Shocked by a possibility he had never considered?
Lin's mouth twitched as he said, "Would you ever like someone for no reason?"
Hun shook her head. "Probably not..."
"Exactly. No one would like someone they had nothing to do with for no reason, unless that person liked everyone." Lin spoke calmly. He raised his head and looked at the countdown on the traffic light. With his sunglasses on, all he could see were the changing numbers.
"I'm not special. No one would secretly develop feelings for me at first sight, nor would I attract all kinds of people like a magnet. Besides, we're in MOTH."
"I go on missions often. I'm terrible at socializing, and I never attend the base's team-building events. Put nicely, I'm independent. Put bluntly, I'm a freak."
"I don't know what the others in MOTH think, but for me, staying this way is best."
Romance?
Lin Cong had to dig the word out from his imagination-starved mind with great effort. Even after making associations himself, he simply could not imagine something like that happening to him.
He even found it somewhat disgusting.
While humanity was rushing headlong toward a disaster with an unknown future, he would be flirting with some woman, talking from the table to the bed. On one side, he would shout about shouldering humanity's sacrifices, while on the other, he would turn around and hook up with a woman.
All Lin could feel was a deep chill.
If Lin had fought for one person from the start, perhaps he would never have wanted to shoulder anything. But now, Lin no longer allowed himself to do anything unnecessary.
"If sacrifice is merely a price people speak of, then sooner or later, humanity will turn the sacrifices of the few into those of the many, and turn meaning into numbers."
I've saved many people. I'm a hero. I hold power. Of course I deserve to enjoy myself, so no one gets to lecture me with the sacrifices of others. If such thinking became prevalent in MOTH, then humanity dreaming of defeating the Honkai would be pure wishful thinking.
He believed in the beauty and greatness of love, but for an ordinary person whose physical fitness was merely a little better than average, if he wanted to win, he had to cast aside unnecessary sentimentality.
And Lin had to win, keep winning. Any failure would bring the Grim Reaper knocking at his door.
Lin was destined not to become a beacon for the masses, but humanity needed people like him.
To Hun, this was another shock. She understood why Lin worked without stopping, and why he had shown a side where emotion and reason coexisted earlier. It made her feel that it was somewhat... cruel.
"Team Member Lin, have you... never considered yourself?" she murmured.
"I have. Every day, I consider whether I have enough bullets."
"Hua, want to go to the arcade?"
"Forget it. It's almost closing time. If we don't hurry back..."
"Hey, you're good at everything except being too stubborn. Let's just not go back today. We'll stay outside!"
"But..."
"No buts! Hehe, come on, come on! Off to the arcade!"
Hua could not resist the white-haired girl's stubbornness and was dragged to the nearest arcade. Night had fallen, but the city's nightlife had only just begun. It was the liveliest time of day, and plenty of young people were relaxing at the arcade. Hua even spotted quite a few classmates from their school. The white-haired girl greeted people everywhere she went, while Hua could only shyly nod along.
"So, what should we play first..."
While the white-haired girl picked out a game, Hua was thinking about how to persuade her to go back. Suddenly, from the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a familiar yet unfamiliar figure.
A hooded man and a girl with dyed inner hair walked into the arcade.
"Looks like it's a holiday today. All the hotels are full, so let's just walk around outside."
"...Why come here?"
"Please, Team Member Lin~"
Hun was delighted by Lin's silence.
If someone was always so burdened, sooner or later he would break down. He should relax a little, at least.
He never considered himself, so someone else would consider him for him.
This thought happened to align with Himiko's, but they both understood that they could not tell Lin the real reason directly.
"Fine. What do we start with?"
"..."
Hun eagerly sat down at an arcade cabinet. Just as she was about to turn around and call Lin over, another person sat down in the seat beside her.
Hun and the white-haired girl stared at each other.
The Third Honkai War Erupts
"You are..." The white-haired girl recognized the sweet-looking girl. Wasn't she one of the two people who had caught Hua's attention?
