A Midnight Phone Call

"..."

When a person is polite, they may be a smiling tiger or a gentleman, but when a "person" is polite, it only gives people a creepy feeling of trying to imitate others blindly.

"Why are you here?" Lin and Gray Serpent faced each other across the entire corridor. This was a safe distance; even if a fight broke out any second later, Lin would have time to sound the alarm and draw his gun at the same time.

"I'm very sorry for not informing you in advance." Gray Serpent spoke as if he had met Lin on Dusk Street, only this time his manners were more impeccable. "I just wanted to report to you on the results of my recent 'experiment'."

"... Experimental results?" Lin was unaware of the recent movements of the Poisoned Cocoon, nor of the Gray Serpent's social experiments. "Why are you looking for me?"

To be precise, the Gray Serpent should have gone to Mobius, since she is the Gray Serpent's mistress.

"You have given me a second life. A fledgling recognizes its kin not based on bloodline, but on the first creature it sees when it opens its eyes." The Gray Serpent seemed to be very good at using metaphors to express his thoughts. He was like a poet, and his words revealed his own flavor. "Moreover, I think you will be a like-minded person with me, so I want to tell you everything I have seen and heard."

Lin slowly pulled his pistol from its holster. He pointed it at the elusive artificial life form that could now enter the Firemoth branch without anyone noticing. The Gray Serpent's growth rate was too astonishing. Perhaps it was the effect of Mobius's experimental results on him, or perhaps it was his tenacious life force that feared death that was at play.

However, regardless of the circumstances, this announcement of researching artificial life forms for humans has become dangerous, and Lin's initial decision may have been a mistake.

"I think I have already told you that the death of an individual is not the death of the Gray Serpent. Please do not waste your time, and I will not harm you."

"..."

"Or is it that, compared to me, an honest artificial life form, you still trust those humans who have fulfilled their expectations of you without reservation?"

Gray Serpent's words touched Lin, who at that moment recalled the information he had just seen and the incident involving the lunar remains.

Flame-Chaser project, KY-00, Svatogor 51...

"As long as you continue your investigation, that kind of future will never come."

Lin lowered his hand that was holding the gun.

"Let me first report to you on the research findings I have made over the past year on humans and organizations."

"..."

Lin sat at the table, completely immersed in the shadows, while Gray Serpent stood beside him, his blood-red eyes gleaming beneath his cloak.

"For the past year, I have been revealing the 'truth' to a select group of people."

"Honkai, the moths chasing the flame, the truth of the world... No matter the method, religion, company, organization... I will impart everything I know to them without reservation, and then let them make the choice."

The Gray Serpent slowly stepped beside Lin, circling him and moving slowly. Its mechanical, synthesized voice was full of human warmth.

"Humans are truly fascinating creatures."

When a life form created by humans uses the word "interesting" to describe humans, it's undeniably a strange feeling.

"When you burn the grassland to the ground, revealing the filthy, parched earth, just wait a few days and the grass roots will begin to sprout again." The Gray Serpent seemed to be laughing, and beneath his bizarre mask, the laughter sounded elegant, hoarse, and terrifying. "At first, they will break down, scream, and self-destruct, but it won't be long before they begin to look for ways to survive."

"The problem is that when I give them equal power and freedom in the clusters I create, they collapse incredibly quickly, like dandelions that disintegrate the moment the wind hits them."

"Having learned from many cases, I finally understand that most people do not need absolute freedom and equality. They are all waiting for me, the 'extraordinary one' who has told them everything, to make the choices for them."

"Life doesn't need faith, but faith is the best guarantee of survival. And when faith replaces the desire to survive, then even if I ordered them to commit suicide, they would faithfully obey... Of course, I did not do that."

Gray Serpent walked up to Lin, his strange laughter gradually deepening. "Fragile and hard, selfish and selfless, superstitious and scientific, these contradictory words can all be used to describe humankind, or even a single human individual. They are truly an ugly yet beautiful species."

Lin Mo remained silent, even when Gray Serpent recounted his insane experiments.

"I know you must be wondering, what do these achievements prove? Besides turning me back into a human, what else can they do?"

"The answer is... humanity needs a 'leader,' an excellent and representative 'leader.'"

When the Gray Serpent spoke of the guide, he stopped his stroll.

He revealed the same serpentine gaze as his mistress, Mobius, fixed on Lin.

"You don't need to give me an answer, and I'm not here to ask for your opinion. You are the 'father' who gave me a second life. I am amazed by your loyalty and protection of humanity." The Gray Serpent slowly retreated into the shadows, his scarlet eyes gleaming. "Only after you have witnessed the destruction of something and have the same beliefs as me will I come back to your side."

"What do you know?" Lin stood up, his gaze piercing through the darkness, directly targeting the Gray Serpent that had merged with it.

"Humanity, throughout history, has always been self-destructive. The organization I founded will not only be destroyed by that lady's purge, but will also self-destruct after losing 'me,' their extraordinary leader."

"Poisonous hands cut off hands, poisonous legs cut off legs, but the poison is in the brain from the beginning, so cutting off the head is just another way to die."

Gray Serpent laughed, his laughter fading into the distance, yet seemingly still echoing in Lin's ears. "Mr. Lin, I've said before, when faith replaces the desire to survive, then even death is something humanity will not hesitate to do. But once the situation reverses, when the faith for which one's life is given is shattered, humanity can return to the most fundamental question of survival."

"So, when will your 'faith' crumble?"

Chapter 182 Midnight Call

With the senses of touch and color becoming clearer, a person's perception returns to themselves.

