Unnecessary / A Bizarre Beginning

Don't you want to talk about it?

"What brings you here? Vill-V is the head of the Engineering Department and the owner of the Spiral Workshop. She had other business to attend to and went out first. If you want to see the head of the Engineering Department, please come back tomorrow."

"I'm not looking for a minister." The girl looked at Lin with eyes as clear as the sky, as if she wanted to scrutinize him closely. "That... marriage advertisement... the conditions for bisexuals are unequal, right?"

"..."

So, what they really care about is this marriage proposal requirement?

"Most of what's written on it is fake." Lin shook his head, crumpled the marriage requirements that Vill-V had instructed him on into a ball, and threw it into the trash can.

"It's not fake," the girl repeated what she had said before.

Lin didn't say anything. Whatever she thought was fine, anyway, this playful matchmaking event was over.

"The matchmaking is over, so you don't need to care about what's written on it."

"Hmm... what's it like to get married?"

"I don't know either."

If Lin really knew what marriage felt like, he wouldn't have gone to such lengths to find a spouse.

"Oh~ You didn't know either? Let's give it a try then."

"..."

To reiterate, Lin felt that he was the freak of freaks among the moths chasing the flame.

But what this girl said beneath her innocent and adorable expression was truly astonishing.

"Try it and you'll know what it feels like."

After a moment of silence, Lin looked the girl over again.

It took her a long time before she slowly revealed a stiff, unnatural smile.

It's like trying to imitate a cat or a tiger by stretching your own muscles.

"Doctor, the Soul Steel and the Herrscher Core have been safely transported to headquarters without any problems."

Einstein sipped his hot coffee and gave a silent nod to his nervous assistant who was giving him the report.

After a while, she looked up at her assistant and said, "You're new here, aren't you?"

"Yes, yes!" The assistant was flattered by Einstein's smiling gaze. "I only recently joined the Firemoth!"

"Hehe, don't be nervous, have a piece of chocolate. Phenylethylamine can make people feel happier and relieve tension." Einstein pointed to the snacks on the table. This was one of her little hobbies; she would bring some high-calorie snacks with her wherever she went.

"Is... is it okay?"

"Certainly."

The assistant blushed as she accepted the chocolate. "Okay, thank you."

This is Einstein! Even outside of The Moth, he was a renowned scientist. She had read Einstein's theory of relativity and later sought out more of Einstein published academic papers. From that time on, she had developed an immense admiration for Einstein, and now she was face to face with her idol.

Einstein's calm demeanor did indeed ease her nerves considerably, making her less tense.

"Don't worry, although things like Soul Steel and Herrscher Core came out that were not part of the plan, archaeological work is usually quite easy and not difficult for newcomers."

"Phew, that's great. This is the first time I've ever seen the legendary Herrscher Core."

"Haha, that thing doesn't look so intimidating, does it?" A barely perceptible glint of malice flashed in Einstein's eyes. "At least not when it wasn't inside the human body..."

"What?"

"It's nothing, just pretend I'm talking to myself. By the way, what's your number?"

The assistant hurriedly took off the badge on his chest and showed Einstein the number on the back.

"MSA-970".

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Redundant

"Looking for a spouse?"

Mobius paused for a moment as she mixed the liquid solvent. She raised an eyebrow, recalling the words Lin had said yesterday that she hadn't quite heard.

What he said back then couldn't have been...

She cleared her mind of the jumbled thoughts, gave a strange laugh, and said, "What does that have to do with me? You think you can come to me to complain because you don't even like him? Unfortunately, all you'll get is ridicule."

Elysia squinted her eyes, seemingly confirming that Mobius had been partially right.

"Doctor Mobius seems to have a lot of free time."

"I'm not as bored as you guys. The fragile bond of marriage, which is not guaranteed at all, and the thoroughly researched reproductive behavior, make me feel that there is no point in getting married." Mobius curled the corners of his mouth. "It's just that it's quite surprising that he would even think about getting married."

Elysia seemed to have gotten used to Mobius's sharp tongue, which was a sign of their good relationship, wasn't it? She smiled and squinted at Mobius's busy figure, "Aren't you going to check on Lin? He's quite amusing when he's looking for a wife."

"Hmph, boring."

Go see him?

Mobius secretly sneered.

He brings food here on time every day, why does she need to go out specifically to check on him?

By the way, wasn't that guy a little late today? It's already this late and he still hasn't arrived.

Mobius glanced at his watch and realized that it was almost lunchtime and Lin hadn't arrived yet, even though he usually arrived half an hour early.

"Oh? Is Doctor Mobius waiting for someone?" Elysia peeked out playfully from Mobius's side, looking at her with a mischievous grin.

"Tch, didn't you already know before you came here to wait?"

Elysia doesn't visit unless she has a reason. Even though she occasionally sneaks into her lab when she has nothing to do, her arrival at mealtime today clearly indicates that she somehow found out that Lin delivers meals to Mobius every day and came specifically to join in the fun and get a free meal.

"Hey, I'm just trying to make a living. Lin's practically become your personal chef. It's so hard for me to even get a meal with him."

Elysia also noticed that time was passing by. "By the way, does Lin usually stay out this late?"

"..." This could be considered as voicing Mobius's question, but she opened her mouth but didn't say anything.

"Ring ring ring".

