I'm Not a Flame-Chaser - Chapter 621

"Cough cough!"

Lin felt a burning sensation in his throat and spat out another mouthful of blood onto the cockpit screen. He wiped away the bloodstains with cold sweat, leaving a faint bloodstain on the holographic screen.

Without resting, he quickly opened Titan's shared database.

Here, he found the mission assigned to the mech unit.

Prevent everyone from approaching the signal tower before the experiment is completed, and...

Lin Huansan's pupils contracted slightly when he saw the words above.

More than one Honkai generator?

The mech unit received two missions: one was to prevent others from approaching the signal tower, and the other was to prevent others from approaching the canal!

Sky City is the largest inland port city in western Shenzhou. It can be said that the development of the entire city is closely related to the canal that runs through almost the entire Shenzhou.

For this task, Lin could only think of one possibility.

That is, World Serpent not only wants to use the signal tower to create Honkai disaster, but also wants to use the canal to cover the entire Sky City with Honkai Energy. In this way, it has two plans, and even if it stops one, it will be too late to stop the other.

However, this could very likely mean that areas outside Sky City would also be affected by the Honkai disaster, resulting in incalculable casualties.

And the person who gave the order...

Lin's blurred vision strained as he tried to make out the faintly lit text on the screen.

Breathing and heartbeat, so heavy it was as if their sounds were the only things left in the world.

The coordinates of a World Serpent cadre responsible for causing Honkai disaster in the canal are moving on the map, approaching the canal.

Gray Serpent.

Lin stared intently at the name from ten thousand years ago.

The "Departure" of the Celestial Realm: Chapter Forty-Three - Philosophical Sayings on the Tombstone

"Can we retreat after the mission is completed?"

"The Herrscher of the Void is on the other side of the signal tower, so let them suffer. We're having a smooth journey here, with no one bothering us at all."

Two Titan mechs stood at the street corner. They were the guards left behind by Gray Serpent to prevent others from approaching the experimental site. Unlike the signal towers of Jackal, Night Jackal, and Raven, Gray Serpent had been operating in secrecy from the beginning. Even Raven and Jackal did not know that he had returned to Sky City before the plan began.

Upon returning to Sky City, the first thing Gray Serpent did was destroy his original base. He knew that someone was using his intelligence network to gather information about Sky City. After that, he waited for Raven to recover in the sanatorium before assigning tasks to the other three officers.

One of the tasks he assigned to Raven was to eliminate the person using his prosthetic eye. He was able to locate the position of his prosthetic eye, and Raven successfully found Lin and Kiana, killed Lin, and held Kiana back.

Finally, there was the large-scale experimentation with the Stigmata Project.

If nothing unexpected happens, even if Raven and his team fail, Gray Serpent will be able to successfully complete the experiment in Sky City, which is being watched by the Venerable Lord.

However, things often change more than plans.

Just as the two Titans were chatting, a standard-type Titan walked towards them from directly in front. The two stopped their conversation and then connected with each other's communications. "A-098, you are not from this area. Is there anything I can help you with or report?"

"... I'm here to complete a mission."

"Mission complete?"

The two were wary of this vague misinterpretation. Ever since the last time someone hijacked Titans in the industrial zone and turned against the World Serpent's mech forces, everyone's vigilance against enemies infiltrating the area had greatly increased.

The standard-type Titan moved forward, while the firepower-type Titan retreated, forming a combat formation. The pilot of the standard-type Titan continued, "What is your mission? Also, open your cockpit to verify your identity and state your corresponding code..."

"Bang!"

Before he could finish speaking, the standard-type Titans in front of them charged directly at them!

As a melee-specialized mech, the standard Titan has the mobility to quickly approach the enemy. One second the enemy is fifty meters away, and the next second they are almost in front of you!

"It's the enemy! Open fire!"

Lin calmly pushed the control lever. Since he couldn't move his lower limbs, he modified all the commands that required footwork to be operated on the two control levers. Even though he could still operate them smoothly, the effort required increased exponentially, and he had to finish quickly.

