Misery

Kiana was stunned when she caught a glimpse of it.

The dark-haired man led the shy Bianca by the hand and they strolled toward a rock on the beach. Their sandals and beach shoes left shallow footprints in the sand, and the white waves washed over their ankles. The shadows of their hair were left behind, as if time itself was following their footsteps.

"Mei, I... I need to go to the restroom."

"Okay, sure."

Mei didn't notice Kiana's strange behavior. The white-haired girl, as if possessed, quietly followed the two of them, trailing them all the way to behind a reef where no one could see them.

Kiana tiptoed up the reef, swallowed hard, and quietly peeked out.

"When we first met, we were about to fight. How could you have been so hostile towards a stranger like me and deliberately played a prank on me?"

"... Actually, I'm like this to everyone, but you look so dull and naive that I can't help it."

Lin held Bianca close as they leaned against the rocks, gazing at the once unreachable distance. The girl's body heat emanated from her icy skin, and half of her body was submerged in the seawater. They talked about the past here.

Bianca looked at his profile meaningfully. "Hmm? The truth?"

"...There were indeed other reasons." Lin also recalled the situation at that time. He breathed a breath into Bianca's ear, and her crystal-clear earlobe quickly turned red. She immediately gave him a shy and reproachful look and turned her head away. "It's not a very important...reason."

At that time, Bianca was a junior to Lin, and a junior from the distant future who inherited their will.

Lin is someone who values the future of others. Because he believes he cannot go to the future, he values children, young people, and the younger generation. They are like the embodiment of the concept of the future, the manifestation of his imagination.

For them, who were suffering, this was an ideal that had been realized.

Kiana blinked. It seemed she had arrived at the wrong place at the wrong time and heard the wrong conversation, all because of her own wrong assumptions.

Sigh... It's such a heartwarming moment, let's not disturb them.

However, she had only climbed down the rocks and taken two steps...

"You pervert, you're planning to do this here... really... what if someone sees us..."

"..."

Kiana pricked up her ears.

Peeking out again, her heart raced uncontrollably as a crimson scene unfolded before her eyes.

Lin Cong behind, his wet blonde hair clinging to their flushed skin. He slipped his hand inside the girl's transparent latex jacket, slowly and deftly unbuttoning the prominent buttons on her chest...

"Idiot, stop biting, people will notice."

Bianca playfully moved her neck a little further away, but only to a point where she could touch it with just a slight forward movement. Even Kiana could tell that Bianca wasn't actually resisting.

Kiana watched everything with a mixture of shyness and curiosity, just like last time. She felt that Lin was different from his usual coldness, revealing a gentleness that seemed to have shed his aloofness. Bianca, on the other hand, hummed softly, appearing weak and cute, completely different from her usual domineering self.

The beach goggles fell into the water, but no one paid any attention, and then the short jeans hung on Bianca's long, slender legs...

Next came the part that made Kiana blush. She didn't know how to describe her actions. Was it peeping? Was it admiring? What was this feeling of guilt that welled up inside her, yet she couldn't help herself...?

Kiana, what are you doing here?

Wow!

Kiana slid off the rocks in a panic, turned around nimbly, and saw Mei and Bronya staring at her suspiciously behind her. Her face burned as she stammered, "N-nothing, I just... I just looked at the sea. I like looking at the sea."

Kiana glanced guiltily at the reef, her eyes widening in surprise. Even now, she could still see her sister's hand trembling on the edge of the reef, Lin's hand clasped behind hers.

Why is your face so red?

"It's probably because of the sun. The sun is too strong. Let's go back."

"But..."

"Let's go, I'm hungry."

"Why am I hungry again..."

Kiana pushed the helpless Mei back, then quietly looked back at the reef and breathed a sigh of relief.

Silly sister, silly brother-in-law, you two are so inconsiderate of the occasion...

PS: The swimsuit for the goose is the same as the swimsuit for the glory, but the image is too large to fit here.

This chapter has not been approved.

The content of this chapter has not been approved.

(Chapter 1) The Time Someone Was Away

In the vast base, only a few people were still walking in the corridors. The oppressive atmosphere, as if the air itself had turned to gel, made Mobius, who was hurrying along in his mode of transportation, stand out even more.