Mobius's communicator rang throughout the private laboratory. She picked up the communicator on the table next to her, glanced at the source of the communication and paused for a moment, then glanced at Elysia and selected to answer.

"What's up?"

"I'm cooking for someone else today, so you'll have to take care of your own lunch this afternoon."

"...What?" Mobius hadn't expected this to be the first thing she heard. She immediately asked, "Then what am I supposed to eat?"

"Instant noodles, please."

"Beep--"

Communication is down.

"Doctor Mobius? Hello?"

Elysia saw Mobius suddenly freeze after answering a call, and she waved in front of Mobius.

Gradually, a look of gritted teeth appeared on Mobius's face.

That guy really went all out on ditching her. He made her eat instant noodles so he could cook for the others? And... he actually dared to hang up on her?

Mobius turned his head coldly and asked, "What flavor of instant noodles do you like?"

"...What?"

Kevin walked to May's side and watched with her as the core of the Herrscher of Reason was placed into the world's most robust containment chamber.

"Have you finished your work for today?" Mei didn't turn her head, but she knew it was Kevin who had come; their unspoken understanding was etched into their very souls.

"I have less work now, and I spend most of my time at the gym."

With the hatch closing, this Herrscher of Reason Core from an unknown era was temporarily sealed. Its unsealing might coincide with the time when the Soul Steel discovered with it is forged into weapons that can be used to wield the Herrscher Core.

Kevin's attention wasn't on the Herrscher Core, nor on May. It was as if he was simply standing there with his physical body, but his thoughts were miles away.

"Yeah?"

Kevin knew why May asked that question: he had a lot more free time, but he saw May less often.

He was alone most of the time.

"Mei, Lin has changed."

Kevin suddenly turned his head and said to Mei in a detached tone.

Lin? Actually, compared to Mobius's habit of never leaving the house, Mei would often leave the Research and Development Department to go to other departments. She knew about Lin's betting scheme and this marriage proposal.

"I can't see Lin clearly anymore. Is this a good thing?"

"Good and bad are not things we can define." May stopped Kevin from falling into a deeper mental loop. "Can you clearly say whether you are better now or you were back then?"

"..."

Kevin remained silent, and that silence returned to May's question.

"Besides, I don't think Lin has changed."

"What?"

May didn't add anything further; her words seemed like a casual remark, and even Kevin wasn't sure if he had misheard.

Soon, Kevin began to observe the multiple compartments behind the transparent wall.

Even during the Cleansing Incident, these compartments were not damaged in any way. They were not designed as any kind of refuge facility; they were simply isolated using the most robust technology and materials.

Because if the things inside were to return to the human world, it would cause unimaginable disasters.

"Will all these Herrscher Core be made into Divine Key?" he asked.

"At least that's the decision for now," Mei replied. "The Divine Key made from the core of the Sixth Herrscher should be given to Lin to use."

This was a decision made jointly by the High Council of Moth Chaser and her.

Lin has used the power of the Sixth Herrscher before, so his compatibility with the Divine Key of the Herrscher of Death should be very high.

"The Herrscher Core is actually a key. Judging from the powers displayed by the Herrscher, they are connected to a certain place that allows the Herrscher to use those powers. However, making them into Divine Key cannot reproduce this connection, meaning they cannot exert their original powers."

"But this is already the safest approach."

"Perhaps we can reproduce the function of their keys through other methods, allowing humans to fully utilize the powers of the Herrscher." Mei's gaze remained fixed on the chamber where the core of the Herrscher of Reason had just been contained.

All Herrscher Core have a pre-defined plan for the creation of Divine Key, which means her "Key of Blankness" design remains in the draft stage, without a suitable Herrscher Core for testing.

Could this latest "extra" Herrscher of Reason core, along with the Soul Steel that matches it, represent a new possibility?

Chapter Thirty-Eight: A Bizarre Beginning

"I don't believe in miracles... but there are many miracles in the history of science."

"But if a miracle called 'emotion' truly exists... please let it happen... even if it's only one in ten million... one in a billion... I sincerely pray for it..."

"This is just a tiny, insignificant wish of a mere human being..."

"But even here and now... I am praying for you..."

The girl's eyelids trembled slightly, and her deep blue pupils shimmered like fireflies in the night, before gradually fading away after nearly a minute.

Her shapely waist allowed her to sit up from the bed without using her hands for support, and she sat expressionlessly on the bed in this unfamiliar room, surveying her surroundings.

As dawn approached, she woke up precisely at this time, like a ticking timer, and the quiet headquarters of the Fire-Chasing Moth heard no commotion.

The steady breathing, with intervals so precise they were almost instantaneous, caught her attention. There was another person sleeping on the bed, a man with black hair.

The girl glanced at the man who was still asleep, looked down at her jade-like hands, the white gloves she wore, and her gorgeous clothes, and closed her blue eyes.

Her clothes vanished as if from a bubble, revealing her flawless body. Then, a women's uniform, reminiscent of the moths of fire, covered her skin. Her long, deep-sea-colored hair was automatically tied into a high ponytail with a gray rope, adding a touch of heroism and vitality to her.

She slowly opened her eyes, the light deep in her pupils vanishing. Looking down at the man whose breathing remained unchanged, she reached out, her hand forming a claw, and calmly probed towards his throat...

Fingers touched the skin.