The enclosed world vanished, and Lin's hearing and vision returned. He immediately looked at Mei, who was seated across from him. She happened to be looking at him as well.
"What is it?"
"Are you getting used to Prometheus's assistance?"
"Some parts are unnecessary."
"Is that so? I already reduced the assistance parameters as much as possible. I didn't expect it to still affect your thought process."
Lin and Mei spoke bluntly. They had no need for extra explanations between them, but compared to how he spoke with others, Lin's tone was noticeably gentler.
Kevin asked curiously, "Lin, what does AI assistance feel like?"
"It doesn't feel like anything." Lin slightly restricted some of Prometheus's operating permissions and said flatly, "It's like putting training wheels on a bicycle."
"Uh, isn't that just dead weight? With that helmet on, you can handle a lot of things already, right?"
"If you want to know, you can ask the Research and Development Department for a contact lens model. The system is the same, except it has an additional information-simplification function compared to mine."
Lin's equipment technology was not exactly a secret. It was just that his particular design was among the most distinctive models in Fire MOTH.
At that moment, Kevin quietly leaned close behind Lin's helmet and whispered, "Lin, aren't you going to talk to that girl? She seems to have been staring at you the whole time."
"..."
There was no "seems" about it. From the very beginning, the girl with inner highlights had not looked away. She had been watching the silent Lin with an expression that suggested she wanted to say something but could not bring herself to do so.
Soul was somehow among the escort personnel this time as well.
Three people protecting one Mei was complete overkill, but in truth, Kevin was probably the only one among them actually responsible for protecting Mei.
After thinking for a moment, Lin asked the unblinking Soul, "Soul, is something wrong?"
"Ah, um..." Soul had not expected Lin to suddenly speak to her. After all, she had spent some time with him and knew that he did not say unnecessary things during missions.
She lowered her head at a loss, then seemed to remember something. Gathering her courage, she asked Lin, "Team Member Lin, your injuries haven't healed yet, have they? Are you all right?"
"Don't worry. This mission won't be too demanding." Lin had intended to brush it off with a simple "I'm fine," but remembering what Elysia had told him, he explained, "Doctor Mei knows her limits. Our task is easy."
Though it was only a brief response, it was a tremendous improvement over his previous replies, which had never exceeded three words.
"Mm..." Soul glanced at Mei. This girl, who was about the same age as her, felt even colder than Lin. Was that what one should expect from friends?
Of course, Kevin surprised her much more. No matter how she looked at it, Lin and Kevin's personalities should not have gotten along as well as Kevin claimed they did.
Lin continued, "Aren't you on a mission with Himiko?"
"No. Squad Five hasn't received any replacements since you left, and since I was sent out alone for this mission, the captain remained at headquarters to rest."
"Why were you sent out alone?"
Kevin's eyelids twitched.
Why did Lin's way of talking feel less like casual conversation and more like an interrogation where one person asked and the other answered?
"Hehe, my parents work in the Fifth Science Department. We haven't seen each other in a long time." Soul lowered her head awkwardly and fidgeted with the fine strands of hair by her ear. "So I applied to see whether I could visit the Fifth Branch. 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. Without looking up, she merely said coolly, "It's fine. As Lin said, this mission is not particularly complicated."
"Parents..."
Kevin's gaze dimmed slightly, but he quickly hid the disappointment.
Kevin turned, intending to say something else, only to see Lin's visor go dark again. "Lin, you... Lin? Can't you hear again? Is this thing really that convenient?"
"Doctor Mei, we will arrive at the Fifth Branch in two hours. You may rest for a while first."
An accompanying staff member came over from the rear cabin and informed Mei.
"Mm."
Through his visor, Lin silently watched the staff member step somewhat too close to Mei. The man seemed completely unaware that he had crossed the appropriate distance, but he soon turned and left again.
Lin closed his eyes.
Not particularly complicated work?
The transport plane arrived at the Fifth Branch somewhat later than expected. Once the aircraft landed smoothly, Lin opened his eyes and looked out the window.
Not every Fire MOTH base was located in an uninhabited area like headquarters. Some were disguised as ordinary businesses within cities, allowing them to quickly take over every aspect of society once Fire MOTH's existence was revealed to the public in the future.
For example, the Fifth Branch beneath their feet was disguised as a pharmaceutical company.
The people in the cabin rose and disembarked. Lin deliberately lagged one step behind, observing the others on the transport plane besides Mei and her group. His helmet recorded every tiny movement they made.
