How Much Sincerity Lies Beneath the Jokes

Everyone watched in silence as the dark-haired man slowly and deliberately ate the banana, his peeling movements meticulous, each bite yielding almost the same amount of fruit, as if eating bananas was his specialty.

After finishing one fruit, he took another one out of the basket, paused for a few seconds, and looked around hesitantly.

He waved the banana. "Do you want some?"

"...No." The white-haired man replied in a cold tone, even colder than his body temperature.

He turned to the other two people, who also silently shook their heads in refusal.

So he elegantly finished the second banana, then looked around in the fruit basket and found... a durian?

Well, while it's practically impossible for the nurse outfit. avi video to depict the exciting events in the multi-person ward of the Fire Moth, many people still hope to find some peace after the battle, especially since the few people in the ward need time to heal their emotional wounds after the Tenth Honkai War.

Besides eating very loudly, the black-haired man also played games on the TV screen and scrolled through videos on his phone without a care in the world, completely destroying the sentimental and depressed atmosphere. All that was left in everyone's minds was the brainwashing, corny music from the dance video he made when he forgot to turn off his phone at night.

He broke open the durian's hard outer shell, and a strange smell immediately wafted out, causing everyone's expression to change.

"Lin." Kosma couldn't help but speak up at this moment, and Lin calmly looked up at him.

That absolutely calm and firm gaze left Kosma speechless for a moment. Many thoughts flashed through his mind, but he could only utter one sentence. "It's nothing."

So Lin lowered his head and began to carefully prepare the durian.

Of the group, only Chrono, wearing a mask, showed no reaction. He simply snorted and remained silent.

Today's hospital ward was filled with the stench of durian.

"Brother Lin!"

A girl with cat ears and a tail rushed into the ward, hugged the expressionless man, and burst into tears. The usually carefree girl was crying so sadly, which really surprised her two best friends. They had only recently joined the Fire Moths and didn't know who the expressionless man was, but... he was quite handsome.

Lin seemed somewhat helpless as he gently patted the back of the girl's head.

After a while, Pardo, with tears in her eyes, cautiously raised her head. "Brother Lin, is it true?"

"... I want to know what a fake one looks like."

Regardless, the reunion was still the most joyful thing, and even the other people in the ward relaxed their expressions slightly after seeing this scene.

Lin sat on the hospital bed all day long. Even though his chest wound hadn't healed, he still had to get out of bed and walk around. Kevin and Chrono's injuries were relatively minor and their recovery abilities were strong, so they had already left. Kosma's situation was more special, so he also left. Suddenly, he was the only one left in the huge ward.

After getting out of bed, he walked in the golden twilight, facing the last rays of sunlight of the day, and placed his hand on the gauze on his chest.

He no longer has any Herrscher Core in his body. The Pseudo-Herrscher Core has been destroyed along with the Tenth Herrscher. At the closest distance under the highest power of the Phoenix, the Tenth Herrscher was directly reduced to ashes.

Another Herrscher Core was also removed. According to Mei, because Herrscher Core had been in his body for a long time, he still retained some of his abilities, but these abilities would weaken over time until they disappeared completely.

That cancer has finally been eradicated, and Lin can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Even though there's still a lot to do,... I can still take a short break now.

He lay on the bed and slowly closed his eyes.

In his dream, he returned to that sea of blood, where someone was waiting for him.

With white hair and Prismatic Eyes, Lin held a pistol in his hand.

"Shoot."

This time, he said the same thing again: he closed his eyes and offered his neck for execution.

Lin stared at the person who looked exactly like him. He often couldn't tell if they were the same person. He wondered if he would release the person in front of him if he went the wrong way.

They were each other's destiny, and the person before him accepted it calmly; he chose to rebel, and that was all.

Lin didn't fire; he threw away his pistol and walked out of the sea of blood.

The man with Prismatic Eyes drifted aimlessly in the waves of the sea of blood until a wave splashed out and he disappeared without a trace.

This chapter has not been approved.

"The Honkai Energy reaction is slightly lower than that of Herrscher Core, but about the same as that of the Herrscher of Reason."

