"...What, did you undergo mitosis? Or have your tactical dolls been expanded?"
Mobius, who had been rewriting the plan board, stared coldly at Lin and the helmeted person beside him, who looked almost identical to him. The well-defined figure and female uniform clearly indicated the person was a woman.
It wasn't hard to guess whom he had gone to make lunch for.
Could there actually be a woman who shared this guy's foul temperament?
"She is Dr. Mobius, my..." Lin paused for a few seconds, thought about it, and said, "friend."
"Friend? Master, you mean." Hearing this, Mobius scoffed sarcastically: "Since when was our relationship so good? Shouldn't it be that you gave everything to me?"
"...Indeed," Lin couldn't refute that.
Mobius fixed her gaze on the young woman, focusing on her helmet for a few moments: "Then who is she? Why introduce me to her?"
"She is..."
"Lin wife."
"..."
The circulation of air instantly slowed down.
Mobius stared silently at the young woman who had spoken, then coldly glanced at Lin, seeing that he didn't object.
"Oh... Are you here to show off to me?" she slowly said in a deep voice.
"No, I just wanted to introduce you to her," Lin answered truthfully. "She and I are currently living as husband and wife."
"Met through a marriage ad?"
"Yes."
"Heh heh... This isn't a place for you to flaunt your unrequited hormones," Mobius gave a horrifyingly cold laugh. "Are introductions done? Can you leave now?"
"No, you haven't gotten to know her..."
"I know her now."
Mobius extended her hand to the young woman and smiled brightly: "I am Mobius."
Her smile was so bright it was chilling.
"I am MSA-970..." The young woman also extended her hand to shake Mobius'.
But the instant their palms touched, the contact of skin felt like an electric shock. Mobius withdrew her hand, and her expression turned grim: "Now, can you leave? I don't want to interfere in your private life, but you'd better not bring irrelevant matters here."
Lin and the young woman were driven out of the private office before they could exchange another word with Mobius. Under the watch of Nuwa, Fuxi, and Klein, the young woman turned to Lin and said, "Incomprehensible. She does not seem to have urgent matters to attend to. Why would she expel us?"
"...Because that is an expression of emotion. We disturbed her peace, so she displayed her anger," Lin took a deep breath and sighed. "Dr. Mobius is busy; we really shouldn't have disturbed her just now."
"Understood."
Klein then walked up to them with a peculiar expression. She first looked the young woman up and down, then glanced at Lin, who looked no different from usual. She pondered for a moment and then asked, "Mr. Lin, who is this..."
"My wife, for now."
"...Wife? For now?"
Klein found both terms somewhat incomprehensible.
Klein had heard about Lin marriage ad, after all, there were two of the headquarters' most well-informed gossip girls in the lab, so it was hard not to know. But she didn't think Lin could actually get married through a marriage ad.
To speak a little selfishly... she found it difficult to imagine Lin being excessively intimate with any woman other than the Doctor. Lin even maintained a certain distance from Elysia.
"Yes, we have similar needs, so we are temporarily maintaining a marital relationship."
"Hmm... Is it similar to a hypothetical relationship?" Klein instantly understood Lin words. "You are just hypothetically acting as husband and wife to obtain what you need from this relationship?"
"Yes."
"I see." After understanding, Klein shook her head with a wry smile. Lin ideas were as unconventional as ever, yet strangely easy to guess.
"Although I feel it's unlikely, I'll ask anyway, Mr. Lin. I assume the shared need between you and this young lady does not include physical relations?"
"Reproductive behavior? There is no need. We are not officially husband and wife."
Klein noticed that the door to the Doctor's private office was open a small crack. Whether this was Mobius' accident or for some other reason was unknown... but Klein gave a quiet chuckle. She said to Lin: "Is that so? Then I hope Mr. Lin and this young lady can find what they are looking for soon."
"Lin, is reproductive behavior also part of the marriage relationship?" At this moment, the young woman abruptly raised her head, her azure visible window looking at Lin helmet.
"Reproductive behavior is a reasonable action within a marital relationship, not necessary, but over 99% of marital relationships likely include reproductive behavior," Lin explained.
"Oh. Then should we, reproduce?"
"..."
Lin closed his eyes coldly, exhaling a breath.
"No need."
Then, under the strange gazes of the others, he led the young woman out of the laboratory.
...
"..."
A cold sensation.
Consciousness still lingered in the memory of being attacked by multiple Herrschers and finally swallowed by the soaring flames.
Control over space was lost. Lin, lying on the ground, could no longer feel his authority to control anchor points.
In other words, this place was very likely not inside the Elysian Realm, or it was in a space very far from the transmission anchor point.
Lin opened his eyes, and what met his sight was an untold amount of darkness.
...
"Something happened to Lin?"
Mei had thought that even if the sky fell, this man's expression wouldn't change.
But the facts proved that this warrior, who bore the name of a savior, still retained his emotions deep down.
After hearing Mei's description, Kevin frowned and looked gravely at Su beside him, while the closed-eyed Su remained silent, seemingly recalling something.
However, the man quickly calmed down, or rather, he hadn't panicked at all—"Did you inform Elysia about this?"
"Not yet. Before Lin sent me away, he specifically asked me to inform Elysia and someone named Aponia. Do you know how I can find them?"
"...Pardofelis should know where Elysia is. As for Aponia... let Elysia tell you."
Pardofelis again? Klein could also go find Pardofelis...
Kevin seemed to hesitate for a moment. He stood up and walked toward the Elysian Realm's transmission anchor point: "I need to investigate the Elysian Realm too."
"Wait, you alone..."
"If there's something even I can't stop, then having more people is futile," Kevin glanced sideways with cold eyes, and had already entered the Elysian Realm.
"Alright... it seems I'll just have to find Pardofelis."
"Wait, visitor." Su stopped Mei, who was preparing to act. His expression was so solemn it looked like water might drip from it. "If you come into contact with 'that thing,' please try your best to avoid fighting."
"Do you know what it is?" Mei asked.
"No... I only know that perhaps the current Lin is somewhat lacking in power compared to Kevin, but the ability he possesses is something even Kevin cannot easily defeat. Therefore, if 'that thing' has appeared, it is likely that Lin has already lost. You must try everything to avoid engaging in combat with it."
"The ability he possesses? Isn't he..."
"..."
Su shook his head, signaling Mei not to press further.
That was a wound.
Lin wound.