The firepower-type tank opened its missile bay cover, aimed at Lin, and prepared to launch, while the standard-type Titan charged forward to stop his advance.

"Whoosh—" Lin pulled the control stick back with all his might, his eyes fixed on the countless green data on the blood-red screen, his fingers flying across the buttons, slowing down the Titan's speed with a strong sense of resistance!

"Varied..."

The opposing pilot was far less agile than Lin. He continued to charge forward and collided head-on with Lin's Titan in the blink of an eye. The Titan in front of him nimbly bent over and dodged his mech's punch as if he were a human. Then, he grabbed the Titan's fuselage with both hands, made a throwing motion, lifted the entire Titan up, and smashed it down!

"Bang!"

The steel giant slammed heavily onto the ground, leaving the pilot dazed and confused. Before he could even react, Lin, who hadn't let go, lifted the Titan up and threw it at the firepower-type Titan, which was afraid of accidentally hitting someone!

"Boom!"

The two mechanical humanoids collided heavily. Although it did not cause much damage to the mechs themselves, the pilots inside were unable to avoid the impact. The pilot of the firepower type Titan was knocked unconscious on the spot.

Lin took two heavy breaths, then piloted the Titan forward and ripped off the two Titan's support legs before continuing forward.

So dark...

Lin could barely see anything anymore: a blurry screen, a blurry city, and a blurry sense of awareness.

He didn't know if his body was already dead, or if what was dragging his body was his soul.

Kevin... what is right... I... don't know...

Perhaps what you... and Mei... did... was right...

Using some people... to exchange for the lives of others...

"Cough cough..."

Lin could no longer cough up blood. The few drops of bloody foam were mostly just saliva. He didn't even know if there was any blood left in his body; it had probably all drained away long ago.

At the end of the Previous Civilization.

He bit his lip until it bled, trying to stimulate himself through pain to keep himself from losing consciousness, but at that moment, he was so numb that he felt as if he had returned to the day he underwent the Hypervariable Surgery.

I can't feel anything; all that fills my body is endless nothingness.

But...

The silver-haired girl's defiant gaze, her fragile sobs, and the final moment when she chose to give up her life.

Raiden Mei's tears as she reunites with her old friend, Rita giving all her money to the beggar, and... the hustle and bustle of Sky City.

This is a different era now, isn't it?

We're all old relics who don't belong here anymore.

And the only thing I can do... is to 'continue (your previous ideas)... continue our past ideas... sheep

"Cough cough..."

The rainbow in Lin You's eyes, after flashing with resentment, turned completely into an inky black.

The Titan continued its advance. Lin stared intently at the Titans, missiles, and lasers constantly attacking on the screen. He was completely absorbed in controlling the Titan, just as he had when he first boarded the Titan's Neural Connection. He controlled every part of the mech with perfect ease, and particles emanated from its single blue eye as it broke through numerous obstacles to move forward.

"Boom!"

The shattered mech fragments came from the enemies blocking his way, and also from the Titan he piloted. He crushed the machine gun of the firepower-type Titan, then stomped on the monitor of the standard-type Titan, sparks flying from the broken Titan's body.

"Bang!"

Hit by a missile from behind, Lin coughed up the blood stuck in his throat onto the screen again. His voice was hoarse, and he couldn't see the image on the screen.

He pulled the lever, the mech's cockpit opened, he abandoned the protective gear in front of him, and turned to face the two attacking Titans!

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

After the commotion subsided, the dust settled back into calm.

Only one standard-type Titan, missing its left arm, remained, slowly moving forward through the horrific carnage, towards a hooded figure standing before a countdown sphere.

"The concept of a living person cannot be fully explored, even by the most profound psychology."

"But a philosopher's epitaph can reveal his thoughts to everyone."

"Therefore, the greatest advantage of a hero is that he does not rise from his grave to preach his ideas."

He slowly turned around, holding a black umbrella he always carried with him, like a mourner watching the approaching Titan in the dark night.

