"And his housekeeping skills were surprisingly good. When he looked at me with those eyes, it felt about the same as getting glared at by my mom."
Danzhu and Cangxuan huddled together, discussing Lin, who had swaggered off after finishing the cleaning. They often browsed the intranet, so they knew more rumors about Lin than most.
Something like voluntarily helping clean the laboratory had never happened with Lin before.
"I feel like his aura is a little different from last time." Cangxuan stroked her polished workbench.
"What's different? Isn't he still cold as ever?"
"It's like he has a little more... human warmth?"
Mobius stared at the sparkling laboratory. She racked her brains but still could not understand why Lin had given the lab such a thorough cleaning. Given his cold and efficient principles, now that he could move around again, he should have been intensifying his training instead.
Had someone changed him? Could it be Mei's little tagalong? Their files did say they had once been good friends.
But it did not feel like it was that lovestruck boy who talked about Mei all day. Then who was it...?
"Hi, hi~ Elysia is here to mooch a meal~"
"..."
Mobius looked coldly at the pink-haired girl entering through the doorway. That ever-present smile on her face gave Mobius her answer.
She watched Elysia approach with a false smile and asked, "Was it you?"
"Hm? What are you talking about?" Elysia pretended not to understand, cupping a hand beside her ear as if listening.
"I really didn't expect that even someone who lacked the emotions of an ordinary person would fall for your tricks. Should I consider learning the way you talk, Elysia?"
"Oh my, Doctor Mobius, how could you say that about Lin? He's just not good at expressing himself. I merely understand him a little better than other people do. If you want to understand him too, you can read One Hundred Questions About the Silent Helmet~"
The two clashed head-on, trading barbs back and forth. Even while standing face-to-face, they both raised their chins, puffed out their chests, and stood on tiptoe so neither had to look up at the other.
"Hmph. You must have said something that catered to his ideals to win his favor. It's your usual tactic, after all. Males are still males. It's only natural for them to favor attractive women who fawn over them."
"I don't think that's how Lin sees it. He probably thinks we're like-minded friends, just as he is with Kevin and Mei." Elysia could not help revealing a sunset-like smile. "Though it really wasn't easy to make Lin see me as a friend."
Mobius licked the corner of her lips and narrowed her eyes. "Oh? Then I'm curious. What was your purpose in getting close to him?"
"Do you need a purpose to make friends?"
"..."
Elysia's responses to Mobius's interrogation were flawless. Even Mobius could not tell whether she was lying, as though she truly only intended to be Lin's friend.
Still, this was not the first time something like this had happened...
In the end, Mobius did not continue questioning her. Perhaps she thought it was meaningless, or perhaps there was a deeper reason.
Mobius turned away, refusing to look at the pink-haired girl's smile, and asked indifferently, "Why are you here?"
"Uh... didn't I say? I'm here to mooch a meal." Elysia said it with complete confidence.
"Mooch a meal?"
"Kevin said Lin's cooking was master-chef level. I ran into Lin on the way here, and he said he was going to cook now and bring the food to the laboratory, so I came to mooch a meal."
"..."
Mobius felt exhausted.
Questions
"What exactly did you do before joining MOTH?"
That was the first thing Mobius said after finishing the hastily prepared feast Lin had made.
"A student." Lin calmly replied while clearing the dishes, then carried the empty plates away.
Mobius wiped the grease from the corner of her mouth and looked around. She found that the other three were all clutching their stomachs with satisfied expressions.
As for why she was not like that... she could blame these three animals for how fast they ate.
"Haha, Kevin really wasn't lying." Elysia stretched her graceful figure in a languid pose, watching the pensive Mobius with interest. "Just thinking about Lin cooking for you every day makes me a little jealous."
"..."
Mobius furrowed her brows. After glancing at the now-empty doorway, she turned and headed for her office.
"Elysia, come here."
Kevin straightened his uniform and fixed his hair before knocking on the door to the private office. After hearing a response of "Come in," he pushed the door open and entered.
"Mei, what did you need me for... Whoa, what is all this?!"
