The Vixen's Gambit: Tonight We Hunt

"Have you already given up?"

A gentle voice startled Otto, causing him to stumble back and fall on his rear.

He looked up, flustered, to see a gray-haired girl sitting on the wall, watching him with curiosity.

"Your airplane flew very high. Wouldn't it be a shame to just leave it?"

"I... I can't reach it..." Otto stammered, embarrassed by the unexpected interaction.

"Oh? Hmm... then I'll get it for you."

The girl tilted her head thoughtfully, then jumped off the wall.

No, that's too dangerous! Before Otto could warn her, the girl had already nimbly climbed the tree and plucked the paper airplane.

Seriously? Is she a monkey? Or maybe a Kaslana?!

Young Otto was awestruck. In his mind, only monkeys or even more capable Kaslanas could do something like that.

But this girl didn't look like a Kaslana. Even her hair wasn't white...

"What's your name?"

The girl's voice snapped Otto out of his thoughts. She waved the paper airplane in her hand, smiling.

"I'm Lihua. I didn't have a surname before, but the adults said I should be a Kaslana. What about you?"

A Kaslana, huh? No wonder she had such agility. Otto's question was answered.

"I'm Otto. Otto Apocalypse..."

"Otto? That's a nice name. Easy to remember."

Lihua nodded happily, her eyes forming a crescent moon as she smiled. She gazed past the wall with a puzzled expression. "Otto, why don't you go out to play?"

"I'm not very healthy, so I have to stay home..."

"Oh, I see."

Lihua nodded thoughtfully, then glanced at the paper airplane.

"This is a well-folded airplane. You have a talent for making things."

Hearing that, Otto perked up slightly. "I wanted to make it out of wood, but it wouldn't fly, so I made a paper airplane to see how it flew and then use that as a reference-- Sorry, I talk too much..."

He was about to ramble about his inventions when he realized the girl didn't know him and likely wasn't interested in his work.

Her compliment was probably just the Kaslana's characteristic kindness towards the weak. He'd let a simple compliment go to his head.

The girl must be annoyed.

No one in this day and age was interested in a sickly person like him--

"Making inventions? Amazing!"

?!?!

Otto stared up in surprise. Lihua wasn't annoyed; her expression was full of curiosity and admiration.

"Since the dawn of time, technology has always been the driving force for progress. All those other Schicksal people do is fight, but you, Otto, you have the potential to truly change the world, you big inventor~"

"Change the world? Me?" Otto asked, pointing to himself in confusion.

"Absolutely!" Lihua nodded decisively. "I'm on a journey to achieve my dream, and I need someone like you, Otto! So help me!"

Otto stared at the figure above.

The girl was smiling, her body thin and fragile, but her blue eyes shone brilliantly.

She looked at Otto like an adventurer who had just discovered treasure.

Otto had never felt anything like this before.

No one had ever told him he was amazing, or that they needed him.

He was like an extra brick in the world, his only purpose to be a burden.

Except for Lihua.

Despite his age, Otto was perceptive. He could see through people's intentions, know whether they were being genuine or not.

And he could see that Lihua's words were genuine.

She truly believed that he could change the world and she really needed him.

Could the answer be anything else?

"If you are willing..." Otto made his choice.

[Target Otto Apocalypse's favorability increased. Current favorability: 8]

[Current target charging efficiency: 800%]

NICEEEEEEEE!!

Li Bei wanted to jump for joy.

The girl, Lihua, was his character!

According to the System, she was an illegitimate daughter of the Kaslana family. Her parents had died, and she'd been supporting herself by working odd jobs until a Kaslana clan member found her and took her back to the main house a few days ago.

Due to her low blood purity and malnutrition, her hair was a dull gray, not the classic Kaslana white.

Her Honkai resistance was also low, so she wasn't allowed to train with the other Kaslana children. But it had given her the opportunity to roam around and search for Otto.

Now her efforts had paid off. She had successfully triggered Otto's favorability.

This was a top-tier target!

A few words, and she'd reached 800% charging efficiency!

Even the Kaslana who'd found her, despite Lihua's best attempts at being cute and reaching level 5 favorability, had only given her a measly 100% charging efficiency.

800% meant an 8x increase in energy!

Creating a character like a saintly mother figure had worked! Otto was eating it up!

Oh, Otto, you beautiful man, I love you! You are the path to my peaceful life!

Lihua, too caught up in the 800% charging efficiency, didn't notice that the tree branch she was standing on was starting to creak. In the next moment, it snapped, right before Otto's horrified eyes.

"Whoa--"

"Look out!"

Lihua, who was expecting to fall on her butt, didn't feel any pain when she landed.

"A-are you okay...?"

A weak voice came from beneath her. Lihua looked down and saw that poor Otto had broken her fall. He was almost passed out from the impact.

"Thank you..." Lihua scratched her face in embarrassment, then offered Otto a leaf bud she had instinctively plucked from the tree.

"Look, spring is almost here."