I Am Not a Hero

I Am Not a Hero Author: David Martinez

Introduction:

This book, also known as "Starting as a Soldier of MOTH," tells the story of protagonist Lin Cong's student days, filled with laughter and conversation with Kevin, to his joining MOTH to fight for humanity. From a mere soldier, he becomes a hero of humanity, inspiring awe that such great power lies hidden within a small MOTH soldier. Conquering Titans, killing Herrschers, gathering a harem, becoming a Hero, and reaching the pinnacle of life...

"..."

"How's the novel I wrote?"

The pink-haired girl asked with a charming smile, holding a novel to the man wearing a helmet.

"Boring." He dropped the cold remark, returned the novel to the girl, and turned to leave.

The novel's dramatic plot was as beautiful as its creator's smile.

But he was not the novel's protagonist. He was neither a hero of humanity nor a MOTH Hero who was a fusion warrior.

The first fusion warrior's failed experiment, a cold weapon against Honkai, the sole user of the Key of Blankness... he had many titles, but he didn't care.

He was just a soldier, standing amidst the torrent of Honkai and the era, a soldier who endured hardship and battle.

He was the furthest person from beauty.

PS: Not a wish-fulfillment story.

Preface: To My Future Self

Bright yet dim, spacious yet narrow.

This was Raiden Mei's first impression of the virtual space called the Imaginary Tree. The contents were arranged with deliberate disorder, the furnishings exquisite and expensive, far from the memory space of the fusion warriors from the previous civilization era that that person had described. Several different auras intertwined within it, composing the scene before her.

A combination of contradictions, yet it gave a feeling of complementing each other.

The vessel of MOTH Hero memories, the inheritance ground of World Serpent, and the origin Kevin had given her when she sought answers—upon her initial entry, she saw mysteries pervading its entirety.

Among them, the person who appeared before her was one of those mysteries.

The pink-haired girl, as brilliant as a flower, playfully tapped her chin and tilted her head, saying naturally, "What's wrong, Mei? Staring at me like that will make me shy~"

"...I understand what you're saying. I will explore how much of it is true later." Mei, clearly unable to stand her flippant tone, frowned slightly.

The girl smiled charmingly, "Oh my~ Everything I say is true~ How could I bear to lie to a girl as cute as myself~"

"Is that so?" Mei remained calm and composed. She turned her head, which had sprouted horns, towards the entrance. A silent figure was reflected in her lavender pupils. "Then, who is that person who has been there from the beginning?"

"Ah, you noticed. When people came in before, they all thought he was a statue~"

The person wearing the helmet remained motionless. Coupled with the lightweight protective armor that concealed all his skin, he indeed looked like a motionless statue of black stone at first glance.

He maintained a seiza posture, sitting still on a long bench by the entrance, his breathing so faint it was almost imperceptible.

An indescribable aura, even more "lonely" than Kevin's, surrounded this person.

The girl, looking troubled, approached the "statue" and, under Mei's hesitant gaze, reached out and touched the top of his helmet, chuckling, "Even if you're always eager to give some guidance to your juniors, what if your early appearance makes Mei misunderstand the nature of the Thirteen MOTH Heroes?"

"..." The "statue" seemed to have no intention of speaking. Mei could feel his cold gaze from under the helmet fixed on her horns.

Could this person also be one of the Thirteen MOTH Heroes? Meaning, he's a fusion warrior?

Then, it wouldn't be strange for him to harbor hostility towards her, a Herrscher.

"Oh, don't mind this blockhead. He's always treated people coldly since we met~ Kevin even said he used to be a very cheerful person... Uh, Kevin also became cold later. Did you two agree to act cool together?"

"..."

Even under the pink-haired girl's playful barrage, the statue remained unmoved. However, Mei could feel that his gaze had indeed softened considerably compared to at the beginning.

At least, it wasn't like a bullet, ready to pierce through someone.

"But I still need to introduce myself, otherwise, it won't be good if Mei misunderstands~"

This sentence was directed at the statue. He understood what the girl meant by "misunderstanding," which could be seen from the Herrscher's eyes.

Thus, the statue spoke.

A muffled voice, suppressed, emerged from the technologically advanced tactical helmet that revealed no expression. On the helmet's faceplate.

"I am not a fusion warrior, nor am I one of the Thirteen MOTH Heroes."

