A Late-Night Conversation / Sudden Change

She gave a forced smile, "After all, he's not good with words. Who knows if he'll say something unpleasant? It would be bad if it upsets people who don't get along with him."

Mobius's tone wasn't hostile, but her words were actually a veiled criticism that Lin wouldn't tell Aponia the truth, implying that their relationship was merely one of estrangement where they needed to avoid speaking frankly.

"But...I think... Lin is very interesting to talk to... He tells me many things I never knew, tells me the answers to my questions, and tells me his views on life..." Aponia's smile unconsciously appeared on her cheeks, shining like starlight. "He doesn't talk to others on his own initiative, but he is actually very talkative."

Accurate.

An emotion was swelling within him for no reason, Mobius's fingers turned white as he clenched them when he saw Aponia's smile.

She and this Nun really didn't get along.

Moreover, there are strong signs that this emotion is being transferred to Lin.

Why does this guy act so differently when he's with this Nun?

"It's rare to see you with such an ugly expression."

Mei sneered at Mobius, who emerged from the Elysian Realm, making no attempt to hide her mockery.

"... Lab Rat, are you so happy to see me?" Mobius glanced at him coldly, his lips twitching.

"I think Chrono would think the same way I do." Mei was on par with Mobius in terms of aura. She only showed such a harsh attitude towards Mobius and Chrono, since these were the only two people she was most at odds with in the Imaginary Tree.

"Heh, Herrscher Lab Rat ..." Mobius narrowed his eyes, a dangerous glint in them. "Don't think that just because Lin protected you, I won't lay a hand on you again."

"Fight? Do you think I'd be afraid of a defeated opponent?"

"..."

The tense atmosphere only ended with the arrival of someone.

Kevin walked around Mobius, his chilling aura causing the surrounding temperature to drop sharply from the moment he appeared.

Mobius glanced at Kevin, ignored Mei, and followed him into the lounge, with Mei close behind.

"Lin is fine for now," Kevin said, crossing his arms as he stated the first result of his investigation.

He had traveled almost the entire Imaginary Tree and discovered some information left by Lin, conveying the message that he was safe and sound.

Mei already knew about this; Aponia had already told her.

Mobius's furrowed brows did not relax; she had clearly investigated thoroughly, indicating that this news was not enough to make her feel that the situation was normal.

"The changes in the Imaginary Tree indicate that something from outside the Imaginary Tree has entered here, causing changes in part of the space. We don't know yet if it's related to the people who attacked Raiden Mei and Lin." Kevin was unusually talkative. "Also... Elysia's behavior is strange."

"..."

"After Lin disappeared, she never appeared in the Imaginary Tree again."

"The Deepest Place?" Mei asked.

"... I'm not going to find her, I'm just saying that she didn't show up on her own."

Mei was stunned. Kevin meant... he had never suspected Elysia at all?

Not only Kevin, but even Mobius had no objection to Kevin's statement.

Kevin glanced at Mei and continued, "Pardo will be in charge of finding Lin for now. As for Raiden Mei... I have something to tell you."

"What?" Mei stared at the man who was still alive even outside of the Elysian Realm.

"Visitors need to undergo trials to gain recognition. Earlier, Chrono was used as the 'final trial,' but that led to some unnecessary problems. Lin Zi then considered having him take on the role of the final trial, and the venue for the final trial was set in the Elysian Realm."

"You mean you want me to go and pass the final trial right now?"

Mei looked incredulous, but quickly realized, "No."

She didn't come to the Imaginary Tree just to become a core member of the World Serpent through trials; she came here for her companions and for the truth she sought.

How could they possibly let Kevin kick her out like he was giving her an eviction notice?

"Lin instructed me beforehand that if he and Elysia both disappeared, I would ask you questions on his behalf and then guide you there."

"There..."

"Are you ready to be tested as a human, not as Herrscher?"

Kevin spoke like a judge, issuing a condescending pronouncement.

"Raiden Mei".

Chapter Forty-One Late Night Conversation

"I'll be going now, Xiaolin, Little Yan Luo ~"

The man in the suit, with his characteristic half-smile, stood at the door, waved to the family, nodded to the man standing behind Lin, and then turned and left.

The joyful atmosphere gradually cooled down after the speaker left, and it was time for the family to return to their normal routine.

After entering the bedroom and locking the door, the silver-haired little girl stood by the window, turning her head to stare at Lin seriously.

Three hours.

Twelve hours had passed since they arrived in this World Bubble, and the clock faithfully recorded the time down to the second.

However, nothing happened during those twelve hours, as if it were just a clock that only the two of them could see.

The "three hours" that Yan Luo mentioned refers to the fact that they secretly went out to investigate the clock after three hours, when their parents were asleep.

"Is that man important to you?" During the wait, Yan Luo asked Lin meaningfully.

She was referring to the speaker, the man whose smile sent chills down your spine.

Is it that obvious?

Lin would indeed secretly observe the speaker. Compared to his parents, whose memories had become completely blurred, the speaker gave him a completely different feeling from the person he knew.

He often smiles, but not with any ulterior motives. He simply smiles at his friends and juniors without saying a lot of things that are hard to understand, and his actions are less deliberate in their politeness.

If I had to describe it in one word, it would be that this speaker was more "natural".

"... I don't know."

Lin also found it difficult to clarify what kind of relationship he had with the speaker, and what kind of feelings he should have for this person who had once hurt him and then saved him.

Yan Luo didn't press further, only giving a faint "oh".

Lin recalled the person who claimed to be from a future timeline, "In your world, Cleansing Incident also occurred?"

"It happened before, in the early stages of the Sixth Honkai War, probably just like your world."

