Collapse: The World I Live In

"Where...is...this place?" Qianjie sat up from a bed, rubbed his eyes, and looked at the surrounding environment. He was no longer tied to a pillar as usual when he woke up. Now he was sleeping on a soft bed, surrounded by fresh air.

"You're awake..." At this time a nun walked in, "How do you feel?" The nun spoke lightly, but always gave people a feeling that they should listen to her. After that, she gave Qianjie a towel.

"Where is my mask?" Qianjie said as he took the towel.

"This one?" The nun took out a mask from somewhere, the same one Qianjie had worn before. "Because you had a facial injury before, I have no choice but to take off your mask."

Qianjie took the mask, put it back on his face, then stood up and wanted to leave, but the wounds on his body did not allow him to do so. The moment Qianjie stood up, pain spread throughout his body, making him unable to stand steadily.

The nun next to him came over quickly, supported Qianjie, and helped him back to the bed, saying, "Please, relax, don't move, it's not good for your wound."

After hearing what the nun said, Qianjie's body relaxed involuntarily and he let the nun help him back to the bed. Qianjie felt that this was a very wonderful feeling and he obeyed her request unconsciously.

"Did you... come here from a very cold place?" asked the nun. After all, when Qianjie was found, the frostbite on his body was enough to be fatal, but now with just a simple bandage, the wound is almost healed.

"I just met a very cold person." Qianjie started to speak, and before he was ready to speak, the words had already come out, and it was the same as before.

"Oh? How is she now? Is she frostbitten like you?" asked the nun.

Qianjie didn’t quite understand what the nun said, so he lowered his head, thought for a long time, and said, “Now she is not alone.”

"Really? That's good." The nun seemed relieved.

“……” Qianjie couldn’t figure out what this nun wanted to say.

"My name is Aponia, what's yours?" the nun named Aponia asked Qianjie.

“…Qianjie…” Qianjie replied.

"Where are you going next?" Aponya asked.

"I don't know." Qianjie shook his head and said.

"How about...stay." Aponya suggested.

"Stay?" Qianjie raised his head and looked at the woman and asked.

"That's right, we are short of a staff member here." Aponia said, still with that compassionate look on her face.

“…Okay…” Qianjie replied, and just like that Qianjie began his short but stable life as a porter, and Qianjie’s affairs also came to an end.

……

Coming to the Fire Moth,

Amid constant discussion and bickering among the Fire Moth's top brass, a team acting as bait has emerged. However, in this process, Mei, who had just become a top brass, had witnessed the ugly appearance of the Fire Moth's top brass.

The Seventh Combat Team of the Fire Moths of the Final Decision, which is the team led by Hen, went to the city where the Herrscher was located to act as bait. Kevin's team was the main attacker, while the Second Special Operations Unit where Alicia was located and Himeko's Fifth Combat Team started to clean up the Honkai Beasts and the dead soldiers in the city from the surrounding areas, and provided assistance to Kevin's team by the way.

The team used as bait will have only one outcome after luring out the Herrscher - death.

……

At this moment, Hen, who served as bait, had led his team to the city where the fifth collapse was born.

Looking at the city surrounded by the blizzard, Hen took a deep breath. He had not yet told his teammates the real purpose of this team. He turned around and looked at the team members in front of him who were still talking and laughing and had no idea that they would lose their lives this time. He decided to tell them all the truth.

"Alright, stop arguing. Next, I will tell you the purpose of our mission." Hen looked at the team members deeply. Seeing that all their eyes were focused on him, he opened his mouth and said, "Next, your task is... to act as bait to lure out the Herrscher. The final result is only one, and that is death... If you are really not afraid of death, then..."

Everything happened in a flash. Before Hen could finish his words, except for a thin boy, all the other members of the team fled. He just smiled - even though in fact, the mission had failed before it even began.

"You should go too, Kosmo. Why are you still here? Are you scared silly?" Hen turned and said to Kosmo.

"Is what you said true? Captain, the role of our team is really to die." Kosmo said tremblingly.

"You can say that, Kosmo, there are always people who think that it is fun to die when necessary." Hen said calmly, then turned around and walked into the city with his weapon.

"I know, I know the truth, but it's meaningless for you to die alone. But...what about Grayshu?" Kosmo looked at the man who left with disgrace and couldn't help but said, "Hen! Is this what you call your [duty]?"

"It depends on how you understand it, Kosmo. If I really die, I'll leave Grayshu... in your care. I... am not a competent father..." Hen heard Kosmo's roar, paused, and said.

"But you told everything about the mission... You ruined the mission, and now you're going to ruin yourself!"

"Well said, Kosmo, but I don't like lying. No one should bear the responsibility for the world without knowing the truth, so I pointed out a way for them to survive." Hen looked at Kosmo and said, "Otherwise... Kosmo? Can you find any other better way for us?"

"..." Kosmo was silent for a while and then said, "The mission will not fail, and they will survive."

"Naive, you are too naive, Kosmo. You may let them survive, but there will always be a day when you can't do it. If that is your insistence, don't forget it." Hen said loudly to Kosmo. After all, Kosmo's idea was too naive. Reality is not a kingly hot-blooded comic. "But I still suggest that you look at other people's choices. There is nothing wrong with being a retreater. They can always see the smiling faces of their families, right? Well, I should set off. Remember to tell Kevin what I said just now. That kid is as young as you and can't accept the decision of [sacrifice]. There are already a lot of troubles within the Fire Moth. Don't add to it. By the way, there is also that guy Yi. Although he is about the same age as me, his idea of ​​sacrificing himself is worse than sacrificing others... This time I will practice his approach. I hope I can have such good luck as him..." Speaking of this, Hen couldn't help but think of the second collapse. Yi jumped from the plane alone without any protection to face the Second Herrscher. In the end, he succeeded in his gamble and let most people survive. I hope I can have his luck.

"You are wrong, Hen." Kosmo said, "Those people...those people are not retreaters, but heroes. It's just that the moment that determines who they are has only just arrived."

“……”Hen was very confused about what Kosmo said.

And at this moment, the footsteps that had scattered not long ago gathered from all directions again, and the soldiers who had escaped before appeared again, without missing a single person.

The young man stood in the middle of the group, rarely showing a smile.

——As far as the debate on ideas was concerned, this was the first time he had the upper hand over Hen.

But in the next moment, the smile on Kosmo's face froze - the reason why those people came back was being heard through the communication.

"…This is Kevin. We have arrived at the location where the fifth Herrscher was born…and have found his body. It has been confirmed that the Herrscher died…before the Fire Moth intervened. All teams should evacuate the current area immediately. There may be something even more terrifying here…"

Kevin's every word was very clear and deeply imprinted in the boy's mind. Was he really too naive...