Re:Interdimensional Mercenary [IF]

Adam remained unaware of the shockwaves he had sent through the world and the top leadership of Fire Moth. At this moment, he stood atop an apartment complex, gazing at the stars, his exposed face reflecting an expression of quiet contemplation.

Despite his amnesia, he felt no urgency to recover his past. No, it was more than that—he actively avoided it. There was a lingering, restless unease whenever the thought of his lost memories surfaced, an instinctive fear that made his heart race.

It didn't take much reasoning to suspect that his past self had been a terrible person. After all, how else could he explain the overwhelming karmic debt he carried?

According to the floating screen in his vision—separate from his augmented reality visor—every hundred points of karmic debt represented a single life he had taken unjustly.

And his debt stood at over two hundred billion.

That number alone was incomprehensible. Not even this entire planet held a fraction of that many people.

But that was Adam from the past. Not him now. He refused to dwell on it. After all, the weight of that debt held no effect on him—thanks to his special ability.

[Aspect Null]

Type: Absolute Supernatural Negation / Equalization

Effect:

Aspect Null completely nullifies all supernatural phenomena that defy the laws of physics, reducing gods and higher-dimensional beings to mere mortals. It does not negate natural traits such as biological strength or physical prowess, but it strips away all unnatural advantages, forcing every confrontation onto equal footing.

This ability does not require energy—its fuel is sheer willpower. As long as Adam's resolve remains unbroken, all supernatural forces are rendered powerless before him.

Key Abilities:

[Supernatural Negation]: Cancels all magic, divine power, and reality-warping effects.

[Equalization]: Forces transcendent beings into a mortal, physical state.

[Absolute Negation]: Nullifies even fate, karma, and causality within his presence.

[Mortality Imposition]: Strips invulnerability, immortality, and regeneration from all beings.

A divine-level ability, without a doubt.

Yet, against opponents who were physically strong by nature, it had no effect. But with his own skills, weapons, and sheer experience, Adam was confident that few could stand against him—even the Honkai Beasts.

During his time in the ruined city, he had encountered and tested his abilities against these creatures, studying them in the process.

What he discovered was that Honkai Beasts of the same species varied greatly in size. Some Chariots towered over buildings, reaching heights of three stories or more. Others were as small as a one-story house.

The key factor? The density of Honkai Energy in the environment.

Areas with a higher concentration of Honkai Energy produced larger, more powerful Honkai Beasts, while areas with lower concentrations birthed smaller, weaker variants.

But size wasn't the only difference. Larger Honkai Beasts possessed thicker carapaces, greater speed, and unnatural flexibility that defied common sense.

Most importantly, when a Honkai Beast was killed, the Honkai Energy that had formed it didn't simply vanish. Instead, it dispersed back into the environment—albeit at a small loss.

This meant that as long as residual Honkai Energy existed, new Honkai Beasts would continue to spawn.

Even if they were destroyed, the energy they left behind would eventually corrupt the area again, birthing more of their kind.

Understanding this, Adam refrained from wasting his effort clearing out the wandering Honkai Beasts near the apartment complex. While it would make the area safer in the short term, it was ultimately futile unless the Honkai Energy itself could be neutralized.

Instead of worrying about the Honkai Beast, there is another looming threat.

Adam wasn't just on the rooftop for stargazing—he was surveying the surrounding threats.

The apartment complex was far from the city center, where the suspected ground zero of the outbreak lay. Naturally, this meant fewer Honkai Beasts and zombies roamed the area.

At least, that was initially the case.

Now, however, Adam noticed a stark increase in hostile activity.

When he had first arrived with Kei, it was rare to even see a stray Archangel. But now, entire packs of Archangels wandered the suburban streets, preying on wandering survivors as if attracted by their presence.

More concerning, however, were the groups of humans lurking in the shadows.

These were the ones who had rejected Adam's offer of aid—yet they hadn't left the area. Instead, they stayed close to the apartment complex, watching, waiting.

It wasn't hard to guess their intentions. The way their eyes gleamed with envy as they spied on the survivors receiving nutrition packs and weapons made their motives clear.

They were parasites—leeches who felt entitled to benefits without contributing any effort. The type of people who would rather steal and rob rather than to contribute honest effort to gain benefits.

Adam had anticipated this. Most of those who rejected his help weren't simply distrustful—they were entitled. They believed it was their right to be saved, that aid should come to them without question. But when they saw others receiving food and shelter while they were left with nothing, their greed curdled into resentment.

Instead of returning to their own shelters, they lingered in the shadows, waiting for midnight—an opportunity to rob and plunder when security was at its weakest.

Emboldened by their numbers—twice that of the apartment complex survivors—they assumed sheer force would be enough. They believed they could overwhelm the T-Dolls and the newly formed militia with their advantage.

Adam's gaze darkened.

If they had been preying on other survivors, he wouldn't have cared. But to target those he had personally saved? To undermine him? He had no sympathy for parasites like them.

Then, movement caught his eye—Honkai Beasts and zombies, drawn by the noise and presence of the scavengers, spilling in from the ruins of the inner city.

Adam had no intention of intervening. He simply watched.

