The day after they returned from Kaidan House, the ramen stall opened as usual.
Lin You had already mastered washing vegetables-at least she no longer tore the lettuce leaves to shreds.
She sat on a little stool behind the stall, trimming scallions while stealing glances at Lin Shuo as he simmered the broth.
"Dad."
"What?"
"That Lucia lady said yesterday that Little Shukaku smelled like an Ether creature."
Lin You lowered her voice. "Could she have discovered something?"
Lin Shuo scattered a handful of bonito flakes into the stockpot. White steam billowed up.
"Lucia belongs to the Night Watchers. It's normal for her to be sensitive to Ether-but she called Little Shukaku 'gentle,' which means she didn't sense any danger."
He paused. "Still, try not to let Little Shukaku stay around her too long from now on."
"Got it."
Lin You put the trimmed scallions into the basket, then suddenly asked, "Dad, when we go investigate next week... will you bring that?"
"What?"
"You know... your Half-Ethereal Transformation."
The skimmer in Lin Shuo's hand paused for an instant.
"Depends."
"But Mom said you only use that ability when things get really dangerous."
Lin You put down the scallions in her hands, a flicker of worry passing through her green eyes. "She said every time you used it, you'd spend a long time alone afterward, without talking or eating."
Lin Shuo didn't answer.
He simply turned down the heat, covered the pot, then picked up a cloth and began wiping the already spotless counter.
On his third pass, he said quietly, "It's not a good thing."
"But it can protect the people who matter, right?"
Lin You hopped off her stool, walked over to Lin Shuo, and looked up at him. "Mom also said that once, when she was in danger inside a Hollow, you saved her by using that ability.
"Even though you sulked for days afterward and said she shouldn't have taken the risk-after that, Mom knew one thing for certain."
"What?"
"That you cared about her."
Lin Shuo turned his face away. "...She talked too much."
Lin You giggled and skipped back to keep trimming scallions.
Toward evening, the flow of customers dwindled.
Lin Shuo checked the time-five forty.
"Pack up. We're closing early."
"Huh? This early?"
"Mm." Lin Shuo began turning off the gas. "I'm taking you somewhere."
"Where? Where?"
"To buy fish."
The lanes south of Lumina Square were much narrower than the main street. The ground was wet, and the air carried the salty, fishy smell peculiar to seafood markets.
It was a fish market during the day. By evening, most stalls had closed, with only a scattered few still lit.
Holding Lin You's hand, Lin Shuo made his way through the maze of alleys with practiced familiarity.
With Little Shukaku's pet carrier on her back, Lin You looked around curiously. "Dad, are we buying fish here? Doesn't the ramen stall already have a regular supplier for fish cakes?"
"We're not buying fish cakes."
Lin Shuo stopped at a seemingly ordinary fish stall.
The vendor was packing up-a man who looked twenty-five or twenty-six, wearing a dark blue waterproof apron, with messy short hair and a lollipop in his mouth.
He deftly packed the few remaining chilled fish into an insulated box without looking up. "Closed."
"Lao Mo."
Lin Shuo spoke.
The man's hands paused.
He slowly raised his head.
It was a thoroughly ordinary face-the sort that would instantly disappear in a crowd.
But his eyes were unusual: his irises were dark gray, and there was no emotional fluctuation in them as he looked at people, like two pools of stagnant water.
His gaze swept over Lin Shuo's face, settled on Lin You, and lingered for two seconds.
Then he lowered his head and went back to packing.
"Come earlier tomorrow."
"I'm not here to buy fish," Lin Shuo said. "I need something from you."
Lao Mo said nothing. He simply closed and locked the insulated box, then took the lollipop out of his mouth-pink, strawberry-flavored.
"Talk."
"I need some things."
Lin Shuo lowered his voice. "Next Wednesday night, in the old textile factory district of Lemnos Hollow. The Order might be active there."
Lao Mo put the lollipop back into his mouth, making one cheek bulge.
He stared at Lin Shuo for five seconds, then turned and lifted the curtain behind the stall. "Come in."