Sheets covered in complex formulas were piled beside the desk. Used pen refills had been tossed into a small mountain in the corner. The bespectacled girl kept writing out the process through which some concept was taking shape, only stopping to add a symbol after Kevin entered.
Kevin stared dumbfounded at the papers filling the room. He could understand every word written on them, but when they were put together, he could only recognize some basic formulas. The knowledge involved far exceeded conventional understanding, and some of the formulas had even been created by Mei herself.
Mei put the cap back on her pen and took a sip of the coffee that had gone cold beside her. Her reflective lenses mirrored the massive undertaking before her. "This is a concept for Artificial Intelligence. The Titans currently being developed by MOTH are split into two directions. One is manned Titans, operated by elite soldiers like Lin. The other is autonomous Titans, controlled by AI."
"The Research and Development Department at Headquarters is tackling the equipment-related problems, while I'm responsible for researching next-generation Artificial Intelligence. After all, it doesn't involve Honkai Energy, so it is work I can handle with my current level of knowledge."
No, why did creating next-generation Artificial Intelligence sound like such an easy job when she said it...?
Kevin picked up a sheet of paper that had floated down and placed it on the desk. Curious, he asked, "Mei, why aren't you using a computer? Writing everything by hand... isn't that less efficient? And harder to organize?"
"Every computer here is connected to the intranet, and that cannot be blocked. My request for a computer not connected to the intranet was denied." Mei set down her cup as a ballpoint pen danced over the fingertips of her right hand. "Once it's used, it leaves traces. No matter how thoroughly traces on the network are erased, they can be restored. If someone infiltrates it, there will be a risk of leaks."
"Infiltrates it? Who could infiltrate MOTH?"
Given MOTH's location, its military-grade security systems, and its purpose of fighting the Honkai, would hackers really infiltrate a place like this?
Mei revealed a meaningful smile. "Hard to say. And the infiltrator might not necessarily be human. The electromagnetic field controlled by the Third Herrscher can do far more than people imagine. But she seems limited by her own knowledge or other factors, which is why she has only displayed lightning, thunderbolts, and simple magnetic control. In reality, if she wanted to, she could even hack into human electronic facilities, causing communications to collapse and systems to overload and explode, rather than merely interfering with them."
Kevin shuddered when he heard that.
Even when used for pure destruction, the Third Herrscher had nearly leveled all of Changkong City. If Mei became a Herrscher and used her knowledge to support that authority... No, what was he thinking? How could Mei possibly become a Herrscher?
"Besides, I'm only writing this on paper to create a clear line of thought. I have memorized every detail I need. I'll destroy these records later."
Mei stood up and walked to the door. After poking her head out to make sure no one was around, she locked it.
"This room has anti-eavesdropping and anti-surveillance devices I made. Kevin, do not tell anyone what I'm about to say."
"Okay."
Kevin's unconditional trust made Mei relax. Her expression eased somewhat as she walked to the water dispenser and poured two cups of water, handing one to Kevin.
She leaned against the corner of the desk, running a finger around the rim of her cup. After flicking away a droplet of water, she began, "I'm going to tell you some things, and ask you some questions..."
She looked at the surprised Kevin with an impassive expression.
"They concern Lin."
"A completely ordinary high school student who had never shown any outstanding grades or exceptional talent from childhood to adulthood. During school, he skipped classes to play games, attended concerts, read novels, and even had mundane habits like preferring to fold two sheets of toilet paper into one. He was so average that if I grabbed a brick and threw it at any high school, I could hit four or five people just like him."
"Then after growing up ordinarily, following one utterly ordinary night, he somehow awakened to the cause of humanity? And he immediately found an organization hidden beneath the surface of the world, earning the qualifications to join through his absurdly extraordinary reflexes."
"If life were a novel, then the first half and second half of this person's life would have been written by two different authors. But the problem is that this person truly exists. He is not fictional, and he is right here in MOTH."
Mobius pinned Lin's file to the blackboard and turned toward Elysia, who wore a curious expression.
