"So you still have one month of supervision?"
The man looked oddly at Lin, who was carrying a meal, and Mobius, who looked displeased beside him.
His intuition, as one of the few married men in the Fire Moth, told him that the atmosphere between Lin and Mobius was extremely off.
"Supervision? Even if he did have a problem, his heart would be blown up. It's nothing but research confinement." Mobius scoffed scornfully.
There it was. That heavy intuitive feeling brought on by Mobius's words made Ato twitch slightly. His gaze constantly lingered between Lin and Mobius.
It wasn't that he disapproved. For one thing, he himself was a Fire Moth soldier who married early and had a child who could walk and draw. Secondly, he didn't seem qualified to interfere in others' private lives. However, his wife, Bianca, was Mobius's former assistant and was roughly the same age as Mobius, while Lin was a junior whose service time was much shorter than his...
How to put it? It felt like a junior student marrying the teacher's girlfriend...
Of course, it could just be his illusion because Lin and Mobius gave him the same feeling he and Bianca had, but looking at Mobius's inadvertent small gestures and scornful expression, he felt the relationship was much more complicated than he thought.
However, Ato was still very relieved to see Lin completely healthy and lively.
"Are you going on a mission again?" Lin saw Ato fully armed, clearly indicating a new assignment.
Ato's missions were frequent, and Bianca was also often away, which resulted in Griseo being chronically unattended. At this point, the stable, lab-dwelling Mobius, who might not leave the lab for a month, became their "Mobius Kindergarten" for childcare.
"Yes, this time I'm going to Western Europe..."
Ato's expression was not good. After the Sixth Eruption, the birth rate of Honkai Beasts reached an unprecedented speed. Higher-tier Honkai Beasts burst forth, and reports of abnormal Honkai phenomena from all over the world overwhelmed the already barely functioning headquarters.
Out of necessity and strategy change, various branches of the Fire Moth, including the headquarters, acquired a batch of "newcomers." Most of these were small Combat Puppets, and the rest were new recruits hastily absorbed.
The quality of these new recruits was far inferior to that of previous soldiers, but their numbers had reached twice the previous total, forcibly bringing the paralyzed Fire Moth back to life.
The idea was simple: use quantity to fill the gap in quality. Previous soldiers could subdue one hundred Zombies alone. Now, new recruits would subdue one hundred, perhaps two people, three people, or four people... The world might lack talent, but it definitely didn't lack "people."
"I'll have to rely on you two to look after Griseo. Haiya, Bianca and I both want to spend time with Griseo, but it's just..." Ato looked regretfully at Griseo, who was drawing in a chair.
It has been said many times that Ato is an excellent soldier. Like Lin, he positions himself as a soldier. Coldly carrying out orders is perhaps the most profound impression he gives others.
Lin, seeing the man who was usually emotionless even at his most affectionate moments showing a tender side, thoughtfully observed him for a while.
"If it weren't for Bianca, I wouldn't have time to help you babysit." Mobius impatiently turned away and walked into her private office. "Talk to him if you have anything else. I have things to do."
She emphasized the words "things to do," suggesting she was not entirely happy about Ato and his wife frequently asking her to look after Griseo.
However, Mobius had never shown any ill will toward Griseo. She might twitch when called "Auntie Mobius," but at all other times, she was genuinely a kind Auntie Mobius.
"Lin, thank you for the trouble."
"No, it's nothing... I want to ask you something."
"Hmm?"
Ato's expression jumped to surprise when Lin asked his question in a moderate tone. Then, he smiled reassuringly, adopting the air of an elder, and patted Lin shoulder: "You'll understand something like this when you get married."
The fact that Lin would ask such a question made Ato, who had always regretted Lin disregard for his own well-being, finally feel a heavy stone lift from his heart.
"Married? I see."
Ato overlooked one thing.
Lin was a man of action. When he said the words "I see," it didn't mean he truly understood, but that he was ready to immediately carry out what needed to be done.
Thus, after Ato left, a marriage announcement appeared on the Fire Moth's internal network forum, setting the stage for the next farce.
"Male seeking marriage. Requirements: Female, no pink long hair."
...
"Doctor Einstein, the survey team has located the area. Your personal assessment of the situation here may be necessary."
"Alright, I'll be right there."
Einstein, who was scrolling through the data transmitted by the Combat Puppets of the survey team in the command room, had a face so solemn it looked like it was about to drip water after reading the latest information.
She sat on the soft chair, the fabric and padding as soft as skin, yet it felt as hard as decades-old beef jerky.
The ceiling light banished the darkness from the room, yet she stared motionless at her own shadow.
An invisible pressure felt like molten lead pouring through her entire body.
After a long time, she slowly walked out the door.
This discovery was significant. It could be an archaeological miracle that would rewrite human history. Its emergence meant a re-evaluation of humanity's developmental history and even the history of Earth's civilization.
And this could very well relate to the true history of Earth and Honkai.
The excavation pit descended deep into the dark underground. Einstein stood on the anti-gravity suspended elevator that kept lowering. She wondered if she would sink into it and never return to the surface.
Soon, in less than two minutes, she arrived at the site of this archaeological discovery.
Prosperity? Desolation?
She couldn't use a single accurate word to describe this ruin, covered in dust and the aura of history. She liked to use the God she didn't believe in as a metaphor, and at this moment, only one sentence came to mind.
This was simply a joke played by God while studying model architecture.
At the bizarre center point, the archaeological team surrounded the area, neither daring to approach nor step away until Einstein arrived.
"Hoo..." Einstein suppressed her pounding heart, trembling, as she walked past the crowd to the spot that looked like a world-famous painting.
A mechanized humanoid figure, not decayed despite countless years, remained. It was missing its left hand, both legs, and its head, leaving only the torso and right arm, which was clenched tightly.
And the "thing" in its hand made Einstein unable to look away.
A crystalline blue block-shaped gem encased in a mechanical vessel.
The Fire Moth had debated what to call these types of "objects" and eventually decided to simply name them after their original owner's codename.
They were called "Herrscher Cores."
And this flawlessly perfect gem was identical to a core that existed in the distant Fire Moth headquarters.
This was another, Herrscher of Reason's core.