Behind the fish stall was a small room of less than ten square meters.
A freezer lined one wall, while various fishing tools and miscellaneous items stood along the other.
Waterproof plastic sheeting covered the floor. A kettle sat on a small coal stove in the corner, bubbling and steaming.
Lao Mo pulled open the freezer-there were no fish inside, only neat rows of metal cases.
He opened one, took out a small scanner, and turned to sweep it over Lin Shuo and Lin You.
A green light.
"The kid stays." He pointed at Lin You. "You, come with me."
Lin Shuo looked at Lin You. "Wait here. Don't touch anything."
"Okay!" Lin You nodded obediently and sat on a little stool, hugging the carrier.
Lao Mo pushed open the concealed door behind the freezer-a metal door disguised as part of the wall, requiring both iris and fingerprint verification.
Behind it was a staircase leading down.
The basement was three times the size of the room above.
The lighting was cold white, and the walls were made of soundproofing material.
On one side stood a workbench covered in half-disassembled firearm components and electronic devices; on the other were display racks neatly stocked with finished equipment.
Ether suppressors, portable shield generators, concentrated Ether antidotes, specialized ammunition...
All things unavailable on the open market-or rather, things no one dared sell openly.
"What do you want?"
Lao Mo walked to the workbench, picked up a handful of modification components, and began assembling them.
His movements were dizzyingly fast.
"Three sets of basic protection."
Lin Shuo said, "Ether-filtering masks, corruption-resistant protective suits, and... a Sacrifice Potion detector."
Lao Mo's hands kept moving. "Against The Order?"
"Possibly."
"Intelligence source?"
"Spook Shack."
Lao Mo gave a nasal grunt-that was his way of saying he understood.
He took three sealed bags off a rack and tossed them onto the table. "Latest protective suits. Breathability improved by 30%, grade A corruption resistance. Improved masks, 99.7% filtration efficiency, with night vision and thermal imaging modes."
He paused, then took a compact silver instrument from a drawer. "Third-generation detector. Five times as sensitive as the Defense Force's standard issue. Identifies seven known Sacrifice Potion variants, including the recently circulating 'P-07 Modified.'"
Lin Shuo checked the equipment. "Price?"
"Eight thousand per suit, five thousand per mask, twenty-five thousand for the detector."
Lao Mo rattled off the figures, then added, "Thirty percent off for you."
"...Thanks."
"No need."
Lao Mo continued assembling the components. "Elidel said to look after you."
At that name, Lin Shuo's fingers tightened slightly.
The basement fell silent for several seconds.
There was only the crisp clink of components.
"...What else did he say?"
Lin Shuo's voice was very quiet.
Lao Mo stopped, took the lollipop out of his mouth, stared at the stick for two seconds, then put it back.
"He said you were cold on the outside but warm inside-prone to getting stuck in your own head. Needed someone watching over you."
He spoke in a rare long sentence. "Also said that if he died someday, I shouldn't let you be alone."
Lin Shuo closed his eyes.
Memories surged up beyond his control-
Three years earlier, at the Obsidian Camp training grounds.
A blond man nearly two meters tall carried an enormous shield on his shoulder, grinning as he clapped Lin Shuo on the shoulder. "Lin Shuo! Top of tactics class again today? Not bad, kid!"
That was Elidel, codename "Deep Blue," a Defense Force recruit instructor and one of the few people in the military camp Lin Shuo could call a friend.
"Just luck."
Back then, Lin Shuo still wasn't quite used to such straightforward praise.
"Luck is part of strength!" Elidel hooked an arm around his neck. "Come on, the mess hall has stew today. My treat-oh, right, where's Lao Mo hiding now? We have to drag him out. Eating alone is no fun..."
Lao Mo hadn't been called Lao Mo yet.
Elidel had picked him up from the ruins of the old capital-a "defective product" who had lost most of his capacity for emotional expression through experimental modification, yet possessed near-perfect Ether adaptability.