"Interesting... It's even more stable than other Herrscher Core, and it can exist normally in ordinary environments even under normal conditions."

"The level of consciousness activity within the core is far lower than that of other Herrscher Core..."

Mei glanced at the data on the screen and became extremely interested in the golden Herrscher Core in front of her. It was not Herrscher Core obtained through a hard battle. On the contrary, the first time it appeared in everyone's sight was when it helped the Firemoth defeat the Tenth Herrscher.

What's particularly peculiar is that, according to battlefield data and some people's accounts, everyone felt suppressed at that time, and some Flame-Chaser even showed symptoms similar to "septicemia".

In other words, the ability of this Herrscher Core is very likely to suppress Honkai Energy.

As the messenger of Honkai, its power is to suppress Honkai Energy, which inevitably raises questions.

"Vill-V, this Herrscher Core energy... Vill-V?"

Just as May was about to discuss the uses of the Herrscher Core with Vill-V, she turned her head and saw only the empty space beside her, with the short Prometheus standing alone in the same spot.

"Dr. Vill-V said it was time for her to go home and then she left," Prometheus explained to May.

Mei sighed rather helplessly. Being easygoing was one of Vill-V's personality traits... or rather, one of the most common personality traits among many personalities?

However, she then smiled.

Everyone needs to soothe their wounds, regardless of the method they use.

"Next, regarding the new mutated characteristics that appeared in the Kosma after their Artificial Collapse..."

She was left alone and began the next study, talking to herself.

Lin actually enjoys the refreshing feeling of reading books alone in the early morning. He can stop and meditate at any time, probably because he prefers tranquility as he gets older.

However, he could foresee that his peace and quiet would soon be disrupted.

The sound of hurried footsteps drew closer. Lin Mo closed the book, wondering whether it was Elysia or Vill-V who was coming.

He hoped to be a little more reserved and not just pounce on him as soon as he entered, damaging his wound...

"Forest!"

"Puff!"

When the woman with the bouncy hairstyle pressed her soft breasts against Lin's chest, he almost couldn't catch his breath, and his heart stopped for a second.

For the people of this Intrinsic World, Lin had only been gone for a little over six months, but for Lin himself, it had been several years since he had seen them.

Vill-V's appearance hasn't changed much; she still maintains her fashionable style. Years of intensive research haven't caused her hair to pill or her skin to deteriorate. However, Lin noticed that her demeanor seemed different from the Vill-V of the past.

"Vill-V ..."

For some reason, Lin felt a sense of guilt at that moment.

He rarely had... or rather, he had never had similar emotions before, but now, seeing Vill-V's lovely smile and the emotions in her eyes again, Lin couldn't help but think of his experiences before returning to his Intrinsic World.

The more knowledge a person has, the clearer their understanding of themselves and everything around them will be.

Actually, Lin is more afraid of Elysia, who always gives people a vague feeling, appearing in front of him, but fortunately it is Vill-V comes. Vill-V's personality can give Lin a lot of buffer space.

"You..."

"Hmm."

Before he could finish speaking, his lips were sealed with a kiss. The sight of Xia Mei's face and long eyelashes so close to his mouth made him swallow instinctively. Then, the sucking sounds from Vill-V made him want to die even more.

After waiting motionless for more than half a minute, with a "pop," Vill-V separated, her face flushed red. She stuck out her tongue to lick the glistening liquid from the corner of her mouth, her playful eyes taking in all of Lin's reactions.

"Hmm... it smells like another girl." She smacked her lips, tilted her head, and squinted her eyes.

"..."

Has Vill-V's taste buds evolved to this extent?

"I'm so sorry, but the other guys were too shy to come out, so only the magician and I were willing, so I came instead." Vill-V didn't seem embarrassed at all as she got off Lin, smiling and covering her chest as she spoke.

"You?"

Lin frowned, sensing the considerable information contained in the words.

"That's right, it's me, the owner of Spiral Workshop, the great traveling Great Magician, the most brilliant engineer of the end of the century—your passion for creating genius little trash, Vill-V." Vill-V closed one eye and introduced herself with great enthusiasm, "Perhaps it should be said that it's been a long time, or perhaps it should be said that it's the first time we meet. I am the Conductor Vill-V."