Turning her head, she indeed saw that tightly wrapped-up hooded man nearby. He was still wearing sunglasses so late at night. Could he even see clearly?
Hun also looked the fashionable girl over. Manicured nails, permed hair, altered clothes—she was the very image of a youthful, energetic girl. If Hun had not been in MOTH, perhaps she too could have become an ordinary young girl like her.
For a moment, she felt a surge of complicated emotions. Compared to her, the somewhat old-fashioned girl in uniform standing beside her seemed worlds apart, to the point that Hun had not considered them part of the same group.
"Uh... you can play." As a MOTH soldier, Hun felt that she should yield to ordinary civilians.
"No, no, you play. It's not like there's only one machine." The white-haired girl sprang to her feet as though her butt were on fire. If she interrupted a couple's date, that would truly be unforgivable.
"I won't play." "I won't play."
Lin and Hua spoke in unison, and the atmosphere instantly turned awkward.
The two exchanged a highly synchronized glance, then quickly looked away.
"Then should we play?" the white-haired girl asked jokingly.
Hun sighed in disappointment, but still smiled and nodded. "Sure."
Thus, the scene became strangely absurd: two silent people stood behind two others locked in a fierce match, watching them play without saying a word. The atmosphere was so stifling that the air seemed ready to freeze.
Hun was a soldier with military training. In terms of reflexes, ordinary people could not compare to her. Although the white-haired girl's gaming skills were decent, Hun clearly had experience with games as well. After a few rounds, once she had gotten used to her opponent's habits, Hun pinned the white-haired girl down and beat her, shutting her out every round.
The white-haired girl lost once more and clicked her tongue. "Wow, you're way too good."
"Hehe..." Hun only smiled without replying.
"Hua, help me." The white-haired girl looked pitifully at the gray-haired girl who had been spacing out, sending her a plea for help.
Hua had not played many games, but her reflexes were the best the white-haired girl had ever seen. Simply put, any game that relied on reaction speed was easy for her to master. In that respect, she was much like Hun.
Hua looked surprised. "Huh? But I'm not as good as you."
"Oh, just help me out." Without giving her a choice, the white-haired girl pressed her into the seat.
Forced into it, Hua did not dare look Hun in the eyes and stared at the screen instead. "Just one round."
"Then let's begin."
This time, Hun unexpectedly fell into a hard battle. Neither she nor Hua was particularly skilled, but Hua's reflexes and adaptability were actually better than hers. Before long, Hua wore her down and defeated her.
Lin had not paid much attention at first, but after Hua sat down, his gaze shifted to her hands. Then, he slowly frowned.
"Team Member Lin... Lin, help me." Hun opened her watery blue eyes wide in a plea for help.
"..."
So after beating the little one, the older one had come out?
Still, Hua had beaten Hun, so it would be hard to refuse if they changed players. He could only silently decide that this would be the last round.
After Lin sat down, Hun and the white-haired girl exchanged smiles. They had not spoken, but both their goals had been achieved.
"Excuse me." Hua apologized for defeating Hun. After hesitating for a moment, she asked, "Your sunglasses..."
"Don't worry about them," Lin replied casually.
It would be over soon anyway.
"Fight."
As the opening line sounded, Lin's fingers suddenly flew across the joystick and buttons, moving so fast they dazzled the eye. His swift, rhythmic control sent his character charging at Hua before she could react.
Just as Lin had expected, it ended quickly.
Like a raging storm, Lin's control and reflexes were both top-tier. In less than twenty seconds, he trapped Hua in the corner with a gorgeous, seamless combo and battered her to death, leaving her unable even to input a command.
Even after Lin pressed the final button, completed the last move, and finished Hua off before standing up coolly, Hua could only stare blankly at the screen.
"..."
"..."
Hun swallowed. Looking at the perfect knockout on the screen, she asked with difficulty, "...Lin, have you played this before?"
"I know a little." Lin dusted off his pants and answered simply.