Elidel had said, "He needs a name-we can't keep calling him 'hey.'"
"Call him 'Mo,'" Lin Shuo had said offhandedly. "He doesn't like talking."
"Lao Mo... nice! Settled, then!"
From then on, the gray-eyed man had a name.
And gradually, he had "companions" too.
Then came that mission.
The Hollow suddenly expanded.
Obol Squad was urgently deployed to the front, while Lin Shuo's support team was responsible for covering the flank.
Everything went smoothly until the intelligence proved wrong-a second wave of Ethereals lay hidden deep inside the Hollow, and mutants carrying a new drug appeared.
When the retreat order came, Elidel volunteered to cover the rear.
"My shield's big. I can take it."
He smiled. "You go ahead. I'll be right behind you."
Lin Shuo remembered saying, "We leave together."
"No. Then none of us gets out."
Elidel shoved him. "Lin Shuo, follow orders-and keep an eye on Lao Mo for me.
"That kid has a one-track mind. Without me around, he's liable to do something stupid."
That was the last time Lin Shuo saw Elidel.
Three days later, they found the warped shield on the Hollow's outskirts, along with a pile of unidentifiable remains.
At the funeral, Lao Mo stood in the back row, a lollipop in his mouth, his face devoid of expression.
But Lin Shuo saw that the hand holding his eulogy was trembling.
Not long afterward, Lin Shuo submitted his discharge application.
Lao Mo came to see him once before he left and said only one thing. "Need anything, come to me."
Then he disappeared too.
When they met again, Lao Mo had become a vendor at the Lumina Square fish market.
Sometimes, when Lin Shuo came to buy fish, he would throw in an extra one.
Sometimes, when Lin Shuo needed "special items," he would open the basement door.
That was all.
Lin Shuo opened his eyes.
The basement's white light was a little harsh.
"Next Wednesday, I'll go myself," he said. "You..."
"I'm going too."
Lao Mo cut him off and fitted the assembled components into the gun-a modified sniper rifle with intricate Ether circuit patterns engraved along its barrel.
"Why?"
"Elidel said so."
Lao Mo put the rifle on the rack and picked up another set of parts. "Look after you."
"I don't need looking after."
"You do."
Lao Mo raised his head, his dark gray eyes fixed on Lin Shuo. "You're bringing the kid-distraction. Dangerous."
Lin Shuo had no answer.
"...Suit yourself."
He put away the equipment and turned to head upstairs.
"Lin Shuo."
Lao Mo suddenly stopped him.
Lin Shuo looked back.
Lao Mo took the lollipop out of his mouth-only a small piece remained.
He pulled a fresh one from his pocket, its pink wrapper rustling.
"That child."
He paused. "Her eyes look a lot like Ukinami's."
Lin Shuo's heart tightened, but his expression remained unchanged. "She's a distant relative. A resemblance is normal."
"Mm."
Lao Mo didn't press him. He simply tore open the wrapper and put the new lollipop in his mouth. "Be careful-The Order has been very active lately. They're looking for 'high-adaptability samples.'"
"...Got it."
When he returned to the partitioned room, Lin You was crouching in the corner, playing a clapping game with Little Shukaku.
Little Shukaku held out a furry paw. Lin You tapped it lightly, and she gave a "pukyu" before switching paws.
Seeing Lin Shuo emerge, Lin You immediately stood up. "Uncle! Finished talking?"
"Mm."
Lao Mo followed him out, took two fish wrapped in cling film from the freezer, and handed them to Lin Shuo.
"On the house."
Lin Shuo took them. "Thanks."
Lao Mo said nothing. He merely glanced at Lin You, then took a small bag of colorful fruit candies from his apron pocket.
He handed it to Lin You.
Lin You froze for a moment and looked at Lin Shuo.
Lin Shuo nodded.
"Thank you, Uncle!" Lin You accepted the candy with a sweet smile.
The corners of Lao Mo's mouth seemed to... tug upward, ever so slightly.
The movement was almost imperceptible.
