"Good morning, Lin."
"..."
At 8:05 AM, Lin was doing his rehabilitation exercises in the Second Gym. Kevin, wearing a short-sleeved workout shirt and shorts with a towel draped around his neck, walked in. After a natural greeting, he started his morning workout.
"I thought I was the only one who knew about this gym. I've been using it alone for a month."
Kevin jogged slowly on the treadmill. His muscles flexed rhythmically under his control. In just one month, his physique was incomparable to his student days.
Perhaps his unparalleled Honkai energy adaptability caused his body to change after contact with Honkai energy. At least, an average soldier couldn't undergo such a drastic physical transformation in a short time.
Lin drew his gaze back and continued his simple yet effective rehabilitation exercises: "Before you came, I was the only one using it."
"Oh, no wonder."
After Kevin joined the Moth of the Flame, he had heard most of the strange rumors about Lin. To summarize, Lin was a freak whose right hand could nullify Honkai energy, whose left arm was fitted with a Gattling gun that spun 3,600 times a second, whose eyes could emit petrifying rays, and whose legs could transform into speed wheels and turn one day into twenty-five hours.
There was even a book dedicated to Lin called One Hundred Questions for the Silent Helmet, now in its second edition.
"Lin, yesterday I... um... no, wait." Kevin's expression was strange. He seemed to want to boast about something but felt it was inappropriate, so he asked casually, "Where did you go with Elysia last night? A girl with inner-dyed hair was looking for you everywhere."
"I was..."
"How did you know Mei and I snuck off to the deck to watch the moon?"
"..."
Lin stretched his joints expressionlessly, not saying a word.
The wisest thing for him to do now was to immediately get up and leave. Otherwise, based on his understanding of Kevin, what followed would be a barrage of meaningless phrases composed of useless vocabulary, assaulting people's brain nerves and achieving the effect of forcing one to listen even if they didn't want to.
Lin shook his head. Before Kevin could speak excitedly, he preempted him: "Kevin, there's an artificial lake on the base. Taking a boat out at night lets you see a much more beautiful moon than from the deck."
"Really?" The treadmill speed increased, but Kevin still ran steadily without breaking a sweat. He smiled, flushed: "Great. Next time Mei is free, I'll... Huh? Where's Lin?"
Before Kevin could finish, Lin had already pushed his wheelchair out of the gym and headed toward Mobius's lab.
...
"You're late. Did you sleep so long in the repair pod that your biological clock is out of whack?"
The tall, green-haired woman, hands tucked into the pockets of her white lab coat, looked displeasedly at Lin entering the doorway.
Lin glanced up at the clock: 8:27 AM. Standard Mu Continent working hours, when most soldiers leave for missions or exercise.
Lin scanned the empty lab. Compared to last time, he distinctly felt it was much more sparse. Some data and items had been taken away.
Simply put, one person was missing.
"Where's your assistant?" Lin asked.
"Tsk..." Mobius suddenly frowned, clicking her tongue in annoyance. "She left. Last night."
"..."
Lin thought of the atmosphere when he saw Blanca and Ato dancing together last night, and he had a rough idea of the answer.
"She had good talent, yet she was lured away by a man." Mobius bit her lip, her agitated fingers leaving marks on her arm. She gnashed her teeth, "Is this the unavoidable human flaw?"
Reproductive instinct is ingrained in a creature's genes. It's the objective condition for humanity's continuation, not a flaw. You should know this.
Lin wanted to correct Mobius, but after consideration, he kept silent.
After all, he was one of those who violated the reproductive instinct himself.
"Never mind, none of that matters. A new assistant recommended by Blanca will be arriving here today. Until then, you can help me with some simple experiments." Mobius's anger came and went quickly. Or rather, her emotions were insignificant compared to her research.
She picked up Lin's latest physical examination report. After reading all the figures with satisfaction, she took a test tube from a nearby shelf and placed it in a mixer.
"Take off your shirt and show me your back." Mobius instructed Lin from above.
Lin was currently much like a voluntary test subject for Mobius. He had no right to refuse, so he decisively reached out to remove his clothes, uncovering the portion protecting his skin.
Mobius narrowed her eyes and walked around to Lin's back. When she saw the condition there, she gave a cold laugh.
Several faint purple lines were distributed across Lin's back, emitting an eerie glow.
These were the traces of Honkai corrosion. Now, ordinary people with similar symptoms were starting to appear outside. They were called Honkai Sickness patients. People ignorant of the Honkai considered this a new disease, unaware that its mere early appearance was a death sentence.
Mobius held the report and observed Lin's condition: "Corrosion rate is about 2%. It's only been how long, and it's already increased by one percentage point? Your life might end faster than my estimation."
"When will it start disrupting my bodily functions?"
"Around 15%, you'll have a tangible sensation." Mobius made a few corrections on the report and said, "Most people start experiencing discomfort symptoms around 15%, such as nausea, itching, and trance. This means the Honkai energy is starting to corrode internal organs."
"40% is the corrosion limit an ordinary person can withstand. The Honkai energy corrosion is nearly halfway through the human body. Next, they either die at this critical point or begin transforming into Zombies and Honkai Beasts. You, unfortunately, probably won't have the chance to become a Zombie or Honkai Beast."
"At 70%, human sanity vanishes. At this point, the difference between humans and Honkai organisms is only marginal. The pain will stop, but at the same time, bodily functions will be amplified by Honkai energy."
"100%... Heh heh..."
The implication didn't need to be explained. Judging by Mobius's excitedly glowing green eyes, she seemed very much looking forward to events that did not conform to human morality.
"Beep—"
The mixer stopped. Mobius walked over, picked up a syringe, drew the liquid from the test tube, and then walked behind Lin, eyeing the spot to inject with a smile.
"Ah ah ah ah! We're gonna be late! Fuxi, why did you sleep so late today too!"
"Ugh... I think I drank too much wine last night. I feel sick..."
Two similar figures rushed into the lab like a storm, presenting their ID cards to the card reader. They both paled simultaneously, as if a bucket of paint had been spilled on their faces, when the reader flashed a bright red warning.
"You two are truly 'early,' aren't you?"
A chilly wind blew from behind, making both figures tremble.
Lin stood still, his expression calm. He wondered whether he should remind Mobius, who was now heading over to scold the two intern assistants, that she had been startled a moment ago. Her hand had shaken, and the syringe had been plunged into Lin's shoulder.
Yes, it was still standing there, clearly visible.