But Lin felt that he was losing something in the darkness.

I don't want to shatter such a peaceful night.

Go to sleep.

Lin took off his helmet and walked to the bedside.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of the dressing mirror in the room.

His steps were put on hold.

After hesitating for a few seconds, Lin reached behind his head, grabbed a strand of hair, and yanked it out.

Clutching the hair, Lin moved his fist to his eyes. He slowly opened his hand and, through his fingers, with the help of his slightly restored color vision, saw the hair.

A quarter of her hair had been dyed silver-white.

"Stop."

The shadows silently blocked their path. The Gray Serpent was stopped by an ice blade that shimmered in the moonlight. A cold and aloof woman slowly emerged from around the corner.

"Ms. Sakura, organic life forms should be resting at this time, and you are a beautiful woman, so you should take better care of your skin." Gray Serpent was not surprised that Sakura would be here. He had informed her in advance and had not hidden his whereabouts.

The sword tip pointed directly at the Gray Serpent's head, hidden beneath the cloak. "What did you do?"

"You should already know, so why ask again?"

Sakura did see Gray Serpent and Lin enter the room, and then Gray Serpent came out again more than ten minutes later, but what she wanted to know was...

"What did you say to Lin Du?" Sakura's gaze transformed into another knife, piercing the Gray Serpent's throat.

"Some facts, and the need for validation." The Gray Serpent clapped its hands and said with a smile, "Young animals seek the approval of their parents; it's an innate human instinct."

"Lin will never agree with you."

"Yes, even though Mr. Lin was hurt, betrayed, and deceived by humans, and his childhood and past became victims of human greed, he still believed in and loved humans from the very end."

The Gray Serpent laughed and raised his hands as if to embrace something.

"He doesn't care how humans hurt him, but... it's just him."

Sakura frowned. "Nonsense."

"To you, it is naturally nonsense, but I believe that one day we will all witness it..."

The Gray Serpent left.

Sakura did not stop her. She had not received orders to capture or assassinate the Gray Serpent. All she had to do was report everything she saw truthfully.

Everything...

Cherry blossoms gaze at a certain door from afar.

"Drop--"

The communicator lit up in the pitch-black room.

Lin, who was sitting by the window, turned his head to look at the communicator.

Who could be sending this communication at this time?

He never lets the outcome of one thing affect another unrelated matter. But this time, he didn't really want to get through to the phone. He just wanted to stay quietly all night and not think about anything.

As soon as you start thinking, things like Flame-Chaser, lunar remains, and Gray Serpent crawl into your mind, clamoring and disrupting everything.

"Drop--"

It's been ringing for a minute and the call hasn't ended. Why is this person going to keep going?

Moreover, Mr. Lin felt that the dense communication tone seemed to carry a hint of impatience.

It's as if... if you dare to keep refusing to answer, something unpleasant is about to happen.

Perhaps he was annoyed, or perhaps Lin felt it wasn't right to keep ignoring others, so after thinking for a moment, he picked up the communicator, answered it casually without looking at the caller ID.

Are you tired of living?

The smell of Formalin, along with the cold air, wafted in from the other end of the communicator.

Lin paused for a moment, then looked at the person calling.

Mobius.

"You dare leave me hanging for half a day without answering my calls?"

"... Sorry, I just saw it."

"Don't give me excuses. What did I tell you before? If you dare not answer my calls for more than a minute, you'll see what happens."

"..."

It seems I did say that.

When Lin first arrived at the Branch 10, she mentioned this matter when she made a three-point agreement with Mobius.

Of course, these three rules were unilaterally Mobius.

"But I'll let it go this time."

Lin was stunned. Mobius didn't pursue the matter further; she casually brushed it off and then asked, "What are you doing?"

"... didn't do anything."

"The Gray Serpent has made contact with you?"

"..."

This statement surprised Lin Yi; how did Mobius know...?

"Heh, you don't think your little tricks can fool me, do you?" Mobius seemed quite proud. "The reason he was able to leave the Firemoth alive was because of my tacit approval. After all, his tenacious will to survive at that time made me somewhat interested in seeing if he could survive."

"..."

"I've also been following what he's been doing lately, and to be honest, his growth has been somewhat beyond my expectations."

Do you know what he's doing?

"To be precise, it's my authority that allows me to know what he's doing; isn't it an interesting social experiment?"

"..."

"Lab Rat, it's been a long time since I've called you that, hasn't it?" Mobius's tone changed, the teasing now carrying a different meaning. "Do you remember what you said back then? Everything you have is mine, you are mine, and if anyone in this world can experiment on you, it can only be me, not anyone else, not even a thing I made and then discarded!"

Lin did not reply; his breathing echoed in the communication, seemingly detached and as if it might disconnect at any moment.

"It's true that he's a creation with an extremely strong learning ability, but everything he learns comes from humanity itself. Are you really going to be swayed by humanity itself?"

"Hmm? Really?"

Answer me, can you?

Mobius hung up the call, leaned back in his chair, tilted his head back and thought for a while, then reached out to grab a bottle on the shelf.

His hand stopped in mid-air, still a long distance from the bottle of potion.

Even when she stood on tiptoe, it wasn't enough.

It's still very inconvenient.

Mobius looked down at her petite body; it would be hard for anyone to connect her now with the mature Mobius of the past.

"Drop--"

In one communication, Mobius leaned lazily back in his chair and connected the communication with his toes.

"Hello? I'm going to sleep. Please explain as soon as possible."