"Damn it, shrinking is the worst." Mobius pushed the chair around irritably. "I'm definitely going to have Vil-V make me a chair that can move freely so I don't have to get off it."
"What's the situation in Svatok 51?"
"Quite good. Casualties are under a thousand. You took care of quite a few monsters before the 13th Squad arrived, and then Elysia and Sakura handled things very quickly, effectively curbing the spread of casualties."
Hearing the casualty count, Lin stared at the ceiling in silence, listening to the sound of Mobius tapping on the keyboard.
After a long while, he asked again: "Were those Honkai Beasts?"
"Of course, it's just that they don't belong to our 'world.' They likely came from the Sea of Quanta. Their composition is different from ordinary Honkai Beasts. To explain it in a way a layman like you can understand... you know the famous story of Schrödinger's cat, right?" Mobius held up a finger with her back to Lin. "When you fire at a cat in a box without observing it, that cat exists in a superposition of being dead and alive."
"But when a person observes the cat in the box, the multiple quantum possibilities vanish instantly under the influence of the observation, collapsing into a single eigenstate—that is, quantum collapse."
"Those Honkai Beasts have similar characteristics. Their own state is a kind of superposition. The impact our world can have on these monsters from the Sea of Quanta—a place science cannot fully explain—is limited. Furthermore, they don't emit Honkai energy through their superposition, and after death, their corpses return to the Sea of Quanta as fundamental particles."
"Of course, you're going to ask how I know this so clearly. It's because while you were unconscious, Mei had already analyzed those Honkai Beasts and found a way to turn a superposition into a collapsed state—using the power of the Second Herrscher."
After finishing in one breath, Mobius didn't give Lin time to digest it. She turned the chair around and stared straight at him. "Rather than Svatok 51, you should worry about yourself first. The people above are investigating why you and Vil-V were in Svatok 51. Though Vil-V used the excuse that you were 'on a date,' whether they're actually fooled... heh, hard to say."
Everyone in Fire Moth who was in the know was in a state of self-preservation. The internal chaos hadn't fully affected operations yet, but it might only be a matter of time.
At this moment, Lin thought of what Gray Serpent had said. Organization and belief...
"Mobius, can you install a small bomb in my heart?"
Thud. Mobius finger pressed heavily onto the keyboard. Her long, dark green curly hair swayed as she turned her head, her snake-like pupils reflecting Lin calm face.
"Humans are fragile creatures easily swayed by emotions and the opinions of others. I can say without shame that my lifelong ideal is to free humanity from this boring biological form. Therefore, as my property, you should have the same ideal. Do not be swayed by the emotions and opinions of others," Mobius said with extreme coldness. "So if you want to put another leash on yourself for the 'stability' of Fire Moth, I, as your master, will not agree."
"..."
Although the message was ultimately delivered, it felt strangely like a dog owner refusing to neuter their pet.
"From now on, you are prohibited from going out. I will monitor your bodily changes at all times. While you are undergoing this research in my lab, you cannot tell anyone else..." Mobius paused to think before adding, "If you leak it, I'll be in trouble too. Understood?"
Lin nodded upon hearing this.
...
In the gloomy corridor, a colder person was waiting. Lin glanced at the twin pistols at his waist, tucked in holsters, lacking the majesty of a Divine Key.
"Shamash usually keeps its Herrscher Core separated; its presence is a great danger to ordinary people." Kevin saw Lin gaze and explained, "The Fifth Divine Key was given to Su. The destructive power of that thing can only be controlled by someone like him."
"..."
"I have something I want to say to you, Lin."
"..." Lin let out a breath. "Me as well."
...
"It's too tragic."
Delta stood beside the ruins, forcing herself to stay calm but unable to stop being moved. Seeing the city ravaged by Honkai Beasts, she finally understood what humanity had been fighting all along. Seeing Honkai Beasts and the aftermath of a disaster with her own eyes for the first time made her waver.
"Is this... Honkai?"
"CM-079, what are you doing? It's time to go. Leave the rest to the logistics department." The commander's voice came through the terminal. Snapping back to reality, Delta hurried toward the transport returning to the 10th Branch.
"Waaaaah... Sister..."
Delta footsteps stopped abruptly. She looked up in horror, her trembling eyes scanning a nearby pile of rubble. She hesitated, feared, and then moved toward the sound of the crying.
Swallowing hard, Delta gaze fell upon a small figure kneeling on the ground as she passed the ruins.
"Sister..."
Beneath the collapsed building in front of her was a small, dirty, motionless hand.
Delta brain felt as if it had been struck. Her breathing grew rapid, and the crying girl before her merged with the image of her own sister. Waves of emotion surged in her heart.
Ultimately, it turned into nothingness.
She had all sorts of emotions about this, but so what? Could she change this reality? She couldn't even save her own sister.
She was just like this girl—all they had was a childhood that ended abruptly and a future where they lost themselves.
...........
"Kevin, I'll donate my body. I'll leave the helmet and pistol to you."
Lin stood before the table, looking down at the helmet. His conversation with Kevin was drawing to a close; only they knew what they had discussed during that time.
"No need. That's too stuffy, and there are ultra-lightweight versions..."
"You'll know once you try it."
Lin forced the helmet onto Kevin head. Seeing Kevin look uneasy in the enclosed darkness of the helmet, he turned on the system. The blue particles of the visor lit up, and he believed his face was now appearing before Kevin.
"Don't worry. Even if I die, I'll always be by your side."
Listening to the noisy voices in his ears, Lin spoke to him softly.