"Can you take a transport plane to Shenzhou after you complete your mission?"
"...No."
"Then what about food?"
"...Actually, many people besides me can cook."
This was the first time Lin had encountered such a dragging farewell.
He rarely gave extensive instructions when others left. Some people would meet again, while others would part forever, and language couldn't convey everything.
Yet, the young woman was like a new student preparing for full-time boarding school, anxiously worrying about many useless things and asking Lin detailed, unnecessary questions.
Lin patiently provided her with the answers he had already prepared.
"Elysia will be going with you, so don't worry. Just ask her if anything happens." Although Lin couldn't see her expression through the helmet, her still-difficult-to-manage body language told him that the young woman was indeed very anxious.
"Lin, you truly are a despicable man, dumping your wife on another girl to look after, and brazenly saying she can ask me if anything happens."
Elysia had arrived at the apron at some point. She feigned an angry glare at Lin.
The young woman saw Elysia approaching and extended her hand: "Elysia..."
"Haha, just kidding, of course! I love Little Seven so much. Taking Little Seven to Shenzhou will be so much fun!" Elysia quickly changed her expression. She smiled and went up to the young woman, hugging her waist and vigorously rubbing her abdomen to tickle her, causing the young woman to tremble slightly from the irresistible sensation.
"Little Seven" was the nickname Elysia gave the young woman. Since the young woman had no name, and Elysia didn't want to call her by her designation, feeling it was too distant, she used the number seven from MSA-970 as a form of address.
"Elysia, I'll temporarily entrust her to you." Lin felt relieved seeing this scene. The young woman's closest person besides him was Elysia, so having her join Elysia Thirteenth Squad for this mission eased some of Lin worries.
"Don't worry, don't worry! I'll take Little Seven to Shenzhou to eat delicious food and buy new clothes."
"Delicious food? Is it as delicious as Lin cooking?"
"Uh..." Elysia was momentarily speechless. "That might be a bit difficult..."
While Elysia was talking to the young woman, Lin turned and saw Klein approaching. She held two vials of medicine in her hand and came up to Lin.
"Mr. Lin, these are the nerve repair agents Dr. Mobius asked me to give you. The first injection is to be followed by the second injection half a month later. All precautions have been sent to your communicator. Please refrain from doing anything further that could damage your nerves, especially avoiding neural linking." Klein spoke in her usual measured tone. She paused to collect her thoughts before continuing—
"Mr. Lin, you didn't say goodbye to the Doctor before leaving. Although she didn't say anything, she looked very angry and said that the dish you promised to cook would have to wait until you returned. She thinks you are breaking your promise."
"..."
Angry?
Mobius had never given him a pleasant look in the lab, and most of her conversations were sarcastic. Would she really be angry about this?
As for cooking...
"Tell her to eat at the canteen. Instant noodles don't provide enough nutrition."
"I have been advising her..."
Klein rubbed the back of her head helplessly. She didn't know how many times she had advised Mobius to eat nutritious meals at the canteen, but Mobius would either say she didn't have time or that the food wasn't tasty. In reality, she didn't want to leave the lab and listen to others' criticisms.
She was worried that since Lin was gone, and no one would specially deliver food to her, she might revert to her habit of eating spicy, seafood, and hot and sour instant noodles for her three meals a day.
"Let's just hope Mr. Lin comes back soon," Klein smiled. "But the temperature in Australia is historically high. Mr. Lin, please don't get 'ice' while on the mission."
"..."
"Hmm? Not funny? I've written down all of Mr. Lin cold jokes."
"It's nothing," Lin said after a long silence. "I will."
Afterward, two transport planes took off from the headquarters apron, heading in different directions.
...
"Hua, Immel, now you've truly become members of my squad."
A woman with fiery red hair like flames stood in front of the transport plane, smiling to greet Hua and Immel as they disembarked.
Destobia, standing beside her, was also welcoming them with a full smile.
"Captain Himeko... it's been a while," Hua responded with a rare, faint smile.
"It's only been about a month, calculating the time," Himeko calculated on her fingers, then burst into laughter with her hands on her hips. "I finally managed to snatch you two away from that Lin kid. Just let that brat play house with those two girls by himself."
"Two girls?" Immel asked, puzzled.
"Oh, you don't know yet? Lin current squad only has a pink-haired girl, and a new recruit who follows him everywhere. I heard they are pretending to be husband and wife or something..." Himeko waved her hand dismissively. "It seems to me that pink-haired girl would be very suitable... uh, no, never mind."
Hua sighed after hearing Himeko words: "The Captain is doing very well now..."
"Tch, don't think too highly of it. He's also coming to Australia for a mission, very soon."
"Soon?"
"Yes, but his mission is different from ours. His squad is only performing a simple investigation task."
Destobia patted Himeko shoulder, signaling her overly talkative Captain not to continue. Talking loudly about Lin here felt strange.
Immel also realized this: "Alright... then let's get to our mission as soon as possible."
"No rush. The squad has been expanded. You still have a few days before your mission. First, you should properly adjust your condition after the last mission," Himeko said seriously. "Tell me about the process of your mission in Shenzhou."
Immel and Hua both fell silent. They seemed to be considering where to start, after all, this matter... was truly beyond common sense.
"Captain Himeko, you must have already heard the truth about the abnormal Honkai energy discovered during this investigation."
"Mhm, the Guest from Beyond the Sky, right?"
The Guest from Beyond the Sky, which was the so-called "alien."
Immel exhaled. He lowered his voice solemnly: "During the investigation, we had contact with one of the Guests from Beyond the Sky. It learned human language and conveyed some information to us."
"The most important piece of information is that the Guest from Beyond the Sky race intends to invade Earth."