Humanity was united. Humanity was divided.
Humanity was wise. Humanity was ignorant.
Humanity was kind. Humanity was evil.
These three statements seemed contradictory, yet they summarized perfectly what humanity truly was.
Lin had never been disappointed by the brilliant light in humanity's heart, but that did not mean he blindly trusted humanity. Even Fire MOTH, which fought Honkai in its near-natural-disaster form to save humanity, could hardly be called united. That was evident both in the upper ranks' disagreements over Mei and in the conflict between Sigma and Delta.
Lin's inclusion in Mei's outing this time had most likely been arranged by those who wished to protect Mei. As for why... perhaps they had noticed something, or perhaps they simply wanted an extra layer of insurance.
However, Lin's physical condition was far from optimistic. After receiving his second injection today, he could already run and make large movements again, but he was still who knew how much weaker than before.
Hopefully, he was simply overthinking things.
Lin took a step forward.
"Lin, it's been a long time. Are you feeding Canned Food?"
Lin, who was feeding a plump cat, looked up and saw Su and Mei walking over side by side.
That was quite a rare pairing. Then again, even Lin and Su meeting this often was already uncommon enough.
"Su. Raiden Mei. What do you need?" Lin lowered his head and patted Canned Food's little head, then handed over a small pouch of silver coins. The little creature affectionately rubbed against Lin's fingers before taking the coins in its mouth, turning around, and hopping into Elysian Realm.
Mei watched Canned Food disappear through Elysian Realm's entrance in surprise. It was her first time seeing Canned Food. "That was... a cat? Why is there a cat in Elysian Realm?"
"That is Pardo's friend," Su explained. Then he walked up to Lin and said with rare emotion, "Lin, whenever I see you, it feels as though I have returned to our first meeting in that era, as if time itself has stopped upon you."
"...Do statues change?" Mei said.
"Ordinary humans cannot possibly remain unchanged. The reason I appear not to have changed is only because I conceal my appearance." Lin's visor glowed with blue light at an appropriate frequency. "But if you mean what is inside, then compared to me, you are the one who has never changed since our first meeting. That is also why you parted ways with Mobius."
"Heh, perhaps." Su gave a faint laugh, shook his head, and sighed.
Differences in ideals leading to diverging paths were common within Fire MOTH. Even when they shared the same goal and understood each other, conflicts still could not be eliminated.
Or rather, sometimes it was precisely understanding that intensified those conflicts.
That was why Su often admired Lin. He was one of the few in Fire MOTH who could treat others equally and offer help even when their ideals differed.
Even if almost no one understood him.
"Speaking of Mobius..." Mei hesitantly interjected.
"You have already met her?" Lin's visor flashed for an instant as it scanned Mei. "You have obtained the Signet of Infinity. It seems she did not make things difficult for you."
A trace of anger rose on Mei's pretty face. "Didn't make things difficult? You mean forcibly giving me the signet and causing me to—"
"Every power comes with risks, and what Mobius gives comes with even more." Lin cut her off. "So you would be best off not accepting any of her gifts from now on. They are not something you can bear."
"Many people have already said that."
"There is no harm in hearing it again."
Mei turned around to search for Mobius, who had been there moments ago. After seeing Su, Mobius had remained in the meeting room, but now there was no sign of that small figure anywhere.
"Presumably, there are two people here she does not wish to see, so she left." Su kept his eyes closed. Without turning around, he already knew what Mei was looking for.
"Two people... Come to think of it, Lin, what exactly is your relationship with Mobius? Why do some descriptions say that you and she got along well, while others say you two could not stand each other at all?"
"..."
Most of Mei's wariness and confusion toward Lin came from this point. If she were to describe Lin according to the information she had received, he was someone who had given everything for humanity and burned himself out completely. There was practically no fault to be found in him, yet there were claims that he had helped Mobius.
With Lin's personality, it was impossible that he would help Mobius. Mei even felt that it would not be surprising if he one day drew his gun and shot Mobius dead.
"We began from different places, yet converged at the same destination. That is my relationship with her."
Lin's expression was impossible to discern beneath that heavy helmet, but his voice remained unchanged and steady. "Humanity needs people like her, and she has also devoted everything to humanity. I have no right to point fingers at another person's path."
"She? For humanity?"
Mei was deeply confused, but unlike the MOTH Heroes, Lin answered whenever asked. If it were Kevin, he would most likely follow up with, "You don't need to know," while Lin would directly give an answer. Thus, Mei continued asking, "What did she do?"