"I am just an ordinary soldier of MOTH, a phantom of past humanity that has existed here forever."

"You can call me..."

"Lin."

The sky was alternately bright and dark. The clouds on the rooftop seemed within reach, shifting from radiant to gloomy and uncertain. Was that someone's face?

The black-haired boy leaned against the railing of the Senba Academy rooftop, casually observing the clouds in the sky. The white-haired boy, still in his basketball uniform, impatiently pushed open the door. His handsome face was flushed with haste as he rushed to the black-haired boy, who was hanging his head with dead eyes, fidgeting like a monkey on a trampoline.

It was truly difficult to connect this person with the "Prince Charming" the girls spoke of. They say love makes people blind; perhaps love can also cause physiological regression.

"Lin, how is it! How did it go!"

The black-haired boy sighed softly, then smiled faintly at the expectant white-haired boy and nodded, "Mei said yes. Keep up the good work, Kevin."

The white-haired boy cheered and hooked his arm around the black-haired boy's neck, "That's great! As expected, you're the most reliable, Lin!"

The black-haired boy shoved him away impatiently. "Hey! Don't hug me with your sweaty body! I don't like hugging men!"

The two of them had been roommates and good friends since they first enrolled. Currently, you could probably add the word "super" before "good friends," so good that the black-haired boy would even act as a wingman for the white-haired boy to pick up girls.

The black-haired boy impatiently pushed back the most precious and popular head in Senba Academy. Noticing the barely concealed excitement on the white-haired boy's face, the corner of his lips curled into a mischievous smile.

"I almost forgot to tell you, Mei agreed to the international science lecture next week."

The white-haired boy's smile instantly froze on his handsome face. "Huh? Wasn't it the aquarium?"

"She's Mei, you know. I asked about the amusement park, the aquarium, the zoo, even a love hotel. In the end, she counted on her fingers, checked her schedule, and asked if we could go to the lecture instead." The black-haired boy shrugged, implying he had done his best. But judging by his irritatingly smug grin, the amount of exaggeration in his words was probably more than the cheap wine in Kong Yiji's articles.

"Wait a minute, what kind of places did you ask about? Did Mei deduct points from my impression score?" The white-haired boy could already imagine the scene: the reclusive girl, though showing no outward emotion, would look at him with such contempt that he'd want to jump off a building.

"Oh, don't worry about it. Isn't the point of dating and going on dates to eventually get a hotel room? Might as well skip a few hours of detours."

"It's because of your personality that you can't find a girlfriend!"

The black-haired boy casually put his arm around his shoulder. "Anyway, don't waste all my efforts, and remember to treat me to a meal."

"Of course! To thank you, guess what I got?" The white-haired boy puffed out his chest proudly, his nose practically in the air.

"Don't tell me you got Eden's concert tickets."

"..."

Seeing that the white-haired boy's smug expression hadn't faded, the black-haired boy's face changed drastically. "Holy crap? Seriously?!"

"Hehehe, I managed to get three tickets through someone."

"Alright, Kevin, you're awesome! When is it?" The black-haired boy's expression shifted faster than a chameleon, and he affectionately draped his arm around Kevin's shoulder again.

"It's in two weeks. We'll fly over and meet up with Su, then go to the concert together."

"Aren't you inviting your little princess?"

"It's just the three of us guys!"

Under the gloomy, unpredictable clouds, on the school rooftop, close friends who could talk about anything gathered, enjoying a relaxed and carefree time. They talked about the girls they liked, looked forward to their idol's concert, and dreamed of a small yet hopeful future.

It should have been like this.

"Oh, right, did you hear? There are rumors of zombies near the school lately. There have been several victims, and one of them was from our school."

"You watch too many movies. It's definitely man-made."

Even though the black-haired boy was a transmigrator who wished for grand events in fantasy worlds to showcase his abilities, he was actually content with the current peaceful times. He didn't believe in the predetermined hardships of the world, nor did he believe that he would soon step into the meticulously woven web of fate.

He thought this was good enough: heading into the city with the gentle evening breeze, having a hearty dinner, and then returning to the dorm. This was good.

It should have been like this.

Until the fresh evening breeze was tainted with the smell of blood.

Until the bright, clear moon was split in two.

Until the truth of the world, during a perfectly ordinary night outing, was brazenly revealed to him in a ridiculous and dramatic fashion, catching him completely off guard.

