"I feel like we've gradually gone from always fighting the Honkai to fighting our own people."
"..."
Carrying two cans of beer, Ato walked to Lin side, who was standing at the edge of the rooftop of the Tenth Branch. He made the remark for some unknown reason.
A breeze blew; the winds of Mu were perhaps the gentlest in the world, mingled with warmth and the scent of bread.
Small cities possessed a serene beauty, as if nothing changed from morning till night. Only by standing at the top, looking down upon all living things, could one see the activities of people, crowded like ants.
Lin took it all in, then closed his eyes, exhaled a breath of turbid air, and without turning his head, said to Ato: "No drinking during work hours."
"No dazing on the rooftop during work hours either." Ato placed a can of beer on the railing by Lin hand. "One must learn to be flexible."
"..."
He vaguely remembered the old Ato as a strict elder type; now, he was somewhat talkative and had the aura of a middle-aged uncle, much like a certain red-haired woman who had already died.
Do you become like this after having a family?
For Lin, the difference between drinking alcohol and drinking water was only the slight effect of the ethanol afterward. He wouldn't be addicted to the bitter taste like a drunkard, nor would he immerse himself in the stimulation brought by alcohol.
However, if someone wanted to drink with him, he wouldn't refuse.
"Where were we? Oh right, I feel like we've become people who fight our own."
"It's only because the Eighth Honkai didn't have the destructive power of the previous large-scale Honkai eruptions that you have this illusion." Lin hooked his finger on the pull ring—pssh—and opened the beer can.
"But since the Sixth Honkai, the thing that has troubled us the most hasn't been the Honkai itself, has it?" Ato took a sip of beer and smiled indifferently. "Maybe you haven't noticed yet, but I know the thoughts of those people at the top better than anyone."
A flash of memory crossed his eyes, but it wasn't nostalgia; it was a trace of disgust.
"The current individual strength of Fusion Warriors can already rival a Herrscher, and more Fusion Warriors will be born in the future. The Honkai seems to have changed from a disaster threatening humanity into a golden opportunity for human evolution—just like every difficulty and war humanity has encountered before."
"Before the disaster and war are even over, they've already thought about how to carve up the benefits. Ideally, a nine-to-one split in their favor. They've lost their fear of life and suffering. This is also why they are about to go public with the lunar remains and the Svitok 51 incident—they think it's no longer a big deal, even if they likely caused it themselves. They might even think they're great benefactors pushing human progress."
"...I thought you were talking about Mobius." Lin paused.
"Haha... I'll tell you something you might not believe. Back when the lunar remains were being studied, Dr. Mobius suggested not touching the things deep within the remains before humanity fully understood and controlled Honkai energy." Ato waved his hand and flashed a smile. "Dr. Mobius is a person who is cold on the outside but warm on the inside. If you ask her now, she might tell you she caused the Honkai leak, but in reality... she was the one who tried her best to prevent the worst from happening."
"That certainly sounds like her style."
"Right?"
Ato drained his drink. Whether he was savoring the sweetness of the lingering liquid or lost in memory, he gazed at the sky for a long time in silence.
And Lin tactfully accompanied him, drinking sip by sip, remaining quiet.
The Stargate incident had made Ato think of many things: his original intentions for joining the former Fire Moth and the current Fire Moth, and those people who seemed to never change over all this time, the ones who made him feel sick.
"Let's not think about that anymore; it's boring." Ato suddenly tossed the can and playfully hooked his arm around Lin neck. "Lin, my boy, when are you going to get married? I've watched you stay in the Fire Moth for eight years. Griseo is already six and a half, and you're still as quiet as a breeze."
"Why are you always pushing for marriage?" Lin was somewhat puzzled. In his memory, only Ato persistently urged him to get married.
"After all, I'm your elder; elders pushing for marriage is a tradition. Besides, a man only has the motivation to return home once he has settled down and has someone to worry about."
"...I've already been married."
"But you're single now, aren't you?" Ato didn't linger on that sad topic. He smiled and rubbed Lin shoulder. "In my hometown, if you weren't married at your age, you'd be a laughingstock. By the way, you aren't a virgin anymore, are you?"
"..."
"You... aren't, right?"
"..."
"..."
...............
"Dr. Mobius... what is this...?"
Su stood at the door in disbelief, looking at the disgusting scene before him, covered in black slime as if some monster had been born. He felt the cold, viscous liquid sliding down his spine, a chill rushing to his head.
In the wreckage of the aftermath, a figure slowly raised its head from a large pool of water of black fluid. The slime, which seemed to still have life, dripped from her green hair. Half-submerged in the nauseating liquid, her returning, blurred consciousness recognized the person at the door.
"Hehe... you're here...?" She hooked a satisfied, weak smile. "The time from when I sent the message to now is about what I calculated..."
Su hesitated for a moment. At this point, Mobius felt more like a Honkai Beast than a human. But hearing the familiar voice, he suppressed his confusion and fear. "What happened here? And Dr. Mobius, your body..."
"Oh?" Mobius looked down, but since everything below her neck was still stuck in the slime, she could only ask Su, "What's wrong with my body?"
"You've become smaller."
"Smaller... I see. Is this the 'price'?" She excitedly flicked her long, thin tongue to lick the corner of her mouth, the light in her eyes growing more intense. "Thanks to this experiment, I've completely figured out the secret of the Fusion Warriors."
"Experiment? Dr. Mobius, what on earth did you do here?"
"Heh, we'll talk about that later. First, help me get a set of clothes. Also, I need to replenish my energy. This 'price' is a bit larger than I imagined..."
"No, Dr. Mobius." Su stared firmly at the smiling Mobius. "I suspect you are conducting experiments that will harm the Fire Moth. You must tell me what you did."
"Tsk, you're as troublesome as your teacher. I thought we would get along well."
Mobius twisted her neck. Whether it was an illusion or not, Su felt as if he were watching a winding poisonous snake writhing its body.
She gave a bizarre smile: "It's just dying once; it's no big deal."