Miss Riddler just wants to level up in peace.

That's right.

It's that feeling of looking down on everything.

"I am looking forward."

Ziyao took out her pocket watch and helped Xier calculate the time.

In no time at all, the several menacing Honkai Beasts were reduced to a pile of fragments.

"Seele is really amazing."

The place they were going to was just ahead; it looked like a dilapidated church.

As I approached the gate, a chilling sense of crisis flashed through my mind.

He grabbed Seele's hand, intending to back away.

Seele seemed to react even faster than her, and the two made almost the same move.

The next second, a flash of cold light appeared.

The blade sliced ​​through the air, raising a cloud of cold snow dust.

"Tsk."

In the moment of danger, she seamlessly switched personalities and became Black Seele.

The assassins blocking the gate were different from the usual ones.

Its aura was unique, and its eyes were sharp, far surpassing those few grunts from before.

Before Ziyao could react, Heixi grabbed her scythe and charged forward to engage her in combat.

Taking advantage of their speed, the assassins dodged the deadly long scythes perfectly several times.

Unlike the reserved and introverted Seele, Black Seele's fighting style emphasizes speed, accuracy, and ruthlessness, and she doesn't care at all that she's wearing a skirt when she fights.

Soon after, the assassin made its first mistake, which marked the end of its life.

"Those insects that only hide in the dark are disgusting."

"It's not the only thing hiding in the shadows."

Ziyao coldly looked down at the corpse of the assassin lying on the snow and said indifferently.

[Ding! You have obtained 310 crystals.....]

Volume 1: Chapter 187 The Puppet (Part 1)

Pushing open the church door, the sound of clashing metal echoed incessantly.

Following the sound, they saw a short, white-haired man wielding a huge cross, fighting seven or eight assassins single-handedly without being at a disadvantage.

Not far away, a girl with short blue hair knelt on the ground, holding a rag doll in her hand.

At first glance, you might mistake him for Einstein, but he's just an ordinary person.

"Danger! You must get out of here immediately!"

NPCs in a simulated world bubble?

Theresa glanced at it and then warned.

Even though she knew they were 'real' phantoms, she still couldn't stand idly by.

As she spoke, the doll in the blue-haired girl's hand trembled violently, and several more assassins reappeared in the darkness.

After experiencing it firsthand, Theresa realized that these assassins were special, their agility comparable to that of an Emperor-level Honkai Beast.

Theresa had some recollection of Ziyao; she accidentally bumped into her at noon.

According to gossip from the Valkyries in the break room, she seems to be the younger sister of Bishop Durandal, and is in a position where she's just slacking off.

Unlike himself, whose role in this world is that of a menial worker.

While you're thinking, danger begins to stir.

"Wow, this is quite lively."

Looking around, she saw the assassins eyeing her menacingly, making it difficult for her to protect both sides at the same time.

"I'm sorry, it might hurt a little..."

By swinging Judah's chains, Theresa tried to forcefully send the two away.

Unexpectedly, Hei Xi swung her long scythe and forcefully blocked it.

"The person who needs to worry is yourself."

Hei Xi, with an air of enjoying watching the drama unfold, keenly noticed the strange behavior of the assassins.

On the other side, the white-haired girl gently turned to the side, just in time to avoid the chain at the end.

Myself?

Before Theresa could even ask questions, the assassins suddenly raised their swords and swarmed forward, forming a strangulation formation as if someone were directing them.

While she was busy protecting both sides, she herself was left wide open, making this a perfect opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

It's too late —

She hastily retrieved Judah's chains, but the sharp katana was only inches away from her.

At the critical moment, a flash of silvery-white light appeared, and several assassins instantly turned into dust.

Looking up, the culprit had simply raised a finger and wiped them all out.

A cold wind blew in from the crack in the door behind me, carrying snowflakes that gently ruffled my fluffy, curly gray hair.

"Thank you, that's a big help."

Theresa breathed a sigh of relief as she put away Judas.

If she were to protect herself, she would be unable to protect the girl behind her.

With her abilities, even if she were surrounded, she would only suffer minor injuries, but if it were the other side, it would be a bloody scene.

While it's not impossible to eliminate the assassins all at once, it would cause enormous destruction, backfire, and affect those around them.

"Cough cough."

Looking at Ziyao again, she straightened her back and gave a brief self-introduction.

A precise and meticulous attack is like a sharp scalpel.

Silent and unassuming, without revealing its strength.

In her memory, the only people with similar powers were Rita and her mysterious bishop grandfather.

"So short, looks like he's ten years old."

Hei Xi hit the nail on the head, speaking with a sharp tongue.

As she stated, the disheartening height difference undermined Theresa's supposed 'adult' dignity.

Following the topic, Ziyao reached out and gently stroked her head.

"Don't be angry, she meant no harm."

The girl spoke softly and gently, as if treating a child.

The smooth, silky hair glided through my fingertips, feeling cool and refreshing to the touch.

"Can you forgive her?"

"I am not angry."

Theresa sighed, thinking that the other person's actions might not be adding fuel to the fire, but rather a genuine expression of concern.

Faced with the girl's sincere gaze, his slight dissatisfaction vanished instantly, leaving only helplessness.

Volume 1: Chapter 188 The Puppet (Part 2)

"Wake up, once you fall asleep you'll never wake up again."

Theresa knelt on the ground, supporting the unconscious girl in her arms.

The other person was tightly hugging a white, cat-like plush toy, which, in terms of appearance, looked very much like Kyubey, the magical girl abductor.

It exuded the same peculiar aura as the assassin, and Theresa reached out to remove it.

However, it was as if it were glued on, and I couldn't get it off no matter what I did.

Even when she was unconscious, the girl clung to him tightly and wouldn't let go.

"Very faint..."

I reached out to check my pulse; my heartbeat was getting slower and slower, weak and feeble.

The search for help turned to Ziyao, who hoped to send the girl back to headquarters for treatment.

"It was too late; her life was already like a candle flickering in the wind."

"This thing is quite interesting. What do you know about it?"

Ziyao looked at the doll and said, "It is the culprit that caused all of this."

"Truth or Dare puppets, I've heard that as long as you pay the price, you can get the answer you want... Headquarters has been investigating this thing these past few days, and many people have died because of it."

Most of the dead were young people, and strangely, their expressions were mostly happy and content, as if they had been having an incredibly blissful dream and had drowned in it.

Theresa had been following her trail since noon, and when she arrived here, she found a large number of assassins gathered there, and the girl's life was constantly fading away.

"The scent of a Herrscher."

Ziyao asserted, pinching the doll's large hip.

The taste is very similar to that of the Herrscher of Corruption; perhaps asking Yae Sakura would provide the answer.

However, the Jizo shrine was not brought over, which is a headache.

"don't want....."

I gently tugged at it, trying to take the doll away, and unsurprisingly, it resisted unconsciously.

"We won't hurt you, please don't worry."

Stroking the girl's head, Ziyao conjured a pair of scissors out of thin air and began to cut along the doll's neck.