By all logic, he should have felt something. Even knowing they were irredeemable scum, even knowing they had brought this upon themselves, some fragment of human sympathy should have stirred within him.

But there was nothing.

He didn't even see them as people anymore.

It was like watching insects get trampled underfoot—an inevitable, meaningless end. And no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't bring himself to care.

Something about this felt wrong. A human shouldn't be this emotionally and morally detached. Yet, despite knowing this on a logical level, Adam couldn't shake the feeling that this state of mind was completely normal for him.

Before he could dwell on it further, a sudden interruption pulled him from his thoughts.

"Master! Dinner is ready! Come quick, or you'll miss out!"

Alice suddenly appeared on the roof, pouncing on his back with excitement. If she had a tail, it would have been wagging furiously.

"Oh, dinner…" Adam muttered, only now remembering. He nodded before standing up and climbing off the roof with Alice.

The other survivors were currently sustaining themselves with Nutrition Packs, but Kayoko still had a stockpile of ingredients—mostly canned rather than fresh. Many of the survivors had also contributed from their own stashes, offering what they could as a gesture of gratitude for Adam taking them in.

Because of this, Kayoko insisted on cooking for him instead of letting him rely solely on Nutrition Packs. Ironically, the packs were actually superior in terms of sustenance, containing all the necessary nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and calories an adult needed daily. Yet, Adam understood her reasoning. This was her way of showing gratitude—not just hers, but that of all the survivors who had shared what little they had despite the difficult times.

Inside their apartment, the same one as before, a steaming pot of stew sat on the table alongside neatly prepared bowls of rice, one for each person. Around the table, Kayoko and Kei were already seated, waiting for Adam and Alice to arrive so they could begin their meal.

"Come, take a seat," Kayoko said with a warm smile as she served everyone a bowl of stew.

Adam took his place with Alice beside him. As Kayoko and Kei recited their gratitude for the meal, he unconsciously followed suit, clasping his hands together before reaching for his spoon. Without a word, he began eating, his mind already drifting toward his next course of action now that he had gathered a group of survivors.

However, he remained oblivious to the expectant glances Kayoko kept sneaking in his direction. Kei, on the other hand, noticed immediately and rolled his eyes at his older sister's obvious feelings. Alice, meanwhile, was too focused on stuffing her cheeks like a hamster to care.

"Mmm! It's delicious!" Alice gasped, her voice filled with delight. It was her first proper meal in a thousand years.

"I'm glad you like it, Alice," Kayoko replied with a pleased smile. Yet, her eyes continued flicking back to Adam, only to be met with quiet disappointment. He offered no reaction, no comment—just a distracted expression as he ate, his mind clearly elsewhere.

Then, Alice spoke again, snapping Adam out of his thoughts. He turned toward her, only to see her cheeks bulging with food and her table manners in complete disarray. Sighing, he set down his spoon and pulled a clean cloth from his Inventory.

"Don't talk while your mouth is full. And eat slowly," he gently reprimanded, wiping the mess from her face before tucking the cloth away and resuming his meal.

———

Elsewhere…

A group of individuals had gathered in private following Dr. Mei's urgent meeting. The topic of discussion? The shocking revelation that an intelligent human was operating the structure now identified as a hyper-advanced space vessel.

The attendees were none other than the Fire Moth's councillors—though not all of them. Only the most influential had been invited.

Despite their reputation, not every high-ranking executive within the Fire Moth was corrupt or self-serving. If that were the case, the organization would have collapsed long ago. However, many of these councillors were tolerated rather than respected, their presence deemed necessary due to their vast networks and resources, which were crucial in sustaining Fire Moth's massive logistical operations.

At the heart of the organization was the Commander, appointed by the United Nations. He served as the linchpin holding together the varied interests of Fire Moth, ensuring their primary objective remained unchanged: combating the Honkai to secure humanity's survival. Yet, even his authority couldn't completely suppress the councillors' clandestine dealings.

One such example was COCOON, Fire Moth's black-ops division, operating primarily under the councillors' command to handle their more questionable affairs.

Now, these same councillors had shifted their focus toward Adam and, more importantly, the Orbital Fortress.

"That thing… the weapon capable of killing an Emperor-Class Honkai Beast," one of them mused. "If we had control over it, we'd no longer have to fear the Honkai threat."

"Indeed. According to Dr. Mei, not even a Herrscher could necessarily withstand its power."

"A quantum destabilizer beam… With sufficient energy, it could vaporize the entire Earth itself."

A consensus was quickly reached: the Orbital Fortress must be brought under their control.

As for Adam, they acknowledged his potential value. If they could bring him into their fold, they would. But if not? They were prepared to eliminate him by any means necessary. After all, he was just a man from the ancient past. No matter how formidable he was, they refused to believe he couldn't be taken down with enough force.

As the meeting carried on, none of them noticed the unseen presence among them.

Angeline, a highly advanced AI, had infiltrated their devices with ease. These councillors had made a critical mistake—they had brought communication devices into the room.

Now that she knew their plans, she could act accordingly.

"These pathetic insects dare covet what belongs to Master…" Angeline muttered, her voice laced with disdain as a look of utter disgust crossed her cold and beautiful face.

—————

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