Eh? You want to try the humanoid girl's iron fist too?

"Yes, there are many safe places."

The most unsafe city in the world is the city that never sleeps, and Manhattan is the most strictly regulated place. As long as you can leave Long Island, it means you've already stepped into a safe zone.

"Have you rested enough?" Raphael asked.

"Well, let's go."

Aibo's voice sounded somewhat more energetic.

blah blah blah...

Raphael heard footsteps approaching at a near-jogging pace behind him, took a deep breath, and slowed down.

If you're heading to the Williamsburg Bridge from the West End and don't want to cross the dark area, the safest way is to take a detour. Given the complete lack of surface and underground transportation, walking there would be quite time-consuming.

Water and food were fine; Raphael had no shortage of MRE dry rations, and the calories in one meal were more than enough to meet Miss April's activity needs.

Just as the two were in an awkward silence, a bullet whistled through the road ahead and struck the bus stop sign in front of Raphael with a thud.

Raphael was used to it and wasn't startled. April, however, was taken aback.

“They opened fire,” Raphael said. “You stay here and don’t try to stand up, understand?”

Aibo did not answer.

Raphael thought for a moment, then pulled an FN 509 compact pistol from its holster and handed it to April. "Does he know how to use it?"

"Ah."

As April Keller pulled back the holster, he reached out and caught the bullet that was ejecting from the ejection port, then switched the safety to the open position.

"The automatic safety on this gun is fine," Raphael reminded him upon seeing this.

"I don't believe it, and it's terrifying."

“Is that so?” Raphael, holding the XM5, stared intently at Mrs. Keller’s beloved daughter and warned her, word by word, “Never point a gun at me, understand? If I see it, you’ll never leave New York for the rest of your life.”

"Yes, I know."

"That's good. Also, if anyone other than me gets close to you, no matter what they say, just shoot!"

Raphael knelt down to check the spare magazines and inspect the condition of the XM5 assault rifle. After all, this was a Sig Sauer product, and poor workmanship was always a major problem.

When she first arrived in Brooklyn, she was equipped with a P320 pistol, but due to her suspicion of that lousy trigger, Raphael took Captain Willis's military version FN 509.

"It's just a spare gun anyway, take it if you want," he said, showing her the Glock 19 tucked into his waistband.

It has to be said that even the National Guard disliked the P320.

The P320, shortly after its release as part of the XM17 pistol, was plagued by reliability issues—a pistol was found to have accidentally discharged after being dropped. If the information is accurate, a Connecticut police officer's P320 accidentally discharged after falling from its holster onto the sidewalk, the bullet striking his knee.

The officer filed a lawsuit against Sig Sauer in U.S. District Court in early August 2017. Subsequent testing revealed that the firing pin would automatically release if the P320's sleeve or beaver tail was subjected to a certain degree of impact.

When the P320 is loaded, the firing pin will be in the preloaded position, but it has a firing pin safety. The firing pin safety will only be released after the trigger is pulled, allowing the firing pin to pass.

If the back of the sleeve is subjected to a strong impact, the trigger will move slightly, but this movement is enough to lift the firing pin safety. If the sear fails, the firing pin will be released.

The pistol that accidentally discharged fell to the ground with its muzzle pointing upwards.

Furthermore, various versions of the MCX series assault rifles also have varying degrees of problems, especially the third-generation MCX assault rifle. The barrel and handguard of this thing can even be bent by hand.

Therefore, Raphael never really trusted the two weapons he had, the XM5 and XM250.

Not to mention that Sig Sauer's engineers also installed numerous sensors inside the gun as required by DARPA, providing her with not only weapon status data but also collecting usage data of the weapon in different scenarios.

As we all know, the more complex something is, the more questionable its reliability becomes.

"F**K Sig!"

Raphael muttered a curse under his breath, then got up and crept toward the intersection ahead.

She would certainly like to use more mature products, such as various modular assault rifles based on AR systems, or products from the Kalashnikov series.

Their enduring durability, reliability, and practicality, which allow them to maintain a place in both the military and civilian markets, speak volumes about their exceptional qualities.

Looking through the scope, it was just the Lexie gang thugs again. They had used supplies abandoned by the JTF Joint Task Force to set up roadblocks at the intersection.

Anyone who wants to pass must leave a toll.

These guys are devils who can squeeze oil out of even rocks.

The Lex Luke gang also has special slave labor camps; once you're caught and put in there, your life is pretty much over.

Raphael waited a few seconds under the cover of an abandoned trailer, then slowly steadied his rifle, disengaged the safety, and gently placed his index finger off the trigger guard and onto the trigger.

From near to far, from easy to difficult, kill those bandits as quickly as possible.

If she were alone, it would be fine, but the problem is she has a child to support. In today's New York, women like April who take good care of themselves are always in high demand, and her fate after being captured is destined to be tragic.

