I Am Not a Hero

"What? Are you scared? There's no need to be ashamed of your survival instinct. Humans have always pursued immortality since ancient times; it's an instinct etched into our very genes."

"But I advise you to accept it sooner rather than later. I don't want to end up with a broken product."

Lin closed his eyes and pondered for a moment, his tone unchanged, speaking with his usual calm voice, "I understand."

"..."

"..."

"You..." Mobius narrowed her eyes, as if trying to see the panic hidden beneath Lin's placid demeanor.

But no matter how she looked, she couldn't find despair. Because from the very beginning, there was none.

"Hmph... That's right. Someone who can endure that kind of surgery probably doesn't fear death much." Mobius snorted coldly. Her previously cheerful mood plummeted. She taunted Lin with a sarcastic tone and turned to leave.

Elysia waved goodbye to Lin and quickly followed Mobius.

She walked up to Mobius and asked with a grin, "Dr. Mobius~ What's your agreement with Lin? I'm so curious~"

"Why don't you just ask him directly?" Mobius shot her an annoyed glance.

"Lin will definitely just play dumb and stay silent. Please, my dear Mobius, tell me something interesting." Elysia's eyes sparkled, almost leaping onto Mobius. "Could it be something… illicit…"

"Annoying." Mobius was fed up with Elysia's pathetic pleas. She couldn't even remember how many times she'd seen Elysia put on that adorable act, and each time it made her feel uncomfortable, both mentally and physically.

So, she simply crossed her arms and said coldly to Elysia, "It's simple. I'll give him a little help, and then he'll give me everything."

"'A little help'... I recall one of the diagnoses for Lin's injuries mentioned that two types of toxins destroyed his pain receptors. One was consistent with the toxins of a Judgment-class Honkai Beast, Shasha, and the other was an unknown synthetic toxin. Dr. Mobius, this isn't very good of you, is it..."

Elysia's implication was clear.

"Heh, he should be thanking me." Mobius dismissed it with disdain.

"Beep beep." A communication pinged on Mobius's communicator.

Mobius picked it up and her expression turned strange.

"What's wrong?"

"No, nothing... This is from that guy in the repair pod." Mobius subtly read the contents aloud.

"'Thank you.'"

Chapter Nineteen: Live For Me

"..."

"..."

They looked at each other in silence.

The MOTH members were already accustomed to Lin's reclusive and taciturn nature, but for Kevin, it still required a period of adjustment.

Lin gazed at the MOTH uniform on Kevin's body.

Kevin, in turn, looked at Lin, who appeared as still as a specimen preserved in formalin.

After a long silence, Kevin sighed softly and lowered his head, saying gently, "Lin, I've joined MOTH."

"I can see that."

"...Are you angry?"

After arriving at MOTH, Kevin finally understood what Lin had been doing all this time and the truth he had been hiding – it was all to protect him and Mei.

But now, with Mei joining MOTH, and Kevin following suit to be with her, their decision had rendered all of Lin's efforts futile.

"No." His voice sounded somewhat distorted over the intercom.

"Alright... Lin, are you really okay?"

"I'm fine. I'll probably be moved out of here and into a normal ward tomorrow."

The matter of being eroded by Honkai Energy was not publicly disclosed. Lin's reputation had soared after the subjugation of the Third Herrscher, and MOTH needed to boost morale at such a time, so they intentionally promoted him as a human hero.

When Lin learned of this, he remained indifferent, which in a way was his tacit approval of MOTH's actions.

But in reality, he wasn't entirely without opinions; he just felt it was meaningless.

If someone is a hero, they will eventually become a leader in the eyes of the world. Compared to that, a soldier pushed along by the currents of the times, no matter how perfectly packaged, would not become that meaningless hero.

"Okay, then Lin, I'll come see you tomorrow. I'll bring Mei... Never mind, she's very busy lately... Don't worry, I'll come see you. When you're better, I'll give you an Eden album!" The white-haired youth, having experienced the Third Honkai War, could still manage a strong and cheerful smile. This eased a heavy burden in Lin's heart, and he nodded in response.

Lin watched Kevin's retreating figure.

Humans were a peculiar species.

What often destroyed their will was not sudden misfortune or terrifying disasters; those usually only made people more united, stronger, and more powerful.

Instead, it was the subtle, imperceptible things that accumulated over time.

Like soil erosion, where grains of sand are carried away. The change wasn't overnight, but by the time one noticed, it was already irreversible.