By the time they left the fish stall, it was completely dark.
Dim yellow streetlights lit the alleys.
Holding the little bag of candy, Lin You asked as they walked, "Dad, that uncle... was he one of your old comrades too?"
"Mm."
"He doesn't seem to talk much."
"He's always been like that."
"But he's pretty nice. He even gave me candy."
Lin You unwrapped a pink candy and popped it into her mouth. "Mmm! Strawberry!"
Lin Shuo walked ahead, carrying the equipment bag and the fish.
Lin You jogged to catch up. "Dad, will that uncle be coming to the investigation next Wednesday too?"
"...Mm."
"That's great! One more person means more strength!"
Lin You skipped along. "But Dad, why did you suddenly decide to buy all this equipment? Mom said you usually only take a kitchen knife into Hollows-though that knife does sound pretty amazing..."
"This time is different."
Lin Shuo stopped and turned to look at her. "Yuzuha and the others... are just members of Spook Shack. They have experience, but they're not professional soldiers.
If they really run into people from The Order, it'll be dangerous."
Lin You blinked. "So you're actually really worried about Mom, right?"
"...Shut up."
"Hehe."
Lin You stopped talking and simply hummed a tuneless song with the candy in her mouth.
Back home, Lin Shuo hid the equipment in a secret compartment in his bedroom-he had built it when he moved in, and no one else knew about it.
Lin You washed the fish in the kitchen-her movements were awkward, but she took it seriously.
Little Shukaku lay on the windowsill, her amber eyes gazing at the neon lights outside.
Lin Shuo sat at the dining table and switched on the silver detector Lao Mo had given him.
The screen lit up, displaying the ambient Ether concentration: normal.
He opened the history—Lao Mo had already entered the spectral signatures of several Sacrifice Potions.
One spectrum, labeled "P-07 Modified (suspected)," had a red exclamation mark beside it.
A small note below read: highly corruptive, mutation rate 87%, rate of suppression of independent consciousness unknown. Extreme caution advised.
Lin Shuo switched off the device.
Outside, a broadcast announced a Hollow alarm test-the weekly routine test reminding citizens to remain vigilant.
New Eridu's nights seemed peaceful.
But beneath the surface, undercurrents surged.
"Dad, the fish are washed!"
Lin You poked her head out of the kitchen. "What do we do next?"
"I'll take over."
Lin Shuo stood and went into the kitchen.
He handled the fish with a proficiency that didn't seem to belong to a ramen stall owner-scaling, gutting, deboning, the blade tracing precise arcs over the fish.
It was a skill he had learned in the military, and one he had been forced to master to survive inside Hollows.
"You're amazing, Dad..."
Lin You leaned against the counter to watch, her eyes shining. "Your knife skills are so much better than Mom's! Mom doesn't even dare watch someone kill a fish. Manato always has to help-"
She suddenly covered her mouth.
Lin Shuo turned toward her. "The future Yuzuha... still doesn't dare kill fish?"
"...Mm," Lin You said quietly. "She said seeing blood reminds her of bad things."
The knife in Lin Shuo's hand paused.
He remembered Yuzuha's background file-a Helios test subject, code name ES-07, the sole survivor.
Those "bad things" were probably darker than anything he could imagine.
"Dad," Lin You suddenly asked, "who... is Elidel?"
Lin Shuo's hands stopped completely.
He slowly put down the knife, placed the prepared fish on a plate, and turned on the tap to wash his hands.
Water splashed.
"...A friend."
"He's... gone, isn't he?"
"Mm."
Lin You was silent for a few seconds, then said softly, "Mom said there are a few very important names in your heart that shouldn't be brought up casually. Elidel is one of them."
Lin Shuo turned off the water and dried his hands with a towel.
The towel was gray and very old, its edges a little frayed.
"What else did she say?"
"She said those names are your armor, and also your weakness."
Lin You walked over and looked up at him. "Mom said it took her a very long time to make you willing to add her name too."
Lin Shuo didn't answer.