The appearance of the Tenth Herrscher and the fact that multiple Herrschers exist made everyone feel insecure, and even Mobius didn't seem so scary anymore.

However, some people find it strange that since the Ninth Honkai War, Mobius goes out about the same frequency as before, but appears in other people's sight more often.

They had clearly underestimated the Flame-Chaser's hearing; Mobius heard every whisper, but she couldn't be bothered to argue with them. If they were willing to show up on the lab table, that would be one thing, but right now she had no interest in using them as Lab Rat.

When Mobius went out, it wasn't the big or bad thing that others imagined. Generally, if the matter was urgent enough to require her to be notified, she wouldn't need to go out.

Many people might find this unbelievable, but Mobius was actually visiting someone.

Even someone as cold-hearted as Mobius couldn't help but hesitate when he stood before this door.

She could understand that feeling, so she knew that comforting her was useless; the bitterness lingering in her mouth and heart was like a spreading poison that could not be cured at all.

She had come many times before, and although the other person appeared nonchalant, strong, and calm, she could still sense the deep pain in their eyes.

After taking a deep breath to calm his agitation, Mobius knocked on the door.

"Knock knock..."

"..."

The prolonged silence made the sensitive Mobius frown. After thinking for less than a second, he immediately commanded the liquid to break open the door!

"Bang!"

"Bianca!"

The sight that came into view made Mobius pause for a moment.

The blue-haired woman stood behind the child who was drawing, her hands on the child's shoulders, seemingly admiring her child's painting. After hearing the sharp sound, she turned around in surprise and met the gaze of the green-haired doctor.

"PhD?"

"Ah..." Mobius pointed blankly to the doorway that used to be there, but was now everywhere, "Didn't you hear me?"

"I was just about to open the door."

"..."

Fortunately, it was a false alarm. Bianca invited Mobius into the house, where they sat down for a long talk.

"Are you really not planning to go back to my lab? I'm short-staffed right now, and you don't have anything else to do." After a brief chat about their recent situation, Mobius brought up the suggestion that Bianca had rejected six months ago once again.

Bianca naturally declined. "No need, I want to take care of Griseo for now."

"..." Mobius looked at her silently.

"Doctor, thank you for your kindness. I know you want me to shift my focus to other things, but I... don't want to yet, at least not now..." Bianca clenched her teeth and glanced wearily at the family photo placed not far away.

Like a weathered stone sculpture with a corner erased, the husband who once stood smiling with her in the sunlight is now nowhere to be seen in the shadows.

"Alright." Seeing this, Mobius had no choice but to get up and leave. She was ultimately not good at comforting others. After hesitating for a moment, she called Griseo to her side, "Griseo, do you want to go play at Mobius's place?"

"Okay, Aunt Mobius..."

Never mind, it doesn't matter.

Mobius sighed and ruffled Griseo's hair. The innocent and pure Gretchen probably couldn't understand the meaning of death, nor did she understand what it meant that the man who watched her grow up was now just a name engraved in the cemetery.

But sooner or later, she will grow up.

... I've really become a bit sentimental.

Mobius smiled and took Griseo's hand. She smiled at Bianca and said, "Then I'll take Griseo to the lab to play first. Let's have dinner together later."

"..."

Bianca gazed at Griseo's expressionless, childlike face, as if still recalling the moment when this fruit of their love was born. Seeing this, Mobius could only sigh softly.

Mobius could not expect everyone to abandon useless emotions like she did, not even her most trusted assistant.

Holding Griseo, Mobius hummed a tune she herself didn't understand as they left the room.

Even after they had completely disappeared from Bianca's sight, she remained silently staring at their retreating figures with lifeless eyes.

When the mood hits rock bottom, what should one do? Mobius seemed to have discussed this with someone before. He said that emotions can easily influence a person's behavior. Mobius certainly knew this, after all, it was also within the scope of biology. She also knew how to use scientific methods to increase mood, but that guy rejected it.

"That will only bring temporary pleasure, and you will feel even more empty after it's over, which will actually have a greater impact on your work efficiency."