"Isn't that right, Mr. Lin?"

The Journey Begins in the Sky: Chapter Forty-Four - Bianca Durandal Atagina

"It has been 50,000 years since we last met, Mr. Lin. I have always regretted not being able to see you one last time. Even visiting your grave to pay my respects has not filled this void in my heart."

Gray Serpent.

A man-made life form created by Mobius was allowed to live by Lin when it should have been disposed of. It eventually experimented, witnessed, and contemplated within civilization, becoming a special life form known as the "Gray Serpent."

If Mobius is the mistress of the Gray Serpent, then Lin, who gave him a second life, is his father in every sense of the word.

Therefore, their meeting can also be described as a father and son recognizing each other after 50,000 years.

But clearly, this is not some heartwarming variety show or soap opera. The moment they recognized each other, their differing stances became their respective weapons.

After seeing a standard Titan perform various incredible maneuvers, Gray Serpent already knew that Lin was piloting it, and he had also learned from Kevin that Lin was still alive.

"..."

Lin did not answer Gray Serpent's question. He stared intently at the spherical object next to Gray Serpent, on which a countdown timer indicated the time required for activation.

There are... three minutes left.

"Your body can no longer support your strenuous activity. I'm sorry I didn't know my prosthetic eye was in your hands. I'll have Xiola apologize to you later. For now, please allow me to take you to a safe place for treatment so we can enjoy this magnificent display of life together."

Even after fifty thousand years, the Gray Serpent's voice remained unchanged. In the dull and inorganic silence, there was a discordant air of superiority, like that of a high-ranking person. The bright red prosthetic eye under his white mask silently stared at the man whose chest and abdomen were hollow and who no longer had the strength to open his eyelids.

"..."

However, Lin still did not answer. Had he lost consciousness and was unable to answer?

No, he pushed the lever and walked toward the Gray Serpent.

"Thump... thump..."

The earth-shaking roar of the Titan failed to disturb the Gray Serpent holding the umbrella. Instead of stopping Lin, he took a few steps back, moving away from the sphere.

The damaged Titan stood before the sphere. Lin, with his eyes closed, turned his head and asked the Gray Serpent in a hoarse voice, "Gray Serpent... what is the password to stop it...?"

"Once life begins to grow, there is no other option but death," the Gray Serpent said calmly to the scarred black-haired man. "Even the mistress could not escape the fate of death."

In other words, once this Honkai Energy generator is started, there is no way to stop it.

"Perhaps I should be happy about the reunion."

Gray Serpent, holding his umbrella, turned around and raised his head, speaking thoughtfully from behind his mask.

"But I should also put away my old clichés about interpersonal relationships."

"Well then, see you next time, Mr. Lin."

"If there is a next time."

He walked slowly into the Dark Side of the light, and his last words, like an unstoppable countdown, gradually faded away.

Lin finally couldn't hold on any longer and fell off the Titan, landing in front of the Honkai Energy Generator. He stared at the sphere, which was about to destroy the entire Sky City, with one eye covered in blood.

"Buzz—"

A vibration came from the air. Lin braced himself on the ground and looked back. In the very center of the city, a shooting star was flying upwards against the current.

Kiana... huh...

Perhaps at this moment, Lin felt a sense of relief he had never felt before, both for the past and for that little girl.

Hopefully, she will be able to fulfill her promise to herself when she reaches the finish line.

"Cough cough... cough cough cough..."

He had lost even the strength to cough. Lin couldn't open his eyes. He could only hold onto the Honkai Energy Generator through his memory and listen to its countdown. His heart gradually calmed down.

So, only one thing remains.

Dark golden threads burst forth from his skin, and at the same time, his body began to disintegrate uncontrollably as he used this power.

Those silk threads wrapped him and the sphere, forming a dark golden cocoon, lying quietly in this deserted place.

Until the countdown ended, there was no explosion or leakage of Honkai Energy.

Beyond the brilliance of the falling meteor, no one knew that another crisis had vanished without a trace.