Honkai Diary: Start With Picking Up A White-Haired Treasure

As Zeke had mentioned, his vision significantly deteriorated after dark. However, with the brightly lit interior of the house casting light through its windows, it provided a clear view inside.

In this situation, Zeke could easily spot the heads within the rooms.

"Two at the ground floor window and one at the second-floor window; they're likely on watch..."

The noise level decreased, indicating to Zeke that, apart from those on guard, most others must be heavily intoxicated by now.

A fine tradition among Russians, indeed worth perpetuating.

Thus, the moment was ripe for action.

Waiting until daylight would restore Zeke's vision, but also allow most individuals inside to sober up. Moreover, enduring an entire night would diminish Zeke's physical strength and alertness, potentially weakening their combat effectiveness compared to the present state.

So, this was the optimal time to strike.

Zeke signaled to Kiana, both readying their crossbows.

"Whoosh!"

"Whoosh!"

"Whoosh!"

Three consecutive arrows, loaded and fired seamlessly within less than five seconds. The accuracy, already optimized by his brain's analysis, was so precise that he didn't even need to aim visually; blind firing sufficed for headshots.

"Crash!"

The sounds of shattering glass echoed one after another.

Zeke knew he had killed people.

Yet, his emotions remained remarkably calm.

He had mentally prepared himself while eavesdropping earlier; now that he actually took lives, aside from slight nervousness, Zeke felt no discomfort or unease.

Beside him, Kiana hesitated momentarily, scrunching her fingers into the snow and dirt beneath them but ultimately not averting her gaze.

"You're my eyes now," Zeke's reminder resonated in her mind. Kiana understood that her observations were crucial, not just for herself but also for Zeke's survival.

A brief commotion arose inside the house.

An unfortunate soul poked half their head out from a first-floor window, believing they were cautiously surveying for enemies outside.

Only to be swiftly dispatched by one of Zeke's arrows.

Moments later, the lights within the house went dark.

The noise abruptly gave way to a deathly silence.

"Seven left," Zeke stated, both as a reminder to himself and to Kiana, who served as his eyes.

Concerned about Kiana becoming overly tense, Zeke reached out and gently patted her back.

"I'm fine." Kiana gritted her teeth, staring intently at the windows and door of the house, afraid even to blink.

"That's good. Phase two: keep watching closely."

As Zeke spoke, he groped around his waist in the darkness and produced two tightly corked beer bottles.

His eyes truly couldn't see; Night Blindness wasn't something that could be easily corrected with just a few days of adjustment.

However, their positions and the layout of the house remained constant, ingrained as a detailed three-dimensional model in Zeke's mind.

Zeke weighed the bottles, considering factors such as weight, arm strength, wind speed, distance, and direction. These elements formed a comprehensive calculation formula in his head before he swiftly hurled both bottles consecutively.

"Very accurate, you hit them both inside," Kiana confirmed.

Zeke acknowledged with a simple "hm."

Inside the room, a potent gas rapidly spread.

These were homemade chemical weapons crafted by Zeke. Given the materials available in the small town, it was impossible to create instantly lethal substances. Thus, the liquids in these two bottles had two extreme effects—rapid dispersion and causing tear-inducing blindness.

"Agh!"

"What is this? What's happening?"

"My eyes, they hurt!"

"Go! Let's get out of here!"

Amidst sounds of collisions and chairs toppling over, Zeke heard the door opening.

"Kiana!" he called out.

Kiana promptly responded, "Left-center and right side! Two people total!"

"Whoosh!"

"Whoosh!"

Zeke fired two arrows almost with his eyes shut, forcing both stumbling figures back inside as they tried to reach the door.

The doorway was barely wide enough for three adult men to pass through simultaneously, so using terms like left, center-left, center, center-right, and right sufficed for Zeke to pinpoint the positions of anyone exiting.

However, since Kiana relayed the information, Zeke could only ensure he'd hit someone in their upper body but couldn't guarantee the exact location.

Kiana promptly reported the results:

"Two hits, both in the chest. They...they're not moving now. Center-left, about...about two meters behind the door, and one crouching."

Zeke furrowed his brow.

This description was even vaguer. He calculated swiftly for a second before firing three more arrows.

A moment later, Kiana updated him:

"Hit two; one in the leg, and the other...right on the head, also dead."

"Four," Zeke said coldly.

That's how many remained.

He then reached for another tear-jerk wine bottle hanging from his belt on the opposite side.

"Crack! Crack!"

The sound of shattering bottles echoed within the room.

The tear gas that had slightly dissipated upon opening the door now filled the space again, continuing its torment on the occupants' vision.

Just as a burn on fire-affected skin would only worsen with continued exposure, eyes already damaged by gas were not immune to further harm. Especially as the concentration of gas increased, the victims' eyes would experience even greater pain.

Sure enough, anguished cries soon echoed from inside the house.

This was followed by chaotic gunfire triggered by panic.

Naturally, the commotion alarmed the neighbors. But everyone in town knew that the occupants of this house weren't upstanding citizens, and the sound of gunshots could never be a good sign. Consequently, no one dared to venture out or spectate, fearing involvement in the danger.

Thanks to their absence, Zeke could distinctly hear the screams within the house. After the gunshots ceased, he roughly pinpointed the location based on the sounds.

A shotgun generously lent by the hardware store owner appeared in Zeke's hands—a single-shot scattergun capable of firing only one round at a time.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

After four shots and reloading each time, Zeke gently caressed the loaded shotgun, straining his ears to listen for any movements inside the house.

Ten minutes later, Zeke let out a long sigh.

"It should be over now. Kiana, wait here, I'll go check..."

"I'm going to verify the situation—stay put until I return!" Ignoring Zeke's command, Kiana rose cautiously and tiptoed towards the house.

"Kiana, have you gone mad?! Get back here!"

Zeke whispered sharply.

His only response was the sound of Kiana's footsteps crunching through the snow as she moved away.

"Bang!"

Zeke slammed his fist on the ground, veins popping on his forehead.

Although he was nearly certain there were no survivors inside, even the slightest uncertainty gnawed at him—the thought of Kiana getting shot made him grind his teeth to near-breaking point.

"Wait! At least come back and grab a gun!" Zeke growled ahead, adding, "If you dare enter unarmed, I'll break your legs!"

Perhaps intimidated by Zeke's threat or realizing the danger herself, Kiana eventually returned, intending to pick up the shotgun lying next to Zeke.

Just as she approached within a couple of steps, ready to crouch down for the weapon, Zeke, alert to her movements, swiftly reached out, grabbed her pant leg, and yanked.

"Ackkk!"

Kiana stumbled backward, falling beneath Zeke's weight.

"You've become quite something, haven't you? Making decisions all on your own now?"

"Mmmf mmmf!" With her mouth covered, Kiana couldn't utter a word.

To be honest, despite his furious state, Zeke's strength remained within the realm of a child's; Kiana could easily overpower him. However, seeing the terrifying expression on Zeke's face—like he was about to devour her—Kiana suddenly dared not resist.

Fear was undoubtedly present.

Yet alongside that fear, Kiana felt oddly conflicted—almost as if she were somewhat pleased.

Breathing heavily, Zeke eventually parted from Kiana's lips and said,

"Let's not go in yet. We can wait a bit longer. With my tear gas deployed, anyone still awake inside wouldn't be able to resist making noise."

By waiting, if it remained silent, they could reasonably conclude everyone inside had perished.

Kiana hastily nodded but then realized Zeke might not see her gesture, so she softly replied,

"I...I understand."