"..."

"After someone mysteriously disappeared, Vill-V underwent Hypervariable Surgery. The ability she gained from that surgery is mind splitting. As you can see, I am the genius Vill-V you know, but at the same time, I am also a completely new Vill-V."

I see.

Vill-V, who already had schizophrenia, developed even more personalities after the Hypervariable Surgery. The one in front of her is the "Conductor." According to her description, she has at least three more personalities, including one called the "Magician."

In order to help Lin adapt quickly, the conductor chosen was the one who was closest to the original Vill-V.

For some reason, Lin felt relieved after hearing about Vill-V's bizarre experience; she was still the same extraordinary person she always was.

"Long time no see, Vill-V." Lin nodded formally to her.

Vill-V gazed at Lin's face, her smile melting away like snowflakes near a fire, before she suddenly hugged Lin's neck and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I thought you would never come back."

Her voice trembled, as if she had been holding back for a long time, suppressing her inner feelings, and only now was she finally revealing her vulnerability to the most important person in her life.

"...Feel sorry."

Lin hesitated for a moment, then gently hugged her shoulders.

"You didn't do anything wrong, so don't apologize."

"..."

Vill-V is a person who excels at rational thinking. She would probably never throw a tantrum like an ordinary girl. Even now, with many emotions mixed together, she would still say things that don't require Lin's comfort.

Lin, however, believed that her rationality could have lasted a little longer.

When her delicate face left Lin's shoulder and reappeared in front of him, she said excitedly:

"Let's do it."

"...No."

Her hair brushed against Lin Jiebing's face, and only then did Lin notice that she seemed to be... not wearing any clothes.

She proudly puffed out her ample breasts. "I only put on a band-aid."

"...No."

Chapter Nineteen: How Much Seriousness is Hidden in Jokes

Lin woke up at midnight. The moonlight had stolen the brilliance of the stars and quietly shone through the gauze window onto the ground. His eyelids trembled slightly, and then he slowly opened them, revealing his green-black pupils.

Upon waking, he couldn't stop thinking about his conversation with Vill-V that morning.

"I have great relationships with many women and I've never refused their requests. Don't you think that's scumbag behavior?"

"You really won't refuse? Then take your pants off first."

"..."

Lin wanted to forcibly stop himself from recalling the alluring expression of Vill-V sitting in his lap and the memory of her asking him if his hands felt good, but just like a student can't control the background music playing in their head during an exam, he couldn't stop this recent, profound memory from playing on repeat.

Speaking of which, was it the Conductor Vill-V, at the time? He thought Vill-V's expression seemed to...

I shook my slightly dizzy head and felt a bitter taste in my mouth.

Lin turned her head slightly and saw Vill-V sitting peacefully asleep on her right shoulder. She sighed almost imperceptibly.

They sat together on a bench, shoulder to shoulder, waiting for the sunrise and sunset. She possessed a serene quality, as if she had frozen this moment in time.

Humans are contradictory beings. Lin's feelings were complicated at this moment, but he also felt that the present moment was wonderful and he did not want to destroy this beauty at all.

A cute, soft moan came from...

Wait a minute, that sound didn't come from Vill-V's mouth.

In an instant, Lin broke out in a cold sweat.

He stretched his stiff neck and turned to the other shoulder. The pink-haired girl had changed into a cute yet sexy nurse's uniform at some point. She crossed her legs, which were clad in white pantyhose, and placed them to the side. Her head, wearing a nurse's cap, rested on Lin Kong's empty shoulder, and she quietly closed her eyes and snored softly.

If it were just one person, sitting under the moonlight leaning against the stone tablet that seemed to have stood together through time, Lin would feel a sense of peace and tranquility. But when both girls were leaning on him, Lin would feel uncomfortable all over.

One of them is Elysia.

Lin got to know Elysia anew in that world, but he couldn't confuse the two Elysia. The Elysia he had known longer always maintained a hazy distance from him, and her smiles were always enigmatic, almost like someone unattainable...

Phantom.