The white-haired girl had been about to comfort the stunned Hua, but upon hearing that, she angrily pointed at the unruffled Lin. "That's too much! Aren't you just bullying her?!"
No matter how good he was, he should have held back a little.
"No..." Hua snapped out of being utterly crushed and grabbed the white-haired girl. Before she could apologize, Lin, standing before them with his arms folded, spoke.
"Do you practice Martial Arts?" His tone was certain. Rather than a question, it sounded like confirmation.
"Hm?" Hua replied in confusion.
"You have talent, but you aren't diligent enough. Come to places like this less often in the future and devote yourself more to improving your Martial Arts."
Hua looked at Lin in surprise as he turned away. This was the first time anyone had told her she was not diligent enough, and... he had actually suggested that she continue practicing Martial Arts?
Almost everyone, including her father and even Hua herself, believed Martial Arts were useless in this era. After all, this was a peaceful age that did not require wielding spears or swords. It would be better to learn more knowledge and devote one's youth to beautiful days rather than tedious Martial Arts practice.
The white-haired girl snorted indignantly. "Hmph, what's with that guy? Acting like he knows everything..."
Hua watched his departing back and shook her head. "I think he's a pretty good person."
The night continued. For the people of Canghai City, today was as ordinary as ever, and tomorrow should have been the same.
And this chance encounter came to a simple close...
"Woooo—"
But reality was not so simple.
A piercing alarm cut through the night sky.
No one had ever heard this type of alarm before. It was sounded for only one reason—
A large-scale Honkai disaster had erupted.
As the two left the arcade, the alarm rang in their ears. Hun's blue pupils shrank in fright. "Is that... an alarm?"
The instant he heard it, Lin took out his communicator. The screen was filled with alarming crimson, showing that Honkai Energy in Canghai City was rising at an extreme rate. At the same time, a call came through on both his and Hun's communicators.
"Units MSA-079 and MSA-208. A Level-One Honkai disaster has occurred in Changkong City. Canghai City, where you are located, has also been affected. The Honkai will erupt in fifty seconds. Prepare to withstand the impact and engage in combat."
"Level One... Isn't that a large-scale Honkai disaster that produces Herrschers and high-ranking Honkai Beasts?" Hun's face turned pale. This Honkai disaster had happened so suddenly that they had not even had time to prepare. Their equipment was not even with them.
"Can the nearest branch squad be dispatched to provide support?"
But after delivering its brief report, the mechanical voice gave no further response. They had to focus all their efforts on fighting at the epicenter of the Honkai disaster—Changkong City. They had no time to worry about one or two soldiers.
"What do we do, Team Member Lin... Team Member Lin?"
Hun anxiously watched the crimson countdown on the communicator, wanting to ask Lin what they should do next. But when she turned to look at him, an icy chill pierced her heart.
Changkong City... Kevin, Mei...
Lin took a deep breath. He raised his head, and in a voice colder than ever, said, "Withstand the impact, then defeat the Honkai."
Boom!
A stream of destructive light descended from the heavens.
As Always
His body, flung into the air, felt incredibly light. Whether it was gravel or something else, something fell into his collar. The black world beneath his sunglasses was dyed an ominous crimson.
His head felt like it was splitting apart, and a wrenching pain seeped beneath his skin. A fragment of a supporting pillar must have struck the back of his head.
His consciousness was nearing collapse, and everything before him was veiled in a haze. Staggering, Lin bit down hard on his tongue. The pain, mixed with blood and the taste of rust, brought him back to clarity.
He narrowed his eyes at the ruins that had been reduced to broken walls and rubble by the impact. The bloody carnage around him was unbearable to behold. In the early stages of a Honkai disaster, many people did not necessarily die from Honkai Energy corrosion. After all, the Honkai took many forms—war, epidemics, meteors, even the descent of giant war machines. The first wave of a direct Honkai eruption could easily kill at least half the population through physical damage alone.