The ship sailed steadily back to its starting point. Lin ate some coarse grains for breakfast, leaning against the railing and staring at the boundless sea. He chewed on dry bread; it had no flavor, but he didn't care. He used the act of eating to observe the people around him.
He wasn't sure if it was an illusion, but more than half the people gave him the impression they hadn't slept well.
The boundaryless sunlight fell on Lin arm. He first watched Elysia, who was uncharacteristically listless as she sat at the table eating breakfast, then turned a suspicious gaze toward Aponia, who was staring blankly at the table. Finally, he scanned Su, who was leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed, resting in silence.
Aside from them, others were also more or less different from yesterday.
Slurp—
Lin finished his soy milk in one go and tossed the empty carton into the bin.
So, who stole the clothes? And what did they do with them after stealing them?
...
"Big Brother Kalpas..."
"Huh?" Kalpas looked impatiently at Griseo, who was calling him. His hands and feet were twitching unconsciously as he let out a fierce breath.
Behind him, Immer, who had been staring at him, was now somewhat nervous, guarding against Kalpas suddenly attacking Griseo. Immer had thought of countless ways to kill Kalpas over these days, but no matter the method—even when Kalpas intentionally let him succeed—he simply couldn't kill him. With Griseo here, Immer didn't want her to see the moment he drove a blade into Kalpas back.
"Why are you wearing a mask?"
"None of your business," Kalpas barked rudely.
"Can't you be gentler with a child?" Immer frowned. The way Kalpas and Lin treated children were polar opposites. He couldn't stand Kalpas blunt, ungentle attitude.
"Hmph..."
"Is it the same as Big Brother Lin?"
"Who's the same as him? I was wearing a mask long before I met him! Why does everyone act like I'm imitating him?" On the subject of Lin, Kalpas was like a powder keg. He growled furiously: "Don't mention him in front of me!"
Immer finally had a chance for sarcasm: "Hmph, it seems Captain Lin left quite a deep impression on you."
"Deep indeed. Deception, concealment... truly a bastard raised by this place."
"Big Brother Kalpas, do you hate Big Brother Lin?"
"Obviously," Kalpas sneered.
"Oh..."
Griseo didn't seem to be thinking of much; she gave a soft hum and went back to waving her paintbrush.
...
"Ato, what's the situation on your end?"
"No problem. The Stargate is stable; no major fluctuations."
Ato stood in a room filled with cables, solemnly checking the surroundings. It had been eight years since he first came here. Recently, upon returning, he found that not much had changed.
"Dr. Einstein, can you tell me the reason for inspecting the Stargate this time?"
Einstein sat at the command terminal, blowing on the steam from her cup, and asked listlessly: "Are you curious?"
"I came here long before Fire Moth was formed, so I'm one of the veterans who witnessed the Stargate's birth. Naturally, I'm a bit curious." After all, the Stargate's role could be seen as large or small, but for humanity, it held immense significance.
"Hmm... Mei and I want to try using the Stargate to connect to the Sea of Quanta." Einstein spoke a sentence that left Ato stunned.
"All current intelligence indicates the Sea of Quanta truly exists. Lin experience during the Sixth Honkai Eruption made us very interested in its function. It should be a crucial node for both humanity and the Honkai."
"The best-case scenario... is that we find a way to defeat the Honkai within the Sea of Quanta."
Of course, that was the "best-case." The worst-case was that they found a new enemy within the Sea of Quanta. Einstein had a premonition—the Sea of Quanta was a realm humanity had yet to step into, and within it, there would surely be creatures beyond imagination... or "things."
"Things" even more eerie than the Honkai.
"Perhaps the enemy isn't just the Honkai, it might even be..."
"Hmm? What did you say?" Ato didn't catch Einstein's mutter.
"Nothing. Once the inspection is done, you can return. I'll have the ELF (Equipment: Living Form) take over some of the work. Thank you."
"No, it's nothing. Compared to past missions, this one is quite easy."
Still, ELFs... Ato remembered those little ones. Ever since they were born, they had taken over more and more human jobs. They were intelligent, efficient, durable, and cute—a very convenient... "tool"?
Ato didn't want to use that word to describe ELFs, but he couldn't find a better one. They looked too much like humans, almost like chibi versions. It felt strange to treat them as pure tools.
Forget it, he shouldn't think about that. Time to go back...
"Who's there?!"
Ato drew his weapon, looking alertly in a certain direction. The MANTIS factors in his body began to surge, entering combat mode. Just now, a very faint, almost undetectable gaze had swept over him.
This was a "forbidden zone" of Fire Moth. Aside from specialized investigators like him, no one else was allowed entry. Even maintenance personnel only worked on the outer perimeter.
"What is it, Ato?"
"Dr. Einstein, there may be an intruder at the Stargate. Immediately seal the area and search for suspicious personnel." Ato moved slowly toward the spot where the gaze had come from. He saw no problem there; not a single trace had been left. But he couldn't let his guard down. "Also, cross-check the identities of the maintenance crew. If there's an intruder, it's likely an insider."
"Why now, of all times..." Einstein was also thinking. Why did this happen just as they planned to do something with the Stargate? Or had someone been eyeing the Stargate for a long time and only just started to act?
Ato slowly stood up after checking the surroundings. He planned to continue the search elsewhere...
BOOM!
A staggering explosion thundered through the city.
...
"The vacation is over." Mei stood on the deck, looking seriously at the people before her. "The Thirteenth Squad, including Captain Elysia and Lieutenant Lin, is to head to Atra in Mu for a mission immediately. The MOTH squad, Sakura, and new member Kalpas will go with you."