He simply began heating the pan, pouring in oil to fry the fish.
The oil sizzled in the pan, and white smoke rose.
"Lin You."
"Mm?"
"If..." Lin Shuo watched the fish skin slowly change color in the pan. "If my future self really becomes willing to open his heart."
He paused. "Then it must be because Yuzuha is worth it."
Lin You's eyes lit up at once.
She nodded hard. "Yes! Mom is absolutely worth it!"
The fish was done, crisp outside and tender inside.
Lin Shuo stir-fried two more dishes and made miso soup.
A simple but warm dinner.
During the meal, Lin You shared one of Lao Mo's candies with Little Shukaku-she held it in her paws and licked it carefully, her amber eyes narrowing into happy slits.
"Dad."
Lin You bit her chopsticks. "Next Wednesday... can I go? I'll just watch from far away. I promise I won't cause trouble!"
Lin Shuo glanced at her, then at Little Shukaku, who was licking her candy.
"Yes."
"Really?!"
"But you have to stay beside me the entire time. You're not to leave my sight. And if there's any danger, I'll have Little Shukaku take you away immediately-no matter how far along the investigation is."
"Okay!" Lin You nodded hard. "I promise!"
After dinner, Lin You volunteered to wash the dishes.
Lin Shuo sat by the window, checking the equipment.
The seal on the Ether-filtering mask, the protective suit's anticorrosion coating, the detector's battery...
He made sure every detail was in order.
Elidel had taught him this: "Your equipment is your second life. Cut corners with it, and it'll cut corners with you when it matters."
Outside, New Eridu's nightscape glittered like a river of stars.
In the distance, searchlights on the Hollow containment wall swept across the sky like an eye that never closed.
Lin Shuo took out his phone and looked at Yuzuha's message: "Next time you come for noodles, I'll give you double char siu."
He hesitated for a few seconds, then replied:
"I'll be there on time next Wednesday. Also, remember to wear protective equipment."
A few seconds later, a reply arrived:
"Got it! Lin Shuo actually caring about someone? Has the sun risen in the west? (≧▽≦)"
It came with an exaggerated emoticon.
Lin Shuo turned off his phone and looked at Lin You, who was drying the dishes.
The little girl hummed, her movements clumsy but earnest.
Little Shukaku circled her feet, her short tail wagging back and forth.
This home seemed to be growing livelier.
And more and more... like a home.
[System notification: key character "Lao Mo" contacted. Side quest "Assist the investigation" equipment readiness: 85%. Time until event trigger: 5 days, 23 hours. Main quest "Romance Ukinami Yuzuha" current progress: 4.2%.]
The progress bar had edged forward a little again.
Lin Shuo closed the interface, stood, and headed into the kitchen.
"Finished washing the dishes?"
"Yep! Want to inspect them, Dad?"
"No need."
Lin Shuo took the dish towel. "Go take a bath and get to bed early."
"Okay~"
Lin You skipped away, Little Shukaku following behind her.
Lin Shuo stood in the kitchen, listening to the water and humming from the bathroom.
He suddenly remembered something Elidel had once said:
"Lin Shuo, you can't live in the shadow of the past forever. You have to move forward. You have to... find yourself a reason worth protecting."
He hadn't understood back then.
Now, he seemed to understand a little.
Outside, the night deepened.
And in the basement of a certain fish stall, a gray-eyed man was cleaning his guns, a strawberry lollipop in his mouth.
An old photograph lay on his workbench-
Three young men in Obsidian Camp uniforms stood shoulder to shoulder.
The big blond man in the middle grinned brightly, one arm around the expressionless gray-eyed man, his other hand resting on the shoulder of a somewhat awkward-looking black-haired youth.
On the back of the photograph was a line of clumsy handwriting:
"Deep Blue, Mo, Shuo-always stay together."
Lao Mo stared at the photograph for a long time.
Then he opened a drawer, carefully put the photograph inside, and locked it.
He turned and continued cleaning his guns.
His movements were meticulous.
As though he were fulfilling some silent oath.