"Lin, you're dropping out? Why! What happened!"

"..."

In just one day, the black-haired boy had become a completely different person.

Facing his best friend's questions, filled with worry, anger, and helplessness, he merely remained silent and handed a concert ticket to the white-haired boy. The latter slapped it away, staring angrily into his now cold eyes.

They were so cold that the white-haired boy felt like he was looking at a stranger, like an eternally frozen iceberg hiding countless depths of indifference beneath.

What had happened overnight to turn his friend, who had been chatting and laughing with him just the day before, into someone so... mature?

But he didn't want to dwell on that chilling indifference. Gritting his teeth, he placed his hands on his friend's shoulders, trying his best to keep his smile from faltering, and asked with a tremor, "Did something happen to your family? Or money? Or something else? Tell me, I'll help..."

"Kevin."

The black-haired boy interrupted him, not with impatience, but by calmly stating a sentence: "Kevin, if one day you were told that the fate of humanity rested in your hands, would you fight for humanity?"

"Wh-what are you talking about..." The white-haired boy didn't understand his meaning.

The fate of humanity? Fighting? Why were such abstract words coming from Lin's mouth? What did this have to do with him dropping out of school?

The black-haired boy's gaze sharpened, and he said sternly, "Tell me."

"The fate of humanity... that's too far beyond me. But if it was for Mei, you, and Su, I guess I would fight..." The white-haired boy sheepishly scratched the back of his head and chuckled as he gave his answer.

"..."

The answer was so vague and foolish it was speechless.

The black-haired boy picked up the concert ticket. This time, he directly shoved the ticket into Kevin's hand. As the other boy looked at him in confusion, a myriad of thoughts swirled in his eyes before finally settling into silence. He softly said, "I envy you, but I can't be like you."

I can't fight for just one or two people. I can't be "selfish" like you.

"For the concert, invite Mei."

The concert tickets rustled in the strong wind.

Dark clouds swallowed the remaining sky. The wind escorted the black-haired boy out of the campus. He looked back at the white-haired boy on the rooftop, who was staring at him, and the bespectacled girl who had appeared beside him at some point.

The gazes of the three met, then parted.

Many years later, facing a condescending Herrscher, Lin would recall that distant afternoon when his friend wanted to take him to a concert.

Chapter 1: Rebirth: I Am a Titan Pilot

The rain poured down. Looking out through the window that couldn't be opened, the entire world was veiled in a thin curtain of rain. Drops hammered heavily onto the alloy roof, the fading sound of the rain pattering through the air, blanketing the crisp autumn day with a cool quilt.

"Thump, thump, thump."

His unfocused pupils sharpened. His mind, which had been drifting away with the rain, returned to his body engaged in aerobic exercise. He stepped off the only treadmill facing the window, sweat pouring from every pore like a waterfall, only to be absorbed by the towel.

There were few windows in the MOTH base that allowed a view of the outside. Even if there were, they were made of special, hard materials and couldn't be opened. Lin often heard the soldiers complain that the base felt like a steel coffin, utterly suffocating.

The two gyms at MOTH were among the rare rooms with a view to the outside. The second gym, besides Lin, was a place no one else visited; it had become his private gym.

Or rather, because he used it, others didn't.

"Thump, thump, thump."

The knocking hadn't stopped, but Lin wasn't in a hurry. He exhaled the hot air in his mouth, picked up his helmet, and put it on. He fastened the buckle at his neck until not a sliver of skin above his Adam's apple was visible in the mirror. Only then did he casually put on his jet-black uniform jacket and walk to the door, opening it.

A fair hand extended a file bag towards the man in the helmet. "MSA-079, Lin, please take your physical examination report."

MOTH conducted monthly physical examinations for its soldiers. Besides ensuring their physical fitness met the standards, these check-ups also screened for potential Honkai energy infection risks, as soldiers were the ones most exposed to Honkai energy.

The file bag before him should have contained Lin's report. The seal on it bore the same design as the MOTH emblem he had received, but Lin didn't reach for it. Instead, he stared coldly at the stranger delivering the report.

He searched his memory for the logistics personnel at the MOTH central base, filtering by age, gender, hair color, and height. None matched the smiling, pink-haired girl before him.

Of course, she could be a new recruit. However, the girl's overwhelming presence, so strong it was impossible to ignore, and her enigmatic smile that Lin found distasteful, made him wary of her.