Lin pushed the wheelchair slowly under the lights, quickly finding the room number he was looking for. He reached out and knocked on the door before pushing it open and entering.

The gray-haired girl stood by the bedside, looking lost. When she heard the knock, she started to get up to open the door, but Lin entered before she could.

Lin glanced at the fully equipped room, which had barely been used, and then at Hua's tattered, unchanged uniform.

"You are..."

Lin was currently wrapped head to toe in bandages. Protective gear had been applied to his newly grown skin to prevent damage, but his mummy-like appearance made Hua unable to recognize him at first.

Fortunately, upon seeing Lin's sharp eyes, capable of firing Void Tensile Eye, Hua guessed who he was.

"After you arrived here, you haven't left your room. Besides the necessary food, you eat nothing and accept no conditions to return to society," Lin repeated what he had been told before coming, giving her some time to think. Then he added, "I'll get straight to the point: MOTH doesn't raise pigs that only eat and sleep."

Hua's long eyelashes fluttered.

"I know you're lost right now. Most people in MOTH have experienced something similar, but that doesn't mean we'll let you stay here until you figure things out. In fact, I'm here to provide psychological counseling, and my attitude has always been the same: either go, or stay."

Lin threw his somewhat harsh words at Hua.

He forced Hua to make a choice. He could see that Hua was someone who didn't know how to act without a goal, someone who was easily influenced and usually needed others to help her make decisions. But Lin was giving her a choice, not making it for her. So, no matter how cruel it seemed, she had to recognize her current situation.

"Go... stay..." Hua murmured distractedly.

"Your father died in the Third Honkai War. I am very sorry. If you wish to return to normal society, MOTH will arrange it for you. You can go anywhere, travel... of course, not to severely affected areas."

Leave?

This might be a good choice. She knew nothing about anything, and MOTH didn't lack her. She could also find a new purpose in life for the rest of her days.

At that time, Hua might thank Lin for giving her the power to choose.

But now...

"I..." Hua clutched her head in pain, leaning against the wall. She whispered, "Please tell me, what should I do..."

"What you should do is your business, not mine."

"But I don't know... You said I have to live for myself, but I can't..."

Living for others.

Hua had always lived that way.

Lin suddenly felt the suffering girl before him overlap with himself.

Hua clenched her fists, as if putting all her strength into this question. She gritted her teeth, "Please tell me, what are those things, and what goal should I pursue."

"...Are you ready?"

"Most people are never ready."

Just like those who died in the Honkai, her father, and her friends. Their lives were erased from this world like an eraser, disappearing suddenly and without a trace.

She wanted to cheer herself up, but it looked more like a plea: "If this is the lifelong pursuit I need, please tell me. You are the one who saved me, the one who gave me new life."

"..."

Lin was silent for a rare moment, not out of unwillingness to speak. He studied the girl's expression, fragile and breakable, like a piece of craftsmanship.

The same could be said for many people in MOTH.

But all along, it was precisely these people, harboring hatred for the Honkai, who marched to the front lines and died in battle.

From any angle, they died for humanity. Even their hatred eventually turned into a pity that continued the flame of life.

Then, he opened his mouth.

"MOTH, an organization that fights the Honkai."

Lin's introduction was concise and powerful, the only definition he gave for MOTH.

"I am a soldier of MOTH, and you will also become a member of MOTH. But I hope you become not just a soldier, but a warrior."

"And..."

Lin remembered the voice he heard at that time.

"If you don't know who to live for, then live for me."

Chapter Twenty: You Are the Embodiment of My Ideals

The aftermath of the Third Honkai War continued to deepen. With Changkong City as the center, Honkai Energy spread to other regions, causing localized small-scale Honkai outbreaks. Based on the limited experience of the three Honkai Wars, follow-up work required considerable attention; a small outbreak could easily escalate into a large one.

Furthermore, the operation against the Third Herrscher resulted in the greatest personnel losses for MOTH. Consequently, MOTH began recruiting new members and reorganizing squads, creating a bustling atmosphere.

Of course, if one were to talk about the loudest and most chaotic voices in recent days, it would be those from the various research departments.

The corpse of the third apostle of the Honkai was undoubtedly the most valuable trophy from this disaster. Humanity knew far too little about the Honkai, and Herrschers were the most tangible manifestation of the Honkai. Therefore, all researchers put aside their ongoing research and gathered to discuss the Third Herrscher.

Only one person was an exception: Mobius.