"You don't need to know," Lin said flatly.
"...?" Mei froze.
"That is enough idle conversation for today. I have things to do." Lin stood and walked toward Elysian Realm's entrance.
When he reached Su's side, his footsteps paused. Then he turned his head toward Su and asked, "Su, do you remember when we first met?"
"I heard Kevin mention you. After the Third Honkai War occurred, Kevin temporarily disappeared from my awareness. I wanted to find him through you, but you left even earlier than he did." Su recalled the past and sighed. "It was not until Doctor Spacy approved my application to join Fire MOTH that I met you. We should have become friends long ago."
"No, Su. We met long ago."
"Long ago?" Su was puzzled by those words.
"I met you then, and met you again five years later. Your compassion for the world has never changed."
With that, Lin disappeared into Elysian Realm's entrance.
"Hello, Doctor Mei."
"Hello, Doctor Spacy."
A composed middle-aged man dressed like a typical researcher had been waiting at the landing pad to receive their group. Before Lin could look through the database, Prometheus thoughtfully pulled up Doctor Spacy's information for him.
Spasi, head of the Fifth Science Department and director of the Fifth Branch, had already been a scientist with profound accomplishments in biology before being invited to join Fire MOTH. He was also the first person to discover the method of removing Honkai Energy-corroded areas. He was married and had one daughter.
Lin did not linger on the information. It merely gave him a rough first impression. He would need personal contact to know what sort of person Spasi truly was.
"Doctor Mei, I was deeply shocked after reading your paper on quantum mechanics. The novel perspectives within were simply unprecedented. To have the honor of meeting the author herself today is truly a wonderful coincidence." Spasi's smile was unlike that of an ordinary academic. It was more shrewd, though not malicious.
"You flatter me, Doctor Spacy."
Small talk was an essential part of interpersonal interaction. Mei had clearly never studied it in depth, but she often skipped that stage through her astonishing ability and went straight to work.
As for Lin, Kevin, and Soul, their status differed completely from Mei's, so there was no need to introduce them.
Still, Lin needed to go through the motions. He was a captain now, after all, and held the highest rank among the three. His usual silence was not suitable for most situations. After the two exchanged a few simple words, he stepped forward and said to Spasi, "Doctor Spacy, we are Doctor Mei's escorts for this mission. May we begin the handover procedures?"
"You are..." When Spasi saw Lin's helmet, realization flashed through his mind. He frowned and asked uncertainly, "You're Lin? The soldier who killed the Third Herrscher?"
"..." Lin had not expected that. It seemed the impact of the Third Honkai War had been greater than he imagined, both the Honkai itself and the events that had occurred within it.
"My apologies. That was inappropriate." Seeing Lin remain silent, Spasi realized that he might not wish to discuss the matter. He then addressed another man standing behind him. "Bolong, take them to complete the handover procedures."
"Understood." The man called Bolong nodded at Lin.
Lin glanced at Kevin, whose gaze remained fixed on Mei, and instructed, "Kevin, stay behind and accompany Doctor Mei."
This was Lin's first time visiting a branch. The base's structure was entirely different from headquarters. Since it was disguised as a pharmaceutical company, every aspect resembled one, complete with production lines and pharmaceutical research departments. Even if visitors came to tour the place, nothing would give it away.
"The main section of the Fifth Branch is above the fifteenth floor of this building. Your rooms are here. If you need anything, you may make a request through the call button."
Bolong first gave them a tour of the branch. Understanding the terrain was necessary for escorts like them, so while they had materials such as floor plans, experiencing it in person was best.
Afterward, he brought them to their temporary accommodations. The rooms were similar to those at headquarters and came with every necessary function. Aside from the computers being unable to connect to the internet, they were practically presidential suites.
"Where are your laboratories and science department?" Seeing Soul's expression gradually fill with faint anxiety, Lin thought it was time to confirm the laboratories, which were what they most needed to understand, and asked Bolong.
The Fifth Science Department researched human Honkai Energy Adaptability and resistance. That definitely included live-subject research. Deadwalkers, small Honkai Beasts, and Honkai-corroded objects should all be present in the laboratories.
That also meant sufficiently strong safety measures were necessary. Protective suits had limited effect when exposed to Honkai Energy at close range. Lin himself was a living example.
...In some time, he might become a dead example instead.
"Please follow me..."
Before you continue