I'm No MOTH Hero

The world of occlusion vanished, and Lin's hearing and sight returned. His first instinct was to look at Mei, who was sitting opposite him. She happened to be looking at him as well.

"Is something wrong?"

"Are you getting used to Prometheus's assistance?"

"In some ways, it's a bit excessive."

"Is that so? I've already minimized the assistance parameters to the greatest extent possible, yet I didn't expect it to still affect your thought process."

Lin and Mei's conversation was direct and to the point; they didn't need extra explanations. However, compared to others, Lin's tone was clearly more gentle.

Kevin asked curiously, "Lin, what does AI assistance feel like?"

"It doesn't feel like much," Lin said, slightly restricting some of Prometheus's operational permissions. "It's like putting training wheels on a bicycle."

"Uh, isn't that just a burden? You can handle a lot of things just by wearing your helmet, right?"

"If you want to know, you can ask the R&D department for an invisible lens type. The system is the same, it just adds an information simplification function to mine."

Lin's equipment technology wasn't exactly a secret, but his particular model was one of the most unique within MOTH.

At that moment, Kevin quietly leaned behind Lin's helmet and whispered, "Lin, aren't you going to talk to that girl? She seems to have been looking at you the whole time."

"..."

It wasn't just a "seeming." From the very beginning, the girl with the colored streaks in her hair hadn't looked away. She had been watching Lin, who remained silent, as if she had something to say but couldn't.

For some reason, Soul was also part of this escort detail.

One Mei being protected by three people could be considered overkill, but in reality, only Kevin among the three was likely truly responsible for Mei's safety.

After thinking for a moment, Lin spoke to Soul, who was staring intently at him, "Soul, is there something you need?"

"Ah, this..." Soul hadn't expected Lin to suddenly speak to her. After all, she had spent some time with him and knew he wouldn't say unnecessary things during a mission.

She lowered her head in confusion, then seemed to think of something and mustered the courage to ask Lin, "Team Member Lin, aren't your injuries still healing? Are you alright?"

"Don't worry, this mission won't be too strenuous." Lin had intended to dismiss her with a simple "I'm fine," but remembering what Elysia had told him, he explained, "Doctor Mei is very measured, and our mission is quite easy."

Although it was just a brief response, it was a significant improvement compared to his previous habit of responding with no more than three words.

"Mmm..." Soul glanced at Mei. This girl, who was the same age as her, felt even more distant than Lin. Could this be what friends were like?

Of course, Kevin was a much bigger surprise. After all, Lin and Kevin's personalities didn't seem like they would get along as well as Kevin described.

Lin continued, "Aren't you on a mission with Himiko?"

"No, Squad Five hasn't had any new personnel since you left. Plus, with my solo mission assignment this time, the Captain is resting at headquarters."

"Why are you on a solo mission?"

Kevin's eyelids twitched.

Why did Lin's conversation style feel less like casual chat and more like an interrogation?

"Hehe, actually, my parents work in the Fifth Science Department, and we haven't seen each other in a long time." Soul bashfully lowered her head and fiddled with the fine hairs by her ear. "I wanted to apply to see if I could go to the Fifth Branch, and I ended up being assigned to this mission. I'm really sorry, Doctor Mei, I might cause you trouble."

Mei was organizing the documents in her hands and, without looking up, said coldly, "It's fine. As Lin said, this mission doesn't involve particularly complex work."

"Parents..."

Kevin's gaze dimmed slightly, but he quickly hid his disappointment.

Kevin turned his head, intending to say something else, only to see Lin's visual display turn off again. "Lin, you... Lin? Can you not hear me again? Is this thing that convenient?"

"Doctor Mei, we will arrive at the Fifth Branch in two hours. You can rest for a while."

A member of the accompanying staff walked over from the rear cabin and informed Mei.

"Mmm."

Lin quietly watched the accompanying staff member's footsteps as they moved a bit too close to Mei on the visual display. He seemed oblivious to how close they were getting, but soon they turned and left.

Lin closed his eyes.

Not particularly complex work, huh?

Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Stopping of Time

The transport plane arrived at the Fifth Branch slightly later than expected. After the fuselage settled smoothly on the ground, Lin opened his eyes and looked out the window.

Not all MOTH bases are located in desolate areas like headquarters. Some are disguised as ordinary companies within cities, intended to quickly take over all aspects of society when MOTH's existence is eventually revealed.

The Fifth Branch, for instance, is disguised as a pharmaceutical company.

The group in the cockpit stood up and disembarked. Lin deliberately lagged a step behind, observing the other individuals on the transport plane besides Mei and the others. He recorded their subtle movements with his helmet.

Humans are united; humans are divided. Humans are intelligent; humans are foolish. Humans are kind; humans are evil.

These three seemingly contradictory statements effectively summarize what kind of race humanity is.

Lin has never been disappointed by the brilliant light within the human heart, but that doesn't mean he blindly trusts humanity. Even MOTH, which fights against the near-cataclysmic form of the Honkai to save humanity, is far from being united. This disunity is evident in the disagreements among the higher-ups regarding Mei, as well as the differences between Sigma and Delta.

Lin being ordered to join Mei's outing this time was likely done by those who support Mei. As for why they did it... perhaps they sensed something, or perhaps it was just an extra layer of insurance.

Lin's physical condition, however, was not optimistic. After receiving his second shot today, he could already run and make large body movements, but he was still significantly worse than before.

Hopefully, he was just overthinking things.

Lin took a step forward.

"Lin, long time no see. Are you feeding Canned Food?"

Lin, who was feeding a chubby cat, looked up and saw Su and Mei walking towards him side-by-side.

This combination was truly rare, or rather, Lin and Su rarely met in the first place.

"Su, Raiden Mei, what do you need me for?" Lin lowered his head and gently petted Canned Food's head, handing over a small bag of silver coins. The little guy affectionately rubbed against Lin's fingers, then, holding the silver coins in its mouth, it turned and hopped away into the Imaginary Tree.

Mei watched in surprise as Canned Food disappeared into the entrance of the Imaginary Tree. It was her first time seeing Canned Food. "Is that... a cat? Why are there cats in the Imaginary Tree?"

"That's Pardo's friend," Su explained. Then, he walked up to Lin, unusually moved. "Lin, whenever I see you, it's like I'm back in the era of our first meeting, as if time has stopped for you."

"...Do sculptures change?" Mei chimed in.

"Ordinary humans cannot help but change. The reason I appear unchanged is simply that I've concealed my appearance," Lin's visual display flickered with a suitably timed blue light. "But if you're talking about my inner self, then compared to me, you're the one who hasn't changed since we first met. This is also why you parted ways with Mobius."

"Heh, perhaps," Su chuckled and shook his head with a sigh.

Divergent paths due to differing ideologies were common in MOTH, even with a shared goal, understanding each other couldn't eliminate conflict.

In fact, sometimes it was precisely that understanding that intensified the conflict.

This was why Su often admired Lin. He was one of the few in MOTH who could treat others equally and offer help, even when their ideologies differed.

Even if almost everyone else didn't understand him.

"Speaking of Mobius..." Mei interjected hesitantly at this point.

"You've met her already?" Lin's visual screen lit up for a moment, scanning Mei. "You've obtained the Infinite Imprints. It seems she didn't make things difficult for you."

A slight flush of anger rose on Mei's pretty face. "Didn't make things difficult? Are you referring to her forcibly giving me the imprints, which caused me..."

"All power comes with risks, and what Mobius gives is even more so," Lin interrupted her. "So, you'd best not accept any more of her gifts. You can't handle them."

"Many people have already said that."

"It doesn't hurt to hear it again."

Mei turned around to look for Mobius, who had been there just moments ago. After seeing Su, she had remained in the conference room. Now, where was that short figure?

"I suppose she left because there were two people here she didn't want to see," Su said, closing his eyes. Without turning around, he knew what Mei was looking for.

"Two... Speaking of which, it's strange. Lin, what exactly is your relationship with Mobius? Why do some descriptions say you two get along well, while others say you can't stand each other?"

"..."

Much of Mei's wariness and confusion towards Lin stemmed from this. If she were to describe Lin based on the information she had, he was someone who had given everything for humanity, burning himself out, and utterly flawless. Yet, there were also accounts of him helping Mobius.

Given Lin's personality, it was impossible for him to help Mobius. Mei even felt it was possible he might draw his gun and shoot Mobius at any moment.

"Our starting points were different, but we converged at the same destination. That is my relationship with her."

Lin's expression was impossible to discern through his heavy helmet, but his voice remained steady. "Humanity needs someone like her, and she has also given her all for humanity. I am not in a position to dictate the paths of others."

"Her? For humanity?"

Mei was very confused. But the biggest difference between Lin and the Heroes was his willingness to answer questions. With Kevin, it would likely be a simple "You don't need to know," but Lin would directly provide the answer. So, Mei continued to ask, "What did she do?"

"You don't need to know," Lin said calmly.

"...?" Mei was stunned.

"Today's idle chat time is over. I have matters to attend to," Lin stood up and walked towards the entrance of the Imaginary Tree.

As he passed Su, his steps paused. Then, he turned his head and said to Su, "Su, do you remember when we first met?"

"I heard about you from Kevin. After the Third Honkai War, Kevin temporarily disappeared from my perception. I wanted to find him through you, but you left even earlier than he did," Su recalled the past and sighed. "It wasn't until Doctor Spacy approved my application to join MOTH that I met you. We should have become friends long ago."

"No, Su, we met long ago."

"Long ago?" Su was confused by the word.

"I saw you back then, and then again five years later. Your compassion for the world has never changed."

With that, Lin disappeared into the entrance of the Imaginary Tree.

Chapter 38: The Amiable Captain Lin

"Hello, Doctor Mei."

"Hello, Doctor Spacy."

A steady middle-aged man, dressed like a standard researcher, was already waiting at the landing pad to welcome their group. Before Lin could access the database, Prometheus thoughtfully provided him with Spacy's information.

Spacy, head of the Fifth Science Department and concurrently in charge of the Fifth Branch. Before being invited to join MOTH, he was already a scientist with profound achievements in the field of biology. He was also the first to discover a method for surgically removing Honkai-corrupted parts. He was married and had a daughter.

Lin didn't dwell on the information for too long. It merely provided a general initial impression. He would only know what kind of person Spacy was after meeting him in person.

"Doctor Mei, I was greatly shocked after reading your paper on quantum mechanics. The novel viewpoints were simply unheard of. To have the opportunity to meet the author in person today is truly a marvelous coincidence," Spacy's smile was entirely unlike that of an ordinary academic worker; it was more shrewd, but without malice.

"You flatter me, Doctor Spacy."

Small talk is an essential part of interpersonal communication. Mei clearly hadn't studied it in depth, but she often bypassed this step with astonishing skill, going straight into work.

As for Lin, Kevin, and Soul, their roles were entirely different from Mei's, so there was no need to introduce them.

However, Lin still had to go through the motions. After all, he was a captain, the highest-ranking among the three. His usual silence wouldn't do in most situations. After the brief exchange between the other two, he stepped forward and said to Doctor Spacy, "Doctor Spacy, we are Doctor Mei's escorts for this mission. Can we begin the handover?"

"You are..." Upon seeing Lin's helmet, a flash of inspiration struck Doctor Spacy. He frowned and asked uncertainly, "Are you Lin? The soldier who killed the Third Herrscher?"

"..." This was something Lin hadn't anticipated. It seemed the impact of the Third Honkai War was greater than he had imagined, both the Honkai itself and the events that unfolded within it.

"My apologies, I misspoke." Seeing Lin's silence, Doctor Spacy realized he might not want to discuss that matter. He then turned to another person standing behind him and said, "Boron, take them to begin the handover."

"Understood." The man called Boron nodded at Lin.

Lin glanced at Kevin, whose gaze remained fixed on Mei, and instructed, "Kevin, stay here and accompany Doctor Mei."

This was Lin's first time at the branch. The base's structure was very different from headquarters. Since it was disguised as a pharmaceutical company, everything was similar to a real one, with production lines and research and development departments. Even if visitors came, no flaws would be revealed.

"The main part of the Fifth Branch is on the fifteenth floor and above in this building. Your rooms are here. If you need anything, you can use the call button."

Boron first gave them a tour of the branch. For those responsible for guarding, understanding the layout was crucial. Therefore, besides flat maps and other materials, experiencing it firsthand was the best approach.

Afterward, he led them to their temporary accommodations. The rooms were similar to those at headquarters, with all functions fully equipped. The only difference was that the computers couldn't connect to the external network, making them almost like presidential suites.

"Where are your laboratory and the science department?" Lin saw a hint of anxiety gradually appear on Soul's face. Thinking it was time to confirm the most crucial information, he asked Boron.

The Fifth Science Department's research focused on the Honkai Energy adaptability and resistance of the human body. This would undoubtedly involve some live research, so there should be Mortals, small Honkai Beasts, and corrupted objects in the laboratory.

This also meant that sufficient safety precautions were necessary. When in close proximity to Honkai Energy, protective suits offered limited effectiveness. Lin was a living example of this.

... In a little longer, he might become a dead example.

"Please follow me..."