"How do you know?" Mobius asked coldly at that moment.

"Because they tried it on me." Mobius couldn't see what expression the guy had on his face under the helmet.

As a result, he never felt any pleasure.

Others may not know, but Mobius felt much better when he saw Griseo. Perhaps it was because Griseo was clueless, like a delicate inorganic being, while Mebius had seen far too many organic things.

The moment she stepped into the laboratory, Mobius made no attempt to hide her frown. She glanced coldly at the white-haired man not far away, then lowered her head and smiled at Griseo, saying, "Griseo ~ how about you go play with Klein and the others first?"

"Um."

After letting Klein take Griseo elsewhere, Mobius's smile didn't fade, but it turned into a mocking look at the newcomers.

"Isn't this Mei's little follower? Instead of helping your girlfriend through this difficult time, are you planning to come here and drink Honkai Beast Juice?"

"..."

Kevin crossed his arms and looked down at Mobius, who was more than a head shorter than him, taking in the latter's mockery.

She treated everyone the same way, but her attitude towards him was worse. The reason for this was probably just a kind of powerless anger.

Lin failed, he succeeded.

Just like the dramatic clashes of identities and positions in movies and TV dramas, it's hard not to see it as a cruel twist of fate. If Lin's Hypervariable Surgery had also been successful, would his outcome have been different? If Lin's Hypervariable Surgery had been performed after Kevin's, would the story have taken a different turn...?

But these are all meaningless assumptions. Mobius probably hated himself even more for being unable to stop thinking like that.

Kevin suppressed his emotions and calmly spoke—

"I need your help... about the Artificial Collapse."

Chapter Two: Tragedy

The gray-haired girl in the tight-fitting outfit crouched in a blind spot, patiently waiting for her target to appear before her. Her blue eyes, devoid of any emotion, were fixed on a certain direction, her fingers pressing on the buckle of her boxing gloves.

After a man who looked like an ordinary office worker came into view, she silently blended into the crowd and followed in his footsteps.

The man was still frowning over his daily commute, and he was on the phone with someone who looked like his boss, explaining why he was late for work today.

No one paid attention to this man, who was very ordinary in both appearance and behavior, except for the gray-haired girl who was following behind him, getting closer and closer.

She observed his behavior without noticing anything unusual. Her excellent hearing allowed her to distinguish his voice even in a noisy environment, but nothing could change her icy gaze. It wasn't until the man turned into a small alley that she hesitated for a moment before following him.

"Da, da, da..."

No, he's trying to run away!

The gray-haired girl knew she had been exposed. She immediately rushed into the alley. The man's clothes disappeared around the next corner. She didn't have time to think about how she had been exposed. She burst out with astonishing speed and rushed towards him.

"Bass!"

As she approached the corner, a sharp, strange sound rang in the girl's ears. She instinctively leaned back and bent over, and then a long, icy blade flew across her face!

The man who had just conjured the ice blade in his hand revealed a cold expression completely different from before. He retreated decisively, trying to escape after missing his attack, but the girl would not give him that chance.

The girl bent over to brace herself on the ground and delivered a side kick that struck the man squarely in the chin. The solid kick almost knocked the man unconscious, and he took two steps back to regain his balance.

"Bang!"

A sweeping leg disrupts the man's balance, and the girl straightens up and delivers a powerful punch that cuts through the air, striking the man in the abdomen!

The man was so badly injured he almost vomited bile, and in the blink of an eye, he was knocked to the ground by the girl.

Even a blow that would have knocked out an ordinary person couldn't completely incapacitate the man. He raised his hand to pull out another ice blade, but the girl reacted quickly and stepped on his wrist joint. The crisp sound of breaking bones completely shattered his hopes.

With things having come to this point and arrest imminent, the man unhesitatingly bit the poison in his mouth. The girl couldn't stop him in time; she crushed his jaw with lightning speed, but could only watch with a frown as his pupils gradually dilated and his breathing stopped.

"... Target confirmed dead, body will be brought back shortly." After reporting the situation to command via terminal, the girl began to check on the man.

The gray-haired girl is Hua, and the man who committed suicide was one of the Tenth Herrscher she was investigating.