expect your swimming to be that good."
Not everyone could rescue someone mid-ocean.
Her eyes scanned Shin's lithe but strong build, and she licked her lips unconsciously.
Close up, he looked even better. Great face, great figure. She kinda wanted to—
"Eh, not bad," Shin said.
The girl's stare was making his skin crawl, so he shifted a few steps away and let the unconscious woman block her line of sight.
Wasn't he supposed to be the hunter? Why did he feel like prey?
That creeping realization made Shin a little uneasy.
As they arrived at the first-aid tent, the girl helped the woman inside and handed her off to the medics. Then she grabbed a popsicle from a mini fridge and tossed it to Shin.
"Here. A little reward for your bravery."
She gave a sheepish smile.
"I'm just a regular part-timer. Don't have much to give, so don't expect too much."
Shin shook his head and opened the wrapper. Inside was a long red bar.
He took a bite. Sweet, strawberry flavor spread across his tongue, cooling and refreshing. He smiled.
"This is really good. I like it."
For a split second, the girl felt like a rainbow-colored deer had just kicked her in the chest.
"Right! I'm Kiana. Kiana Kaslana. When I get off work, wanna grab dinner together?"
She grinned wide, her teeth sparkling like sunlight on the sea.
As if guided by fate, the hero who would one day save the world, and the final boss who might destroy it, met that day on the beach.
*********
Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 200, 400 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch!