I'm No MOTH Hero

She had been keeping a close eye on the group and already knew about the events at the Fifth Branch. However, she was still taken aback when she saw them disembark from the transport. It wasn't often that even Lin looked so utterly exhausted.

It was Kevin's first time seeing Elysia come out to greet them like this. He looked at her, a smile on her face, with confusion. "Elysia..."

"Hmm, is it that surprising to see me after just one day?" Elysia loved to tap her lips like this. She didn't know if she thought it was sexy or cute, but she glanced at Lin, who was lost in thought in the corner. "Or perhaps you missed me?"

"No..."

"Indeed, I missed you very much."

Lin interrupted Kevin abruptly, his gaze fixed intently on a stunned Elysia.

"Huh?" Elysia's mind couldn't quite catch up.

Lin handed the sleeping Soul in his arms to Mei and stepped forward, placing his hands on Elysia's shoulders. He said with deep emotion, "I've been thinking about you constantly. I couldn't sleep a wink without you for even a day."

"Th-this, this isn't really the best time to say this..."

"Then let's say it somewhere else."

Without further ado, Lin pulled a flustered Elysia towards his room, leaving a bewildered Kevin and a stoic Mei petting Soul.

The dried bloodstains on Lin's powered armor emitted a foul odor. Elysia could tell that the young man holding her hand was not himself today. Every movement he made was more exaggerated than before, filled with an angry restlessness.

Before today, Elysia had only seen him like this once before, when they first met and he had seen her Honkai Energy Adaptability report.

Under this restless stride, Lin quickly reached his room. After Elysia entered, he locked the door with a casual flick of his wrist under her subtle gaze. Then, he took a miniature device from a utility compartment and attached it to the wall, pressing a button to activate it.

"Um, Lin, what is this..." Elysia hadn't seen a similar device in the research department.

After completing his preparations, Lin began to unfasten his external powered armor. "Mei gave it to me. It can disable surveillance systems within a certain range."

"...Lin, you were just holding that girl, weren't you? If you do this now, I'll be angry." Elysia's gaze grew increasingly strange as she saw him starting to undress, heading in a less-than-ideal direction.

He couldn't possibly be too stressed and...

"You've misunderstood." Lin removed his armor and tossed it into the cleaning unit, leaving him in just a thin short-sleeved shirt. He crossed his arms and said, "But I really do want to... want... want..."

He gathered his thoughts and said earnestly, "Want you."

"Lin, you don't have to force yourself to say it if you don't want to." Elysia sighed, guessing that he was saying nice things he didn't mean because he needed something from her. She rallied herself and smiled sideways. "So, what is it you wanted to say? Is it about the attack on the Fifth Branch this time?"

"..." Lin gazed at her, saying nothing.

"If you don't say anything, I won't know what you're thinking. Even with light signals, I couldn't possibly interpret every word."

"I was just thinking about where to start."

Lin had initially intended to spill everything at once and ask Elysia to help him find the person in the upper echelons who planned the attack, as her connections were best suited for such investigations. However, after calming down, he hesitated.

He looked at Elysia's gentle eyes through the screen, and the wails of Spathi echoed in his ears.

"You have nothing, you don't need to lose anything, that's why you have no human emotions!"

"Did you hear that! You have nothing!"

Those were the most painful words of losing a loved one, words that shook the hearts of everyone who heard them.

Could he guarantee that Elysia wouldn't be implicated?

At this moment, Lin felt a stirring deep within him, an ineffable emotion welling up in his heart.

It was a "fear" he had never experienced before.

Lin almost instinctively spoke, "I... No, it's nothing. Just pretend nothing happened."

He turned and switched off the device, unlocked the door, and said to Elysia, "You can go back now."

Elysia didn't move. Her beautiful pink eyes glanced at the open door, then at the man with his head bowed.

Then, with a gentle push, she closed the door.

"..." Lin looked up at her.

"Lin, this isn't like you. The Lin I know never hesitates or goes back on his word." Elysia could feel Lin's gaze darting away. "We're friends, so it's okay to tell your friend what's on your mind, isn't it?"

"..."

"Hmm... Speak." Elysia grabbed his helmet impatiently and shook it.

"There's nothing to say. I was just overthinking things."

"Lin's considerations are always reasonable. I want to hear them."

Elysia's fingers tapped gently on Lin's helmet, making a crisp sound.

"I'll only tell you part of it, is that okay?"

"Why?"

"Secrets add mystery to a man."

Elysia paused upon hearing this familiar phrase, then laughed. "Hahaha, although I'm unhappy that you won't tell me everything, I won't pursue it given that you're rarely joking with me. So, what is this mysterious thing?"

"Elysia, do you know about The Deepest Place?"

Elysia tilted her head and chuckled softly.

"Understood."

Chapter 50: Top Supporter Donates 500,000 to Show Their Face

"You want to go to the Deepest Place?"

It wasn't that she was particularly shocked, but this was the first time Elysia had heard such a request from Lin. The last time he'd asked for a favor, he'd given up everything he had, so she could tell he was hesitant to ask for help.

And to the "Deepest Place," no less.

Anyone at the captain level could access the Fifth Branch's public announcements, so Elysia had seen the vague notice. It explicitly mentioned the Deepest Place but didn't explain what kind of place it was.

A prison? That seemed too simple.

But judging by Lin's tone, he didn't seem to care what kind of place it was; he just wanted to go there.

Elysia recalled, "I remember the notice said the prisoner had already been executed, right? MOTH wouldn't transport a corpse to the Deepest Place."

Of course, the announcement's wording felt more like an explanation of "we had this intention, at least we had this attitude," which seemed rather hollow.

"I need to verify something."

Executed? As long as he hadn't seen the body, Lin wouldn't believe the killer was dead. Regardless of where or what the Deepest Place was, as long as it wasn't documented, it was an excellent hiding spot.

"Lin, are you taking your weapon?"

"I always do."

"You know that's not what I mean."

"You know that's exactly what I mean."

Lin wouldn't judge humans. What he'd told Hua before applied to all humans; he wasn't here to make choices for them.

Imposing one's will on the collective would cause humanity to lose its inherent traits, and judging human lives based on personal ideas was akin to deeming oneself a god. Therefore, Lin mostly acted as a soldier, without any judgment on the character of others.

This time was no different. Even if he were to discover a truth he didn't want to see in the Deepest Place, he wouldn't do anything out of line. He would let humanity judge its own sinners.

"Alright, I just hope you don't scare my other friend, or get scared by her." Elysia smoothed her long hair over her shoulder, her eyes scanning Lin's body.

Seeing her familiar expression, Lin shivered and asked, "What is it?"

"Lin, I'm doing you a huge favor, shouldn't you show some appreciation?" Elysia chuckled, covering her mouth. "Even when Mobius attached an arm for you, you bet your entire fortune. You've made me envious for so long~"

So that's it, she wanted compensation?

Lin thought for a moment. He didn't seem to have much to offer in return, so he asked, "What do you want?"

But Lin didn't understand a crucial point: when others ask for compensation, never ask them what they want. Doing so is equivalent to handing over the upper limit of the reward to them, especially with someone as shrewd as Elysia. The moment she heard this, her eyes narrowed with laughter.

"Hmm... Go shopping with me? Cook me a feast? Tell me a mind-blowing dad joke? All good options." Elysia's gaze swept from his feet to his head, finally settling on one spot. "But ultimately, this is the most captivating thing."

"..."

The spot she was looking at was the helmet.

"Okay, it's decided!"

Elysia took a step forward, closing within twenty centimeters of Lin. She provocatively licked her lips and smiled, "My dear Lin, please take off your helmet now. Oh, wait, what if you're hiding your face inside too? That would be a trap. Then please, show me your face~"

After saying that, she looked at Lin with anticipation.

"Why are you so interested in my appearance? I don't understand."

Ever since their first meeting, Elysia had tried multiple times to get a peek, and on several occasions, when Lin was unconscious, she could have acted but didn't lift his helmet.

Elysia smiled brilliantly. "Hehe, the more mysterious something is, the more it sparks one's curiosity."

"...There's nothing to see. I'll tell you a dad joke instead."

"No, Lin, are you going back on your word? Oh dear, I don't know if my eccentric friend will allow me to secretly bring someone to the Deepest Place~"

Lin clenched his fist, then slowly relaxed it, sighing. Under Elysia's expectant gaze, he unbuckled the helmet's neck strap and placed his hands on its sides.

Slowly, he lifted the helmet.

His medium-length black hair emerged first, followed by Lin's entire face.

"..." Elysia's smile froze on her face. Then, she rubbed her eyes in disbelief, wiped them clean, and looked closely at the face just inches away.

Finally, after confirming it wasn't an illusion, she gaped, pointing at Lin, unable to utter a word.

"I told you, there's nothing to see."

Without the helmet's obstruction, Lin's voice carried a more human quality.

Hearing the familiar voice paired with an unfamiliar face, Elysia looked utterly bewildered, starting to suspect that the timeline had shifted when he removed the helmet, and the person standing before her was no longer Lin.

"Lin." After a long pause, Elysia finally recovered from the shock of seeing Lin's true face. She patted her chest, swallowed, and averted her gaze. "I think I understand why you cover your face. Not covering it would indeed cause quite a stir."

After his face briefly touched normal air, Lin put his helmet back on. "This is not my wish."

"What can I say? I've seen Lin's true appearance, but..."

Elysia felt a bit conflicted. She should have been delighted to see Lin's face, but she hadn't been mentally prepared, and Lin's appearance had shocked her far more than the act of seeing it itself, leaving her unable to feel any joy.

However, she was Elysia. She could think of a hundred ways to make herself happy in an instant.

After a moment of thought, Elysia smiled. "Lin, have you shown it to Mobius?"

"No, but it's part of a promise I made to her."

Mobius was different from Elysia; her interest lay far more in Lin himself than in the face beneath his helmet, so Lin had promised he'd show her, though she hadn't pressed him to do so.

Of course, it was also possible she'd simply forgotten, much like forgetting to cook.

"Alright, Lin, then you have to promise me you won't show your face to anyone else besides me."

"Why?"

"Can't I have you all to myself for a while?"

It didn't seem like a big deal, so Lin agreed.

"Mhm, very good. Then, without further ado, I'll have you meet Vill-V."

Chapter 51: I Am a Great, Great, Great Poet

"I love you, it has nothing to do with you."

"Even the endless longing of the night belongs only to myself, and will not be carried into the dawn."

"Perhaps it can only exist in darkness."

Under the dim candlelight, fingers wearing thimbles caressed the carefully arranged verses, translating the obscure Western language into the common tongue. The mournful, beautiful poetic sentiment within the poem echoed with lingering sorrow in her elegant voice.

In the solitary room, occasional mechanical whirring and the rustle of gears could be heard. Soft hands turned the pages of the poetry collection.

Tranquility brings clarity; this was likely a characteristic of someone cultivating their mind and character.

"Oh my, why aren't you turning on the lights? Reading like this is bad for your eyes."

Like a stone dropped into a calm lake, a voice shattered the natural peace.

Slam! A hand slapped the main light switch, and the bright, daylight-like illumination instantly banished all wicked darkness, along with the deliberately crafted literary atmosphere.