Yan Luo treated him very badly, often glaring at him with a look of utter hatred, her eyes blazing with fury as if she wanted to chop him into seventeen pieces. But what was amazing was that she answered almost every question he asked, and didn't seem to care whether Lin would know about the future in advance.

This may also be related to her previous attempts to send messages to the past but still being unable to change the predetermined future.

"The influence left by the Speaker lasted until the Tenth Honkai War, with both good and bad aspects. At least it ensured that the Flame-Chaser were heroes who 'voluntarily sacrificed themselves for humanity,' rather than monsters 'created through forced human experimentation.'"

"... You care about him a lot?"

Lin sensed something different in Yanluo's tone.

According to her, she wasn't part of the Moth of Flame during the Sixth Honkai War.

"Some things only reveal their true nature after the test of time. Repeated reflection on a matter will gradually refine one's views and insights. It is neither the ultimate good nor the ultimate bad, but simply that the matter has occurred and had an impact."

"Just like history."

Lin stared silently at Yan Luo's exquisitely sculpted profile, lost in her memories.

Like history...

When people flip through history books, all they can see are historical materials. All those lofty sentiments, patriotism, and love and hate are reduced to cold records in black and white. The emperors who reached the pinnacle are nothing more than a few words that people today look back on with a sense of awe.

Is it the same for her?

Even the tragedy he witnessed firsthand will become insignificant dust of history a hundred, a thousand, or even ten thousand years from now.

"Don't overthink it. Who do you think you are?" Lin's thoughts were abruptly interrupted by Yan Luo, who still looked at him with those cold eyes. "It's not too late to consider these things when you have enough influence to affect so-called history."

"..."

"How is your relationship with Mobius now?"

"...?"

Lin didn't quite understand why Yan Luo would suddenly shift the topic to this.

However, as someone who had met many people from Lin, she knew everything about him.

"Was Mobius still around during the Tenth Honkai War?" Lin asked, carefully choosing his words.

In fact, it was unlikely that Mobius would die. She had been staying in the less dangerous rear area, and based on his understanding of Mobius, her will to survive was exceptionally strong. As long as she didn't want to die, she would always find a way to survive.

"My Hypervariable Surgery was performed by Doctor Mobius," Yan Luo said casually.

Hypervariable Surgery?

Wait a minute, Lin overlooked a very important issue.

He had always thought that Yan Luo was a Herrscher, but after several encounters, Yan Luo neither showed the almost unconscious behavior of an ordinary Herrscher nor the appearance of Sixth Herrscher who possessed considerable consciousness but lacked humanity. Instead, Yama said that he chose to hunt him down in order to save people.

Herrscher can retain the original owner's memories, but none of Herrscher will consider themselves as the original human, not even the Sixth Herrscher.

"You are... Flame-Chaser, not Herrscher?"

"..." Just when Lin thought this was a foolish question, since Yan Luo herself had said she had undergone Hypervariable Surgery and could only be Flame-Chaser, leading to a casual answer from Yan Luo, she paused for a moment and gave an unexpected reply—

"I am Herrscher."

"..."

"You don't need to speculate whether I'm a special Herrscher. In fact, I'm just an ordinary Herrscher. At the very beginning, I harbored the greatest hostility towards humanity, lost my true self and humanity as a human. I'm just 'ordinary'."

"Have you regained your self-awareness now?"

Lin's heart suddenly stirred.

If those who become Herrscher can regain their self-awareness, then wouldn't that save those who have become Herrscher?

"I didn't find it myself." But then, Yan Luo poured cold water on him, replying coldly, "Someone helped me find it."

But Lin was not discouraged. He eagerly asked, "Who?"

"...'special'".

"What's the meaning?"

But Yan Luo didn't answer him again. Instead, he returned to the original topic. "Mobius was still alive during the Tenth Honkai War, but she died after the Tenth Honkai War ended, and that's because of you."

"..."

"Like I said, if you don't want everything to be beyond repair, you'd better be prepared to commit suicide, and... don't make them wait too long."

The moon, seemingly out of nowhere, broke through the clouds and illuminated the silent city.

Only a few desolate cries echoed.

"Let's go."

Chapter 42 Mutation

Even though Lin and Yan Luo's bodies have shrunk, their mobility still far exceeds that of ordinary people.

They left the bedroom silently, checked their surroundings and the sounds from their parents' room, and after confirming that everything was alright, they ran side by side toward the clock tower.

The bizarre sights he encountered along the way made Lin frown frequently.

This World Bubble seems to truly accommodate the existence of Honkai. All sorts of Honkai Beast live obediently in the city, and they are not at all as aggressive as the ones I have ever seen before. They just move around freely like ordinary animals.

To be precise, he only saw Honkai Beast; he didn't see Honkai zombie.

That's true. Honkai Beast can at least be considered animals, but the appearance of the Honkai zombie is completely that of zombie-like humans. No matter how far it goes from common sense, it's impossible to let Honkai zombie live together...

The journey was longer than they had imagined, and because their physical strength had reverted to that of their childhood, they had to stop and rest frequently before continuing on their way.

"Don't let your guard down," Yan Luo warned, her calm gaze constantly scanning the surroundings. "If the people who have trapped us want to do something to us, now is the perfect opportunity."

"... Are there examples of worlds and civilizations within the World Bubble that coexist with Honkai?"

"Have."

The two didn't stop to rest while traveling. Lin wanted to get more information from Yan Luo, and Yan Luo simply answered all their questions.

She thought for a moment and then explained, "I have seen cases of Honkai Beast being used as battle pets in one of the more special World Bubble."

"...What?"