"Elysia, don't you think what happened to Lin is worth looking into?"
"Or were you getting close to him precisely to investigate this?"
"Lin really is the kind of person whose personality changes after a major turning point, so I didn't have many doubts when he became like this. That was until I looked into his movements on the day before he dropped out."
Mei's gaze radiated absolute rationality. It was even colder than Lin's.
Her words also made Kevin frown.
"Did Lin witness the Honkai that night, and that was why he decided to join MOTH?"
"That was what I thought too." Something flickered in Mei's eyes. "But that wasn't the truth."
In the conference room, a projector displayed the conversation records from when Lin had first joined MOTH. The members of the High Council held their breath as they stared at the footage on the screen.
The hooded youth recounted his experiences without expression.
"In the conversation files of MSA-079, he mentioned seeing zombies and MOTH soldiers. A MOTH soldier died protecting him, and the pistol in his hand belonged to that soldier. Afterward, MSA-079 contacted MOTH through the communicator on the soldier's body."
"These were the words he used when explaining why he joined MOTH."
"But after our confirmation..."
"Lin did not go anywhere that night. He went straight home after school and did not leave again until eight the next morning."
"During that time, there were no Honkai incidents anywhere in Changkong City."
The Gunshot Will Eventually Ring Out
"So... what are you trying to say?"
Elysia waved a hand in the air, showing her confusion.
"...Elysia, the way you play dumb is genuinely irritating."
Elysia spread her hands with an innocent expression. "But I'm telling the truth. I really don't know why you're telling me all this."
"You..." Before Mobius could say more, she seemed to realize something. She nodded in sudden understanding. "I nearly forgot. You also seem to be someone of unknown origins."
Elysia blinked and smiled. "I have proper employment channels and records, you know~"
"Hmph. Records are the easiest things to forge." Mobius had naturally investigated Elysia as well. She did not believe a single word of Elysia's flawless employment record, one so perfect it itself was suspicious. "I can't be bothered to pursue your issues. They have nothing to do with me. But what happened to Lin interests me greatly."
"Hmm... should I go ask him?"
"..."
Mobius looked increasingly inclined to treat Elysia as an idiot.
"Oh, don't look at me like that. Lin is sincere with his friends, so if you ask him, he'll definitely be willing to tell you." Elysia shrugged as though she did not care. "But since Doctor Mobius thinks that won't work, you should ask him yourself. It isn't difficult. You just need to become Lin's friend."
"Don't joke around, Elysia. Forget it. I was stupid enough to discuss this with you. You're done eating, so hurry up and leave." Mobius waved her off impatiently, as though driving away flies.
This woman was far harder to handle than that cold-faced man. Mobius had thought she could stir up Elysia's excessive curiosity and have her help find what she wanted, but Elysia happened to be completely unlike her usual self in this matter.
"Doctor Mobius, are you simply curious, or are you worried that things will develop beyond your control?"
"..."
Elysia's soft question as she reached the doorway caused the air to freeze.
Mobius turned her back to her and switched off the room's lights.
Click.
In the darkness, a pair of dark green eyes silently lit up and looked behind her.
"I think worrying is unnecessary. No matter what kind of past we have, there is only one reason we are all here together, isn't there?"
That was why she had no interest in Lin's past.
If they uncovered Lin's secrets, they might tear open his scars. Even if he acted as though he did not care, still...
Elysia smiled as brightly as sunlight.
After clearing the tableware and washing his hands, Lin left and headed toward the Research and Development Department. In the vast Headquarters Base, he encountered an "acquaintance" along the crisscrossing paths.
The youth with his face covered coldly glanced at the tall man approaching from directly ahead. He shifted his foot, preparing to go around him.
Tap.
A foot stepped across his path, blocking the way.
Lin raised his head slightly and looked up at the man, who was a little taller than himself, silently watching him.
Sigma stared darkly at Lin. His gaze lingered on Lin's legs for several seconds before he finally spoke in a slow, heavy voice. "You've recovered?"
Lin thought for a moment, then nodded. "Thanks to Doctor Mobius."
Before you continue