She disdained a group of people arguing over trivial matters. In her opinion, councils were the crystallization of human stupidity. Ignorant and self-important people gathered together were merely a bunch of mediocre minds; a single Zhuge Liang was still Zhuge Liang.

Moreover, Mobius had no intention of participating in research that she considered outdated, nor would she allow others to interfere with her own research. She would obtain the Third Herrscher's corpse sooner or later.

Besides that, there was actually another department that was quite busy.

"I thought you'd be bedridden for ten days to half a month," said Delta, the head of the Research Department, with dark circles under his eyes. He offered Lin a bottle of cold coffee. When Lin shook his head and refused, Delta didn't seem annoyed. He shrugged and opened it himself, taking a drink.

He, too, had listened to the noisy group for a while before losing interest. He preferred practice to theory, so he had escaped back to the Research Department to continue his development.

Lin leaned back in his wheelchair, his gaze fixed on a certain spot the moment he entered the room.

The giant mechanical humanoid had undergone a drastic transformation compared to last time. Its once thick and somewhat cumbersome outer shell had been greatly simplified, resulting in a streamlined body that made its lines appear much more elegant and less harsh. The cluster missiles that were previously exposed had also been optimized and hidden beneath the armor plating.

TT-079 Kai, a subsequent improved model of the initial experimental Titan. It was the second unit manufactured after Lin requested enhanced mobility. Compared to the initial experimental Titan, this second unit was designed with combat deployment in mind, though it was currently less than thirty percent complete.

"Originally, we intended to make the piloted Titan a human-shaped arsenal, so we packed it with every weapon it could carry. However, considering your combat style and the overlap with the development direction of future AI-type Titans, we've adjusted its armament."

Delta particularly enjoyed seeing Lin so enthusiastic. Most others would just grab their items and leave, making his workshop feel like a cheap weapon shop. Lin, on the other hand, would patiently listen to Delta's explanations regardless of his own interest, making him the perfect companion for the talkative Delta.

Delta took a couple of sips of coffee, wiped the dark smudges from the corner of his mouth, and pointed to the weapon backpacks displayed not far away. "The Titan's main body isn't equipped with excessive weaponry, only a large-caliber particle gun and miniaturized cluster missiles mounted on its shoulders. Of course, you could also tear Honkai Beasts apart with your bare hands. I'm quite confident in the adjustments made to the Titan's wrist strength."

"Before each sortie, you can swap out the weapon backpack according to the required combat mission and utilize the corresponding burst core. Currently completed are the Sword-type and Cannon-type backpacks, with a Floating Cannon backpack still under development. Unfortunately, the anti-gravity propulsion system has hit a bottleneck, and it will take quite some time to get it working."

"I'm really looking forward to seeing what kind of spectacle your brain's information processing capabilities will create with floating cannons. After all, AI can never be as flexible as humans in terms of improvisation."

Lin stared at the remaining exposed metal skeleton of the Titan and nodded almost imperceptibly.

He understood Delta quite well; when this person poured his passion into something, it was bound to yield results, and he would always strive for perfection.

After finishing his introduction of the Titan, Delta showed no signs of fatigue. He downed his coffee in one gulp and, still wanting more, walked over to the warehouse from last time. He then took out another... samurai sword?

The hilt was mostly composed of matte gray-blue metal, and a sea-blue blade that extended from the front of the sword emitted a visible chill. Its design was longer than the previous High-frequency Cutting Blade, matching the length of a regular samurai sword. Judging by its appearance, it wasn't an experimental product this time, but a finished one.

"The High-frequency Cutting Blade was broken when we went to retrieve it. What a shame, that was one of my masterpieces."

"..." Lin recalled the High-frequency Cutting Blade lost during battle and lowered his head in shame for a moment. "I'm sorry."

"You're apologizing? You, who often goes out fully equipped and returns with nothing but scrap. The logistics department has been scolding you and me to no end." Delta scratched his head, recalling the scene with a sense of distress. This wasn't the first or second time something like this had happened. No matter how he explained that Lin's combat style was just like that, he still received criticism.

"..."

"Haha, don't worry about it. Let's get back to the main topic." Delta rubbed his dark circles and perked up, proudly showing Lin the sword. "I call this sword Plasma Shadow Show. It was developed around the same time as the High-frequency Cutting Blade and was only recently completed."

"Don't get too close. If I accidentally freeze your newly grown skin, I won't be responsible."

Delta took out a scabbard, also made of metal parts, and sheathed the Plasma Shadow Show. Only then did the cold air subside.