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

Zeke had meticulously planned for the number of people and executed his strategy accordingly, but he hadn't anticipated Kiana taking such initiative on her own.

Of course, he understood that Kiana was concerned for his safety. However, this was one aspect where he refused to yield, without needing any specific reason—he simply couldn't back down.

The consequence of their stubbornness left them lying prone in the icy snow for nearly another hour.

For Kiana, enduring this hold-up posed no burden; if anything, she grew more alert with each passing moment.

On the other hand, for Zeke, who had just experienced a day of warmth and proper meals, it felt like pure torment.

This outcome wasn't unexpected by Zeke though.

Eventually, realizing it was time to relent, Zeke didn't push himself further and allowed Kiana to help him inside the house.

To guard against potential ambushes, Zeke refrained from turning on any lights. Instead, with a shotgun in one hand and Kiana accompanying him, they cautiously searched every floor by touch.

They heard no breathing or heartbeats.

Indeed, it seemed the ordeal had ended.

Zeke finally sighed in relief, instructing Kiana to close the door as he switched on the room's lights.

Apparently, his earlier attack had severed the wiring upstairs, leaving only the living room lights on the ground floor functioning properly.

After confirming their safety, Zeke considered his weakened state and prepared some soup using available ingredients, warming up a meal which he set on the table.

"Eat up, replenish your nutrients," said Zeke, his expression unflinching, seemingly oblivious to the chaos and bloodshed around them.

Kiana, obediently seated nearby, behaved differently this time; instead of eagerly pouncing on the food and devouring it as before, she hesitated. She glanced at the scattered corpses around her, their blood pooling on the floor. Even traces of splattered gore marred the table, and the plate placed before her bore red stains, raising doubts about whether the soup and meal contained human blood.

Kiana (??): "..."

"I made sure to clean it thoroughly, and honestly, there's no poison," Zeke glanced at the nearby corpses, nonchalantly taking a sip of soup.

As he rightly pointed out, human blood is typically harmless, especially after being heated for sterilization.

Kiana shook her head vigorously, "No, no, no! It's not about whether it's poisonous or not. This isn't normal, absolutely not!"

To Kiana, Zeke seemed extraordinarily different from anyone she had ever met before.

Zeke gave her a look and continued eating, saying, "Suit yourself. If you don't eat now, you'll be stuck with dry rations later."

Kiana possessed extraordinary resilience; regardless of how much she protested, nothing significant would affect her health.

However, Zeke was different. After lying half-frozen in the snow for hours, without promptly replenishing his energy and nutrients, his body wouldn't hold up.

Did he have psychological barriers? Absolutely, but survival takes precedence, making such minor issues inconsequential.

'Overcome it, to keep living,' Zeke thought to himself, glancing at the corpses, suppressing all discomfort, and calmly chewing as if everything were normal.

Despite his efforts, this meal remained utterly tasteless.

In a peaceful world, he would never force himself to adapt to such grotesque situations. However, in this Honkai-ravaged reality, possessing an unflappable resolve might just be the difference between life and death during chaotic times.

Feeling uneasy inside but maintaining composure on his face, Zeke finished his dinner calmly before gesturing for Kiana to bring forth the two suitcases they had discovered during their search.

They were typical black briefcases often seen in movies, instantly suggesting that they contained either cash or confidential documents.

While eavesdropping earlier, Zeke hadn't obtained the password. But now equipped with various tools, after carefully examining the security features, he effortlessly opened one of the cases.

On the left side lay neatly stacked bills, while on the right, bags filled with crystalline particles.

"U.S. dollars and drugs..." Zeke murmured, observing the contents of both suitcases.

He promptly set aside the box containing the crystalline substances. From the other case, he emptied stacks of U.S. currency into a cloth bag he brought along, then tossed the empty suitcase aside as well.

After signaling Kiana to carry the money, Zeke pondered briefly and retrieved a cell phone from a well-dressed corpse nearby.

Fortunately, yesterday, while handling affairs, he had specifically paid attention to analyzing the local script. Although not fully proficient, he at least managed basic literacy without issue.

'Good thing it's an old-fashioned button phone without fingerprint or password locks... Oh, found it—the boss's number.'

"Ahem! Ahem!" Zeke tightened his throat muscles, adjusting his voice before dialing.

"Hello? It's Garth here. How's everything going?"

"The Urals... Silver Wolf..."

Zeke mimicked one gang leader's voice, infusing it with weakness, pain, and intermittent pauses.

Then...

"Bang!"

He tossed the phone under the table next to the corpse while simultaneously firing a shot, spraying metal bullets across the room and striking several bodies.