“Then let’s begin, Raphael!” she said.

Thud, thud, thud, thud—she fired four shots in quick succession, not caring how many people she had killed, and decisively got up and ran toward the small stone block to her right.

After reaching the cover, she half-knelt and leaned out to the side, continuing to fire at the marked enemies in her field of vision.

Aibo gripped the pistol, took a deep breath, and continued to focus his gaze on the girl fighting like a tiger in front of him.

She discovered that she clearly did not possess the kind of sensitivity that ordinary people experience in times of danger: she seemed devoid of emotion, and every movement was a meticulously crafted optimal solution, eliminating the enemy in the most efficient way.

Within a minute, the girl appeared outside the checkpoint. Several thugs pounced on her, but the next second someone was kicked away and then grabbed by the wrist or a gun. As if by magic, she killed those people with just her fists and a dagger.

April saw Raphael open the barbed wire gate of the outpost and wave to her from the doorway.

Aibo approached her.

Who exactly are you...?

"Raphael."

When given the same answer, Aibo sighed slightly, suppressing her curiosity.

"Can I keep this pistol?" she pleaded.

“This was a gift from a friend, no way.” Raphael looked up at April. “I can find you an equally good pistol.”

"Is it a deal?"

"Okay, it's a deal."

Book 1: The World Before the Great War: Chapter 51 Dramatic Change

After leaving the checkpoint blocking his way, Raphael began to consider where he would stay for the night.

There were originally many vacant and abandoned apartments to choose from, but it was important to consider that April Keller was a perfectly normal person; she was neither a patient with greenback smallpox nor a natural immune person to the virus.

So finding her a suitable apartment room is not an easy task.

And so the two walked side by side through the deserted streets of New York, during which time April made no move to initiate a conversation. She simply followed a step behind Raphael, which left a somewhat unsettling impression.

"Miss April, you'll be able to leave New York safely soon. Is there anything you'd like to ask?"

"No, not at all. If there are any special rules, I'm willing to abide by them..."

“It’s good to follow the rules, but you don’t seem like a very rule-abiding person,” Raphael said pointedly.

"Um……"

Hmm, Aibo seems distracted. Is it because she's nervous? Or is she just naturally quiet? Perhaps witnessing her husband's death has made her so reserved.

“Alright, this is it.” Raphael pushed open the back door of the apartment. “Put your mask on and come with me.”

Standing at the end of the corridor, she could see that the main entrance was piled high with all kinds of furniture, and there was visible dust on the floor, which told her that the apartment had been abandoned for more than a month.

Not getting the response he wanted, Raphael turned around and found Epsilon standing there, lost in thought.

"Sigh! At times like these, we should be thinking about the future, not dwelling on the past."

"Huh?"

While April was in a daze, Raphael quickly picked her up again.

"Wait, wait! Raphael, why did you pick me up?! Please put me down!"

"It's okay, you're not as heavy as me."

"I can walk by myself!"

"It's because you were wasting time daydreaming that I carried you on my back," Raphael said, pretending not to hear the protest.

The up-and-down swaying forced her to involuntarily clutch Raphael's clothes, then she tightly closed her eyes—too much.

That's embarrassing.

When Raphael put April down in front of the apartment, he distanced himself, turned around, and kicked the door lock hard.

bang——

The lock snapped open.

Aibo stared in surprise at the girl in front of him, only then noticing the clothes and accessories she was wearing. They weren't from ordinary fashion enthusiasts; they were likely special styles procured by the military.

Her husband loves these things and often takes her to offline activities.

Through constant exposure, Aibo also developed a corresponding understanding of these outfits and small items.

No wonder Raphael confidently stated that he had channels to arrange for her safe departure from this deadly place, New York.

Aibo found it strange, she couldn't understand Raphael's reason for doing so, because she actually had no value to be used, nor did she have a fortune beyond measure.

Although Raphael accepted his mother's request, what could that elderly man living alone in Brooklyn possibly offer?

"Humans are so easily caught up in the fear of gain and loss," Aibo said with a self-deprecating laugh.

"Let's go inside; we'll stay here tonight."

"I understand," April nodded in response after sighing.

The room was a mess; those bastards who used slaves had searched the place thoroughly, taking even the most common items like glasses and plates.

Any place suspected of containing hidden items was opened, smashed, and inspected by the slave laborers.

The same goes for the fallen green plants in the corner. Some people suspected that there were valuables hidden in the flowerpots, so they broke the flowerpots to examine them carefully.

Raphael frowned, went into the next room, and searched for what she needed.

She dragged out a desk and used it to block the apartment doorway.

Suddenly, he heard the scraping sound of a door opening downstairs. He hadn't even settled in yet, and there was already a strange visitor. Unfortunately, he wasn't having the luck today; he'd picked the wrong person.