Next, Zeke signaled discreetly to Kiana, who was covering her mouth not to make any noise.

The pair quietly slipped out of the house, closing the door behind them as flames spread within.

After taking a few steps away, Zeke hurled a homemade Molotov cocktail into a nearby car on the roadside.

Soon, both the car and the house were engulfed by scorching flames, accompanied by successive explosions. All traces would vanish amidst this sea of fire.

Now, all these two groups would have to go on was the alias "Silver Wolf of Ural."

"What's this 'Wild Wolf of Ura' thing?" Curious, Kia asked as they walked away from the inferno.

"It's the Silver Wolf of Ural. Never mind; it doesn't matter. Just pretend you haven't heard anything about it."

That's your future companion, Zeke thought to himself.

He wasn't sure if Bronya had already earned that title and begun her activities in the underworld at this point, but he figured the timing should be close. Even if she hadn't yet become known as the Silver Wolf of Ural, it wouldn't take long for her to do so.

By investigating under this alias, the forces behind these gangs might inadvertently stumble upon official organizations, potentially leading to their complete dismantling.

Even if it didn't reach that extent, it didn't matter. This was merely a small tactic to steer the investigation direction. Zeke simply wanted to avoid being targeted too soon by both criminal factions.

Zeke left behind all weapons with usage traces, such as shotguns and crossbow arrows, within the inferno.

He had Kiana slip a small stack of US dollars into the hardware store as compensation while he used the flashlight's beam to either smash or bury any signs of habitation under the bridge, clearing away their presence.

At a glance now, the cluttered and disordered space beneath the bridge resembled a junkyard—unlikely to draw attention.

Then, Zeke stole a donkey cart. Under the cover of darkness, they drove it out of the small town.

"What a shame; we didn't even get to dig up that coal I buried earlier today," Kiana lamented, hugging her knees close to Zeke, sounding somewhat dejected.

"If there's a chance later, we can come back for it. It'd be perfect for barbecuing, assuming no one else finds it first."

"No way! With such obvious markings, someone will definitely take it!" Kiana muttered sorrowfully, unusually preoccupied despite not focusing on food—an indication she hadn't fully recovered from the bloody scene.

Zeke flicked the whip and asked, "Seems like you're quite concerned?"

"Of course, it was my hidden treasure! One-of-a-kind!" Kiana pouted, expressing her melancholy and regret.

Zeke remained silent.

We've already earned a bag full of cash—are you really worried about the money from selling that coal?

However, Kia's concern wasn't truly about money; she just wanted to shift her focus onto a lighter topic, masking the complex emotions stemming from assisting Zeke in killing eleven people.

"If you're tired, go ahead and sleep," Zeke suggested, sensing Kiana's low mood.

Unexpectedly, Kiana shook her head. "No, your health is too fragile. If I fall asleep and you collapse while driving, what would we do?"

Zeke fell silent. As a man, he didn't want to admit it, but she was right.

Unfortunately, his short legs couldn't reach the pedals of a car. Additionally, with limited tools and time, transforming such enclosed vehicles into something manageable for a child seemed impractical.

Thus, they were left with only the donkey cart as their mode of transportation, requiring constant attention to steer.

"Haah~"

Zeke suddenly yawned, feeling his eyelids grow heavier. He glanced at Kiana, who showed no signs of fatigue, and thought...

"Kiana, sit properly. I'll teach you how to drive the donkey cart."

"Huh? Oh, okay."

It wasn't difficult. Even with Kiana's limited experience, an hour should be enough for her to grasp the basics.

As Zeke gradually succumbed to exhaustion, he moved to the back to rest while Kiana took over steering, slowly guiding them deeper into the snowy mountains.

As night wore on and dawn approached, Kiana remembered Zeke's instructions.

"Zeke, wake up—it's morning already," she called out as soon as daylight peeked over the horizon.

Kiana tried to rouse him as instructed, but after several attempts, there was still no response from Zeke.

Puzzled, she stopped the cart and looked back. There lay little Zeke, curled up tightly under the blanket. His face was pale, his brows furrowed deeply.

"Zeke!"

Startled, Kiana quickly climbed toward him and placed her hand on his forehead.

"It's burning hot!"

He had a fever.

Frantically searching through the supplies piled in the cart—food, clothes, fuel, even guns and ammunition—Kiana found everything except for medicine, which was scarce in their small town.

Even if they did have any medication, having never experienced illness herself nor received care from Siegfried during his own bouts of sickness, Kiana wouldn't know how to administer it!